As much fun as it is to have Rudy home, there is one thing about the ICU we miss: the incredible people who work there. A diagnosis of HLHS will never be anything but a nightmare, but given this is our circumstance we are so grateful to find ourselves in the care of such a company of people. Rudy was in the hospital for six months and he’ll be back for more, but Trish and I will never fail to be moved by the fact that there are people of skill and expertise who do what we can’t–from complex surgeries, to watching for things we would never even know to look for, to sitting with him all night while we get some sleep.
Because we don’t want to forget any of them, and we want Rudy to someday see how his life was only possible because of scores of people who came around him, I’ve compiled a slideshow tribute (OK, I started to, but needed Greg Lawler’s genius to actually complete it). If the names and faces aren’t recognizeable to you, be moved by the sheer number of them. It’s very humbling to us how many people did what they did so that Rudy could have a chance, and we also regret that we didn’t get pictures of everyone. It figures that we somehow missed some of the regulars, so our apologies. As the file was too big to host on our blog, you’ll have to go back to Greg’s site and find the tribute video below Greg’s discharge show.
Click here and enjoy!
Rudy's Beat 
That was amazing. I lost count of all of Rudy’s angels. He is blessed to have such wonderful care givers and friends. Still praying for you big guy.
what a way to start my day…..so many people, so much time……loved the usic and words…yes. God has a plan for us….not always the one we want or wish for…..but right now Rudy is home………praise God, ………so many pictures brought back memories, but we Thank God for each day, Nick’s Grandma
That was awesome. Great job Rolf and Greg. What a journey it has been and what great people have helped along the way.
A beautiful record of your long-awaited homecoming. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Seriously, I can’t stop crying. It must be the pregnancy hormones. So thankful God surrounded you all with such caring and competent folks.
What a wonderful tribute! Amazing!
Hey, I am LONG past pregnancy hormones, and I wept as I watched this pageant of beautiful faces. Watching Rudy change and grow (and remembering so many of those milestones and scary detours along the way) was a special part of this wonderful presentation. Thanks so much. God’s grace and care come through beautiful human fingers, arms, smiles and amazingly gifted brains! Just so lovely to watch and remember.
NEVERTHELESS, I cannot even articulate how very glad and grateful I am that he won’t be seeing any of those beautiful faces for a little while, and that he is discovering instead the beautiful faces of his parents and siblings around him, all day, every day, in his own home. Such a gift. Such a miracle of medicine and grace.
Diana
Tears of joy are streaming down my face for all of you. What an amazing tribute to the wonderful team @ UCLA! You are all such a class act when it comes to saying thanks! There are lots of moments you will never forget and some you wish you could but God was there all along. Just amazing..I especially liked the discharge day elevator ride! Sweet that we are celebrating YOUR turn to go home! Enjoy this new journey of being home and family…I know you will! Continued prayer will surround all of you!
Julie
Such a beautiful sideshow. What a great way to remember your first time going home from the hospital and a beautiful tribute to all of Rudy’s amazing caregivers. Thank you for sharing those precious moments with us!
What an amazing slide show! What touching moments, especially with mom and dad! So cute!
Of course, it is obvious the change in Rudy is remarkable and blessed! We praise the Lord for those talented and gifted people. Thank you Lord. I truly believe God was glorified by your presence. You both were a shining example of God’s joy. You see it on THEIR faces….those smiles. Having to come into a room where people don’t sense hope or have faith must be hard for them daily, but not in the Rudy Geyling’s room! I know there were intense moments hard to recall without pain and fear, but your walk with the Lord is so obvious. Thank you for being people of God. One of these days I’ll tell you a wonderful story why watching and reading your daily walk meant so much to me. It’s a good story. Love, Cousin Dianna and a sister in Christ