We made a post a few weeks ago celebrating our son's official discharge from outpatient Speech and Occupational Therapies after 8 WHOLE YEARS of weekly appointments at various facilities across the state. Of course we wanted to make a big deal out of this day, but we were a little bummed that his response was not nearly as excited as ours. You see...this is all he has ever known. His entire memory of his life involves therapy appointments. Plus, he still has these services in school, in addition to at home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy too...but he wanted to do something for the clinic and something for the kids that still have to go every week until they reach their discharge date too. So, we created a Facebook fundraiser to gather funds to purchase an Xbox 360 with the Kinect Sensor and games for the Kinect. In talking with his occupational therapist, and then seeing the cost of the items, we were actually able to collect enough funds to purchase two consoles and sensors (and all the parts and pieces), in addition to the games, as the clinic is expanding and will have additional rooms to offer. He was so excited to raise the money and be able to do something that brings something kids love to inside the therapy setting as well.
The other thing we did was collect some of my remnant fabrics, and pieces that were smaller than what we usually need for gowns, or we just have so much of for gowns and donated it to Sharing the Weight. Many years ago we received a weighted blanket from Angel Love Boxes, but like many organizations do to the overwhelming response and not enough funding, they closed their doors. He outgrew that weighted blanket a couple years ago, but we held onto it until we could either afford one or find another organization that made them at a reduced costs, which is how we found Sharing the Weight. I had forgotten I even submitted for him when an e-mail came through asking to confirm if we needed one, and that our number would be up soon to choose a pattern. I was ecstatic over this news, and he picked out this bear print! We covered the shipping costs and then paid it forward by randomly drawing a name from our Facebook post offering it up.
We sent fabric for at least 20 weighted blankets to be made for other children on their wait list. I am not sure how much they need for each size, so my fingers are crossed that more than one may come from some of the fabrics. I hope the children who receive the blankets made from these prints feel the same benefits from their blanket as David does...it is the one thing he has to have at night besides his momo.
Thank you to all our therapists at Fox Speech Therapy, UVA Children's Hospital, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, and Children's Hospital of Richmond (in Fredericksburg)...without each of you, this amazing little of mine would not be the young man he is becoming. Because of you we had hope, we never gave up (even on the hardest of days), we kept moving - though sometimes it was backwards, we learned how to work with him, how to help him, how to understand the world as he sees it...and were able to teach him to see himself for more than his diagnosis. I am forever in your debt.
Thank you to all our therapists at Fox Speech Therapy, UVA Children's Hospital, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, and Children's Hospital of Richmond (in Fredericksburg)...without each of you, this amazing little of mine would not be the young man he is becoming. Because of you we had hope, we never gave up (even on the hardest of days), we kept moving - though sometimes it was backwards, we learned how to work with him, how to help him, how to understand the world as he sees it...and were able to teach him to see himself for more than his diagnosis. I am forever in your debt.
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