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Don't make me turn this van around!

One family. A difficult diagnosis. An old van. And a new lease on life.

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Tag: jersey shore

Summer ’19, Part V: The Jersey Shore!

July 29, 2019

Purchasing the Westy put us on a collision course with a place I never gave much thought to visiting: The Jersey Shore. We live in Florida. We have the best beaches down the road from us. Why on earth would we go to the beach in New Jersey? The answer to that question for us … More Summer ’19, Part V: The Jersey Shore!

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About this blog

Until late 2015, life was exceedingly normal for the Kile family: work, school, little league, ballet – sweating the small stuff and missing the big picture. Then Jon suffered a ruptured abdominal aneurysm that required life-saving surgery. It would be the first of seven surgeries over the next seven months, including emergency open-heart surgery to save him from an aortic dissection. He was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome, in which the most serious symptom is fragile arteries prone to spontaneous rupture. Jon has adjusted to a lifestyle which forbids him from strenuous activities and stress, while finding inner peace and humor against the backdrop of raising two feral children. Jon gave up business proposals and sales presentations for writing, car-line and PTA, while Monica traded committee meetings and budgets to take on the roles of patient advocate, genetics expert, cool mom and goddess of a 17 foot Dodge van. Together they’ve determined to “live in the moment” and fill the empty spaces in the calendar with family travel and adventure.

Featured Post: ‘Live in the moment’ because a moment may be all you have.

Before we got our sweet ride, I was a frequent passenger in another type of van.

Recent Posts

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  • We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for a medical field trip to Cleveland

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Instagram

This is a different way to “run” a race. Monica knocked it out of the park organizing the #coffeepotturkeytrot for North Shore Elementary. Thanks to everyone who supported this important fundraiser and to all the sponsors and volunteers who helped make it happen. It was a perfect morning in #stpete. #turkeytrot #5k #running #oldnortheaststpete #coffeepotbayou
1:45:46 for the half marathon. A PR for Monica. #stpeterunfest @destination_miles #stpete #halfmarathon
Monica notched a first place in her age group and top 10 overall at #stpeterunfest 5K. She has the half marathon tomorrow. Good to see @dirkshadd out there. After brunch she hitched a ride home on the tagalong. #destinationmiles #stpete #dtsp @destination_miles
Congrats to Monica and a big 2nd place overall finish in the #getaway5k today. Her first overall podium a year after finishing her first marathon. #stpete #sunshinecity #nomadartbus #womenwhorun #runningmom #marathoner #running #aarp
#oldnortheast #halloween #stpete #oldnehalloween
Tonight it was a mashup of #shinestpete mural festival and Halloween. #insideoutproject #grease #youretheonethatiwant #shinemuralfestival #stpete #dannyzuko #sandradee

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