It's December 14, 2008. Today marks that special day exactly a quarter of a century ago when we were blessed with the birth of our Daughter, Kylene.

It was a struggle then just to keep Kylene alive. Taken by Cesarean section a couple of weeks before her due date because of her pre-detected birth defects of spina bifida and hydrocephalus, she was immediately moved to surgery so that they could perform the necessary operations to close the opening in her back and install the first of many shunts to drain the excess cerebral fluid. We would spend about a month in the hospital with her before being allowed to take her home, and would make many more trips to the hospital over the coming years, and she would endure over 50 surgeries all told.

But despite all the challenges, Kylene remained a bright, enthusiastic, loving human being and one that we were lucky and proud to call our own. That is, until that day in August of 2007 when God -- who once said He was a "jealous God" -- called her back to be His own, among His other angels.

Now He is the lucky One. And we are jealous.

But if God is also a merciful God, then perhaps one day when we have left this earthly existence we shall have the priviledge of seeing her again, and we can skip and dance and play the games that physical limitations prevented back here on this coarse plane. That is our prayer. Our hope. Our dream.

Happy birthday, our dear daughter. We shall always hold you in our hearts, until that truly happy day when we may again hold you in our arms.

 
~ Mom & Dad