How a year can change everything.

[daveagogo1]

Hi all. My wife and myself have been thinking of spring last year lately and of how grateful and blessed we are. About a year ago one of our twins got what we thought was a cold. Took her to the doctor and we were sent home all ok. Just a cold. Next day things were getting worse so we returned to the doctor. Again we were told not too much to worry about and all will be ok. Nasty cold bug going around. The next morning my wife woke me in a panic. Our daughter who is a twin by the way. Was on the couch looking lifeless and lethargic. Her speech was slurred and she was throwing up with a massive headache.

My wife told me to go ahead and head off to work and she would take her back to the doc in a few minutes. I went to work as i had a full day and really needed to go in. Within an hour of being at work i get THE CALL. Something major was wrong with our daughter and an ambulance is on the way from the childrens hospital to transport from the regular hospital. Needless to say i drove my CTS like i had just stolen it to the hospital. I am frantic and running through the hospital to where she is with my wife on the phone aiding me where to go the whole time. I finally rush into the room and see a sight no father ever wants to see. My 6yr old girl strapped to a gurney with iv's in her and a massive team of doctors and childrens transport specialists all around her.

I was only there a few minutes and the doctors are freaking out saying they can't so anything to help her and do not know what is wrong. The transport team is preparing to leave any minute. My wife is crying and i'm losing it. My daughter just gave us those eyes like we may never see her again. Only one of us could ride in the ambulance for the long trip to the childrens hospital. So my wife is chosen to ride along. I get into my car and again make the 30 mile trip in land speed record time.

I make it to the hospital and am greeted by a massive team of doctors and infectious disease control people. My daughter has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. This is something i have never heard of but quickly learned this is no joke and is a serious killer. The odds were not good that my daughter would come out of this without problems or god forbid the unthinkable. My wife and i spent the next 10days at the hospital under heavy quarantine with my daughter. No one entered the room without full sterile suit and masks. It was a horrible 10 days with improvement daily with some steps forward and some back again.

We prayed constantly, cried alot and did our best to keep a brave face. We cheered every smile she gave or thumbs up from her. (It's just her thing) We walked out of the hospital after 11 days with our daughter surviving this horrible tragedy no child should suffer with only her eyes still seeing double of everything. This finally cleared up after a while and she healed to completely normal. No side effects at all. This is rare from what we are told. Most people have some sort of lifelong effects from this. But our daughter came out unscathed so to speak.

This ordeal was just agonizing for us all including her twin sister. They had never been apart for even a day. They were both troopers. Fast forward to mothers day 2010. My wife took all of this so hard for months as she questioned everything she did and herself as a mother for taking her home when the doctor said to the first 2 times. I wanted to surprise her so we gave her a new Chevy Traverse for mothers day. It was great and she smiled so big. The girls loved the new car.

My wife knew i was next in line to get my DREAM CAR but, i passed over the opportunity and got her a new car. She knew how bad i wanted this Camaro. As the months went by she would ask when are you going to get that car you want so much. I would always say well maybe next year or whatever.

On New Years eve 2010 My wife surprised me with my 2011 1SS/RS. The exact car i had been wanting for so long. It made me smile so much i was delirious and seriously almost shed a tear i think. The next day after getting it home. I installed the child seats and took my girls for a ride. Both girls LOVED it and the best part of all. My daughter who had been sick smiled bigger than i have ever seen her smile. She howled in excitement and was just giddy. (She has instantly become a gear head) They just turned 7 last week and she cannot wait to grow up and be able to drive now and buy a CAMARO.. She loves the car more than i do i think. And that isn't even possible.

Anyways, live life to the fullest people as you just neverr know about tomorrow. This has been one crazy year but thinking back. A year can change everything.

Check out the smiles on my baby girl totally digging the new Camaro.

Thank you GM and the entire Chevrolet team for making my girl smile so big.

[MS3DALE]

Glad your daughter is A-OK,No parent should have to go through that,ever.
Even better she loves the Camaro

[lakersftbl69]

Wow sorry for everything that happened before god bless you and your family I happy everything turned out great. Congrats

[ayceman]

Having survived Bacterial Meningitis seven years ago, and barely at that I understand first hand how dangerous the infection is, you are very blessed indeed with a beautiful daughter and Camaro.

[Ghost1LE]

I am really glad to hear that she came out with no side-effects and this year has definitely taught me the same thing for personal reasons. Awesome story and god bless you and your family!

[LoneStarCamaro]

Glad your daughter is okay. It's times like those that allow us to see how precious and fragile life can be.

[daveagogo1]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Guess i have just been thinking about it a lot recently as the anniversary is coming up. Can't wait to take my daughter to her first car show soon so she can see all the other sweet rides. She is now totally infatuated with badass American muscle.

[daveagogo1]

Originally Posted by ayceman

Having survived Bacterial Meningitis seven years ago, and barely at that I understand first hand how dangerous the infection is, you are very blessed indeed with a beautiful daughter and Camaro.

Wow, glad you pulled through. Did you suffer any ill effects. From what we learned it is extremely common to have hearing loss & or vision loss if you survive.

[CyberDan]

Damn man... Touching story... I'm really happy to hear that everything is well... I can only imagine the pain your family went through.

[buzzy56]

Thanks for sharing your story & the happy outcome.Every once in while we all need to be brought back too reality as a reminder to all of us as too what is really important in life. Things are just that - temporary fulfillment.Children are our everything & purpose.Believe it or not she will be behind the wheel before you know it.Time goes so fast.One minute you holding them in your arms,the next your attending their school activities, and the next their off with their friends socializing with very little time for Mom & Dad.Happy motoring to you and her.

[1Camaro2SS]

Glad to hear your daughter is doing much better. Being a father of 3 and one on the way, i can say that no amount of $$ can buy the joy you get from your own children. They are true blessings. It's awesome when the kids enjoy the Camaro as much as you do. God Bless your family

[masterwinning]

Glad to hear your daughter is doing good and beat the odds. Just goes to show sometimes when we sacrifice we will be rewarded with good things happening. I am a true beliver in karma and would like to think you did something good in your past to help towards your daughters recovery and then did somethign nice by giving your wife the car of her dreams and then you got yours when you didn't expect it.

[Sin]

I don't want to even imagine how you must have felt. Glad she's ok.

My 4 year old is in love with our car too. She calls it her red Camaro.

[MOMSREDSS]

Your story is the second story I've heard this year about how a cold turned into something more serious. One of our sons classmate, who also is a twin had a cold. They too went to the doctors a number of times & were told things were fine, go home. He still wasn't getting better & was taken back to the doctors & was rushed to the hospital with a serious heart condition. Long story short, he too is doing well now, but he will have to be seen every 3 months to check his heart.

I saw the twins today, he looks great!

I'm glad to hear things are looking up for you & your family.

She has a beautiful smile!

I too, am a TWIN. Love the color of your car.

[dragon22]

This is definitely a dream come true for all of you! Reading it brought a tear to my eye.

You and your family have truly been blessed by God.

Congratulations all around for you and your family. All of you enjoy every second of life with each other and enjoy the car too!

[Cam2011]

Two thumbs up for you and your whole family. I'm sorry to hear of your plight, but oh so happy to hear of your happy ending.

[jrgacek]

I am so glad your daughter is doing good now. I am so happy to hear this happy ending. My 7 year old and 5 year old love riding in my car as well. I pray for a long and happy life for your daughter and yourself! What a heart breaking story to hear. My oldest daughter was born preemie 6 weeks and she had to stay in the hospital for 16 days and I do not wish something like that on my worst enemy. Your story really tugged at my heart!

[Mightygrasshopper]

Great post! Wow I'm so glad you and your family are okay. All the best!

[macc24]

Hug 'em, squeeze 'em and kiss 'em....they need you like you need them.

[camaroitalia]

Glad everything turned out ok, if only the doctors could of known and not sent you home. But congrats on the recovery and the Camaro that can bring smiles to everyone's face.

["prima"Donna]

As soon as I started reading your story, I knew right away that your daughter had meningitis....:(

My son who is now 25, had meningitis when he was 5 years old, and I still remember ALL of it, just like it was yesterday...

It was the scariest thing I ever went through...lucky for us, our pediatrician was right on the ball from the beginning...

I had taken Mark to the dr that morning for a bad headache, nothing else...I knew in my gut that kids don't get headaches, at least as far as I was concerned...

The dr sent him for a CT scan and it was negative...the dr sent me home with Mark and told me that if Mark got a fever, to call him IMMEDIATELY...the dr's office was 45 minutes away from my house, but I liked this dr so much, I was always willing to make the trip...thank God I kept this dr...

By the time we got home, Mark was vomiting, and then started getting a fever, but it was only 99...within an hr, it was 104...I called the dr and he told me to meet him at the ER, that he was ordering a lumbar puncture, aka spinal tap, and he suspected meningitis...

I drove back to the hospital and it was the scariest experience, but I trusted the dr 100%...

The spinal tap was positive for meningitis, so Mark was admitted and put in quarantine until the culture came back letting us know if it was viral or bacterial...we had to wait 48 hrs then to find out it was viral, so he was not contagious, but he was a very sick little boy...

He was in the hospital for a week and on all sorts of IVs during that time and he was quite ill too...

He came home, but spent most of the next month in bed, because every time he sat up, he still had that excruiating headache...:(

Thankfully, it was the 4th of July week in the summer and he was starting school in September, so he had July and August to recuperate...

Reading your story brought me right back to that time, 20 yrs ago... :(

My sons are now 25 and 22, and have their own cars, so I told my husband that the next car we got, I wanted it to be a cool sports car...

We bought the Camaro for each other to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and I am the lucky wife that gets to be the daily driver and to feel like that 22 yr old that had the '76 Firebird back then, before I had kids...

I am so moved and touched by your story....

I hope you enjoy many, many miles and smiles with your Camaro and your beautiful girls...and what an amazing wife you have, and what an amazing husband she has, that the two of you would be so thoughtful to put each other first and you both got each other the cars of your dreams...

I hope you are as blessed as I am, to be married to my best friend for the past 31 yrs, and still feeling like a giddy teenager whenever I turn the key to the happiest car I have ever owned and driven in my whole life...

[memphisboi55]

wow. good to hear everything is good man!

[GbrilliantQ]

Touching story. Made me smile. Glad everything is alright. Here is to many great years.

=)

[TJ91]

Im so glad to hear shes ok, this story is truly heart wrenching. Im soo glad shes ok, thats the hardest thing a person or family could ever experience, similar situation happened to my baby cousin but shes ok now too! (Not the same health condition)
Congrats on the Camaro! Your daughters pose is truly heartwarming

[tangorover]

This post made a camaro owner cry. Having had to watch a younger sibling to back and forth to the hospital for various issues I can totally sympathize.