April 28th...2 Years Later
It’s April 28th again. Two years have passed since we heard the words that would change the course of our lives.
“Are you ready? There is a problem with the baby.”
It’s a date that oddly has greater impact on me than Mira’s birthday. That date was selected by a team of doctors based on gestational time. April 28th happened for no other reason than a routine exam and an ultra-sound simply because my insurance covered it.
Last year on this date, I wrote about the wise words I received from another mother who is on a similar journey. “Time and perspective,” she said. “That is all you will need.”
Since more time has passed, this year I chose to focus on perspective.
I’ve mentioned Lizzy, and her mom Kathryn in previous posts. Kathryn sent me a Facebook message after reading my blog post about Mira’s emergency spinal decompression surgery at 10 months old. Lizzy, born just 3 months before Mira and also with Achondroplasia, underwent the same surgery a few weeks later. Since then, we have grown closer, discussing everything from serious medical questions to what the best shoe brand is for their tiny, wide feet. After a year of texting, we thought it was time for us to meet. We picked a weekend that worked for both of our schedules, and a few weeks later, we headed south to Washington D.C.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but we had picked the weekend of April 28th.
Meeting Kathryn and Lizzy felt like visiting an old friend, complete with a delicious homemade dinner, toddler spaghetti faces and a few meltdowns (by my offspring mainly) as bedtime came and went. Hanging out with Kathryn felt natural, and Lizzy felt like an adorable, slightly older and more advanced version of Mira. Same smile, same gestures, same beautiful soulful eyes. I was so grateful for the opportunity to spend time with this family, and I find comfort in knowing that these fierce girls will always have each other, as will their Moms.
Two years ago, we were catapulted into a community of people we would never have come across, if not for Mira. I’ve connected with people from all over the world. We have nothing and everything in common. We’ve all heard the same words in one way or another.
Our children have the same scars, and so do our hearts.
After our incredible weekend, we made our way back home. Somewhere between Maryland and Delaware I received an email from a woman in Florida expecting her first baby girl in just a few weeks. She poured out her heart to me, a complete stranger, and told me she was terrified, confused and lost. She also told me that after discovering my blog and seeing pictures of Mira , she started to feel full of hope and strength. As I read on, I learned that this woman received the same news that I did.
On April 28th.
