A Celebration of Jack's Life

Jackson Chester David Cornelisse was born at 3:17 A.M. on Tuesday Febuary the 21st 2006. "Jack" stormed into our life with all of the lightning and Thunder that his mother and I expected. M2B awoke at 1:30 A.M. knowing that our little fireball would most likly make his arrival that morning. M2B took complete control and told me to get dressed and get the car started, I stood there and stared at her, then she repeated her orders to me. By the time I got the car started and back downstairs she was ready at the door to go. We arrived at the hospital and the nurses took a look at the situation and at Mom and then it was decided that Jack was to born that morning by a C-Section.I Called my mom(Grandma Townes) to tell her what was going on, then I phoned Karen's Mom and Dad(Grandma and Grandpa Wetherald) in Toronto to let them in on the situation. Within 5 minutes my cell phone was ringing and it was Dave(Grandpa Wetherald) saying that they were just about to leave and would be up in Orillia by 4:A.M.. Then the next thing I know in walks my Mom just as Karen was being taken up to the operating room. Karen was taken into the operating room and my Mom and I were left to wait outside. I paced and I paced and then the nurses came out to tell us that Karen was doing well and that they were just closing her up, that was Amazing but there was no word on Jack.So we waited and we waited then they came out with Jack in an incubator, he was so tiny and so small, the doctor said that he was a very very sick little boy, and all I could think was "there's my Son". We then went back down stairs and Dave and Sandy(Grandma and Grandpa Wetherald) were waiting for us(Thanks for the coffee:)) I gave them the lowdown on what was happening. We waited until they said we could go up to recovery and see the strongest Mom ever!!!(My wife Karen). She was pretty out of it so we just stood with her and talked to her and told her what had happened and what was most likly going to happen. After about an hour or so we rolled her back down stairs to her room where she went to sleep. The next few hours were a waiting game. We then got the news that Jack was to be flown down to the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto (Very Scary) but was excited for Jack because he was gonna get to go flying for the 1st time. Then we got to go in and see our little miracle baby. He was so amamzing looking, he looked like he could take on the world!. Then we got the news that there was a storm coming in so then they were going to transfer him down by ambulance. They finally left Orillia just after noon and Karen's Mom and I drove down in one car and Karen's Dad in the other, my Mom stayed in Orillia to look after Karen. My brother Tom(Uncle Tom) met me down at Sick Kids and stayed with me the whole day(Thanks so much Tom it meant the world to me and to Jack). I got to talk to all of the doctors and nurses. Most importantly I got to spend some time with my son. I hated to leave him that night but I knew he was in good hands and I wanted to get back up to Orillia to see Karen and tell her all about our little boy.
The next morning when I phoned down to Sick Kids and talked to Jack's Nurse(Her name was Sandy) she said he had a pretty rough night and she thought it would be best if I got Karen out of the hospital for the day and come down to Sick Kids. So when I got to the hospital everything had already benn arranged her Karen to have a day pass to go. We wasted no time in getting down to Sick Kids to see our son. We had such a good time just hanging out and seeing our little baby and talking to him. Then we were told that the doctors and the nurses wanted to sit down with us and talk about the situation.During the conversation the doctor explained that the damage done to Jack was so severe that it was ireversable and that he had no chance at a normal life or even surviving. The decision we made on that day was the easiest and the hardest that we will ever have to make. We deicided to let nature take it's course and let our little boy go:(
The docotrs and nurses took off all of the tubes and wires, dressed him in this really cute sleeper with penguins on it and handed him over to me, I got to carry my son for the very first time. I carried him down to the private room that we had. When we got there the nurse Sandy took some pictures of Myself and Karen and Jack(Our Family Portrait), then she left us alone to cuddle and snuggle him and take more pictures and just to get to know him in the short time that we had. He stayed with us for over and hour, then he opened his little eyes and looked at both me and Karen and then his tiny little body began to go to sleep. We told him that he had put up a good fight and it was O.K. to let go and to fall alsleep. At 4:47 P.M. our little Jack left us. He looked so peacefull lying in our arms. I was so glad that he didn't have all of those damm tubes sticking out of him anymore, he looked like a real little boy(He was ,he was our little boy).
Jack is all around us, he is all around you. The next time you go outside look at the tree in your front yard, Jack is there, look up into the sky at night, see those stars? that's our baby boy Jack:) Jack's purpose was to make Karen and I happy and give us meaning in this world, and you know what? he did it:) He was the greatest gift we could have ever of imagined and we will never forget him.

In a Grassy pasture by a gently flowing stream, a young child asks, "How am I special?" And Mama and Papa reply, "Dear Little one, with your warm, caring heart and your bright, curious mind, you are so special, and we will love you forever and ever and always."