Thankful Thursday “I will never get tired of saying this – I love Mountain Shadows and I’m very grateful for this place.” ~Selena, Mother of Riverside Resident, Andres |
Andres, MSCH – Riverside resident |
The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Riverside Resident – Andres |
by Sheryl Wilde “Prep OR 2.” They were the last words she heard before losing consciousness. “Prep OR 2.”
Selena, 28, slipped in and out of consciousness over the next four days. As she awoke and began to recover, she learned her baby had been delivered via C-section, and had been immediately taken to the NICU.
Andres, her baby boy, had been born at just 27 weeks, and weighed just 2.9 pounds. |
Due to complications from being born prematurely, Andres remained in the NICU for the next five months.
Selena was released from the hospital after four days, on a Wednesday. On Friday, her mother, Adelina, was admitted to the hospital. Adelina had previously been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and there was fluid building up in her stomach.
On Saturday, while still recovering from Andres’ birth, and though she was still very weak, Selena went to the NICU and took pictures of Andres. Her mother was still in the hospital and hadn’t been able to see him yet.
Adelina was thrilled to see pictures of her new grandson. “I sent the pictures to my mom, and she was like, ‘Oh, he’s so beautiful!’
“My mom was released from the hospital on Sunday. As she was being taken down to the car to go home, she asked the person who was pushing her wheelchair to stop at the hospital gift shop. She bought a 6-9 month outfit for Andres. It was green. She gave it to me as soon as she got home. It was so cute!” Selena’s mother passed away that night. “My mom had been approved for a liver transplant the month before. She was due for surgery later in the year.” |
Andres has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia . He requires oxygen 24/7, along with g-tube feedings. He cannot eat by mouth, and is considered developmentally delayed. After five months in the NICU, Andres was released from the hospital. “He was at home for one week,” says Selena. “Then he stopped moving, and he wasn’t eating.”
Selena panicked, “I was like, ‘What do I do?!?!’ I took him to the ER and they admitted him to the hospital. Then he caught a virus and couldn’t breathe. He stayed in the hospital until December. He was released to Mountain Shadows on December 21st, 2024.” |
It was a heart wrenching decision no mother should have to face.
“It was hard to place Andres at Mountain Shadows,” says Selena. “I love him. As his mother, it’s hard to be away from him – from my child. But, for now, I know Mountain Shadows is the best place for him to be. “I haven’t been able to breathe. First, Andres was born prematurely. Then, losing my mom. My mom and I were so, so close. The grieving process has been so hard. It seemed like everything was falling apart.
“Losing my mom makes me sad because I know she would have loved Andres so much. It makes me sad he won’t be able to experience the type of love she showed to me.
“I feel my mom was there taking care of Andres all that time in the NICU. So many things could have gone wrong, but they didn’t. I prayed every day. I prayed for him to be protected, for him to come out strong – and he did. I know my mom was watching over him. I know she was.
“My mom was so strong. She lost a son who had cerebral palsy. She lost her sister by suicide. She had great loss in her life, but every day she woke up happy and did the best she could despite everything that was thrown at her. I admire her so much for her resilience, and her strength.
“I ask my mom every day to help me be a stronger person, and to be able to take care of Andres the way she was able to take care of her son.” |
While it was one of the most difficult decisions she’s ever had to make, Selena is confident Mountain Shadows is the best place for Andres.
“I’m so grateful Andres is here, at Mountain Shadows. They all love him. I mean that. They all love him. I feel like he’s better off at Mountain Shadows for now. He’s getting all the care he needs – physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy – everything.
“And the devotion of the nurses and staff – they are working on getting him to be able to eat by mouth, instead of using the g-tube. They sit with him every day. They give him breakfast. They burp him. And they try, and try, and try. They don’t give up on him. They keep trying. They try every single day, every single feeding to get him to eat, to get him to use his mouth. They keep trying. They are so patient, and they never give up.”
“To the staff at Mountain Shadows, I want to say thank you.
I’m very grateful to them. They love Andres. They take care of him as if he was their own. They do that for all of the residents, not just my son. They do their hair. They give them their food. They talk to them.
They are all treated with extra love and care.” |
“Andres is definitely the cutest little thing!” says Vanessa Miranda, MSCH-Riverside. “He came into a house with a bunch of ladies who just want to hold him. He has his personality and he’s definitely the boss when it comes to all of us. He gets what he wants.
“And Andres is used to all of us now. And we know him. We know his little tickle spots. We know how to make him laugh. He likes to be on his back on his little mat. We put him there and he just starts smiling and laughing. He just loves it. He’s got everybody here wrapped around his little finger.” Adds Brenda Rodriguez, MSCH – Riverside, “He’s such a sweet little baby. I enjoy taking care of him very much. He loves to be loved on. I enjoy being able to see every little step, every milestone he’s accomplishing. It’s just a joy! It makes me feel very, very good. “We’re working on teaching him to eat by mouth, to bottle feed, to have more control of his head, to be able to roll over on his tummy, to be able to sit up. He’s doing very well. He’s doing much better with his head and neck control, and they have been reducing his oxygen levels. “Andres is definitely very spoiled and gets lots and lots of love from everyone.” |
Family members celebrate the holiday. Selena’s mother, 2nd row from top, right. |
“Andres is such a fighter,” says Selena. “He was meant to be here on this earth. He’s a miracle. He’s making significant progress here at Mountain Shadows. That makes me very happy and hopeful for his future. Selena, too, is a fighter. “I think I get my strength from my mom. I saw her go through so much. And though she didn’t have much, she still gave a helping hand to anybody. She took in so many people who couldn’t take care of themselves, who had nowhere to go, and she took care of them.
“I remember one time my mom had bought some tamales and some champorado, a thick type of chocolate milk. She had bought three of them. They were really big. Then, we had stopped at Walgreen’s, and when we got out of the car, there was a homeless man sitting there, alone, in the rain. He was cold. He didn’t have a blanket. “My mom gave him a bag of tamales and she gave him a warm drink. And that guy – he cried.
“But my mom, she apologized to him. She said, ‘I’m sorry I don’t have more to give you. And he cried. And he hugged her. And he thanked her.” |
“I learned from my mom to be myself, even if others don’t like it. I learned from her, if you have a noble heart, that’s okay. My mom was way too nice. Sometimes it made me mad because people took advantage of her. But she never changed. She was always like that. She died like that.
“I was a person of faith until my mom passed. What was keeping me alive after we learned of her cirrhosis was that I had hope – hope that she was going to have surgery – hope that she was going to be okay. That hope – that’s what killed me. Now I’m hopeless. I’m faithless. But, at the same time, I pray for my son, for my kids, for my family. I guess it’s a love-hate relationship type of thing. I’m like, ‘I’m mad at You, God, but please take care of them, my family.”
And yet, though times have been incredibly difficult, Selena still holds true to what her mother taught her – that no matter how hard things get, there’s always the light at the end of the tunnel. “The positive in all of this – the light at the end of the tunnel – is that my son is now thriving because of Mountain Shadows. My son is getting the help he needs. He’s growing up and becoming the person he needs to be.
“Mountain Shadows is a good place. They are good people. I am very grateful Andres is with them.”
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation –
Because We CARE |
The Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: -
Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here
Please email comments about this story to Sheryl Wilde at: swilde@mtnshadows.org. |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation
Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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