Profile: Brody Gaston
In November of 2009, 7 months into my pregnancy, I learned that something was wrong with our baby boy. We were told that our son was in heart failure and we needed to “prepare for a stillbirth”. At thirty-seven weeks, Brody came into this world and our lives forever changed. We jumped headfirst into the proverbial “deep end” of the swimming pool that is “special needs parenting”. After five months in the neonatal intensive care unit, we loaded our baby boy into an ambulance and brought him home. Our living room became his room.
Fast forward six years, and here we are. I’m still navigating murky waters, but some things have become very clear over the years. It is clear that we MUST take life day by day and be thankful for every moment that we have together. It became clear that I am not only Brody’s mom, but I am his voice. I’ve learned that doctors don’t always have all the answers and that if I don’t look for answers, no one will. I realized that his sisters are his biggest fans and I am always amazed at what kind and compassionate human beings they are becoming because of their brother. Additionally, I have witnessed the power of prayer and I believe in miracles. I made a decision very early on that even if my son never walks or talks and developmentally plateaus without meeting any milestones, he WILL know one thing. He will know what it feels like to be loved. And I have accomplished that. If you have love, you have everything. It is a language that is felt and does not have to be spoken or heard for someone to understand.
We have been very fortunate to meet and work with some very kind, compassionate and considerate people over the years as well. Rodney Gray, owner of Wave Healthcare, and his staff, are perfect examples of people who are genuinely in the business to help children with special healthcare needs and their families. Wave Healthcare has been very helpful with acquiring the necessary equipment and supplies needed to keep Brody's needs met and has exceeded my expectations time and time again. I am so very thankful to have Rodney and his staff "in Brody's corner" and for all they do for us to help keep our son happy, healthy and out of the hospital. – Michele G.