Jason Wade Murphy, my firstborn, arrived on October 4, 1971 — a big, beautiful baby weighing 9 lbs 10.5 oz and measuring 21 inches, noted as the largest newborn at Group Health Hospital that day. I wanted a natural childbirth, but during labor, a doctor attempted to give me a partial spinal injection for pain. I refused a full anesthetic; the needle broke off in my spine and later had to be removed. The partial injection numbed my legs; when a nurse insisted I stand, I warned her they were numb and then fell flat on my face. I refused to stay in the hospital and was released within hours.
Those first weeks of parenthood were rocky. Jason had trouble nursing, and when I brought him back to the hospital, they dismissed my concerns as a new mother’s inexperience. My maternal instinct kept telling me something was wrong, so three days later, I took him to Children’s Orthopedic Hospital in Seattle. The doctors listened and investigated further — they found an inner ear infection that, if left untreated, might have led to deafness.
When Jason was nine months old, he needed adenoid surgery. During the operation, the surgeons discovered he was a bleeder and diagnosed him with von Willebrand’s disease. After surgery, they struggled to stop his bleeding and mentioned he might need a transfusion. I asked to hold him and focused on stopping the bleeding; it stopped, and from that day on, I taught Jason how to control his own bleeding, a skill I had always been able to do naturally.
Those early ordeals — the broken needle, the ignored instincts, the near-missed ear infection, and the discovery of a bleeding disorder — shaped my beginnings as a mother. They taught me to trust my instincts, to insist on answers for my child, and to become his advocate and teacher when it mattered most. Jason’s strength and our connection through those early crises remain a defining part of our family story.
Even with all his childhood health issues, Jason has survived to this day at fifty-five and reminds me of my father in his abilities to be a caring, loving dad to two children. He built a home-building business and runs a side business restoring cars, mastering new technologies to accomplish almost anything. In his late thirties he developed Lymphatic Cancer, but he still works hard and plays hard—he loves motorcycles and automotive projects. Jason has been very close to me and invaluable in my life; he’s helped with difficult situations and steady support. I’m very proud of him, though he sometimes questions my lifestyle. I’m intuitive behind the scenes, and our differing political views have at times strained our relationship, but our bond endures. My husband is now in a private-pay facility for dementia and Parkinson’s, and Jason stepped in to help me remodel an old 1967 Fleet wood mobile home that probably should have been torn down. He’s cleared over eight tons of garbage and transformed it into a livable space for now. His resilience, practical skill, and devotion continue to be a blessing in our family. I cherish every day we spend together and his unwavering, quiet strength always.