I had the scare of my life last week. My daughter Andrea, just four years old, was running for the ice cream man and fell in an area that she should not have been and had a life threatening injury.
I got the call at work and was stuck in rush hour traffic and I tried to get to the ER. Hearing my own mother on the phone crying hysterically when she is normally so calm made my heart EXPLODE out of my chest. WHAT IS WRONG, WHAT HAPPENED? No one knew at that moment. The horrible thoughts racing through my mind and overwhelming worry as I drove slowly in traffic to Staten Island to await the news, see my daughter and family. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I called my brother. He stayed on the phone with me telling me everything will be okay. But I could hear it in his voice. He was just as scared as I was.
And just so you know, Andrea was okay. She is okay. It’s a miracle.
But when I arrived in the ER, there were so many people around her. She had a neck brace and arm brace on. I heard my mother say to her “Mommy’s here Andrea”
I raced to my daughter on the gurney, leaned over her because she couldn’t move. Upon seeing my face she SMILED and whispered
“mommy!”
And a tear rolled down her cheek.
…and then a tear rolled down mine. I tried to be strong. I was a wreck.
CT scan of the head and neck revealed a fractured skull. They had to watch her closely for 24 hours. I did not leave her side and neither did my husband. We slept on chairs overnight getting 1 hour sleep here and there constantly staring at her with our heart in our throat dying inside praying she’d be okay. The fall was so terrible and scary.
After 3 days in the ICU she was released and they say she’ll be okay. Fractured skulls take 1-3 months to heal. She’s healing slowly, but I’m not. I’m a wreck.
I want to buy her a helmet. I want all my kids to wear helmets when leaving the house, even just for a walk. But I know that’s not realistic.
People say kids are resilient. But all I see is how precious life is.
This was one of those moments in life that forever change you.
I’m so grateful she’s okay. My baby… my big girl. I just want to watch her grow.
Natalie
