I don’t often get a chance to just “write”. I usually write for a sports-related purpose these days, but today is different. Today is a day I have both looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. Two years ago, I very nearly lost my then two-year old son.
Without getting into too many details and sending myself into a complete sob-meltdown, my son was diagnosed with a very rare blood disorder called Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. His hemoglobin (which carries oxygen to all organs and is an absolute necessity), was operating at only 20% – an incredibly low level, rendering him at risk for serious life-threatening complications. In fact, we were told they were not sure he would make it. After several long months at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Canada, his prognosis was beginning to improve. The road wasn’t easy for us, but for him it was so very much worse. Again, I’ll spare you the details which might make you sob along with me.
Before I get into the heart of what this article is really about, I’ll just let you know that two years to the day after being admitted to intensive care, my son is happy and healthy. He is a beast on the footy pitch, and towers over his peers. His blood disorder is a thing of the past, yet today, as will likely be the case every year at this time, I remember the horrible journey.
Day after day sitting with my son in his hospital room, I was really going crazy, or felt like it. The feeling of helplessness cannot be put into words, so I won’t bother trying. But there was one thing that took my mind off of what was going on, if even for 10 minutes—Arseblog. Every morning like clockwork I would refresh my Arseblog app to see what Andrew and his team wrote. I read it all – news, gossip and of course his signature blog. On Fridays I went into another room provided by Ronald McDonald House and listened to Arsecast, the site’s podcast.
Honestly, those few minutes really helped me more than you can imagine. The transfer talk, the chatter about the current squad, all told in a wry, witty and charismatic style was just what I needed. Of course it didn’t make the situation with my son suddenly “better”, but that’s not the point. The very fact that a sports blog had the power to temporarily give me respite at easily the saddest, most difficult time in my life, is the important thing to note here.
Sports means so much to so many people. We all take something different from it depending on our moods, our likes and our dislikes. Sometimes we hate it, other times we love it, and still other we become so enamored that we can only refer to it as life-changing. For those few months, with all sincerity, Arseblog (and others) made my life feel less crumby.
If you are interested in learning about Arseblog, I did an interview with site founder Andrew Magnon that was a great look into his site and his views on football. I suggest you take a read. His website can be found at Arseblog.com, and he even has a very well written book.
Until then, visit Arseblog.com, and find his app and widget on Google Play and iTunes store. Follow him on Twitter – @arseblog and @arseblognews. And while you’re at it, follow us as well – @LastWordOnSport.
