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"Liam's Story"
March 9, 2007 was one of
the most beautiful and tragic days of our life.
Our son, Liam Hayden McNamara passed away. How could we possibly consider that a
beautiful day? Because his last few
breaths were not wrought with the anguish, pain and suffering, he had come to
experience all too often. Rather, they
were full of peace, calm and relief.
Liam was brought to us for a reason. He was a little angel of hope who came
into this world, made his mark, and left us all with a different love and
perspective in our hearts. Shortly after birth, Liam was diagnosed with a
condition called Lissencephaly (Miller-Dieker Syndrome).
At the time, little did
we know that his diagnosis meant that the clock was ticking. It meant his brain did not develop properly
and all the functions related to cognitive activity would be profoundly
delayed. He would never walk, talk, hold his head up, roll over, or reach for a
toy. He would have chronic seizures, respiratory problems, feeding problems,
gastrointestinal dysfunction, and repeated pneumonia. The average life span for
someone with his condition is 2 years.
Hospital stays and doctor visits would become routine.
After many visits, we
became so familiar with Room 680 at Overlook Hospital, that it became known as "Liam's Room". Liam passed away at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ, in his
mother's arms on March 9, 2007 at 5:55 a.m. This was our son. While he finally floated to heaven, looking
down on us as he went, we sat together in a hard wooden rocking chair. He left
us in a room with oatmeal colored walls, fluorescent lights flickering, a
pulse-oximeter blipping, and a metal crib empty. He gave us one last gift
before he left. He let us hold him and love him while he took his last
breath. He will be forever missed.
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