Sad Goodbye’s……
3-31-09
It is Tuesday night and Joey and I have had an emotional day. Saying goodbye to all of the people who have been so caring and wonderful to us both for the past 2 months is more difficult than we thought it would be.
We woke up this morning and stuck to the usual schedule: PT at 9:00 a.m., lunch, Joey’s two IV’s, OT at 1:00 p.m. then TCM at 2:00 p.m. I had been getting things ready and packed while Joey was doing his thing. Finally at about 3:30, I realized that I was going to need another suitcase. I ran to Greta’s office in a panic and told her I needed another suitcase…She told me not to worry and we took a taxi to the nearest mall. She was a bargaining guru. We got a nice, big suitcase for a very cheap price, hahahah, THANK YOU GRETA!!!! We laughed all the way back to the hospital.
Joey was on his computer and I was still packing when Panda and Eric, the two guys from the hospital cafe, came to give Joey a gift. They brought him a bamboo chinese scroll. It is beautiful. I think we all cried when we told them goodbye. Earlier today, Ali, one of Joey’s favorite nurses, came by to give him a gift as well. It is a string of chinese zodiac animals. Very cool. We love you Ali. Dodo, another very special nurse, gave Joey a pair of chinese carp to remember her by. Yesterday, Greta gave Joey his very own chinese tea set made of chinese pottery. I know that Joey will display it and use it proudly as he thinks of Greta….. Greta, you have become family to us both. Thank you for everything you have done. You are truly an angel and we love you very much…..
I cannot say enough about the people here at Tiantan Puhua Hospital. The doctors, nurses, therapists and the coordinators are the most wonderful, caring and inspiring people that I have ever had the honor of meeting. They, every one, go beyond the call of duty every single day, and bend over backward to do everything in their power to help their patients. (At one point, Joey and I even talked about moving here to Beijing, haha). Getting to know these wonderful people has touched our hearts forever. We are eternally grateful to them, and hope that one day we can see them all again. (Even the stray dogs on the streets of Beijing look happy)….. As much as we have missed our family, friends, pets and american food over the past two months…we will miss these gracious people just as much.
Tomorrow morning Joey and I will get up and Joey will meet with Mark one last time for PT. We will say our final goodbyes and then go to the airport. Greta will see us off and that will be the hardest goodbye for me. She has been my rock through this entire journey.
I will continue to write about Joey’s progress and to keep you all informed. He has set a goal for himself and wants to be walking by his next birthday (Oct. 22nd).
None of this would have happened without the financial, emotional and spiritual support of our family and friends back home, and even the people who gave to the cause, who we have never had the privlidge to meet. Every single one of you has helped to prolong Joey’s life so that maybe one day soon we will see a cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia.
With a full and heavy heart, Thank you to everyone.
8 comments March 31st, 2009
