Back in April, as this journey began, we had a newcomer at our home. A small sparrow built a nest in our back patio. I wanted to stop it and avoid the mess, but the kids begged to let the birds make their creation in a place where we could watch. When we cut Blake's hair off in the back yard, some of his hair ended up as nest material!
Mother and father built a nice little nest and soon we had eggs. The nest became of symbol of something more (read Jennifer's original nest post for more details). Of life and new beginnings. Of birth and rebirth. Of leaving the nest. And the freedom to fly.
One facet of this journey that we didn't talk about much was Blake's fragility. The oncologist told us from the very beginning that if Blake fell and broke his weakened bone, they would amputate immediately. So while we could not keep him safe in a nest, we cringed a bit with every trip down and hallway and every time he crutched it out to the car. We knew that a mis-step could have a calamitous result.
We watched as the mother bird fed her chicks. They grew quickly. Towards the end of May, the mother stopped spending time at the nest. On May 31st, there was flight:
In June, the tumor was removed, Blake's leg was saved and we rejoiced. The surgery went well and the doctor was pleased. But chemo slows healing. So Blake was not cleared to walk for June. Nor July.
But on Tuesday, September 25th, for the first time in 152 days, Blake walked.
It was a very, very good day!