Moving faster than the speed of light! | Thursday, July 7, 2011

Jonathon S. is a 9 year old whirling dervish! Suffering from Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy, he makes the most of every movement, taking in with every sense, touching, seeing and moving to the beat of his own drummer. Diagnosed with the MD at about 11 months old, his Mom knew something wasnt' right. Crawling was delayed and he didn't walk till he was 3 years old. Little does he know, that this disease, without a cure, will have him crawling again in a few short years. Researching Duchene's a bit, I learned that this mostly affects little boys, their physical developement is quite delayed, sometimes there are mental deficits and usually they will be wheelchair bound by their late childhood and will die in their teens. Not a pretty picture of a future for this delightful, active 9 year old.
He's in 3rd grade and his favorite class is, "recess." No kiddiing....this kid is making up for the time lost as an infant and toddler and the time he'll loose in the near future! Already preparing for the inevitable, Jonathon has been matched with a Service Dog, named "Figaro." He and the dog are in the bonding phases and Figaro already preforms simple tasks for Jonathon, but as he physical ability declines, Figaro will become more and more, Jonathon's hands and feet. His Mom says, he's expected to be in a wheelchair by age 11-12.
No wonder he's still trying with all he has to do it all, see it all, feel it all. He's an inspiration. My picture of determination and persistence. How much do we take for granted every day? Think about Jonathon. He's truly a Kourageous Kid!

Labels: Kourageous Kids, Muscular Dystrophy, Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

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Take time for yourself.... | Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Karrie, a nurse, found herself so busy taking care of everyone else, that she missed a mammogram....and time went by, and then STOPPED, when she found a lump in her breast. Shocked, she sought care and found she had cancer. Diagnosed, right in the middle of an adoption process, life came to a screeching halt. But she says, "God wanted me to bring my daughter home, and now we're trying to get life back to normal. A wife, a mother and even a grad student, she found herself so busy that she didn't take care of herself. But now preaches a sermon of, "Don't let yourself go, take care of yourself or you won't be here for your family."
She relies a lot on her sisters, mother, family and friends for support. "I'm so grateful. You really find out who really cares for you...sometimes, it takes my breath away."
When was your last self breast exam? When was your last mammogram and pap smear? Have you taken time for yourself today? A mental break, time to smell the flowers and be thankful for the breath of life? It's so easy to get caught up in the stuff of life, that we don't take time to appreciate those around us or the life we enjoy. Be thankful. Be aware.

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Labels: bald woman, bald women, Be Bold Feel Beautiful, breast cancer, breast cancer awareness, Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

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