IN MEMORY OF PATRICK
MIchaelConnelly.Jigsy.com
On
December 21, 2011 my son Patrick died of
complications related to a rare degenerative muscle
disease that was untreatable. He was only 36 years
old. Many of you who are reading this were aware of
Patrick’s epic struggle with this disease and
supported him with your prayers. However, few knew
who Patrick really was.
He
was a brilliant young man with an IQ that was off
the charts and that sometimes caused him problems.
He didn’t fit in with his fellow students in high
school and the teachers had trouble dealing with
someone who could read an entire textbook in a few
days and often got bored in class as a result. He
actually dropped out of high school at one point and
then got his GED, but decided to go back to high
school and get his diploma because he didn’t want to
leave anything unfinished.
Patrick was an Eagle Scout and was very proud of
that fact. He was also a member of the elite scout
honor society, the Order of the Arrow. He loved the
outdoors and spent several summers as a camp
counselor teaching young people about the beauty of
nature. At the same time he was a black belt in
karate and an accomplished kick boxer.
Patrick always wanted to help other people so he
decided to go to nursing school and was determined
to pay his own way by starting several small and
successful businesses. He was also a patriot and
joined the Louisiana Army National Guard and became
a combat medic. When he graduated from nursing
school he became a traveling nurse working in one of
the most challenging and stressful areas of
medicine, Emergency room care. However, Patrick felt
that this was where he could do the most good.
In
2004 while he was working in Connecticut he
volunteered to go to Iraq as a combat medic to join
his older brother Sean who was a combat engineer
officer. However, since he was a registered nurse
the army decided to commission him as an officer and
send him overseas as a nurse. Unfortunately, he
failed his physical because of an irregular heart
beat that was ironically the first indication of the
emerging health problems. He received an honorable
discharge from the military, but I learned just a
few years ago that he felt guilty because he had not
been able to serve his country overseas as his
brothers Sean and Tim had done.
Yet, Patrick soon found another way to serve his
fellow Americans. In August of 2005 he and his wife
had moved back to our home town, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, which is just 60 miles north of New
Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina roared through New
Orleans and caused massive devastation and loss of
life, many of the refugees and injured ended up in
Baton Rouge. The hospitals were soon overwhelmed so
many of the injured and homeless were housed on the
Louisiana State University campus.
Pat
was working his regular eight hour shift at the
hospital and then going on from there directly to
the LSU campus where he worked another eight to ten
hours a day as a volunteer nurse. This went on for
weeks and I later learned that he and his wife Sarah
gave away virtually all of their clothes to the
people of New Orleans who had lost everything. For a
long time Patrick had nothing to wear but his
nursing scrubs.
In
2006 my wife Kay, who was Patrick’s stepmother, was
diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer. Patrick and
Sarah came to visit us in Dallas and wanted to know
where Kay would like to go on a trip. Kay decided on
Disney World where we had spent so many wonderful
times with our six children. Pat and Sarah gave us
$1,000 to get things started and then our other
children, our many friends, and my fellow veterans
jumped in to help raise enough money to give us a
remarkable final trip together.
Shortly after Kay died in June 2008 Patrick made a
special trip to stay with me for three days in
Dallas. We cried together over our loss and then he
went on his way to continue his ER nursing career. I
knew he was having health problems, but it was not
until early 2011 that it was determined that he had
a terminal illness. Patrick continued to fight the
disease and to work doing what he loved, helping
others as an ER nurse. We talked often and I
marveled at his courage. Then, about six months ago
all communications between Patrick and I ceased.
He
stopped talking to me. He wouldn’t respond to my
emails or telephone messages. Then, I learned that
he had died while in California, still working as an
ER nurse. He had continued to work despite being in
severe pain. I then heard from Pat’s sister, my
oldest daughter that he had talked to her and told
her that he knew I had watched my wife die and he
didn’t want to put me through that again so he was
determined to go it alone. In the midst of all his
suffering Pat was still watching out for those he
loved.
So,
who was Patrick Connelly? He was brilliant man, an
athlete, an Eagle Scout, a dedicated nurse, a
patriot, and a soldier; yet most of all he was my
son and I am grateful that for 36 years God allowed
me to have this remarkable individual in my life.
Our country needs more men like him. I miss you
Patrick and I love you.
Michael Connelly
mrobertc@hotmail.com
www.michaelconnelly.jigsy.com
www.constitution.jigsy.com