Who?

These web pages are maintained by us, Greg and Greg. We are a father/son figure skating team from Annapolis Maryland.

The first time the younger Greg was on the ice was when he was 41/2 year old. Dad did most of the holding up while we skated around an outdoor rink in Annapolis (Quiet Waters). We did not do a lot of skating in the years that followed till about 1999. But before I get into our illustrious skating career, I have to explain why skating is such a big deal for both of us.

Greg, the son was born with a heart defect called Tricuspid Atresia. Basically he was missing the Tricuspid valve in his heart and had little blood flow to his lungs. Greg was blessed with having a Pediatrician (Dr. S. Libber) who had connections with Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Dr. Libber was very good friends with the man who would become Greg's Cardiologist, Dr.Zhaka.

When Greg was 2 days old, he underwent a procedure that increased the flow of blood to his lungs. Even with this procedure, his blood/oxygen level would hover in the high 60s. You and I live with a blood/ox level in the high 90s. If we were to dip top the low 90s we would be very sick, and would could not survive levels in the 80s. The doctors attributed Greg's ability to live with such a low blood/ox level to him being an infant. Kids, they say, can put up with things that an adult could not.

This procedure and the ones that followed, would be temporary until Greg was old enough to undergo a major heart surgery called a Fontan. It is named after the French Doctor who first came up with the procedure in the late 1960's.

Greg's condition was now stable and he was on the road to recovery. Now it was time to start thinking when the Fontan would be done. It was decided that he was ready for the surgery by the time he was 2 1/2 years old. As you can imagine this was a lot for a small child to go through, not to mention his parents. During this time, we took precautions to make sure that Greg was not around sick people. Even a cold could prove to be fatal.

The Fontan was scheduled for the end of June 1990. He underwent the heart surgery and for the first time in his life Greg's blood/ox level was up in the 90s. The surgery basically took the major artery that sends blood to the heart in order to be pumped to his lungs and directed it straight to his pulmonary artery (his lungs). The surgery was a success in that it increased the blood flow to his lungs on a permanent basis. No more temporary measures.

About 36 hours after Greg's surgery he began to exhibit some strange physical behaviors. He lost his ability to talk and control his body. Up to this point Greg was a typical 2 year old. Talking in sentences and walking. Now he was slowly loosing those things that we so often take for granted. Within a few days Greg could barely eat, could not sit up or talk, walk, and developed what in medical circles is called coria (dance in Greek) or involuntary movements of his limbs. He also lost the ability to control his eyes. The doctors were at a loss as to what was happening. Out of all the Doctors at Hopkins we found one who had seen it before. Little hope was given to Greg ever being able to regain these functions. So with no hope from those around us, but armed with faith that does not come from this world, we went home. For no reason that could be explained by medical science, I knew Greg would get better. In the early days this faith was tested.

Within seven days, Greg again was home after major open heart surgery and a major neurological insult. Most adults take months to recuperate from the type of invasive surgery Greg went through.

Greg came home having lost many skills and using as his main avenue of communication, crying. As you can imagine this was heart wrenching to new parents, not to mention Greg. Even though he had suffered this loss, it did not affect his intellect. So he could remember all the things he used to be ale to do and now could not. I thank God that though all this Greg's intellectual ability was never affected.

Days, weeks, months and years have gone by. Greg continued to improve every day and regain his lost skills. It took a lot of work on his part but he began to walk, talk and the coria after many months left him. His progress is a miracle.

At 4 1/2 when Greg first took to the ice he was still having many problems walking and running. When he began skating more seriously at age 10, he had overcome most of his physical problems. So for Greg to participate in figure skating and now in hockey (as a goalie) is a big deal. He might never be an Olympic competitor but he has achieved beyond what anyone would have given him credit for just a few short years ago.

If you went to 2004 WFSC New Years Adult Invitational you might have seen him there. He was there with me, encouraging me and playing coach when mine was not available for me.

Greg has now begun to move into adulthood. He is a freshman at Anne Arundel Community College and is having a great time. We also bought an old 66 mustang for him and it was restored at Jack the Greek Garage in Annapolis. He is an amazing 20year old, who God put on this earth for many reasons that I am just now beginning to understand.

Special thanks to all the people who have touched our lives. God bless you all.

I passed my USFSA Bronze test and have passed up to freestyle 4 in ISI. I am currently working on my axel and a few double jumps. I teach both group lesson and private lessons at the rinks close to home. Thanks to Carrie and Chris for giving the chance to help with group lessons at the Bowie rink. If you want to learn to skate, write me. I have worked with pre-schoolers to adults.

Figure Skating is my golf. A way to focus on something besides the worries and problems of life. I enjoy seeing others improve at this extremely difficult sport. I have met many exceptional people while skating these past 9years. To you I say thanks for the encouragement and friendship.

Why create this site? We are doing it to try and create a clearing house of information about figure skating in Maryland. We hope you get something useful out of it.

To contact us send an e-mail to mdskating@gmail.com

This page is maintained by Greg and Greg for the love of the sport.
Last date modified is 01/21/2008