Let Me Tell You About a Day

Let me tell you about a day.

For most this day started out just like many other days.  They woke up, ate breakfast, went to work, came home fixed dinner and went to bed.  Some were going to school.  Some were staying home with their children.  Some were probably skipping work,  or on vacation.

For a few, their work was at a hospital.  More specifically Children's Mercy in Kansas City.  More specifically nurses, RTs, doctors, CNAs working in the pediatric ICU fighting for a little boy in heart failure.

For that little boy's family, it started by waiting for news.  News that we were hoping would change the course of fate.  News that would give us hope that what we feared would happen would in-fact not happen.  I think we all knew what the answer was going to be but we were not ready to give up hope.

For me I was at work, distracted but trying to do my job.  For my sister and her husband. they were sitting at his bedside, soaking in every single second they had with him.  Realizing that every second is precious and not wanting to waste any minuet piece of those few seconds they had left. 

This day is Friday October 23rd, 2015.  This is the day that Brillyn Joseph James Adams Werts went to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father.

This day was one of the worst days of many peoples lives.  But this day was not just about loosing B.   Let me explain...

This was the day I knew I needed my husband even when we were just friends.  I had been friends with TJ for years.  We had spent countless hours talking about life, faith, friends, significant others, you name it, we talked about it.  If anyone had asked me, I would have said he was one of my best friends  That night, after everything died down, we said our goodbyes, went to the hotels, prayed with my baby who had just experienced the greatest loss he has known his short life, and got him to sleep I needed to talk to someone.  The only person I wanted to talk to was TJ.  It was late, probably 1 or 2 in the morning and I called him.  I never expected an answer but he did and we talked.  More importantly I talked, he listened .  I cried, he consoled.  This is the day that I knew I needed my husband even when we were just friends.

This is the day that I saw what true family looks like.  When I got the news I was at work.  I was in a meeting and my mom called me.  She couldn't talk so she hands the phone to my dad who said, you need to come.  I asked him to help or to say goodbye.  He said "to say goodbye".  I lost it.  I found myself in the hallway crying, bawling, with my coworkers surrounding me, crying with me.  I cried so hard that I farted ( I thought they all needed some comedic relief at that point) and everyone laughed with me, not at me.  Then we cried some more.  That type of support and love only comes from Jesus, and all those women love Jesus and helped me feel Him when I needed him most.    When we got to the hospital I saw an even greater family coming together.  That room was packed.  full of people who loved that boy and his family more than words can describe.  What stands out to me the most is not that the room was packed, but there were probably 40 people in that room and only 5, yes only 5, were actually blood related to this precious little boy. All the rest were adopted grandparents, siblings, cousins and friends who became family, nurses and RTs who fought for B's life and saved it on more than one occasion.  That room was full of sadness, there was not a dry eye in that room.  But it was full of something more, something so tangible, no one could leave the room with out feeling it.  It was full of love.  Love for B and his family and love from B to everyone there and even those who could not be there.  It was full of pure love that only comes from the love the Father has for His children.  This is the day that I saw what true family looks like.

This is the day that I saw what the selfless love of a mother and a father looks like.  Brillyn has always been a fighter.  From the day he was born he had to be.  But he was not alone in that fight.  He had his family and more importantly his mother fighting with him.  Then Cody came and he now had his mom and dad in his corner.    Ashley is the reason I did not want to do pediatric nursing.  I love my sister but she can be scary, especially when it came to taking care of Brillyn.  She expected the best and when she did not get the best, she let everyone and their dog know it.  She knew a good nurse when she saw one and got rid of nurses who were less than excellent.  (Not got rid of like I will never see them again got rid of but like a do not ever come in this room again got rid of).  Brillyn had the best care and the best doctors for his condition.  When the time came to make a tough decision, Ashley and Cody fought with themselves.  There was one more thing they could try and hail-mary if you will.  The doctors said It would require 4 months before they could try it  and even then there was no guarantee  that it would work.  Ashly could choose this hail-mary or chose to let him go.  I do not know about you but I could never imagine making that choice.  I know she and Cody fought within themselves to make the right decision:  To keep Brillyn here with us, cooped up in a hospital room with no guarantee of never getting out, or let him go be with Jesus.  In the end Brillyn let them know what he wanted.  Brillyn was never the type to sit still.  He was always going, always playing, always causing trouble.  Brillyn loved being outside no matter what time of year it was and hated bed time.  One of thses options was the exact opposite of who Brillyn was.  So putting aside  their desire to spend as much time with their little boy as possible, they chose to let Brillyn go be with Jesus.  This is the day that I saw what the selfless love of a mother and a father looks like.

This is a day that while being very sad for everyone involved, also showed the love of Christ in every moment.  He touched so many lives with this little boys short, but full life.  He allowed everyone who came in contact with B know what true joy looks likes.  He used his parents to show what love acts like.  Choosing to give up their desire to have their son around so that there would be no more suffering is the perfect example of what Christ did for us.  He showed people that family is not and doesn't have to be just who we have similar DNA with.  Family is whomever He brings into our lives to strengthen, encourage, love, and  support us through our trials and our victories.  He can be our everything, he is our Father, our Friend, our Love, but it takes many different people in our lives in many different facets to help us realize the full extent of His love for us.

Let me tell you about a day.

This day is Friday October 23rd, 2015.  This is the day that Brillyn Joseph James Adams Werts went to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father.  This is the day we said " See you later" to B and he said "Ill be watching you" to us.