The Champion of my heart: Baylee "Crazy Legs" Parks

     Let me introduce you to my 12 yr old Daughter, Her name is Baylee.

I call her Crazy Legs, because she was diagnosed with cancer Aug 27, 2008, and after having reversible nerve damage, caused by one of the Chemo treatments, and living in a wheelchair for most of a year, she was able to boot strap it back up to being able to run again, play like a beautiful girl like her should play, and ride her bike.

Baylee, is my hero. She is the champion of my heart. The reason I wake up every day and keep trying to live a better life, aside from my 2 boys, (which I will introduce to you later on). My heart is full tonight, and as I look out my 11 floor window, which faces Primary Children's Hospital, I have a heart full to the brim with gratitude for her life. M y dear, sweet Baylee Bug, has been to hell. By sweetie baby-girl, brought back heaven to us.

She was born Baylee Bassett Parks, in the early morning of July 29th. Shellie was in labor for just over 6 hours, and Baylee was already out into the world, before the doctor and nurses were even ready for her to be. The middle child of a 3 child family, Baylee was, and is treasured by her parents, but especially Shellie, as she was the only girl to come into our family.

Baylee, from the very beginning of her life, was a special child. Very bright and very beautiful, always smiling, rarely unhappy, she carries the same attitude she had as an infant into her upcoming adolescence. Just look at that little bird mouth! She is our song bird for sure. She always had this thing she did when she was young, and we fed her, to open her mouth just like a little bird. She has always made peculiar noises when she eats something that she really likes. Yumm sounds. She will eat a whole order of Mc Donald's fries that way, making ummm noises, as she chews, she's so cute in that way.

She's always been our little jungle child, just a "crazy baby". She used to say that too, "I'm a crazy baby" which used to keep her mother and me in stitches. At a very young age she was a lover of animals and all things small and delicate. She always seemed to have rocks, sand, and other minerals in her mouth, from time to time. She has always liked to collect rocks of all shapes, and sizes. She also, as a small child, was very into mud, and playdoh. She was a natural swimmer, and now she enjoys swimming every summer with her mother, and brother Alden, who is her best friend. She drank a bottle until she was about 3 as, I recall.

As Baylee grew, so did her beautiful, blond hair. So did her curiosity of the world and everything good in it. Baylee, no matter how unapproachable I had become, from whatever else it was I happened to be fixating on, at the time, was never afraid to draw near to me, hoping to always get my love, and attention. She has always been Daddy's girl, always trying to make me laugh, is one of her favorite pastimes. She constantly craves my attention, and although I feel most of the time, unworthy of a love, from such a special girl, nowadays, I cherish every moment, every phone call, every text message, and every instant that I am given, with her.

Very early, she has become an excellent artist. Give her something to write with, and something to draw on, and she will show you a child's imagination, and a world of beauty, unfold, on a plain white piece of paper. She finds magic in the smallest things. She shows us beauty every day that, without her pointing it out to us, would overlook it, unnoticed, through grown up eyes.

Baylee has always been able to make good friends in her life. With her mother's help, she knows what the definition of true friends really are, as well. Anyone who is considered a friend by Baylee, is truly a lucky, blessed person.

On my 40th Birthday, our entire world changed, as Baylee struggled with re-occurring health problems, was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a kind of brain cancer.
Baylee, and her mother, faced this head on. Baylee, through all of her treatments, never complained, never felt sorry for herself, never asked the questions that parents fear their children are going to ask them; "Mommy, Daddy, why is this happening to me?" Shellie spent countless, lonely hours at the hospital, right by her side, never sleeping, barely eating, and aching every second of every day for a sign of recovery, a manifestation of hope, some sort of buffer that would alleviate a moments pain, which Baylee experienced, intensely, every hour, of every day, of her radiation and chemo treatments. Baylee was so brave. When she saw that her gorgeous hair was coming out, she decided it would be best if mommy shaved her head, so that she didn't wake up every morning with tufts of tresses on her pillow, and in her fingers. Baylee likes to roll around a lot when she sleeps. She is a thrasher, sleeper.

Baylee had a pic line in her arm, which had to be treated, sanitized, and re-wrapped every day. She currently has a shunt, which drains the fluid from her brain, into her abdomen, underneath the skin on her scalp. She has had countless needles poked around in her, endless lumbar punctures, to test for new cancer cells in her spinal fluid, and in her entire ordeal, has stopped breathing at least twice. BayleeBaylee would not be here today, I am certain.

In October of 2009, The Make A Wish foundation granted Baylee's wish, and flew her and her entire family to Orlando, Florida. We stayed there for a week. It was amazing. Baylee got to be treated like a celebrity, was able to see Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and Sea World, not to mention the Give Kids The World village, which housed, fed, and funned 200+ families every day through their fabulous staff, most of whom were volunteering their time, and love, to kids like our precious Baylee on a weekly basis. It was a year ago, and it was an experience that brought all of the kids even closer together.

As you can see from the first photo I inset at the top, Baylee has grown up more, and has come a long way. She has grown into a beautiful princess. Her journey through hell, seems a distant nightmare compared to her life today. Although her mother and father are separated at this time, we each love her and the boys more every day, and our pride for their accomplishments, grows along with them. My situation, as of now, is a bittersweet thing. Being under the same roof as my children, would be something that would bring me to my knees with joy, but I also know that it may not be possible, and I must accept that as a reality. What I also know is this; Baylee, you are The Champion Of My Heart, and I thank God every day that your cancer is staying in remission. I know that there is a road ahead for us that is littered with "what ifs" and statistics, but you have the power, within yourself, to beat all of the odds, and show your true champions heart to the word, for a long, long, healthy, time.

Your Daddy loves you, my sweet angel. I'll go to bed tonight thinking of your smile, hearing your belly laugh, and dreaming of you playing in the land of kitties, who come looking for girls pure of heart, and full of love and wonder. Good Night crazy legs. Sweet dreams. I think you are the most beautiful girl I have the privilege of knowing.