"Uncle Shannon"

My younger sister called me two weeks after Mike and I announced that we were pregnant with Sam.  Surprise!  She was pregnant too.  At first, I had mixed feelings about her pregnancy mostly caused by the fact that I did not want her to "steal my thunder."  Those feelings quickly diminished as I realized I had someone I completely trusted to discuss the in's and out's of a first pregnancy with.  We spoke often and honestly about being pregnant; and during that time I feel we grew closer than we had ever been.

Shannon went into labor the day before Christmas Eve and delivered Christian via csection the next day.  I'll never forget the first picture I saw of him.  Sam was just 15 days old and it became apparent what a special experience Shannon and I had shared.  Our boys would be the same age growing up - playmates, friends, cousins.  Sam and Christian met for the first time in January of 2010 when Mike and I traveled to Minnesota for six weeks to introduce everyone to Sam.

The June prior to Sam's diagnosis, we traveled to the Mayo Clinic to have a screw tightened from a previous surgery in his knee.  At that time, we thought that was the reason Sam had been moody and had stopped walking.  During that stay in Minnesota, Sam started referring to my sister as Uncle Shannon.  It was hysterical and it just stuck.  Forever, she will be Uncle Shannon to my children.

When Sam was diagnosed, my sister came out to stay with me.  She took time off work at her job in the food and beverage industry where words like PTO and vacation time are a joke.  My memories of that visit are hazy and jumbled and sometimes just missing.  BUT...I do remember her and my brother sitting in my hospital room with me and laughing and chatting like we always do.  I remember Shannon spent the night with me in my room rather than going to my house. Those were some of the only moments I felt like myself during that time.

When Shannon returned to Minnesota she immediately began planning a fundraiser for Sam.  She secured a beautiful venue, gathered donations from local businesses and engaged other family members to help.  That event was the single most successful fundraiser thrown for Sam.  Hundreds of people came and ate, bought raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items.  It was nothing short of incredible.  Because of that event, we have been able to keep our house in Charleston while traveling over the past 8 months.  I have reconnected with friends from my past that attended the event.  I felt so much love for my family all gathered in one room.  How do you thank someone for that?

Our family arrived in Minnesota in December and are still here.  Every single day that Shannon doesn't work, she has come to help us out with the twins, housework, cooking, etc.  She brings us coffee and Sam and Christian run around together playing 3 year old games.  They laugh and we laugh and everything feels right with the world for a few minutes.