The McNair Family

You may not realize it at first glance but this life with Asa is a blessed journey! Milestones that most kids meet with little effort take Asa sooooo long to master. Things like rolling over, sitting up, eating, walking, running. Most kids just zoom through it all and parents look back and wonder where the time went! Not here though! We've watched Asa develop in a sort of slow motion. Like watching a rose open in time lapse video. Miracle in slow motion!

Another blessing has been the people we've met. From the teachers, therapist, nurses, doctors, friends that are local to the world of people the Internet has opened up to us. I've "met" some of the most faithful, hardest working, compassionate watcher of slow motion miracles of their own! One such person is Heather McNair and her family.

The McNair's live in Texas and were some of the first mito people I met online. They have 3 teenagers with mito. Between all 3 kids Heather has gotten an unofficial degree in all things mito! More impressive than all her mito knowledge is her kindness, generosity and encouragement to us mito newbies! She is quick to pass along helpful info and encouragement. And the kids take after their Moma! The whole family is very involved in Wish Night that raises money for their Make A Wish organization. The oldest gets to be a camp counselor at a mito camp while the younger girls get to be participants. In my time as a Facebook friend with the family I've not heard complaints or whines or woes as you might expect with a family who has so many issues and appointments and test. There has been tons of smiles, laughter and jokes though!

Last week the family participated in Wish Night to raise money for MAW. The next day they were on hand as the local hospital dedicated a "Teen Room" hobnobbing with celebs. In an instant their whole world would change though! Father and husband, Michael, was hit and critically injured in a bicycling accident. His list of injuries is scary....lacerated spleen, punctured lung, many broken bones including his neck, lower back, hip, pelvis and all the ribs on his left side. His spinal cord was spared and because of his helmet his brain scan looked good too. He is currently in stable but crital condition and they are keeping him sedated. He is showing signs of infection and blood clots though so he will soon undergo bedside surgery to put in a "clot catcher" and a trach. As you can imagine this recovery is going to be long and difficult! Let me just copy and paste a recent FB update though so you can really get to "know" this family for yourself......

"

Update on the kids and I.....all I can say is that we are all clearly being carried by your prayers. The kids are okay, all three coping in their own way, but really okay. Tonight we got to talk....really talk...for the first time since the accident. We talked about some of what's going on with their dad right now, and then discussed how we need to take him his pork pie (hat) as soon as we can, and laughed as we shared stories and thoughts on when he comes home. We talked about how Chance is "scheduling" his break down in a few weeks (only my son schedules something like that....and I love him for it), and how the girls are following their dads advice to "Litha"...leave it the hell alone, when it comes to worrying about him. They seem to be feeling the same peace that is so profoundly enveloping me. The peace that comes when so many are lifting us in spirit. I am hanging in there....tired and sad to be a witness to the ins and outs of each day in ICU...but sleep is coming at least a little easier each night, and getting food in is getting a little better each day. Mornings are just hard, but I am hoping that starts to ease soon too. But while of that is there, the love and support of so many has allowed me to concentrate on Michael, to know that we will get through this, and allows for so much peace in this process. It's early in the game, and I know there will be good days and not so good days, but also that we are not in this alone. We are so incredibly blessed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You all are amazing!!"

I personally didn't know anything about Michael. I wasn't aware that he was an avid cyclist, commuting over a hundred miles a week on bike. I didn't know he was such a leader and advocate in the Dallas area for bicycling safety and awareness. By reading some of the articles posted in cycling magazines though, it seems that he is just as awesome as his wife! Here's just a sample:

http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2012/05/21/michael-mcnair-bicycling-advocate-seriously-injured-in-crash/

Please keep the McNair family in your prayers as they endure this long recovery. Pray for the doctors and nurses involved in his care. Pray for quick healing and a 100% recovery! If you feel moved to help support the family financially there is a ChipIn fund set up by a friend. Every prayer and penny is needed, deserved and appreciated!

Thank you in advance, friends, and don't take one single moment for granted!