Guest Blog from GirlChild

THIS IS VERY LONG, BUT VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET OUT:


Two years ago today, I was sitting at my laptop playing league of legends when I got a call from my aunt around 10pm on a Sunday.


I thought it was a butt dial, since she was usually in bed before that. But then I saw a voicemail. So I called her back.


"Your mother has had a heart attack, come to CSM Ozaukee."


I hung up, screamed bloody fucking murder, and sped to the hospital. To this day, I don't remember the drive there. I just remember getting there and flying thru the hospital, into her room. Everyone was reassuring me she was okay, but they still needed to take her to surgery.


It didn't matter. That was my mom. That was my lifeline. As an only child (biologically) and a female... she was my first best friend. I was sobbing. I was losing my mind. I'm sobbing writing this now. I hugged her and told her I loved her before they sent her to surgery.


One of the last things she said before going under was "Someone needs to make sure Rebecca makes it to her dentist appointment tomorrow." This woman... whose heart was ready to give up... was more concerned about my goddamn dentist appointment. (Yes, that still bothers me.)


My stepbrother and I left the hospital and went for a long walk and long drive to get my mind off of it.


My family sat in the waiting room for hours overnight. I don't think anyone slept.


Around 6am, we were able to go in and see her. My stepfather went first, and when he came out, my aunt and I went in. I was sobbing again... those tubes and machines, hair matted to her face, breathing tube down her throat... I couldn't handle it. I held her hand, but it was limp. I was still scared. Yeah we made it thru the toughest part, but what if the woman that woke up was not the same woman that I grew up with and loved?


I squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. Then they kicked us out. My stepdad wasn't too happy that I got a response out of her when he got nothing, but hey man, that's my mom. She knows it's me.
When we were able to go back in, she was more awake, but still had a breathing tube. And even she will tell you... thank god i was there.


My mom taught me sign language growing up, and while for the most part I don't remember it, I remember enough. To communicate with the nurses while in her room she was supposed to use her oxygen monitor to hit the railings on the bed to get their attention. With me standing right there, she signed to me, and I took care of her. I was the only person she could communicate with for a bit.


I spent all week at that hospital. I didn't want to be away from my mom. When she got out and needed to be walking, we would walk around grocery stores or targets so she could stay in the AC where she could breathe. I'd leave one job and drive 20 minutes just to go walk around a store with her.


I was lucky to still have my mom.


And I'm still lucky to still have my mom.


Hug your family a little tighter, today.


You never know what could happen while you're busy playing a video game.


I love you mom.




(You can find GirlChild here: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccablazeofficial/)

The Adventures of GirlChild

A guest blog by GirlChild. Like what you read? Follow her on Instagram.
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Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I asked for ANY of this?

Okay, for those of you that know me and know what I’m on about, it probably does seem like something I asked for. For those that don’t know me; what you’re about to see, you may not believe, but I promise you with every ounce of my being that it is.


I am Girl Child. My mom has written about me before, but never to the extent that I am about to go into myself. It’s not her story to tell, it’s mine. I’m in my 20s, Wisconsin born and raised. I lived in Florida for two years, moved back to Wisconsin for almost two years, and then one day at the end of summer 2016, everything changed.


You see, I’m a huge KISS fan, and if you know anything about non-casual KISS fans—you know, the ones you see depicted in movies or TV—we will do almost anything for those boys short of murder. Actually, come to think of it, some KISS fans might commit murder if doing so gave them the opportunity to rub shoulders with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer for the night. Either way, not the point. The point is we will do a hell of a lot for the opportunity to be so close to greatness.


One night last summer, I was at a KISS concert… not a surprise. I was hanging out with someone I’m proud to call a friend afterwards (if you’re reading this, love you dude), and decided I was going to fly to New York City for another KISS show the following month. Remember when I said we’ll do a hell of a lot to be so close to greatness? This is just one example. I did as planned, and it was a great time. But here’s the kicker:

I never went back to Wisconsin from that trip.

I just said screw it and stayed in New York. A week and a half after arriving, I got a job at a restaurant in Brooklyn. A week and a half after that, I got a phone call from another friend. You see, when I moved out here, I started a blog about what it was like leaving Wisconsin with a couple hundred dollars, no job, and no house. This friend had seen it, and thought I was a fantastic writer. She then expressed to me that she does concert photography for a music website, and was wondering if I would be interested in her passing my information on to the editor of that site so I could possibly do CD reviews, concert reviews, and artist interviews. Of course, I said yes. Why wouldn’t I, right?


The editor contacted me and everything was quickly squared away. I told him there was a concert I’d planned on attending anyway, since they were going to be on the KISS Kruise, and asked if I could do a review on the show. He promptly said yes and that right there was the beginning of the end.
Since that night, I’ve become friends with that band, started working for that band, and my god… are they ever picking up steam! I’ve rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest in rock n’ roll. I even just got back from KISS’ European/United Kingdom tour, where the boys I work for were the supporting act.


It is truly amazing how quickly you find your life running in an entirely different direction than ever planned. It is even more amazing how quickly that different direction can snowball you into a lifestyle you never imagined yourself legitimately living, despite wanting to.
If you told me a year ago today all the things I would accomplish by this time the following year, I would’ve laughed in your face and told you I needed to get back to work. But it’s real, and I own it.

My life is not for the faint of heart.