Clare is on the Mend

One of my faithful customers, Lori, posted my recent prayer request on many Catholic and homeschooling discussion groups last week. Thank you Lori and all of you who joined us in prayer for our daughter, Clare Therese. Long story short...Clare has multiple allergies, one of which is milk. This is the excuse I have been giving everyone since we learned two weeks ago on her first visit to the dentist, at just under 3 years old, that she has 8 cavities. Yes, as I hang my head, 8 cavities. Before we had the chance to schedule an appointment with a pediadontist, the tooth abcessed overnight and flared into cellulitis in her face. We rushed her to the emergency room and she was soon admitted with lots of tests underway. Because the cellulitis was in her face and near her eye they were very concerned about her eyesight and the infection spreading to the rest of her tiny little body. As I mentioned, Clare has allergies, which includes every antibiotic she has ever been given. This made her treatment a little more difficult. In fact, they did, and still are, treating her with an antibiotic medicine she is allergic to along with benadryl to offset the reaction. We spent 4 days in the hospital and are home with a PICC line in and receive medicines every day through that. Despite the heavy duty medicines, she has developed a nasty cough so we have added breathing treatments to our daily routine. All that said, she is actually doing well and is basically back to her old self. We are enjoying the effects steroids can have on a little one though! She is scheduled for dental surgery on Nov. 13 and we can hopefully move past all of this.

I know so many of you have dealt with sick kids and worse situations. And there are so many families that deal with ongoing medical issues every day. While this wasn't our first hospitalization or emergency, it was our scariest and most difficult. At the same time, it has been our most inspiring. Without taking up too much space or monopolizing your computer time I wanted to share a witness to the power of the Rosary and the intercession of our Blessed Mother.


We were told Clare would need this PICC line and that we couldn't be with her as it had to be a sterile procedure and was a long, sometimes difficult one. They said if everything went perfect it would take an hour and it usually is longer. My husband left just before they came to get Clare for the procedure to get us some lunch. He had been waiting all morning and we figured it was going to be a while longer so he left. Just after he left, they came to get Clare. She was asleep in my arms. I had to hand her over to a nurse she hadn't even seen before and without explaining to her what was going on, why I wasn't going with her or anything. She cried immediately. She had been so brave through all that had taken place and hardly cried a tear until that point.

I assumed this procedure would be done somewhere else in the hospital. No, they did it two doors down from the room we were in. So, I heard Clare scream and cry for me for the entire 45 minute procedure. I sat in the room and cried as my baby cried. The worst part was that she cried so politely; she'd cry, "Please leave me alone," "Please take me to my mom," "Please get me out of here," "I want my mom please." It was horrible and I just sat, paralyzed and sobbing. I clutched my rosary and began praying, I skipped right over the Apostle's Creed and right into the mysteries. I didn't pray a set of mysteries, just those that came to mind. The Agony in the Garden, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, the Coronation of Mary, etc . It wasn't a formal rosary but it was a recitiation of those Hail Mary's and calling upon the mysteries, the life of Christ to help me through. I knew the Blessed Mother had watched and listened to her own child suffer much worse than mine and that she too was powerless to intercede. I begged the Blessed Mother, Clare's Heavenly Mother, to hold her as I couldn't hold her. To help calm her and guide this procedure. I just moved my fingers bead over bead, cried and begged Our Mother for help. I couldn't have made it without doing this. It's what kept me from storming into that room and grabbing my baby.

When they brought Clare back to the room, she immediatley became calm and quiet and I held her. The nurse that put the PICC line in came with her. He told me that was the smoothest procedure he'd ever done. The line went in perfect, no problems, he was shocked at how well it went. I broke out in tears as her gave his report and he looked at me in bewilderment. I told him how I had heard her crying the whole time. He tod me that even though she cried, she was so good, held so still and didn't resist them at all. She even gave him her arm on her own when he said he needed to look at it. We had been told the procedue would take an hour at best and most likely longer. Her procedure took 45 minutes. As everyone left the room and I held my baby, I knew the Blessed Mother heard my prayers and held my precious, baby girl. Tony walked into the room about 5 mintues after they brought Clare back. Again, Divine Providence. Obviously, God knew he couldn't handle the situation and that I needed to experience it on my own.

So, thank you Mary and thank you, all of you, who joined Tony and I and our family in praying for Clare. Please keep her in your prayers through next week as we conclude this medical endeavor. May the Blessed Mother hold all of our little ones when we aren't able and may she join us when we can.

A couple of pictures. Clare, day 2 in the hospital as things began to improve and Clare, day 3 at home feeling much better and having Halloween fun with her big brother, George.