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Support unwavering for Way family
Published July 10, 2008
Matt and Tara Way do the hard part, spending hours each day on physical therapy with the goal of bringing their daughter home to a pair of parents able to tend to a premature infant.
But that doesn’t stop medical bills from coming.
Tara, 24, cannot yet speak well following a massive stroke May 29, but she reacts visibly any time expenses are mentioned. That shows the concern her father, Robert Kuban, has seen in his daughter all along. He’s not nearly as worried about money as he is with his daughter’s continuing response to the love, prayers and effort of others.
He’s especially thankful for her tenacity.
“She’s in a wheelchair but Matt’s by her side,” Kuban said of his child and her husband, Matt, 26. “She’s starting to get a little more movement and she’s a fighter.”
Students at the University of Houston with plans of becoming coaches and teachers in public schools, Tara worked at Angleton Auto Park and Matt worked part-time at the Sonshine Book and Gift Shop in Lake Jackson before Tara’s stroke. Because rehabilitation takes constant attention and the well-being of their daughter, Myla Faith Way, is the most important thing to all family members, neither parent has worked in more than a month.
The Sonshine Shop continues to pay Matt’s part-time salary. An anonymous benefactor paid for the couple’s mobile home financed two months ago. A fundraiser at El Chico in Lake Jackson’s Brazos Mall gave the family a few thousand dollars, but that won’t begin to pay the bills, said Matt’s brother, Jeremy Way, who is on the ConocoPhillips Emergency Response Team.
If Tara’s past is any indication of her future, she won’t be in wheelchair long, Matt said.
“I know God is going to take care of her,” Matt said. “She’s working really hard and concentrates on getting better. Maybe God is walking us through this because there are a lot of things he wants to teach us. We’ll in turn be able to share that and be a testimony for other people.”
A MYLA FAITH
Jeremy Way is helping organize fundraisers for the young couple.
Medicaid paid for 10 hospital days for Tara, and the family couldn’t afford more, Matt Way said. Money is tight. Matt Way would rather not discuss his young family’s money woes even though gasoline for the drive to Galveston to see the baby costs more than $100 per week, and parking fees can be as high as $15 per day.
That’s where others are stepping in.
A member of the Lake Jackson Remnant Church youth group, pastored by Matt’s father, Jim Way, opened a lemonade stand and earned $438 for the family, friend Julie Higgins said.
“Everybody loves the Ways,” Higgins said. “The response has been amazing.”
A barbecue planned at the Angleton Knights of Columbus Hall on August 10 includes live and silent auctions, a raffle and bracelets similar to “Livestrong” adornments made famous by multiple Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
The bracelets will have the words, “It takes a Myla Faith,” Jeremy said, a play on the baby’s name. The family also is looking into T-shirts featuring Tara’s photo and more, Jeremy said.
If they cringe at the expense of going to Galveston, who knows what to expect from the bill for Tara’s twin brain surgeries or Myla’s three-month, 24-hour intensive care that has not yet arrived.
Tara’s mother-in-law, Gay Way, has faith those expanses will be met.
“She’d always been the pillar of health,” Gay Way said. “She was always a hard worker and very outgoing. We were shocked when we got the call.
“It was very bad,” she said. “She had massive bleeding in the brain. It was life-threatening and we had to move fast. She’s doing better in weeks than doctors said she’d be doing in months.”
An account is set up for the family at TDECU. Anyone wishing to donate can call the Lake Jackson branch at (979) 297-1154 and ask about the Tara and Myla Way benefit account.
With a video of Myla in the background, Tara does the mundane lifting and exercise needed to get her in shape to begin the process of raising a child.
She’s prepared to do whatever it takes to be ready for her baby’s homecoming.
LEARNING TO LIVE AGAIN
In broken phrases which two weeks before were broken words, Tara expresses her goal.
“When she goes to school ...,” she tried to say, Matt trying to complete her sentence to the admonishment of his sister-in-law, Alisha Way.
“We’re trying to wean her off of Matt,” Alisha joked as Matt let his wife struggle with words.
“No,” Tara said. “I want to be here ...”
She took a breath, looked at her husband, then continued.
“I want ... finish ... college,” Tara said. “Then she can ...”
Matt tried to help again. Alisha stopped him.
“She’s doing fine,” Alisha said. “She has to learn to do it on her own.”
Tara looked around the large room, then continued.
“When she’s in school ...”
Silence seemed to bounce off a stone fireplace in Jeremy and Alisha’s home, a large photograph of Myla a few feet from Tara’s still-immobile right arm.
“I want to be in school ..., ” Tara said.
Another pause, then a gentle smile.
“ ... When she is.”
With an OK from Alisha Way and a nod from his wife, Matt said what Tara couldn’t.
“She wants to finish college when Myla goes to kindergarten.”
Whether or not his wife is at 100 percent and his daughter home, Matt Way won’t question the power of the Lord, he said.
“Throughout this whole thing, He’s strengthened us,” Matt said. “You do your part and hang onto your faith, and it will carry you through.”
John Lowman covers Angleton for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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DONATE
An account is set up at Texas Dow Employees Credit Union. To donate, call the Lake Jackson branch at (979) 297-1154 and ask about the Tara and Myla Way benefit account.
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MYLA'S SONG
Words by Matt and Tara Way
I want to make you smile
Whenever you are sad
I’m so proud to be your dad
All I want to do
Is love on you
Rock You, burp you,
clean the spitup that’s
on my shirt
Feed you, need you,
I can’t imagine life without you here
Thank you dear God,
for my sweet baby
I promise to keep
her close to me
Oh, all I want to do
is point her to you
I want to point her to you
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