Charles was born "Charles Edward Weems" on March 30, 1957. He began his life at the "old" University Hospital in Pensacola Florida. He was the 3rd oldest born to his parents....2 sisters and a stepsister and 3 brothers, one of which he unofficially "UNadopted".
Charles was married 3 times over the course of his life. His marriage to his 1st wife, Donna, would last 16-17 years, and during those years they were blessed with 2 children, a boy first and then a daughter~~and oh how he loved them! At the end of his marriage to Donna, he married his 2nd wife, Gari Ann. That marriage, too, would produce 2 children~~and, once again, the first child was a boy and then 2 years later Charles baby girl/baby would make her entrance in the world. However, with the birth of the youngest son came a multitude of problems that would put his and Gari's love through a test, it drained them both emotionally and physically. The baby boy, Gary, fell ill and had to be airlifted from Pensacola to Shands Hospital at the University of FL in Gainesville, FL. He was sedated, put on an IV for fluids--and then came the worst part--the WAITING!!
The doctors had determined that at the age of 5 weeks, infant Gary's little heart wasn't so little....his heart was enlarged to the size of a grapefruit and if they were unable to get him a "new" heart, then Gary wouldn't pull through. A month later they were notified that a heart for Gary had been located. His transplant took place 1993. Floridas' FIRST infant heart transplant patient. Now let's fast forward a few years:
Over the next 7-8 years all the stress of caring for a sick child took it's toll on Charles and Gari Ann's marriage, and that marriage to, failed. He had told me that the two of them got along better as friends. Then in 2003, I saw Charles again! The first time in 7 years since we'd spoken. We married the following year.
Charles was declared to be disabled and was taken off work the year that we were married. He was in and out of the hospitals. He had been diagnosed "end stage COPD! One medical condition led to the discovery of yet ANOTHER one, then another and so forth. He fought hard, but those diseases were ganging up on him~~and he was losing his fight. After an 8 week stay in the hospital, I was taken aside and told that he had between 3-6 months to live. When Charles and I had "the talk" he asked me to NOT let him die here--this wasn't his home and he didn't want to die here. In the interim of all this, Baby Gary had lost his battle with the rejection of his heart. His family had almost 11 years to be with him~~I wasn't so fortunate.
After I quit my job, sold the 2 pieces of property that I owned...we moved back to Florida. He lived just shy of 3 years while in Florida. He had a bacterial infection in his FUNCTIONING lung (one they couldn't kill).
Charles is gone now......from my life, but never from my thoughts, my dreams nor my heart. One thing is for certain.......if he made his peace with God, EVERY ONE OF US WHO WANTS TO, CAN AND WILL SEE HIM AGAIN!!!
Personally, I myself can't WAIT