If there was anything that I was dreading in 2023 it was this surgery! I can think of few things I have dreaded more. When Rachel was born, I looked at her tiny, beautiful face and knew that the day would come that she would want to change it. Her last surgery for her cleft lip was at six months old. I decided then that any future repairs would be her choice to make. During her senior year, she started talking about getting a cleft lip repair. Insurance has been a big struggle for Rachel because she has so many pre-existing conditions. Private insurance companies continually denied her coverage over the years. It was hard to visualize how we were going to make this surgery happen. When she moved to Utah, Julie helped her apply for an insurance program. She was approved! Rachel wasted no time finding a doctor and scheduling a consultation. The whole process felt divinely lead. The doctor was amazing and also had connections to one of my high school friends. I was able to get rave reviews of his character and work. I flew to Utah to help Rachel with the surgery. She put on a brave face, as always. I am amazed at her fearlessness and grace through trials. She is so strong. We made memories making chex muddy buddies, lounging in Grammy and Granddad's bed, watching hours of "This is Us," and taking a drive up the canyon to beat the stir crazies. She is so patient. I love this little girl and the beautiful woman she is growing into. We have had many such memories of hospitals and doctors and recoveries. Somehow the memories are always sweet in the end. I believe that is because of who she is. It is hard not to feel uplifted around her. Her humor always softens the struggle.
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