HERO LIST

Edit March 2014: This is an old hero list. Like any type of list like this things change. Some of these people are current some are not. I did think of doing a complete update but then figured I’d have to change it to regularly so I decided to leave it as it was current when I did it. I have done some slight editing, change a word here change a word there but for the majority of it it remains original.

I’m sure everyone has a hero/ idol list. A lot I’m sure are celebrities who have overcome cancer or the like. Some are fictional characters like Katniss from the Hunger Games. I’m sure she is the hero of a lot of girls and so on and so on. Some are family members, how many people think of their mum as their hero (I can here and now say without any doubt or question what so ever, my mother is so far from being my hero). People have heroes for differing reasons and heroes come in different forms such as real life people, fictional characters and/ or pets. I’m sure most of Victoria considers every fire-fighter that attended the Black Saturday bush-fires a hero.

Well this is my story about four of my heroes. No particular order except for the fact the celebrity in the list is below the other three.

JOHN CENA
Surely everyone has heard of John Cena, even if you don’t follow the wrestling. Probably more so in America but anyways. John gives all for the business he is in and uses it to his advantage in helping others. He has granted over 300 wishes to “Make a Wish” foundation and he was a strong pusher for WWE to help raise funds for the “Susan G.Komen” foundation, I suppose you would say it’s the American equivalent of the “McGrath Foundation” in Australia. He donates his frequent flyer points to the “Make a Wish” foundation. He is a strong supporter of the US military and is always the first to put his hand up for the Tribute to the Troops special WWE do every year. He is a strong supporter of the BE A STAR organisation that WWE supports. He doesn’t do this just because he is told too by WWE he does it because he cares.

BECKY TEMPLIN
Becky is a woman that my partner met through Facebook when she joined a group for Fibro sufferers. Well, that doesn’t make her a hero I hear you saying. Well, let me explain. For starters she suffers Fibro (read my earlier blog) and doesn’t let that stop her from being a mum to two gorgeous kids and a loving wife to her husband. A few months ago her sister (in law) was shot (read next hero) and during the following weeks and still to this day, Becky has done whatever she has been able to, to help Angie recover. She has gone above and beyond to help. Nothing is ever too much when she helps her family – even when Becky is in tremendous pain, if someone needs something she is the first to raise her hand.

Please keep in mind this woman, has two children, a husband, a household and a job yet she still made sure she found the time for Angie. Luckily she was able to take two weeks off from her job and was at the hospital every day. Seriously how many people would really be willing to do that?

Her son has problems with asthma and has had since he was very young to the point where they were offered an in home nurse to care for him. Becky says nope we’ll do it ourselves?

Um excuse me, when do you stop woman?

I personally haven’t known her for a long time and to be honest my partner hasn’t either but from what I do know it seems that Becky has things thrown at her out of left field a lot and she simply catches it with both hands and keeps going.

Becky you are my hero.

ANGIE TEMPLIN
Stolen from her page on http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/angietemplin a blog started by Becky:

Angie was shot in her home on 10/19/12 by her recently ex boyfriend. He then shot and killed himself. Angie was transported to TCH (Tri County Hospital) in Wadena and was flown to HCMC (Hennapin County Medical Center). She was taken to surgery as soon as she was able. She has a large hole in her pelvic bone. There was damage to the bladder and this was repaired. They are still concerned about this but they state she will have a catheter in for an extended amount of time. There was an exit wound out her buttock and there is no rectal involvement. This is a very positive thing. There is metal shards as she was shot with a shotgun a point blank range. There is also bone fragments to worry about. She has a long road ahead.

Quickly fast forward to today and she is home and very slowly working on her recovery routine.

Latest update from Becky: Currently she is upbeat. She is healing. A little frustrated that her pelvis isn’t healing as quickly as she thought but the MD, therapists and family are pleased. Exit wound is nearly healed. Entrance wound has some healing left and it will be some time. A compression glove has been ordered for her hand to smooth out the scars etc. A little worried about her ring finger as she only has feeling in one side. It is contracted OT is working on it and making progress. She is working a lot on that hand. She is still working on her image issues as she is missing her pinkie and some wrist bonemeal completely.

So why is this woman whom I have never met or spoken to my hero? Well, HELLO, for starters she is alive! This woman was shot, point black with a shot gun in her pelvic region. I’m not even going to imagine what that would be like but I’m thinking that knowing my pain threshold I would be wanting to be dead very quickly.

Since the 19th of October Angie has had more than 15 operations. 15, people, seriously that has got to suck on so many different levels.

So here we have a woman, who in one day had her whole life turned upside down by someone that she had loved and someone that loved her. She was shot, then watched her ex-boyfriend shoot himself. She then ended up in hospital (surprisingly not dead) where she had to endure operation after operation. She didn’t get to see her son for over a week (this I know would kill any parent especially a mother). I honestly believe most people would have given up all hope and no doubt at some point Angie probably did too and really who would blame her.

The woman defied the odds that for some strange reason were stacked against her higher than they should have been. Just reading her journal on Caring Bridge lets you understand that Angie is a fighter and hopefully you can understand why she is on my hero list.

I’m no medical expert but from what I have read and been told Angie should be up in Valhalla with Odin keeping an eye on her, instead she is making progress at slowly getting her life back together.

I cannot and will not even try to imagine what she has been/ is going through. I can’t fathom the thoughts that go through her head daily. Anyone that says they know what she is going through please come visit me because you deserve to be smacked for being stupid. No one but Angie will ever fully understand the daily fight she has and for that I say she is a hero.

SCARLETT
Anyone who has read my previous blogs or is friends with me on Facebook know how I feel about my fiancé and probably already realise she is my #1 hero and guardian angel. In saying that, I’m going to cheat a little bit and use previous stuff about her and maybe add a bit.

She is my life, my light, my nurse, my rock, my everything.

When we met I was not in the best spot I could be in after a mental breakdown, loss of job, loss of girlfriend (turns out this bit was a good thing). I had no direction and yes some would say I still don’t have any. She brought my daughters back into my life and loved them as her own. She gave me a good kick up the arse and got me moving again.

Scarlett saved me and gave me a purpose. I honestly believe I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and she will sadly never know how much that means to me as there is no way to show her. She taught me to smile and laugh again.

Scarlett is/ has been by my side whenever I have needed her like going to the dentist, yes I know this is a simple thing but believe me without her, I wouldn’t survive a simple trip to the dentist. She was there when I was taken to hospital after collapsing, sitting by my side all hours of the day and night; she was there when I had skin cancer cut out of my leg, changing the dressings and making sure I stayed off my leg.

Aside from that and also alongside that, she has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a disease which affects her daily with widespread chronic pain and various other diseases (also refer to last post), some days worse than others. There are days when she can hardly move but she still finds the strength do things for DD3 when she wants something and for the older kids when they need her. She puts her family first before herself and strives to make things the best she can for them. She would give her life for her family and I don’t know of anybody that is as so giving as she is.

Some of you will read this and say well that’s what any loving partner would do, (Scarlett said this too when she read it) but to me this isn’t normal, my other long termish partner was not as caring or as wonderful a step mum. Other partners have not gone to the dentist with me. In short Scarlett is the first person who has given me so much in the way of love and caring.

Scarlett is my hero and always will be.

Logan Harris (the man who is a fan)