Introduction
Hi, my name is Michael Schnabel, and I am excited you are visiting my blog. This is the first time I am blogging, so bear with me as I get started. Have you ever had to parent through a crisis? I did when my daughter, Stephanie, gave birth to her first child and learned she had an 8% chance of living. Her story is about hope, love, and faith with a little bit of miracle mixed in. Stephanie, along with her support team, found a way to survive.
My purpose for writing this is to help others who find themselves in crisis. Maybe the things we learned could help you or someone you know. In the spirit of transparency, I also want to build a platform for Steph’s book.
Did you know a person's most significant emotional need when facing a crisis is often hope? Hope comes at no cost to anyone. It is a way to escape the fear of the world surrounding them. Surviving against all the odds provides hope for others. Maybe even for someone you know. The doctors referred to Stephanie’s survival as a miracle.
"How did she do it?" That is the question everyone asks. In the beginning, we did not have a clue. Would you? Slowly we found our way, and I will share that with you.
Here is a little background to our story. I married my high school sweetheart, Colleen, and we have two children, Stephanie and Scott. Stephanie married Mark, and they have a 13-year-old son named Caden. I retired after working 34 years for a pharmaceutical company. Colleen is a retired pediatric nurse. We each have over 30 years of experience in the medical field.
At 27 years old, Stephanie gave birth to her first baby. The pain and bleeding she had during pregnancy returned. Stage IV colon cancer was the culprit. Our lives were turned upside down and shaken hard. Steph’s biggest fear was her baby boy would only know her through pictures. That became her motivation to survive. The day after cancer rocked our world, I began journaling to my grandson. He needed to know more about his mother than just pictures.
Parenting is one of the most rewarding and challenging parts of my life. Sound familiar? Our daughter’s diagnosis pushed us into what I callCrisis Parenting. If you have not experienced it, you probably know someone who has. It is not something you plan for. It usually just lands in your lap. After you react, and you definitely will, you wonder what do I do next? Create a support team. That is the subject of my next blog. What would you like me to blog on next?
Thank you for reading. Please forward this to others who may enjoy it. I welcome any questions, suggestions, or comments. Your feedback is appreciated and encouraged.
See you at my next post!
