Update: Shorty also blogged about this very same thing here.
Lately I’ve noticed my friends doing things like #100happydays or variations of these things. To remind themselves of the little things they appreciate or can be thankful about in life. I think it’s a great exercise… because sometimes we forget the little luxuries or the good things we have in life.
The one thing I haven’t forgotten and am still always grateful for though is Fighter. You see… in the past week, two things have caught my attention.
1) Premature babies
Since we knew it was almost certain that Fighter would be a premature baby, we joined this very supportive group on Facebook for mommies (and daddies) of premature babies. In the past month, there are two mothers whose cases stand out. Both mothers had given birth to their babies at a severely premature stage. One at 24 weeks… another at 26 weeks (if I remember correctly). Both weighed about 700 grams or less.
A few days ago, one of the mothers posted about how after a month of her baby girl fighting in the NICU… she had lost her.
And right after that… the other mother posted about how the doctor had told her that her baby isn’t going to make it and that she would prepare for the worst.
When I read these two stories my heart sank. Shorty and I have been there…. looking at our Fighter through a glass box and praying that he wouldn’t develop any complications.
I can’t imagine how both of us would have felt if it hadn’t turned out as well as it did…. I know Shorty would break down and cry… and I would have to be strong for her and tell her it would be okay… but I think I would break down myself and cry too.
2) The Nat Factor
I discovered this blog about a mother who was at a pretty advanced stage in her pregnancy but found out at a checkup that there was no longer a heartbeat. Natalie (as I learned her name was) wrote her experience really well… so well that it made us feel as if we were there (that’s what I love about blogs… nothing tells a story better than a blog or Dayre). Shorty was crying by the time she had done reading the entry.
The good news is that Nat is now pregnant again and things seem to be going well so far. I hope the two mothers in the first part will get pregnant again too and find their happiness with the safe delivery of their next child.
The truth is… Shorty and I know that while we’re blessed with one healthy child now, it’s not over yet. We want to have more children and Shorty’s medical condition still means that not only will it be hard to conceive but when she does conceive there will be a 45% chance of a miscarriage. We got lucky with Fighter once…. and we’re grateful for that.
After reading Natalie’s blog entry, Shorty and I went into Fighter’s room and watched him as he slept.
I gave him a kiss on his forehead and whispered “Thank you for Fighting so hard Fighter… thank you for making it”.
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space