Thread: New daughter
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Unread 02-26-2004, 11:53 AM   #100
eire1274
Cooling Neophyte
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 1
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Brian, you have my deepest sympathies.

What you are going through is a terrible way to realise how much you love someone. Know that God does have a plan for every event, even though sometimes it feels otherwise.

I am 30 years old. Last July I was diagnosed with acute heart valve failure; for unknown reasons, my mitral valve had almost completely seperated from the cordae tendonae (the cordlike tissues that hold the valve closed when the heart beats), and I was living on (and had been for some time) less than 20% blood flow. There is no sign of heart disease or any degenerative illness in me, and my family history of heart problems does not go beyond mild valve prolapse (a condition which can cause a murmur but generally causes no health problems at all). I had open heart surgery to remove my damaged valve and implant an artificial valve in August. I am still recovering from this, and have recently lost my job as a result of too much time off (unfortunately, FMLA does not cover you unless you have been employed for one year or more, and I had started a new job only 2 months before being diagnosed).

In October, exactly 2 months after my surgery, my third child (first daughter) was born by emergency C-Section. Fortunately, all went well there. However, due of course to the nature of C-Sections, my wife and I were now both not working.

I have chosen to take these events in our collective life as an opportunity to grow spiritually. I have been given a second life, as it were, where some others are not. It is therefore my responsibility to channel my efforts to aid whenever and where ever I can. I have nothing monetary I can give you, but I can pray.

My children, and my wife and I will pray for both you and your wife today, and whenever we have opportunity. I will not pray for your wife's recovery, because that may not be God's will. I will instead pray that God's plan for you and your wife be exectued in the most merciful fashion, that His will grants you the strength to hold on to your family in this time of trouble, that His will saves your wife from any unnecessary suffering and gives her peace, no matter the outcome.

I do not know what your religious beliefs are, and I hope you are not offended by mine. I am Roman Catholic, as is my entire family. I will be contacting my Grandmother, who belongs to a prayer group, to organize a novena (9 days of the Holy Rosary) to be prayed for you and your wife.

My prayers and best hopes to you.

Nick McDermott
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