I am riding for my daughter Wren as part of the Children's NICU Spinning Spokes for the Littlest Folks Team!
My daughter Wren was born earlier this year at Childrens Hospital at Anschutz on January 30th. She was born at 37 weeks with some unique and undiagnosed neurological symptoms. At the time I am posting this (april 19), we are still in the NICU, but very close to going home!
I am riding for Wren, to share her story, to celebrate how proud we are of her, and in the hopes that her story may help someone else someday. I am riding for my wife, my older daughter, and all of our family and friends who have helped us get to this point. I am riding for the hospital and the NICU, who have given us everything and will continue to help us along the way. I'm also riding as an opportunity to turn the page on this initial chapter. When this ride takes place, it will be almost exactly the turning point from when we will have spent more time at home than in the NICU. I used to think I was a pretty mentally tough person, able to step up and get through challening obstacles. I never imagined I would need to face something like this. Wren has shown me what true strength, resilience, and toughness are. If I can channel even an ounce of her strength, I'll have no problem ticking off the miles and coming out the other side ready to move on as a family and take on the future together.
Wren has a long and uncertain road ahead of her. Right now, Wren does not swallow and has lower muscle tone. She has a G-tube to allow her to eat, needs frequent suction to manage her oral and nasal secretions so she can breathe, and a host of therapies to get her stronger and developing well.
Her condition does not fit a typical diagnostic pattern, so our future is a bit of a wait and see game. As she continues to develop and grow, the impact of her symptoms will change in some way as well.
In the meantime, we cannot wait to be home with our family, and get to see Wren out of the hospital, in the sunshine, and surrounded by her people.
We owe everything to the team here at Children's. They have been with us since before day 1, and have given us the chance to take our girl home, prepared to take care of her on our own. The nurses, doctors, therapists, specialists, and everyone here love Wren so much. They are part of our family now, they know our older daughter, they have brought our girls gifts, made us laugh, been with us through the tears, and it will be oddly bitter sweet to leave this place, knowing we likely won't see many of these angels again.
We have also met so many other families here that we now call friends. Normal people from all over the state and country who, just like us, were presented with one of the hardest challenges any parent can face. We all are so grateful to have landed in one of the best places on the planet we could be to have to deal with something like this.
This is just a small way I can help to repay the debt we owe to this place. Nobody ever wants to be here, but boy are we lucky to live where we do and have ended up here.
Please contribute to this wonderful place and make sure it is always here for those that need it!
