Throwback Thursday: My visit home for the holidays

For Throwback Thursday, I have a special video. Here's an old story that was done by 12 News in 1997 about my Christmas visit home while I was in the hospital.

21 years later, I work for that same station.

Here's the package they ran.

We can be heroes

Mark and I during his hospital visit.

We all had our idols growing up. Whether it was your freshman English teacher who always challenged you to follow your dreams or your favorite baseball player who always left you in awe, idols can be all around us. 

For me, one of my most memorable idols lived on my television. 

When I became sick and spent several months in the hospital, I didn't know what my future held. I was 14-years-old and had to learn how to move my arms and breathe all over again. Seeing tomorrow quickly became my daily goal and thinking about life outside of the hospital was more dream than reality. 

While I put my education on hold, I still thought about what my life would be like after college. I had some ideas on what I wanted to do as a career, but a fateful encounter in my hospital room changed my life forever. 

During my hospital stay, I started writing about my hospital experience. I wanted to share my thoughts and insight into my life-changing ordeal and hoped it would help someone in similar circumstances. 

It didn't take long for me to develop a love for writing and at that point I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career. Since the staff knew I enjoyed writing and had a love for sports, they decided to send a special visitor my way. 

12News' Mark Curtis. 

When I was in the rehabilitation center, Curtis was volunteering at the hospital and the staff arranged for me to meet the then sportscaster. 

To say I was excited would be an understatement. I had spent years watching him on television and the chance to meet him in person would be amazing. 

For a few moments, I wasn't a scared kid in a hospital. I was just an avid Arizona sports fan talking about my favorite teams with a new friend. Curtis and I chatted a few times before I was released and his time with me was a big reason why I pursued a career in sports journalism. 

After high school, I attended Arizona State University and earned a Bachelor's Degree in journalism. With my degree in hand, I set out to become the next great sports writer. But as life always does, it threw me a couple curve balls. 

Various job opportunities sent me into the world of marketing and social media. I enjoyed this line of work, but something always felt like it was missing. A few months ago, an opportunity crossed my path that I couldn't pass up. 

This past December, I stated my new position as Social Media Producer for 12 News. It's only been a few months, but I can safely say that this is where I was meant to be. It's an awesome feeling being able to get up and genuinely feel like you are doing what you were meant to do.

After years of trying, I've finally made it into the world of journalism. 

No, I haven't become the famous sports writer I dreamed about, but my journey is far from over. And the coolest part?

I get to work with the person who inspired me to become a journalist in the first place, Mark Curtis. When I first saw him, he was just a guy on television chatting about the Arizona Cardinals. Now he's a guy I can I can truly call a friend. 

Not many people get to say they work with their idols, and I'm privileged to be one of them. 

So what's the moral of this story?

We can all be heroes. Maybe not the kind that leaps tall buildings in a single bound, but the kind that donates their time and shows a boy that anything is possible. The kind that gives people, especially a thankful kid,  the inspiration to never give up and fight for your dreams, no matter what. 

A Whole Different Kind of Strength

This past December, my mother was diagnosed with a very bad infection and had to be hospitalized for three weeks. For a variety of reasons, her illness was one of the most surreal and traumatic experiences of my life. 

First off, seeing my mother in such bad shape was very frightening. When she first fell ill and was sent to the ICU, she had to be intubated to help her breathe, just like I was when I was 14 years old. Watching her struggle to breathe as plastic tubes protruded from her mouth brought up so many emotions; fear, uncertainty, sadness. 

No child should have to see their parent in such a traumatic situation. It is a very sobering and scary thing to experience. At first, doctors were uncertain if she would survive, and the idea of losing my mom was a very real possibility. As she fought for her life in her hospital bed, my mom was always surrounded by family and friends. 

Another interesting thing about my mom's illness is that she was treated at the same hospital I was at 16 years earlier. Rolling down the same hallways and elevator was a truly surreal experience. The more I visited my mom as she recovered, the more memories would come flooding back. After spending eight months fighting my own illness in the same hospital, I can say with certainty that Good Samaritan was a big part of my life. 

Overall, the entire experience was quite the ordeal. The one major thing I got from this experience is just how much strength it takes to be at the bedside of your loved ones. I now have a greater appreciation for all of the family and friends who stayed at my bedside during my own fight with Hopkins Syndrome. While I had the courage and will to overcome adversity, it takes a completely different kind of strength to be a support system for those you love. 

After being the one at the bedside and not the one in the hospital bed for the past three weeks, I don't know how my family did it for eight months. Their own strength and perseverance is to be admired, and I will forever be grateful for their support. With my mom finally being released, we seemed to have come full circle once again. Her road to recovery is still a long one, but I will continue to be at her side, helping her overcome her illness, just like she did for me, so many years ago.