Happy Heartiversary, Aidan!

Yesterday marked the 5 year anniversary of Aidan's heart surgery. We made a cake together, complete with bandaid:



We sang, "Happy heartiversary," Flintstones style.  Then we all helped to blow out the candles.  Afterall, we were all in it together. 

 Aidan clapped...but wouldn't eat any of the cake.  Or taste the icing. 

We will continue to celebrate as much as possible, because everyone out there who's gone through something like this, knows it is pretty much life changing.  Being in the Pediatric ICU for that little amount of time was the most humbling experience of my life. 

Liam, the middlest of billy goats, was playing piano on the weekend.  He was playing a medley of songs that he knows.  During the Buffalo Hunt, he said, "this was how fast my heart was racing waiting until Aidan had his heart fixed."  Then he moved into Somewhere over the Rainbow - "and this is how joyful it felt when he was done."

Amen to that middle billy goat.  Amen to that.

Little Celebrity

So, Aidan was on the TV not once, but twice this week.  Both times for the Music Therapy program.  The Ronald McDonald House Charity just donated $30000 to build a multi-sensory room for children with critical illnesses to have a studio to relax in. 

While Aidan and his friend Sarah are not critically ill (thank goodness, touch wood...), Johanne asked that they be at the media event to help accept the cheque.  Aidan and Sarah will be able to use the room if they are having a bad day or simply needing a calming space (the therapy room is quite stimulating with all of the instruments).  I think she chose our kids as opposed to someone who is terminally ill to go on camera as it would be less stressful for them.  Everybody is different, but I know that when we were in that horrible time of waiting for heart surgery, I would have found the act of speaking to the media too emotionally charged to handle.  My nerves were raw...

Thankfully, thankfully, we've come through the other side of that stress and now can experience the joy of putting it all behind us.