Pool time (a.k.a. - Treasure every moment)

Yesterday, I was contemplating staying late at work to make some more progress on a tender that our company is working on.  It's due tomorrow.  Still lots to do.  This would have meant missing my tenth and final class in the pool with my son.  An impromptu afternoon discussion with our HR Director changed my mind.

You see, on Friday, I was watching the new Star Wars trailer on my co-worker's computer in his office on company time since he's a hyperspace member and I'm not so I hadn't seen it yet.  (It was awesome, by the way.)  This HR guy poked his head in at the time and made a comment about my co-worker's son who's been experiencing health problems.  Not wanting to pry at the time, I left the topic alone.

Yesterday, I talked with the HR dude in the hallway and carried the conversation into his office.  I asked about the condition of this co-worker's son; it's not good.  I've hardly seen the fella around the office for the past five months or so, his son has spent so much time in the hospital.  It turns out his kid has Leigh's Syndrome.  In short, it is a neurometabolic disorder characterised by degeneration of the central nervous system.  It crops up in infants sometime after the third month of birth.  My co-worker's son (just a week past his first birthday) is now blind, deaf, mute and has a feeding tube permanently embedded in his throat.  Even though he's now at home, his condition is basically 'day-to-day' and he is not expected to live out the year.  Children born with Leigh's Syndrome, in a best-case scenario, typically don't live past 6 or 7 years.

So last night I went home just before 5 PM and took my incredibly healthy son to the pool for our last class.  We had a great time.  My wife came along and took some pictures.  Here they are.

Comments

[Paula]

Always important to count the blessings and immortalize those moments. Is Declan now graduated to a frog?

And now that I've seen all your tattoos, Simon, I'm sorry but there's no mystery left ;)

Paula

[Simon]

A 'tot' actually. He's graduated from the 'babes' course now. 'Frog' is still a short ways off.

No mystery?! The onion that is Simon Fraser has many layers yet to be revealed. And you missed most of the back-tat. But I won't be doffing shirt in Oakville this May...
;)

[Paul]

Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to go hug my son. I'll get punched for it, but it's worth it.

[wil]

Ok, I admit the Decster is a cute little water bug. And I second your unpoken rationale for ditching work early yesterday.

But the Devil is in the details - was W.C. Fields his great-grandfather? Nosy Nabobs want to know.

Hellhounds nipping at his heels, he vanishes into the ether from whence he came...

[Tina]

Hey, Simon !! Great pics. Love that sweet baby's face ( like that leaf tat...too ) Mine are all grown up now, or supposed to be, anyway =). This is such a cliche, but they do grow up so much faster than you can imagine, so just ENJOY !! Tina

[fv]

weird, the page doesn't open in Firefox but I can see it in Exploder. I can't see any of the pages unless I open them in new tabs. weirdness.

in any case, go team!