Changing Carter WATTY AWARDS 2012

Changing Carter

"Carter Marie!" my mom yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Get down here now!" I was sitting my my room at this point, door locked and my Pittbull music as loud as it had to be in order to drain out their voices. I was not going down stairs and I was not going to give in to them. Well at least that's what I was telling my self for a moment. I could hear their voices get closer to my door. "Carter open this door!"My dad yelled. I sat there in silence. There was something they were not telling me and untill I was told what it was I was no longer going to communicate with their nonsense."Carter sweetie, please open the door, it really is nothing, we were umm talking about a movie" my mom said. At this point it was pointless I had to open the door, but I could remain silent. So I opened the door and as always I looked in my mothers eyes and I started to cry. My mom wrapped me in her warm hold dad did as well. I knew something was wrong they had to tell me.

"Mom, please tell me what is going on," I said. "You have been crying at night, acting weird and so has dad, please mom." I didn't know what else to say I was sobbing at this point. "Sweetie, go get cleaned up we will have a family dinner and talk about everything." My dad said. I looked him dead in the eyes fighting back my tears ," everything thing?" I said, as dad nodded.

Lets just say that was the fastest showers I think that any human has ever taken. My mind is rushing what are they hiding. My heart is about to fly out of my chest at any moment. Maybe my mom is having a baby, thats it she is pregnat and I am going to be a big sister and the stress is making her cry. I ran down the stairs taking two at a time. "I'm here!" I looked up at the dinner table to see my mom crying in my dads arms. "Carter please sit your mom and I have something to tell you." Deffiantly not a baby because my mom was not showing and this is to much crying to be stresses. "Carter sweetie" my dad said. "We want you to know we love you very much and that we will always stick together." I started to get goosebumps. "What is going on are you ok is mom okay?" tears streamed down my face. "Carter your mom is sick, the doctors are going to do what ever they can to make her feel better." my dad too began to cry. I ran over to my mom "I love you mom," I said squeezing her. Her grip I noticed was weak, weaker than nomal.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes we moved to the living room where I was told that my mother has breast cancer. However that it was in the early stadges so she should be okay with the Chemo treatments, but still it terrifies me to have the thought of loosing my mom I am only 13. We have so much in life to look forward to, my brokeheart in school, my wedding, my first child. I need my mom she is not just my mom but my best friend.

As the clock hit 11pm my parents sent me to bed, I noticed that after I went up stairs that there wasn't any crying. Maybe that the relief of telling me took them to eas. Still there was going to be no sleeping for me tonight and tomorrow I had school.

I tossed and turned in my bed when suddenly it hit me. How were we going to pay for Kemo? Yes we have a nice house but mom and dad work 40 hours a week and we live pay check to paycheck. My stomach now feeling like a train ran over me. So I layed in worry and prayed.

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Please help us out, my mom is very sick and I can't loose her I need her here with me. Please give me the strength to get out and help, make her well, happy, and strong.Please send me a sign we will be ok that my mom will make it. Please Lord Please.

Amen."

I began to fall asleep. There was a sudden loud noise in my room that wolk me up. I shot up like a rocket.I looked around and everything was in place. Though there was a light shinning through my window. I slowing crawled out of bed, when I looked out my window there was no sign of a light source. I then slowly made it back to my bed and layed back asleep.

"This is ROCK coming to you live from the heart of Kansas. Good morning everyone." My radio alarm continued playing as I hit sleep. "Carter wake up" my dad said. "Your not going to school, get dressed fast and meet me down stairs do you hear me!" I replied yes. Then as no other nightmare I would dream of I heard sirens, and I knew exatly what was happening. I throw on a pair of old jeans , and my moms favorite shirt she got me. Once again I took the stairs two by two and then I saw what no child should ever see.

I stood tears flooding my eyes, shaking feeling as if the would was ending right infront of my ends. My mom layed helpless on the stretcher as my dad held her hand. "Carter please go sit in the car I will be right their," my dad said." Dad please let me," before I could finish, "Get in the car." my dad said. As I ran out the door my dad followed and the emergency people took my mom in the ambulance.

I wasn't sure if dad and I were going to make it to the hospital alive. He drove 45 in a 25 zone and ran three read lights. The ride was silent. We both cried in shock and fear as we ran into the hospital. "I .. need.. to.. my .. wife.." my dad couldn't spit his words out. "My mom she was taken on an ambulance. where is she?" I said. They took us to the ICU room where they let me sit next to her holding her hand while dad talked to the doctors out side.

"Mom..its me Carter. Ilove you mom. Please you are my best friend I need you...Please mom"

I continued to cry and hold her hand as I watched my dads body langauge.My right had wrapped around my mom my other holding her roseary. My dad and the doctor made their way into the ICU room. "Carter this is Dr. Reed," I shook his hand. "Please tell me my mom is going to be okay please sir." I said with fear in my voice. "Well Carter I wish I could. Your mother is in a Coma a mild one though, we belive that while she is in the coma we can do the sugery, remove all of the cancer and when she awakens she should be stabe." A sign of relife, "How long will she be in the coma?" I asked. "It is hard to tell, I would say anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks but no longer." Dr.Reed said. What was I going to do for that long with out my mom. Then it hit me I was going to make a difference. A change in not just my life but in everyones around me from this day forward I was going to be Changing Carter to become a better person.