The 16th Birthday

Today I’m out with Simon and his friends, celebrating the fact that he will be 16 tomorrow.

Sixteen – the birthday that Leah never got to celebrate because she was so ill.

She had no candles, no cake, we didn’t even sing happy birthday, she was just too sick.

We told her that we’d wait and have a big celebration when she got home.

I think that the angels in heaven must have had a party with her instead, because when we finally brought Leah home, it was to “wake” her body.

All of Leah’s unopened birthday presents were hastily stashed in a cupboard, along with her recently unwrapped Christmas presents.

Ever since Simon was in the final stages of Primary School, how he chooses to celebrate his birthday hasn’t changed.

I load up our big blue Citroen Synergie with him and his friends. We head first to the cinema, then to McDonalds.

I enjoy having a car full of young people – it reminds me of how life used to be.

Actually, when Simon was even younger, I used this same 7 seater car to collect his friends and take them to a soft play area for his birthday.

What I find really hard to believe, is that when I first started doing this, the British Army was still in Northern Ireland.

That feels like another life now, but I clearly remember going to the army living quarters in Ballykelly, to collect two of Simon’s young friends.

One was part of a Hong Kong regiment and the other was part of a regiment from Fiji. They were such beautifully mannered young boys.

I would never want to go back to the days of regular bomb scares, tight security and having our streets patrolled by soldiers, but I liked the ethnic diversity that these families brought to the school.

Isn’t it amazing all of the changes that we experience in our lifetime?

Some changes we embrace and welcome, other changes are ones that we find painful and sad, but life never remains static.

I’m glad that we have a God who is always there for us and who never changes:

Leah’s birthday in ICU

This was Leah with her Dad on her 16th birthday on the 31st December 2013.

There was no party, no cake, we didn’t even sing “Happy Birthday”.

Leah was exhausted from the effort of trying to breathe. She struggled to even keep her eyes open.

I kissed her and told her how precious she was and how much we all loved her. I said that we’d have a big party when she got home.

This is what I wrote on our Facebook blog @ 8am that morning:

“Leah’s oxygen levels & breathing remained stable over night. They are alternating 1hr of the face mask CPAP with 3hrs using the nasal prongs. Leah prefers the nasal prongs. We both got a few hours sleep. Thanks for all your prayers & supportive messages. Visiting is of course restricted in ICU & many of you live far away but modern technology brings your loving support directly into Leah’s room.”

Lots of people sent birthday wishes by text, facebook, card or email. All of these were read out to Leah.

On Thursday 2nd January ’14 Leah went on a ventilator. By Friday this had helped her body so much that she was awake and keen to communicate.

Photography was strictly forbidden in ICU but like many young (and not so young) people, Leah loved taking selfies.

On the morning of the 3rd January, when Leah was using her iPad, she pulled my head down beside hers and ‘click’ – there it was, we’d broken one of the rules of ICU.

It was usually quite difficult for Leah to type, as the medication that she was on blurred her vision.

Not on this occasion – Leah uploaded the photo to Facebook and typed out:
Didn’t exactly plan my sweet 16 birthday or the New Year to be like this but thanks to everyone whose been praying. I love you mummy ❤ 🙂

Such precious beautiful words.

Leah takes a selfie

Visitors are not allowed to take photos in ICU but Leah took this “selfie” this morning.

She is very awake but comfortable & making very determined efforts to communicate via her iPad but it’s complicated by the fact that the muscle relaxants have made her vision a bit blurry.

She says that being on the ventilator is easier than when she was struggling to breathe. Leah’s oxygen levels have continued to improve & I am hugely relieved as they certainly weren’t looking so good yesterday, either before or after she went on the ventilator.

I try to choose my words carefully when writing on this Journey page, I’m too tired and befuddled to remember all the ICU consultants names so I have secretly given them nicknames – today we have Mr Happy – they haven’t all been allocated complimentary titles!

Thank you to those who asked – I slept reasonably well last night & feel fairly well rested. I have use of the lovely room in the Cancer Centre over the weekend if I want it.

Leah used her iPad to put this photo on her Facebook page and underneath she wrote the words “Didn’t exactly plan my sweet 16 birthday or the New Year to be like this but thanks to everyone whose been praying. I love you mummy “

 

Leah turns 16

Happy 16th birthday Leah – this photo was taken of Leah and her daddy – Leah’s oxygen levels & breathing remained stable over night.

They are alternating 1hr of the face mask CPAP with 3hrs using the nasal prongs.

Leah prefers the nasal prongs.

We both got a few hours sleep.

Thanks for all your prayers & supportive messages.

Visiting is of course restricted in ICU & many of you live far away but modern technology brings your loving support directly into Leah’s room.