Eleven Years

Today marks eleven years since Oliver was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome. I knew a month before. The moment they told me Waverly had it, my mother's intuition told my heart and mind my son would also receive the same horrible news.

I have written about that day often. It was my way of revisiting a painful moment, hoping that replaying the events would soften the impact. Last year I blogged about it being ten years and I included a photo of Oliver and I holding hands. I was dropping him off at school and the sun was glinting off of the blond hairs newly appearing on his knuckles. I recognized the way he was aging physically and within the disease.

The photo above was taken mere weeks before he died. He was cuddled up on my lap as we tried desperately to fight against the inevitable. His hands were relaxed on his tummy, while mine cradled his. 

My iCal will perpetually remind me of this anniversary. It brings far less pain. Instead it was a point in time where life pivoted. Before to after. Healthy to disability. Responsible planner to memory maker.