How Robbie loved the creek behind his grandparents' house! I was always so thankful that a guardian angel watched over him and Laura! The following is an article I wrote for the Southwest Kansas Faith and Family Newspaper. Remembering Robbie This fall (2001) is the first time in more than 30 years that my family has not been involved in the educational field in some way. My daughter finished school in June, my husband retired from his position as the Director of Special Education for SKACD, and I haven't taught school for more than 25 years now! But it shouldn't have been that way--we should have had one more year, at least. For this should have been the year that our son Robbie was a senior--a member of the first class to graduate from the new Dodge City high school. But he won't be among those who receive their diplomas next May. He died on March 15, 2000, at the age of 16. Those who knew Robbie realize that he overcame many obstacles in his young life. When he was born, he seemed to be a golden child--bright, adventurous, and gifted with a happy disposition. His first seven years were so full of promise! But an unseen cyst in his brain gradually destroyed so much of that promise. The first symptoms were devastating--it seemed that almost overnight he went from being a good student to one who was negative and obstinate. His grades plummeted from A's to D's and F's. And no one could tell us why. The first doctors and psychiatrists we consulted diagnosed him variously as "hyperactive" or as having "oppositional defiant disorder." Some educators even hinted that Hamp and I were failures as parents. It was only after Robbie began having multiple seizures, more than three years after the first symptoms appeared, that any doctor thought to have him checked by an MRI. And even then, the diagnosis was wrong, for we were told that Robbie had apparently suffered a stroke. He was put on medication for the seizures, but the medicine didn't work. He continued to have multiple seizures on a regular basis. We went through another year of frustration and escalating behavioral problems before we decided to consult with doctors at the New York University Hospital. In New York, another MRI was done, and it was finally determined that the cause of all the seizures, behavioral problems, and learning disorders stemmed from a cyst in his left temporal lobe. In December 1994, at the age of 11, Robbie underwent three major brain surgeries to remove the cyst---and, we hoped, to end the seizures and the concomitant problems. The surgery was both a success and a failure. The cyst was removed and Robbie recovered his health, but all the problems remained and were even exacerbated! Worst of all, his ability to read was totally destroyed by the surgery, and he had to start from scratch. His ability to re-learn was further complicated by the fact that his short-term memory had been so adversely affected by the surgery. He could not remember common words for things he encountered every day, and his speech became disjointed and halting. We praise God for all the teachers in the special education field who worked with Robbie over the next five years. Slowly and painstakingly, they helped him to re-learn the alphabet and all the other skills that had been destroyed by the brain surgeries. By the 10th grade, he was reading at the 7th grade level and had recovered well enough to be in several "regular" classes. He was especially proud of the fact that he was earning a "B" in a "regular" math class! During all these years of difficulty, though, Robbie retained that wonderful bright smile that was his trademark. And he seldom, if ever, complained about all the hardships he had to go through. He savored life and friends, and became attached to all the wonderful teachers who helped him make such good progress. Of equal importance in Robbie's recovery were the love, support, and prayers we received from our church family at First Missionary. We were overwhelmed by the many kindnesses they showed us while Robbie was away in New York. Jim Hossler, our pastor, and his wife JoAnn were even able to visit Robbie in the hospital shortly after his final surgery, just a day or two before Christmas, 1994. Their son Tim lives in New York City and they had planned for months to visit him over the holidays. Who but God knew that Robbie would also be there at that time and in great need of their love and support? From that time until Robbie's untimely death in March 2000, Pastor Jim became his friend and mentor. They met every week for a "Dr. Pepper date," and had many long talks. Pastor Jim was instrumental in Robbie's spiritual and emotional growth, and it was with great joy that Hamp and I watched him baptize Robbie in the spring of 1997. His death came suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep, and it was completely devastating to us. We had thought that his fantastic progress over the last year was a promise that someday he would be completely whole again. We now realize that last happy year was God's special gift to him--and to us. Robbie IS completely whole again now, in the loving arms of the Savior he loved and served. And we have the blessed assurance that we will see him again someday when God calls us home. Though we miss him every single day, we give thanks to God for lending him to us for those sixteen years. And we remember his smile and his courage and his love with gratitude and much pride. Robbie's life demonstrates clearly God's wonderful love for all of us and the promise that He will be with us always, even in the midst of great sorrow and trial. (Saralyn McAfee Smith, 10/17/01) Pastor Jim Hossler, Robbie's friend and mentor