On May 17, 2019, Kai had surgery done for the removal of the tumor found 4 days before. Surgery took about 6 or 7 or 8 or 20 or 48 hours. Yes, it seemed like an eternity. Friends and family came out to give their support, and for whatever the amount of hours surgery took, they stayed. For that we will forever be grateful.

Two days after surgery Little Buddy was recovering in the ICU, and this is where this moment was captured. Everyone around thought it was a tender and loving moment between father-and-son, but it wasn’t, not for me. Little buddy was uncomfortable, in-and-out because of sedatives and medications; and he was visibly bothered by pain. Here I was praying and begging for God to take away whatever pain or discomfort Little Buddy was feeling, and just pass it one to me. I wanted to be in his place, I wanted to be the one in pain, the one tubed-up and uncomfortable. That was my prayer that day. At one particular moment during my prayer Little Buddy grabbed the back of my head as if to confirm to me that he’s going to be alright.