Healing, Empowering and Thriving: Boston Red Sox

A pic for all you Sox fans!

In 1998, just weeks before Adam's near-drowning accident, he attended his first Boston Red Sox Game with his Little League All-Star Team. When he returned that evening, he told us it was the best day of his life. So, thirteen years later, we decided to return to Fenway to recreate the experience for him and jog the old memory banks. This certainly was a great day. This certainly was a traumatic day. We have recovered.
We were prepared to be in Boston for a 1:00 pm game. Of course, at the last minute the Bruins won the Stanley Cup (like I care, but many of my Canadian friends probably are mortally wounded) and scheduled their victory parade for the same day and same time as the game (duh!). The Sox, not thinking of our predicament at all, moved the game until 7:10. Mind you, Adam is usually in bed by 8:30.
So we went...Adam in the van on an inflatable bed to avoid prolonged sitting in the damned wheelchair. Almost fell off the bed several times on the way (Mom was practically sitting on him to keep him secure), Dad couldn't find the parking lot that we had reserved a space for the van (at only a 60.00 fee), and daughter was giving incoherent direction by cell to Dad who was flipping out. Made it there just on time.

Adam, bearer of the borrowed rings.

Our host was super gracious. Carl Beane, the Red Sox announcer since 2003, met us at the players' gate and gave Adam his two World Championship rings from 2004 and 2007 to wear. Pictures of course, but we had to give the rings back.
We were given a tour of Fenway Park including all the back alleys and the green monster (the wall for all you non-Sox fans). Viewed years of memorabilia and I suppose a lot of people would find this cool. I would rather have a beer!

Adam, Carl Beane (our uber-gracious host) on the field.

Aimee, feigning an interest in the wall of heroes.

Then it was on to the old autograph frenzy. Thank god, Ken Lynes was with us. Also, Joanne Stafford worked hard behind the scenes to make this all happen for Adam. Ken had no problem calling some of those players over to sign balls and cards for Adam. This is not an easy trick during batting practice, but he was not to be over-looked and kept pointing out the kid in wheelchair. That tactic always works. I'll have to remember this strategy for the future.

Ken badgering Adrian Gonzalez for autographs for Adam as me and the kid watched in awe.

Ken cajoling Adrian Gonzalez to sign THREE cards and a ball for Adam.
I gotta learn from this guy!

Having started the tour at 4:00 and the game wasn't till 7:00, we had time to kill and sweat in the heat. Adam sweated despite all our efforts to hydrate and keep him cool. Since the accident, his temperature gauge has never served him well. He's cold when it's hot, hot when it's cold....aarhh!

Made Adam a tent to keep him out of the sun....didn't work well, in fact, not at all.

So by 6:00, the kid was moaning like something was wrong. He was soaked with sweat and probably other stuff and needed a change of clothes. So we're sitting at field level in pricey seats and asked an usher or security person (really an idiot) which bathroom or utility room we could use to change him. Uh? "Do you both have to been in the bathroom with him?" Yes, dumbass, try to change a spastic 25 year old who is in a wheelchair alone. Well, he tells me, there are handicapped stalls in the women's room, but you can't go in there. Close your eyes, asshole, and we won't tell if you don't. He walked away and the three of us used the women's room to some uncool looks. He said, "I didn't see anything!" Great!
We lasted until the 5th inning when the boy started to moan incessantly with mournful looks at Mom ... too much chair time. You know, non-verbal kids can moan and whine quite articulately. The high point was that his most favorite player was on the field two feet away from him the whole game. It's not like Adam was interested in the game, but he didn't take his eyes off this player for 5 innings and the player fully engaged him. This was the high point of his day.

Our hero, the Red Sox bat girl chatting with the boy!

So we got Adam back in the van and laid him out on his air mattress...relief for all of us. The moaning stopped and we crossed the bridge back to our beloved island at 10:30. I'm not leaving the Cape again...ever.