The Dobson Exit

Arizona, US-60. The Dobson Rd. exit is a busy one. Banner Desert Hospital, now called Banner Cardon’s and includes Cardon’s Children’s Hospital, is at this exit. Just north of US-60 and to the West of Dobson. On the East side, Mesa Community College is situated, and has been for around 50 years.

The significance this exit holds for me? I drove here, at about 90mph, the morning I discovered my two year old daughter unresponsive after a morning nap. Katie has Crohn’s disease, having been symptomatic from 8 weeks of age, and finally diagnosed at 16 months. She’d been having a bad flare up for about six weeks, and had just been released from a 10 day hospital stay less than two weeks earlier. A new medication was prescribed without the recommended supplement that should have accompanied it.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning of October 2, 2007, Katie had a bilateral non-hemorrhagic stroke affecting the thalami and basal ganglia, resulting in multiple areas of significant infarction (tissue death). This part of the brain is responsible for routing nerve signals from the brain (after they’re originated) to the appropriate parts of the body. In other words, she would be awake and fully aware, but couldn’t open her eyes, move or express herself. We were in Banner Desert’s emergency room for about 9 hours before we finally received the “right” test and got the news that Katie had suffered a stroke, and about 13 hours total before she was transported by ambulance to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to have an MRI and be admitted to their PICU. We were told that night that Katie would likely never walk or talk again, but that she’d be trapped inside a body that wouldn’t work. Forever. I longed to hear her sweet little voice say, “I love you, my beautiful mama!” just one more time.

It’s been almost nine years, but I still can’t use the Dobson exit without experiencing PTSD symptoms. I usually do OK if I pass by, but actually using it is more difficult. I have another daughter about to graduate from Mesa Community College and her work is exhibited in MCC’s Annual Student Art Show for the second time. This year, she won an award and I needed to go to the show on a specific day and time for the awards ceremony and reception. I drove there with Katie (now 11) and her younger brother. Katie asked me to hear a song she’d learned earlier that day (the entirety of “Goodnight, My Someone” from The Music Man) and I muted the radio so she could sing. This child can sing with a wisdom and presence of soul that betray her young age. Her song was hauntingly beautiful, to the point that I was surprised, even though I already love her singing. Tears streamed down my face as we exited US-60, taking the ramp at Dobson Rd.