June 10, 1985

For many of you reading this blog about Tyler -- you've just recently gotten to know Tyler through his current illness.

I'd like to take you back. I'd like to take you on a journey that has wound up being the journey of our lives.

We were a young family. Both Craig and I were only 24-years old, our daughter Christi was 10-months old and I was five months pregnant with Tyler.

It was a beautiful Saturday in June 1985. The three of us were on a family vacation driving our 1974 Chevy Van from Arizona up the Pacific Coast Highway to Washington State. Our innocent plan was to see a few sights along the way, stop and see Mt. St. Helen's (which had just erupted five years earlier) and visit with my great-grandmother.

Our first indicator that this would be a life-changing event was our first night in California. A storm was moving through the western states and we had gotten caught in this violent storm. Being very young we really didn't plan ahead. Personal computers weren't available and long-distance telephone calls were very expensive. In order to reserve a hotel room for the night - one would have to use the yellow pages and a home telephone and call numerous businesses. So - we took our chances and drove in the hope of finding a room at a local motel to sleep that first night.

This was not to be. In addition to not having a bed to sleep in -- our baby daughter had developed an ear infection. We were driving through the many cities of California with a screaming, feverish baby wailing in the back seat -- we came upon a Denny's Restaurant and thought we could sleep there until morning.

We tried to settle in so we could all get some rest but the rain was pounding the roof so hard that our little baby kept waking up from the ear pain and the noise. In addition, the sky-light that my husband installed in the roof of the van was leaking terribly so we were all sleeping on a soaking wet mattress. We were woke up by the light of a flashlight being shown through the windows. Apparently this Police Officer standing outside our van wasn't keen on us sleeping in this parking lot.

So we packed our screaming baby and headed on down the road. We came upon a small business in the quaint town of Carmel and hunkered down for the night. Finally getting a few hours of sleep we headed up to San Francisco in the morning in search of an old high school buddy of my husbands. But more importantly I was in search of a Pediatrician who could help my screaming baby.

Success! The ear infection was diagnosed, medication was given and we were on the road again.

It was an absolutely beautiful drive up the coast. The Pacific Coast shoreline in summer is a must-see for everyone.

Astoria, Oregon. We got pounded with rain again. Apparently four inches within an hour had hit the coast and we were driving the old van up the highway trying to stay on course. We found a room for the night, had a hot meal and a hot shower and laid down to rest.

I was tired. I was irritable. I had a severe back ache and knew I was having contractions. I also knew it was June and baby wasn't due until September so I didn't think anything would go wrong.

We drove through Oregon to Washington and headed up the highway to Mt. St. Helen's volcano to see the beautiful destruction the eruption had caused five years earlier. Soon we were watching a huge, dark thunderstorm move in from the west. It was the most beautiful storm I had ever seen. I was so high up on the mountain that I could see this storm in it's entirety.

As we were driving down the winding dirt road to head to Yakima, I realized that I was going into labor with Tyler.

The drive to Yakima took about two hours through the dirt roads, the rain and the mountain passes that took so long to get through.

Just as we got settled in with my family I left our daughter with great-grandma and we headed to the local hospital and tried to figure out why I was in labor because my baby wasn't due for another 16-weeks.

Tyler was born just hours later weighing in at 800 grams (1 lb. 12 ounces) and measuring 13" long.

I still didn't understand what lay ahead for us. I innocently thought that, although he was small and early, that I'd just pack him up and drive him home with the rest of our little family. Unfortunately I learned very quickly that Tyler was gravely ill.

It was suggested that we make funeral arrangements soon as our little boy would not survive beyond the first few hours of life. He was born at 3:30 in the morning but would not live to see his first sunrise.

He survived and we began living our lives in increments of time.

Every hour that went buy was another hour of success for Tyler.

Every day that went by was another day we had our son.

Every week that went by was another week Christi and I were in Washington while Craig was in Arizona.

This illness had caused a separation in our young family. I stayed up north with the two babies and my family while Craig drove home to go to work and take care of the house. We had no idea how long we'd be separated.

The photo you see above was taken in May, 2007. We were celebrating Christi's graduation from the University of Arizona, Tyler's graduation from Coronado High School and our 25th anniversary of marriage. It was a great celebration.

I'll post more Tyler stories throughout the weeks ahead so everyone can know and love Tyler as much as I do.