Everett Mark "WiBo" McGregor

On October 11, 2021, at his 20 week ultrasound, we learned not only that Everett had AV Canal Heart Defect and would need open heart surgery by 6 months old but also that his specific heart defect correlated strongly with Down Syndrome. A week later, it was confirmed that Everett had Downs. At this point, Everett’s family decided he was just going to be surrounded by “Love, Love, Love.”

In hindsight, it appears Everett was just trying to grab our undivided attention early to set his stage.

It was at this point we had to start thinking of a boy name (we still had/have our girl name ready). After prolonged negotiations, which necessarily included looking up the etymology of each name, Brittany discovered the name Everett on a wine cork. She immediately loved it and once G discovered it was Gaelic for “Wild Boar” he was sold too. Shortly thereafter, the nickname WiBo was coined.

Because of WiBo’s heart condition, Brittany was set to be induced in the evening on Sunday February 6, 2022 with an expected birth mid-morning Monday, February 7, 2022 (a few weeks prior to his February 26 due date) - a time when WiBo’s cadre of doctors would all be available and could be there.

As would prove to be a pattern, WiBo decided to go off script, and on Friday, February 4, 2022, Brittany went into labor, except no one realized it. G, Brittany’s mom, and Brittany’s best friend all thought she was simply experiencing Braxton-Hicks. Nevertheless, at 11:45 AM we arrived at the hospital and as Brittany told us she needed a wheel chair, both G and her mom rolled their eyes. By 11:53 AM Brittany was checked and dilated 5-6 cm, epidural ordered right then there; however, as we would learn over the next 7 months, we were operating on WiBo Time and just twelve minutes later, at 12:05, WiBo was born en caul (in the water bag). The anesthesiologist showed up 45 minutes later with the epidural.

After a brief stay in the NICU, WiBo came home and we (mainly Brittany) went to work getting him physical and speech therapy through Early Steps (Patty and Rachel were absolutely amazing), and WiBo excelled. While “low muscle tone” is common among Down Syndrome kids, WiBo was holding his own head up and otherwise meeting and exceeding expectations from the get go.

While Brittany focused on these therapies, WiBo focused on stealing hearts.

First, WiBo stole your heart with his big blue eyes that seemed to just grab your very soul. Then, as he grew and learned to move more, he kept your heart by playing with you, swatting at his bottle, or grabbing your nose and giggling. Always giggling. Finally, his coup de grace was curling into you to snuggle. He was the biggest and best snuggler.

That was WiBo’s first five months, heart stealing, day in and day out. He knew exactly what he was doing and he took no days off.

Then, on July 3, 2022, Brittany noticed WiBo was wheezing slightly, and honestly, if WiBo didn’t have AV Canal, we wouldn’t have done anything. But since he did, we reached out to WiBo’s cardiologist who told us to take WiBo to the pediatrician. On Tuesday, July 5, 2022, WiBo (and his big brother, Brock) tested positive for RSV and non-COVID coronavirus.

That week, WiBo was really unaffected, while Brock spiked a fever it broke Wednesday night/Thursday morning and at their checkup on Friday, July 8, 2022, neither boy had a fever and both had clear lungs. Because Brock was still on antibiotics (he had a lagniappe ear infection), Brittany was still taking both boys’ temperatures every morning. On the morning of Sunday, July 10, 2022, neither boy had a temperature, but by 5 PM WiBo had a 102 fever and trouble breathing so we went to the ER.

WiBo was immediately admitted to the Pediatric Cardiac ICU. We didn’t know it at the time, but this was going to be WiBo’s time to shine. Over the next two months, WiBo was constantly climbing hills that turned into mountains but he didn’t stop, he kept climbing. One complication after another, one escalation after another, he just kept moving forward and refused to quit.

I say this was WiBo’s time to shine because this is when he really started departing life lessons on everyone, lessons in strength, lessons perseverance, lessons in family and lessons in raw toughness. Most importantly though, WiBo taught lessons in faith and unconditional love.

The theme of WiBo’s hospital stay became “keep the faith.” In the end, that faith paid off. For about 24 hours, from approximately 1 AM on September 7, 2022 until about 1 AM on September 8, 2022, we got WiBo’s 24 Hour Miracle. WiBo’s edema went down and lung function went up enough for him not only to get Confirmed by Fr. Andrew from St. Catherine (confirmation name: Seelos), but also for the nurses and Child Life staff to be able to clear the floor enough for us to bring Brock up to see WiBo. Once Brock got in WiBo’s room, no one else stood a chance of getting WiBo’s attention. His eyes were locked on his big brother. Brock gave WiBo a plethora of high fives and fist bumps and told him, “I love you, Everett. Get better.”

Simultaneously, WiBo’s friends (Mel, Liz, and Ashley) put together a prayer service for WiBo that was so well attended, it prompted the pastor to say he didn’t get turnouts like this for Sunday mass.

Then as if the clock ran out, at approximately 1 AM on September 8, 2022, WiBo’s edema returned and lung function went back down - both worse than where they were previously.

At 4:30 PM on September 8, 2022, WiBo passed away in his momma’s arms. It does not escape us that WiBo passed away on the Blessed Mother’s feast day.

It cannot be overstated how great WiBo’s PICU team was to not only him but also his parents. No stone was left unturned - to the point that WiBo underwent multiple experimental treatments - and we have zero doubts everything possible to save WiBo was done. One of WiBo’s doctors made a point to tell us that while he learns something from every patient, WiBo wrote a couple chapters on PICU care. From doctors to nurses to respiratory therapists, Thank You.

Similarly, the Child Life Department at Ochsner made an unbearable situation bearable. They made sure WiBo had any and all creature comforts he could and if they didn’t have something (ie a mobile) they made it out of construction paper (ie a “chandelier”). They also went out of their way to not only clear the floor for WiBo to see Brock again but also did various arts and crafts with WiBo so we had various hand/foot print paintings.

Consequently, in lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation in Everett’s name to the Ochsner Child Life Dept. at ochsner.org/Everett

On some levels, it doesn’t feel like WiBo was ever really Brittany and G’s son, rather that WiBo was always an angel who was just on loan to us until he completed his mission.

What was that mission? While we’ll never really know for certain, we choose to believe it was personal to each heart he stole. Some people needed to see strength, grit, and perseverance. WiBo showed them that. Others needed to learn about love. WiBo doled that out in spades. Yet more needed to learn about faith. With his 24 Hour Miracle, he proved God exists and miracles happen every day.

So we keep the faith that we will see WiBo again and when we do, it will be love, love, love.

WiBo is survived by his parents (G and Brittany), a big brother (Brock), grandmas (Queenie and Sassy), grandpa (Poppa K), uncles (Funcle and Matty), Godparents (Uncle Alex and Nan) and countless others including a great grandmother, great aunts & uncles, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his grandpa (Capt. Pop) and numerous great grandparents and beyond.

Services will be held at St. Catherine of Siena, 105 Bonnabel Blvd, Metairie, on Friday, September 16, 2022 with visitation starting at 11 AM and mass at 1 PM with a eulogy prior to mass.