I Got You, Babe (from "My Short Stories (Book One)") - by Anne Shier (a.k.a. "Annie")

Ryan Donaldson had fought many battles in his young life – with his mother (as a pre-teen), with his father (as a teenager), and later on, with his ex-wife, Maxine (when he was a young adult).  Now, he faced the biggest battle of his life – to save his young son, Michael, from the ravages of juvenile diabetes. 

Yes, Ryan was certainly used to fighting – he had been a pro-hockey player for many years, whose intimidation tactics on the ice were well known.  He was famous for his fights during hockey games, most of which landed him in the penalty box for majors.  Ryan had just been given the news about his 12-year-old son, Michael, a month ago.

Michael, who was an amateur hockey star his own right, was diagnosed in May 2007 after complaining of fatigue, constant thirst and unexplained weight loss.  When Ryan later talked about Michael’s disease with his ex-wife, Maxine, he would say that he did not want to admit how very scared he was.  Neither of them, in fact, wanted to admit that.  Being in denial was a way to protect them, as well as to cope with this horrific news – it couldn’t happen to their kid.

Ryan had been involved with the Sick Kids’ Foundation for many years.  He had seen many families with kids come and go in the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto.  However, being there with his own kid, hit him like a ton of bricks.  Life as the Donaldson family had known it would never be the same.

It had been a very tough year for Ryan – he’d recently retired from his very demanding pro-hockey career and had been through a controversial divorce from Maxine, amid rumours of a romance with a famous female politician.  He had recently gotten re-married to Lynn, a younger and prettier woman than his ex-wife.  In addition, he was considering a new career as a sportscaster, as, he would wryly put it:  “I have a natural gift-of-the-gab and I should use this to my advantage.”

Ryan was so proud of Michael and felt that none of the bad things that had happened to him last year mattered any more – not compared with this.  He would shout encouragement to his son during Michael’s hockey games, calling out praise when Michael would score or nearly score.  It seemed that Michael was so active and healthy-looking that it was truly frightening to hear from his doctors that, if not managed carefully, juvenile diabetes could lead to life-threatening insulin shock and coma.

So, Ryan had come to realize that Michael’s health was more important than anything else in his life.  He would tell those people close to him just how emotional he would get about it.  In fact, seeing sick kids at the hospital had always made him feel that way, especially when kids said that their last wish was to see Ryan.  But, he’d been able to leave those kids and their families behind to deal with it and go home and hug his own family, thankful for having them.  Now, he had to deal with it as well, and was thankful it was a manageable disease.  A positive aspect of the news was his resulting truce with Maxine after their bitter and public divorce, which was played out in all the newspapers.  But, they were both able to set their feelings aside for the sake of Michael.

For the most part, Michael himself was coping very well.  His first question after getting the news from the doctors was:  “Can I still play hockey?”  He was told that he could, as long as his diet was controlled properly and he took three insulin shots per day.  After all, if Bobby Clarke (a famous Philadelphia Flyer) could win a Stanley Cup while coping with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Michael could play amateur hockey.  Not only that, Michael discovered that Bobby Clarke had also developed juvenile diabetes at the tender age of 12.  So, Michael wanted to have Bobby’s jersey number (16), for luck, instead of his existing jersey (13), which belonged to Mats Sundin.  Ryan assured Michael that Mats would understand why Michael wanted to make this change.

Ryan, himself, remembered Bobby Clarke only too well.  He would even joke about the fact that he had purposely knocked out his own two front teeth, just so he could look more like Bobby on the ice.  But, he would also say, wryly, that his parents were not thrilled that he had done that.

Michael wanted to be treated like any other kid who played triple-A hockey, but there were definite restrictions.  His father would come over at half time to supervise the testing of his blood glucose level, but it had to be done then, as well as before and after the game.

Ryan would take his turn, with Maxine, at giving Michael his insulin shots.  This was quite a feat for Ryan, a tough guy who was actually quite squeamish.  This fact was clearly demonstrated during the witnessing of Michael’s birth when Ryan fainted.  But, even though giving needles was not “his thing”, he resolved to do whatever he had to do for Michael.

They all heard the referee’s 3-whistle blow to end the game and Michael’s Woodbridge team had held the Ajax team to a tie.  As Michael came off the ice, he dutifully pricked his finger for the blood test and tested his glucose level, as he should, while Ryan looked on.  “6 – 8, that’s good, Michael”, Ryan said, with relief.

You might be wondering how Michael, himself, felt with his private life so exposed to the public, but Michael had given his parents his permission to go public with his disease.  Though such a young man, Michael showed that he wanted to raise awareness about juvenile diabetes.  He wanted people to know about its dangers, but said:  “it’s was very easy to handle, once you get used to it”.  He said he wanted to help raise money for a cure, showing an infectious grin.  And, he wanted his whole family to get involved with fund-raising, as well.  Amazingly enough, Michael, with the united help of his family, in just one month, has it under control.

Today, the entire Donaldson family, including Ryan’s two daughters and ex-wife Maxine, will unite at the annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a cure at Ontario Place, lending their name and support to a cause that has suddenly become very personal.

At that point, Ryan was beginning to realize that being in the public eye could have its advantages.  And, he also realized that engaging in a fight off the ice for his family’s future was going to be a fight he needed to win.

published by Authorhouse, copyright 2011, Anne Shier.  All rights reserved.