Gage Michael

Precious Child, originally uploaded by reasonenoughtocelebrate.

There are very few things in this world I love more than this child.

I was there in the ICU at Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital the night he was born/life-flighted in from West Virginia and I've been in love ever since. He's always the child I can hardly wait to see the moment I get to West Virginia and he's the one I always miss the most (though don't tell the others... who I also adore beyond words.)

It's just with Gage - his sunny disposition is so remarkable for a child who doesn't even realize how much he's already overcome. Not only is he being raised by a single mom (albeit with the help of a loving grandma and Matt, my cousin's boyfriend since he was born) but he has a prosthetic leg -- named "George."

It wasn't until he was born that the doctors realized he had never developed the bone in between his ankle and his knee. Instead, the skin and muscles twisted together; he had to eventually have his right leg amputated.

The doctors said it was either genetic of a 1 in a million chance.
After testing, they found out it wasn't genetic.

Yet he runs faster than Laken (who is just three months older than him) and jumps and tumbles like any other kid. "George" hardly stops him from anything... and he does it all with the biggest smile (which also happens to give the biggest 'MUAHS!') Anyone who meets him instantly falls in love; he's going to be the biggest heart-breaker when he gets older. No doubt about it.

After all, he breaks mine every time I leave.

I can't wait to go down again towards the end of the month.
I miss him already.