Michels Story

Michel's Story

                                             My son was born January 17, 1979. He appeared to
                      be normal and healthy, even though he had been a Caesarian
                      birth. The Caesarian was unexpected, but he was what is known
                      as "floating breech", they couldn't turn him, so they did the
                      caesarian. He was a beautiful baby and I remember thinking
                      how could anything so beaytiful come out of me!
                              We started noticing things when Michel was 3 and a half
                      to four years old. Little things, such as, he walked on his tip-
                      toes and he didn't run very well. At the time I just thought
                      he was clumsy and he'd grow out of it.
                              When he started school, he was slower than the other kids
                      and had trouble getting up when he would fall. The kids used to
                      pick on him and finally I took him out and put him back in a year
                      later.
                              By this time he was 6 going on 7. We took him to an
                      orthopedic surgeon and he in turn sent us to 2 different neurologists.
                      They argued back and forth as to what the problem was and finally
                       diagnosed Michel as having Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy with
                       possible Becker. They weren't quite sure. Anyway, of course
                       I was shocked, scared and anxious, but actually Michel did very
                       well in the early years. He was in a wheelchair by the time he was
                       8, but he could still crawl, had some upper body strength, could
                       sit up by himself with no assistance and he could feed himself
                       with the aid of a contraption that was motorized and brought the
                       food to his mouth. He went to school, special ed classes, by a bus
                       with a lift. His quality of life was actually very good.
                               As he got a little older he started having some upper
                        respiratory problems. This is one of the things that goes along with
                        Duchennes. He started out with upper respiratory infections, then
                        bronchitis-like symptoms, and then finally pneumonia.
                                Through all of this Michel fought and I fought right
                        along with him. We did everything together and I took care of
                        him, many a night up all night! I did it gladly and with love,
                        although Michel often expressed concern for me and my health.
                        That's the kind of young man he was. Always concerned for
                         everyone else and not himself.
                                 He got the first pneumonia in Feb. of '91 and all totalled
                         Michel fought pneumonia 12 times between Feb. of '91 and the
                         last one, Dec. of '99. He amazed people constantly. He never
                         doubted himself though! When he got pneumonia in Dec. of '92,
                         they didn't think he'd hold his head up himself again. I sat him
                         in a high-backed chair every day that supported his neck.
                         Eventually it strengthened the muscles.
                                 He went along well for almost 3 years. See Duchennes
                         has slow spurts and fast spurts. The person will go through a
                         long period of time with little or no noticeable change and then
                         all of a sudden they'll lose a lot of abilities all at once.
                                 In Nov. of '95 Michel got pneumonia so bad that he had
                         to have a trach and a ventilator to breathe. After that Michel's
                         quality of life changed. He had 24 hour nursing and he was in
                         bed more. Of course by this time Michel couldn't do much for
                         himself. He couldn't sit up or hold his head up anymore, he had
                         the use of his fingers, so he could play video games with the best
                         of them, but his hands had to be positioned on the controller.
                                 The real miracle was that Michel could eat normally and
                         talk! The Lord kept blessing him. We continued to go out, with
                         a nurse along this time, and Michel did as much as he could. He
                         was finishing up his high school education over the phone in
                         teleclasses, where he was given a speakerphone and called in for
                         classes. I will be forever grateful and indebted to Merrick
                         Educational Center here in Miami for the fine education my
                         son received all those years.
                                  But Michel's little body couldn't keep it up. Michel had
                         the body weight of about a 9 or 10 year old, even though by this
                         time Michel was 20 years old.
                                   In Dec. of'99 Michel went into the hospital again with
                         pneumonia and this time he didn't come out. He fought, but his
                         body was just too tired out. Michel passed into the arms of
                         the Lord. I have not only lost my son, but I have lost my
                         best friend too. He is sorely missed by his family and friends,
                         but I know Michel watches over us with love.

                         Unfortunately right now I don't have a scanner to put any
                          pictures of Michel up. As soon as I do I will get them up
                          so everyone can see my handsome son! The song playing
                          is "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey with Boys 2 Men.
                          It was one of many of mariah's songs that were Michel's
                          favorites.