Tuesday's To Do List...

Today is a day in which I need to get lots of things done. That sometimes seems true for everyday at our house, but for some reason especially today. I'm tempted to just write about those things which could be identified as tasks related to the special needs in the family, but the truth is - I have those tasks plus all the regular or normal or "typical" things to get done as well.

Admitting that my "to do" list is considerably shorter than those parents who are also working in "paying jobs", here it is:

• assist young adult son in getting ready for and physically getting to his day program at UCP LINCPoint - he cannot do either without me
• order refills for the prescription drugs that give my son (and myself) a better life
• call the case worker assigned to my adult son's services through the state's Department of Health, and Department of MHMR which assists those with developmental challenges like my son's - we need her help to resolve a problem we have encountered in "the system"
• call and make a payment on special pharmaceutical drugs that are delivered to our home monthly
• call a friend of mine whom I've been neglecting to call, being sidetracked with life's challenges
• spend time cleaning at least one room of this house
• finish folding the laundry that came out of the dryer yesterday
• call a repairman for the electrical problem that we are having
• call a repairman for the appliance problem that we are having
• plot the appointment dates onto the family calendar - includes MY appointments as well as our son's appointments. I want to see where we can fit in our next trip to see our grandchildren in TX!
• call to cancel the appointment made "automatically" by the medical center's clinic, and reiterate, once again, that we cannot attend appointments on Wednesdays
• pick up the refills of prescription drugs and sort them into several containers that are dated and divided by time of day - so that in our haste we do not forget a dose of one of my son's required medications
• call a brother who is having disturbing vision problems
• pick up my young adult son and come home, an adventure of about an hour and a half
• work a few minutes on the project of getting the filed papers in our home organized - steadily making progress!
• do afternoon skin care routine for our young adult son, and other such required things
• okay, and brush my teeth, take MY vitamins, EAT something, 30-walk on treadmill, and 15 minutes outside for "fresh" air
• oh! THINK OF SOMETHING FOR SUPPER, and go ASAP to purchase the ingredients that I can't find in the pantry

That's quite a list, and it's not everything - since I won't be writing here about a lot of what we do for our son .

I cannot face days like these or any day, alone. I must go now and prepare myself for the day, by reading passages in the Bible and by talking personally with the Lord in prayer. It would be foolish to start any other way!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:17 NIV

DAVID TURNS 25 TODAY!!!

It seems impossible. My youngest son is turning 25 … TODAY!

There are lots of reasons I could give for this feeling of impossibility, and many people would instantly identify. However, not so many people would guess correctly the main reason for my feeling this way. You see, on my birthday twenty-three years ago, my husband and I were told that David had less than a year to live. He had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. Nothing in life has been as painful as that moment.

But … David is turning twenty-five today!! YES ! I’m writing today to outwardly proclaim what I’ve been proclaiming inside for the past 23 years: PRAISE GOD for willing that there be a life for this young man, David Allison! His life has changed mine.

I hope you will PRAISE GOD with me for the impact that he and his life have had upon others: our family, our church family, our friends, his friends, and his doctors and teachers. There isn’t anyone who has known David, really known him, who won’t recognize this delighted grin in his pictures below…

So, because the earlier diagnosis was actually incorrect, as discovered by an outstanding doctor (his very own pediatrician from birth)... David has lived to celebrate many birthdays, and TODAY is his 25th!

Praise God for people who do the very best they can at their job… every day! One day, one little “no-longer-significant” blood test provided the information that gave my son his life back. Someone took their responsibility seriously! May we all learn from this, and put everything we have into everything we do. Daily. Someone’s life may depend upon it!

And what a life it has been!! YES, filled with ups and downs! Whose life isn’t? YES, costly in the financial sense. Whose life isn’t? But what a life he has had – fitting in fun whenever he could… garnering pet names for himself, such as Davey-Wavey, Pretzel-Man, Seabiscuit, and now the grown up “Uncle Dave”.

TOMORROW, I'll post his story in pictures - as a part of our celebration!

SO… WILL YOU CELEBRATE DAVID’S 25th WITH US??

In asking you to join in our celebration, please remember that David doesn't need any gifts for his birthday. He doesn’t really want them . He isn’t into THINGS… unless they are chocolate or music - he is only interested in experiencing those, not stockpiling them!

Instead… to those of you who DO know David, or who know OF David, or who have grown to LOVE David… maybe you'd consider contributing a token amount to just one of the following groups, programs, ministries, churches, or facilities. They ALL do an outstanding, remarkable, and NECESSARY job of helping those who need a little help (or a lot!). It'd be great to know that some of these people and organizations would be receiving needed funds to carry on their work with and for people with special needs. David would love that!

How about donating, perhaps 25 dollars (or 25 cents!), to an organization or group that is working to help families and individuals who have special needs? Take a look below at the ones which have directly impacted David’s life.

SPIRITUAL Opportunities…
*Special Connections Ministry at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in Birmingham, AL
... David’s current church friends - providing Sunday School class, friendship, and activities
*The JOY Ministry at Graceview Baptist Church, in Northwest Houston (Tomball, TX)
... David’s church friends, TX - provided him Sunday School, Bible Study, and a Christian Day Hab experience (prior to 2006)
* Sylvania Church, in Tyler TX
... David’s first experience of acceptance and accommodations in a church class … please give in honor of Dona Stone, his first teacher - she welcomed him with open arms!

EDUCATIONAL and CONTINUING EDUCATIONAL Opportunities…
*LINCPoint, by UCP-Birmingham – providing a wonderful set of programs - including the Day Habilitation Program which David currently attends weekdays
*St. Louis School - Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs -giving children with special needs a sense of independence and freedom within appropriate educational settings, and providing therapies and so much more for children with severe disabilities and special needs. (David attended 1992-2000)

RECREATION Opportunities
*Camp CAMP, in TEXAS (David is an 11-year veteran “special” CAMP-er!)
*Camp ASCAA, in ALABAMA (David attends for the first year this year!)
*Special Olympics bowling team – “The JOY Angels “from Graceview Baptist Church

MEDICAL Support and Opportunities…
PLEASE support the Children’s Hospitals…
in TX, AL, or ANY Children’s Hospital near you!

*UT-HSC, Univ. Texas Health Science Center - Houston, TX … provided research benefits, hospitals, and healthcare to David… 2000-2006.
*UAB Clinics and Hospital - Birmingham, AL … providing research benefits, hospital and healthcare to David… beginning 2006.

Thank you for your generosity!
And whatever you decide to do,

Please... tell them,
“David sent me”!

(Replies and comments are welcome. REPLIES to emails containing this information should be sent to: DavidAllison.turns25@yahoo.com COMMENTS to the blog will be monitored, but WILL show up later! : ) Please do not add more than one comment! )

Change of plans...

Once again, we had to change our plans for the day...

Our son David had a seizure this morning as I helped him get dressed for his day. His seizures are pretty vigorous and take a lot out of him. So it's underrstandable that he requires sleep after them.

Anyway, we had a different day than what we expected. I had a day of errands planned, which had to be postponed; and David's plans had to be changed also. Typically, David attends a Day Hab Program every weekday... but not today. Today David spent his time spent resting and sleeping.

I filled my day with things that I would have done while at home in the evenings. My errands will get done another day. One thing we definitely have learned in dealing with our son's epilepsy is to be flexible... we always have a "Plan B".

On Thursday's I typically post a note to the blog called my Thankful List.
This Thursday, I am only adding one item to my list... there'll be more next week.

This week, I'm truly thankful for David's day habilitation program.
The program David attends on weekdays is UCP-Bham's Adult Program at LINCPoint. It's available for young adults with developmental disabilities in the Birmingham area. Our young adults with developmental disabilities are included in one or more of the various things available through UCP. It is an excellent program... with so much to offer!

...