Intensive Care (Reprint from Nov. 2010)

Persistence is the act of persisting or persevering, a continuing or repeating behavior.

Our grandson Gavin is alive due to love, faith, hope, advanced medical science, and persistent optimism and care. Gavin and his parents recently visited my wife and me. While Gavin was at our home, I played some bird songs and showed him the corresponding birds. Ask Gavin what a turkey sounds like and he will quickly respond with “gobble, gobble gobble”. Ask him what a chickadee sounds like and he will probably respond with “dee, dee, dee”. Those quickly learned responses warm grandpa’s heart. His even being here in this world with us after being born more than three months premature and fighting through a bees nest of medical issues is awe-inspiring.

Gavin spent 103 days in NICU (Neonatal intensive-care unit). Here is one excerpt from Gavin’s Caringbridge journal : “I got a new bed the other day -- that means that I am stable enough to move. It took a lot of people to move me though, someone to hold my tube, someone to hold my head, someone to hold my body, someone to hold all my sensor and IV lines, and a couple people to switch out the bed units.” Gavin weighed 1 pound 12 ounces at the time.

Being in an Army family our grandson often lives far away. Visits are sweet but all too short. Mom and Dad keep Gavin in our lives on a daily basis through “Facebook” entries and phone calls. Those Facebook entries and calls remind us not only how special Gavin is to us but also how much daily care his parents and the medical community continue to provide on his behalf. Gavin and his parents have faced many seemingly overwhelming challenges and disappointing setbacks along with a progression of healthy developments. Now nearly three years old, Gavin is a living testimony to the value of community-many hands supplying intensive and persistent daily care.

Every one of us receives Thanksgiving blessings bestowed in a variety of forms. Some of these blessings come through the work and actions of others. Our ability to take action to make the world a better place for others and ourselves is also a blessing.

In a thankful and giving spirit help keep our environment, and your neighborhood, clean and green by persistently picking up a piece of litter every day. Our family wishes you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

Other personal stories and folktale postings:

      Ø  Letters from home: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/12/letter-from-home.html

Ø  At the drop of a spoon (Alzheimer’s): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/10/at-drop-of-spoon.html

Ø  Walking Home with Dad: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2010/06/walking-home-june-2010.html

Ø  Nothing to Waste (VT. folktale): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/11/nothing-to-waste.html

Ø  In Memoriam-Old Friend: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-memoriam.html

Ø  Sharing Summer Vacation (3 act play): http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/09/sharing-summer-vacation.html

Ø  VT man lost in Minn. : http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2011/02/vermont-man-lost-in-minnesota.html

Ø  Six yr old asks-Do Cig butts count as litter?: http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/11/cigarette-butts-do-they-count-as-litter.html