Josh's 7th Birthday
Today is our baby boy's 7th birthday. He celebrates with a party this coming Sunday. For months Justin and I have been deliberating whether we should have the party. We reserved the host and magician, both our friends, but if ever we didn't push thru, there were other parties we could put them in.
Before we found out about the CDH, we have already been thinking about Josh's party. Our kids don't celebrate every year. What we do is, we order pizza at home, or eat in Shakey's for dinner. And they're very happy with that. What we agree on is they'll just have 1 big party - their 7th birthday. And we were more than happy to do that for them.
But this year sideswiped us with so many problems, and incredible expenses from the checkups, surgeries, etc. In a different post, I will explain the costs that CDH has on the families, but to give you an idea, we spent about P700k total for the whole ordeal. Normally I wouldn't discuss money, but eventually I have to discuss anyway our costs in Makati Med for other families. Though our generous relatives helped us with what they could, of course, most of the burden was ours to shoulder (and we continue to pay for part of that bill until now.) We were lucky in the sense that Kat didn't waste any time deciding whether she was leaving or going, as if she had a choice in the matter. She spent a beautiful day on earth, while I stayed in the hospital for 4 days. Any longer, you can imagine how much the cost would be per day. In the US, typical cost for CDH babies is $1-$3 million (yes, dollars. Haha..ha.) Some of the families I have helped have bills reaching P3 million for their babies' stays in the hospitals. this is common.
So come September, we were contemplating if we should still push through. Not only were we NOT in party moods this year, but we were so burdened by the cost of everything. In addition, J got into a small accident that also took a hefty sum from his own personal money.
So we talked about it, and talked to Kat about it (in our heads). Was it fair for Josh to not have a party because of what happened, when he is such a good, wonderful kid? Was it fair that because WE weren't in a party mood, to suck him into our black hole? That would have been the easiest thing to do. Next year nalang, anak (even though I haven't had a big 8th Birthday Party Celebration in my line of work yet).
I realized, though, that after all of this even more, we should celebrate Josh's birthday. We SHOULD celebrate every birthday of our two children, considering they are the genetic miracles that made it through, and are beautiful and normal. We SHOULD celebrate because, being in the industry of kiddie parties, we would spend only 1/4 the cost other families have to spend on. We SHOULD celebrate that despite our year, our family here is together, we are safe, we are healthy, we are alive. We SHOULD celebrate because, chances are, this is the last kiddie birthday party our small family will ever have, as we may not have children again. We kissed our dreams of giving a beautiful 1st birthday party to any of our children goodbye. This 7th birthday, it should be memorable, and it should be done. So we have to SUCK IT UP, whatever downer attitude we have, and just prepare the best party we can for the best little boy we can ever ask for. Because that's what Kat would have wanted for her brother. And that's what parents should do for their children.
Before we found out about the CDH, we have already been thinking about Josh's party. Our kids don't celebrate every year. What we do is, we order pizza at home, or eat in Shakey's for dinner. And they're very happy with that. What we agree on is they'll just have 1 big party - their 7th birthday. And we were more than happy to do that for them.
But this year sideswiped us with so many problems, and incredible expenses from the checkups, surgeries, etc. In a different post, I will explain the costs that CDH has on the families, but to give you an idea, we spent about P700k total for the whole ordeal. Normally I wouldn't discuss money, but eventually I have to discuss anyway our costs in Makati Med for other families. Though our generous relatives helped us with what they could, of course, most of the burden was ours to shoulder (and we continue to pay for part of that bill until now.) We were lucky in the sense that Kat didn't waste any time deciding whether she was leaving or going, as if she had a choice in the matter. She spent a beautiful day on earth, while I stayed in the hospital for 4 days. Any longer, you can imagine how much the cost would be per day. In the US, typical cost for CDH babies is $1-$3 million (yes, dollars. Haha..ha.) Some of the families I have helped have bills reaching P3 million for their babies' stays in the hospitals. this is common.
So come September, we were contemplating if we should still push through. Not only were we NOT in party moods this year, but we were so burdened by the cost of everything. In addition, J got into a small accident that also took a hefty sum from his own personal money.
So we talked about it, and talked to Kat about it (in our heads). Was it fair for Josh to not have a party because of what happened, when he is such a good, wonderful kid? Was it fair that because WE weren't in a party mood, to suck him into our black hole? That would have been the easiest thing to do. Next year nalang, anak (even though I haven't had a big 8th Birthday Party Celebration in my line of work yet).
I realized, though, that after all of this even more, we should celebrate Josh's birthday. We SHOULD celebrate every birthday of our two children, considering they are the genetic miracles that made it through, and are beautiful and normal. We SHOULD celebrate because, being in the industry of kiddie parties, we would spend only 1/4 the cost other families have to spend on. We SHOULD celebrate that despite our year, our family here is together, we are safe, we are healthy, we are alive. We SHOULD celebrate because, chances are, this is the last kiddie birthday party our small family will ever have, as we may not have children again. We kissed our dreams of giving a beautiful 1st birthday party to any of our children goodbye. This 7th birthday, it should be memorable, and it should be done. So we have to SUCK IT UP, whatever downer attitude we have, and just prepare the best party we can for the best little boy we can ever ask for. Because that's what Kat would have wanted for her brother. And that's what parents should do for their children.
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