Joseph Walker Prasifka

Our son was born with Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome. We were blessed by his presence for six months and ten days. Mighty Joe went to be with God on October 10th, 2005. We miss him terribly but rejoice in the knoweldge that he is now whole and living in God's Kingdom. We were blessed to be his parents. Each day he was with us was a gift and a miracle.
Please sign our journal and let us know how our mighty joe has touched your life.

Joseph Walker Prasifka

Born: March 30, 2005

Weight: 7lbs 13oz Length: 19.5 inches

Ephesians 2: 9-14 God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ, a plan he decided on in mercy long ago; and this was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are-in heaven or on earth-to be with him in Christ forever. Moreover, because of what Christ has done we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of God's sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ao. God's purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ. And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good News about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. His presence within us is God's guarantee that he really will give us all that he promised; and the Spirit's seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that he guarantees to bring us to himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.

Journal

Saturday, December 6, 2008 8:55 PM CST

I'm not sure why, but the following memory is playing in my mind and so I feel like writing about it.

Joe had just undergone his jaw distraction removal surgery, putting us on the sixth floor and then the PICU and then the six floor again. A so called day procedure had become a three day ordeal. Jason and I alternated between staying with Joe and taking care of Jackson. I think my niece Kyle was with us at that time too. It was still just a logistical nightmare and I look back now and I don't even know how we got through it without losing our minds. Ultimately, I believe the hope we had kept us going....and we would have done anything for him. And really, taking care of him wasn't a chore, but the best way we knew how to love him. It was instinctive. It was like breathing.

But the day we got to take him home from that ordeal, I was alone at the hospital and the nurses were helping me pack up a wagon with all our things. I picked Joe up from his crib and my mother instincts kicked in and I held him vertically, putting him over my shoulder---there was something about his demeanor that clicked with me and I realized, with great joy, it was the first time I had been able to hold him like that. The jaw distraction device was a pain in the ass and I was terrified of bumping it because jody bean cried everytime I did (even though some stupid nurse told me it didn't hurt him--I'd like to have another word with her right now, but I digress.) But his jaw distraction was gone and I didn't have to worry about hurting his face. So with the nurse standing in the doorway with my wagon, waiting for us to leave, I just stood there, holding him like I knew to do. Holding him the way I hold my babies. I was put on this earth to do one thing---love these boys. I'm not very good at anything else, but I am an exceptional mother. Holding my baby for the first time was like breathing after drowning. And Joe noticed it too. I know he noticed because we both just sort of froze in the moment. I can't really explain it, I guess, but we both froze and just held each other and it was one of my sweetest memories of him. I told the nurse I couldn't put him in his car seat just yet, because we had to hold each other. She just smiled and said she understood, but I knew she didn't. Only Joe and I did.

Missing him,
Kerry

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Links:

  
http://www.hlhsinfo.homestead.com   Hypoplastic Left Heart Information
http://www.crsti.org   Link to the Chloe Duyck Memorial Fund--click on

E-mail Author: theprasifkas@juno.com

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