There was a boy who was perfectly healthy. no injures, no sicknesses, nothing; but then the unbelievable happened.
It was a bright, sunny, spring, day in Milton when all of a sudden,
“Tag your it!” yelled a voice.
“Come on, I just got you,” said Liam. Liam, a tall eight year old boy with shaggy long
hair and brown eyes, who had just tagged his brother was now IT again!
“Too bad Liam, guess you’re just not fast enough for me,” answered Daniel. Daniel,
one of Liam’s three siblings, and the oldest, was very proud.
“Hey Liam, come and get me, I haven't been it yet.” It was Caroline his older sister. “I want to be it,” announced T.J. T.J. is Liam’s little sister.
“Oh fine, but then you can’t get me.” said Liam.
One minute passed, then five, then ten, then...
“Liam, can you come here please!”
It was Liam’s mom and by the tone of her voice he knew he was in trouble.
“O.K, I’ll be there in a minute.” Off he ran to his house across the street.
Inside the house it was bright and a little chilly because of the air conditioning. Liam sat on the couch to listen to his mother and found out that he was not in trou-
ble.
“Liam, you know how we went to the hospital after your migraine yesterday? Well,
the doctor would like you to have a C.A.T. scan to make sure everything is alright. “Will I have to get a needle?” Liam asked
“ I don’t know,” his mom answered. “I guess we will find out tomorrow when we go to the hospital again. Go tell your brother and sisters to come in for lunch.” So Liam went and told Daniel, Caroline, and T.J. to come in.
****
Days past, months past, the summer had almost past after the visit to the hospital and the results of the C.A.T. scan (the tube that Liam’s dad described to him as the tube in Star Wars that Han Solo got frozen in) hadn't come in... until that one day when it all started. The family doctor called to say that the scan revealed a mass in the middle of Liam’s brain, but what could the mass be?
It was the end of summer when Liam’s parents told him what was going on. Liam knew that what ever was going on, it was not good. His parents told him that something had been found on the scans and that they had been referred to McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton to visit a neurosurgeon named Dr. Singh. After their talk Liam went back to Daniel’s room to finish an epic star wars lego battle they had started and ,of course, Liam won.
****
It had been some time since Liam first met Dr. Singh. Liam thought she was the nic- est Doctor he had ever meet. Today he was so happy because he got to see her.
“Mom, are we almost there yet?” Liam blurted out. He was so exited he could barely speak.
“Almost, only fifteen more minutes,” answered his mother who was very exhausted. “ Listen to the radio ‘till we get there,O.K.?”
“ Okay ” Liam replied.
When they were finally in the room waiting for Dr. Singh, Liam could not sit still. “When is she going to get here?” Liam asked
“We don’t know” replied his dad. At that moment Dr. Singh walked in.
“Hello Sunshine” she said as soon as she saw him.
“Hello” was Liam’s reply.
“ Now Liam, your parents might have told you that you have something in your brain.
Some other doctors and I are going to try and get it out.”
“Okay!?” said Liam, who was happy, but confused.
“We are going to send you to have an M.R.I, because we are going to make a map
of your brain with the pictures we get from the scan.” She told him.
“Why do you want a map of my brain?” Liam asked
“So we know where and how to get to the mass.” Dr. Singh told him.
“Oh!” said Liam. After Liam’s checkup, Liam went home and played at the park with
his brother and sisters.
****
“I’m so scared” Liam thought as he walk into the room with the M.R.I. He slipped his shoes off, made sure that there was no metal in his pockets, climbed on the table and laid down.
“ Okay ” Liam replied.
When they were finally in the room waiting for Dr. Singh, Liam could not sit still. “When is she going to get here?” Liam asked
“We don’t know” replied his dad. At that moment Dr. Singh walked in.
“Hello Sunshine” she said as soon as she saw him.
“Hello” was Liam’s reply.
“ Now Liam, your parents might have told you that you have something in your brain.
Some other doctors and I are going to try and get it out.”
“Okay!?” said Liam, who was happy, but confused.
“We are going to send you to have an M.R.I, because we are going to make a map
of your brain with the pictures we get from the scan.” She told him.
“Why do you want a map of my brain?” Liam asked
“So we know where and how to get to the mass.” Dr. Singh told him.
“Oh!” said Liam. After Liam’s checkup, Liam went home and played at the park with
his brother and sisters.
****
“I’m so scared” Liam thought as he walk into the room with the M.R.I. He slipped his shoes off, made sure that there was no metal in his pockets, climbed on the table and laid down.
“What movie did you pick?” the lady that worked the M.R.I asked
“George of the jungle” Liam answered.
“O.K, lets get you set up” she said.
After about thirty minutes the movie paused and Liam heard the lady’s voice, “I’m
going to give you the needle now.”
“Okay” Liam said.
A minute had past when the IV needle was done and the coldness of the contrast
that was injected was over, and Liam was thankful! They got Liam out of the M.R.I. Liam went out to see his parents.
****
Months of scans and tests had past and finally the day of the surgery arrived. It had been a very scary time for Liam and his family, but they all new that the surgery had to be done. They had got their whole church family to pray for them. Liam had had a rough time but he still went on strong.
“I want to go!” T.J. had no idea why she could not go with her parents to go see Liam when he went in for surgery.
“You can’t, Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon” her mom said.
“Why?” T.J. asked.
“They are looking after you while I’m at the hospital” said Liam.
After they escaped the house they went to the hospital and went to the pre-op where
Liam got some scrubs from the doctors “Thank- you for the scrubs” Liam said.
“George of the jungle” Liam answered.
“O.K, lets get you set up” she said.
After about thirty minutes the movie paused and Liam heard the lady’s voice, “I’m
going to give you the needle now.”
“Okay” Liam said.
A minute had past when the IV needle was done and the coldness of the contrast
that was injected was over, and Liam was thankful! They got Liam out of the M.R.I. Liam went out to see his parents.
****
Months of scans and tests had past and finally the day of the surgery arrived. It had been a very scary time for Liam and his family, but they all new that the surgery had to be done. They had got their whole church family to pray for them. Liam had had a rough time but he still went on strong.
“I want to go!” T.J. had no idea why she could not go with her parents to go see Liam when he went in for surgery.
“You can’t, Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon” her mom said.
“Why?” T.J. asked.
“They are looking after you while I’m at the hospital” said Liam.
After they escaped the house they went to the hospital and went to the pre-op where
Liam got some scrubs from the doctors “Thank- you for the scrubs” Liam said.
“You don’t have to say thank- you, you are supposed to wear them” the man said. “Anyway, I’m going to put these devices around your head, we call them Cheerio’s.”
“Cool” Liam said.
The Cheerio’s were special devices that when hooked up for the surgery, let the doc- tors navigate with an image guided system to reach the middle of his brain. They took him to have an M.R.I. and then headed for the surgery floor. Liam and his mother had their picture taken just outside the surgery suite.
“Good luck” his mom said.
“Thank’s” Liam answered.
“Now Liam,” said Dr. Singh, ‘Don’t worry about anything, remember I went to school
for seventeen years to learn to do this.” “Ok” said Liam.
Then they wen’t into the surgery room. Liam’s mom, dressed in scrubs, was allowed to come into the suite and be with him until he went under. Liam saw what he thought was some old school recording stuff. He got onto the table put on the nock-out gas mask, closed his eyes, and that was the last thing that Liam remembered.
****
The day after the surgery Liam woke and was already asking for food and water. Then Dr.Singh came into the room.
“Good morning Sunshine, how are you?”
“Weak and tired, but worst of all I can’t walk or sit up!” said Liam tiredly.
“That is because you have to re-train your body to do those things.” said Dr Singh. !
“Cool” Liam said.
The Cheerio’s were special devices that when hooked up for the surgery, let the doc- tors navigate with an image guided system to reach the middle of his brain. They took him to have an M.R.I. and then headed for the surgery floor. Liam and his mother had their picture taken just outside the surgery suite.
“Good luck” his mom said.
“Thank’s” Liam answered.
“Now Liam,” said Dr. Singh, ‘Don’t worry about anything, remember I went to school
for seventeen years to learn to do this.” “Ok” said Liam.
Then they wen’t into the surgery room. Liam’s mom, dressed in scrubs, was allowed to come into the suite and be with him until he went under. Liam saw what he thought was some old school recording stuff. He got onto the table put on the nock-out gas mask, closed his eyes, and that was the last thing that Liam remembered.
****
The day after the surgery Liam woke and was already asking for food and water. Then Dr.Singh came into the room.
“Good morning Sunshine, how are you?”
“Weak and tired, but worst of all I can’t walk or sit up!” said Liam tiredly.
“That is because you have to re-train your body to do those things.” said Dr Singh. !
“Now can I speak to your parents out side for a minute?”
“Okay” replied Liam.
Dr. Singh took his parents to a small room across the hall. Visibly upset, she ex-
plained to them that they had not removed all of the tumor.
“We want to do this right. The whole team has cleared their schedules so we can go
back in next week after Liam has got some rest.”
So Liam would have to go and do it all again in one week’s time...
****
It was a bright, sunny day, when all of a sudden...
“Tag your it!” yelled a voice.
“Come on I was just it,” said Liam. Liam, now a tall eleven year old boy with shaggy
long hair and brown eyes, had tagged his brother Daniel, who had tagged their new friend Gavin who tagged Liam again.
“To bad Liam, guess I’m just to fast for you” answered Gavin.
“Liam can you get Meg or Naomi they haven’t been it yet.” Meg and Naomi are Liam’s new friends that live across the street, Naomi is also Gavin’s sister.
“Don’t get us!” they yelled.
“McGibbons time for lunch” Liam’s mom yelled.
“Ok” said Liam.
“We’ll call on you right after we finish” Caroline told Naomi and Meg. “Yeah, right after we finish” T.J. repeated.
“O.K.” they said
Off the kids ran to there houses for lunch.
“Okay” replied Liam.
Dr. Singh took his parents to a small room across the hall. Visibly upset, she ex-
plained to them that they had not removed all of the tumor.
“We want to do this right. The whole team has cleared their schedules so we can go
back in next week after Liam has got some rest.”
So Liam would have to go and do it all again in one week’s time...
****
It was a bright, sunny day, when all of a sudden...
“Tag your it!” yelled a voice.
“Come on I was just it,” said Liam. Liam, now a tall eleven year old boy with shaggy
long hair and brown eyes, had tagged his brother Daniel, who had tagged their new friend Gavin who tagged Liam again.
“To bad Liam, guess I’m just to fast for you” answered Gavin.
“Liam can you get Meg or Naomi they haven’t been it yet.” Meg and Naomi are Liam’s new friends that live across the street, Naomi is also Gavin’s sister.
“Don’t get us!” they yelled.
“McGibbons time for lunch” Liam’s mom yelled.
“Ok” said Liam.
“We’ll call on you right after we finish” Caroline told Naomi and Meg. “Yeah, right after we finish” T.J. repeated.
“O.K.” they said
Off the kids ran to there houses for lunch.
Who would have thought that after three years Liam would go back to Hamilton but not for surgeries, tests, or M.R.I.’s but to move there to live. Now only five minutes down the road from the hospital, he lives on a street full of kids to play with. Liam, now eleven, is as heathy as ever.
Posts
Fabulous story Liam! So well written!
ReplyDeleteHeather
Love your story Liam.
ReplyDeleteGrandpa McG
Liam!! What a fantastic job of writing. You brought a few little tears to my eyes when I remembered what you went through but mostly you brought tears of joy on the reminder if how healthy you are now!!! I pray you will be able to encourage someone one day who you can hold hands with and share the journey with.
ReplyDeletePowerful story, powerfully told. Thanks for sharing your story Liam.
ReplyDelete