Katie's Wahl

I am not going to lie, I do not love this mural.  I am not into the Picasso "like" paintings.  This mural I like.  I hope too see it someday.  One of the things that amazes me about Kate's story is how many people have been touched by it.
I am not gifted in using my blog site.  If I knew how to use a pointer, it would be much easier.  In the picture above, it has the name of this mural.  It is, Katie's Wahl.  Above the lips there are three blue images.  Look at the long blue line to the left.  To the right of that in the box, it says, "Katie's Wahl."  Below is the story on how it came about.  The story appeared on the artist's flicker site and in the Oak Park newspaper.  I cannot read this article without tears.  It is hard for me to see and read about my brother's deep grief. 

The artist is, Jonathan Franklin.  This is the story.

So why the title ‘Katie’s Wahl’? An older man had been watching me work on the mural from across the street. After a short time he approached me and asked if he could speak to me. As climbed down the ladder I could see that he appeared to be somewhat distraught as if on the verge of tears. I asked him if he was all right and he apologized and seemed to be looking for the right words to reply. Then after a few moments he confided that his daughter had suffered a devastaing accident just a few days earlier and was currently in the hospital. I asked what happened and he told me. Apparently she had been injured in a diving accident and was now completely paralyzed. He kept apologizing for his obvious grief and I felt completely at a loss for words.
Then as he apologized again he made an unusual request. Somewhat embarrassed he asked me if I might be able to insert his daughter’s name somewhere in the mural. I vacillated for about half a second. "Of course," I said, "of course. Yes." He told me that her name was Katie. As he left I asked him what his last name was and he said Wahl. Katie Wahl.
So I carefully inscribed her first name at a spot about eye level. But as I studied it I realized that I should probably include her last name as well. And then as I looked at both names together something clicked. Suddenly the mural took on a whole new significance.
I don’t know this young woman but I decided to dedicate the mural to her. I decided to call it ‘Katie’s Wahl.’

More of the Wedding

The bridesmaid dresses were beautiful.  This is Kate's oldest brother.  He has really stepped up to the plate for Kate.  Her entire family has.

 This is Kate's Mom.  She threw her dress on in the restroom outside of the room.  She got dressed about 15 minutes before the ceremony.  The time a Mom would normally being primped up, she was making sure Kate was fine.  She is a strong woman.  She is in major Mom mode.  Anyone hurts her daughter, they will need to go through her.  First thing the morning of the wedding day, Dee had take a taxi to a clinic to get seen and medicated for bronchitis.  I was four when she married my brother.  I am glad to be able to support her through this time.  She is an amazing woman.  Could be where Kate gets some of her strength.  The three boys are her grandsons walking her down the aisle. 

 This picture shows Kate wearing down.  It was midway through the pictures.  She was getting cold.  (Her body does not regulate temperature correctly.)  Soon after this I went and found a nurse to bring Kate pain medication.  She got a second wind after that.

 This picture is very sad to me.  This is where Kate & Jeremy should have been dancing.  They love music.  They attend music festivals, all the time.  It is a shared passion.  I am sure the original song they planned to dance with was entirely different. 
The best man played the music.  There were quite a few tears during this.  I cried because I did not get to see my big brother have his moment.  I know he wanted to have his father/daughter dance.  He has been able to give his daughter a good life.  Now he gives his time.  A few nights a week he stays with Kate.  He covers her if her skin feels cold, he uncovers her if she is hot, he makes sure she is rolled, and he patiently talks her through some hard times.  My brother is a leader.  He built a successful company.  He likes to run things.  He likes to solve problems.  He wants to know his family is well taken care of.  All of a sudden he has lost his role.  He not only has to turn his daughter over to another man, he has to do it during the most horrific time of her life.  It is not an easy time.
Kate not only has the strength for facing this challenge, she has the strength to face her Dad and tell him when he needs to step back.  She is teaching him a new language.  Instead of you need, or you should, she is teaching him; I think or my opinion.  I say good luck with that.

 This is some of my family chatting after the ceremony.  Not as many smiles as would normally be seen at a celebration.  There were moments we struggled.

 Here are the men.  They were referred to as "the blue shirts."  Notice the one man with a shirt that does not match, that is Kate's other brother.  His shirt did not fit.  He complained to me.  I said, if it is the only problem that comes up today, it will be a good day.  This wedding really came together in a week.  I don't think the groom found the shirts and ties until a few days before the wedding.  In order to get permission to marry in the rehab institute, they had to meet with the hospital's counselor, they had to talk to administration, they had to counsel with the Pastor.  Once they had all the permission they needed paperwork had to be faxed to the Circuit Clerk's office in Chicago.  More paperwork had to be faxed.  The groom had to call the circuit clerk's office and get ugly with them about wheeling his fiancee into the office to get their license.  Finally the circuit clerk made an appointment to go have the paperwork signed by Kate & Jeremy and their license issued.  With something that was rigged up, Kate was able to sign her name.  My point is, nothing was easy about this wedding.

 That makes me have goosebumps when I see this picture.  The moment they were introduced as Mr. and Mrs.  Notice the pastor smiling.  He does not perform many ceremonies.  He is the pastor for the rehabilitation institute.  He was not the man that was suppose to marry him.  He was the man that was meant to marry him.  His words were so beautiful.

 This is one of Kate's best friends.  She is making sure Kate does not need anything.  She is the person that dove off the boat at the same time as Kate.  She is struggling with guilt.  This is another reality of Kate's life. 

I am relieved today that Kate had her day.  I am relieved that it was filled with so much love and joy.  After the wedding, the reception, the clean-up, we were able to steal my brother and sister in law away for a couple of drinks.  Talk to them quietly.  Remind them they are always in our thoughts.  Remind them how many people care about Kate.  I talked about all people praying for Kate.  My brother replied, if mere numbers of prayers could cure Kate, she would be cured.  That is true.  We also talked about not getting to know the big plan. 
Now our beautiful Kate is married to the man of her dreams.  They can concentrate completely on Kate's rehabilitation.  This how their life together will begin.  It is not the honeymoon to Jamaica they planned.  They are getting good at handling the bumps and curves in the road.  Keep those prayers coming.

The Wedding

This wedding was one of the most meaningful weddings I have ever attended.  Today was the original wedding date.  It was scheduled to be in Galena.  Instead it was in the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.  The staff was so excited about having a wedding.  People kept looking into the room to see how it looked.  The arch was made by Jeremy's Step-Father.  All the flowers were done  free from a friend of a friend.  The room was decorated by friends.

Look at the love on Jeremy's face.  All day his face lit up whenever he looked at Katie.

 I have never seen this done at a wedding before.  Kate wove ribbons together to create ropes.  Each rope represented a strength. One was faith, one was peace.  As their best man, and bridesmaids wrapped the ropes around the hands, the minister talked about what it represented.  After it was done, their friends slowly slid the ropes off.  Now they will have this to remind them of promises they made on their wedding day. 
The service was so special.  The Pastor works at the Rehab Institute.  He made the ceremony personal.  Several other patients attended the wedding.  Staff organized and served the food.

 This is my family.  Minus my husband who stepped outside and missed the family picture.  Nice!

 Look at how beautiful Kate is.  A friend did her hair.  Not the hairdo she practiced.  That had to be altered after the accident.  The dress is not the dress she originally bought.  It was a beautiful dress.  Four staff members helped put the dress on Kate.  They wanted her to look perfect.  Someone came and did her make-up.  It was perfect too.

People that are paralyzed have to take pressure breaks.  They have to change position, taking the pressure off of their bottoms.  This is to keep from getting sores.  As soon as possible after the ceremony Kate joined her friends for pressure breaks.  There were five patients at the wedding.

The bridesmaid dresses were gorgeous.  I did not get the colors when she told me navy & lime green.  She had a peacock theme.  That brought it all together.  The girls had peacock feathers in their hair.  Looked great.  Love the flowers too.

 One of the bridesmaids wrote a song for Jeremy & Kate.  So many personal things in the service.

 I am sure you want more pictures.  I will put some more up tomorrow.  Now I need to get some sleep.  It was an exhausting day.  Did some crying!  Some out of sadness, most from joy.  This is a blessed couple.  I can say that even with the bride in a wheelchair wearing a neck brace.  So many people love them.  They are the golden couple amongst their very large, very close group of friends. More pictures soon.

We Will Gather Together

Today is Kate & Jeremy's wedding day.  Our family has been looking forward to it for a year.  We had a villa booked.  It was going to be a 3 day week-end.  The event looked completely different from what is going to happen today.  
So many people that do not know Kate & Jeremy are thinking about them today.  I cannot believe how many people have been touched by their story.  I do not want it to be a tragic story.  Today we are celebrating their love.  When I cry at the ceremony (and I will), it will be out of happiness.  Kate and Jeremy found each other over two years ago.  It was great to see Kate change and glow from finding the "right" guy.  If you think about Kate and Jeremy today, do it with a smile.  This is not the wedding Kate dreamed of.  It is the man she dreamed of.  Does not matter where a person marries.  A wedding does not have to take place in a fancy resort and cost thousands of dollars.  It is about the love in their hearts.  The commitment they are making to each other.  Today when Jeremy and Kate face each other and say the words, "in sickness and in health" it will not just be words.  I am awed by their love, strength, and hope.  Tomorrow I will have pictures of the beautiful day.  She will be a gorgeous bride.

Call Her, She'll Make You Feel Better

 Today I went to visit my niece, Kate.  I asked her if I could take some pictures.  For the family that has not seen Kate, I want them to know she is still Kate.  The picture below is Kate's normal smile.  She looks tired.  She is tired.  Three weeks ago yesterday, she had her accident.  She had major surgery to her neck.  She is still healing from the surgery.  On top of that, she works hour and hours everyday on rehabilitation. 

Somehow Kate has accepted this is her new normal.  She is comfortable.  She was fine with my taking pictures.  The joke is, if you feel bad for Kate, call her.  She will make you feel better.  It is the truth.  There are times when her and I are chatting, tears run down her face.  The tears are because she is over-whelmed by how much people care about her. 

I asked her today how she stays so positive.  She said she had a choice.  She chooses to be positive.  She needs all her energy to keep improving.  She said she does not want to sit around in a dark cloud feeling sorry for herself.  She chooses to smile.  I love that.  Sure makes it seem simple. 

There are not too many hours in the day that I do not think about Kate and Jeremy, and my brother and sister-in-law.  Their lives are all about Kate and her battle.  She is an inspiration.

I took the picture below to remind us how far she has come.  I wish I would have taken one two weeks ago.  She could not have held this bottle so easily. 

I am proud to know Kate.  Prouder to be able to say she is my niece.  I have always loved her and enjoyed spending time with her.  Right now she is my inspiration. 

Today while I was visiting Kate, her friend dropped off her new wedding dress.  She could not comfortably wear the other dress.  She picked the new one off the  internet.  I am glad I was there when she saw it for the first time.  You will be able to see it next week.  I get to attend the wedding.  There will not be a dry eye in the house.  Not because we are sad.  Because we will be thrilled to share such a beautiful day.
She chooses to be positive!

Long Week

This was a very long week for my family.  This is the first time someone has been severely injured in the family.  Obviously, it was made worse by the tragic circumstances.  We have all been looking forward to the wedding.  We knew it was going to be not only a beautiful ceremony but a tear jerker.  No way was my brother getting down the aisle without some tears giving up his baby girl!!  The shock that this happened during the happiest time of Kate's life made it seem so much worse.  All week I have heard how amazing Kate has been.  How hard she works.  Her great spirit and kindness.  None of it surprising.  That is who she is.  Today I was able to spend several hours with Kate and her family.  It was a humbling experience.  Kate is handling the most difficult time of her life with such strength and grace.  She has come so far in such a short time.

Kate is a teacher.  She is filled with so much compassion.  She is in a wheelchair.  She has a huge neck brace.  She is working hard to get strength and dexterity back in her arms and hands.  Right now she has no feeling from her chest down.  She asked me to brush her hair.  I was thrilled to be able to do something to help her.  It took over two hours.  We would be interrupted by so many things.  She has classes.  She has therapy.  There is so much going on. 

Kate is still planning her wedding for July 14th.  Not the big, fancy wedding in the resort.  Could just be in the rehabilitation center chapel with parents.  Nothing has been planned.  I hope they find a place big enough that immediate family can be included.  I do not want to miss the joy on Kate's face when she marries the love of her life.  I was so touched watching them together today.  No matter what else is going on, she is still our Kate.  I was glad to see that today.  I feel a sense of relief that with the huge support system she has, Kate will get the best care and have the most normal life possible. 
There is still a small chance that Kate will regain feeling in her legs.  I am praying for that miracle.  If it does not happen, I know everything will work out.  Just not the way we planned.

In The Blink Of An Eye

This is my beautiful niece, Kate, and her maid of honor, Lisa.  Kate is the little one.

Last night on my last evening of vacation I received a text that doubled me over.  My niece, Kate, was injured in a boating accident.  It was her Bachlorette Party.  I think it was a 5-day event.  Kate and her friends were staying in a rented house on Lake Geneva.  This was a HUGE celebration.  Kate is 36 years old and getting married on July 14th.  It is her first wedding.  I have always teased her that she would never find her Prince Charming.  No man was ever going to fit all her criteria.  Every time the relationship started getting serious, she would find a reason to dump the guy.  Until she met her Jeremy.  The first time I saw them together, I knew he was the one.  Katie was giddy in love.  These pictures are from the Family Luncheon Tru Stories and I threw her to celebrate her wedding. 

 Here is Kate with her cousins.  In our family, this wedding is the Social Event of the year.  Reservations are made at the beautiful resort.  Kate is a Daddy's girl.  The baby.  Her Dad said here is the checkbook, have a great wedding.

I saw Katie last week.  I hugged her and said, the next time I see you will be at your wedding.  She has grown her hair long for the perfect wedding hair.  She said she was doing every wedding thing she could to pamper herself, including having eyelash extensions put on.  Kate said she wanted to enjoy every minute leading up to her wedding.  She waited a long time for it to happen.  She has been a Bridesmaid many, many times.
Yesterday, Kate and her maid of honor dove into Lake Geneva off of their pontoon boat.  Lisa scraped up her face.  Kate broke two vertebrae and crushed the third.  Two paramedics were on a boat nearby.  They stabilized Kate and said she needed additional care.  Kate was flown by helicopter to Madison, WI.  The crushed vertebrae has "severely damaged" her spinal cord.  She can move her arms, not her hands.  She has no feeling from under her breasts down.  The surgeon said the chance of recovery is not good.  Then he added, people come back from spinal cord injuries.  He suggested they transfer Kate to another hospital for rehabilitation.  The Doctor admitted they are great for spinal surgeries, not for rehabilitation.
I read Tru Stories blog about The Warrior Dash.  Immediately, I thought of Kate.  She is about to become a Warrior.  She is strong.  She has so many good things in her life.  Her life is filled with people that love her.
Please pray for my beautiful niece, Kate.  She is as lovely inside as she is outside.  Pray she has the strength for the battle she is facing.  Pray that she is given a miracle.  I would love to see her walk down the aisle on July 14th.  I am not giving up hope.  God can do amazing things.