When I was 10, my dad ordered us some baby chickens for our new psudo ranch in the country out of a a catalog. Then he built them a pen in our our unfinished basement, with warming lights, food and water, and a little exercise area, courtesy of my brother and me. This is where they would grow until they were big enough to move out to the chicken coop. We came home one afternoon to find one of the tiniest chicks, stuck in their water dish. She has been there a while and was drenched and exhausted from trying to get out. Broken. So was I. I was not going to let this little bird die. I wrapped it in a washcloth and slept in the basement with her, next to the warming lights that night. She was better in the morning and went on to live the life that all chickens lived on our ranch, which was a total free range, life of luxury. You don’t eat your pets.
little birds
When I was 16, I was on my way to babysit for some family friends. A little bird flew in to my windshield and landed on the hood. Broken, but alive. I’m not exactly sure how, but I brought the bird into the car with me and took it along to the babysitting job where I nursed it back to health in a shoe box. A little food, a little water, a little time. It flew away the next morning when I took off the lid.
I’m 36, and as I sit here watching my broken little bird, struggling in pain in her hospital bed, and I have no idea how to fix her. She’s on serious levels of morphine and still she hurts. She’s agitated and confused from the drugs and doesn’t want me to touch her. I’m broken. What do you do when you can’t help the little bird?
She started chemo yesterday with the hope that it will work fast than the cancer. We leave, by ambulance, in 15 minutes to the radiation oncologist where we will begin the mapping for radiation. Radiation should start on Monday. Please Lord, get us thru Monday.
This is obviously a very aggressive cancer. I’m thinking of it as a school yard bully, aggressive but ultimately very weak. And she is strong. And so are we.
That was beautiful. You’re beautiful. I believe with all my heart that Tuesday will win this fight and kick cancer ass ONCE AND FOR ALL!!
You’ll see God is going to nurse your little baby back to health as you nursed the baby chick and bird back to health. He will. I know it!
Praying for your sweet baby bird…
Your birdie track record is amazing – this one will too. We love you all. Thinking, praying, karma sending, and hoping for ultimate birdie repair…
Oh JK, I am so sorry Tuesday is having to sufer like this! I can’t imagine! You are in my thoughts all day, every day! Please know that God has his hand in this and one day, things will be back to normal! She will beat this. That school yard bully will run off with his tail between his legs and Tuesday will be back on top!
Love ya! ((HUGS))
Tutu… little birdie. Mama, you are so powerful and strong. God will nurse YOU back too Jess, once baby Tutu has healed. Loving you all. Praying hard, hard, hard.
Singin: dont worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh!
Every little thing gonna be all right. dont worry!
Singin: dont worry about a thing – I wont worry!
cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Love.
Oh, and to the cancer? We have a NO BULLYING POLICY around here. Shove off.
Thanks for sharing your struggles with us. Lean on the Lord and those of us who can be prayer warriors for your daughter and your family. Blessings to you all.
You are a warrior. Prayers that you find the strength to hold you up through all of this.
I live in Alaska and have never met you, but you are on my heart daily as I lift up your precious little girl and your beautiful family to our Father. Our children, too, are praying for “Baby Tuesday.”
What a lovely story. So heartfelt. My heart aches for you.
I cannot fathom what emotions this must bring. May God wrap His loving, healing arms around you today.
p r a y i n g . . .
I am praying for your little bird. You may not be able to fix her, but God can & He will. I'm praying that God will ease her pain. She's a strong, brave little girl & I know she can beat this! (((hugs)))
I found your blog through a link on Mamie’s. Please know that you have prayers and support from another stranger out there. My son is 19 months old and our next is due in 2 weeks, and I don’t even know if I could survive a child of mine getting sick. I truly believe we don’t get more than we can handle, and while there are no words to explain how or why a child should get sick, we can only hope that it is to bring the family together, to celebrate when health is resumed. I’m sending my thoughts for a safe, happy and extremely healthy new year.
Hang in there Jess. You, your family, and Tuesday are amazing. Tuesday is such a strong girl. And with the love of her family, friends and God, she will beat this horrible disease. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.
Your words are so eloquent, I too believe Tuesday will win this fight!
You may want to check out this site
http://www.caringbridge.org/nc/sarahsmith/
Sarah is in remission. She was diagnosed in 2002 with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. You can read her story at the site above. Her mom is an amazing writer. Her words have brought me through the dark times.
Prayers and Positive energy for Tuesday!
CJ
praying your little baby bird will get strong and you canhelp nurse her back to health.
Jess, you are such a strong woman. You can do this. You can do anything.
Tuesday is so amazing. She has shown us many many times how strong she is. God is with her. Everyone feels it.
She will defeat this.
Saying lots of prayers. Lots!
Just keep saying to yourself… NOTHING is impossible with God!
That little bird of yours is going to win. She is going to thrive. She is too strong and too beautiful and special not to. And she has a mother who brings me to my knees in awe of her strength, courage, and compassion. She has survived much worse, she will survive this. She is on the way to recovery now. I have faith.
Thank you for sharing that with us, it was beautiful, yet heart-wrenching. Yes its true you can't fix her, but God will. And you will keep picking up the pieces and putting yourself back together because your love & devotion to Tuesday will give you the strength to do so.
Hang in there. I hope today is much, much better.
Hi there. I came over from SITS and wanted to say a prayer for you. I am so sorry your family is going through one of life’s biggest challenges. Hugs and prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really wish I had an answer for you…. If I find one, you’d be the first to know.
Sending love and good thoughts from California. Cancer in the family is hard enough to deal with as an adult. Please let Spence, Axel, and Piper know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.
Wow, words seem so inadequate. Your baby bird will get better. She will be whole. We will continue to pray and pray and pray. Sending our love and prayers.
Sweet little, baby bird Tuesday will be well again! Just like all your other wounded baby birds. Tears are just flowing as I am thinking of you! Please know we are praying for Tuesday and all of you – we are here for you – whatever you need!
Jenn, Bill, Lauren & Avery
Thinking of you in NC. I hope Monday comes through with a great plan to kick this cancer once and for all. Even though I don’t work at Children’s anymore, I still think of you guys often and hope you are ok. I know sometimes the littlest birds are the strongest. You will all be in my prayers.
“That little bird has chosen shelter. Above it are the stars and the deep heaven of worlds. Yet she is rocking herself to sleep without caring for tomorrow’s lodging, calmly clinging to her little twig, and leaving God to think for her.”~Martin Luther
I can’t help but picture Tuesday as this little bird. You, Charley, Piper, and boys are her shelter. Clinging to her paci. And leaving the rest to God.
i’m so so sorry, but you’re a strong, beautiful woman, and you and your baby bird will get through this!
We are constantly praying for you Jess and Charley. And Tuesday, well she is always at the top of our list…in our prayers, thoughts and in our hearts.
Still praying for you, your family and especially our little strong girl!
JK you are a beautiful person and I find myself awed by you and your family on an hourly basis. You will get past this. Tuesday is a light for all of us.
love you.
Oh Jessica…my heart aches for you, and for little Tuesday…there are no words…God bless and keep you both sheltered in His arms of love, comforting you physically, mentally, and emotionally…strengthening you by His might…bringing you joy in the midst of your trials and driving fear far from your hearts…God loves those baby birds too, and He has your little bird cradled gently in His hands, giving her comfort and healing her little broken wings…Love and Prayers…John and Sheri
Three is a charm, Miss Jessica – and this little birdie is the strongest yet!! Tuesday is a little fighter bless her heart! I know the horrible feeling of your child in pain not wanting you to touch her. Ellie does that to me, too when she is in great pain – she pushes me away! However, as mothers, we are persistent, we are strong in our own ways and even if we can’t touch our hurting babies, they are wrapped in our hearts forever and we never let them go through it alone – even from a distance. God has given you amazing strength to make it thus far and He will not leave you now. Stay strong and know that you have many prayer warriors at work for little Tuesday and for your entire family.
Also, if it helps any – radiation shrunk Ellie’s aggressive tumor by a lot – everyone was really quite surprised. So, here’s to Tuesday and to waiting in constant prayer to hear the good news of this cancer being gone – once and for all!!! We love you guys!!!
Janice Rolfs
janski7@yahoo.com
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ellierolfs
Jess, I am so sorry to hear that you all are suffering! My heart goes out to all of you. Stay strong, Tuesday is a fighter and has proven that already. I am praying for all of you every hour of every day and will say a prayer as we ring in the new year tonight. I have many friends who don’t even know you, but have read your story who are praying with me.
Stay Strong! You will stay in my prayers and thoughts forever!
What a wonderful story. I hope Tweety gets healed soon. I feel like I’m running out of things to say. I just want her better NOW and the cancer GONE — FOREVER!
Jess, my heart aches for you. Let all of those healing hands and thoughts surround you and miss Tuesday and help her through this.
I know you want to be able to help your baby bird, and when she doesn’t want you to touch her your heart must be breaking. What I see is her fighting. I see her spirit and her spunk shining through. These traits that she has from you.
Keep on fighting little bird.
We love you.
JK- I know this cancer is aggressive like a bully, and I don’t know how strong it may be, but I know who does know and who is infinetely stronger and I am praying to him on your behalf constantly. Lord, please bring healing to Tuesdays body, whether it be thru the chemo, radiation, antibodies, or just an unexplainable miracle. I pray that you will give her the strength to fight this ugly ugly disease and that you will equip the entire Whitt family with the tools they will need to help her as well as each other. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray…
Tuesday is the sweet beautiful little bird to you and the rest of us, but so are you – our beautiful amazing bird. Lean on us, JK. We will always be here for you and to give you strength and encouragement. And even when you’re too tired to talk to us or share anything, you know we love you to the core, just like you do with Tuesday. Love you
Lots of prayers, hugs and love comming your way from Oklahoma!!
Just a visitor to your blog, blessed to see your beauty of a daughter Tuesday. I pray that God continues to give you the strength to support her! I am an RN, and know that sometimes Morphine doesn’t work well for cancer pain. Maybe an NSAID along with it would help her-if her counts are OK. May this New Year bring a miracle to your family and Tuesday!
Praying for you and Tuesday! My heart breaks for all of you to have to be going through this now. I hope the chemo and radiation work.
Wish I was able to say some grand thing to make you feel so much better… just know that you, Tuesday and your family are always in my thoughts and prayers.
hugs
My heart aches for you. Tuesday sounds like such a strong girl. My prayers are for her.
You are in my thoughts and prayers every single day. I know first hand the pain of cancer and the horror it is to treat it…she will beat this…God is amazing, prayer is amazing and Tuesday is amazing. Please let me know if i can help. Sometimes just talking to someone who has been through it can help..i have been there and I am here for you…whenever you need me!
there is something there that i want you to see in that story. you are a healer by nature. your daughter a fighter. you have chosen each other in this place, this today. she has the most amazing mama warrior at her side. i see the raging spirit of fight in her, the healing blue light in you. i pray for these two to come together in the most amazing of ways, in ways we have forgotten, in miracle form. your little bird is growing into the falcon you are for her. jk, my heart is sent your way to bolster you, my love given to your family and any strength i can donate is already there. bullies should never win, we will triumph. she/we can triumph. we hold you all close.
Jess,
I have spent more nights than I want to count watching my little baby on morphine and in induced coma. I know how you feel when you say you feel helpless and you feel broken. I had been sitting by my little guy countless nights when touching him made his vital signs go out of control and he stopped breathing, ended up in surgery we thought he slipped away from us forever. And every time it took me tremendous amount of patience (something I have very little of) to remind myself that only a miracle and discipline can heal both of us. When my son was diagnosed and we were told the cancer already detactable in every major organ and it passed through the blood brain barrier where it hardly ever passes through and that the docs believe that Brando is too far “engulfed by the cancer”(literrally) to even start treatment, I broke down dropped to my knees and cried “Why did I was allowed to live through coma and survive impacted spine and blood clots in my lungs, why did I survive to watch my son go through this?” “Did I play all my lucky cards and was I left with nothing when I needed those miracles the most?” eventually I realized that what those experiences thaught me was a life lesson and gave me strength to fight for my son. I neer asked questions again about how, why, and will we? I just knew the answers I had to! We love you and thinking of you more than you know 😉 We are sending you healing thoughts for your little bird. And remember you can heal with positive energy I used to keep my hands just near his broken “parts” and focus hard on moving the bad energy away from him. And read to my little briches “Curious George” books, and funny it turned out it became his favorite toy he refuses to part from ;0) and he picked it out by himself one day at kohls( I never read those books to him but when he was in coma supposedly not hearing me ;0) miracles happen even when you don’t expect them…BELIEVE! regardless of your faith, I ask you to BELIEVE IN TUESDAY that is it IN HER!
Tons of love coming your way!
Hickeys
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brando
P R A Y I N G !!!
Still!
Hang on baby bird, Tuesday!
Prayers for you and your sweet little bird!!!!
This post has hit me in the gut. That’s not a bad thing. I will pray more than I’ve been praying and think of you often because of this beautiful picture of your bird.
I know I’ve never laid eyes on you in real life, or actually heard your voice, but I can see and hear your heart despite that. There are no words, so I’ll stop now.
I’ll be praying,
Heather
Praying every time Miss Tuesday crosses my mind(OFTEN).Hands on their way.Remember, it is by the name of Jesus we are made whole and by His stripes we are healed we plead the blood of Jesus over your little broken bird.
Loe fritzie
Praying for you and your family, always.
I happened upon your blog randomly, and I wanted to share with you a link to a friend’s caring page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/drewperschon. Her son was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma over a year ago, and I know that if you needed to talk to someone who had been there, done that, she would be more than willing.
I don’t know how I landed on your site, but my prayers are with you. You must be so strong.
A brand new year stands before us. Sometimes a new year is very hard to face. Other times a new year is welcomed with open arms, with hopes that it will be better than the last one was. However you look at it, know that every day of this new year is in the Lord’s Hands. He’s already there waiting for you with open arms. And I’m here praying so hard for your family!!!!!!!!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Prayer Bears
My email address
Yes JK she is strong. And God will heal her again! No doubt in my mind about that. Praying hard for your family!
Someone in Texas is praying for you and for sweet Tuesday. Beautifully said.
HANG IN THERE MOM! SHE NEEDS YOU MORE THAN EVER!
TONS OF LOVE COMING YOUR WAY
HICKEYS
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brando
You are all always in our prayers!
love and hugs. patti
You don’t know me, but I care about you… My sister sends me your blogs… She is a friend of yours who isn’t always sure how to reach out to you directly. But I want you to know she continues to pray for you… and… she asks others to pray as well. I just want you to know that prayers are coming to you from places you don’t even know about. Lots of Love, Me
Praying hard for your baby bird… all our love being sent to you! *Hugs*
Here praying hard!
Psalms 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
Prayer Bears
My email address
I’m hoping by now that things are getting better. If anyone can do this, I believe you can JK. You know we are here for anything you need.
Still saying our prayers everyday.
Hope only in the Lord! Praying in Seattle!
Lamentations 3:22-26 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Prayer Bears
My email address
Hoping and thinking about the little bird. Best best wishes from my little family!
When the birds needed a hand, they had you, now your baby needs you, and she has not only you, but God as well as those of us out there praying for you and your family. Be strong.
Your words are beautiful and the love that you feel for your daughter bleeds through your poetic writing. I found out about your blog and your situation from another Mom of Multiples and we are sending our handprints out today. My hubby and I have 4 year old twin girls and 2 year old daughter also. When our youngest was 8 weeks old she had to have major surgery. It was terrifying to be part of and watch and to feel so helpless. I only wish that for you and your husband that this treatment will work quickly and allow your sweet angel to have some peace from the aggressive treatment and pain. You are in my thoughts as tears run down my face reading about your precious family that I do not even know, yet feel somehow connected to.twincerely plus one, A mommy in California
Thinking of you and praying for you, always! Love an light girl!
Call upon the Lord! He hears! He answers according to His Will. Praying!
Lamentations 3:55-58 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
Prayer Bears
My email address
Hi Jess % Charley!
Found these words to a song and thought they were very comforting.
Broken Wings
Dean Krippaehne
Broken wings, wounded heart,
silent tears, falling hard.
Precious child little one.
You can cry now bot don’t cry long.
Broken wings will fly again.
Shattered dreams will rise and soar.
Silent voices shout and sing
in the hand of the mender
of broken wings.
Hungry soul, thirsty life
desert valley, deep in side.
There’s a place of peace and rest.
Where forever you’ll be blessed.
So spread your wings unto the wind.
Lay your worries down and fly again.
We love all of you and are praying very hard for little Tuesday.
Hope to hear wonderful news.
Love,
Aunt SuSu and Uncle Jim
just wanting to send a message and let you all know i’m still thinking and praying for you.
Praying and asking others for prayers on her behalf. God is good.
If I had to be a broken bird I’d want you on my side! I look forward to seeing Tuesday fly!
As I sit here holding my broken little bird with tumors in his spine and brain you bring tears to my eyes yet again today. These little birds are so strong… from one broken-hearted mommy bird to another, stay strong and we are sending hugs and prayers to you and your Tuesday