Good Samaritans Do Exist in Tri-Cities

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF A VOMITING EPISODE. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

After getting through Maddie's little ordeal, I thought we'd be good for a few more days. No such luck.

I thought I'd wait a few days after Christmas to return a little outfit sent to Maddie by her Gram who lives in Utah. It was an adorable outfit but seems like the seamstress who assembled the pants was a little drunk on eggnog while sewing. One of the pant legs was about 2 inches shorter than the other one. We didn't think putting Maddie in it to have people guess if she was wearing capris on one side and jeans on the other would have been that funny so instead we thought we'd exchange the outfit for a) the same outfit without the irregular pants, or b) credit towards a different outfit.

So we head off to Shopko where the original outfit was purchased but in Utah. Sure enough they scan it and say they have the same outfit in their store. We're off to find the new outfit - me and all 4 kids - and Brady starts complaining of not feeling very good. Of course I dismiss him because I've got some shopping to do. We're going from rack to rack trying to find the same outfit and I can't find it anywhere. I thought she said they have the same outfit here. Brady reminds me that he doesn't feel good.

"Okay, we're almost done. What's wrong? Tummy ache? What?"

"I don't know. I feel like I did in Utah that one time."

"Utah?" Where is that outfit? Am I blind or something? Why can't I find it? "Okay, just let me find that outfit and we'll go. Can you push the basket for me?"

"I'm really thirsty. Can we get a drink?"

"Yes, as soon as we're done here I'll take you all out to lunch."

"No, I need a drink now. I don't feel very good."

"Okay right around the corner is a cooler. Pick out a drink. Yes, Cameron, yes, Ally, go get a drink, too." Just let me find this outfit. I don't see it anywhere. I've checked all the racks. Looks like we're getting a different outfit for Maddie.

Brady then decided to sit on the ground in the baby section and drink his drink. He looked okay, just bored. So I continued shopping. I found the cutest 3-piece outfit for spring and decided with all these sales, I would look for something for the other kids, too. Brady decided he was done walking and wanted to sit in the basket. Shopko's baskets are teeny tiny so he climbed in and took up the whole space. We keep looking around and found a new shirt for each of the other kids. Brady is still complaining of not feeling very good so I check his forehead, no fever, look on his tummy for a rash - you never know - nothing. So we keep shopping. I decided to look for a new shirt, too. Couldn't find anything I just had to have so we head over to the customer service desk to exchange the irregular outfit and purchase everything else.

Brady decided to climb out of the basket and says he's thirsty. I reminded him that he had his drink but he said he wanted some water. So while I'm at the counter, Brady goes to the water fountain. He came back and looked green. He's on the verge of tears and said he really didn't feel good. He laid down on the ground in front of the customer service desk. I told him to get back in the basket, we're almost done, then we'll go home. He said he couldn't get up. I asked him if he felt like he was about to pass out when all of a sudden, he pukes!

He was lying on his back on the floor so the vomit went up like Old Faithful and landed all over his face! He quickly rolled over and continued his barf fest right on the floor. I know the employee thought we had disappeared or something because I'm on the ground by Brady thinking "how could I have missed this?" and I was also trying to hide his heaving body from the line of people behind us. They all had a front row view to the orange chunky spillage spewing from his mouth. I told the employee behind the counter, "Uh, my son is totally throwing up. I'll clean it up, do you have any paper towels? I'll even buy some if I have to. Something to clean this up with?" She then calls over the intercom for clean-up at the service desk, hands me this humongous roll of the brown paper towels that go in the bathrooms and continues to help the next customer.

I of course am apologizing to everyone in line who had to witness this. I know they're thinking I'm the worst white trash mom out there. I bring all 4 kids with me to Shopko, Brady is puking all over the floor, and Maddie is in the basket drinking orange pop from her bottle because we ran out of milk and frankly I didn't want to hear her scream. In the meantime I'm trying to wipe up this pile o' puke with the non-absorbant brown paper towels and am just making a bigger puddle because it's all being pushed around, not sopped up. The guy with the mop finally shows up, takes one look at the puddle and stands there waiting for me to get up as much of the chunks as I can. The smell is making me nauseous, Brady is still dripping, Cameron has taken cover over by the bouncy balls, Maddie's still drinking her "bottle of pop", Ally is asking if we can still go to McDonald's, I grab the wipes out of the diaper bag and hand Brady 10 or so and try to help him get cleaned up, then continue wiping up the vomit on the floor.

Finally I get enough of it wiped up where the guy with the mop cleaned up the rest. He even took the bag of disgusting paper towels from me and said he could throw it away. That was nice of him so we didn't have to drive home with it. I then continue on with getting Brady cleaned up, finish my purchase, round up the other 2 kids and head out the door. The employee behind the counter suggested I take some empty bags with me just in case. Good idea.

Just then Brady says, "Mom I feel like it's going to happen again."

Oh, please, let's just get to the car. Don't do it again in here in front of the same people. "Uh, okay, hold your bags, come on , keep walking, let's get to the car."

"Mom, something's wrong. I can't ... "

"Hold your bags Brady!" We get to the door.

"Mom, I can't walk. My legs ..."

"Okay, come here, " I put my arms under his armpits in front of me while I'm pushing the basket where Maddie and Ally are sitting. He leans back, is totally pale, and complains of how loud it is. I knew from past experience he was about to faint so I lowered him to the ground, we're outside of the store now, almost to the parking lot and he passes out in my arms.

"Brady, can you hear me, are you okay? Brady... Brady?" Just then a customer comes out of the store, sees us on the ground, asks if he's okay, I told her he just fainted. She asks if I want her to call 911, I said no, he'll be okay. She says, "I think I need to call 911!" "No, really, " I assure her, "He'll be okay, he just threw up in the store, his dad works at a hospital, I'll call him." Just then Brady starts coming around. The nice lady insisted on pushing my basket to our car, I'm trying to pick up Brady off the ground and realized how Ally must feel when picking up Maddie. I can barely lift him and his legs are almost scraping the ground once I do get him picked up! So the lady is pushing Maddie and Ally and trying to tell Cameron, "I know I'm a stranger but this time it's okay." She gets Maddie and Ally both in the car and buckled in and puts all of my bags in the trunk while I'm trying to get Brady into his seat. He reeks of vomit and is complaining how hot he is. We peel his shirt off and get him buckled. The lady was so considerate and I'm thanking her over and over again for how helpful she was when she didn't need to be and how grateful I was. She said, "I had four kids, too, and you can never control when things like this will happen. Glad I could help. Hope he gets better." She returned my basket and was on her way.

She definitely gave me a renewed hope of the kindness of strangers. We did look pretty desperate out in the parking lot but she dropped everything and we became her priority. I was so grateful, and promised to do the same thing for someone else if I'm ever in the same situation.

So, Brady is wiped out on the couch with the flu? I think? And I'll continue to take care of my sickies here at Myers Medical Center. Oh my gosh... Duty calls! Nothing like the sound of vomit splashing on the new hardwood floor!! I'm coming Brady!...