Oh happy day!

Y'all ready for a sweet, heartwarming post? OK, grab ya a tissue, you'll probably need it. ;o) Today is my son, Clifton's 29th birthday & I have a very inspirational tribute post to the finest, strongest, bravest man I have ever known. I cannot tell you how proud I am to be his mother! Most of you know that Clifton was critically burned over 43% of his body in a tragic accident in July of '08. When he was released from the hospital, he was unable to feed, dress or toilet himself. His entire torso, both arms & hands were severely burned (even his face but to a lesser degree).....the burns on his right hand were 4th degree & two fingers had to be amputated. The Drs' prognosis was not good....they told us to expect minimal use out of the right hand & limited use of the left. Their words still ring through my ears, "he will be disfigured & disabled & life as he knew it, prior to his accident, is over." Many of you have prayed w/ me & some have even cried w/ me. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for your prayers & concern!


Before I go on, I want to share w/ you a discussion Clifton & I had, while he was still in the hospital. He was looking @ the photo board we had made him (full of pictures of family & of Clifton fishing & playing football) & his eyes filled w/ tears & he began to cry. I asked him what was wrong & he said, "I'm never going to play football again." (he played minor league football w/ the Ft Worth Rams). We cried together & I sympathized w/ him, reminding him of all he has to be thankful for & telling him that sometimes life sucks (& secretly thinking "it's about time you quit that nonsense anyway!). But that night I laid in bed & I thought about how important it was to Clifton & the next day, I told him that I had been thinking & that if he wanted this bad enough & was willing to work hard enough for it, his dream of playing football again was possible..... for he was ALIVE. He laughed & blew off the idea, saying "If I started playing football again, they'd have to make a movie out of me."


Well someone give me the numbers to the movie studios! Look at my boy!!!! He is living proof that anything is possible if you have the gumption to work for it.



We spent Valentine's day, last Sunday, in bitterly cold weather, snuggled up, covered up, drinking hot chocolate.... watching #55 kick some butt on the football field, just like the old days! The Rams had retired Clifton's # after his accident, in honor of him...vowing noone else would ever wear it. But nobody dreamed that just year & a half later, #55 would be back on the field.

The Rams won! YEAHHHH! This was the team that beat the Rams in the SuperBowl last year....all it took was Clifton to be back on the team & they smoked 'em. LOL

Clifton has always stood head & shoulders above the rest...even in a pack of football players.

Clifton getting a congratulatory "Rahhhhh!" from his coach. Coach Fabian visited Clifton right after he was released from ICU & he knows what condition he was in & how much he has overcome. Clifton is recovering so well that now it's hard for those who didn't witness it, to grasp how severe Clifton's injuries were. He has worked so hard that he has full range of movement, everywhere but his right hand...& it keeps getting better & better. Maybe one day! His scar bands at first, were very thick & rigid but he stretches them out & breaks them open, "teaching" the skin to loosen up & they get less & less over time. (a feat usually only accomplished by release surgeries). Some of Clifton teammates (the newer ones) don't even know that he is "the burned guy."

Look at the smile on his face...it warms a mother's heart, I can tell you that! I guess I'm OK w/ him playing football...it sure makes him happy.

Happy Birthday Son.....I love you! Your Daddy sure raised you right. ;o)

I've had so many comments come to my defense over my "your Daddy sure raised you right" that I felt I had to let y'all in on an inside joke. Right after Clifton's accident, he couldn't tell Stacie & me from his nurses. we were all covered up & he was super drugged up (was supposed to be in a medically induced coma but they were never able to get him to...Drs said it was sooooo strange to have a critically burned patient conscious & responsive). Anyway, we wore the same masks, gowns & hats as the nurses & Clifton would mistake us for them. He was always very, very polite & kind & thanked us for anything we did for him (even if it hurt him!). It prompted me to say to him once, "You sure are a polite, respectful young man...your Mama must have raised you right." To which, Clifton responded "My Daddy raised me right!"

It's been a family joke ever since cause I've always said "Moms get no credit" & this just proves it. ;o)