PRIA ANTONIA RICO

I will never forget that day our little princess was born. It was the first day of spring 2001 when Pria entered into our family.  It couldn’t have been more perfect day.  She made child birth easy for me, a quick 5 hour labor and a few pushes and there she was. She had ten little finger and toes and the sweeties little cry. 

Tony and I had her name picked out a good year before she joined us, Pria Antonia.  Pria meaning, beloved and sweet nature, Antonia meaning praise worthy, it was a perfect fit for her.  Life was great.  We had a prefect little family, and the day we learned Pria was to be a big sister we couldn’t wait to share the news with her.  She was so excited and couldn’t wait to take on the new role.  Her bother was due on her birthday and that didn’t seem to bother her at all, in fact she thought it was pretty cool.  So they would have had to share the day, but for her that was OK as long as she still had part of the day pink. 

The day finally came when Pria met her baby brother, Tanner.  She was so proud.  She was holding him in her arms.  She must have been practicing holding her baby dolls, because she was a pro.  Little did we know that her natural instinct to nurture her brother would be so important?  In fact, the nurse came and took Tanner out of Pria’s arms and admitted him into the NICU.  This crushed her.  Having a doctor and nurse walk in and take her brother from her arms.  What a tough day that was, explaining to her that something was wrong with her brother, and yet not really knowing ourselves.  For eight days our four year old daughter was the glue that held our family together. 

A year later Pria pulled out her glue gun again and helped keep Tony and I together as we faced another eight day hospital stay with Tanner. 

It was around this same time that Pria’s sweet little pixie girl voice began to change.  At first we thought she just had a cold, but after a couple of weeks of no improvement off to the doctor we went.  With no answer and her voice sounding more and more like a young Demi More to the specialist we went. This is the beginning of our relationship with Dr. Pranski.  After a scope down her throat and a month of medication into exploratory surgery she when.  Diagnosis - Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, or RRP.  This news came just on the heels of Tanners diagnosis, and Tony and I felt as if we could handle no more. We sat on the top level of the parking structure after meeting with Pria’s doctor and wept for a good hour.  How were we going to go home and explain to our daughter that she was going to have to undergo a life time of surgeries every six to eight weeks for at least another twelve years? 

Pria in her true nature again comforted mom and dad.  I can’t begin to count the times that Pria has told me not to worry because the Lord is going to heal her. She has under gone 54 surgeries in 6 years.  Each one she faces with courage and peace.  We pray before each surgery and she carries into her surgery a special prayer quilt that was made just for her. For a twelve year old girl Pria has had to grow up and face issues that most of us never have to face in a life time. Each day she faces life with such compassion for other and since of what really matter in life is our relationship with the Lord and others, particularly her family. We are honored to be her parents.