BY Jenny McCarthy
As I’m sure you have noticed, I
wear a lot of different hats. But my number one job is being a mom, and
a warrior one at that. It’s hard enough being a mom in today’s world
without life throwing you a major curveball. I’ve been through the
ringer at times, and I am so moved by stories of other tough mommas that
power through, come out stronger and are sometimes lucky enough to help
others in the end.
This time of year, I am always reminded of a family friend
whose story is absolutely amazing. She is one tough chick. She was
fighting her for her life and has now defied all odds by relearning how
to talk, walk and carry out all of the daily activities that we don’t
even think twice about. She is taking care of her two sons on her own
while her husband works and travels, and she has even written a book to
help other moms teach their little ones about disabilities. I thought I would give you all a little glimpse into her touching story.
Jenny: So what exactly happened the night of July 5, 2009?
Carolyn: I woke up suddenly to Landon
crying, who at the time was 22 months old. I rushed in to check on him,
and as I lay down in his bed, my heart suddenly stopped. When the
crying didn’t stop, my husband Luke woke up to see what was wrong. He
found me lifeless, not breathing and without a pulse. He quickly called
911 and did CPR until the paramedics arrived. After an estimated 15 to
20 minutes without oxygen, they finally restarted my heart. They cooled
my body temperature down to decrease the degree of brain damage and I
was taken to the hospital, where I would spend three weeks in the
cardiac ICU.
Jenny: OMG, I cannot even imagine what Luke went through. So what happened?
Carolyn: The doctors did not have very
good news for my family and prepared them for the worst, expecting that I
would be in a long-term care facility for the rest of my life. I would
most likely be blind and would not be the same girl that I was before.
Along with Landon, I also had a second son, Parker, who was only 2
months old at the time. In an instant, our perfect family was being
thrown a major curveball. I was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome.
Jenny: So how in the world did you get to where you are today?
Carolyn: After I spent three weeks in the
ICU, they implanted a pacemaker and defibrillator combination in my
chest. I headed to a rehab hospital in Charlottesville, VA, where I had
to relearn everything. I could not even sit up on my own. I was in a
wheelchair with a catheter and a feeding tube.
If I could not take care of myself, how was I going to take
care of two little boys? I was ready to show every doctor that they
were wrong. I had children so that I could raise them, and that became
my motivation. Everyday tasks that people take for granted, I then had a
new appreciation for. Walking, getting dressed and feeding myself all
became daily challenges. I spent three months there, working hard and
challenging my brain daily. I progressed to using a walker and feeling
some sort of independence. I spent the next year in therapy for walking
and vision.
Jenny: How difficult has it been raising your two boys over the last few years?
Carolyn: Thankfully, as I have gotten
better, my boys have also gotten older. Parker learned to walk on his
own before I did! The way that I had to relearn, I could take that and
teach them how to dress themselves. I can no longer drive because of my
vision, so that is hard with two boys that are 4 and 5, but I feel
blessed to be here, no matter how challenging things are. My vision is
still slowly improving, and I am in no way blind. I do have visual
deficits, but we all work together to figure things out. Landon has
started reading this year, so he has become my big helper if I need it!
Jenny: So tell me a little about your book, Mommy, What Is That For?
Carolyn: My children, Landon and Parker, were the inspiration behind
my book. I wanted to be like any other mom and walk Landon into
preschool, which I did, but still had to use a walker. I would pass
other parents with their children and the child would always stop, stare
and either ask me or their mom what my walker was for. I wrote the book
to serve as a teaching tool for parents and teachers to discuss
different handicap devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes. The
book is now available through Kindle and Nook.
Let’s all support this fascinating mommy! Now you can see
why I think Carolyn is such a rock star. She knows what she wants and
goes after it! Carolyn wouldn’t take no for an answer, and nothing is
going to stop her from reaching her goals. We think we have it tough … I
think we can all use her inspirational story as motivation in our own
lives.
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