Keegan

This is my Grandson. Keebug as I like to call him. Keegiebug as everyone else likes to call him. Our family miracle all in himself. Christmas now has an all new meaning to me. It is the day my daughter Ashlei began the hardest journey in her life. Now Ashlei has come by her strength honestly. She has had her demons and battles. Fought, Won and Prevailed. But this journey would bring out true strength. Motherhood defined in it's best term. Helplessness to the fullest extent. As they put my daughter on the gurney to take her to Grand Rapids MI an hour and a half away because Keegan if born would be 3 months early, once again my mind screamed. (a fact I am certain Ashlei has no clue) And once again I looked to the sky and asked "Lord, how much"? At first they thought Ashlei could go ahead with the pregnancy. But within a few hours they determined that was not the case. They were going to have to do an emergency c-section. Here I sit an hour and a half from my daughter as my father and her Husband Matthew raced in the truck to try to get to her on time. Once again in my mind screaming and the all too familiar look to the sky. Keegan was born on December 26th 3 months early. Not only did he have the normal preemie baby obstacles to face but to add to the burden he also had a part in his brain that was bleeding. That is when the waiting began. The unknown once again. His little head began to swell. And that is when a new medical term touched this family. Hydrocephalus. And once again I said "Huh". It is when the brain does not absorb the brain fluid like it is supposed to. So once again the familiar look to the sky. I only got to go to the hospital once to see my grandson. As I stood there looking at him, thinking that is the smallest human I have ever seen, I also beamed with a pride in my life I had never known. He was surviving. He was fighting. He had made strides they did not expect him to make. He was not supposed to learn to suck from a bottle. He had so much scarring in his brain from the bleed he probably would not be able to sit up, walk or be in societies standard "normal". But by god he was sucking on that bottle. Little did I know the pride that was yet to develop. He had a temporary shunt placed in his brain to drain the liquid. And at 11 weeks old, he got to come home!! YEAH!! Much earlier than expected. And the pride grew. Not only for my Grandson but also for my daughter. Here was a young woman who had faced so much in her short life already. But now facing the challenge of motherhood with a disabled baby. Who was facing it strong yet screaming in her mind. But doing it standing tall. Keegan had to go back into the hospital to have the permanent shunt placed in his brain later. The doctors and nurses at the hospital deserve all the praise and gratitude this family could give them. Even more than we are capable of giving. They did a wonderful job with him. But he deserves all the credit. He is now going to be 2 this December 26th. He is standing on his own!! Not yet walking but getting there. I saw him and his brother at my daughter Tareh's house this last weekend. And as I watched my Grandson stand on his own and I clapped while yelling YEAH, I once again beamed. Once again thanked God because we came too close to losing him. I rejoiced in the fact that in God's plan he is giving my Grandson the ability to stand on his own. Which most of us take for granted. The ability to function. Which again most of us take for granted. Yes I have MS. Yes I have strength. But Keegan, you are Grandma's Hero. You are my inspiration to fight. Because even I have no idea what true strength and fight are. Your Grandma is so proud of you.