How We Got Here

This is where our journey begins.

Mike was born January 14, 1983. He was an easy baby and so easy to love.

Diagnosed with NF2 when he was 14, he faced struggles but he always persevered.

His resilience and courage only intensified as he grew older, inspiring those around him with his servant’s heart. His journey was marked by countless acts of kindness, and uplifting others. He loved his family, his friends and his career. Everyone loved his loyalty and his quirky sense of humor.

October 15 started as a normal day. Mike was headed to Ohio to spend his vacation with his cousin (his best friend} for a week. Oh, the mischief they had planned. I hugged him goodbye, told him I loved him and prayed for his safe travels. He texted me when he boarded his flight and when he landed. They sent me numerous pictures that day of all the adventures they were having. Mike said he was having one of the best days of his life.

What we didn’t know was that it would be his last day. Mike passed away at 1030 that night of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 41. I will never forget that phone call from the hospital chaplain. I will forever hear the sound of my own scream. Mike was gone. In Ohio. We live in GA. It took 5 days to get him home to us.

So here we are 6 months into this nightmare. My heart is forever broken, part of me is missing and I will miss him the rest of my days.

Writing is a comfort to me. I write to Mike every day and I also write articles about my grief journey.

As a grieving parent, it’s difficult to find the support you need. People don’t understand it unless they have walked in your shoes.

Every day feels like wading through an ocean of sorrow, each wave bringing memories that are both a solace and a sting. The world has not paused even though my life has. Mike's spirit tugs at my heartstrings, reminding me of the love and laughter we shared. In my writing, I seek refuge and communication with him in the only manner left to me. It is through these words that I find a sliver of peace, a connection to the son who once filled our lives with light.

While the pain of his absence is an ever-present shadow, the act of sharing my journey brings me hope, binding me to others who travel this lonely path of grief. Mike's legacy lives on in these stories, in every act of kindness I witness, and, in the resilience, I muster to face each new day. My hope is that here, together, we can walk each other down this path.