On Friday, May 31st our lives were changed forever.
On the first day of summer vacation, we went to Ko Olina for a beach day. For some unknown reason, Isaiah lost consciousness on the edge of the water. When I pulled him out, an off duty firefighter started CPR on our little boy, but it wasn’t enough. He went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance.
We held out for hope the first two days until the doctor discussed his MRI with us. Then the hope changed to holding out for a miracle that would defy all science. We did not get it. Isaiah Joseph Watson was officially declared brain dead this morning.
In a final act for him on earth, we decided to donate his organs. Isaiah always wanted to help anyone in need and was always willing to give up his things to make other people happy. Just the day before, he was riding his bike the opposite way of from school and back towards our house. When I asked him what he was doing, he was running back home to get scissors because some girl got her dress caught in her bike and he was going to cut her out. He had no idea who she was, but he stopped and immediately went into helping mode. Tomorrow he will take his final trip down to the OR and start the process. Knowing this is exactly what Isaiah would want, gives me a little piece. One last gift from him. If it can also save another parent from living this nightmare, it is worth it.
Isaiah was just eight years old and just finished his second grade year. His life goals were to become a Lego master and find out a way to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. He engineered the most amazing marble tracks, Lego creations, and Santa/Leprechaun traps. He was extremely smart, especially in math. Going through his second grade writing journal, he wrote some pretty amazing poems. He loved watching shows like Lego Masters and Wipeout, while he couldn’t stand his siblings’ choices of the Thundermans, Lucas the Spider, or Molang. He loved reading graphic novels to include Dogman, Captain Underpants, and Catherine Kid Comic Club. Isaiah was our absolute chaos and crazy person at home, while he was the calmest and sweetest child outside of the house. He was 4’10” and weighed in at 92 pounds. I called him our “Great Dane” because he would just ignore his size and come and just plop his weight on you. He loved pizza. He could literally not get enough pizza. He could have eaten it for every meal of every day and still been happy. He despised many random things and always let you know. He hated going to bed, showering, washing his hair, brushing his teeth, Autozone, Ulta, and Sam’s Club..and reminded you of his dislike for these things whenever they came up. Isaiah was always my protector. Whenever Rickie and I would be playing around, all I had to do was yell for Isaiah and he was up there in a minute beating his dad up. Isaiah loved with everything he had. He was hardheaded, but oh so sensitive. He had no problem showing people that they meant something to him. He lived for the soccer games he would play at recess and had just won the final “tournament” on the last day of school. He had so much confidence in himself, he knew when he was good at something. He also had no problem walking over to a group of kids he didn’t know who were playing something he had never played before, and asked to join in. He took advantage of the short life he had and did and saw so much.
I cannot put into words the hole that his loss is going to put in our family. I do not know how we are supposed to just continue life without such an important piece of our family. We are all struggling with this and trying to figure out what in the world happened. The only way I could ever describe Isaiah and his energy was “he’s Isaiah”. Anyone who knew him knew exactly what that meant.
This family loves you so much baby boy and thank you for everything you taught us and the love you showed. Please watch over all of us and make sure you take care of your siblings, especially Ellie right now. You were an amazing son and I am so proud of the human that you were. We love you more than anything, Isaiah Joseph.