Friday, June 8, 2012

Dad of the Year...

Please welcome guest blogger Kerry Lynch...

Hi, my name is Kerry Lynch, and my daughter, Mary Catherine was born on 12/08/2011 with Apert Syndrome.  We had no knowledge of this prior to her birth, so were shell shocked when she arrived.  We quickly adjusted to our new life as parents of a "special baby".  Research, doctors appointments, tests, travels, fears, anxiety, support, love, etc!  It sure has been a wild ride, and I'm sure it will continue to be. We are still newbies to the Apert world, but we are incredibly grateful for the support of the CCA family as well as the other families we have met through the CCA.  Mary Cate is scheduled to undergo her first finger/toe release in August, and we will see where the surgery schedule goes from there!  Please feel free to check out our website at www.mymarycate.org to learn more about our little lady.

With Fathers Day quickly approaching, I would like to give a shout out to the father's of our amazing CCA kiddos, and especially to my husband Chris!

I have to admit, I was a bit nervous that Chris was going to have a hard time "growing up" and being a father.  He has always loved adventures: rugby, wrestling, rock climbing, mountain climbing, Go Ruck challenge (if you are wondering what this is...you can google it), etc.  He is the definition of a "guy's guy".  During my pregnancy he spoke pretty openly about how terrified he was to have a daughter, and how he was already looking at youth rugby programs for when our little man arrived.  With the male dominance on the "Lynch" side, I kept telling him not to worry about it...this baby would definitely be a boy!  


Well.........our baby arrived and not only did we get the shock that she was a SHE, but we also got the shocking diagnosis of Apert Syndrome.  Chris was instantly thrown into, not only the role of father to a daughter, but a special daughter at that!


I remember seeing his tears and the fear in his eyes during those first hours and days after her birth, and I worried that my crazy, fun-loving, hilarious, adventurous husband was "gone".  Thankfully that lasted no more than 48 hours, and he was back to his old ways...times ten!  In our 12+ years together, I have never seen this guy smile and laugh as much as he does when he sees or speaks or even thinks of Mary Cate!

In the last six months Chris has blown me away with his amazing fathering skills, and Mary Cate absolutely adores him!  I am so grateful to have married such a fantastic man.  Mary Cate is the luckiest little girl to have him for a father.  (I promise Mary Cate, I will work hard to get my way and have you be an Irish Dancer, but I am pretty sure your dad already has you signed up for rugby in a couple of years!)

I recently got back from a weekend away with my girlfriends, and, not only did Chris do a fabulous job taking care of Mary Cate's every need, he never had to call to ask for help.  He also enjoyed every minute (OK, almost every minute-- maybe not the ones from 2-5 a.m. while she wanted to play).  I got to enjoy myself and not worry too much about how they were doing back home!

I even awoke Sunday morning to this great video!  You better believe that after watching this I couldn't have gotten home quicker to my loves, and, upon getting home, I found at least 5 more of these music videos on the laptop!



Thanks Chris for all you do for your girls...We LOVE you so much, and hope this year is the BEST FATHER'S DAY ever!  xxox

 Please tell us about your awesome CCA Father! 

6 comments:

  1. In my years as a single adoptive father of a disabled son and disability rights advocate I have met many fathers. Chris stands out as one of the best fathers I have ever met. He has my admiration.

    Steve English
    Changing the Face of Beauty

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  2. Kerry, you guys are incredible! The way you are handling this disorder is an inspiration for us all! God knew you both would be strong enough to handle it and not only that, you are taking this and looking at the bright side and teaching others! Youre also helping us all be better people in accepting all with disabilities and differences!

    MC is the most beautiful angel sent down from heaven!!!!! And her parents are right behind her!

    Love you and I am proud to know you!

    Kasia

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  3. What an inspiration to us all to be better parents...

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  4. Sweet blog post! What a great father!

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  5. Your Mary cate is to cute and beautiful for words. She reminds me of my brother when he was little. He is now67 years old and my best friend.

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  6. Kerry and Mary Cate--
    I am glad that you have Chris in your lives. Dads are the best. Moms need them to break down the serious aspect of life. Happy Father's Day Chris.

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