March 7, 2022
Dad
Katie’s Story
A Short but Spectacular Life
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By Katie’s Family & Friends
Preface
As we mentioned before, this story will be told by a number of people, all who loved and shared Katie’s life. We, the tellers, can only relay how we interpret events and feelings. Hopefully, we portray her life how she would have wanted it portrayed, the spectacular story that it is.
In The Beginning
I would have liked to start this story like Snoopy, from the Peanut’s comic strip, would have started this story… It was a dark and stormy night, but really it was a bright and snowy night. It could have also started like the Night Before Christmas, but it wasn’t a clatter outside that made me wake, but my wife and soon to be mother, calling out, “I think my water just broke!”.” Thus, the journey began with our Katie, our daughter that would forever change our lives for the better.
The Hospital
Katie was officially one month early, but we thought we were still prepared. We had the nursery ready, baby classes completed, home baby proofed, all the things done other than packing the hospital bag for Pat (because we still had a month, afterall). Still, I'm sure like all first time parents, the reality of bringing a new life in the world just dawned on us, we have no clue on what we were doing. Contractions continued getting closer until baby Katie decided to race the doctor to see who would be first in the room. The doctor won, but not by much.
Pat, exhausted, baby Katie new to the world, and I completly…lost. Katie headed to the nursery, Pat headed to an unexpected surgery, and I went off to find my new little girl. The OBGYN found me in the hall looking through the window of the nursery at my beautiful girl, and began talking. I remember going into a tunnel still looking at little Katie, words about Down syndrome tumbling around outside. The last thing I remember was him saying that Pat was in recovery and I could meet her in her room in a few minutes.
Later That Day
Our new pediatrician came to see the three of us later that day. He became one of the most important people in our lives. His advice, “Bring her home and love her,” was the best and most important advice that we received that day. That day was the very first time Pat and I missed voting (November 6th, 1990), we learned our beautiful daughter had a heart condition, and oh yea, she has Down syndrome .
The Next Day
We had a visit from a very young little girl in a lamb onesie, Courtney. Courtney was introduced to us by her Mom and Dad. Ty, Nancy, and Courtney would become lifelong friends even thougth they would leave Casper soon after. A cardiologist, social worker, nurses, a minister we didn’t know, and many others visited with us that day, but Courtney’s visit still stands out. A little lamb that shared one extra chromosome, like my new daughter.
Homebound
As with many newborns, Katie spent some time under the tanning lamps due to jaundice, and there, along with her new found heart condition, spent a little extra time at the hospital. After about a week and a half in the nursery at the hospital, and possible evacuation of the nursery, due to an elevator fire, Katie was ready to come home. We were ready to take our little bundle of joy, along with her oxygen, home to meet her puppies, Chamois and Nibbles. We left the hospital with a diaper bag, car seat and our new baby, along with a gift that we still have. Nurse Nancy from the nursery had drawn a picture, and colored it for our daughter. She asked us what Katie’s name was and we told her, so she named the little racoon riding a banana Katlin. We decided to go with that spelling. Later, Nurse Nancy would become Katie’s specialist for her skin needs. Katie would learn that the spelling of her legal name came from that little raccoon riding a banana, “Katlin Ann Parton."