Aidan's Story

In Loving Memory of
Aidan Catherine Hegseth Grew
April 25, 2001 - August 14, 2003

The Story of Aidan

Aidan Catherine Hegseth Grew was born on April 25, 2001 at 1:55 p.m. by scheduled Cesarean section. She weighed 9 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 Ľ inches long. And that was 2 weeks early! Her family was her mom, Karen, and her dad, Michael, and big sister Morgan (b. March 11, 1992)
and big brother Malcolm (b. May 26, 1995).

Aidan at birth, April 25, 2001.

We had lost three pregnancies to miscarriage before Morgan was born and lost two more pregnancies to miscarriage after Malcolm was born before getting pregnant with Aidan. A routine ultrasound done two weeks prior to her birth showed a large abdominal mass. The doctors told us that they suspected this mass to be an intestinal obstruction and warned us that she would probably need surgery very soon after delivery and three to four months of hospitalization afterwards. Aidan went straight from the operating room to the intensive care nursery for tubes, wires, and tests.

Our pastor came in to the hospital, leaving his daughter's birthday party--she was three that day so shared my Aidan's birthday--to baptize her four hours after she was born. Aidan's godparents are missionaries in Africa and prayers were said around the world for her. The tests indicated that the mass was not intestinal but her doctors could not tell what it was. So, at 20 hours old, Aidan went to surgery.

Aidan's baptism.

What the doctors found was a 2-˝ inch wide ovarian cyst that they removed, along with a twisted left ovary and fallopian tube. Intestinal complications and an infection that took three types of very strong antibiotics to treat prolonged Aidan’s recovery. But five days after surgery the doctors removed some tubes
and she was able to start eating.

Aidan in NICU.

After eight days the doctors allowed us to bring her home. She spent a week on home IV treatments for the infection but was able to breastfeed and grew and thrived. We felt she was a gift from God and that she had a very special guardian angel watching over her. She was a beautiful happy child who loved her family, her pet dog and cats, and dancing to her favorite Disney songs. She loved playing outside and anything to do with water. Truly a golden child.
We felt so blessed by her presence.

In January 2003 Aidan grew sick. She became pale and listless, lost her appetite, and began wheezing and coughing a lot of the time. We took her to the doctor many times and she was placed on different medicines each time, without improvement. No one knew what was wrong. Finally we saw a pulmonary specialist who admitted her to the hospital immediately. By then our little girl had lost almost three lbs. and had lips and fingers that turned blue when she cried. She had severe anemia.
She wasn't golden anymore, just very very pale.

A CT scan showed what is called a "congenital adenomatoid cystic malformation" in her left lung. Basically, she had a huge air bubble that had blown up in her lung, flattening her lung tissue so she could hardly breathe. She had emergency surgery on April 5th (my husband's and my 16th wedding anniversary) to remove the cyst. Again, she was on prayer chains around the world.

Two days in the intensive care unit and another week in the hospital and we were finally able to bring her home again. She had a long slow recovery with much pain but finally began to gain weight and dance again and shine in the sunlight. Once again God had listened to our many prayers and answered them with life. I know that other children have been loved as much but none have ever been loved more
than our golden girl.

Aidan's favorite toys and TV shows were Teletubbies and Clifford the Big Red Dog. She took Po and LaLa to bed with her every night--they had to be tucked under the covers right up to their chins with her under her fuzzy blanket. And she had a Clifford in his doghouse that she would carry around with her.

She loved the movie Monster's Inc.--our nickname for her was Boo just like the little girl in the movie. She also loved Lilo and Stitch. She liked to dance
to the opening sound track.

Just before her second birthday she had lung surgery and was in the PICU with chest tubes in for over a week. We played these two movies, 101 Dalmations(another favorite--of all three of my children), and Ice Age over and over again. All the nurses and therapists knew all the words to those movies by the time she left the hospital.

We knew she was finally starting to feel better when she started waving her arms around in the hospital crib to do the arm movements to the opening hula in Lilo and Stitch. And for her birthday after she got home we gave her a Clifford party.

Aidan in April of 2003.

Finding Nemo is also very special. It is the only movie that she ever went to in the theater and she loved the fishies. She had all the toys and would take them in the bathtub with her. She had a pair of overalls that I had made specially for her with all of the Nemo characters on them. You will see them in some of the pictures--they were her favorites and she wore them over and over again. They are what we buried her in. I put our copies of those movies in her casket with her because I knew
I could never watch them again.

Aidan loved music and loved to dance. She would go round and round until you could get dizzy just watching her. She also like to try to play piano with Morgan. She would sit on the bench next to her and tap on the keys. Morgan always had to wait until Aidan was napping to get in any serious piano practice because
Aidan couldn't stand to not be right there on the bench with her.

Aidan and Bryna in October 2001.

We have a golden retriever named Bryna that would follow Aidan everywhere. She would sit in the sand at the swing set when Aidan was playing there. Aidan would throw Bryna's tennis ball for her over and over again. Then we also have several cats that Aidan loved. Her favorite is my daughter Morgan's cat, Angel. Aidan would literally lay down on top of this cat to hug her and the cat would just stay there--never scatched at her at all. Whenever Aidan would take a nap the cat would come
and lay beside her and sleep with her.

Aidan loved to be with the older kids. She was the baby of the neighborhood by about six years and everyone absolutely adored her. They took her for scooter rides that she loved. She would stand up in front of one of the kids on a scooter and hold onto the handles and just laugh as they rode around with her. Morgan loved
to pick out clothes for her each day and dress her up.

Aidan and Morgan in July 2003.

Aidan had such beautiful silky hair, almost a strawberry blonde color, and she would never let us do anything with it. She would tolerate letting Morgan or I putting in a clip or bow for a few minutes, run out to her dad who would tell her "oh, it's beautiful" and she would smile and then pull it out. From the time she was newborn when she would get tired she would lay down and pull at her hair--not down but straight up with her hand above her head, over and over again--
it seemed to be her comfort measure.

Aidan and Malcolm in October 2001

Most nights she would refuse to go to bed in her toddler bed. She would often run into Morgan's room and crawl up into bed with her and go to sleep there, sharing her sister's pillow. Other nights she would crawl into bed with me and lay down
with her head touching mine, holding my hand.

Both of the photos above are of Aidan in her first snow.

I don't know if any of these memories are things that can be used on her site but thank you for allowing me to share them. I am in tears doing it but it feels so good to be remembering the wonderful things. Too many days are often filled
with the last terrible memories.

At the Oregon Aquarium in July 2003.

Aidan and Morgan riding the carousel in August 2002.

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride
"Note: These lyrics are taken directly from the musical score provided by Disney and may not reflect correct spelling and/or usage
of the Hawaiian language"

Aloha e, aloha e,
Aloha e, aloha e,
`ano`ai ke aloha e
`ano`ai ke aloha e (repeat all)

There's no place I'd rather be
Than on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And if I had one wish come true
I’d surf 'til the sun sets beyond the horizon
`Awikiwiki, mai lohilohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he`e nalu
Flying by on a Hawaiian roller coaster ride

`Awikiwiki, mai lohilohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he`e nalu
Pi`i na nalu, la lahalaha
`O ka moana, hanupanupa
Lalala i ka la hanahana
Me ke kai hoene i ka pu`e one
Helehele mai kakou e
Hawaiian roller coaster ride

There's no place I'd rather be
Than on the seashore dry, wet free
On golden sand is where I'd lay
And if I only had my way
I'd play 'til the sun sets beyond the horizon
Lalala i ka la hanahana
Me ke kai hoene i ka pu`e one
It's time to try the Hawaiian roller coaster ride

Hang loose, hang ten, howzit, shake a shaka
No worry, no fear, ain't no biggy brahda
Cuttin in, cuttin up, cuttin back, cuttin out
Frontside, backside, goofy footed, wipe out
Let's get jumpin, surfs up and pumpin
Coastin with the motion of the ocean
Whirlpools swirling, cascading, twirling
Hawaiian roller coaster ride

There's no place I'd rather be
Than on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And if I had one wish come true
I’d surf 'til the sun sets beyond the horizon
`Awikiwiki, mai lohilohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he`e nalu
Flying by on a Hawaiian roller coaster ride

`Awikiwiki, mai lohilohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he`e nalu
Pi`i na nalu, la lahalaha
`O ka moana, hanupanupa
Lalala i ka la hanahana
Me ke kai hoene i ka pu`e one
Helehele mai kakou e
Hawaiian roller coaster ride