My son. Hero.

Yes he is.

October 2, 2002 was a memorable day. First, I got sick at work and came home. We had just moved into a new place in Bettendorf, and I didn't have my key to the new place, so from about 11 in the morning, I sat outside and waited and waited and. . .About 4 or 4:30 one of my daughters came by. She told me that we had a new granddaughter. Jada Alexis was born, and Richard Jr. was dad, and I hopped in the car and we went to Trinity West in Rock Island.

Only, Jada wasn't there. She'd been transported by helicopter to OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Jada has cerebral palsy. The things we take for granted - walking, talking, singing, feeding ourselves - Jada will never be able to do. My son learned more about parenting in a really short time than I have learned in a very long time.

Jada eventually got to come home during the week of Thanksgiving. Between that early October day and the end of November Richard and Cindy and I drove to Peoria so often that we could have driven it backwards and blindfolded. (Not recommended, though. Deer do a nasty job on cars.) St. Francis in Peoria has a top-notch neonatal care center but, even so, we saw lots of parents whose babies just couldn't make it. Jada had lots of surgeries, and she probably had no business making it, either, but there is one family trait that comes from both sides. She's a fighter. Praise God - Jada's a fighter. And now, ten-years-plus later, Jada the fighter is still fighting.

And her dad is fighting right with her.

My son's heroism doesn't stop there. In June, 2007, our daughter, Becky, gave birth to her youngest, Kylie, and within 12 hours our daughter-in-law Leanne gave birth to Payton. Payton also had his difficulties. He had problems eating, and so he's had a feeding tube for these six years. Also, numerous surgeries. But today we got word: Payton can now thrive on his own. One more surgery, to remove the feeding tube. Yay Payton!

We are fighters. We are grinders. Things don't always go exactly as we would wish. Just keep plugging.

And I couldn't be prouder.

Thanks for hanging out!