Visit from Ranae Holland from Finding Bigfoot: "Scientist, Hugger, Hero"!

This week, Rowan had another HUGE surprise visitor...Ranae Holland from Animal Planet's show, Finding Bigfoot.  She called Rowan one day last week, and asked if it was okay to come visit him.  Just like when Bobo had called a few days before, Rowan was completely blown away.  He was so nervous, he said he would save his questions until she got there.  And yesterday it happened!

I met Ranae at the check-in desk and we walked to Rowan's room, but he didn't know that's where I went, so he was completely surprised when she entered the room and pulled the curtain back.

They met, hugged, and then sat and chatted for a while at first...

Then she brought out the most amazing surprise...a thermal imaging camera.  She wanted him to see the type of equipment they use on their outings.  It was so cool! 

We even solicited the assistance of one of the CNAs, who Ranae asked to play the role of a juvenile Sasquatch, while she and Rowan used the thermal imaging camera to find him.  He played along perfectly, and we all had a blast.

After that, Rowan asked Ranae if she wanted to do one of his laps with him. She graciously gowned up and obliged.

Rowan got a little tired half way around, so he stopped at his favorite window, the one with the best view, and sat down with Ranae.  Here, they talked some more and he asked her the only real Bigfoot questions he had for her.  Knowing that she was the skeptic on the show, he asked her "was there ever a time or a moment that you 'almost' believed?" or "when were you ever like...'wait a minute, maybe that really is a sasquatch' "?

 

I will cherish all of these photos forever...Rowan, sitting down in his robe and light-up slippers, with one of the stars of one of his favorite shows ever.  He has watched it since it began, 6 years ago.  This was truly a dream come true.

Back in the room, they had more in depth conversations, about what he believed, what she believed, what some other people believed, etc.  I distinctly remember Ranae asking Rowan: "What is Science?"  Rowan thought hard for a moment and then answered hesitantly: "People trying to figure things out?"  She told him, "Yes, exactly!" and went on to explain that Science wasn't black and white for man, scientists were human and had not figured every single thing out yet, they did not know the right and wrong answer for everything, it was trial and error, research, etc. but that is part of what she enjoyed the most.  I added that it was kind of like the clinical trial Rowan was just a part of.  Unfortunately, it did not work out as expected for Rowan, but they would learn so much information from his experience, and would be able to make even more medical advances for others because of that information.  It didn't mean that they had been wrong to try it.  It was all just part of the learning process. I think it was a good lesson for him, and a great reminder for us all.

Ranae gifted Rowan with some awesome gifts.  A postcard signed by all four members of the show, and a t-shirt for him and one for Ian, also signed by all members of the show.

But the biggest gifts she gave him was an awe inspired smile, a hug (and she's a really great hugger!), and most of all, she became one of his heroes...and mine. One definition of a hero is "Someone who sees something that needs to be done and does it no matter the cost to them selves."  Ranae must be a very busy individual, and she must get lots of emails and requests from fans of the show.  Yet she still took time out of her day to come spend an hour and a half with Rowan, at a very unglamorous place, with zero recognition or fame.  She was required to register at the desk, walk a quarter mile back and forth through the hospital, gel in and out of Rowan's room, don a lovely isolation gown as they walked outside the room, etc.  But she not only did that...she did it with enthusiasm, compassion, and tender loving care.  She constantly asked me, "Is this ok?" (about getting close to him, or handing him things), "Is there anything I should be sensitive about?", "Rowan are you getting tired?", "Rowan, let me know if you need a break, and I can come back anytime." etc. 

And with that, they said their goodbyes...but not without a few epic photo ops first:

(thinking faces)

(smiles)

(crazy faces)

(giant hugs)

(and super secret pinky promises)

I simply cannot say enough about the good that this visit did Rowan (and I), or the goodness of Ranae's heart.  This visit wasn't just a visit from a celebrity on one of his favorite shows.  It became a reminder that there are so many good people out there, who are not just worried about their own interests, but that will take precious, priceless time out of their own busy schedules...for one boy...one sick little boy, who likes to look for Bigfoot when he is out of the hospital.  Rowan beams when he tells his doctors and nurses about Ranae's visit, he even told the transport personnel on the ambulance today as he went to UW for radiation mapping.  He told me tonight, "She said I could call her any time, and that she wants to come back and hang out whenever I am in the mood...that's like she's actually my friend now, right?" 

Yes Rowan, I do believe she is now your friend.

Thank you Ranae, from the bottom of our hearts for your selfless acts.

Thank you Tanya and Khale for initiating this meeting.

Thank you Animal Planet for this show, Finding Bigfoot, which Rowan loves.

Thank you Ranae, Bobo, Matt and Cliff for hosting it, and for signing Rowan's gifts.

Thank you God for awesome reminders of the good in this world!

And I can't forget...thank you Tito for playing the role of 'juvenile sasquatch" in Rowan's room this week.

Thank you CIA of San Antonio, Rowan can't wait to get cookin'!

Rowan has dreamed of becoming a Chef for years.  Since he was two years old he has been "cooking" in his little retro red play kitchen,  making play food out of play-doh, and helping me in the kitchen.  Then he started drawing pictures of plates of food and writing his own recipes from the hospital bed at times as he dreamed of foods he could have or make once he got out.  Just before we came up here to Seattle he had the opportunity to cook with Jeff Bridges from Copa Wine Bar, at the Culinaria Event at La Cantera Resort, which gave him a little taste of that dream.

Well, we believe that dreams can come true:)

Brian arrived from Texas last night and brought Rowan the most amazing gift from The CIA in San Antonio...

Look at this kid...I mean "Chef"! He was so excited.

"I cannot wait to be healed,

get back home,

and get cookin' !"

Thank you Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio.

Feeling grateful for nurses who make and keep pinky promises.

Last night Rowan melted down.  He doesn't do it often, so when he gets to that point, it is truly heartbreaking.

Rowan has been NPO for about 60 of the 71 days he's been here.  He has only eaten maybe a dozen sips of clear vegetable broth or apple juice in the past 2 months, and those all came during one 2-3 day stretch.  Other than that...ice chips...he has only eaten ice chips.  Then, because of some worsening gi symptoms, they made him NPO again this past weekend.  Last night it was just too much for him to handle.

He wants to taste something.  He wants something more than ice chips in his mouth.  He wants food. 

When he broke down, he started crying, telling me that he felt like he was going to go insane, because it had been so long since he got to eat anything.  He said, "I know they aren't focused on food.  They are trying to fix everything else medical.  But, pretty soon I won't want food again when I start chemo.  So, I want to eat something now, while I still can. This is torturing me."

I cried with Rowan.  The nurse came in and sat with us while Rowan explained how he was feeling.  He told her that he has been trying to be strong and keep his mind off of it, but that he just finally couldn't take it any more.  He felt bad for breaking down.  He said, "I've just been trying to take it, but I can't any more." It was heartbreaking.  We did everything we could to reassure him that he doesn't have to be so strong all the time.  The nurse let him know, "Rowan, everyone here already knows what a rock star you are. You don't have to prove anything to us."  I told him, "You have to talk to us Rowan, we all want you to be as comfortable as possible and have what you need AND what you want.  But we can't do that if you aren't telling us when something is bothering you."  He promised he would try not to worry about being super strong ALL the time, and that he would open up about what was hard on him more.

He is also experiencing extreme pain at his j-tube site.  When they pulled the j-tube in the OR on Thursday, and replaced it with the temporary foley catheter, the hope was that it would heal up some and close in a bit.  It has not.  It has worsened.  The stoma is ulcerated and eroded.  We have had to change the dressing every four hours and it has been an extremely painful process.  He was just over that as well last night.  He knew that surgery was coming bedside to check it again in the morning and that we would have to take it all the way down to the raw site once again, and that we needed to culture inside the tract again.  He asked the nurse, "Can I have Ativan and Dilaudid tomorrow, please.  And can I have the Ativan 30 minutes before they get here, and the Dilaudid 15 minutes before? I can take it again, if you can give me that."  Again, heartbreaking that he was worrying about something that wouldn't happen for another 12 hours, that he was anticipating the torturous pain, and that he knew what he wanted to medicate him for the ordeal.

This little guy has fought hard for so long, these have been the most couple difficult months of his life, and the past few days the pain has just finally worn him down.  We have had the best nurses ever though.  And the two nurses (day and night shift) for the past couple days have been the same two gals.  They have been his biggest advocates, bubbly cheerleaders and best friends.  They have helped me through the past few emotionally rough days as well.

This is how we ended the night. 

His nurse and I pinky promised Rowan that during rounds, we would fight for him.  We would request that he be able to get food, and we would advocate for a new dressing change plan with better pain management. 

I will treasure this picture forever.  I am going to order a print of it for the nurse as well.  These nurses give so much to their patients.  They help us parents as well.  They make pinky promises to broken hearted little boys...and they keep them. 

The night nurse passed the whole conversation on to the day nurse this morning, who then helped me talk to the BMT doctors and the surgeons during rounds.  We got Rowan orders written for clear liquids for now, and will advance to solids as he can.  We came up with a less frequent, but still adequate dressing change regimen, and Rowan got Ativan and Dilaudid before the big wound care and culture session.

Feeling grateful for nurses who make...
and keep...
pinky promises.