This was the name of the closing session at the Parent Heart Watch Conference. All of the other sessions dealt with AEDs, ECGs, genetic testing, sudden cardiac arrest legislation, etc. They were concrete, factual and steeped in medicine. This session asked us to consider something a little “out there” – has our child been sending us signs?
Mitch Carmody lost his son years ago and now travels all over the country speaking to groups of parents that have experienced loss. He challenged our belief system. He asked us to consider things like signs, orbs and ghosts. He presented us with pictures and stories from parents that had been contacted or visited by their children.
It’s easy to write off guys like Mitch. His appearance and message is very different than the other presenters: MDs, PhDs and MBAs. As I sat in that room, I stood my ground. I could not explain his pictures or explanations. Since, I have reflected over the past six years, and I struggle to explain the following. Maybe you can.
(1) On a nice September day, Phyllis, Sally and I visited the gravesite. It’s a memorial park, so Sally feels free to run around and play. Here, she is lying on our family stone. Simon is buried underneath. There is an orb of light surrounding Sally’s body.
(2) On January 24, 2008, Melissa Fair received open heart surgery to fix a heart condition that was detected at a Simon’s Fund heart screening. January 24th is the day that Simon died.
(3) Yesterday, we sat down with a boy named Simon. He is getting ready for his bar mitzvah and wants to do a heart screening at his school.
(4) On October 21, 2012, Drew Harrington had an ablation to correct a condition he discovered at our screening. This is Simon’s birthday.
