The Roarks

Let me start by saying that we are blessed beyond measure by your prayers for Ryder. He has done so great and his ECHO looked great today. Praise Praise Praise!!! The last blood pressure they took 119/58. Pray this maintains through the night and we will go home tomorrow. All day I have had that lump in my throat because I am already knowing how hard it will to leave tomorrow. The staff, the Doctors, the Nurses, and of course the other Families that become your family and you are all here together sharing the same connection…to save your child’s life. Sleeping in the family room and you wake up to a Mother’s cry  in the middle of the night because they are doing emergency surgery on their baby, Parents that have been here for months waiting on their child a heart and you ask each day, “How is Today?” How is your baby doing? Did you get good news today?… and we walk back to our rooms not really sure of what time it is or what day it is but we all have one another. The warm smile and laughs from the nurses give you HOPE each day. Nothing would have ever prepared Roman and I for the day we walked back to see Ry after surgery, but a pat on the back and a hopeful eye from the nurse in your room gives you the Peace to Stay Strong and the Love and Peace you get from God. I have always been a huge believer of prayer and having a strong Group of Prayer Warriors. When I meet or hear of someone that needs prayer I put in my notes on my phone and then add to my prayer book at home and I keep up with specifics and Glorify Gods Name for the Praises He gives those and keep praying for unanswered prayers. I just thought I had a huge prayer list until I came to ACH. February 26, 2014 was a day I will never forget. It was the day of my son’s heart surgery but also a day that God opened my eyes to REAL STUFF!

   My first thought after being here for an hour was that I will never complain again of the little things, like that you only have 20 minutes to spare between leaving work and picking up your kids so how in the world will you have time to go to the grocery? Or those Snow Days that keep coming and my kids are bouncing off the walls and so am I and I might want to pull my hair out, or when you have to wait for 30 minutes on hold with someone from AT&T or waiting in a doctor’s office for an exam. I hope to be able to get permission from some of the other families to share their story on here soon. I have so much I want to right but I want to protect the families and their privacy. All I can say is we have been here for 7 days and I could write a book. My heart is FOREVER changed. My Faith has always been strong, but it just got stronger!

   Tonight around 8pm we lost a dear friend down the hall. He is a soaring Angel now. He just brought Ryder some books that he signed yesterday and was happy and smiling and just like,  that now he is gone. Life is so Fragile….so so Fragile. To see a Parent lose their child…well there are no words. I just kept begging… DEAR LORD HOLD HER SO TIGHT AND GIVE HER PEACE…Needless to say, it has been a rough night for all of us on the 4th floor. I want to leave you with this song that some of our Friends here, Ben and Noelle wrote. It is called Healing… so appropriate and beautiful. God Bless and Keep Praying.

                                                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                                                                   Casey