July 19, 2016 will be my two year anniversary of being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. This is all I have been thinking about the last few days, and how could I not. This was probably the biggest part of my life and is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life (link at the bottom of my journey). Although it will only be two years since I went to the hospital, I have decided to start a new tradition to turn a bad day into a good one.

The night before I got to the hospital for my anniversary, I stayed up late baking homemade goodies. Although it might be only be a Rice Krispy treat, or chocolate chip cookies, it is my way of saying thank you to all the medical personnel. In the last two years, I have gone back pretty often for different occasions and taken baked goods with me, then, as well. But there is something about this day that makes it more special. Probably because it was the day that started my long journey and a time that would change my life forever. Many children go in and out of the hospital door everyday, some of them never to return again. Others don’t always return because they don't want to. Usually most children don’t want to be in a hospital. That is where my family and I come in. I want to be at the hospital. I want to be there handing out goodies to all of the staff members whom I do and don’t know. I want to personally thank them for all they did for me, but to also thank them for all they have done for other children and their families.

In just two short years, many of the nurses and doctors who became part of my story are not in the same places, anymore, and so there are a lot of new people working there. I do get to see and thank many of the people who helped me, and for the people who did not help me or were not part of my journey I still get a chance to thank them. Because even though they do not know me, and I do not know them, I know that they want to help other children just like me, and they deserve to be thanked. So, for any medical personnel -- whether you are a nurse, doctor, firefighter, EMT, etc., and if you work at a children’s hospital, a hospital or even just a doctors office -- wherever you are across the nation I want to say, "Thank you," on behalf of myself and all the other people who haven’t had the chance to say it.

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/feeling-nothing-b...
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/msu-denver/life-s...