Happy Easter !

A tribute to all the people at CHOP

Mighty MikeyD went back to CHOP again  on Wednesday for his checkups.

All I can tell you is this is the best place in the world for any sick child.

what makes it the best place in the world is the people who work there.

I mean all the people who work there including doctors, nurses, aides, sitters, therapists, child life counselors, social workers, receptionists, support staff ,and security. It takes a special type of person to work around sick children every day. These people who work here are by far the best most dedicated team of caring professionals you will ever come across. From the Doherty family on behalf of Mighty MikeyD the fighter we would like to thank everyone at CHOP for taking such great care of Mighty MikeyD.

We first met with Dr.Vetter who had already called us on Friday to tell us the results of MikeyD’s final genetic testing which takes months to get the final results. The results were all negative as were all the other test which is what I figured all along. MikeyD was never sick a day in his life before that tragic night in September he was a good athlete in good shape. We now know for sure it was due to dehydration caused by excessive running in the heat and humidity that night with the poor air quality  night. I sometimes wish the professionals at CHOP would of found something wrong. I always wish MikeyD stayed home that tragic night. Everything was against that poor kid that night school opened late this year due to the new block scheduling otherwise they would have been in the gym where they always were and this probably would not of happened and if it did they would have had a defibrillator. The main problem now is due to the amount of time he was down   with no response. The only thing that saved MikeyD that night was two guardian angels that you all know Bob and Rob. We met a lot of people at CHOP who were amazed when they saw MikeyD this time after all he went through. We were walking into the cafeteria and one of  the Chaplin’s grabbed my arm and said how is MikeyD doing ? She said I just seen his brother walking with his sister I told her no that is MikeyD she did not believe me I called out MikeyD and he turned around her jaw dropped she started crying she could not believe that was MikeyD. She told me she needed 48 hours to get herself together before she could talk to me. Then we met Kiona she is a cardiology fellow in the cardiac intensive care unit  who worked on MikeyD when he was in very critical condition. We were in the cafeteria getting lunch Moya, Ciara and I surprised her when we walked up to her and MikeyD walked over and gave her a big hug she said this is going to be a great day. Kiona called him MikeyD before she even knew that we called him MikeyD. Nurse Sarah and her sister Martha who is also a nurse came to see Mikeyd when we were with Dr.Vetter it was great to see them Sara wa one of the first nurses whi took care of  MikeyD when he wa sin ICU her sister was the last nurse that MikeyD had before he left. Then we met Meredith the child life counselor who really helped Julia and Ciara while we were at CHOP she took us up to the ICU where we came in and surprised everyone when MikeyD marched through the hall in his sneakers we showed him his room in the ICU. Then a lot of people gathered by the nurses’ station next to his old room doctors and nurses were there MikeyD asked me who are all these people I said they are the doctors and nurses who took great care of you when you were very sick. I have posted a few pictures above I wish we took a large group photo when everyone was there. In one of the pictures you can see Lori and Sarah who were with MikeyD in the first critical days. I will never forget the day when MikeyD still could not move I went to take a shower down the hall and when I got back Lori had washed and combed his hair what a difference that made in the way he looked laying there.Then we went over to the other side of the cardiac unit where MikeyD was they have a game room there when MikeyD could not walk, talk or use his arms Moya and I use to wheel him around in his wheel chair. I use to wheel him into the game room and I could tell in his mind he really wanted to play that hockey game. Yesterday Ciara, Meredith and MikeyD played that hockey game you can see the game in the picture above. When they were playing the game a medical person came up to me and said she had seen his scans and could not believe he was standing there playing that game. She told me that she was witnessing a true miracle. I told her we believe in Miracles.

Perfect timing on Holy Thursday also known as Thursday of Mysteries

 the Easter Triduum, the period which commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ; this period includes Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and ends on the evening of Easter. Happy Easter to all of you. you can wish MikeyD a Happy Easter here or at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MikeyD 

 MikeyD told us the story of how he left us and came back to us he was taken to CHOP in a helicopter we showed him where he landed on the roof and watched with him as a helicopter landed as you can see in the picture above..

I saw the shirts at CHOP that say Hope lives here. We have the Hope for Children foundation.

I have always believed where there is life there is Hope.

I also want to tell you to never ever give up on anyone especially family !

 We believe in Miracles !

Please keep praying and posting for Mighty MikeyD !

Thursday Night

What a weekend it was for Mighty MikeyD. it started out on Friday night with an AWG huddle where he was presented with a signed Basketball from the coaches of DUKE and UCLA. Then on Saturday Night MikeyD was the Honoree for the Hope for Children Foundation. it was a Gala event held at the Ocean Place Hilton Spa  Long Branch in the Ballroom. From the invitation  The Hope for Children Foundation will be holding our 9th Annual Gala at the Ocean Place Resort + Spa in Long Branch, NJ.

This year’s Honoree is Michael  “MikeyD”  Doherty of Middletown a 12 year old athlete who suffered a severe heart attack while playing travel basketball. MikeyD  lost consciousness for 35 minutes resulting in traumatic brain injury. He had to be airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). MikeyD is currently being treated at the Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside. I have to tell you this is a great organization run by a great group of young professionals. From the board of directors to all of the supporters we would like to thank all of you for  making MikeyD the St. Patrick’s day Honoree. I admire all of you and am proud of all that you do for the Children in need right here in Monmouth county. Mighty MikeyD is heading back to CHOP next week where he will have his built in defibrillator and pace maker tested. The last time we were at CHOP MikeyD was in a wheel chair this time the miracle in sneakers will march through the halls without his wheelchair. We will meet with Dr. Vetter for all his testing and then we will take MikeyD up to the cardiac ICU to see his old room where he laid in a coma, could not speak or move his hands or arms and visit with the great doctors and nurses who took such excellent care of him while he was there. They have become like family to us. Mighty MikeyD has come a long way and he still has a long way to go. He does battle every day with short term memory problems. His life as a 12 year old boy as he knew it was taken away from him but he is determined to come back to us and fights the good fight every day. We will keep you posted on how he makes out at CHOP.Please pray for MikeyD that his short term memory will return. A belated Happy St. Patrick’s day to all of you.

May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside, 
Light on the inside.

With God's sunlight shining on you, 
May your heart glow with warmth, 
Like a turf fire 
that welcomes friends and strangers alike.

May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window, 
Welcoming the weary traveler.

We believe in miracles.

Please keep praying and posting for MikeyD

Monday Night

Mighty MikeyD keeps getting stronger and better every day. it really does seem like the Cog rehab speech therapy occupational therapy and physical therapy are working. Last week MikeyD went to an Upward  basketball game at New Monmouth Baptist church he use to play basketball there as well. you should of seen the reception that they gave him there. You  could tell from Steve and Andy how happy everyone was to see him walk in the gym. They made an announcement that is was a championship game and they said  a champion just walked in the door.it was very nice and uplifting for MikeyD to be there and be treated so well when Steve's wife Megan heard he was there she came specially to see him. More proof that the power of prayer works everyone at New Monmouth Baptist has been and continues to pray for MikeyD's recovery and we thank all of you. Mighty MikeyD has been really enjoying his new puppy that he named Peanut he spends half his time between peanut and his new Ipad. The Puppy has been one of the greatest things for him it is amazing what a pet can do for someone in need. You can see in the picture above how good the two of them get along. What also really impressed me last week when MikeyD got his new Ipad the first thing he said to me after we set it up is we need to download some educational App’s talk about a miracle. He is now playing  math bingo as well as a bunch of other educational games. As a reminder if anyone has kids playing sports please get them screened especially if they play basketball. Tragedy struck North Carolina  two weeks ago when Josh Level, one of the state’s most promising young basketball players, collapsed during a time out with only three minutes left in the game and he died shortly after that. Let us all say a prayer for Josh and his family. May he rest in peace. This is happening more and more some  can be from dehydration some can be from  long QT syndrome a few more have happened  in between since I posted the last one. I hear about more than you do because of thing I am involved with now. So please get your kids screened. I know a few families from Middletown have been to CHOP I hear about it when I speak to the doctors. I know one family who have taken their daughter and they met with Dr.Naim when she told them the story of mighty MikeyD they all got the chills Dr. Naim agreed that he is truly a miracle in sneakers. If anyone does have their kids screened and find out they need a specialist just let me know if you need help getting an appointment at CHOP and I will do everything I can to help. I recommend you check out Youth Heart Watch. Youth Heart Watch at the Cardiac Center

Youth Heart Watch mission

The mission of Youth Heart Watch is to prevent sudden cardiac death among children and adolescents by placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in schools, recreation centers and other public places.

An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to change an abnormal heart rhythm to normal.

Youth Heart Watch is an affiliate of Project ADAM. (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory), a private, not-for-profit program initiated through Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. The program was created in 1999 in honor of Adam Lemel, who died at age 17 from cardiac arrest while playing basketball.

Youth Heart Watch aims to have an AED placed in every school in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and provide training and education for students and staff. The hope is that lives will not only be saved through the use of AEDs, but through increased awareness of the warning signs that precede sudden cardiac arrest and the risk factors for this condition.

Lord Jesus I come before you just as I am Heal me. Change me. Strengthen me...

We believe in Miracles !!!

please keep praying and posting for MikeyD .

Thursday Night

What a great day it was last Sunday for Mighty MikeyD at the ST. Mary's' VS MYAA All-Star Basketball game held in Memorial hall. At first we were worried about how it would be for MikeyD to see a lot  of his friends from basketball for the first time since that tragic night. MikeyD just got his new leg braces the Friday before he has 2 sets one that help him to be able to walk around during the day and another pair that he has to sleep with at night to straighten his feet and legs. We were putting him to bed the night before and as Moya was putting the night braces on him they are hard to put on you have to bend his feet back and tighten them he said mom I wish I never got Dehydrated  then I would never have to wear these leg braces. That is the first time we ever heard him say anything about what had happened to him. He told us the next day that he did not want to wear them to the All –Star game so we let him go without them. To us this is another sign that he is coming back to us. When we walked in the gym for the first game which was the girls game  Quigley called a time out and came running over to greet us the whole place got quiet for a second and then everyone gave MikeyD a standing ovation it was really great. The next game was the 6th-7th grade boys game which was Made up of all the boys that MikeyD played with in the St. Mary’s and MYAA leagues. I cannot tell you how great it was the boy's from the travel team that Mikeyd played on presented him with a warm up jersey with Doherty on the back he was so happy he put it on and wore it the rest of the day. What impressed me the most is how all these young boys huddled around him and were so happy to see him some of these boys were with him on the court that night I could tell by the look on his face that he was really happy to see them and I could tell from the smiles on their faces that they were really happy to see him. They made him feel so comfortable  what a great group of young boys I give most of the credit to the great parents for doing a great job. We cannot thank all of you enough for a great day for MikeyD and our family. It is like Peggy Dunne said before the event  It will be so great to be with our awesome community in a spirit of love and fun and Barbara Cassin said Peggy says it best  it is such a blessing to come together to have fun and support the Miracle in Sneakers!!  Then Diane Hansen said  You also have an amazing community of friends and relatives. It is so true we do have an amazing community of friends and family. I have posted a picture  of Peggy the prayer warrior and MikeyD for all of you above. Tanya from the first aid who was there that night came to see MikeyD. I witnessed a large gym full of tears as the Middletown Miracle walked around  the gym in sneakers doing things that they said he would never do. One woman told me she was just hugged by an Angel I am not sure how she knew he had been to heaven and back but that is a story for another day. On behalf of MikeyD and my family we would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support in a time like this it really means a lot to us.

You have blessed us, O God, with the gift of friendship, the bonding of persons in a circle of love. We thank you for such a blessing.

I who have died am alive again today.

We believe in Miracles  !!!

Please keep praying and posting for Mighty MikeyD !

A Post From St. Mary's and MYAA

Please come out and support a

Charity Basketball Game

MYAA Basketball vs. St. Mary’s

Sunday, February 24^th

St. Mary’s Memorial Hall Gym

$3.00 admission fee

All proceeds will be going to support Mikey D

a 12 year old Middletown athlete who suffered a severe heart attack while playing travel basketball this past September

6^th – 8^th Grade Girls:         2:30pm

6^th – 7^th Grade Boys:         4:00pm

4^th – 5^th Grade Boys:         5:30pm

                                 video from AWG shootout    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RwcTEWPA5Y 

http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MikeyD 

Sunday Afternoon Feb 17th

Mighty MikeyD had a good week.

MikeyD continues to improve and get better every week.

This week Moya and I went to the Children’s Specialized hospital in Mountainside to see MikeyD in what they  call a Hot Seat. That is where they work with the kids in the cognitive rehabilitation program where they come up with a goal and a plan for improvement on the goal.  The student who is in the hot seat  has to sit in the front of the class and speak to all the teachers, therapists and the other students about their goal and plan for improvement. All the therapist, students and teachers also speak to the student in the Hot Seat.

MikeyD did a great job we were so proud of him.

All the therapists and teachers told how much they love his smile and they all can’t believe the sense of humor he has after all he has been through. MikeyD has to go back to CHOP every six weeks for follow up appointments we became friend with a lot of doctors and nurses there. I sent one of the doctors a picture of MikeyD sleigh riding he couldn’t believe it. He had seen little MikeyD when he was in a coma and also seen him after that when his upper body was paralyzed  he could not use his hands or his arms or hold his head up. He emailed me back when are you going to be back at CHOP I told him the end of March if you are available we would like to see you. The doctor replied “I will make myself available - this is a miracle - you must have a direct line to God!!!”

We would like to thank all of you our family, friends and neighbors for all of your prayers and support the healing masses, the AWG group, the green ribbons , St. Mary’s parish, the Shoot outs and Bayshore school each and every one of you have contributed to this miracle in sneakers.

Speaking of shoot outs I received an email last week from Jim Curti that St. Mary’s SMAA and MYAA basketball are going to have a first ever All-Star game in Honor of MikeyD next Sunday Febuary 24^th at Mater Dei Memorial Hall at first I heard they were going to have 2 games now I heard they were adding a third game for the girls. The 4^th and 5^th grade boys game will be at 3 PM and the 6^th and 7^th grade boys game will be at 4:30 pm as soon as I find out what time the girls game will be I will post it. This will be a great day for MikeyD since he  played basketball for both organizations and his cousin Brendan will be playing in the game along with a bunch of friends that he played with at SMAA and MYAA who will be playing against each other. Come see us at the game we will be taking bets on the side as to who will win. We also have a wheelchair for sale in which we will be taking bids on I think Jim Rooney really wants the wheelchair and he will be the highest bidder on eBay.

Another Day !!!

MikeyD would like to say Thank you God for giving me another day, another chance to become a better individual, another chance to give and experience love. Thank you God for giving me health, for the food you provide, for the awareness you have awaken in me...Thank you for the energy that feeds my soul, the sun that warms our bodies and the air that fills our lungs... Because of you I believe in the good without the bad and the ugly, because of you I am learning to love and accept myself, because of you I believe in believing. My source, stay connected to me today and always, for I need you in order to fullfil my spiritual tasks...God, show me how to love myself, to be able to love others. Help me become the type of person that I would like to befriend, help me forgive myself and forgive others... God, make me a channel of your energy and help me understand. I thank you God for giving me another day, another unused opportunity to do it right. Keep us all close to you and listen to our prayers.Amen. 

We Believe in Miracles !!!

I am not sure how much longer I can post I do not want to bore anyone!

Just remember when MikeyD writes his book all you characters will be in it.

Please keep praying and posting for Mighty MikeyD !!!

Sunday Night

Mighty MikeyD is by far one of the most determined Little boys I have ever met in my life, in fact he  maybe one of the most determined people I have ever met. Next to my brother Seamus he is the only other person I meet that was this determined. I would put them both together head to head. I look up to and admire both of them. They never complain they never ask for help. They never say I can't it is not part of their vocabulary. yesterday MikeyD went sleigh riding at 6:30 in the morning with his sisters and Mike Sullivan.

MikeyD stayed outside most of the day, MikeyD was sleigh riding from 6:30 in the morning until 6:30 at night. When MikeyD  went out in the snow he took off his leg braces that help him walk because they would not fit in his snow boots. When he looked down the hill in the back of Sullivan's house and he was trying to figure out how he could get down on the sled I asked him do you want me to help you ? He said no Dad I am going to do this on my own, When he got to the bottom of the hill I asked him again if he wanted help getting back up the hill he said no Dad I can do it on my own. Donna Sullivan made us all breakfast when we went in the house and he was eating his pancakes I said MikeyD how are your pancakes he said they are wonderful. Donna made all the kids hot chocolate as well. I said MikeyD how is your hot chocolate he said it is delightful. Not only does he fight the fight everyday but he appreciates every little thing. Julia,Ciara and Mike Sully could go up and down the hill sleigh riding twice for every one time that MikeyD could but he smiled the whole way and went up and down all on his own at his own pace. Late that afternoon my brother Seamus came over with his son Seamus and they all went sleigh riding up and down that hill like it was nothing. The little boy who left us and came back ,who the neurologist said he would never do this or that again and the big boy who bled out in the street and the doctors said he would never do this or that again were sleigh riding up and down the hill like they never heard what others were saying they could or could not do. It is like I said before these two guys are my heroes.

Then tonight when I was going to post and I checked the blog I could not believe the post below from Peggy Dunne it was almost like she already knew what had happened. Hoping Mikey is enjoying the snow!! Praying that Mikey has a great week filled with lots of moments of healing and restoring his mind and body and spirit!! The journey is long and the work is hard and this Prayer Warrior kneels before God and asks that MikeyD will soon be playing with his friends and pitching and throwing 3 pointers..Lord Please Heal our MikeyD and give him JOY in his heart that will help him along the journey and outweigh the suffering or the hard work needed..Mikey has shown how much he can overcome..he is so strong and so determined..he is amazing..our Hero..our inspiration..as is his family..Lord carry them when it gets rough..and keep us all praying with our eyes fixed on YOU Jesus..YOU are the WAY..

We Believe in Miracles !!!

Please keep praying and Posting.