Thursday, January 22, 2009

All about you in 52, page 3

While I was thinking about this weeks challenge, I was going through some old pics of myself when I was young, and came across these of me and my cousin. Our family is very small, I only had 3 cousins! This is the one I spent the most time with. His name was Eugene Ross Elwanger. I know, it's quite a handle. But when he was little they all said he looked so much like our grandfather McFerron, that they called him Mac. I had so much to say, it took 3 pages!

Here's the journaling:
Mac had TB of the spine when he was 7 yrs old. They had to fuse his spine, I think seven vertebrae. Taking bone from his hip, so his hip was also fused open. (it couldn't bend) His right leg was 4 inches shorter than his left. So he never sat normally again. After the surgery, he wore a brace like contraption...and he laid on his stomach on a gurney like wheelchair for months. But even after all that time, his spine still collapsed! He ended up wth a huge hump on his back and, as a result, many nerves were pinched, so he had Grand Maul seizures. As he aged, his brain deteriorated, brain cells died. My sweet, sweet cousin was slipping away. He loved fishing and trains and his family. He died at 54. I could have been a better cousin by just taking him fishing!

3 comments:

C. Sage Deerborn said...

You are being a good cousin right now by remembering him in your lo.

D's Paper Studio said...

I'm totaly Wowed with this journaling. It is incrediable. I'm like Char, remembering him in your very special book is something he would have been proud of.

Your layout is wonderful.

Shazza said...

Your a wonderful caring person Jessica, remembering him in your layout was a special thing to do :)

cheers
Shazza