ANOTHER AMAZING VICTORY

ANOTHER AMAZING VICTORY

Last week, Damian Jr. experienced a major victory in his educational journey. During a planning meeting at his school, we along with his multidisciplinary team decided that Damian was ready for a full day in a 3rd grade general education class with a paraprofessional supporting and adapting exercises for him, starting in the fall. The pilot inclusion program sponsored by the GA Dept. of Education in 2010 has proven incredibly beneficial for Damian and all involved. Here are a few comments on his amazing progress in 2nd grade where he spends 3-4 hours a day in a general education class:


“Damian is a joy-filled 7 year old boy who loves to learn and enjoys going to school. He currently attends a 2nd grade classroom for three segments per day and thoroughly enjoys being included in the classroom. His strengths are vocal imitation and music. He has recently been exposed to more academic content in the general education classroom. He is able to access the general curriculum using modifications in the assignments. Damian is highly motivated by music which is evident in all environments. The classroom staff tries to use music as much as possible for a reinforcer and for support for learning. Damian's strengths also are in rhythm. This is displayed during calendar time with counting, as well as spelling words in the general education classroom. Damian uses his hands, eye gaze and switches to make choices in the classroom. He uses adaptive equipment to access different parts of the classroom (wheelchair, prone stander and rifton chair). He practices going from sit to stand and does stretches on a mat on the floor to help his range of motion. He uses his parent-supplied communication device as well as other single/multi switch devices to make choices in the self-contained and general education classroom. We have seen a dramatic increase of his imitation and vocalizations in both environments (General and Special Education). Damian has exceeded expectations in the general education environment. No doubt he will continue to do so next year”.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As we face a new year, I am reminded of the many blessings of the past year.

Here are some highlights from 2011...

• A new adaptive red bike presented by Kaiser Foundation & KSU Women’s Softball
• Award winning artwork by Damian Jr – won 1st place in division at school and district levels and 3rd in state
• An incredible deal with local dealership to trade in a family donated jeep for a much needed minivan for “pennies”
• A grant for wheelchair lift for the van from Kiddos Clubhouse
• A grant for an expensive outdoor ramp to give Damian access to the home in a safe way from Fragile Kids Foundation
• A major donation to cover costs neurologic music therapy sessions
• Quick recoveries after hospital stays due to seizures in March & November
• A diaper grant which saves us $70+ a month in supplies
• An opportunity to be featured at a national conference in December for his educational progress
• Treading water for the first time in aquatic therapy
• His amazing progress at school
• His ability to keep us all laughing & smiling

Thanks to all who are apart of Damian Jr's life. We appreciate all of the prayers, love, hard work and support from his family, friends, church members, neighbors, therapists, doctors, caregivers, teachers, school leaders, respite providers, camp leaders, pharmacists, etc. May he continue to be an inspiration to many!

Finding His Voice

FINDING HIS VOICE



God continues to do amazing things in Damian Jr's life. Ever since he was selected by the State of GA's Department of Education to participate in a pilot inclusion program, we have seen tremendous advances. Last year, when Damian was in 1st grade, he had the opportunity to be one of 2 students in the entire state to test out an idea of placing a child with significant special needs in a mainstream class of their peers for a portion of the day. We went through a strengths-based process that highlights who Damian is and how to best cultivate those strengths in a positive environment. So he spent 2-3 hours in english and math classes as well as lunch, art and music each week. The experienced has proven that it is so important to give our children a opportunity to learn and grow in new and creative ways! And for our son, he has had an opportunity to FIND HIS VOICE!

Check out a video that highlights his success and is now used to encourage other teachers, schools, and districts to adopt the program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o__NMJuILM&feature=share

He is in year 2 and continues to advances in significant ways that point to the Damian Jr's love of learning, his teachers/administrators' commitment to excellence, and God's power to amaze all!

ENJOY!

Happy Birthday, Damian Jr!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAMIAN JR!

Today marks a tremendous milestone in Damian's life. He is SEVEN YEARS OLD!

We are so grateful for our little warrior! He has taught us to embrace life in a deeper, richer way and to love God with everything!

We pray for God's Best for his life and that many will believe in God & His miraculous power, grace and love.

We are reminded of the words Damian Jr says often, "God loves you. God loves me. God is good!"

Full of hope!

Damian Jr Keeps It Moving

Damian Jr Keeps It Moving!

In December 2010, we shared our need for an adaptive bike for Damian Jr as he showed that he can pedal for over 75 feet without stopping. Well God has provided, and he is now on the road. So watch out.

Special thanks to the Alexis Kaiser Foundation and Kennesaw State Woman's Softball for presenting him with a beautiful new bike!

As you can see, he is overjoyed!

A Deeper Glimpse into Our Unique World

A Deeper Glimpse into Our Unique World

I wanted to take a moment to share an insider look into raising a child with special needs as many may not fully understand what it takes to care for our children behind the scenes and the toll it takes on the entire family.

Our son recently had his week-long winter break from school, and it wore us out mentally & physically. Please don’t misunderstand the fact that we love our son with everything in us, but this life can be exhausting. Every once in a while, we will hear a person respond in a less favorable manor when we share the smallest glimpse of human weakness in the light of our circumstances. But for the most part, people are compassionate.

Depending on how severe a child’s special needs are determines how much exhaustion and strain it can cause on the family. For instance you can see a child with autism who appears normal to the average person yet who needs constant attention every moment of the day. Then you can have a wheelchair bound child who is totally self-sufficient. I wonder if the variance in the types of special needs is the reason for the stigma.

Our son has what is classified as moderate to severe special needs. He is totally dependant on someone else for his daily activities and needs (i.e. toileting, bathing, eating, transporting, etc). That means that every moment of every day someone needs to within arms reach of this little guy. So when school is out, we are in constant motion. Whether for the bathroom, a drink, or a fallen toy, we must always be there. It’s hard to express how taxing it can become. Not to mention that he is getting bigger in size, and we still must carry him quite a bit to ensure that gets to his destination safely.

But he is still our son, and we love him deeply. He brings us so much joy, and we are more than willing to endure whatever is necessary to ensure his success. At times though our human emotions and strength wanes. I don’t know one parent that prays for a child with special needs, but God sees fit to give them to some of us. It’s a hard journey, but our children are worth it. So, if you see a family with a child with special needs, and they look a little down or tired, don’t judge them too harshly. If you get an opportunity vote for, support, or pray for a family please DO IT. They need all the care they can get.

Written by Damian Sr.

Blessing Minus Cool Points

Blessing minus Cool Points equals Glory for God
If you have been following the Damian Jr.’s Story blog you know about the miracles God has done in the life of our young man. We, his parents, are in constant awe as we are witnesses to the Lord’s hand in his life. We recently wrote about some new developments in his life, one being a donated Jeep Grand Cherokee and the other the needs for his first bike. Well, we witnessed another blessing just a few days ago.

The Jeep, both pretty and masculine at the same, was in need a new engine. As his father I was excited about the opportunity to have a non-minivan vehicle that transported both Damian and all of his equipment. Sadly, it was going to take over $3000 to make that a reality. Realistically, we would ultimately need a minivan, because it would allow us to attach a ramp for ease of entry. So Damian’s mother, being wise and much less vain, began to communicate with repair shops and dealerships to get some donated parts and or services.

We met with a local Jeep dealership owner with the hopes of getting some help in lowering the price of the repair. His assistant had a child with special needs; so there was immediate grace. Then he saw the picture of Damian Jr. and said, “He is so adorable.” We had no intention of getting another vehicle, but the owner emphasized that he would work with us and could get the van for roughly, a few dollars above what they paid for it. They also gave us a mark up on the trade-in value of the Jeep, so that we came out paying almost half of what it would have taken to fix the truck’s engine. It was an amount that we could pay without a car note. Hallelujah!

The greatest anxiety was around the cool points that would be lost now that the minivan was daddy’s main vehicle. I was reminded of the scripture that says, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 10:22 So, cool points aside; God has blessed us with a minivan in true God fashion. Now, we can focus on Damian’s adaptive bike, and we have a vehicle that can carry it along with his other items AND him. To God be the Glory for the things He has done!

Written by Damian Sr.