Michael McCarthy 1940 - 2011

"...The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21b)
This evening, the Lord called my dad to be with him after battling cancer for a while. We praise God for a number of things tonight: 
Firstly for the time He gave me with my dad a month ago in South Africa. 
Secondly, that I could say goodbye to him yesterday. 
Thirdly, that we believe he died peacefully in his sleep, around 12:30am SA time .
And finally that I will be reunited with him in heaven one day!

The McCarthy Christmas Letter for 2011

The 2011 McCarthy Christmas Letter

The roller-coaster ride that was the year 2011 is thankfully pulling in to the station after a rather turbulent year for the McCarthy family. 2011 had it’s shares of impressive peaks, daunting dips and even the occasional barrel roll that left us slightly disoriented.

As we started out on our ride, the roller-coaster climbed to a memorable highlight for Nathan. In February, the AWANA program at the church held their annual Pinewood Derby. It was the first year Nathan entered, and we put a lot of effort in designing and shaping his block of wood to resemble a “speed bus”. The effort paid off as Nathan won the prize for the fastest car in his age group. Needless to say, both Nathan and I were ecstatic!
The victory was soon followed by another peak in the roller-coaster track, which was having Norman and Gabi come and spend some time with us in Cleveland! We always love spending time with family, but our boys savor every second with their beloved grandparents.

But what goes up, must come down, and in roller-coaster terms, we were about to experience a double dip! In April, during his teams first soccer game of the season, Nathan broke his pinkie finger while playing goalie in near freezing temperatures! Liesel took Nathan to the Emergency Room for X-rays, and then to the Orthopedic doctors to get a full hand cast for his right hand. Being right-handed, this obviously impacted his schoolwork, and he taught himself to write with his left hand. The cast also impacted his ability to play, and it was only 10 days later, when he couldn't hold onto a pole in the playground, causing him to fall onto a wooden platform and breaking his leg! Liesel had to make the ER and Orthopedic doctor trip again, and the net result was a full leg cast and a wheelchair for our six year old. His leg remained in a cast for more than eight weeks. This proved to be a very taxing period for Liesel, since Nathan had to be carried everywhere, to and from the car, the bathroom, up and down the stairs, and into and out of bed every day! The only good thing to come from the situation was the use of the disabled parking at the stores!

Fortunately his cast came off right after the school year ended, at the start of the summer vacation! We were determined to make the most of these days, especially since Nathan had been confined to a wheel chair for so long! To make the vacation extra special, we were privileged to have my mom fly out from South Africa to spend a couple of weeks with us. Our roller-coaster was climbing again!
Liesel had booked a holiday house for us at Surfside Beach, South Carolina. The house was situated inside a “golf cart community” which meant we had our own golf cart at our disposal. This golf cart took us on our daily trip to the beach, the tennis courts, the indoor and outdoor pools as well as the playground! We all thoroughly enjoyed our week at the beach with the unbelievably warm Atlantic Ocean, the swimming pools, the tennis and of course the helicopter ride over Myrtle Beach! Unfortunately, our week in paradise was soon over, and we headed back to Cleveland. My mom had another week with us, and we continued celebrating the summer back home. She had a wonderful time with us and getting to know Nathan and Josh more intimately! But as the saying goes: “All good things must come to an end” and my mom was soon winging her way back to South Africa, sans luggage - but that’s another story!

Summer wasn’t over yet, and Liesel’s Uncle Terence and Aunt Max invited our family to join their family at their annual summer retreat in the North Woods of Wisconsin. The Edgar family had rented out a beautiful log lodge for the family that was on the shores of Lake Chippewa. So the McCarthys  flew up to Green Bay, and together with the Edgars, headed northwards to this piece of heaven on Earth. It was here where Nathan caught his first fish ever with the help of Uncle Terence and Liesel’s younger cousins. Liesel and Nathan also experienced their first tube ride behind a speed boat! We were so spoilt by the Edgars and were so very grateful to be a part of their family vacation!

After the vacation, we came back home and had to get Nathan ready for school! He enjoyed Kindergarten, but he absolutely loves first grade!! His teacher has identified Nathan as one of her top performers and has been pushing him “above and beyond” what is expected of the average first grader.
Joshua has had a rather uneventful year, besides keeping his parents on their toes! He continues growing quickly (still in the 97th percentile for weight and height), and his vocabulary is increasing exponentially! He has such a deep love of animals, which prompted us to buy a membership to the Cleveland Zoo. This allowed us to visit one of Josh’s favorite places as often as we like, and I know Liesel took full advantage of that this year. Besides his love for animals, Josh has a special love for his big brother. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Nathan must be the most flattered brother this side of the equator!

It was late September when gravity decided to take over and cause our roller-coaster to take a nose-dive and hurtle back toward the ground. This was when my father was travelling on business, when he felt dizzy and lost co-ordination on one side of his body. The doctors ran their tests and determined that he had two brain tumors. He had surgery to remove the larger tumor and further testing revealed that the tumor was a result of the melanoma that he had on his face that had metastasized. His doctor’s prognosis was not very encouraging and an unexpected reality check for us. After my dad’s surgery, and weeks in rehab, he was discharged and after a few conversations with him, he was extremely positive, and things seemed to looking up. Then a few weeks later, my father became dizzy in his apartment, fell over and hit his head. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance, and in an email from his doctor, she encouraged me to fly out to visit him as soon as possible. I bought a ticket that week and three days later I had touched down in Cape Town. I spent a week with my dad, and saw him in a very frail state. In what can only be described as a miraculous turnaround, he regained his strength, and the doctors who didn’t think he was going to make it through the weekend, said he was strong enough to be discharged on a few days later! I was happy to leave Cape Town knowing that my dad was on the road to recovery. Before leaving South Africa, I spent a couple of days with my mom and sister in Johannesburg. This gave me the opportunity to spend some time with some of my good friends, as well as an afternoon with a handful of cousins!
Our roller-coaster ride was still far from over, and had some disorienting turns in store for us. A dear friend of mine here in the USA was involved in an horrendous head-on collision while on his way to pick up his children from school on a Tuesday afternoon. He suffered massive head trauma and was rushed to hospital where they had to remove part of his skull to allow his brain to swell. He has been in a coma since November 22, and to date, has not shown any indication of intentional movement. This breaks our hearts as we are close to him and his family. He has a wife, an 11 year old daughter and 7 year old son, who is one of Nathan’s best friends. While we are praying for my friend’s recovery, we are reminded how fragile life can be, and we should never take it for granted. Please join us in praying for a Christmas miracle for the Muth family.
Finally, with the roller-coaster station in sight, Liesel and I have one last highlight to share with everyone. This past Friday, December 16, we attended our United States Naturalization Ceremony, where we officially became US Citizens! After living in the USA for five years, we applied for citizenship. This process consisted of being fingerprinted, photographed, and quizzed on US History and Civics, before being approved by the US Customs and Immigration Service. Upon approval, we were invited to the US District Courthouse of Cleveland, where the ceremony would take place. Dear friends of ours accompanied us, and took photographs for us! We are extremely honored, and humbled to finally having the privilege of calling this great country, our home!

As the roller-coaster slows down, we reflect back on 2011 with joy, gratitude and some sadness. However, it is comforting to know that it is God who is the designer and architect of Life, and none of the depressing declines, terrifying twists or gut-wrenching loops catch Him off guard. He has been on the ride before us and knows every twist and turn better than we know ourselves! He will standing on the platform, waiting for us as the ride comes to an end.  
It is with that knowledge that we put 2011 behind us, and climb aboard 2012, buckle up and get ready for the adventures that the new year will bring us!

Back to the Brrrrr

Last week around this time, I was at the OR Tambo International Airport awaiting my midnight flight to Amsterdam. My whirlwind trip to South Africa had come to an end and I was making my way back to my family in a much colder place. To put it into perspective, I had enjoyed temperatures of 90F (32C) in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. In my first week back in Cleveland, I was welcomed back with our first measurable snow fall, morning temperatures of 23 (-5C), and a day where the mercury couldn't muster the courage to rise above the freezing mark!

But I don't mind weathering these temperature variations if it means being back with my family!

My time in South Africa, although short, was quality time!
Update on my father:
When I last posted a blog, my father was still in the hospital, and was getting stronger each day. The next day (Monday), the physical therapist paid him a visit, and soon had him walking around. The doctors also resumed his radiation therapy. On Tuesday, the physical therapist had my dad walking up and down stairs. His doctors were so impressed with his recovery that he was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday! This meant that I was able to spend a day and a half with him at his home, and not in the hospital ward that I had come to know pretty well!
Today, he is still building his strength and working on getting fit! He is happy to be home and doesn't want to see the inside of a hospital anytime soon!

After spending a week in Cape Town, I flew up to Johannesburg for a few days. The time was short but productive. I spent quality time with my mom, sister and her family, hung out with some good friends, had a great afternoon with cousins, and went to Church on Sunday morning with my mom!

During my stay in South Africa, I enjoyed a delicious bounty of foods. These included Steak Pie, Chicken Pie, Pastrami Sub, Biltong sandwiches, Sweet & Sour Chicken Pizza, Choc Chip Yogurt, Nandos Lemon and Herb Chicken Burger, Grilled Snoek and Chips, Milo, Milo cereal, Boerewors roll, Custard slice, Creme Caramel, Chocolate Pudding, koeksusters, and a lot of South African chocolates! Needless to say, I didn't lose any weight on this trip!

Being back with my family in Ohio is wonderful! This weekend we shared some great times together, from eating frozen yogurt even though the temperature is below freezing, looking at our local shopping center's Christmas lights, and enjoying an unplanned Polar Express story-time at Barnes & Noble!

On Saturday night, Liesel and I had a fantastic date night with some of our dear friends, and dined at one of our favorite Italian restaurants! Finally, we wrapped up the weekend with an awesome Sunday service at Bay Presbyterian, followed by some outdoor football on the frozen lawn in the front yard with Nathan and Josh!

Where in the world is Grant McCarthy?

A week ago I was sitting in Cleveland, writing a blog and preparing for a short work week due to our Thanksgiving holiday! Little did I know that my world was about to be thrown upside down with two life-changing events taking place within 48 hours of each other! 


The first disturbing news I received was that my dad had fallen in his apartment and had hit his his head. He apparently had a seizure caused by a brain tumor, which caused him to fall. He was rushed back to hospital by ambulance, where he still is today recovering. After that news, I emailed his doctor, and she recommended I come and see him in South Africa as soon as possible, as his type of cancer is known for its rapidly spread throughout the body and to other organs. This news left me feeling numb inside, as nobody ever wants to think of a loved one in a finite sense! Also, when I spoke to my dad the previous week, he told me was doing fine and not to come out to South Africa to visit him. We even started making plans to come out for a family vacation in February! Now everything had changed! So on Tuesday morning, I went ahead and bought myself a ticket to Cape Town, leaving that Thursday, our Thanksgiving day!


Then, a few hours later that day, we found out that one of my best friends was involved in a terrible head-on collision that afternoon, while on his way to pick up his children after school! He had suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to the Cleveland's most advanced Trauma Center at Metro Health Hospital. My friend, Jim, needs a miracle, as he is still lying in a non-induced coma. His brain has swelled so much that the surgeons had to remove a part of his skull to allow the brain space to swell. To date there has been no response from Jim, making these times very trying for his wife and his two children (age 11 and 7)! Please join us in asking God for a miracle of healing.


So with all this upsetting news, Liesel and I were in no mood for a holiday set aside to give thanks! Later on, upon some reflection, Liesel made this powerful statement:  After this past week, I was not really in the mood to celebrate Thanksgiving. This afternoon I realised I needed to change my attitude as I have SO much to be thankful for: - I am thankful for the beautiful weather today so the boys & I could go have fun at a playground & for a walk this afternoon; for my boys who know when mom needs an extra hug; for local friends who are more like family who dropped off a delicious Thanksgiving meal; for my family & friends; for all the offers of help while Grant is out the country; for all the prayers going out for our friend, Jim and Grant's dad all over the world; being part of God's family. For those of you blessed enough to be with family today, go give them a hug because I am reminded anew how your life can change in an instant.

I was also reminded that it is only by God's grace that we have our health and our life, and we must NEVER take that for granted. Liesel again reminded me how important it was to go and visit my dad, so I can see him in person and tell him the things I needed to, because Jim's wife never got that chance! With that in mind, I boarded a plane to  to Cape Town via Amsterdam on Thursday evening. I landed in South Africa, after being in transit for 29 hours!! My sister (who had flown in from Johannesburg that morning) and dad's girlfriend met me at the airport and then took me straight  to the hospital to see my dad, even though it was approximately midnight. In his room, he woke up when we walked in and he managed to look up at me and smile. He was not really able to talk, but made groans and could squeeze my hand. He even managed to whisper "Hi champ" to me, which made me very emotional. I did not enjoy seeing him in that state, yet I as happy to be able to be there with him. When we went back the next day, we were so happy to see him sitting up and talking in full sentences again! Even though his voice was hoarse, we were able to understand him so much better. My facebook posts best summarize the past two days spent with my dad: 
Saturday: We went to visit my dad this morning and he is doing a lot better. He was able to talk to us and even make jokes! He also ate some of his lunch and was sipping juice regularly. We praise God for the good day he's having! He is still very emotional when we talk about certain things. Thanks for all your prayers, they are working! Please also pray for his girlfriend, so that she might come to personally know Jesus through this situation. On a another positive note, I had a Nando's Chicken burger for lunch and am now enjoying a Cadbury's caramel-filled chocolate! 
Sunday: We praise God again, as He continues to strengthen my dad. Today he spoke more, told more jokes, shared more stories and even made a few phone calls (including one to my aunt, where in response to one of her questions, he told her that I had put on some weight, while I was sitting in the chair next to him!!!) His doctors are also impressed with his progress and will most probably begin another round of radiation treatment tomorrow to help shrink the brain tumors!

As you can see he is making remarkable progress, and we can only attribute it to God answering our prayers. Thank you for all your prayers and support during this time!!!


Next week Sunday, there will be no blog, as I will be making my way back to the USA via Amsterdam again. Please pray that I make my flight back to Cleveland as it's a pretty tight connection once I land in Washington DC. I also have to make it through passport control and customs upon landing at Washington Dulles, which makes it a little stressful for me :(


After this somewhat depressing blog, here are some photos of my sister and I in Cape Town!

Celebrations and a sickness :(

This week, Liesel and I celebrated 10 years of a happy marriage! There was definitely a lot more "for better"s than "for worse"s. We celebrated the occasion by going to a fancy restaurant. Liesel had the Salmon stuffed with Crab Meat, and I had the lobster tail and filet mignon combination. Both entrees were delicious! We followed that up with Creme Brulee for dessert, but we both thought that Liesel's homemade Creme Brulee beat this one hands down. Other than that, the evening was very enjoyable!

Another reason to celebrate, is Josh's third birthday tomorrow (Monday). This meant that the Cake Decorating team of Liesel and Grant was back in action, designing and decorating the cake for a little animal lover. Liesel again, baked the cake, I cut it into shape, Liesel frosted it and I applied the finishing touches. All this resulted in a very cute crocodile birthday cake.

Included in Josh's pre-birthday celebrations, was a trip to the zoo. Unfortunately his brother and mom couldn't join us, since Nathan has been hit with another bout of Strep Throat, his fourth in three months! So while Liesel and Nathan were picking up anti-biotics, Josh and I enjoyed the Rain Forest at the Cleveland Zoo. The Rainforest is one of the most popular exhibits at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It is contained in a large two story building with over 2 acres (8,100 m2) of floor space, making it one of the largest tropical indoor environments in the world. The Rainforest boasts more than 6,000 plants and over 600 animals from the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas (from Wikipedia). During our visit, Josh led me through both levels of the huge exhibit, pausing occasionally to look at monkeys, fish, turtles, otters, snakes, crocodiles and porcupines. He had so much fun, he insisted on doing it all a second time!