May 10, 2002

MGH nurse celebrates a special kind of Mother's Day

Like most mothers, Mary Forshay hopes to spend this Mother's Day with her children. She has three sons: Christopher, 22, Matthew, 21, and Michael, 17. But this year's celebration of motherhood has a special meaning to her. It was at this time last year that she almost lost her two youngest sons — one to a tragic car accident and the other to a congenital heart condition.

Forshay will never forget the day she and her husband, Bob, received the call that every parent dreads. It was at 1:45 am May 9 last year. Matthew (Matt) had been in a car accident and was in the emergency room at the MGH — no details, just get there as soon as possible.

A physician in the Emergency Department delivered the bad news: Matt had a subdural hematoma (bleeding in the brain), a ruptured spleen, a lacerated liver, a bruised lung and many broken bones. He had been rushed to the operating room for a life-saving surgical procedure.

Forshay knew the significance of this news better than most. She had been a registered nurse for 29 years and was working at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital at the time. "I don't think I really heard it when they told me about his condition," she remembers. "What really scared me was that they couldn't tell me if or when he would ever wake up."

The next few days were traumatic. The Forshays, along with family and friends, waited by Matt's bedside, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. "I really thought he was going to die that weekend," says Forshay. "I knew it as a nurse, and I knew it as a mother."

But Matt clung to life and made it through those crucial days following his initial surgery. The Forshays credit Matt's caregivers for helping him to pull through. "The whole SICU staff [on Ellison 4] was wonderful," says Forshay. "They weren't caring just for Matt, they were taking care of all of us too."

Mother's Day was the following Sunday and Forshay spent it at her son's bedside. Friends brought her flowers, and her sons, Christopher and Michael, gave her an emerald bracelet. The day came and went without any emotional acknowledgement for Forshay--she only wanted her son to heal.

The family then embarked on a long journey of uncertainty and recovery. "We had lots of ups and downs after that," says Forshay. "He was improving, but we still didn't know if he would recover cognitively from the brain injury or if he would ever walk again."

In July, Matt was scheduled for more surgery when the Forshays received yet another call that would change their lives. Their son, Michael, had been swimming in a Vermont river with friends when he passed out. The young man, who had a history of cardiac arrhythmia, had gone into cardiac arrest while diving. The Forshays dashed to the Vermont hospital to bring their youngest son to Boston by ambulance, where he could be treated at the same hospital as his brother. Three days later, Michael underwent cardiac surgery to implant an intra-cardiac defibrillator (ICD) to regulate his heartbeat. Fortunately, the operation was successful, and he made a full recovery.

Two sons, two medical crises — it was more than most families could bear. "I don't know how we made it through all of it," says Forshay. "Luckily, we had the support of our family and friends."

Matt surprised everyone with a remarkable recovery. From the MGH, he was transferred to Spaulding, where he endured many physical therapy and cognitive rehabilitation sessions before being discharged in September 2001. Forshay quit her job at Spaulding in October because it was "too emotional," and she needed to be available to take both of her sons to their many doctor appointments. She now works at MassGeneral Hospital for Children as a telephone triage nurse.

Just a year later, both of Forshay's sons are leading normal, healthy lives. Michael is doing well with his ICD, is finishing his sophomore year of high school and plans to look for a summer job.

As for Forshay's "miracle," as she describes Matt, he has little to show from his accident other than a scar from his tracheostomy and a slight weakness in his left leg. He has started lifting weights again and training to resume his favorite sport of boxing. He took the exam to become a firefighter in April, with the hope of embarking on the same career as the professionals who pulled him from the car wreckage that changed his life just a year ago. "I'm a completely different person now," says Matt. "I've changed. I can't describe it. I'm just not sure why I'm alive."

Forshay has similar feelings of awe. "Every day I look at him and can't fathom why he is still here. I'm just glad he is." May 12 promises to be a special Mother's Day for Mary Forshay. She plans to spend the day with her children — all of them.