MY WARRIOR KID

Zoey wasn’t given a choice to be a warrior. The moment that she was born our room was filled with doctors, nurses and specialists buzzing around. As a first time dad, the build up to the moment of our daughter’s birth had been epic. However, hearing the hushed tones of the support staff saying things like “what is this?” or “what are we going to tell the parents” as they surrounded her first crib, an incubator, shattered my soul. Or so I thought.The very first time that I walked into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, my daughter and I shared a moment. A moment that would define the relationship between myself and the warrior kid that I am blessed to have call me dad. Barely a few hours old, as I stood crying over her incubator, hand resting next to her head, she reached up. She took my finger in her little hands and squeezed. She was only a few hours old, but with that simple gesture my warrior kid was telling me “we’ve got this, dad”.For nearly eleven days we lived in the NICU. I became familiar with words that I had never known and could barely say. Chief among these terms was Craniosynostosis. I would later come to learn, and acutely understand how this premature fusion of the joints in my daughter’s skull would make her different and change our lives forever.

Warrior Kid Staring Down Fear

Over the last five years, I have felt my heart stop and shatter 12 times as nurses have taken my daughter from my arms and lead her back to the operating room for a surgery. Many of these procedures have involved an amazing doctor skillfully removing my daughter’s skull, making 100’s of micro-cuts into it, and putting her back together again. I’ve sat next to her for days on end as she recovers in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit), hyper-aware of each breath, listening to her cry, with the ceaseless beeping of all the monitors in the background. Zoey didn’t have a choice in being strong. She had to be.It amazes me each day as I watch her climb trees, run, jump and play. She’s not letting anything or anyone, stop her from enjoying her childhood. For her, normal is different. But with love, joy, and true, deep strength, she shows the world that she’s not afraid. It is her embodiment of a warrior spirit that makes me less afraid. It’s a humbling experience to have your warrior kid give you the strength that you need to be their dad.I, for one, cannot wait to show my daughter Thor: Ragnarok on blu-ray. I hope that she gets as caught up in the amazing story and vivid imagery, as I get caught up in her every move.  There’s a saying that I hear often and it always makes me smile. “Not all heroes wear capes”. Well, as you can tell from the picture, mine does. And I am thankful that she calls me dad.EDITOR’S NOTE: I am beyond excited to have been given the opportunity to team up with @ThorOfficial on this amazing campaign. Though this is a #sponsored post, those who have been following our journey are well aware of the love I have for my daughter, Zoey, and her unyielding strength - her Warrior Kid spirit as you might say. For more information on the release of the Thor:Ragnarok blu-ray and digital download release, check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.You can always read more here:http://bit.ly/2FendMv