Michael Wallace Clark II
January 11, 1993 - October 25, 2004
Michael was born on January 11, 1993 in Miami Florida. He was and will always be our baby. He was born with sickle cell anemia and later developed asthma. He was actually very healthy for a child with his chronic illness. As you can see he was a big boy for his age. We move from Florida to New Jersey when Michael was 2½. We were there for 5 years, and his most memorable and enjoyable years were there. We then moved to Colorado and was there for 2½ years. Michael did not like Colorado as much because he wanted to go snow boarding, but could not go to the mountains because of the sickle cell anemia. We moved to Maryland last July and Michael was excited about going to middle school and switching classes. He always loved school and was a good student. He was in the 6th grade at Benjamin Stoddard Middle School in Waldorf Maryland. They were very supportive to us during our loss. Many of his class mates sent us cards they had made. Most of them mentioned his beautiful smile. As one of his class mates said, "MICHAEL'S SMILE IS ILLUMINATING HEAVEN". The week before his fatal AVM, Michael asked me if he could go stay in Louisiana with his grandmother. I said to him, I can't let you go live there, what would I do without you" He just hunched his shoulders and said "I don't know". After his death, we knew that Louisiana should be his final resting place. Words cannot express how heavy my heart is, because I have thought that I would have to live without my baby. Thanks to everyone's prayers and kind words of comfort. You will forever be in my prayers. May God richly bless each and every on of you.
Michael Wallace Clark II
21 May 2005
My name is Carolyn and my son Michael Wallace Clark II died on October 25th, 2004 of an AVM. He was only 11 years old.
Michael was extra special because my tubes had been tied for 22 months when he was conceived. He was born with sickle cell anemia and later developed asthma. He was very healthy for a child having sickle cell anemia.
One Saturday October 23, 2004 me, Michael and his father spent the entire day together. He never complained of not feeling well. On Sunday Michael woke up around 8:00 am and came to my room and said that he had a bad headache. I told him to take some Motren and come and lay down with me since his dad had just left for a business trip to California earlier that morning. He took his medication and came to my bed. About 30 minutes later he sit up and said that his head was hurting really bad. I gave him some Tylenol with codeine which he uses for pain crises. I also called Children's Hospital in D.C. and told the Hematologist that Michael had a severe headache. I was told to bring him in and they would run some test. A little while later He began to vomit. Which is not unusual for Michael when he is sick. However, he became weak and seemed a little confused. I got him dressed and his brother carried him to the car. His brother now tells me that when he was picking Michael up that Michael's eyes rolled to the back of his head.
I have made many trips to the hospital with Michael but this was the first time that I was weeping. I stopped across the street at the emergency medical facility where the ambulances are dispatched from and asked someone to check my child to make sure that he was well enough for me to take to the hospital myself. The lady took his pulse and said "oh his pulse is strong" I can take him if you want or you can just drive up to the ER room. I thought that she should know if he was in serious distress and she did not seem to be alarmed so I drove him myself. I did not try talking to him on the way because it was about a 45 minute drive and I was concerting on getting there as fast and safe as I could.
Upon arrival, I ran into the ER and told them that my child was in the car and very sick and could not walk. They came for him with a wheelchair. They immediately started evaluating his condition and sedated him. They took him for an MRI and told me that he had bleed a lot on the front left of his brain and that his brain was swollen. They doctors tried to explain to me that if he survived that he would be severely brain damaged. However, none of that was registering to me. All I knew is that I wanted him to be O.K. and that he would be well enough to go home after maybe a week.
They moved Michael to ICU and continued to work on him. The neurologist placed a tube in the side of his head to try to drain the fluid off of his brain. I asked why not do surgery and was told that he was not a good candidate. The blood was all over his brain and not in an isolated area. It was explained to me that if he brain swell any more it would try to squeeze out and he would be brain dead. They also told me some of the test that they do to check for brain death. One of which is put cold water in the ear to see if there is any response.
During the night when I was out of the room and returned, I noticed water in Michael's ear. I asked the nurse if they had done that test and she said yes. I then said to her, he did not respond and she said that he did not. I also asked if he was in a comma and she said yes. Death was nowhere on my mind so I just stayed there praying.
Around 11:45 p.m. they started doing more things to Michael and said that they needed to take him for another MRI. Upon returning they said that his brain has swollen more. I fell to my knees and prayed to God to save my baby's life.
After praying I know that the doctors had done all that they could do and Michael's life was in the hands of the Master. All of this time I never thought that he was gone.
When my husband and mother, and daughter arrived the next afternoon from out of state, the doctor called us to a room and told us the most heartbreaking thing that I will ever here. Michael was brain dead and that our only option was to take him off of life support.
Michael had the most beautiful smile he was a happy little boy who loved to play and draw dragon ball Z figures. What matters the most is that he know that he was loved and he knew that God loves him more than anyone else. To all of you out there, keep on believing and trusting in God and he will work everything out for your good.
God Bless You
Discussion, comments, or questions: Carolyn Clark
© Copyright 2005 Carolyn Clark
All Rights Reserved - Fair Use
acknowledged
