Shout out to my awesome mom and greatest supporter, Robin Ballou! 

I can’t even imagine how I would have gotten through this crazy year without her. In June she left her job, retiring at least 6 months earlier than she had planned, left her home, her husband, her son, her friends, and her garden, and came down to Long Beach to help is however she could.

My one-bedroom apartment is pretty cramped when it’s just the 3 of us here, add a fourth and it gets downright comical! We decided early on to pretend we’re camping. From that perspective it feels pretty roomy! I certainly have not been able to put her up in utmost comfort, but Mom figured out how to fit herself into our space and our lives with remarkable grace.

Tirelessly she has been here to fill in so many of the cracks and catch the balls I drop (or couldn’t get in the air in the first place) while we all got Brooke through so much time in the hospital. She’s been getting Aidan up and to school all year, despite the 35 min drive. She’s done basically all our laundry, dishes, and shopping for 6 months. She’s been bringing us food and clothes and supplies at the hospital, staying nights with Brooke so I could have time with Aidan, relieving me for breaks and walks and naps and phone calls and therapy sessions and time with friends. She’s helped me repeatedly pack and unpack, decorate and de-decorate, organize my clutter, clean up vomit, and collect multiple stool samples. (Yep!)

One week she got a bad virus and couldn’t take Aidan or visit the hospital. She still did errands for me, came and got our dirty laundry (I met her in the parking garage), brought it back clean, brought us food, and had the carpets in my apartment shampooed.

She’s been here to make Brooke smile, tend to her very specific whims, play with her, and cheer her on.

She’s been here to rub my shoulders, bring me tea, tell me that I’m doing great, encourage me to keep going…and to let me cry on her shoulder on the days when I felt like I couldn’t.

My biggest gratitude though, is for what she’s done for Aidan. These past 16 months have been quite challenging for him and before mom came, whenever Brooke and I were in the hospital, it was incredibly hard for him. He would be at his Dad’s, (where he is 50% of the time anyway), but he missed us both, worried about Brooke, struggled at school, had trouble sleeping, even had a few panic attacks. He loves Brooke more than he loves his teddy bear (and that’s saying something) and he does not like to be away from her. He understands the seriousness of her diagnosis and her treatment. He has had to walk through some VERY difficult emotions in all this. Aidan has a great relationship with his Dad and likes spending time there, but he’s not used to being away from me and my home for weeks on end and Nick has a very busy work schedule. Having Nana here meant that Aidan had all his usual weeks at my home, with a loving, doting grandma who does things a lot like I do. Plus it meant a lot more afternoons and nights that I could be home with him. Not to mention the fact that my sanity was more intact in general, so the time I did have with him could be positive! During their time together, Nana and Aidan really got to know and love each other well, read special books every night, developed special jokes and rituals…(honestly it even made me a little jealous at times ). Together they even refurbished Aidan’s favorite, very well-loved teddy bear with a deep cleaning, fresh stuffing, and a new bow tie! He was thrilled!

Mom, I know I’ve been too preoccupied, scattered, and stressed to fully express all the gratitude I feel for you being here, but I do recognize what a godsend you have been to us. I truly don’t know (and would rather not try to imagine) what this would have been like without you. Thank you for giving up your first 6 months of retirement to work your butt off for our cause!

We love you!