Abby, short for Abigail is what my friends called me. I met Aaron at college under unusual circumstances that some would call fate. It was my freshman year and both of us were from out of state studying at the college of teaching in Knoxville Tennessee. It was known to be one of the top teaching schools in North America. On the second Tuesday after being in classes for two weeks I woke up with a high fever, chills, muscle pain and not to proud to admit that I was missing my mother. It was my first time being ill away from home feeling afraid and lonely. I decided to make my way to student health services after talking to my mom sensing in her voice that she wanted to be with me, but couldn't. At first the doctor on call thought flu but after a closer examination noticed spots on my face and back along with some blisters on my hands, diagnosis, measles.
"You are the second person I diagnosed with measles today," Dr. Walters said speaking in an excited but serious tone. It has been many years since an outbreak of measles occurred on campus and today for reasons he couldn't explain, two.
"Do you know Aaron?"
"Do I know Aaron?" I repeated back to him almost in tears. That's what you have to say to me! Not, you will be ok, not this is what you need to do, but, did I know Aaron?
Dr. Walters realizing his excitement over having two students come down with measles on the same day caused science to overtake his bedside manner.
"Abby I am so sorry. Aaron is the other patient I saw today. I wondered if there was a link between the two of you. That was no excuse to make you feel like a science project."
After his explanation and telling me that I should begin to feel better in a few days I answered his question.
"No, I do not know Aaron."
Dr. Walters aware that both Aaron and myself are from out of state suggested we stay in temporary housing for students that are ill without family close by.
I agreed with Dr. Walters suggestion, as did Aaron. The housing was similar to living in a sorority or fraternity house without the parties but with a house mother who treated us like we were her own children. We were the only two currently being treated at the house. Being away from home, sick, and not knowing very many students Aaron and I became very close and bonded via the measles. It's a great topic of conversation when we're asked how we met. Over the next four years our bond became stronger and married soon after graduation. Knoxville became our home where we began our teaching careers, me a third grade teacher, Aaron a high school history teacher.
Being teachers it did come as a surprise to anyone that we wanted children and I had no trouble conceiving. The pregnancy went smooth except for the baby's very rare heart condition that was monitored with ultra-sounds.
With a week to go before my due date and the ultra-sound unchanged the doctor said delivery any day was now possible. He wanted me to have a c-section knowing of only twenty documented births world wide with what is being called 'the inflatable heart syndrome'. Once more is known about the condition some adults will most likely be diagnosed as well. For now Dr. Johnson had to go with the studies he is aware of. He didn't want to risk a traditional delivery not knowing if it would be too stressful for our baby. Why take the chance was his theory and Aaron and I agreed. We knew we were going to have a boy, decided to name him Cory and chose March 21,1995 to be his birthday. Saying I was excited yet afraid was an understatement and once again asked our doctor to explain to both of us what an inflatable heart diagnosis truly meant and the effect it will have on our baby boy.
Dr. Johnson spoke to us in detail about how in our case a rare and very special occurrence has occurred. Our baby's enlarged heart is not a standard one but one filled with an overflowing amount of love. He can tell because our baby's heart is bright red and capable of expanding to triple its size then deflating back to its normal size. The biggest danger to children born with an inflatable heart is taking the sadness away from others and storing it in their heart because their heart has the extra capacity to do so. However not knowing when to stop because their D.N.A is set up to overflow with love the excess sadness will eventually cause even the biggest heart to break.