{gentle piano music plays} (becky) so how'd it happen? (chuck) well the little guy was really moving. heading aroundsecond going to third. julie's like go! go! i'm like stay on second, get back. see i saw the short-stop catch the cut off. i knew jonny wouldn't make it without some kind of small miracle. yeah, well?
the third baseman catches the ball close to the base. so he decides to slide head first. hits his finger right in the kids mit. bending the fingers back, breaking the pinky finger pretty bad. (becky) oh, that's horrible. poor little guy. is he going to be alright? (chuck) well, he'll be okay. it hurt pretty bad but, he's a tough little guy. so we go to the doctor and he puts a splint on it. away we went. no more baseball for awhile. (becky) well yeah. (chuck) plus we've told him don't slide head first. the coach and i have told him and told him. i don't know what made him do it. (tyler) you know this is fun and all. and you know what? i'm really sorry about the little guy. really!
but can you two talk about the marvels of little league someplace else!? thank you very much! (sarah) yeah, we're real happy with how ritchie's been doing. his whole life has been a roller-coaster. right now he's at the top. so we enjoy it while it lasts. (brenda) that's good. that little guy has been such a blessing to us. it gives me that much more peace about tomorrow as well. you know?
(brenda) oh, that's right. ritchie has another surgery tomorrow. you seem to be doing pretty good with it. (sarah) yeah? (brenda) yeah. (brenda) how's tyler? (sarah) well, still having challenges with it you know. dealing with all the operation with little or no change. it's hard for him. i think he expects ritchie to come out of this operation running and ready to take on the world.
but he knows that's not going to happen. (brenda) yeah. so he hides the fact that he will never be a normal kid. let alone an adult. i think he finds his own mortality ending. someone to carry on his name. (brenda) i think i know what you mean. doug and i have kind of talked about that a little bit. (sarah) really? (brenda) yeah.
just ah...about zach. he struggles with it. but, uncomfortable. tyler needs something to change.he's just not gonna be able to make it much longer. (brenda) yeah. (ritchie) i'm riding the animal, mama. i'm riding! (wrangler 1) you're doing a good job ritchie. we're proud of you. (wrangler 2) ride em cowboy. (wrangler 1) good job, yeah. i think he needs a sign. something that tells him, everything is going to be alright. you know. why are you worrying about your boy
you are one of the strongest people i know. such a good attitude. and you have been a huge inspiration to me and zach of course. you've helped us change to somehow understand why things are the way are and i really can't thank you enough. (sarah) oh yeah? (brenda) yeah! well you guys have helped me out a lot too. (brenda) thanks.
(sarah) hey! how you guys doing? (wrangler 1) hey how are you? good. how's our little guy? (wrangler 1) oh, he is so awesome. he's doing such a great job. so how's my little boy doing? (ritchie) i ride-ed. i ride-ed good mama. (everybody) yes you did. you are awesome. i'm proud of you. (wrangler 1) yeah. we are too. it's just amazing how well he's doing. (sarah) he's pretty special to me.
look, i can thanks you guys enough. i know it means so much for him to ride something other than his wheel chair. (wrangler 1) i can imagine. (wrangler 2) that was fun! (wrangler 3) did you have a lot of fun? (wrangler 1) did you enjoy it? (all laugh in agreement) (sarah) boy, oh boy! did you have an exciting day. did you have fun ritchie? did you have fun?
(ritchie) yes! i got to ride the animal, mama. i know. i'm so proud of you ritchie. you know we have a really big day ahead of us tomorrow again. but, we know who will be watching out over us tomorrow. don't we? we know who this is. who is this ritchie? (ritchie) that's jesus, mama. (sarah) that's right. we know he's watching over us right now. don't we? should we say our prayers?
(ritchie) yes. we got to say them. (sarah) anything you want to add dad? (tyler) i don't know... just a... a small miracle. how about a small miracle, that would be nice. (sarah) alright. lets pray ritchie. dear god we thank you for the small miracle that you're going to be performing in ritchie's body tomorrow. dear lord. and we thank you so much for guiding the surgeon's hands tomorrow, and giving tyler and me peace knowing that you are going to be working through this situation for your good.
we thank you so much for all the blessings you've given us. in jesus' name i pray, amen. (dr. ryan) hi, sarah. how are you? (sarah) good! (dr. ryan) hi tyler, good to see you. (tyler) good to see you doctor. (dr. ryan) this is terry. he was the anesthesiologist during the operation. (sarah) how's ritchie? (tyler) yeah, how did it go? (dr. ryan) why don't we just have a seat, shall we. you are going to be happy to know that the operation was a complete success.
we were able to pinpoint the damage and go in and do the necessary repairs. as expected, it was completely routine. your boy is fine. he's a real fighter. however, we had one small problem. problem? your boy is fine...but we lost ritchie during the operation. what? legally he was dead (sarah) my god, what does that mean? (tyler) what are you saying?!
we got him back. but it was almost as if, he decided to come back to us. i've seen a lot of these things in the operating room. but this was different. your boy is different. it was as if there was some spiritual or supernatural feeling in the room. we all felt it. (tyler) wait. wait wait. what do you mean? supernatural? what is this!? did you get goosebumps!? (sarah) tyler!
or did you feel all warm and fuzzy inside while my son was dying on the operating table!? what!? (dr. ryan) it was nothing like that! we had done everything we could. for your son. but... we had no logical reason to believe that everything was going to turn out as well as it did. and yet, we felt it. we all felt it. (tyler) i don't believe this. you're suppose to be a doctor. (dr ryan) but there are certain things that go beyond what we can do as doctors. and it went beyond in this particular case. (tyler) the goose bumps?
(dr. ryan) we don't have any explanation for it. it's feeling something that let us know that ritchie was going to be okay. when can i take my son home? well, he's gonna have to be here for a coupledays. he's in recovery right now. he is coming out of the anesthesia. you can probably see him in another hour or so. he's fine, don't worry about it. it's going to be okay. come on ritchie. it's jesus. come on who is this, ritchie?
come on, you can say it. who is this ritchie? it's jesus. (ritchie) that's not jesus, mama! (tyler) what'd you say big guy? that's not what he looks like daddy! how do you know this ritchie? i seen him. i seen him. face to face. oh my baby. my precious baby.
god thank you so much for being with us. for blessing us so much with ritchie. he is so special. thank you lord. my precious baby. do you know what this means? i know exactly what this means. it means that god meant this to happen. for everything to happen to ritchie, so that you will know that everything is going to be okay. no matter what we think.
you know what sarah? i have not been putting you or ritchie first. and ah...i'm really sorry for that. okay. after all, we don't know how long he's going to be with us. tyler! (tyler) it's true. (sarah) don't say that. it's true. i mean if he hadn't made it through that operation i don't know what i'd do. i couldn't live with myself if he hadn't made it through. i don't know what i'd do without ritchie or even you. i mean...you're everything to me. you've held this family together, you know.
it's like ritchie has a purpose for his life. yeah. you're right. i love you babe. (becky) tyler, he wants these done by the 4:30 meeting. oh, thank you. did you just say thank you? where's the normal, "blank blank blank, tell the boss he knows what to do with those papers?" i...i don't know. okay then.
(tyler) hey, becky. do you have a second? (becky) sure, tyler. you know, you can always talk to me. i know you never really have before, but... (tyler) thank you. you know...last night, sarah and i experienced one of the strangest things ever in our live. i always thought that i was being punished for something i had done. that i was cursed. that god turned his back on me and gave me a son that... a son that just wasn't right.
i know that's not the case. last night, he taught me something. if you know someone who has a child who is developmentally impaired, like ritchie, or is too young to make a conscious decision, an aborted or miscarried baby, god is watching over them. they are his children. i want you to take joy in knowing that they are safe. no matter what we think, no matter what happens to them,
jesus is with them. {{{two years later}}} (sarah) okay, he'll look good in that. alright, i think i'm almost done here, if you want to go get him. (tyler) okay. (tyler) sarah. tyler, where's ritchie? where's ritchie!? tyler!? oh my god! my ritchie! (sarah crying) oh my god, ritchie!
oh my ritchie! (crying fades. somber music plays) (tyler) thank you all for coming here today. sarah and i thank you. it means a lot. some years ago, i prayed that... well i prayed for a small miracle. and my son touched the face of god. now... he's standing with jesus.
so i have to ask you not to to mourn or cry for sarah and i and ritchie. because, my son has finished his game. he's made it to home base, and he's cheering us on! he's saying, "come on dad. you can do this. you can make it. don't stop on first or second! don't get tagged out on third! make it on home! win this game because you are victorious! i'm cheering for you dad. cheering for you dad!" let us pray
that we can find that same joy and victory... to win our game. lets pray. (music changes, gentle and uplifting) (tyler's prayer) jesus, i just thank you for ritchie. that we can honor him today. and i thank you for that light that you showed me, through him. because i would never, i could never be the same without him. thank you lord. i thank you that he's up there with you right now.
and he is safe in your arms. jesus, i thank you because, you are always watching over us and you're always there. thank you god. for always being there with us. and being there now. in jesus name. amen.
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