Miracles are magical in my eyes.  Growing up I knew that miracles could happen, but I was not really sure why or how they happened.  I soon found out when I was ten years old.

Ever since I was little, I have been really close to my papa (grandfather).  From taking me hunting, fishing and camping to teaching me how to swim, and talking to me about my boyfriends,  he has been by my side since day one.  

I didn’t know how much my life could change in only a matter of months.  About five years ago my papa fell sick with peripheral artery disease.

As an alcoholic and diabetic, his body was pretty much shutting down.  Being ten at the time, I seriously thought I was losing my best friend.  I prayed to God every night to work a miracle for my family.  I knew my papa was too young to be taken from us.  Luckily I didn’t have to worry about that.

My papa started getting infections on his feet and legs.  My grandma and his doctors did everything they could to keep them away and treat them.  Because he is a diabetic, his body can’t fight off the infections and keep them away like healthier people can.

They told us he was going to have to get his leg amputated so that the blood flow would be circulating better in body.  They ended up cutting below his knee and that’s where his long road to recovery started.

The incision of his amputation took forever to heal because of the fact he was diabetic.  After a while of recuperating he was able to heal fully and end up getting a prosthetic.  He learned how to walk with his new fake leg (not all the way) but with help from a walker or a cane.

I was so relieved that he was able to be strong enough to start walking again.  It was truly a miracle in my eyes from countless nights of hoping and praying.  

My papa is the most stubborn and impatient person I know, but I guess that’s where I get it from.  He doesn’t like the idea of letting other people help him.  With losing his leg, he had to accept help from all of us, which he certainly wasn’t used to.

My brother and I are constantly going over to their house to help out with chores and just spending time with our grandparents just about every day.  If I don’t see my papa in a week because of dance, school, etc, we always joke around that we haven’t seen each other in months.

Everyday is a new day and there comes a struggle and hoops to jump through.  There were times of him getting sick with pneumonia and it took forever it seemed like for him to recover.  Then it was like deja vu, his “good” leg started having the same problems as his other one.

The infections in his good leg weren’t healing no matter what we did and the blood circulation was being lost again.  The doctors decided to go ahead and amputate the leg at the same spot where the other one was.  

After the operation, my papa was officially legless.  It’s kinda crazy because you hear about people losing their legs all the time and what not and wonder how hard their life can be.  You honestly don’t know anything about it until it has happened in your life and affected someone close to you.  

The hardest part about all of this I think is gaining the strength back to pull yourself up and communicate between your legs and your brain how to walk.  It’s basically teaching a baby to walk, but not with their own legs.

As of now my papa is slowly but surely learning how to use both of his new legs.  I love going over there and him telling me how he walked across the kitchen or something little like that just makes me proud and thankful that he is doing better.

I have seen my papa in lots of bad days but also some good days.  I can truly say he is a fighter and the bravest person I know.  I know God was on my side through these hard times because no matter what circumstances were with my papa was in he always knew who I was and that I was there with him.

Everytime my papa gets sick it tears me apart seeing him so helpless.  To go from doing everything by yourself and always piddling around to having someone help you just bathe yourself is heart breaking.

Miracles are something I have always believed in from hearing the word of God, but I hadn’t experienced one until the day that my papa got through his first time being really sick.

Ever since then I’ve had miracles happen and I am truly grateful for the time I can spend with my papa.  Because you never know when someone can be swept away and become an angel.