Summer Time Blues

  I'm so far behind on my blog I'm going to include 3 videos!

 

 

 

  In the first video,  I drove up to Spruce Lake in the Poconos to talk to people from Joni and Friends, which is a camp for Special Needs kids AND their families. Joni Earikson Tada is well known in Christian circles. She is a radio personality, public speaker and is on TV. She was in a diving accident years ago and is in a wheelchair. Now she heads up a whole ministry to people with Special Needs.

 

They have an office in Philadelphia and they help churches set up Special Needs Ministries. This includes Sunday School classes as well as support groups and outreach to the whole family, not just the children. They are a wealth of knowledge and support. I was a bit overwhelmed with how big this could become.
  Last month someone handed me a book called "Same Lake Different Boat", written by a woman who runs Special Needs Ministries. When I went up to meet the woman from Joni and Friends, she suggested I may want to read a book....you guessed it, same book. She said to contact the author. I haven't done it yet, but I will soon.

 

 

   For now I've decided to start up a support group for parents, open to the community, not just people from church, to gather together and talk, hang out, share information and just feel like they have a safe place to gather and talk and make new friends. I would like to eventually start up a Sunday School class for kids with severe disabilities like Robbie and hire a teacher with a degree of "Teacher of the Handicapped", but for now I'll start with one thing at a time.

 

Episode 47- Camps and Support Groups

 

The following week Robbie had the longest seizure he has ever had, lasting 4 minutes 20 seconds. He was taken to the hospital in the ambulance and when I arrived to the emergency room, he was completely out of it, eyes closed, unresponsive, and frankly it scared me to see him like that. It took a couple hours for him to come around. Whenever we are there, he just wants to sleep, so he turns around on all fours, and pulls the blanket up over his head to make it darker. Then he starts pulling off all the leads, wires and eventually the IV. That's when Mom steps in and goes all "Terms of Endearment" and starts pressing the doctors and nurses to let him go home. They were really good at this hospital and when Robbie started to come around, they sent him home.

 

Episode 48- Seize The Day

 

The next day after the seizure he was tired all day. Then on Saturday I took him to the beach and he was like a new guy! I kept Robbie seated in a chair by the water, feeling that's the safest position just in case of a seizure. Also, my sister in law went with me, who is a nurse, just in case. But there was no need to worry. This is my favorite video of all because Robbie is so happy and playful and you'll see how he teases me and will even hear him laugh!

Episode 49- Beachin'

 



Water Week!

  

     It seems all Autistic kids love the water and Robbie is no exception! Both videos today feature Robbie in the water. I swear if he could live in the water, he would! He is in and out like a dolphin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the first video we go to visit my little Godson, Nicky. When Nicky's Mom was pregnant with him, the Doctors told her he would be Mentally Disabled and to abort him. She called me distraught. I told her my point of view which I share in the video. Nicky's Mom even let me interview her about the whole ordeal.

   I took Robbie to Nicky's fourth birthday party in their backyard. Robbie loves the water, so he went and got in Nicky's kiddie pool. He was mellow at first, but then you'll see it turned into a full out water gun party and Robbie had the biggest smile on his face ever!

July 4, 2014

 

   July 4th fell on a Friday this year so it was a whole weekend event. Robbie's group home called me on Wednesday to ask if I was planning to take him home for the weekend. Ummm, no! I didn't know I was supposed to! But everyone else was going home and there would be no staff, so I had to scramble to find something for him to do!

 

   I sent out an S.O.S. on facebook and thankfully I got a response! Day 1 we went to a cousin's house who also has a daughter (my age, much older than Robbie) with Special Needs who lives in another group home. They have a pool for their daughter and we went there. Robbie really enjoyed it.

 

Again, something else I didn't plan, was to go swimming. I did not bring a bathing suit and just sat on the edge of the pool as Robbie swam. Well, he decided I need to come in!

   The next day we were invited to a friend's house who just put in a new pool for their Autistic son.

 Robbie loved it. You'll see he is in his glory! This is probably one of my favorite videos of him because he is very mischievous and very happy!