Patrick B.

Some highlights from my past oh so many years and my family's recent history, via my correspondence with Mike Obstgarten, a friend from BU: I was on Jeopardy in Sep. 2000, and didn't make it to Final Jeopardy ($-600). The third place prize was $800 to ticketsnow.com, which i used to - see Manny Ramirez in his first game as a member of the Sawx -see Dave Matthews Band on my 1st anniv. with the Mrs., and -see Jimmy Buffett for the first time I've seen Jimmy about a dozen times or so since, and the Ocean State Parrot Head Club, of which I, my wife, and son are members, have been very supportive of many great causes. When my son was hospitalized in February 2008, they were extremely giving and are always there for us in any way they can be. The rest....I basically flunked out of BU (no surprise there, I think), worked in Alaska for a summer (1998), met my wife Kerry (March-ish (?) 1999), got married in Vegas (6/17/00), went to Rhode Island College to earn a B.A. in History (2000-2002), screened people and baggage at Logan for the Man (2002-2004), got a job closer to home for the birth of our son, Finnegan (6/3/04), and had done that job (Lawn Care) fairly well until our son's hospitalization. We found out he had cystic fibrosis at birth, but he was in remarkably good health until the bowel obstruction on Feb. 11, 2008. He had cardiac arrest after the first surgery, 5 more sugeries in the following 8 days, reducing the length of his small intestines by 2/3. He had also endured quite possibly every complication during his hospitalization, including but not limited to -several pneumonias -a trachaeostomy to improve range of motion while on a ventilator (which is the majority if the time) -a pseudoaneyurysm the size of a baseball on his femoral artery -a clot in the portal vein in his liver, resulting in high blood pressure -liver damage from long-term IV nutrition (compounded by his CF) -fairly regular finger pricks for blood sugar monitoring, and -occasional heavy sedation and withdrawals associated therewith, anxiety, and depression Through all of that, Finnegan remained very bright, keeping up with his DVDs, and also listening to several classical composers, celebrating his 4th birthday and generally being the entire PICU staff's main squeeze (Hellloooo Nurses!) at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, Yale New Haven Medical Center in New Haven, CT, and here in DC. Finn passed early in the morning of March 20, 2009. We ask that you think of memories you may have of him, and to be thankful for those you love. I am back at my job, and am getting used to being a former parent/current husband without kids. I hope to hear from friends and acquaintances...drop a line!

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