A Mother's Pride

I didn't have my first child until I was 37 years old. My pregnancy was perfect and although I am normally a "Nervous  Nelly," I have never felt so calm and healthy as I did during my pregnancies. I gave birth to my daughter, Casey, on a Friday morning, by planned C-section because she was frank breach and two weeks late. Everything went beautifully.

Released by the hospital two days later, I brought my new baby home. By the next day, it became obvious that she was running a fever. We took her to our pediatrician, who immediately admitted her for a spinal tap. She was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis. It was a devastating diagnosis.

As I understand it, there are several bacteria that can cause Meningitis, and it takes two to three days to grow the culture, to see which one is at work in a particular patient. We were told that she would be put on  a general antibiotic. If it happened to be the correct one for her infection, we would end up ahead of the game. If the culture came back showing a bacteria that was resistant to this particular antibiotic, then three treatment days had been wasted, and the damage during that time could be significant.

The antibiotic course runs six weeks either way, so we knew we were in for the long haul. Following the standard treatment, Casey continued to run a fever and our stay in the pediatric ward dragged on and on. At one point, she was given a complete transfusion. I made a call to one loving friend and within two hours, the line to donate blood spilled out of the laboratory door. At one point or another, we were told that our child would likely not survive, And that if she survived, she might be deaf, blind, or mentally challenged.

We were one of the lucky families. Casey did survive, suffering only a learning disability that she eventually learned to manage with a lot of hard work and self-discipline. The beat went on.  In eighth grade, she was told she was not "college material." When the time came, Casey did not get accepted to her first choice school (Rutgers University) directly from high school. But after one semester at another school, she tried again and was accepted. There she carried 18 credits a semester and carried a double major in psychology and sociology. She did really well fundraising with her sorority, and held down a waitressing job throughout.

I don't know where my daughter will end up working, but I know that she has the self-discipline to get where ever she wants. It may take a little time, as everything has for her, but I have no doubt that she will make it! This is how I spent my Mother's Day:

It was hard to see the ceremony through grateful tears. When I look back on those days in the hospital; when I remember watching the other parents (who were not all as lucky) come and go from the pediatric ward; When I remember every word of my desperate prayers and every kindness that was done for us; I am forever grateful.

This is a testament to the God who answered my prayers, the friends and family who supported us, and to my wonderful, hard-working daughter.

Kate Cameron Albers
Graduate of Rutgers University
Class of 2012

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!