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How very softly
you tiptoed into my world.
Almost silently,
only a moment you stayed.
But what an imprint
your footsteps have left
upon my heart.
-- Little Footprints by Dorothy
Ferguson
From The Post-Crescent obituaries
Monday, Nov.
3, 2003
Oppmann, Patrick George (Grand Chute): Infant son of Andrew and Elise Oppmann was born and
taken into God's hands on Nov. 2, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh. Survivors include his sisters, Emily Katherine
and Sarah Elizabeth of Grand Chute, and his grandmother, Anne Freeman Peace
of Hopkinsville, Ky. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Patrick George Oppmann
of Marshfield, Harold E. Peace of Hopkinsville, Ky., and Frank Kenneth Wey Jr. of Gadsden, Ala., and his grandmother, Mary Katherine Wey of Monterey, Tenn. Private services have been held. Memorials may be
directed to First United Methodist Church of Appleton or to the charity of
your choice.
Note from Andrew
Sunday,
Nov. 2, 2003
All: I wanted to let you know that
our son, Patrick, was born early Sunday morning at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh. We were fortunate to have about 30 minutes with him before
he died from complications from Potter's Syndrome. Thanks to the generosity
of friends, we were also lucky enough to get our daughters to the hospital in
time for them to meet Patrick while he was still with us. Elise and I want to
thank each of you for your support and kindness during these difficult
months. This entire process has caused me to reevaluate many things in my
life --- and, I hope, gain a greater appreciation for the things that truly
matter. Your friendship truly matters to us and, as a result, Elise and I
consider ourselves to be lucky people.
Photos of Patrick during his brief
life (click your BACK button on your browser to return to this page):
·
Patrick with a doll given to him by
Emily and Sarah
·
Emily checking Patrick’s
heartbeat with a scope
·
Family portrait with Patrick
·
Andrew holding Patrick
·
Close-up shot of Patrick resting on
Elise
·
Another close-up of
Patrick
·
Yet another one of the
boy
A brief Q&A about our third
baby
Q: What happened to Patrick?
A: Our son was diagnosed in September with Potter’s
Syndrome, a rare, fatal birth defect that, in layman’s terms, means he
did not develop kidneys. While rare, it does happen enough for there to be a
Web site (www.potterssyndrome.org)
and numerous support groups throughout the nation. The formal term for this
condition is Renal Agenesis.
Q.
Is there a cure or treatment to Potter’s Syndrome?
A. No. Most Potter’s babies are born stillborn. Without
kidneys, there’s little or no amniotic fluid in the womb. Without the
fluid, the baby cannot easily move and, even worse, the lungs fail to properly
develop. Death usually comes from respiratory failure.
Q.
Who is Patrick named after?
A.
We named Patrick after his grandfather, who died in 1989. Andrew
thought this would be appropriate, since his father was born in Wisconsin and spent his youth in Marshfield, about two hours west of Grand Chute.
Q.
How are Emily and Sarah doing?
A.
We were able to get some great advice from professionals on helping
toddlers deal with tragic news. Both understood that Patrick was sick and
would not be with us for very long. Both of them also were able to say
“hello” and “good-bye” to him. Later, Emily told a
friend, “Patrick came to visit us for awhile, but now he lives in
Heaven.” Emily now says she wants to be a “baby doctor.”
Columns from The
Post-Crescent
Andrew wrote four
columns about Patrick for his newspaper.:
- On March 21,
2004, Andrew
recalled the loss of Patrick in a column that concluded with news of an
expected new arrival. To read it, click here.
- On April 4, 2004, two weeks after the first column
appeared, Andrew wrote a follow-up column after learning that the baby
Elise had carried for 15 weeks had died. To read it, click here.
- On April 18,
2004, The
P-C featured stories from readers who have experienced similar losses.
Comments by Andrew introduced a package of letters from families across
the Fox Valley. The main part of the package
featured full stories from readers, while a sidebar included brief
comments.
- On Nov. 24,
2005, Andrew
recalled Patrick while telling the story of the birth of new baby
daughter Rachel. To reach it, click here.
The March 21, 2004, column received first-place honors in the
2004 Best of Gannett
competition. Click on the medallion above to read a PDF copy
of the Gannett contest book
(See page 44).
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