First Day Of School



I have to admit I did cry!  But it was only tears of joy and gratitude!  Who would have thought Hatcher would be going to his first day of kindergarten and look and feel so normal!  (minus the black eye)  We had an amazing summer of traveling and making memories.  So proud of these two, here is to a great new school year!



Christmas Card 2012

My heart is full as I sit and reflect on 2012. We have had hard years in the past, there is no doubt about it, but I have to say this one takes the cake! Hatcher did not have one surgery this year, but he has fought harder than I have ever seen him fight. With that being said, I don’t think there has been a year that we have seen so many tender mercies.

The Hatcher Wheatley Professional Bull Riding benefit was definitely a highlight! It was an emotional day and we were so happy Hatcher made it out of Primary Children’s so that he could be there to watch one of the things he loves most … bull riding! It was a humbling experience as so many gave to this special little boy and helped to lift a very heavy burden. Friends, family, community and even strangers packed the arena with hundreds of raffle and auction items, food, music, entertainment and cowboys! Although Hatcher looked weak (he had just spent 5 days doing experimental inhaled heparin treatments in ICU) he has never looked so happy playing in the dirt and hiding in his miniature clown barrel. It was the most humbling thing Randy and I have ever experienced as we watched many that had little give so much. Although there was an extraordinary amount of money raised, there was also an extraordinary amount of hope raised that day as well! We are forever grateful for those who sacrificed and worked so hard to put it together. It is something our family will never forget.

At the end of May we headed back to LPCH at Stanford to meet with transplant and touch base with our team there. Hatcher had continued to struggle with casts and was really suffering. I can’t tell you how many nights we sat up with him wondering if it would be his last little breath. But low and behold morning would come and his fight would continue. Doing so many experimental treatments has been nerve racking, and we were hoping for some ray of hope! After a very long and emotional day at Stanford, it was decided by us and the team that a heart transplant (in hopes of fixing the problem with his lungs) would not be the best option for him. They agreed that they would do it if we felt we wanted to go forward with it, but with so many unknowns of plastic bronchitis and his history, the outcome was very unknown and chances of survival scary. After we left the hospital I felt such sadness and pain, but I also have never felt so much peace. After our plane ride home we were driving back to the house when Hatcher very quietly from the back seat asked us if he was dying. That was the hardest question I have ever been asked. I explained to him that we all die, some when we are little and some when we are big, but that it was part of Heavenly Father’s plan. His response, “OK.” He is such a little boy with such a big soul. I thought, OK, I can live with that too, let’s hope for lots of days or years, but in the end it will all be OK. We knew we had done all we could do and now it was time to enjoy one another and let this little boy make some memories! The summer was rocky and it definitely took a toll on all of us, but by the end of summer we were feeling hopeful again with a new herbal approach and some really great days!

October was the most exciting month in our house as Hatcher’s wish was granted and we went as a family to Disney World to meet Woody! Higland High School raised all the money for Hatchers wish and we made friends with an amazing girl Timmie Bowie who has touched our hearts as she has battled her own fight with such grace. We stayed at Give Kids the World, a resort for wish families that was founded by Henri Landwirth, a Holocaust survivor who came to America with $20 in his pocket and something very important, hope. It is like no other place in the world. Kids eating ice cream for breakfast, visits from Santa, birthday parties, presents, and to make this all happen; 1,500 volunteers a week. I was especially grateful for how special everyone made Jaxyn feel, she deserved it! She has been such a key person in our family through all of this. Spending time there sure fed our souls with a new energy. Standing in some shade with Hatcher at Universal Studios I was approached by another mother who had seen our Make a Wish buttons. She very lovingly looked at Hatcher and then at me and asked if she could ask what my little boys’ struggles were. I told her Hypo Plastic and before I could even finish she said, “I knew it, I lost my little boy to the same thing and when I looked at you I just knew, it was in your eyes, another mom just like me. I finally talked myself into having enough courage to come and talk to you.” She asked Hatcher if she could give him a hug. He shook his head yes, and gave her the longest sweetest hug, we were all chocked up. I was overwhelmed that two complete strangers would be brought together to share a very special moment. She introduced us to her family and then we parted ways in a sea of people. As I watched people that day I couldn’t help but think how we all have a story. Some of us may have a Make a Wish button on, but we all were buttons, some of triumphs and some of sorrows. What a wonderful time of year to celebrate the birth of Christ and the ray of hope he offers all of us, no matter what button we wear. We are filled with hopes of a wonderful 2013 and pray that each of you will be too! Thanks to all our wonderful friends and family who continue to be part of our journey, you make us smile and realize just how wonderful life is. Merry Christmas, we love you.

Love always,

Randy, Britt, Jaxyn and Hatcher Wheatley

Hatcher's Make a Wish Trip

Our wish trip was amazing!  Life is just so busy I'm afraid I won't be able to play catch up, so until then here are a few pictures from our trip to Disney World to meet Woody and Buzz!  We are so grateful for Make a Wish and the opportunity we had to go as a family and make memories!

First Day of School

Frist day of Preschool and 4th Grade!

Bellingham Sumer 2012

The Last week of summer we enjoyed a fun trip to Washington.  What a great time with cousins!

Kid Pictures

What can I say ... I love these two kiddos and boy do they love eachother!  So thankful for both of them.  I love this time of year when we are able to look at all we are blessed with.  These two are at the top of my list! 

10-18-12


We are home safe and sound from our wish trip, what an amazing and inspiring experience! I will do a full Make a Wish entry after I get caught up and all my pictures are edited and ready to go. I’m just so far behind trying to play catch up! Thanks so much to everyone for all the continued support and prayers, we are so blessed!

10-5-12

Let’s just say that there is a lot of excitement in our car as we head out for Hatcher’s Make a Wish trip. I can’t believe it’s finally here and Hatcher is feeling strong and ready to go! Feeling so blessed to be able to have this moment with our family! Timme, we want you to know that we love you and thank you for all the hard work you put in to making Hatcher’s wish come true. It seems so serial that you are fighting so hard now. We will carry you in our hearts our entire trip!

Funnies:

Randy was having a boy’s weekend with his dad and brother’s when our dogs decided to kill a skunk and leave it for me on the front lawn! The smell was lovely as you can imagine and I was grossed out, but I took care of it! Jaxyn stood at the door taking pictures! The kids were so proud of me! Let’s just say I hope I never have to do that again!

Hatcher comes into the bathroom where I was getting ready and says, “mom, I know what I want to be when I go to middle school. A doctor or maybe an animal shelter worker.”

Hatcher has been going to preschool and passing out “hunting tickets” to his friends. (They really are left over raffle tickets form his benefit) It sounds like the cowboys in Miss Marilynn’s class have a pretty serious hunting trip planned with “real guns!”

Hatcher, “Mom, how old are you?” Britt, “I’m 31, why?” Hatcher, “oh, I don’t want to get that old…. It’s just too much!” Britt, “You better, I want to see who you marry and what you will be, and be a grandma to your kids!” Hatcher, “mmm, no thanks mom.”

9-26-12

I haven’t even posted my last update and I am ready to do another! The countdown is on ….We leave for Florida in just a blink! The kids are beyond excited. In fact I have never seen Hatcher so excited for something! At the Give Kids the World resort where we will be staying they have tons of activities. The kids have watched the video over and over in anticipation, and can you guess what Hatcher is most excited about? Yes, the horse back ridding, always a cowboy. My hope is to get my blog completely updated before we leave so I can capture the entire wish trip so we always will have that memory. Hatchers echo went well and his tricuspid valve even looked good! It is still just the lung battle right now. I almost hate to say this in fear I will jinx all the good days Hatcher has had! He has been oxygen free for 3 weeks and even the last 4 nights – what? I can’t believe how different my life is with his good health the past few weeks and I hope I will always remember how grateful I am to just be able to do simple tasks! Here is my attempt to catch up with pictures for the past few months. We were able to squeeze in lots of fun and memories even if it meant leaving in the middle of a camping trip because Hatcher was not feeling good, but I look at all these pictures and I think, we did it, we made the best of summer!

9-9-12

We received a special visit yesterday from our “Make a Wish” friends! Goodies, balloons and a countdown chain till we get to take Hatcher to Disney World to meet Woddy and Buzz Light-year! The kids are so excited and seeing that chain and taking one of the links off this morning makes it all the more real! We are so excited to get away and make such a wonderful memory as a family! Hatcher started off the week with a trip to the ER. Jaxyn was trying to help me, and was coming down stairs, Hatcher in arms, with coloring stuff, when they had a fall and Hatchers head cracked right open. I have to say going to the ER for a “normal” kid injury was rather refreshing! He is fine … We had to laugh because Randy and I were thinking of all the horrific things he has been through, and if you ask Hatcher I think he would say this topped the list! Jaxyn felt horrible as you can imagine and I think she did more crying than Hatcher. It really broke my heart as she felt so responsible for it. She has been one amazing sister to Hatcher, dang those stairs! Although we continue to have the ups and downs, we have really had some quality days with Hatcher. He doesn’t seem to last too long and tuckers out rather easy, but hurray for the good times! Me and the kids hoped in the car last minute ( I mean I didn’t even know I was going till the afternoon we left) and drove to Bellingham to see my family. My brother form Texas and sister from Oregon and my parents all under one roof! Hatcher had 4 amazing days … the Lord definitely blessed us with those! Playing on the beach, catching crabs, kite flying, baseball watching, island sailing, and ice cream eating! It has been a long time (2years) since I have been able to go home with Hatcher and Jaxyn! It all fell apart the day before we left and I’m glad I didn’t know how the car ride home was going to go because I probably wouldn’t have gone… a sick week, turned into pneumonia but he recovered fast for Hatcher and once again is doing fine. He had his first day of Preschool this last week. He has been able to go oxygen free all day too! I had to pinch myself seeing him do such a big boy thing and looking so good! Monday he has an echo with his cardiologist form Primary’s, fingers crossed all will look good. It’s funny how life works. We had essentially come to grips with Hatcher’s condition and made some pretty huge decision when it comes to his life. Low and behold when we stopped trying live we were and are blessed with life! I know Hatcher and that tomorrow may be a battle yet again, but he still has fight left in him! Special thanks to Mickey Young and his knowledge, so excited to be going an herbal, naturopathic approach, and it’s working! I feel like my prayers have changed in the sense my only desire is that his days he has here on earth will be full of life and Joy. I think back to watching his whole body struggle just to get one breath and I plea with the Lord that he will not suffer. I am so thankful for the tender mercies the Lord has blessed us with, there are too many to count. Yeah for the first day of 4th grade and preschool, life is sweet!