That's a wonderful thought mate an I'll certainly raise a glass to everyone. I have three living sons and they all acknowledge Gordon, the first, who's the eldest but never left the hospital. That's life and we all have to accept it but should always accept who we are and our place in things.
100% agree mate. Your photo got me thinking about all the stressful times in NICU but there were also some funny ones. My mam came to visit after about 2 weeks as he was too critical before then. She walks in with me and see's this 5 pound premmie and says "he's not that small". I say thats not Ryan mam and when she sees him for the first time she drops her bag. 1/2 hour later she pulls out a bonnet she's kniyyed him using an orange as a mould and it's miles too big so she goes home and makes another one using a lemon
Class. My mother in law is a mad keen knitter. She lives in a court down Seaburn with a load of other knitters and over the last few years she’s knitted loads of hats and cardies for the premature baby unit at Sunderland.
Harsh. From the gist of his comments, he obviously wants the best for the club, and wants a total change at ownership level, like the rest of us. Perhaps he’s right, perhaps he’s wrong. But to say you wouldn’t want a club legend anywhere near the club after one well intentioned interview, is rash.
My wife works on the NICU ward in Sunderland now after finally taking the plunge to become a paediatric nurse after our boy was born 8 weeks premature and spent the first month of his life in there. She fell in love with the place and has now come full circle bless her and is now the one taking care of these poor babies. My boy is now 4 years old, 5 on 28th December and you would never believe he was a prem baby. Anyway, this might get pulled but the whole ward is doing a charity 'virtual walk' to Lapland to raise money for the unit and 'mini miracles'. Link is below and if any of you can spare a few quid I'm sure it would be hugely appreciated by the whole NICU ward. https://www.justgiving.com/fundrais...app&utm_term=4324f5877ebd439588faaa0e09be0618
Reminds me of my mates dad who was born between the wars, he had a pair of shoes and in the winter when it snowed, he had to give his brother a piggy back to school. Makes you laugh when kids today think they’re hard done by because they don’t have the latest branded trainers.
Totally agree with this. These stories on the thread really put football and SAFC into perspective. There's a lot more important things in the world and anyone who gets too wound up and angry about football should have a read of these and give their head a shake and grow up. I don't have kids, so my story goes the other way. My dad, big lads fan, took me and my brothers to our first matches. Growing up in the 1980s wasn't easy, my dad was out of work a lot like loads of others up here as factories and industries closed down and jobs became harder to get let alone keep. But he kept the three of us brought up well, worked hard to earn enough to get us what we wanted, taught us to value things in life, and made sure we all got good educations and went to University. He was proud of us all when we graduated, and that we've all ended up with decent, respectable and responsible jobs. Four years ago he suffered a massive stroke and was given 48 hours to live. I'm not a religious person, but the day I got the news and got up to the hospital, I prayed. I visited the Chapel in Sunderland Royal Hospital and prayed with tears rolling down my face hoping he'd pull through. My dad being the strong willed cantankerous bugger that he is managed to pull through and is still with us, but he's now paralysed down one side and can't speak. He can still communicate with us, and still enjoys our company and seeing his grand kids, and for that I'm thankful. But the day I got the call at work to say what had happened and getting up to the hospital to see him, half expecting him to go at any moment isn't something I'd wish on anyone. Even after he pulled through from the stroke, he was so poorly for the next few weeks he wasn't expected to be around for long and those days were the longest of my life. But he did get through it, and got discharged and came home. Every day he's still with us is a blessing and I treasure it, and before covid I'd see him as regularly as I could, spend time with him, and when this is over I'll do it again. Anyway, to us all, from our stories told on here or not, all the best.
Upthere from RTG is saying he heard today something positive happened in regards to the takeover and we should all be happy with it Any of the lads on hear heard similar? He is also saying its alot further on than it was last Friday New sporting director has been appointed maybe?
My marra who is usually full of **** still thinks maclaren is gonna be DOF or sporting director or whatever
Reading peoples posts about their kids and thought I would put my bit on here. My little girl was born full term but stopped breathing in my arms as I was given her the first feed. The midwife snatched her from me and ran. While we sat there for what seemed like the longest time in the world. I'm there trying to be optimistic telling the wife it's all fine etc... but really I'm devastated. No idea how long it was but the midwife came back and told us she was breathing on a ventilator and took me to look at her before she went onto the baby intensive care. I was told then that she had stopped breathing for quite a while and she had to be resuscitated twice. If I remember correctly she wasn't breathing right when she came out and they do the bit with the towel, although it was a bit if a blur. Ava was 3 last month and like her older brother is he absolute light of my life. I can only empathise with people who have suffered that loss like my parents, was the hardest call I have had to make to my Dad (2nd born my little sister didn't make it past a few weeks) as I knew the memories it would bring back. As a kid I remember if he saw babies on hospital programmes I would see him sat crying and still to this day it gets to him. The midwife that ran with her came back to apologise for running off without telling us what she was doing, not sure if this was her own decision or management. I told thanked her from the bottom of my heart for acting so quickly and not spending time making sure the wife and I were up to speed, she was saving my daughters life! On the premature side I was premature and weighed 2lb 7oz and was in hospital for two to three months and my little sister didn't make it. My two brother although premature were close enough to term it didnt effect them.
Tough reading on here tonight but respect to all for sharing. Must be quite cathartic and definitely very humanising. It makes you realise the amount of trauma everyday people face and puts your own challenges into perspective and definitely the game of football, though it t also shows the importance of it as form of distraction and deflection. The whole Covid period has made people reflect on a lot of things for the beauty of the world to their own mortality as well as past challenges. Once again much respect to all and KTF and that doesn’t just apply to the football.
Catching up with this thread and what an amazing read tonight. My thoughts to all who have gone through difficult times.
Its been an absolute pleasure reading this thread tonight, and tbh, any takeover talk has kind of been pushed to the back, a bit of a "derailment" if you like. And the best thing about it, everyone has gone with it....no snide comments, no bitchyness, just genuine empathy with each others story's. I'm going to post something which I have copied from a previous post. The initial part is something I posted over the road, in reply to something originally posted on here....i hope that makes sense. It was from earlier this year, and smug (deliberately not tagged....thanks @Evil Jimmy Krankie ) wished everyone a Happy Easter. "Its 2.14 am when im starting this post. Im posting the time as a reference to how long it might take me to finish it. I wont edit the time. This is very hard....and ive wrote this out countless times (mainly on the depression thread on rtg), and deleted it. I dont think i was ready to talk. I got a call from CAMHS about 3 years ago to tell me my daughter, then 15, was under their care, and had been for 12 months. They contacted me as an emergency as she was contemplating suicide. They explained what had been going on, (she consented to this phone call) and where she was at mental health wise. I really had no idea of any of this, so to say it came as a shock would be an understatement. The last three years have been a battle. Ive seen the self harm, the attempts, the cries for help. She has been, or rather we both have, been much more open. Its made for a very hard family life....ive tried to be the glue that held us together, but its been ****ing hard. She was always "my little princess", and i was always her hero, a typical father daughter relationship i guess. Ive lost count of the sleepless nights ive had....it seems like a recurring bad dream. Ive even seen her suicide note ffs, though she doesnt know this. She has had help, and she has really improved over the last few months, but its really taken its toll on me now. My line manager, and work in general, have been fantastic. I work in a care environment (think cancer and daffodils), so are very pro-active in relation to mental health. I have been offered, and have taken, various support mechanisms, which have helped. The biggest help though, for me, was actually saying to my wife that i needed help, which, in hindsight, she had been saying to me for ages...i just hadnt listened. Sometimes though, help can come from the strangest places...... A poster on another forum posted a Happy Easter message. My reply to that message has led me to (hopefully) posting, and not deleting, this on here now. This was my reply.... "Happy Easter to you ********, and everyone else. Im not religous at all, but i work in a cancer care hospice, and the hospice's chaplain held a short Easter service on thursday in what we call "the reflection room". Its a very calming room with a rock sphere water feature, which makes constant water flow noises. Its a place where any visitors, relatives, staff can go if they want a bit peace and quiet.....a bit of time for reflection. With the current situation, we only have essential staff in, and tbh, its been quite surreal. Im not frontline, (chef) but going up the ward area, and seeing the nurses....colleagues....in all the PPE (we have x1 positive, and x3 suspected covid19), its been quite emotional at times. Anyway, i went to the service, there was only about 12 people there, and it was literally 15 minutes long, but i found it really uplifting. I cant explain why, as i said i am not religous at all, but it was exactly what i needed at that time. I thought of my family, i shed a tear, and said a few words to myself...a prayer? Maybe. I was a bit down last week, and as the week wore on, i couldnt wait till end of my shift on thursday afternoon. Im off now till Tuesday, and where on thursday morning i couldn't wait for my shift to finish, i now cant wait to get back on Tuesday. What im getting at here is that one persons words (religous or not) and the manner in which she spoke those words completely changed my mood......massively. Stay safe everyone., because everyone matters". My daughter is doing well, really well. She's not 100% ok, nowhere near, but as i now know, its ok not to be ok. Its now 3.14 so "only" took me an hour to write this out. Im now going to bed, do i post it, or do i delete it? 3.19am now ..5 minutes of thinking here!! **** it.....post. Goodnight all, stay safe, stay well.
I’ve had not dissimilar issues with my two after a separation largely due to their Mum’s mental illness. They’ve lived with me and visited their mum so they have a safe space and it’s been a pleasure for me to have them with me and have the relationship I have but I’ve really been lucky to have them here despite the complications. I’ve had to deal with the cutting and had to rush home after suicide threats hoping they’re still here. It’s horrible and you feel powerless at times and it is really difficult not to be ill yourself. My advice would be to get that bit right though. You need to accept some down days for you but make sure you do things to stay stay fit and healthy because it means you can be emotionally available when they need you not beaten. Mine are 22 and 19 now - still here in my house but much much better. The critical bit is much better and they do develop coping strategies, peer networks etc much better bit by bit as they get beyond 19 and they mature. Its sad to read about your tough time. Much respect, hope it works itself into better shape. Just show as much love as you can.
That is very similar to the situation with my eldest lad. He’s just turned 29 but when he was born he didn’t cry and was “blue”. They cleared his airwaves and then rushed him to the equivalent of ICU. He had a tough first month but has never looked back thanks to the quick thinking and care of the staff at Sunderland General Hospital to whom my family are eternally grateful.
