IN LOVING MEMORY OF MICHAEL

This site is in loving memory of my son Michael, he went home to be with God on 14 Sept 2008. It is also a place for families, friends and caregivers who have special needs children or adults in thier lives, to talk about how they feel, ask questions, explore possibilities in interacting with them and how to help them themselves. Or if you are a special "kid" yourself, all are welcome here. I would also like to include those who have experienced any kind of trauma in their lives that has affected them, including abuse or injury. God loves all His children, and Michael loved everyone too. So any and all are welcome, it is my hope you find love and understanding here. All I ask is you be polite and respect other peoples feelings and what they are talking about or asking. This is a place for sharing, share anything you have written, poetry, or even a photo. And if you have lost a loved one, or took care of someone special you grew close to, I hope and pray you find comfort here. God bless one and all!


About Michael

Michael was born on 18 December 1996, 3 weeks early. He was born dead and the first thing he got in life was not the swat on the bottom but CPR. He was revived and about 3 hours later was taken to Strong Hospital's NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit. We were told he was hypoxic, meaning a lack of oxygen to the brain. We were also told he might not live a week, or make it out of the NICU, or even survive his first pneumonia. Well, God had a plan for him and he came home 100 days later. Now, the hypoxia did global brain damage, and from what I was told, if an adult had sustained that much damage it would have killed us because we would have lost everything we had ever learned. My response to that was, well, we only use 10%, so God will help his brain find new pathways to use. He did. Michael learned to smile, express himself without words, be loving, be happy, and so sweet.

Michael was not able to learn to talk, or walk, or stand, or sit unsupported, or do anything for himself. He had a g-tube (gastric) so he could have formula and medications and water, nothing by mouth, he had a tracheotomy, and developed seizures when he was around 2 yrs old. Michael also had more aspiration pneumonia's than I care to count, a few bouts of RSV and flu. He also had surgery to correct windswept clubfoot (meaning both feet) and 4 stomach surgeries to try and stop him vomiting and aspirating into his lungs.

But you might wonder how did he get along with so much going on. He went to school for awhile and then we decided he should stay home and have the teachers and therapists come to him as he was sick almost every month for nearly a year ending up in the hospital for weeks at a time. He blossomed at home with the one on one. He learned to make choices with eye gaze and with a switch programmed with the choice, he also used the switch to activate toys, or this past year to make choices and change screens on his laptop computer. He absolutely loved to be read to, and music was another absolute favourite. Music would calm him, and he even started making sounds with it. He had a speech valve that allowed him to find his voice and he was just learning how to use his voice to make choices.

In 2006 Michael was granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish foundation to go to Disney World down in Florida. He had a blast meeting the characters and seeing all the sights. My favourite memory is he and I holding hands while the trainer coaxed a dolphin up so we could touch him together, the smile on Michael's face was so precious. We got to do other enjoyable things like go to family picnics and he just loved the attention he got from his aunts, uncles, and cousins. And it was also a time he got to see a few of his niece's and nephews and one of his brothers and his sister. It was quite the crowd when it came time for the family picture, 27 of us. Michael was the happiest little boy when he was surrounded by people, and he would get "up" at midnight when I got up to take over from the evening nurse. He wanted to spend quality time with mom, no sharing.

Now Michael is home in heaven, totally whole, running, laughing, talking, hugging God. I can imagine his sweet voice joining with the angels. He went home to God on 14 September 2008. He was a precious gift from God who touched every life he ever came in contact with. I love my little boy dearly, always have and always will and I know he will continue to touch lives.

About me
I am a Christian mom, Michael's mom, an artist, dabble in web design, write poetry, photographer, gardener and caregiver to the rest of my family. I'm doing this site to honour Michael's memory, I would like to be able to provide a place where people can share stories, memories, things they have learned through their relationships with special needs children and adults ( to me they are all special children). We are all children of God and He has a purpose for each of us. Michael taught me so much, and I want to pass that on. Every "child" is special in thier own way and maybe together we can explore and find not so much as maybe answers but comfort and joy in those very special, precious gifts that we call children, children God has given us.

I have also included those who have experienced any kind of trauma, many years ago I was abused by my first husband. I would also include those who were abused as children, you see when Michael was born and we didn't know if he would live or not I would hear news stories about parents beating their children just because they would not be quiet or be what the parents wanted, that broke my heart, because here we were, hoping our child would live, regardless of the disabilities he had. To me all are special and precious and need and deserve to be loved, no matter what the disability or what they have gone through.

In the Lord's love,
Jeannine

Poems in Loving Memory of Michael
Some other Poems written about special children
Thoughts from an Irish Friend