Mason's Miracle
Mason truly is a modern day miracle. He is a miracle not just of science and technology, but also of love and faith.
Six month into their second pregnancy Lindsay Hedin, who was on his way to a scouting event received a call that every Husband dreads. Paula said that she was bleeding severely and needed to go to the hospital immediately. Life flight was called but poor weather conditions forced a life and death drive from Logan to Ogden. Upon arrival in Ogden the life of both mother and baby were in serious jeopardy. Amidst a flurry of prayer and activity the decision was presented that the only way to save the mother or baby was to deliver the baby immediately. Mason was born and weighed just over two pounds and in that moment Paula's life was spared. Adrenaline, joy, relief and gratitude soon gave way to fear, fatigue and stress as Mason spent the next 9 weeks in the NICU. Lindsay and Paula progressed through a process of anger, guilt, faith testing why’s, and then acceptance. Trusting a mother’s instincts, more than medical dogma, at ten months Paula demanded the doctors do tests. Her intuition was correct and the tests confirmed Mason’s condition. Paula and Lindsay again went through the whole process of anger, guilt, frustration, and then acceptance that their miracle baby had multiple mental disabilities.
About a year or two later, Paula and Lindsay found out Mason had Cerebral Palsy. Heroic medical measures were taken, multiple blood transfusions while in the hospital, and open-heart surgery to repair a valve. This was a second miracle in Mason’s young life.
Now a teenager, Mason and his family struggle to balance the body of an 18 year old and the mental capacity of a 2-year-old boy who cannot communicate. Truly this is a family affair. Mason really has several parents as all of sibling help with “parenting” Mason. Changing a diaper at 3 months is challenging, changing the diaper of an 18 year old is more than labor and more than love. Each month brings new challenges as more bruises, sore ribs, and hurt jaws seem to be the norm. Still in a diaper at age 18, Mason Can't talk and will maintain about a two year old mentality for the rest of his life.
Family life as a whole is also challenging without the ability to communicate with Mason and has an agenda that is impossible to follow with his strength. Several times the family gives in and hopes for the best. They seemed to be trapped at times in the house because of Mason’s running away while on walks. The last time the family took him out to dinner, was several years ago and resulted in Mason helping himself to other peoples food and causing an embarrassing disturbance. The family cannot go out as a normal family and be together due to his condition. Each parent will take turns with the other children and hope that Mason will behave, especially when his mother is staying with him. Mason has become extremely strong and seems to know he can over power his mother. Mason can be a fun loving boy when stimulated with the things he enjoys. He loves the outdoors but the family does not have the means to contain him. Mason is in a different world while riding on a four-wheeler or going into the mountains where he feels as if he can go for miles. We all could enhance the life style of Mason’s family by providing them with the means to let them be as normal as a family as possible. Please help out anyway you can to so Mason and his family can start to enjoying being together as an entire family while in the outdoors.
Chris Hunsicker
