Name Change

For the past week or so, I've been sending FB messages back and forth to a guy I've known since I was little. Before November 15, 2009, I don't even know if we would be friends on FB. He's younger than I am and we don't really see each other much these days. But today, we are friends. In a lot of ways, I consider him to be my hero. And that's because He just so happens to be one of the first rescuers on the scene when Erik had his accident and also one of the first ones there when Papa died just 2 weeks prior to Erik's accident.

Me and him have been talking about that awful day. He's told me that it affected him in such a way that he just can't seem to get over it. I can imagine that it did. I've told him on several occasions that I don't see how he does his job. He said that the benefits outweigh the bad days, but it's definitely hard to do what he does. He told me that around the time of Erik's death, he had to rescue or attempt to rescue 3 children. My boy, a 3 year old and an infant. Out of those 3, one survived - the 3 year old.

During our FB chats, he has told me all about Erik's last minutes and hour. He said that Erik was very brave and didn't become scared until they pushed the medicine in to help him breathe. He also told me that some of Erik's last words were "I want my Mommy". Hearing that about done me in. I've always wondered how scared Erik really was that day and to know that he was asking for me, shows me that he was absolutely terrified. It breaks my heart.

Anyway - this wasn't supposed to be a sad post. This man that tried so hard to save my sweet boy was greatly impacted by that awful day in November. So much so that he and his pregnant wife talked about naming their unborn son after Erik. Because the grief was still so raw back then, they decided not to ask Kyle and I about it and they just named their son something else. 17 months, 6 days later, that same EMT knocked on our door and asked me and Kyle if they could change their little boy's name to Erik Lane. Kyle and I are completely honored that they have chosen to do this. It makes me so happy to know that my sweet 5 year old touched someone so deeply that they feel the need to name their only son after my only son.