We have hundreds of customers. I’m blessed to have great personal relationships with many of them. I have customers that lost a child. I have customers that have physically painful lives. Several customers have passed away over the years. I have a special tie with customers like Carolyn H. She’s a beautiful soul in Lakewood, Ohio who battles cancer, spinal meningitis and more. I’m so thankful for the dozens of exceptional people in my life.
My son’s middle name is Marcus. We gave him that name to honor my friend that died too early several years ago while in his 40s. My friend, Marc, was born with Ehler-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which is a connective tissue disorder. In simple terms, Marc was born missing a layer or two of skin. His skin would tear and bruise from a tiny “tap” of a finger. His joints caused extreme pain, his hips were dislocated, it was difficult for him to walk and eventually he needed crutches to get around. He was given “a few years” or “a few months” to live at birth, as a small child, as a teenager and as an adult.
Marc’s laugh was so whimsical and it was most enduring. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to hear that laugh one more time. He was smart, warm, Christian and never complained about his pain to me. I was crushed the day I found out Marc had succumbed to the years of deteriorating health. I was so proud to have known him. It was heart-breaking to realize I would never see him again. I cried because I knew I would never hear that laugh again.
I stay in touch with Marc’s wife, Angie. Marc and Angie - what a special couple. The stories they would tell kept me in stitches. Angie has a fun, southern accent that is perfect for her personality. Now, couple her storytelling with Marc’s laugh and I was laughing for hours. Days after a visit with Marc and Angie, I would find myself laughing out loud. They filled me with joy.
Angie lost her dear mother in a car accident. Angie was in the car with her mom on that day. She lost her father to cancer at an early age. Of course, she lost her husband Marc, and was left to take care of her daughters on her own.
Marc and Angie have two daughters that are both to be admired. Amber is in her twenties now and is an artist with great talent. Angie is an incredible artist as well. They are much alike. Their other daughter, Autumn, was born with Ehler-Danlos syndrome too. Autumn is dealing with dreadful health issues. Angie, now without her “butterfly” Marc, is the lone parent by Autumn’s side.
Marc and Angie were told Autumn “doesn’t have a brain” during ultrasounds. Marc would tell them, “Yes, she does.” Autumn was born with only part of her brain. However, you could never tell knowing her. She needs of a shunt because of the fluid on her brain. Of course, they were told she only would live “x” amount of time.
15-year-old Autumn knows what a “cute boy” looks like. She loves watching Archie Bunker much like Marc and I used to. She’s never been able to walk. She has a severe case of Scoliosis. Her spine is so bad, that this, coupled with the softness of her tissue from EDS, has caused her stomach to be displaced above her diaphragm.
I recently learned that Autumn was having some serious health issues. I thought, how much more can this poor kid take? How much more could her mom handle?
During feeding, 15-year-old Autumn would choke to a point where Angie needed to call 911. In the last week, they rushed Autumn to the hospital. She has two dislocated hips. So, whenever she is moved, she experiences intense pain. The pain was staggering between ambulance rides, hospital tests etc. In addition, she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
When Angie would be feeding Autumn, part of the food would go directly into one of her lungs which is partially collapsed. Autumn will never be able to eat solid food again. They tried feeding tubes inserted in her nose but it created too much mucous. They can’t do anything surgically because she would bleed to death due to the EDS. I forgot to mention that Autumn is diabetic and has a hernia too.
I hear my kids complaining about some video game they have or don’t have. I hear someone else complaining about their job, their experience at a restaurant, traffic, weather, time, the list goes on and I’m guilty of it, too. I never hear Angie complain about anything. I hear her cry as she talks about the doctor’s diagnosis. I hear her cry when she wonders how to pay for a funeral. I never hear her complain. I never heard my friend Marc complain either.
Please love one another. I am so thankful for what I have. I have a wonderful sister, two great brothers, and a mother that is caring and helpful. I am madly in love with my wife after 22 years of marriage. I have the best house cleaning customers in the world. The loss off my dear friend makes me thankful for what I have.
