The Story of Theo: Part 5
For those who know Denyse and me, you know that we are polar opposites in every way possible except when it comes to our faith, our belief system, our moral compass, and our all-out desire to follow God and be in step with His will for our lives. These similarities bonded us together in a special way, and the challenges of Covid solidified that bond even more. Little did we know that we were being prepared for one of the greatest challenges either one of us had ever faced or imagined, and it would take the two of us working together to fulfill the mission we were catapulted into.
Denyse and I had no trouble living together. It was easy, which is a miracle in itself for two strong-headed women. I’m not saying it was perfect, but it was good. As usual, God knows what He is doing. As I recovered from the blows to my recent financial and living situations, I continued to adjust to the things going on in my body. I was happy to know what I was dealing with, but unhappy that I had to figure out a new way with parts of my life. It explained a lot, but it had taken a lot out of me to get to the point of having a diagnosis and treatment.
As I battled the corresponding trouble areas such as significant pain in my joints, a lack of energy, emotional pendulum swings, and insomnia, another grave issue came up with my eyesight. I had significant swelling in one of my optic nerves, and the other eye had scar tissue developing at the back of it, which compromised my vision, especially if my eyes were tired and had any kind of strain put on them, such as reading and computer work. So, Denyse was not only my roommate but my chauffeur. I was cleared to drive; I just knew when it was best for me not to. Some people felt it was never best for me to drive, but I did not want to become a crotchety Miss Daisy having to be driven everywhere. I felt like I was losing some of my autonomy, and that was very difficult for me.
I was not feeling well on November 23, 2021, so I went to Urgent Care and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, put on antibiotics, and sent on my way. I was still feeling rough when Denyse received a call from Theo’s bio-mom to come and get him because CPS was at her door ready to take him. In light of her past experience with addiction and an open CPS case she already had, Denyse had always been adamant with Theo’s bio-mom to call her right away if anything happened. She would be there, no questions asked, and no judgment meted out. She could not handle the thought of him going to strangers through foster care. She arrived in 20 minutes, and CPS allowed her to bring Theo home.
This was on November 24, 2021. We did not know what had hit us. I was feeling sicker, and now, one day before Thanksgiving, this little 14-month-old nugget was living in our house until further notice. He did not know what hit him either, but at least he knew us and had already bonded with his godmother, Denyse.
Denyse talked me into going to the emergency room on November 26, 2021, and I was diagnosed with Covid, which was more serious because of my autoimmune diagnoses. I received a platelet infusion and was sent home to isolate myself for 10 days. I could not do one thing to help Denyse take care of Theo or help with the dog and cat. It was chaos. I can still hear the pitter-patter of little feet running down the hallway and see the cutest face ever peeking through the crack in my bedroom door to giggle at me and then run off. My heart was just breaking for him, but he was safe and very much loved with Denyse.
We thought this arrangement was temporary. We had no idea that an epic battle was about to commence on behalf of the baby boy currently in our care and that Denyse and I would become his advocates, sworn to protect him, nurture him, meet his basic needs, and love him with everything we had inside us. We were drafted into a war that we never signed up for and assigned to the front line.
This would be a suitable time to take a pause to explain how Theo’s bio-mom came into the picture. As said earlier, my ministry has long been known to scoop up those with broken wings, guide them through the rehabilitation and healing process, and help them to fly. That has been my heart for a long time. It was no different with Theo’s bio-mom. I saw her on Facebook through a shared friend, a young lady from our ministry who had overcome addiction and all the baggage associated with it and was now mentoring others who were on the same path. This mentor was part of bio-mom’s support team and was trying her best to help her. She is one of the best people I have ever known. I think the world of her, so I thought if this mentor believed this woman, she was worth believing in, and she was. I continued to see her posts pop up, and she seemed resolute to get things right this time. She was already pregnant with Theo (in her third trimester), and she just grabbed my heart.
She invited me to her baby shower, but I hesitated about going. After all, I had never met this young lady in person and, as I am a little awkward at these kinds of events, I declined but told her to let me know what she still needed after the shower, and we would try to help her get it. I knew that the mentor from our church and her sister were hosting the baby shower. “For some reason,” after church on that Sunday, I felt like I was supposed to go. I asked Denyse if she would stop in at the baby shower with me on our way to lunch. She absolutely did not want to go, but she said she would support me if I wanted to stop in. So, August 30, 2020, was our first in-person introduction to bio-mom and baby Theo (who was still in the womb), Theo’s bio-dad, and his extended family. I looked around and noted that there were not very many gifts on the gift table: just a couple of packs of diapers and some baby wipes. I felt bad, and my heart ached for them.
I told her to follow up with me soon because the little nugget was due in a month or so, and that did not give us much time. She asked me if we had any way of helping her get some furniture for the new apartment that she was about to move into. She needed a washer and dryer, front room furniture, beds, etc. – pretty much everything. We got to work right away and were able to secure the needed items, deliver them, and even set up the washer and dryer for her. These are the things that Denyse does not particularly like to do, but she was right there with me, knocking it out. We got the apartment move-in ready, and on September 1, 2020, we moved mom and soon-to-be-born baby Theo out of the family shelter and into their new apartment.
There were several doctor’s appointments that we got cajoled into taking bio-mom to, mostly out of town. She told us she was a high-risk pregnancy, and she could not have the baby at the local hospital because they were not set up for the complications that could arise with her delivery due to health issues that had the potential to cut her life short. Her mom backed all this up, and they were both very convincing. Of course, we bought into it 100 percent. Little did we know that we were accessories of sorts for her trying to sidestep CPS. She had an open case with them, so they could legally take Theo at the hospital and place him in a foster home at birth. But if he was born in a different county, it would be a little more complicated. It seems like she had planned this out to buy herself some time and distance from the clutches of CPS. We were oblivious to this.