Happy Birthday Matt!

Dearest Matt!

Happy 3rd Birthday big guy! We hope you have a fantastic day celebrating and eating cake and all the goodies you love! Wish we were with you to celebrate and will have some chocolate on you to wish you happy birthday! Have a stunning day and thanks for being such a big part of Deqlans prayer army!

Lots of love and hugs

Mark, Samm , Deqlan and Logan

Gabriella Rocco

Gabriella now has her victory in Christ! She has claimed her reward in Heaven. Thank You Jesus for delivering her from all of her afflictions, and for giving her eternal life in your Kingdom.
Mommy, Daddy, and Samantha love you so much Gabby-Gabs. Thank you for being you and showing us all how to live for, and love the Lord.

FANTASTIC NEWS!

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE ! DEQLAN REMAINS NED THANK YOU DEAR LORD JESUS AND THANK YOU DEAR PRAYER ARMY FOR PRAYING FOR OUR SOLDIER! WE ARE ELATED, WE ARE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL BEYOND WORDS AND CONTINUE TO THANK YOU LORD FOR THE MIRACLES YOU CONTINUE TO PERFORM IN DEQLAN AND OUR LIVES!

The VMA/HMA levels where raised by .4 so at 10.4 - normal at 9.8, but his creatinin level , which is protein in his urine ( i am sorry for the spelling) is extremely low - this has an effect on the numbers on could give a slightly higher reading, so taking this in to account, all normal. Next time we are going to limit his juice intake, and anyone who knows Deqlan knows the incredible amount of juice and water he drinks - this could be flushing the creatinin out and causing the low level - his diet is fantastic when it comes to protein, Deqlan loves fish, chicken and cheese , so it cant be the diet causing the low level. So we shall try this out when we return 15 August for blood and urine tests and ultra sound, and then get results 25 August.

Overall Dr De Jager very very happy with our soldier and says he is in great health and great shape. He is up to 13.9kg !

Thank you so very very much for all your messages , emails, calls, and above all prayers - we are blessed to have the most amazing family , friends and friends from around the world we who hope to one day meet, praying for our beautiful Deqlan - God Bless you all as you have all been blessings in our lives

We saw our dear little friend Ruan there, he has his bone marrow biopsy today and we ask you for EXTRA EXTRA special prayers that his marrow is clear and we can start the bone marrow transplant process asap - will keep you up to date on all the projects they plan on raising money for this soldier

Thank you so much to Nadia for bringing ANOTHER bag of pjs for snug as a bug from her boss, Steven. Dearest Steven , thank you so very very very much for your lovely bag of pjs and blankets sent with Nadia - they are going to make a huge difference to these very special children, thank you so very much for opening your heart and your generosity , it is so appreciated

Also congrats to Nadia and Stephan on their great news that they are expecting again! Congrats guys what a wonderful news day today is!

God Bless and lots and lots of love
Mark, Samm, Deqlan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!

CHANGE OF PLANS

Hello Deqlans Army

Please get your camo and green out a day earlier then planned - Dr De Jager cant see us on Friday , so we have changed the appointment to 1330 tomorrow, Thursday

I must say in a way I am a little happier that we don't have to wait to Friday, but i must say the nerves have definitely kicked in. I don't think it gets easier each time you wait for results - even though you tell yourself, next time, i wont let the nerves get to me as much, they still seem to. As i tell everyone else to do, i got to turn my worries into prayers and continue to trust, have faith and belief in Our Lord that the results are going to be normal and that Deqlan remains NED always.

So please say a prayer for our soldier that we get great news tomorrow, promise to let you know as soon as I possibly can. Thank you for your continued prayers and for all the lovely messages you leave on the blog, they are read with such thanks and love and they lift us up knowing how many people still follow and pray for our beautiful Deqlan.

We had a very successful speech and ot session yesterday. Deqlan did want to get out of the room first, but when we persisted in distracting him he eventually settled down and started to play with the toys in the room! He played with cars and books and loved some blocks made out of foam - i hid the blocks behind my back and then put them on my head and then on Deqlans and he gave such beautiful eye contact and giggles of laughter and then tired to repeat the blocks on his head himself! We are so impressed! Anri Louise then put shaving cream on a mirror ( Deqlan was previously enjoying looking at himself in the mirror) and he took great delight in touching this funny stuff and then proceeded to smear it all over the mirror! When we looked again, it was an hour after being in the room and Deqlan actually had his sessions in the room - what a break through ! Nanna discovered that by putting the chairs in front of the door, it does seem to distract him more from wanting to get out all the time. The amazing thing was, when we moved the chairs - we thought Deqlan would bolt to the door, but , he continued to play in the room! We are so proud of you my boy and hope this streak continues - if we can keep him in the room and his attention on the activities in the room we are sure he will learn so much more!

Deqlan continues to climb onto, around, in, out of anything he can - i love watching him do this but stand close by to ensure he doesn't hurt himself unnecessarily

We found a new story on tv , called IN THE NIGHT GARDEN- which Deqlan LOVES - HE LAUGHS CONTINUOUSLY at the little characters on the screen - where this writers get their ideas from i will never know, but hey it works , as Deqlan has become an avid fan! He still loves his Dub the most though, and continues to carry him around and give him loves !

Congrats to Dada, my wonderful husband, for coming second in a huge golf day he played in yesterday! Well done my love!

We must say a huge congrats to Logan - we read 97 Afrikaans words at her reading competition at school on Monday - wow - Logs - we are so proud of you and you are going to have to teach your little brother how to read very soon as he loves books just a much as you do! Love you and miss you Logs!

Also a huge thank you to Karen for being so thoughtful and spoiling me rotten by sending me to Lisle for a wonderful and amazingly relaxing facial - it was wonderful and it was great to meet Lisle! You always think of others Karen and you are an amazing family , thank you so much!

Please say a prayer for our gorgeous Deqlan and for all our friends around the globe fighting so bravely God Bless you all and have a great day

Lots of love
Mark, Samm and Deqlan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

a tribute from Nanna and Grandpa

A TRIBUTE OF LOVE AND HONOUR

TO OUR PRECIOUS AND TREASURED

D E Q L A N R O S S H I G G I N S
25th May 2008

Exactly one year ago today, God gave you a very special “cross” to carry in your life. You have taken up the challenge with bravery and courage and a strength, determination and faith that has made you victorious in your “war”. It is NOT for us, as your loving family, to question God’s intentions when He chose YOU to bear this “cross” but we accept His will in sincere faith and trust in His purpose.

When we recall all the events and relive some of the moments in the last year, we are filled with a sense of disbelief but predominantly with a humility that God has been gracious, merciful and faithful to His promises when He answered our prayers for you. We give God, His Healing Saviour Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all the glory for the fact that today, exactly one year after your diagnosis, that we can proclaim His miracle that you are NED. In our faith, we can also declare NED as we will “Never Ever Doubt” how much God loves us, wants the best for us, knows the plans He has for us and that HE will ALWAYS walk beside you and your family, all the days of our lives.

As a “little man full of prayer”, we are certain God has a VERY SPECIAL PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR YOU, DARLING DEQLAN. You are a great teacher, a faith-builder, a trust-certifier, a courageous warrior and a determined, passionate soldier for the Lord. Your medal, presented to you today, is ‘THE WHEEL OF FAITH” and this wheel is to guide and drive you in your journey of life. With Jesus at the top and centre of the wheel, may we always remember that He also suffered on the cross to save us, so He truly understands anguish, pain and suffering. The ten points on the wheel depict:

COURAGE - FAITH - TRUST - STRENGTH - LOVE - HOPE

HUMILITY - ACCEPTANCE - PATIENCE - CHARITY

You are a blessed, beloved and special child of God. We love you so very much. Thank you for the blessing you are in our lives, thank you for all the lessons you have taught us and we thank you for all the joy, love, happiness and every smile you have brought us. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives. Our continued prayer is that God, His Healing Son and Saviour, Jesus and the Holy Spirit continue to bless you in every way and on every level and that your NED status remains all the days of your life.
With all our love,
Nanna & Grandpa

now and then 25 MAY 2007 AND 25 MAY 2008

THE NED CANDLE NANNA CREATED ON 16 JAN 2008, WAS LIT TODAY TO CELEBRATE






25 MAY 2008












ROUND THE 25TH OF MAY 2007

A day of thanksgiving

Today, exactly 1 year ago, 25 May 2007, Deqlan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma



We have decided to make today a day of thanks giving for what has happened to Deqlan and our family in the last year - most importantly we are thankful for Our Lord healing Deqlan and that he has no evidence of disease. We are thankful that He lead us through this year, and picked us up on days where we did not know where to turn next, I asked the Lord this very day 1 year ago to give us the shoes to walk this journey , and that He did and more. I am thankful for Dee and my Mom that went out of there way to make everything is convenient and as easy as they could for us, stopping at nothing to esure Deqlans happiness and that he has the best possible environment to heal in. For every single step and day that my Mom has walked this journey with us. For Conrad, Meggie and Keaton for being their every step of the way , taking every chance to see us and support Deqlan while in hospital, for running errands for us and taking phone calls when we did not have words for all who called to find out about Deqlan. For Great Grandpa and Great Nan for making us wholesome, nutritous food for Deqlan to enjoy and mostly for your prayers and cheery phone calls and complete faith that Deqlan would be fine. Thankful to Logan, for being the most amazing sister in the world, at the ripe old age of 6 , her whole world to be turned upside down but not being able to see her brother for over 1 year now. To Aunty Rene and Uncle Quintin for taking Logan on the weekends and making her feel loved and special.For Kevin and Louise, Tyler and Gaynor who where there to support Mark. For all the gifts, calls, messages, emails, visits and above all prayers.To each and every single one of you , for making a difference in Deqlan and our lives. For reading our blog and leaving messages of inspiration and encouragment and support. For all our of you for following our journey I am thankful for the amazing family and friends , new and old, we have in Deqlans prayer army and for the lessons we have learnt along the way. The families that are in the same boat as us, that offered invaluable information and advise, and where just there to listen. For the prayer groups that formed around the world to pray for our soldier. For all of you who continue to help in all the projects we set out on to help fellow cancer warriors. I am thankful for Dr Dejager and all he has done and continues to do for Deqlan, for all the medical staff that have helped us and touched our lives, especially Dr Muller who resolved all the problems Deqlan encountered from his previous surgeries and for Prof Beale for the AMAZING job he did with removing the remainder of the tumor. We are grateful for the wonderful follow up results we have recieved, and pray that we continue to recieve them. I am thanful for the Nuns and volunteers that popped in while Deqlan was having chemo to say a prayer and give an encouraging word.We are thankful for those of our friends that made us dinner! I am thankful that Deqlans immune system has stayed so strong and that he had no major side effects from chemo. I am thankful for our amazing parish, for all their love and support and above all, their prayers. We are thankful that God trusted us with Deqlan, and that Deqlan chose us to be his parents. We are thankful that Deqlans speech and occupational therapy are helping him and that he learns something new each day. We are thankful for every smile, every giggle, every hug, everytime Deqlan takes our hand, every word he so lovingly says, every cuddle, every single second God has given us with Deqlan is a precious and priceless gift.

Nanna compared Deqlans journey to a bridge of faith that has been built of the last year - we had to get to the other side, and every prayer,every word of encouragement , every positive test result, each time God lifted us up to carry on, each one of you have been the wood, the nails, the rope , that helped build the bridge and help get us to the other side, thank you.

To Our Darling Boy Deqlan , you are our hero - there is not enough times we could say we love you, their is not enough space to show you the hugeness of our love for you . We are so very very proud of you. I sit here today and think back on the last year of what you had to go through and endure, and we are in awe , as most people would never even have to go through 10% of what you already have. I can not explain how this day 1 year ago,changed our hearts and lives forever - at the time we where shattered, completely and i dint not know how we where going to put all the pieces together again. But The Lord , showed us how, He picked up all the pieces, He shone the light on the path He had laid out for us, He gave us the shoes to continue on this path. Know, that if Dada and I could have taken this away from you - we wouldve it a heartbeat - there is no greater pain i have ever known, then watching you in the hospital bed , in pain, with toxic chemicals flowing into your tiny body ,not knowing what tommorow held - But Our Lord Healed you my Darling Boy , and we pray he continues to have mercy on you and on us and spare you for many ,many , many more healthy and happy years. We pray to the Lord for the absolute honor and privilige and gift of seeing you go to play group, make friends, learning how to ride a bike ( not a motorized one , please!) , going to primary school, being in the school play, going to watch you at sports days, getting up to mischief with Logan and Keaton, going to high school, falling in love, travelling, studying, getting married and having children and grand children of your own - coming to church, and being an inspiration and help to others who have gone through the same journey as you have. You are our hero, our inspiration, our universe and everything in between - we are honored to be your Dada and Mama, we are so proud of you and love you more and more each day our beautiful Deqlan.

Please say an extra special prayer this week for our soldier, as we recieved our test results on Friday the 30th of May.

Deqlan continues to thrive and do so well - he loves paging through his books, finding his favorite pictures of frogs and zebras and then he runs to show mark and I , with such a proud look on his face! His eye contact is fantastic and has improved tremendously over the last week.Deqlan is also a lot more verbal - there are lots of words we are still trying to understand and will probably have to take a course to understand, but its music to our ears - nothing more beautiful then hearing Mama or car or kitty with such love and enthusiam. Dada has seen Deqlan clap twice while watching a specific clapping song on his beloved Clamber club dvd - we are so excited about this development to. He even tried to feed me with a spoon and he tried to brush my teeth this is fantastic for imaginative play and I cant well to tell the girls on tuesday - they are going to be so excited.

Our solider continue to have a bit of teething trouble with the last tooth that is trying to come through - he wasnt a happy chap yesterday and he cheeks turned a very bright red - but they are much better today and he seems a lot more content, shame, its nearly through my boy!

Thank you to Nix and Darryl for the stunning pjs! They are gorgeous and i can see some very happy little boys and girls proudly showing off their cool skateboard and monkey pjs - thank you so much guys for all you have done and continue to do for us, you are amazing friends and i pray you to recieve many blessings!

Today, is also the day that The Stanford family leave south africa to start their brand new journey in Australia - we are going to miss you like crazy - but we are so proud of you making such a huge decision for your children. Go and spread your wings and take on the world! Make the most of it and as we said yesterday, this is not good bye, 'its see you later mate!' We love you guys and stay the amazing family you are - Shaz, you have been our friend and sister for over 14 years and we have been through so much together - i am going to miss you my dearest friend, always know you have someone in South africa, praying for you to have the time of your life and sending you lots of love.

I also wanted to thank Kevin and David , who helped us raise the funds for Ruan , at the golf day last week - thank you so much guys for stepping in and being so enthusiastic about helping us save our little friend, thank you.

The Baby Therapy centre asked me to write an article on Deqlans journey, to encourage other parents at the centre - i thought id post it today for you to read

Have a great week, please , please continue to pray for our soldier and for his results to be NORMAL on friday and that he remains NED ALWAYS.

God Bless, all our love, and thanks for all you have done for Deqlan, his fellow warriors and our family over the last year , we shall always be there for all of you to
Mark, Samm & Deqlan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE


We were blessed with the most beautiful baby boy Deqlan on the 11th of September 2006

He stole our hearts and we instantly fell in love with this gift from God

Deqlan was a happy and healthy contented baby, except for a bout of colic which he soon outgrew. He reached his milestones month by month and blossomed into an active toddler.

A worrying bruise on Deqlan’s eyelid, which cause remained unknown, could not be solved by our then paediatrician or an eye specialist. Within the duration of 1 month, we insisted on a scan to get to the source of the cause of the bruise

The very last thing I expected to hear was, “we think your son has neuroblastoma, a cancer”. Neuro what? I remember just feeling blank and cold and heartbroken - nothing I could do or say was going to change this for my baby boy.

We were lead to a fantastic oncologist within 3 hours of having done the scan, Dr De Jager, who took very good care of Deqlan from the very first moment we met him.

The next week and month that followed were the worst of our lives – Deqlan had to go through several procedures, scans and tests to confirm the diagnosis. It was confirmed that Deqlan has stage 4 neuroblastoma. The main tumor started close to his adrenal gland and had spread to behind his left eye and 7 other areas of bone in his little body. A haematoma, a blood clot, formed in his intestine after the biopsy of the tumor was performed. This delayed chemotherapy for at least 1 week and during this time Deqlan’s eye bulged out of the eye socket and turned black and blue. After our first session of chemo, Deqlan became terribly ill, and it was found that an incisional hernia had occurred during the previous surgery he had to repair the first blockage. So the start of this journey for Deqlan was extremely tough – he still managed to laugh and smile and give us endless amounts of love each day.

We have always believed in Our Lord and Saviour, but this journey cemented our Faith in the most amazing way – God carried us when I didn’t think we were going to get through the day – He lead us in decisions we thought we would never have to make or even think about – He ultimately healed our beautiful Deqlan.

Deqlan, means full of prayer – A prayer army was formed for Deqlan and people from all walks of life, all around the world, stood firm in their faith and prayed for Deqlan’s healing. The amazing family and friends and lessons we have learnt along this journey are an absolute gift.

After 11 rounds of chemo, 4 surgeries, countless scans and x-rays, blood and urine tests, Deqlan was announced to have NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE on the 16th of January 2008. What a wonderful God we serve, what miracles He has performed in Deqlans and in our lives.

Deqlan’s immune system was basically wiped out during chemotherapy and the little vaccinations he did have at 8 months were also destroyed by the chemo .

We had to avoid public places, people, children, any sick person, even our pets and Deqlan’s half sister. We had to ensure that the house was as clean and germ free as possible. We did everything we possibly could to create the safest environment in which Deqlan would recover.

Because of these restrictions, Deqlan could not mingle with children, as the risk of him picking up something from them was far too great and could jeopardise the next round of chemo, or even his life.

A few months after chemo was completed and Deqlan pronounced NED, we decided to focus on other areas of Deqlan’s health and well being. His speech was not where other little 18 month olds were and he did not have a great concentration span, so could not sit with a toy for a long amount of time.

In a few short weeks of occupational and speech therapy sessions, we have seen great improvements in our soldier,. From saying one word, he is now saying quite a few and he can sit and play with his favourite toys, namely cars, for a longer period of time. He is more expressive and generally improving as each week goes on. We have great hope and faith that working together with his therapists, Deqlan will continue to thrive and reach his full potential.

I would first of all say that to get through a journey like this, you need to have your Faith in God -with Him, all things are possible.

We are totally blessed to have the most amazing support structure I could ever imagine.
Within the first ten minutes of Deqlan being diagnosed, my mom said she would be with us every step of the way, and that she has done and more. Between Mark, (Deqlans dad), Nanna and Meggy, (Deqlans godmother and aunt), I had someone with me around the clock, even if they watched Deqlan and I as we were sleeping, they never left us alone in those first few dark and worrying days. Deqlan’s Nanna attended every test, every day in hospital, every chemo session, every surgery, every celebration as we received great news. Nanna still continues to keep to her word, by attending every single speech and occupational therapy session with us.

The other huge support structure I had was the other parents in the same boat as Mark and I – parents who understood what we were talking about when we spoke about VMA tests and MIBG scans- people who understood the fear and anxiety, or absolute joy of hearing your child is NED. You can chat to the doctors, you can read in books and on the internet – but meeting families in the same situation and getting support from them, is something I will always treasure and want to give back to anyway I know how.

The most important lessons I have learnt from this, is that God is great and He gives to those who ask in Faith.

The other is not to take anything for granted. To treasure each day, each moment, each giggle, each word, each hug. Forget about things that don’t matter and focus on what does. There is no greater gift I will ever receive, than my beautiful warrior, Deqlan Ross Higgins.

Congratulations Grant and Coreen!

Dearest Grant and Coreen,

A huge congratulations on your engagement!

I couldnt think of two people who deserved more love , happiness and joy!

We wish you a lifetime of happines, love, happiness and for God's love to continue to guide you always

Enjoy the celebrations , we are so very very happy for you!

God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan and Logan

Happy Birthday Ruth

Dear Ruth

We hope you had a fabulous Birthday yesterday and you spent the day celebrating !

Thank you for being so supportive and for all your prayers for Deqlan ! You deserve to be showered with Blessings from above!

Have a wonderful year ahead, God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm & Deqlan

teething trouble

Both the boys are teething! Keaton his first tooth and Deqlan his last tooth! Keaton has his first taste of a teething ring and loved it! Deqlan is a pro by now, its his 20th tooth, he can manage to get anything and everything in there ! His favorite is his dolphin or pieces of mango - shame, this last tooth is definitely worrying Deqlan but hopefully its nearly out!

Music to our ears

I recieved a STUNNING surprise this afternoon.

Kathy has sent over 50 little walkman radios for our CHOC warriors! I am blown away Kath - i cant even begin to say thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for us and for CHOC. i am speachless today at the amount of love that has poured in , and so grateful to you. I cant wait to see the kids faces when they put the headphones on on realise this is their own personal little radio - i can tell you that this, is going to make many a lonely day and night , that more bearable. Bless you Kath for gift of kindnesss and love , thank you so very very very much!

I cant wait to package them together with the pjs and hand to each beautiful child - what an amazing day that is going to be for them!

God Bless, thank you and lots of love
Mark, Samm , Deqlan and all our warriors

Thank you thank you and thank you again!

The pjamas continue to pour in - we are once again so grateful and blessed by your generosity and supporting us in all we set out to do , in order to help others.

Thank you so very very much to Cynthia and Tania for the GORGEOUS pjs and warm socks! They are to beautiful! I just adore the duck ones, if they came in my size, i would definitely get myself a pair! They are all beautiful and the kids are going to love them! Thank you for all your support and prayers for Deqlan and our other warriors! We appreciate it so much, thank you!

Sam, my dear friend, you always come through for us, you always jump in at every chance to help and you always get the kids at school to help you - thank you from the bottom of our hearts for always being there for us. Thank you to the crew at Southdowns school for the fantastic collection of pjs recieved - Tammy, Sarah , Shezenn and Megan - you are amazing and i am in awe of the huge contribution you girls have made, thank you so very much for us and all the kids! Every single pair is beautiful and will be worn with so much joy and pride!

God Bless you all and shower you with His blessings as you continue to give to us and others
Lots of love, thanks and gratefulness
Mark, Samm, Deqlan and our army!

Spencer Dolling

Spencer went home to be with Our Lord today - please say a very special prayer for this amazing warrior and his family, God Bless you all.

http://www.caringbridge.org/canada/spencer/

Thank you thank you Thank you

Dear Nadia, Stef & Aiden, Johanette & Norbert, Jeanne & Anton,

THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND GORGEOUS PJS WE RECIEVED YESTERDAY.

They are to beautiful for words! The amount of love and effort you put into choosing them and then packaging them is amazing. There are bundles wrapped with blue ribbon for the boys and pink for the girls . Packaged with slippers and socks and gowns..the parcels are beautiful and the kids are going to love unwrapping them and discovering the brand new pjs , which you bought with so much love for them. From bunnies, to spacemen and soccer pjs -you have made so many little ones dreams come true and i know they are going to have such beautiful dreams in their new pjs.


Thank you all for your generosity, huge hearts and willingness to help in our project

God Bless , all our love and thanks
Mark, Samm , Deqlan and all the choc warriors

Happy Birthdays!

Dear Katie!

A very Happy 14th Birthday to you for the 20th! We hope you had a fantastic day! May all your dreams come true and stay the amazing inspiration you are to us all, you are such a special teenager and have an amazing family!

Dear Adie

A very Happy Birthday to you for the 20th of May. We hope you had a great day and wonderful celebration! May you reach all your stars you set your eyes on and may all your dreams become a reality!

Dear Lyal!

Happy Birthday big boy for today- wow 7 is a big and very important Birthday! We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your friends and family and we hope you are getting very excited for your big move to Australia - we are going to miss you all terribly!

God Bless you all and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan and Logan

a jam packed weekend full of firsts

Hello Everyone

Trust you all had a great weekend - we got up to a lot of things since Friday!

my dear very dear friend Sharon and her family will be immigrating to Australia on the 25th of May. This has been a few years in the making and finally all in order and ready to go to start their new Lives in Sydney. Megs , Keaton and I met up with the Shaz and the boys, Lyal and Cameron ( who have grown so big and into such beautiful kids) on Friday for some breakfast and to say goodbye - but none of us could say goodbye quite yet so we are hoping to still see Shaz this week to have the official goodbye. I am going to miss you so much my friend and 'sister'. We have been through so much together and have a friendship that has really lasted the test of time. I admire your strength , determination and courage. You are a fantastic Mom Shaz, and I hope you and Grant and the boys are very very happy down under. I am going to miss you more then you will know, but look forward to planning a trip to come and visit you and the dolphins soon soon!

I shall leave my official goodbye message for later in the week, but already missing you my dear friend.

later Friday afternoon, Nanna and I decided it was time to give Deqlan his very first her cut. We didn't want to cut to much off as i love Deqlans hair the length it is and think we can even go a bit longer, but Nanna was brave enough to catch our soldier when he was least expecting it , just to tidy it up a bit!

We also discovered that Mickey Mouse has become a new favorite of Deqlans - he brings a huge smile to his face - amazing how kids love things the one day and not the next - but at the moment Dub and Mickey seem to be his best pals!

Then on Saturday , Dada, Mama and Deqlan joined Louise for her 30th Birthday Celebration at Irene Country lodge - it was really the perfect place to take Deqlan out to - the restaurant is out in the open , so we didn't have to worry about germs in an enclosed area. There is oodles and oodles of space and best of all animals ! Geese, ducks, cows! Deqlan LOVED the geese - He giggled and laughed at them and then try to walk, make that run around with them - its the first time he has seen geese! But, Mark and I where a little weary as we have heard geese have a very strong bite! Deqlan also loved looking at the stream and actually dove into it to try and take a swim! Mark calmly came back to the table asking if I had other clothes with me and when i asked why , I had a look at Deqlans hair , spiked from being wet and the water dripping down off his little shirt! Oh boy! We got to watch our little water baby - he tries to get into anything that has water - he tried to get into the bath with me to this morning and i caught him before he could get over! Deqlan also thoroughly enjoyed Uncle Tylers 4x4 - he decided the canopy at the back was a great trampoline!We had an absolute ball on Saturday afternoon, lovely company, and lots of precious one on one time with our Deqlan. The sun was setting and everyone was relaxed and laid back as we enjoyed the afternoon. Cant wait to take Deqlan back there!

We all slept a little late on Sunday, not that late but late for us, 7am, as we where exhausted from all the running around on Saturday! After a little midmorning nap, we took a drive to Dada's work! Another first for us. Deqlan had a great time, swinging around in Dada's chair and using the keys to open and close his drawers. I think it was a very proud moment for Dada to show his little boy where he works so hard for us every day.

Marks office is very close to OR Tambo airport, our international airport so we decided to take Deqlan to see the aeroplanes, yip another first! He didn't quite understand why we pulled over on the side of the road and why on earth where we pointing to the sky? As the planes got closer and you could actually see the lights and hear the roaring engines, Deqlan looked up in awe at the huge piece of machine that was right in front of his eyes! We watched 4 planes land , and had an absolutely great time and plan on doing this again very soon! Imagine if Deqlan could get his hands on spinning those wheels!

My week started off with a bang, or a drill should i say - at least i thought so! I have had a bit of a nagging sensation in a molar the dentist worked on exactly 1 year ago - i remember this clearly as this experience was one of the least pleasant i have ever experienced. I was petrified i would have to go through the same pain and time i did through last time as half of my tooth cracked off. Thank my lucky stars, no need for injections or drills - the break was so bad last time and so deep, that is has now formed an air pocket and that's causing the pain i have been moaning about - so some fluoride was applied to try and strengthen the area and lets hold thumbs that does the trick! I know, i am such a baby - my son has gone through things a zillion times worse, i continue to learn so much from him...

I don't know whats going on with the layout of photos and comments on the blog , as it creates huge gaps between photos comments so enjoy a combination of photos from over the weekend!

Have a great week ahead,please continue to pray for our soldier that his tests are normal and that he remains NED always. Please extend your prayers to include all our friends from all our the world

God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm & Deqlan

'FAITH IS LIKE A RAINDROP THAT KNOWS A RIVER, BUT DREAMS OF AN OCEAN'

Happy Anniversary Mr and Mrs Du Plessis

Dear Conrad and Megs

I cant believe it was 5 years ago, at this time, that the hussle and bustle of your wedding day began

It was a beautiful day and I remember it so clearly - but what i remember most is the videographer asking Conrad what he loves about Megs and he said

'SHE JUST GLIDES' everyone say aww!

You are both as in love and a happy as you where on the 17th of May 2003

Congratulations guys on a wonderful achievement, the best of this anniversary is having your precious son Keaton to celebrate it with you! What a gift

Heres to the next 50 years together, May Our Lord continue to bless, guide, protect, nuture and care for you all , always

God Bless and lots and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan and Logan

Happy Birthday Yolandie

To a very strong and wonderful friend, Yolandie

We wish you a very very Happy Birthday today and many many more!

We hope you had a great celebration with your family and especially with Ruan

I look up to you in so many ways - your determination, strength , courage and faith are such an example to us all. You are the most amazing Mom to Ruan and he loves you so very very much!

God Bless and lots of love
Mark, Samm, Deqlan, Logan and all the family


WE FIRST MET RUAN AND YOLANDIE WHEN DEQLAN WAS HAVING CHEMO IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR AND WE INSTANTLY BECAME GREAT FRIENDS WITH THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY. DEQLAN AND RUAN ALSO TOOK GREAT INTEREST IN EACH OTHER , BUT CONTACT HAD TO BE LIMITED WHILE BOTH THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS WHERE UNDER PRESSURE DURING CHEMO.

RUAN TURNS 2 IN JULY THIS YEAR - HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA IN APRIL 2007. RUAN DESPERATELY NEEDS TO GET A STEM CELL TRANSPLANT. HE IS CURRENTLY HAVING CHEMOTHERAPY UNTIL HE IS IN REMISSION, HE CURRENTLY IS DOWN TO 2% BONE MARROW INVOLVEMENT. AS SOON AS ITS 0% AGAIN WE NEED TO MOVE IN AND DO THE TRANSPLANT. 14 MATCHES HAVE BEEN LOCATED INTERNATIONALLY , BUT FURTHER TESTING NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THEY ARE EXACT MATCHES. RUANS MEDICAL AID ONLY COVERS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HIS EXPENSES, AND THIS FAMILY DESPERATELY NEED HELP TO COPE WITH THEIR MEDICAL BILLS AND DAY TO DAY LIVING COSTS. YOLANDIE IS A SINGLE MOM AND CAN NOT WORK AS SHE HAS TO LOOK AFTER RUAN . THIS FAMILY TRAVEL FROM VEREENIGING NEARLY 2 HOURS AWAY TO COME FOR TREATMENT AT THE MARY POTTER ONCOLOGY CENTRE.

THE FAMILY HAVE DECIDED TO TRY AND RAISE AS MUCH FUNDS AS THEY CAN TO SAVE THEIR LITTLE RUAN, AND WE INTEND TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO HELP THEM. THEY ARE CURRENTLY PUTTING BEAUTIFULLY PACKAGED GOODIE BASKETS TOGETHER, WITH BILTONG AND NUTS AND SWEETS ETC , AND THESE ARE RAFFLED OFF AT R10 A TICKET. WE TOOK OUR FIRST BASKET TODAY AND MARK TOOK IT TO HIS ANNUAL GOLF DAY AT THE RANGE, AND WE MANAGED TO GET A FANTASTIC RESPONSE AND RAISED R1200!!!!!!!

WE PLAN TO CONTINUE HELPING GORGEOUS RUAN IN ANYWAY WE CAN

WE ARE HOPING TO DO ANOTHER GIFT BASKET OF GOODIES AND ASK YOU IF BY ANYWAY POSSIBLE YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS WARRIOR, FOR R10 AN ENTRY - WE WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL OUR PROJECTS AIMED AT HELPING RUAN

HAVE A VERY BLESSED WEEKEND, PLEASE KEEP THE PRAYERS GOING FOR DEQLAN AND ALL THE WARRIORS AROUND THE WORLD

GOD BLESS AND LOTS OF LOVE
MARK, SAMM, DEQLAN

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future

JEREMIAH 29:11

Happy Birthday Uncle Frans & Aunty Tokkie

Dearest Aunty Tokkie & Uncle Frans,

We wish you very Happy Birthday for today Aunty Tok, and Happy Birthday to you for Wednesday Uncle Frans!

We hope you both have wonderful celebrations and the greatest year ever ahead as you become grandparents for the first time!

God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan & Logan

Dee, Deqlan and Dub!

Sleepy time for Deqlan and Dub









































Dub doing his rap song on tv

































Deqlan giving Dub a tour of the kitchen






























All in green for Deqlans test day



























Our soldier in his camo for his blood and urine tests



























Our beautiful gifts from God

Keatons first experience on the 'beach'

Our Lord continues to show His mercy on our family, He continues to answer our prayers and provide us with so many blessings and miracles, Dereks tests came back reduced! They are back to what they where a year ago, despite counts going up over the last few tests - they are down! Thank you Dear Lord Jesus - we are all ecstatic and thank you for your prayers and ask that they continue for this amazing Father, Grandfather and friend, we love you Dee and we are so proud of you.

I wanted to introduce you to Deqlans new best friend, Dub!Aunty Sheila brought Dub as a present when she came to visit last December. Dub has sat quietly in Deqlans room, until now! Deqlan decided about 1 week ago, that Dub was his new best buddy and that he would travel almost everywhere with him. Dub is the mascot for a tv chanel here in South Africa and he 'presents' the kiddies programmes each morning! Deqlan kisses him and carries him around and touches his eyes and smiles lovingly at his friend.

Have a great evening, more tommorow

Please continue to pray for our beautiful Deqlan and all our friends around the world - EXTRA special prayers requested at this time for

RUAN, CHARLIZE, BENNY, YOLANDIE, ISLA, KATIE, IMOGEN, GABRIELLA, CARTER AND ALL OUR OTHER FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

God bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan

BY JESUS STRIPES DEQLAN IS HEALED!

We are back

Hi All

We are back from the tests and it went so very very well - thank you so much for your prayers and calls and messages

We have come to discover a few tricks on how to keep Deqlan as happy and comfie as possible during the process of drawing blood from his port and doing a urine test - a must is his Clamber Club dvd, a packet of flings, biltong and of course his beloved juice and dont forget the dummy

As soon as sister Alida had everything open and ready to go Deqlan was on the bed watching his favorite Jog the Frog from clamber club. sipping on some ice tea ( a new favorite i discovered over the last two days seeing he wasnt allowed juice with vitamin c) and quite happy that Nanna, Dada and Mama where all in the room with him - he did not even flinch on eye lash as sister put the needle into his port in his chest. He wasnt happy with me holding his hand to stop him from moving or pulling at it , but luckily the drawing of blood was over very quickly!

Then sister Alida left us to it and we had to go through two collection bags, bit eventually our soldier gave us a very impressive specimen for the urine vma/hma test

Now, we ask for your continued prayers that the results are normal and that Deqlan remain NED. Then, we ask for your prayers for us to be patient as we need to wait until lunch time on the 30th of May, as always we need to LET GO AND LET GOD AND PLACE ALL OUR TRUST IN HIM.

Have a lovely day and thank you loyal prayer warriors, a finer army we could not imagine, Our Lord hand picked each and every single one of you!

God Bless and all our love
Mark, Samm & Deqlan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Happy Birthday Elriza

Dear Elriza!

We wish you a very very Happy Birthday today!

We hope you have a lovely day with Caden and Wes and are spoilt rotten

May Our Lord continue to shower his Blessings upon you today and always!

You are a fantastic friend and mom and its an honor to know you as part of Deqlans prayer army to!

God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan and Logan

MOTHERS DAY - entry under emilys entry

Samm, proudest Mama in the world to Deqlan











































I love my Dada


































Deqlan loving Nannas water fountain































What a beautiful and graceful Nan






























Yvonne, Mother to Bev






























Meggie mom to Keaton

























Look how cute Keaton is getting!


























3 Generations

Bev, mom to Meggie and Samm

Prayers for tommorow

Hello Deqlans prayer army!

I have been BATTLING for 3 days to post my Mothers Day pics and stories - so i promise to try again later maybe posting pics and stories seperately!

But for now , please say a prayer for Deqlan tonight and tommorow morning as he has blood drawn and urine sample taken for our next check up

Please pray all goes very well, that Deqlan is comfortable and not upset and that its quick and no fuss involved - most importantly please pray that the results are NORMAL and that Deqlan remains NED ! We only get the results 30 May, but prayers will go a llloonnnggg way as we patiently wait for them on this date

God Bless and chat later
Love Mark, Samm & Deqlan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Happy 30th Birthday Louise

Dear Louise

A very very Happy 30th Birthday to you today and many many more!

What a fantastic achievement! I am hot on on your heels and will join the club in November!

Have a beautiful day, hope you are spoilt with Blessings from above and all around

May the year ahead turn all your dreams into a reality and may you reach each star you set your sights on!

God Bless and lots of love

Mark, Samm, Deqlan and Logan

Emily Adamson

With our deepest, most heartfelt tears, we must announce our hearts are broken. Emily has been called home to the Kingdom of God and is free of pain at last.

http://www.caringbridge.org/fl/emilyadamson/

Mothers day

PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR ONLY POSTING THIS NOW - ITS HAS TAKEN BY THREE DAYS TO GET TO THIS POINT BUT SO IMPORTANT FOR ME TO POST!

What a glorious day we had! What a gift to wake up to the sound of Deqlans voice and him and Dada holding a special packet for Mama! Pjamas, a Mary J Blige cd, 3 beautiful inspirational books and a reading light for when i read Deqlan his bible stories - and the most beautiful card with the most beautiful words which left me feeling so loved, and cared for and appreciated- but my biggest gift and the biggest gift i can ever receive is looking at my beautiful Deqlan and then feeling his arms around me as I hug him to say thank you!

We had a lovely morning playing together and had a run or two outside as the weather was so lovely!

We then headed off to Nannas house for our Mothers day celebrations. We enjoyed a 'picnic' lunch with lots of lovely treats enjoyed by all! Great Nanna and Great Grandpa also joined us so it was extra special!

Our warrior slept most of the afternoon as he didnt have his morning nap and Keaton kept us all entertained with his beautiful coo's and smiles! What a beautiful day, thank You Dear Lord for the gift of family and the gift of mothers and the gift of being a Mother to Deqlan, my beautiful and brave soldier

My beautiful Deqlan - you made me the proudest person alive the day I become your Mama - words can not explain the immediate love i had for you , the second i found out i was expecting you - i fell in love you! That love was cemented the day you where actually placed in my arms - i will never forget the first sneeze you had in your Dada's arms or the sound of you crying as we waited to be pushed to the ward - your first outfit , our first night together - i never wanted to put you down, i wanted to hold onto to you and cuddle you and kiss you and just enjoy the miracle of you being my son. I knew there was something so special and unique about you....Watching you role and sit and get your first tooth and hear your giggles and eventually Mama - blew my breath away and got me so excited each time you did something new and wonderful - the world stopped so that i could freeze that moment in time.

During the last year of your journey with neuroblastoma - my absolute love & devotion to you continues to grow. Although you where so ill my beautiful boy and had been put through so much , you continued to laugh and be the light of our lives helping us to get through days i didn't think i was going to get through . Our Lord continued to show His love through your healing. I try and take in every moment, every sound, every word, every giggle and laugh you so beautifully make. I am so proud of you my Deqlan and I promise to try my all and everything to be the best mom i can be to you - I cant wait to wake up each day and discover new things with you and treasure each new day and each new experience - You are the most precious gift The Lord could ever give me and i love you with all my heart and soul. My greatest achievement will be as our Mama, I love you. Thank you for choosing me as your Mama, it is my honor and absolute privilege and I cant wait to experience with you my Darling Boy!


My Darling Mom - you have set the perfect example of what it is to be a mom - to put all else last, to instill Our Lords love in your child , to love and nurture and care for and support - i could write an essay - thank you for being the best Mom and Nanna I could have ever have been Blessed with. You never get tired ( i am sure you do , but you never show it ) and nothing is ever to much or to big or impossible for you. There are not enough times I could say thank you , not enough ways - for all you and Dee continue to do for us as a family - thank you , we love you so very very much, my guardian angel on earth.

Meggie - your very first mothers day! What a fantastic Mom you are to your precious Keaton - he certainly did choose very well - you continue to inspire me at the love and dedication you have for only the best care for your little prince - well done Megs what a fantastic job you are doing - thank you to for being the best Godmother for our Deqlan and for all the love and prayers and Gods gifts you continue to tell Deqlan about.

Nan, what a beautiful lady and inspiration you are to all of us - you are a wonderful Mom, Nan and Great Nan - we are so proud to call you Nan - you are a walking miracle and continue to teach us so many things. May Our Lord continue to keep you in great health and look after you always, we love you so very much.

Aunty Rene - we hope you had a lovely mothers day at the vaal! Thank you for bringing up such a fine son, my husband and Deqlan and Logans Dada. Thank you so very very much for stepping in over the last few months and taking such amazing care of Logan. She loves spending time with you and Grandpa at the Vaal and you are doing a great job at making sure she feels loved and nurtured, thank you from the bottom of our hearts

Gran - we are so glad you are feeling better, thank Our Healing Lord for working his miracles in such a loyal follower. Thank you to you and Uncle Hank for continuing your prayers and well wishes for our soldier. We hope you had a lovely Mothers day and we hope you continue to heal each and every day!

All our love, hats off and hugs to all the Moms in our lives, and to all those whose precious children are now sitting in the lap of Jesus, we salute and remember you to!

TODAYS UPDATE - NO LONGER A TEEN!

Our soldier is no longer a teen anymore....he officially moved into the twenties on the 11th of May - he is now a fabulous 20 months old! We are so proud of you my precious boy!

Snug as a bug continues to touch so many - Thank you dear Sophie for the stunning pjamas -you to , have an enormous heart and such a giving spirit -i love the helicopter ones and actually want to go and get Deqlan a pair as you know how much he loves his helicopters! Thank you Soph for all our love and support and for giving to others we need it so much, we so appreciate it!


We went to play therapy today and it went pretty well - the sessions where shorter. Deqlan again took us by the hand and walked down the corridor into the room of his choice - as soon as he was settled Nanna and Mama left and let Esedra try and work her magic. Deqlan was definitely interested in the items around the room, but as soon as he realised we where no longer in the room , got a little upset and asked for me! He didn't get to upset and calmed down a bit as soon as Esedra brought him down the hall back to us. We where very happy that he called for me and did give Esedra some nice eye contact.

Our soldier had a bit of a run outside and a look at his favorite thing, cars and then we attempted the occupational therapy session - he willingly went to Anri Louise but as soon as she had closed the door, he wanted out and was not interested in anything in the ot room. We landed up playing outside with Deqlan and discussed that he could have a real issue with being in a room with the door closed as this is what wants him to get out of it - when the door is closed? Perhaps all the treatment and hospital stays ring in his mind when doors are closed? So we are going to try a few exercises to try and make doors fun , so as to get him to stay in a room without worrying about opening the door, so he can concentrate on the task and exercises at hand.

Please remember to say a prayer for our soldier as we go for our tests tomorrow morning at 8 - i have our camo and green outfits laid out and ready for the day - we continue to place all our trust in You Dear Lord and pray that your will is that Deqlan remains NED always.

Please also pray for Deqlans Grandpa Derek as he goes for his check up on Thursday - he had prostate cancer 10 years ago and continues to go for check ups every 3 months - and we still get anxious a day before to, i dont think that will ever change - we got to continue placing our trust in The Lord!

Have a lovely evening and shall try to post pics of Mothers day now to!

God Bless and all our love
Mark, Samm & Deqlan

BY JESUS STRIPES, DEQLAN HAS BEEN HEALED

Happy Mothers Day

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.Pooped on.Chewed on.Peed on.I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.Or give shots.I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache, the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KATE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

DEAREST KATE
WE WISH YOU A VERY VERY HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY !

WOW WHAT A WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT ! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY TODAY AND A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATING THE AMAZING WARRIOR YOU ARE! WE ARE SO PROUD TO KNOW YOU AND YOU CONTINUE TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO DEQLAN AND TO US!

WE CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR RED BAND PROUDLY ON OUR ARMS AND THINK OF YOU EACH TIME WE LOOK DOWN AT IT OR SEE A BUTTERFLY CROSS OUR PATH .

CONTINUE TO DO SO WELL KATE, NED FOREVER! PRAYERS SHALL ALWAYS CONTINUE FOR YOU AND YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY AT CAMP JACOBS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG GIRL , MAY IT BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR YOU

GOD BLESS AND LOTS OF LOVE
MARK, SAMM, DEQLAN , LOGAN AND ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA