Jurevicius' son remains in hospital

Seven weeks after being born with problems with his lungs, Michael continues to fight despite the odds being against him.

By ROGER MILLS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 6, 2003

TAMPA -- It was in November, long before his son, Michael, was born with a problem with his lungs, that Bucs receiver Joe Jurevicius made a decision to do something for children with disabilities.

Children, he said, always had captured his imagination. Seeing them sick always had tugged at his heart.

Jurevicius, who just completed his first season with the Bucs, signed on to be a key figure for the Easter Seals Corporate VIP Program to help raise money for children with special needs.

Michael still is in hospital fighting tall odds.

"He's doing his job," Jurevicius said. "He's still sick, and we go every day and build off of every day's visit with him, twice a day still. We're very fortunate parents. He has given me so much. He turned 7 weeks (Tuesday), and it seems like he should be 3 years old now. That's how slowly time seems to be going.

"I've said from day one that my son's a fighter, and it's no different in Week 7. We knew going into it that he was going for a very long swim, and he's not out of the water yet. He's still swimming. I think he's swimming across the world right now. He's a strong and courageous kid. He was given a 2 percent chance of making it right after birth, two days, that was it. Now, we're here at 7 weeks."

And Michael's fight has motivated his already inspired father to help make a difference.

"I've always been a pretty happy person, and I've always enjoyed people and kids," said Jurevicius, whose late-season play was critical to the Bucs' Super Bowl championship. "Now that I have my own kid, I think what's going to change is how involved I'm going to get with Easter Seals and March of Dimes and any other charity that's out there to help kids.

"My kid is sick. I hate seeing him sick. I hate seeing other kids sick. I hate seeing people having to constantly worry about are they getting better. It's heartbreaking. The way I have changed is that I'm going full speed ahead to attack anything that I possibly can to help these kids get better. And if I could put a smile on my kid's face or any other kid, I'm going to do it."

Wednesday, Jurevicius helped kick off the Easter Seals program by imploring hundreds of sponsors and potential financial donors "to make an effort to make a difference" and realize "how simple it is to get involved."

"Long before Joe had his own personal challenges, it was clear to us that he was a really special person with kids and cared about kids," said Julie Wills, associate executive director of the program. "I guess now it makes it more meaningful to him, and we're pleased to have him be a part of it."

Jurevicius said he would have it no other way.

"It's a way to maybe motivate people out there to raise money," he said. "Now the ultimate goal is for there to have no more sick kids out there or for everyone that has an existing illness in this world; that it's conquered and they can go on living their healthy normal life."

Accompanied by his wife, Meagan, the 28-year-old drew on his experiences of the past two months, specifically of the time of Michael's birth and the pending playoff games.

Early in the week, while the Bucs were preparing for the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia, Meagan went into labor and delivered Michael on Jan. 14, a few weeks premature. The baby had critical complications, and Joe did not practice that week. He did not fly with the team but arrived Saturday for the game Sunday.

With Michael's survival uncertain, Jurevicius had a 71-yard reception that helped jump-start the Bucs to a 27-10 victory. He returned to Meagan and Michael, stayed and rejoined the team in San Diego three days later and had four catches for 78 yards in a 48-21 victory against the Raiders.

But now that the euphoria is over, Joe and Meagan are fully entrenched in helping Michael pull through and helping others realize what role they can play.

"I joke with the doctors in the hospital now that give me another two weeks, and I'm going to take their jobs over," Jurevicius said. "First off, the doctors and nurses and caretakers of people with children with illness, they're the ones who are the heroes. They're the ones who went to school and did more studying and more note-taking and more researching than I could ever imagine. Those are the people that I would like to commend."

Although Michael remains in hospital, months away from possibly going home, Jurevicius said there is no time to feel sorry or wallow in self-pity. Michael, he said, is a fighter. And his parents will be as well.

"Michael is going to be facing some development issues with his lungs not functioning," Jurevicius said. "But that's why my wife and I were put in this position. I'm a firm believer that we wouldn't be given a child with development issues if we couldn't handle it."