Sometimes miracles come in twos. Thank you, Lord, for this one.
My upbringing wasn’t easy. I wasn’t given everything that I wanted. I was ridiculed at times and made fun of. That’s typical of any child.
One thing that was very special to me was my family—my brothers and sisters, and especially my best friend, my twin brother, Joe. There were nine of us. Joe and I were kids, seven and eight. And we had a wonderful and very special group of brothers and sisters who always made life easier despite any turmoil.
Many of you know that I have had severe health issues in the past year and a half. This was later diagnosed as congestive heart failure.
As the disease progressed, I was able to do less and less.
A set of stairs, 20 steps long, was impossible for me without resting halfway up. I was losing the strength in my voice, and I was exhausted. My body required more rest.
Finally, we realized it was time for surgery—for a redirection in my life.
Tuesday, doctors repaired a valve in my heart that was created during my bout with sepsis years ago.
On Tuesday, doctors at Saint Mary’s Hospital and St. Luke’s in St. Louis planned to repair the “broken” valve in my chest that was placed there years ago following my bout with sepsis.
Then something changed over the weekend.
Joe, who was planning to surprise me in St. Louis before the surgery, suffered a devastating stroke.