Hello TNQ, your podcast has helped me keep pushing forward and realizing that I can achieve anything I set my Mind too. I am a 20 year old who is playing football for the University at Buffalo.

This story is not mine but of my parents. I am my parents first born son however I am not their first child. In 1997 my mom gave birth to my sister Cameron. After my sister was born the doctors realized that something was wrong and after some test found out that she had a problem with her heart. During the first few years of her life my sister and my parents were in and out of hospital practically living there sometimes. At one point she even needed to be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Philadelphia. (we live on Long Island) However my sister got lucky and was able to get a heart transplant. The next few years, my sister was living a normal life except for the hospital visits every once in a while. Unfortunately, on December 16 2001 my sister passed away at our home in her sleep. This was hard for both my mom and dad since they thought she was on the road for recovery.

My parents though could not sink into a hole of depression since they had a 1 year old at the time, me. For the next 5 years, my mom and dad kept trying to have another child but, my mom kept have miscarriages when ever she did become pregnant. However, on January 19 2007 my brother was born but he also had a health issue. My brother was born a month earlier than was expected and did not have fully developed bronchi. For the next 6 weeks after his brith my brother was in an incubation chamber that helped him breathe. He is now 13 years old and is healthy playing every sport that he can.

My mother and father have been the biggest role models in my life and I don’t know where I would be today if they had split up after the loss of my sister which oftentimes happens after a tragic event like that.

I know my sister is always looking down on us and is at peace now. I hope that my parents story helps someone out there who may be experiencing something similar. FIGHT ON!!