I’ve waited more than five years to publicly share a personal story of fear, grief, hope, and thankfulness. The love for a child is unlike any other. Most parents would not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to protect a child from harm or suffering. If you were asked to give your life to save your child, I suspect most of you would accept the trade. This unbreakable, indescribable bond between parent and child is often unconditional and eternal.
My wife and I hoped and prayed our young children would avoid life’s hardships before adulthood. Unfortunately, that did not happen. In 2018, my oldest son came home from playing basketball and said his feet were tingling and numb. The next day, the condition worsened, and we went to the emergency room at Forrest General Hospital. Tests were run with normal results, but after going home, my son noticed weakness in his legs. Luckily, I knew the symptoms might warrant a neurological assessment, so I called Wendell Helveston, a local neurologist. Over the phone, I described the onset of symptoms and mentioned our son first had an upset stomach following consumption of undercooked chicken. Helveston, who we consider a hero, immediately suspected an autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He told us to go straight to his office, and while there, our son developed rapid, ascending paralysis in his body. One side of his mouth suddenly drooped similar to a stroke, followed by the other. Helveston calmly told us that our son was about to be very sick within hours, totally paralyzed and that he might need help breathing, but with certain infusions, he would slowly improve. Sure enough, by day’s end, our child was in the ICU, with no movement of his body, but thanks to the quick diagnosis, infusions were immediately started, and a breathing machine avoided.
This was a very dark time for us. Words cannot express the fear, anxiety, and tears shed. He was taken by ambulance to Oschner’s Hospital in New Orleans where he was surrounded by a team of doctors and had tubes and devices all over him. Our son never complained, but when he whispered he thought he was dying, all I could do was cry in sorrow and pain for my suffering child. Days turned into weeks and months with gradual improvement and rehab to learn to walk, eat, and talk. But, just as Dr. Helveston said, he improved, re-enrolled in college after a semester layoff, graduated college on time, and then entered and graduated medical school. Dr. Harrison Hicks is now in his residency at UMMC in Jackson. He has minor neurological deficits and gets tired more easily, but he does not complain. He is alive and healthy. His Mom and Dad are grateful to have witnessed medical experts save what felt like a drowning child while helpless parents watched.
Some parents are not so fortunate and bear their losses with them each day. I do not wish on anyone the pain of a suffering child or even worse, losing one. Our experience changed us. We realize more the gift of parenthood. We deeply value the relationships with our two sons and never decline a chance to see them despite their busy schedules. If you are grieving a suffering child, you are not alone. There is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. You will receive unimaginable blessings during your difficult journey. We certainly did. May God give you strength and courage in your darkest moments of despair and grief. Amen.
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Clark Hicks is a lawyer who lives in Hattiesburg. His email is clark@hicksattorneys.com.
