Without a Word_ How a Boy's Unspoken Love Changed Everything - Jill Kelly [15]
Then, once again, it happened: my period was late. This time I knew exactly what to do and was very excited to discover the results—positive. The timing was uncanny. After calculating the days, the doctor determined that the baby was conceived during our honeymoon. What perfect timing.
Maybe this child would be the one to draw Jim back home, away from all the distractions and temptations he was so caught up in. I could only hope.
Erin watched my belly grow as nine months flew by, unaware that she was about to have a baby brother. (In my defense, if I was going to keep it a secret from her dad, she certainly couldn’t know either!) I had lots of fun preparing for our son to arrive. Granted, I had to be covert about everything, but buying all sorts of baby boy clothes and toys was a blast. Hiding them, on the other hand, was a challenge.
Fortunately, my little surprise remained a surprise until that day in February 1997 when Hunter James Kelly was born. Jim’s birthday and Valentine’s Day would never be the same. Little did we know how drastically our lives would soon be changed as well.
Chapter 4
Broken
I’d like for you and Jim to come into my office so we can discuss Hunter’s test results. Can you come on Monday?” Dr. Duffner asked in a monotone voice.
“Yes. What time and where?”
Our conversation was so short and to the point that it didn’t even dawn on me to ask her the results over the phone. Then, when the phone hit the receiver, it hit me. If Hunter’s blood tests were normal, Dr. Duffner would have said so.
But wait. Hunter had passed all the newborn tests with flying colors. God had given us a beautiful, healthy son. So what was going on?
The first month of Hunter’s life, he appeared to be a normal, healthy baby except for showing some signs of colic. The second month, he became more irritable; and by the end of the third month, he was spending most of his waking hours screaming. Our pediatrician continued to believe it was colic, so we tried practically every formula and bottle on the market. When Hunter became even more irritable—stiffening his arms and legs, and failing to achieve any developmental milestones—the doctor said he was showing signs of cerebral palsy. We were devastated but determined to do everything we could to give Hunter the best life possible.
In Hunter’s fourth month, his body became more rigid. He was having trouble swallowing, and he started experiencing mild seizures. Because Hunter’s health continued to decline, our pediatrician suggested he go to a child neurologist. Hunter’s neurologist, Dr. Duffner, decided to test his blood. Now she was asking us to come to her office to discuss the results.
“Something’s wrong,” Jim said after I shared the phone conversation with him. “If it were good news, she would’ve told you over the phone. This isn’t going to be good.”
My mom stayed at the house with Erin and Hunter while Jim and I made the trip to Children’s Hospital that Monday morning. The beauty of that summer day was clouded by the gut-wrenching feeling that Jim and I both had. Lost in our individual thoughts, we said nothing to each other as we traveled into the city.
When we arrived at Dr. Duffner’s office, Jim’s brother Danny was waiting at the entrance to walk in with us. We were greeted and escorted into a dim room where Dr. Duffner and our pediatrician stood. Why is our pediatrician here? That’s not a good sign, I thought to myself.
As we exchanged hellos, it was obvious that something was dreadfully wrong. Looking around at all the sullen faces told the whole story. These were doctors—professionals—but they could not hide their feelings. I sensed an overwhelming heaviness in our midst. My heart felt as though it were beating outside my shirt, and my hands were drenched with sweat.
The small room we were in had no