The "One of the Worst Days of My Life" Story

It was an ordinary day. That is until I got a telephone call from my daughter Brynn who lives in Maryland. Brynn and my two granddaughters, Courtney and Camille, made a visit to Great Wolf Lodge which is located in Williamsburg, Virginia over the weekend with a few other moms and kids. Great Wolf is a massive 84-degree indoor water park. They have 79,000 square feet of water-packed excitement. And, Brynn and the girls left last Saturday for the weekend, planning to return by late afternoon on Monday. The girls never have missed a day of school for something like this, especially with Brynn being a school teacher until a few years ago, but they were meeting up with quite a few of their friends and it is not something that happens often. On the phone Brynn didn't seem her usual happy self. I asked how the weekend went and she said fine, until yesterday afternoon. Then she told me about the robbery. She had her carry-all bag stolen from inside the water park area. In it was my granddaughter Courtney's pump and wireless tester. Courtney was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes about two years ago and she depends on her pump to keep her blood sugar regulated. The pump costs quite a few thousand dollars and is a big loss, but even more, Courtney can't do without it. Also in the bag was Brynn's phone alongwith the phone of a neighbor friend. Panic set in rather quickly when she realized that Courtney was in immediate need of the pump. The police were called as the resort informed it's staff to be on the look-out for a black bag. Trash receptacles were searched by glove-wearing employees while the maids were told to check in rooms for the bag. One of the first things that was needed was to find the nearest pharmacy who could confirm the type of insulin Courtney needed so she could get syringes, insulin and testing supplies. Brynn's car keys were also in the bag so she had to call the nearest Dodge dealer who opened the car to get the key code, make a new key, and return it to her. After finishing the police report, they gathered their luggage and began their three plus hour trip home. Brynn's family has gone through a life-changing adjustment in the past few years and to have to endure another tragedy like this is heartbreaking. On Brynn's Facebook Page she said the day was one of the worst in her life. Brynn is a real hero to me for the way she handles misfortune the way she does. The stress must be unbelievable, but she seems to look on the bright side and manages to always be in control. What a daughter and mother! Some day her kids will realize just how lucky they are to have her for a mother. Oh, the reason for the call, besides telling me all the details of the robbery, was to see if I had an upgrade for a new phone. If I did and didn't care to get a new phone, she wanted to take my upgrade so her phone replacement wouldn't cost quite as much. Always thinking! So glad she is my daughter. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photo shows Courtney on left and Camille on the right giving their mom a big kiss as we celebrated Brynn's birthday this summer.