Wednesday

It's funny how the things that seemed to be really irritating earlier this week now seem really, incredibly inconsequential...

It's 4:00 am and I'm in the Pediatric Intensive Care waiting room at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. My sister and I made a mad dash from Knoxville tonight after finding out that our beloved two year old cousin, slipped away from his mother today and jumped into the lake near his grandparents' house.

He was in the water for several minutes before they found him, and had no pulse for at least twenty minutes. He was lifeflighted from Coffee County to Vandy and is in extremely critical condition. He's on a ventilator and they fear serious brain injury.

He's the sunniest, happiest baby you can imagine and we all love him so much.

Vanderbilt Hospital is very family oriented, so even though I am not his mother, I was able to sit with him some tonight in the ICU, and seeing his blond curls spread out on the hospital bed, still damp from the lake, was just almost more than I could bear. He hasn't woken up at all since they found him, and his mother and father, two of the people dearest to me in the world, look like their souls have just been sucked out of them.

Please keep him in your thoughts. And hug your children.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will keep him and your family in both my thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to his parents and all who love him.

Anonymous said...

That's awful, Katie. I'm so sorry.

- Steve K.

Julie said...

Thanks Steve. It's my cousin James' son -- James Anderson, whom I'm sure you remember from when he lived in Knoxville.

I'm still at the hospital - trying to pass the interminable hours messing around online. There has been no change in Ward's condition. It's very, very bad.
:-( Katie

Anonymous said...

oh my god. I will keep you all in my thoughts. My 3 children are now napping. I want to wake them up and hug them.

- Marta

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I remember James well. Poor guy. Damn...wish I had something more helpful or comforting to say, but I'm at a loss.

- Steve

Anonymous said...

That's heart-wrenching. Young gray matter can be remarkably robust. My best wishes to the boy and all of you there trying to deal with it.

Rikki

Ms. Booty Homemaker said...

Oh, Katie! I'll be holding you all in the light during this uncertain time.

Anonymous said...

Katie,

I don't even know what to say. I was so sorry to read about this terrible accident early this morning and now to hear that it it James' son ......my thoughts and prayers are with you all. I spoke to the Webb office today and they add prayers and concern to mine.

Julie said...

Thank you Mary. James is married to another Webb alum, Julie Newton - class of '90. James and Julie are wonderful, wonderful parents.

We are all still at the hospital. No significant changes to report :-(

Katie

Anonymous said...

Katie... I heard about this terrible tragedy from Stefani. I will keep all of you in my thoughts, especially little Ward. :-(

Anonymous said...

Your family will be lifted in prayer. I pray that God will send his Comforter to you and your family. I cannot imagine how scarey and painful it must be to be in this situation. Hold on to hope; sometimes during the "sleep" period alot of healing goes on.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear of this and I will keep him and his family in my thoughts and prayers.

Anonymous said...

Katie,

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers tonight. I am so sorry that you are all going through this.

Amy B.

Lisa said...

Katie, I am so sorry to hear of this awful thing. As a nurse who used to work rehab, and had a 2-year old near drowning as a patient years ago, it is frightening how life can change in a mere instant. As a mother I cannot even imagine the heartbreak of seeing your dear baby in this condition. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts.