MiaBella Brickey

Ok, if the size of a baby’s cheeks could win an Olympic medal, then Katie and Billy Demong’s son, Liam, would definitely take Gold!! Just like his Dad!!  Billy Demong is the FIRST U.S. athlete to win Olympic Gold in Nordic skiing!  He won it in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympics. He brought along his Silver medal as well.  Why not? 😉

We met the Demong’s in the I.C.U. back in May.  I kept seeing this pretty, young lady walking through the ICU waiting room, often with the typical “ICU Gaze”…….. one filled with tears and a look of complete sadness.  Then, one day, I saw her walk through with a smile! and I don’t remember who initiated the first conversation?…… it might have happened up on the third floor, by the now extinct coffee cart?….. but we met and shared each other’s stories.  Katie and Billy have this BEAUTIFUL young boy, or Chunk! named Liam.  Somehow, he contracted Botulism, which is found in Utah soil.  Again, with luck, parental and motherly instinct, and the Grace of God, Liam was brought to the PCMC in time to be saved.  Liam and poor Pappa and Mom suffered through a long ICU stay, but he made it! And, we hope, he and proud Momma and Pappa continue to heal and grow strong!  And, like I said, if cuteness and the ‘munchability’ of those super-sized cheeks could win an Olympic Medal, I’d say Mr. Liam is a Sure-Thing for a Gold! Just like his proud Dad!

So, one day, Katie just happened to be hauling around a couple of Olympic medals. No big deal! Just a GOLD medal,…. and a SILVER!…. OLYMPIC MEDAL!……. and, frankly…. I almost pooped my pants when I held them.  THEY’RE HEAVY! man!   And I asked Katie if she wouldn’t mind bringing them and her chubby baby back to show Mia someday….. oh, and she could bring the dude that won the medals, too……. if she really wanted.  😉     So, she said, “Sure”!  Well, Katie must be part elephant……… wait. That didn’t sound right? 😉 What I meant to say was, Katie didn’t forget! Just like Horton, and over a month later she tracked us down in the NTU and came to visit Mia!   And above is the proof!  (Note Mr. E, in the back…… totally engrossed in his ipod that he got for his 9th Birthday on the 2nd of Aug!  Olympic medals?…… hah! I’ve got ANgry Birds to play!!)

So, I wanted to tell everyone a couple of things with this post…….  One: That Olympic athletes are not always egotistical, self-centered, narcicists. They are also often like Billy Demong, and his beautiful wife and super duper cute chunky baby boy Liam!!  Great people who understand what’s important in life.  People.  And Love. And sharing both.  (Just a side note: when I told Billy how cool I thought it was that he won the Gold medal, all he said was, “Yea. It’s pretty cool. In some ways it at least is proof that I didn’t waste the last 16 years of my life! Ha!…… but really, it just means that on that day, I had a really good day. But most of the time, they just hang out in my sock drawer.”  🙂 !  Sorry, Billy. You’ll have to find a new hiding place, now.  And Billy and Katie are such down to earth people.  At least, from what I can tell. So, I wanted to give Billy and Katie a ‘shout out’, or whatever it is cool people do? Because they took the time to show my daughter some love, and put up with me at the same time.  They get free floss for life. Period.)

and Two: Mia is doing so well!!  She was given a Ride Pass ( I call it a Hall Pass) yesterday…….. that’s another cool story! And…..(drum roll, please)….. MIA IS COMING HOME!!!!  She is scheduled to be discharged on next Thursday!!!!!!! FREAKIN, YEA!!~     un-freakin-believable. 🙂  yep.   you heard me.  coming home.  After 11 weeks, she should be home on the 11th, just short of 12 weeks in the hospital!    Oh, man…… weird. But, possibly True.   Mia can barely control the hand-quiver when she thinks about leaving.

Funny story: the other day, her cousins (The ‘Girls’, the Layden girls and their mom and dad, Marsha and Scott) from New York came into town for Hadley’s wedding, and they brought Mia lunch from Hire’s.  Mia was SO looking forward to the Hire’s cheeseburger! We were sitting in the Angel Garden ready to eat when we received a call that we had to hustle back into the hospital to meet with some doctors and pharmacists.  We abruptly left the culinary fast-food-delights and wheeled our way back in, only to find out that the doctors and everyone were NOT there….. and we began waiting.  Mia, sitting in her wheel chair, said in a resigned voice just loud enough to hear, said, “That’s it. I Officially Hate this place.”  !   We died laughing!  Her burger was getting cold, her cousin’s were outside in the garden, and Mia was waiting for doctors.    We left, and went back outside to join the Layden’s and her dead cow delight….. with cheese. The doctors could wait.  😉

Notice, NO 'N.G.' TUBE!!! "Yep! I'm coming Home!" Puffy cheeks and all! (My mean parents are calling me 'Puffer', after the puffer fish in Finding Nemo. NOT COOL! 😉 ps. Prednisone side-effects SUCK! Be glad YOU don't have 'Prednisone Double Chins'! At least it's only temporary!..... at least, it Better be!

ox.  more soon!

t of thembricks.

ps…… as an ‘afterward’…..  as we were tucking in for bed later that night I said to Mia, “So? What did you think? Do you want to win yourself an Olympic medal??”, to which she replied, after some sincere consideration and in her sweet breath-halting voice, “Well,…. I don’t see….. why I’d ….. need one?   All they do is …. sit in your Sock drawer.”  😉  Once again…… perspective.  Out of the mouths of babes……. sleep well, everyone.    Mia is coming home ……. soon!!!