Errol Milner Clifford 2006-2009

Errol Milner Clifford was born with a significant heart defect and a cognitive disability that prevented him from walking or talking. As we grieved the child we had anticipated, Errol’s full-bodied smile and irrepressible laugh turned our sorrow into joy, and taught us that many of the best things in life are unexpected. Inspired by Errol’s delightful spirit, friends, family, and neighbors rallied to support our family’s significant emotional, physical, and financial needs, through countless acts of selfless generosity. When Errol’s courageous heart finally failed him on December 23, 2009 we were left numb with grief. In these dark hours we listen hopefully for the echoes of Errol’s brilliant laugh. This blog is the story (starting from present and working back to Errol's birth) of the life and times of the amazing Errol Clifford.


Saturday, December 05, 2009

I'll be home for Christmas?


Errol had another stoppage in his chest tube and his afternoon x-ray revealed a growing pleural effusion. The wonderful nurse practitioner unclogged his tube, yet again, letting lose another torrent of fluid, and making Errol feel better (see picture), and (finally) eat! They've just done another x-ray (number 20???) and we'll see what it shows (hope for clear lungs!!!!!)

It's been almost a week now since Owen last saw Errol (no kids are allowed to visit the hospital) and it's wearing on him. He was singing a Christmas song today and then suddenly the Christmas words were gone, replaced with "PICC line, PICC line, PICC line" over and over again. We try to get Owen to share his feelings and talk about Errol, and sometimes he does, but most often his feelings come out in surprising places.

Hopefully Errol will be home soon and "PICC line" will be replaced with a happier holiday song!

3 comments:

Marigene said...

You know, Errol is always smiling and so everyone knows what a delightful person he is. But he is, I can easily see, downright handsome, ya'll! Following in his big brother's footsteps, I see.

What are Owen's interests? What are Errol's? We'd like to know.

Love, Marigene (lennat81@hotmail.com, if you're able)

SoSock said...

Hi guys. Praying for you.
It is true how the emotions of kids show up unexpectedly. Yesterday, completely out of the blue, while Gage and I were in the kitchen getting him some chocalate milk, he lokked at me and said "you know what pawpaw?"
I said what, expecting to hear "I love you" or "I love chocolate milk", or something like that. Instead he said "I miss Dee", which was his name for Cathy. I have no idea what brought it on but it was there in his head, waiting to pop out, just like Owen's thoughts of his little brother. These guys think a little deeper than we might give them credit for sometimes.
If there's anything we can do, please let us know.

Wakeford said...

Hang tough, Errol.

(. . . btw, little man, don't think I haven't noticed that the spate of break-ins in Washington Park has ground to a halt since you left town last week. hmmmm . . . . )