Happy 29th Birthday, Tom, Jr.... (6/23/13)

Hello Folks,

Today is my middle son's 29th birthday. Yes, twenty-nine years ago (June 23, 1984), Julie and I were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first-born son, Thomas Edward, Jr. Two years before, Julie and I celebrated the birth of our very first child, a daughter, Amanda Marie. Amanda was born on June 21, 1982 (The first day of summer). However, fifteen days later (July 6, 1982), Amanda passed away at the Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center (Penn State University) due to a missing left ventricle. It was the saddest moment of my life as I held her in my arms and she drifted away.

After having genetic testing done on Amanda's leg cells, it was determined that she passed away from developmental issues and not genetic causes. Despite knowing this, Julie and I still had to drive to Hershey, Pa. to go through second-level sonograms with Tommy in uterus at  the Hershey Medical Center. Such testing was not yet available in Lancaster, Pa. where we lived at the time.

The first test was the most nerve-wracking one during his gestation period. We got to see all four functioning chambers of his little baby heart and we knew immediately that he did not have the same developmental problems that caused the death of our Amanda Marie.

During this period of our marriage, we were also in the process of adopting our oldest son, Christopher William Boyd, from the "South American Missionary Evangelists" (S.A.M.E.). We had met Christopher back in January of the same year. He was born in November of 1983 at 2.5 lbs! They have social health care in Costa Rica, S.A. and Chris' mother kept him under that health care system until he was healthy enough to leave the hospital. She then placed him for up for adoption. That is when Julie and I flew to Central America to meet him ( 7lbs 8 oz. at 2 two and half months old) and completed the necessary court papers and judge meeting for his official adoption. We had to wait until August, 1984 until he was able to come home. I flew to San Jose, Costa Rica to bring him home to Julie and Little Tommy.

We were so happy when Tom, Jr. was born so healthy. He weighed in at 9 lbs 8 oz. and 21 inches... A Keeper! He was such a beautiful baby boy with a full head of hair and pudgy baby cheeks.

Our home was now growing and in a couple more months, Tommy would have Christopher arriving to be his brother. They were seven months apart in age.

Happy 29th Birthday, Tom. Mom and I love you so very much and we are extremely happy you are here with us today!!

Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad