Arthur

Arthur was born a month early on a beautiful August day in 1999.

After his Mother, me, spent 12 weeks in bed. 

Arthur had been diagnosed in utero with a heart condition called

Transposition of the Great Vessels

( The Amazing Heart surgeon doing what he does best)

His start in the world was a rough one. He had open heart surgery at 5days old to repair his defect. Subsequently spending the next 5weeks in the ICU recovering.

( Not Arthur, but exactly what it looked like when he was in ICU)

The year that followed was full of doctors appointments, hospitals stays, ear infections. You name it, he probably dealt  with.

But despite the cards he had been dealt he was the happiest, go with the flow baby. I would have had a hundred more if they could all have his sweet disposition.

Once he hit his 1yr birthday his health seemed to drastically improve besides constant ear infections. He was finally off his daily heart medicines. We thought he was in the clear. But those evil little ear infections could make my poor little guy oh so sick.

At 15months he spiked a fever over 104. We tried Tylenol, we tried Motrin. Tepid Baths, etc.
nothing brought it down. Through it all he was such a trooper. He sat on the floor, looking oh so pitiful. Playing with his cars, as if saying " I'm just fine Mommy."

We placed a call into the pediatrician and were told to go to the ER. As soon as we got to our curtained off room it started.

A full blown Grand Mal seizure......while in his Daddy's arms.

I can't even explain how awful it is to watch your child's whole body convulse and see the shear terror in his eyes.

After several doses of Ativan it stopped. He was transported to the local children's hospital for 5days of testing. Testing the showed nothing more then that he merely had a common childhood virus. 

The seizure?

His first FEBRILE seizure.

A febrile seizure is defines as "  a convulsion associated with a significant rise in body temperature. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years and are twice as common in boys as in girls."