Friday June 7th

Mighty MikeyD continues to amaze us. We opened the pool over Memorial day weekend and we worried about Mighty Mike the whole time. MikeyD was always a swimmer and he loved the water. we were not sure how he was going to handle the water again and we did not think he would be able to swim we blew up some rafts so he could float around. We also knew that his sisters and sully would look out for him. Before we knew it the little boy who not so long ago was in a wheelchair  was out of the raft and swimming in the pool. It is amazing there are a few things that he use to do real well that are coming back to him like pitching a baseball, shooting hoops not three’s like before closer but with perfect form and swimming. Little MikeyD is truly a miracle even though he has a long way to go and is totally different than before he was that tragic night he is getting better and stronger every day. MikeyD did fall three time last week his balance is still off and he is trying to move faster than he can. The first time he fell he cut his right knee and his left hand while he was laying on the ground and I seen the blood I said are you OK and he said no, I said let me help you up he looked up at me and said I want to get up on my own he laid there for about ten minutes before he got himself up. You could tell he was sad and was thinking about how hard things are for him now that use to be easy. My heart goes out to him every day when I watch him struggle yet he never complains he just keeps fighting the fight.Linda Verange was right he is now batting every time we play wiffle ball and he is batting real well. We are looking forward to having more games as soon as the weather clears up. Julia’s Birthday was last Wednesday she turned 17 and got her license the first thing she promised MikeyD was that when she got her license she would take him for Ice cream she kept her promise she picked him up when he got home from the children’s Hospital and took him to Dairy Queen you can see how happy he was from the picture above. Today is also my brother Seamus the Hero Cop’s Birthday. Happy Birthday Seamus you and MikeyD remind me so much of each other. In October, Seamus was presented by the NYPD with the prestigious Theodore Roosevelt Award in recognition of his outstanding “endurance and performance of duty in the face of life-threatening injury”. I am very proud of you and MikeyD.

***Please help spread this information below Pauline maybe you can get this info to the sports clubs in Ireland to pass around my goal is for all sports groups and teams to have an AED at every practice and event ********

Make sure all of your children playing sports stay hydrated now that the weather is getting warmer. Also make sure all your children playing sports are screened and get and EKG just to be safe if we can save one kid at a time we will be doing a great thing. I have been reading and studying a lot about sudden cardiac arrest in children and you would be amazed what I have learned and how common it is. It occurs when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions and the heart stops beating. The heart can no longer pump blood to the brain and vital organs. SCA occurs most often with little or no warning.

SCA is NOT a heart attack. A heart attack is a plumbing problem. It occurs when one or more blood vessels become blocked thus preventing the proper flow of blood to the heart.

• SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States claiming an estimated 300,000 people each year or approximately 1000 people a day.

·         SCA is the leading cause of death in student athletes.

·         Every 3 days, a young, competitive athlete suffers SCA.

·         For every minute that goes by without an AED the child’s chance of survival goes down 10% so in 10 minutes you have almost no chance MikeyD was down much longer than that without an AED. You now have to believe he is truly a miracle in sneakers we thank God every day for giving us this miracle.

Please keep praying and posting for mighty MikeyD