April 19, 2010. One of the hardest days we’ve ever endured, next to May 19, 2010. On April 18, 2010, we held a family party to celebrate Chrissie’s life on the day before her extensive open-heart surgery. Little did we know this would be the very last time that Chrissie would ever be present in our home. I literally get nauseated when I think of this.
We planned the party very last minute. God gave us the idea after we watched the movie Letters to God the night of April 17, 2010.
Chrissie was SO EXCITED that everyone dressed up. She LOVED her princess dress, and she LOVED being the center of attention. Chrissie was our precious princess whom everyone absolutely adored. She LOVED dancing with her daddy to the Cinderella song by Steven Curtis Chapman.
And she LOVED opening her gifts. Chrissie was a true princess, through and through. She LOVED jewelry and all things sparkly. She thought her name was Christyn
Everyone treasured Chrissie. Deeply treasured.
Chrissie asked us to sing her Happy Birthday, even though her birthday wasn’t until October 8. Of course we sang to her, and she beamed with pride. No doubt Princess Chrissie knew, felt, and believed the depth of our love for her.
We prayed over Chrissie as a family the night of April 18, 2010, then we all went to bed. We left our house (Mom, Dad, Chrissie) at 4AM Monday morning, April 19, 2010, and arrived at Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio at 5:30AM. Chrissie was so excited to get her heart fixed.
After prayer with Mom, Dad, and Chrissie’s beloved cardiologist, Dr. Porisch, the staff wheeled her away to the operating room. Here’s the last photo we have of Chrissie smiling and not intubated:
Our lives would never be the same from that moment on.
Even through our pain and grief, we are still so very grateful God chose us to be Chrissie’s forever family. Her life was worth it, no matter how short. The contagious joy Chrissie brought our family for seven short months will live in our hearts forever. I highly encourage you to consider adopting a special needs child, even if that puts your heart at risk of being broken. I guarantee you a broken heart that has loved well is far superior to one that has never experienced true, vulnerable love.
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."
~CS Lewis, The Four Loves
In memory of Chrissie’s courageous 31-day battle for life, we are offering the Boss Your Heart eBook and print book at a deep discount (my price as the author). I will not make a profit on these books because I prefer to have Chrissie’s legacy and God’s glory be the focus of this offer. Your heart will never be the same after witnessing all God did during Chrissie’s battle, as recorded “live”, journal/blog style, in the story of Boss Your Heart. Please see below for purchasing information, and thank you for your support and prayers for our family during this time.
To purchase the Boss Your Heart eBook for $1.00, click the button below (please note the eBook is a .pdf file that will safely download to your computer):
To purchase the Boss Your Heart print book for $18.00, click the button below (please note the print book is very large, 8.5x11"):
A percentage of all your Amazon purchases made via this link will support orphan care! Just click link and shop as you normally would each time you make an Amazon purchase. Thank you!
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