Happy Mother's Day !

We had another Wiffle ball game last week. This time it was an away game at the Hill's house it was great. We had the Middletown Miracle pitching on the mound. A lot of people showed up  and he pitched really well as you can see him in action in the picture. We all had a lot of fun and are looking forward to our next game. We played the national Anthem before the game and we all knelt down and said a prayer giving thanks for our Miracle during the 7^th inning stretch.  We took off this weekend in honor of Mother's day. We will be having a game over Memorial day weekend if you can make it that will be great details will follow. MikeyD is starting to get flash backs now from all the time he spent in the hospital, Last night MikeyD was talking to our neighbor Cookie and she was asking him a lot of questions. She started asking him about when he was in the hospital and she came to visit him. Mighty MikeyD said to her you know I am still sick don't you ? She said yes I do he then said to her do you know I am fighting real  hard every day to get better. It is truly amazing that he is telling people that he is still sick and fighting the fight every day. We see him fighting and struggling every day with little things that we take for granted and yet he never complains. Mighty MikeyD says I can do it, let me do it and I want to do it on my own !!!  We will keep posting for Mighty MikeyD . We never knew how many people were inspired by this little 12 year old boy. This blog was started by MikeyD sisters Julia, Ciara , my brother Seamus and niece Bridget that tragic weekend in the Children’s hospital of Philadelphia when I could hardly talk or think straight never mind write. The blog was started just to keep our very large family informed most of which are in Ireland so we would not have to be on the phone. It was never started to be shared with so many people or to inspire anyone. We never thought anyone beside our immediate family would be on the blog. When they left that weekend they showed me how to log in and asked me to post an update on how he was doing. We were told it would be a miracle if he lived until Tuesday. As the administrator when you log in to do a new post you get a report of how many people went to the site to read the updates I could not believe it when I read the report we were getting 2,000.00 hits a day before you knew it we were getting over 3,000.00 hits a day for a little boy on a blog that was set up for the family. I received a lot of phone calls, emails and text since I posted the last time on Thursday night from people asking me to please not stop posting. I heard stories of people with cancer, that were sick, old and tired, people that had given up, who were inspired by the little boy who was doing things that they said he would never do again.

Some of the people with cancer are cancer free and the others who had given up are doing better, fighting and doing things they could not do before reading about little MikeyD. I know he did not heal any of them personally but I do know that he inspired them with his positive I can attitude and his untouchable fighting spirit. I believe if you think you can do it you will do it and if you think you can’t do it you won’t. Attitude means a lot more than Aptitude. I am so happy that something good has come from this little boys pain and suffering. Then we had people like Diane Hansen posting  He and your entire family are a source of inspiration for all of us. Your faith touches all of us & God’s miracles with MikeyD put us in awe. We are never bored with your blog and hope that you will continue to do it. It’s a joy to read about MikeyD just as it was heart wrenching to read in the beginning of this event.

We also had Karen who we never met posting

Hi Doherty Family. We have never met. I read about Mikey D in the newspaper and I heard prayers being asked for him in our church. (He is still on our congregation prayer list, Westminster Presbyterian in Middletown) I have been reading your blog since you started it. His story and miraculous recovery, and your blogging it, is incredible. I look forward to your posts about the recovery Mikey is making. I assure you, I am not the slightest bit bored. You have touched many lives. Lives you don't even know exist, but who you reach through your blog about Mikey. It feels good to read about him doing so well, he is defying all odds, and is living proof of a higher power. MikeyD's story is inspirational.
Wishing you all well on the journey you are on.
Karen

I hope we get to meet Karen in person someday.

People like all of you posting really helps my family in this tough time,

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Happy Mother’s day to all of you !

We Believe in Miracles !

Please keep praying and posting for Mighty MikeyD !

Thursday Night *

We had our first wiffleball tournament and it was a great time for all. A lot of kids showed up with their parents when I said we will choose sides someone said let's play the parents against the kids. that was a bad idea the kids crushed us. MikeyD was on the mound for the kids team and he had no mercy for anyone not even his Prayer warrior Peggy Dunne when he pitched to her there was no mercy and when she ran the bases he tagged her out. I do not think he really knows how much she did for him. We are planning on having more games this was really great for the MikeyD we had snacks for everyone then Moya ordered Pizza for all of us we came in and had Pizza and the first one that said lets go play when we were done was MikeyD it is truly amazing the energy and spirit he has after all the pain and suffering he has just been through. After being in a coma and then being paralyzed and laying around in a hospital bed for months from there he went to going around in a wheelchair and now he was the first one up and throwing the ball again. He is for sure the Middletown Miracle. This Tuesday April 30^th was Moya’s birthday MikeyD said do not worry Mom I think you look good for your age we all started laughing he was so sincere. Tonight when he came home from the Children’s Hospital he said mom where is my backpack ? She said I don’t know where did you leave it. He went and got his backpack and pulled out a present he said Mom this is a present from me that I made at the hospital for you for your birthday and mother’s day. It was wrapped very nice Moya said MikeyD did you wrap this for me ? he said no mom I could never wrap  like this Miss Carol wrapped it for me but I did help make it. I hope you like it. He made her a pot holder he then said Mom I hope it is not too small. Moya said MikeyD nothing you could ever give  me could be too small. He was so happy to give his mom this gift I wish you could of seen the smile on his face. MikeyD has started playing the lottery he picked some numbers and every week Uncle Larry brings him his tickets. He told me the other day Dad if I win the lottery the first thing I am going to do is pay off all my medical bills, the second thing I am going to do is donate a lot of money to CHOP and the Children’s hospital and then I am going to buy a big yacht for all my friends. After I heard that I said he is coming back to us. We need to bring him back to us from the Children’s Hospital in Mountainside to Middletown as soon as we can. I can’t imagine how he feels every day being away from all his friends in Bayshore. The doctor at CHOP who said the best thing for MikeyD right now is familiarity was right. I see it every time one of his old friends show up to visit him. If you can come visit MikeyD please do I know a lot of us are busy but it really does help him. I am not sure how much longer I will keep posting for MikeyD  I do not want to bore anyone now that he is getting better. No one knows how much further he will come back or if he will get any better. I do not want his old friends to forget him and hope that they come see him. Maybe we can get another wiffle ball game put together real soon. I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support. I ask all of you to please keep in touch and come see the Middletown Miracle when you can.

"Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." 

We believe in Miracles !!!

Please keep praying and posting for MikeyD !

Tuesday Night

Ciara made her Confirmation last week we are so proud of her. It was great that she picked her sister Julia to be her sponsor. They both looked so pretty all dressed up. On Friday Moya and I had to go to the Children s Specialized Hospital for Brain Injury Awareness Day. We were both very surprised when we got there they had all the kids in the cafeteria along with the doctors, teachers and therapist. They had different displays set up around the room explaining about brain injury. One of the displays had a maze puzzle on it with a 3 way mirror behind it. When you stood at the display you could not see the maze by looking down you could only see it in the mirror. We had to take a pen and try and go through the maze while only being able to see it in the mirror it was very hard to try and figure it

Out. They explained to us that this is what it was like for someone with a brain injury to try and figure things out. After that we were really surprised what happened. They had MikeyD get up in front of everyone with his speech therapist next to him and he made a speech in front of everyone with some coaching from his therapist. It was very emotional for us he said hi my name is MikeyD I was playing basketball on September 7^th when my heart stopped beating and I fell to the ground  it took the people a long time to get my heart beating again and now my whole brain is damaged. I now have a hard time processing information especially when people talk to fast with that he looked out at me and said ok dad everyone started laughing. The ok dad was not part of what they had rehearsed. He then said because of my brain injury my balance is off and my body is weak so I can no longer play sports like I use to.

I also have problems with my memory. Since I started my therapies I have made a lot of progress I am learning to read and write again. Moya and I were both amazed that he was telling this story we never talked to him much about what happened that tragic day. The doctors and therapist talk to him about it all the time they say that one of the things about a brain injury is that people are aware of their injury. This is another great group of professional people that are really caring and know what they are doing. This is where MikeyD needs to be for now. Peggy had a great idea to get MikeyD involved in baseball again she said we will get some kids together and play wiffle ball. When Brian Hill heard this he said that is a great idea so we are going to get the other MikeyD – Dunne ,the Hill Boys, Sully, Rob Cassin, Sean and some others and set up some games. Barbara Cassin also had a great idea and invited MikeyD  to come over and try the batting cage in their yard. Ciara, Sully, MikeyD and myself did go over on Sunday and it was great.  MikeyD got in the cage and started pitching to the batters. He could not swing a bat just yet but that will be next. He threw a lot of pitches in the cage and every time the bucket was empty he even went around with us and picked up the balls and helped fill the bucket. That is great PT for him. We are looking forward to the wiffle ball games and going back to the batting cage one day to see MikeyD swinging a bat.

We believe in Miracles !

Please keep praying and posting for MikeyD !

Sunday Night

Twenty Three of us celebrated Easter Sunday with Mighty MikeyD it was really nice. We all went out to dinner. We celebrated the Resurrection which means new life. MikeyD was given a new life one that we are very grateful for but it is a much different life than he had before one that everyone in my family is  adjusting to especially Julia and Ciara.

We know they are going through a lot and not getting any credit for it. I know one thing for sure Mighty MikeyD could not have two better sisters they take care of him like you would not believe. It is really hard on everyone in our family my mother, my father, my brothers  my sister  Moya’s mother her brothers , and sisters, and all his cousins  to adjust to this new life. I am sure it hardest on Julia and Ciara to see their little bother as he is now compared to how he was before. He doesn't know what day it is he cannot read or write he is confused and does not even know what he had for lunch. You can no longer talk to him like you could before this he looks a little bit like he use to look but he is very different. Moya’s Birthday is in April today he said mom I never knew your Birthday was in April it is sad. Both MikeyD and his new Puppy have so much to learn, you can tell that he is starting to miss the things he  was able to do before like playing baseball in the spring, hopefully one day he will be able to play baseball again. Along with Julia and Ciara being so good to him he is lucky to have a few great friends that still come to see him. I can only tell you one thing I see the best improvement when he is with Julia, Ciara and these few great friends.  Ciara will be making her confirmation this Tuesday and normally it would of been a big occasion in our family. I feel like it has been over looked for her because of all we have been through with MikeyD . I only hope that Ciara knows we are all so happy for her and look forward to seeing her make her confirmation. We are so proud of her and the way she takes care of her little brother with her sister  Julia.  Ciara also picked her sister Julia to be her sponsor for her confirmation. We will celebrate Ciara’s confirmation on Tuesday. Above is a picture of Kiona when she was taking care of MikeyD she hurt her ankle and was wearing a boot and MikeyD had two boots. Mighty MikeyD continues to dig in deep and fight his daily struggles everyday with his I can do it Spirit.

Right now he needs all the support he can get from friends and family.

We believe in Miracles.

Please keep praying and posting for MikeyD.     

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 .