KenCK's Journal

I just received a call from a friend of mine's mother, Kathryn was hospitalized tonight in respiratory distress and is on a respirator.

Kathryn is only 25 years old and was diagnosed with MG the same day as myself, that is where I met her.

At that time I didn't realize nor imagine what a good friend she would become over the next little while, after all, there is 29 years separating us, but we seemed to hit it off right away. I don't know how many times I thanked God for her friendship, we had all our Plasmapheresis treatments together, the long hours would fly by as we talked about ever subject under the sun, such passion and opinions she has, full of life, hopes and dreams, a little thing like MG wasn't going to hold her back, no sir, marriage, kids and a career was her future. Often myself,  her Mother Jane, also a great friend and Kathryn would have dinner together after our treatments, poor Jane would be finished way ahead of us as we both had trouble chewing and swallowing! I live alone so for me it was great to have the company of such wonderful people! You couldn't help but be positive with this young lady around! We inspired each other and kept each others hopes fresh and alive, bad days we call each other and talked till we smiled. It helped in a way, that our MG symptoms were similar, made it easier to understand, especially since, like me, she was not responding well and the Doctors just didn't seem to understand.

Our Thymectomy were scheduled a day apart and it was a comfort to have her there, especially after my heart attack. I woke up in I.C.U. and there they were and stayed till my children got there.

In August I had another heart attack and they were there again, as were my children, between the 4 of them I was well taken care of. The same in November.

It still amazes me, how people can enter you life and make such a positive impact on it at the time you need it the most and there are some who scoff at the notion that there is such a thing as Divine intervention.

Now it is my turn to sit by her bed, I'll take the day shift and Jane the night, I pray to God that he will help her through and give me the strength to be there for her.

She is as much my daughter as my own and I've become the father she never had. I feel the pride and love of a father for his child, the world needs more young people like her, they are out there, doing their best to be a decent human beings in a world that often makes fun of decency, without any fanfare or recognition. I've truly been blessed, I now have 3 wonderful kids!