Weekly Drawing 52: Sketching on the train

I have finally reached my personal goal. Draw a picture every week for 12 months. It's been a good challenge and I feel inspired by the process. I have drawn everywhere from trains, playgrounds, pubs and hospitals.

It has been one hell of a crazy year for me:

• We moved house, packing up a large share house of 5 years discovering things we didn't even know we owed such as 5 garden rakes.
• I become a stay home Dad and so my wife could return to work after 12 months maternity leave. Being a stay home parent is a massive change, goodbye 7.5 hour working day. As I write this our little girl is sleeping in the next room.
• I thought my baby daughter could die when she diagnosed with a heart condition and spent 2 months in intensive care and 1 month in the ward. 
• My computer died.  

Despite all this, I have managed to achieve what I set out to do. Draw faster ideas, jot down silly ideas and do what I love. The great thing is my sketch books is full of ideas and drawings. My Children's book portfolio is filled with new material. Unexpectedly, I discovered the process helped me deal with some really big emotional challenges with my daughters condition. I think it has kept me sane during this turbulent year. 

Thanks for all the support it's really appreciated.

Joel Tarling

P.S 

I will have a small holiday and return for another Weekly drawing in 4 weeks time

Weekly drawing 50: Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy attacks my little girls big heart

At home after many months in a critical stable condition with a pacemaker

This weeks drawing I'm processing one of the scariest times of my life. When I thought I'd lose my little friend and loving baby girl to heart disease. She had always been such a strong and healthy baby. My wife and I were shocked by the news. During this time cried for two weeks and I actually said goodbye to her three times.

The week prior to her birthday Liberty was dis-interested in her usual favourite places the playground or the local pool. She had a small cough and was breathing noticeably heavy when asleep. We thought she wasn't eating very much because she was teething. We thought she'd lost weight because she was walking. How wrong we were...

First Birthday

During her birthday party she wanted to be held by Mum (Bec) the whole time instead of socialising which was out of character for Liberty.

Lethargy

The day after her birthday. She had an extremely sweaty head (beads of sweat) and slept most of the day and night.

RPA

The following day Liberty showed no improvement after nurophen we went the local GP. Thinking we would get the over anxious parent talk. GP told us to go straight to Emergency get x-rays and we would probably stay over night. At RPA we were told she had Cardiomyopathy (a swollen oversized heart). I knew this was serious and couldn't stop crying. We were transferred to Randwick Children's Hospital after a scary night Libby was successfully ventilated the next day and we somehow faced the seriousness of this horrible situation never leaving her side and rarely sleeping.

We couldn't of done it without my mother-in law who stayed with us at the hospital the entire time. She is an amazing person. I think I have the greatest mother-in law in the world!!!

We also owe a great debt to the NSW Public Health System's amazing Doctors and Nurses, Social workers, Ambulance drivers, NETS, Music Therapists, Therapy Dogs, Starlight Children's Foundation, Heart Kids, The Book Bunker, our loving family and friends. Also to Liberty's amazing strong will. All these I feel carried us through these horrible three months. 

She is currently in a critical stable condition with a pacemaker and many medicines at home. She is walking again and looking happy and having fun.

Dinner time

A poem for Libby, March 27th
Nothing is black and white except our love for you

How did this happen
How did we get to this stage
You've always been so strong
Isn't a big heart an asset

Well I want to go home,
I've had enough.
Can't we just go back to our normal life.
With only you, Mum and me. Walks to the park, the library, the local pool, playing in the hall and in front of the mirror. Dinnertime, bathtime, bedtime and family hugs.

My hope is that the Cruel hand of fate is running late. I wish he would sleep in or have the year off. Because we all really need a break.

Love Dad

Weekly drawing 39: Mother and child

"They had always been together, for a time they were one..." Joel Tarling