Ms. Bolton’s Dad, Keith “The Egg”

Miraculously, on December 21st, the first official day of winter break for teachers, my dad was discharged from the hospital after a total of 106 days battling West Nile Virus. To bring him home just in time for Christmas and ring in the New Year outside of a hospital bed was the best gift I could have asked for, but unfortunately it also came with some major challenges. Although my dad has made truly remarkable progress in what doctors consider a “short amount of time for most West Nile patients'', he came home extremely weak, anxious and unable to take care of his basic needs independently in his own home. Fortunately, I was blessed with a mindset of don't spend time worrying, just do what you have to do to get the job done, despite even the most difficult of hardships. I’ve spent the last 15 days living at his house making endless phone calls to set up four different and ongoing outpatient therapy sessions, organizing and managing medications, cooking, cleaning, bathing and learning together how to bring someone back to their “normal” life after such a traumatic illness. I’ve known from the beginning of his diagnosis that this is a long road to recovery, but I am finally coming to terms with what that actually looks like for him on a daily basis moving forward.  

It feels like a double-edged sword thinking back on the last three months wishing with every bit of my being that he could be healthy at home and yet, when the moment finally arose, I realized just how much support he would need and what little support is accessible through his medical insurance. As many of you know, my mom and brother work out of state so that leaves me (and my angel of a boyfriend, Mickey) to bear the weight of caring for my dad. In the next month alone, he now has over 13 outpatient appointments scheduled and counting.

After much thought and consideration of any and all alternative solutions, I have decided that I need to take unpaid FMLA for the next month (although, I told the kids today it will be just a few weeks because I couldn’t bring myself to say the words “one month” to my little five and six year old babies). My decision was not made lightly and I am struggling with how to balance my love of teaching your children and the joy they bring me, and also prioritizing my family’s needs. I could never have imagined that loving my dad so much could also make me feel such an unshakable amount of guilt for having to take this time away from my students.

While I know that divine intervention is undoubtably at work for my dad as well as my students and families, unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills. As an educator, I’ve been blessed with the privilege to live within my means on an extremely tight monthly budget, but if there is ever a time to put my pride aside, it is now. Every dollar counts and is graciously appreciated during this time of hardship.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my dad’s story and for believing miracles do happen! #Payitforward