|
I became a dad for the second time when my son was born. a week later, he devoloped a slight fever. took him to the doctors, who sent us straight to the hospital for observation. for a week we stayed there, no idea what was wrong. every day they drew blood, ran tests, but still he spiked a fever every few hours. on the seventh day, my wife had stayed overnight so I came in, swapped with her a sent her home to shower and look after our daughter while I comforted my son for the morning blood test. they pricked his heel, took the blood, and I pressed a tissue to the wound. but the bleeding wouldn't stop. two hours I held him, pressing the tissue to his heel, but it still wouldn't stop. then the doctors came. they said words i can't remember, but next it was a tiny form on a giant stretcher, frantic nurses, and an ambulance pulling away, sirens blaring and I was alone. he was taken 150 miles to one of the only places that had any idea how to treat him, and by the time I'd got home got packed and got there he was already in a coma in the pediatric intensive care unit. the doctors ushered us into a small room where we had the talk. the first two nights we had to get a hotel, then a room opened in the ronald macdonald house next door. it's a charity set up to provide free accommodation for parents who live far from the hospitals their children are in. each day we would walk past other parents in similar circumstances, i learned to recognise the brittle smiles that never reach your eyes that we shared as we passed in the corridors. each day I went in to sit by his tiny body as machines breathed, washed his blood, and pumped medicine after medicine. four weeks we waited, until at last he opened his eyes again. the baby blue was gone, the toxins that had ravaged his body had turned the iris almost pure black. and so began the long road home. its his eighth christmas now. he still has unnaturally dark eyes, and so many scars from needles and biopsies. being a dad is hard, but still worth it. do me a favour, next time you get a mac donalds, please drop the change in the little charity box.
|
#
¿
Dec 20, 2020 22:09
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 20, 2024 10:42 |
|