Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Happy Birthdays and Congrats

Dear Roxanne,
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!
Hope the year ahead turns all your dreams into a reality and that you recieve the gifts of love and family and friendship!
God Bless and hugs from a rainy Pretoria!
Dear Tim,
A very Happy 30th Birthday to you and many many more!
Congratulation to you and Chrisma on your enagement last night, wishing you both all the love and happiness in the world!
Have a wonderful day of celebrating!
God Bless, lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Friday, February 27, 2009

55 years of .....


55 Years of absolute unconditional love

55 Years of devotion and dedication

55 Years of putting the other one first

55 Years of going the extra mile

55 Years of through sickness and in health

55 Years of being shining example to the rest of us


Darling Grandpa and Nan


These things and more signify your Emerald 55th Wedding Anniversary today. I am honored and priviliged and so proud to wish you both and say a huge congratulations on 55 years of marriage. What an inspiration you are, what lessons of what life is really about. Your love for each other astounds me. It continues to strengthen each month, each year - it is so evident in the way you look at each other, the way Grandpa make sure that no harm can come to you Nan, and they way you wait in anticipation to see your Teddy Bear nearly every day.


We thank Our Lord for taking so good care of you both, that we can all wish you today and we ask Him for many, many, may more Happy Anniversaries for you both.


May your love continue to bloom and grow, may the Faith you both have continue to teach others , we strive and pray that we can only be as happy as you both are.


It is an honor to have both my grandparents and Deqlan and Logan their Great Grandparents. It is a gift that i continue to thank God for each day and something i am so very proud of.


May you have a wonderful day celebrating your love for each other, remembering this special day 55 years ago, the dress you wore Nan and the tux you wore Grandpa - the excitement in the air, dancing to your first dance, My Wonderful One, looking forward to a wonderful future


You are the roots of our family and we are proud to be branches of you. Always remember how much we love, treasure and honor you, we are so proud of you


I hope you enjoy the music specially chosen for you , it makes me think of you both and how you used to sing the five pennies to us Nan and watching the movie over and over with you


Congratulations on your Emerald Anniversary and may you have many many many more


All our love, God Bless,

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Happy Birthday Don!

Dear Don,
Wishing you the most wonderful birthday today and many many more!
Hoping you have lots of celebrations in store for the weekend to celebrate your special day!
We miss you guys terribly and pray that one day we can give you the gift of coming to visit you in Plymouth!
Thank you for being the amazing friend you are, stay the very special person you are to us, we are proud to call you our friend!
God Bless, lots of love and a pat from Mark
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Happy Birthday Candy Lou

Dear Candy Lou
Wishing you a very Happy 19th Birthday for today and may the year ahead be wonderful in every way!
We hope you are enjoying varsity and making the most of each day and all the new adventures and friends that cross your path!
Have a wonderful day, lots of blessings and love from a rainy Pretoria, God Bless
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Another miracle!

We are elated to tell you that Dereks results ARE CLEAR!!!!! Only gallstones can be found from the ct scan and nothing in the bone scan, except definite evidence of degeneration of the bones, bad osteo problems, which definitely explains the aches and pains, but nothing, nothing else of concern!!! What makes this even more miraculous is that the PSA level ( the tumor marker for prostate cancer) has gone from .35 back down to .28 - the doctor is flabergasted and cant explain this fantastic result! My mom asked if it could be a lab error, and Doc said, not by as much as 7 points! So OUR explanation, another miracle from Our Lord! Thank you , thank you so much for your prayers - they do work, that i can promise you, if its Our Lords Will , He will answer our prayers, thank You Lord for yet again sending us another miracle, we are on our knees in praise and glory and thanks!

God Bless and thank you all, all our love
MARK SAMM DEQLAN LOGAN
DEREK & BEV

JUST BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The official start to Deqlans GLUTEN CASEIN SUGAR YEAST SOYA FREE Diet

my first loaf of bread, ever!
Logan insists she should be a fish and not a person

Giddy up Mama
The birthday boy!
Blow!
Happy 1st Birthday Caden!
a rare photo to have all three gifts sitting still with me!
Wes's mom giving a hand with Keaton
Keaton and Loggy Bear
whats in here Deqlan?
Look how gorgeous Kai is getting!
Caden in his swim suit
Elriza and Caden!
Mark and Keaton enjoying the bird bath..

Deqlan and Dad enjoying the mud!
Coreen playing with Deqlan, she got his attention to, was wonderful to see!
Check the pants out!
Keaton walking!
Chocolate mud pie for lunch
The bird bath by great Nan
Deqlan and Nanna
Deqlan entertaining Great Nan
Gorgeous Deqlan

Hello Everybody

Trust you all had a great weekend. We continued to say thank you to you all for your support and prayers and thank you to Our Lord for Deqlans great results last week

I wanted to tell you how wonderful our appointment went with Dr De Jager – a doctors appointment wonderful? Yes, it sure was. Deqlan was in such a great mood an even let us talk quite a while with Dr De Jager before he was examined, normally by this time he is pulling us to get out the room!

When Deqlan got onto the bed to be checked out, Dr De Jager started feeling around his tummy and Deqlan was in giggles and laughter – even Dr De Jager was laughing with Deqlan. Every stethoscope every feel of a gland, this was the funniest thing to Deqlan and i think he would have let Dr examine the entire day cause it was just so much fun! Mark and I were in tears of laughter watching this scene and so grateful that our little soldier is doing so very very well.

Afterwards we went to visit great Nan and Deqlan was in his element because there was a birth bath = water and there were stones and sand= throw into bird bath! He had an absolute ball and great nan had a great time watching our Deqlan get down and dirty – i love Deqlan full of mud and running around!

Logan came to stay the weekend and we went to Caden’s 1st Birthday party! It was really lovely and the kids had a great time. I got to see Keaton walking a few times and he is just such a delight to watch ! Keaton and Deqlan were in the bird bath, where else would they be, or in the sand or flower beds....real little boys these to! Deqlan even thought going to investigate the fire would be great fun, but luckily i had a ‘team’ that stopped him from getting to close when he tried! Caden had a great time and it was such a wonderful occasion to celebrate with his family, being 3 months prem, he certainly has been a real little miracle in front of our eyes.

I took Mr Deqlan to the shops with me on Saturday to get a few last minute things we needed to get the big diet on the go – a few things turned into a lot of things and i am still realising we still don’t everything we need! He was an absolute super star, until we got to the cd shop. I thought id go in and check what new dvds they had as Deqlan is getting bored with the ones we have. I happened to stop right next to Racing Stripes – Deqlan loves him , i don’t think the movie but more the cover and the black and white stripes. So of course Deqlans hand reached out to the dvd and me trying to explain that i wasn’t going to buy another copy didn’t make any sense to him. I had to eventually pry it out of his little hands, screaming and crying, we left the shop and then Deqlan threw one of the biggest tantrums i have ever seen. While i was paying for the parking ticket , he launched his feet against the parking machine and nearly tipped the pram. I tried very hard to remain calm and talk calmly do my boy, but he wasn’t having it. By the time i got to the car, we were in full swing tantrum mode and even the lady that washes your car came to see what all the fuss was about and even helped me move the pram while i was trying to get Deqlan into the car. Not even Coldplay could calm Deqlan down – not even Beethoven or any other music choice i tried did a thing. We landed up at toys r us, where i found the dvd i was looking for ,for Deqlan. He immediately calmed down when he saw all the Thomas and Friends dvds and was in his element taking them off the shelf, looking at the covers at putting them back on. We decided on two Baby Genius dvds and were on our way to the till, no more screaming, happy with our choices and ready to pay! But then , it happened, Deqlan spotted Thomas and his friends bubble blowing machine. I tried to again explain that we already had a very similar one at home and i couldn’t take everything home with us in one go! Well, there we went again and Deqlan was on the floor not letting go of Thomas, for all the tea in china, he knew what would happen next. So we landed up taking 2 dvds and a Thomas and friends bubble blower!

I was sure that Deqlan would fall asleep in the car on the way home, but he just kept holding onto his Thomas bubble blower, i couldn’t even get it free to take it out the packaging!

Another firm favourite at the moment is Free Willy, the know the beautiful Orca whale that captured our hearts many years ago. Well, Deqlan is lucky enough to have the choice of 1, 2 or 3 and he asks us to pick him up to watch each one, but only to a certain point after the credits have rolled and after Free Willy has made a quick appearance, its time to change to the next Free Willy and so we go on most of the day...and night...i have actually hidden two of the Free Willys away to try and mix the variety up a bit again ! The same happens with Happy Feet, you can time to the exact second when Deqlan will watch until and then ask you to take out 10;39 seconds, when the main penguin announces that the “wives are home” from the fishing season. The say kids on the spectrum thrive on routine and things being the same , so thats maybe why he will only watch things to a certain point cause he knows exactly what’s going to happen?

Out of the blue on Saturday night, Logan asked me if Ruan was still in hospital – i felt like bursting out into tears, but just took a deep breath and told her that Ruan was now in Heaven with Jesus , that he was very very sick. She just said, ‘Oh, luckily Deqlan is ok’ my heart dropped.

Sunday, i went to church with Logs and we met Nanna and Meggie and Keaton there, it was packed to the brim!

Afterwards Mark took Logs to see her best friend Caleigh whom she hasn’t seen in nearly 2 years - i hear the girls had a great time together and the wonderful thing is that they just pick up from where the left off!

Dadda and I spent the rest of the evening baking - Gluten Free Casein Free Yeast Free Soya Free Sugar Free Baking - i baked a bread which i was very proud of and Mark did some banana muffins which also came out wonderfully and Deqlan seems to think so to. We also started our Diflucan yesterday (the antifungal to get rid of the Candida) and Deqlan swallowed it with no problem , of course it had to be accompanied by some pear juice to disguise the taste! So we had our first official GFCFYFSFSF day and Deqlan did so very well! I have mentioned a wonderful Mommy i am in contact with , whose son is also on the spectrum and she has given me so many ideas and taught me so much in last few weeks, i am so grateful to you Michele! I also have another friend in Cape Town who has been so very very helpeful, hey, we pratically family, thanks so much Chrizelle and hope all your kids are well!

We received a package yesterday from the land of Jenny McCarthy yesterday, 5 dvds from her teach2talk series! I am so excited about these! One of the most important things you have to establish in a child on the spectrum is how to play – they have now idea how to properly play with toys especially those out of their interests... like if its not a car or Thomas, then chances are Deqlan would get pretty bored and walk away in a few seconds. But these dvds show them how to play , but right from the beginning – Mark and I have always said we need to figure out the steps Deqlan has missed and then fill them in. So these DVDS talk our language for sure. So excited to try them about tonight! Once Deqlan understands them we take the toys that they show in the dvd and model the play on them , the first step to master is take in and take out, and once Deqlan understands that, we move on to the next step, put on and put off and so on....

Oh i forgot to mention that our second session with our new ot went much better, Deqlan only cried a quarter of the time! He managed to calm down as soon as we gave him a little train that he loves there, and he even calmed himself down by sliding through a tight space. We also see that he loves vibration as it calms him and have a few tricks at home which he is enjoying ,like the foot massager and head massager. We are still looking for a speech therapist though, and awaiting the lady to call us back....may have to start looking elsewhere....

I must say we can definitely see a lot of positive changes in Deqlan in the last few days especially – he is giving so much eye contact, its wonderful. He is showing anticipation of things – for example, his new trick to stand on his table or toy box and run up and down, he knows we will come running to say No and he stands there waiting for us to say No and then starts laughing! Yesterday, i took him for a walk, and on the wall was a lion. I stopped on said “Lion” and roared as best as I could, Deqlan was so interested and smiled at my roar! I was elated! We have walked past this crèche wall for many months and Deqlan has had no interest in the animals or what they had to say! This morning, Nanna was making Moo noises when we saw the cows on the Thomas DvD, and he loved this, he carried on touching Nanna asking her to make the sounds! How wonderful is that! Deqlan is also a lot more vocal lots and lots of sounds. There are definitely some new connections being made, so if this is the result from only doing 90% of the diet the last few weeks,and from the vitamins and minerals he is now on, then wow i cant wait for the rest of the diet to have its full effect on Deqlan!

I spoke to Yolandie, Ruans mommy yesterday and she is doing ok, some days are better then others. She starts work again next week and is looking very forward to keeping busy – please do keep the prayers going for this amazing lady

Tomorow is Yolande vd Linde’s funeral and i don’t think i will be able to go as Nanna will be with Grandpa having his bone scan...so i will just ask God to lead me on this decision as to what to do with Mr Deqlan as he is not a sitter – he is a shaker and mover!

Tomorow is also Ash Wednesday so would like to try my very best to get Deqlan to church tomorrow to!

Let me know how you all are, and please please remember to say special prayers for Dee tomorrow that his bone scan is clear!

Please also pray for Sophie, Conrad’s Mom who is in Cardiac ICU for dangerously high blood pressure. Please also pray for Dalene , who is 35 weeks pregnant , on bed rest due to high blood pressure to!

God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
‘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 Aunty Val

Dearest Aunty Val
A very very Happy Birthday to you today ! May you have many many many more and only the best in the year ahead!
Stay the amazing star you are in our family - someone that we look up to,someone that guides us and someone that has shown how great Our Lords love and miracles are.
We pray that you recieve blessings of every kind as you continue to pour your blessings onto all of us
Sending you all our love, God Bless, you are such a special person and such a special part of Deqlans prayer army
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Monday, February 23, 2009

results so far

Hello Everyone,

Thank you so much for all your prayers and emails and support, we are blessed to have you praying for Derek

He is home from the cat scan, but not well at all. We think its a combination of the contrast he had to drink from the scan and anxiety ....

There is nothing that appears at the cat scan except a cyst on one of the kidneys, that they don’t appear concerned about. So its a good start..But we still need to hunt further to see why the levels are raised. So please continue the prayers that the bone scan and blood and urine tests also come back normal

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE

God Bless, thank you so much, love samm

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Special prayers for Derek

Hello Deqlans prayer army

Need to ask you for lots of prayers for a very special person, my step dad, Derek.

Derek was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago, had surgery and was declared cancer free happy healthy and well. Dee still goes every 3 months for a check up and his last test revealed that his PSA (the tumor marker for prostate cancer) had increased. His urologist has requested a cat scan tomorrow ( Monday) at 10am and a 4 hour bone scan on Wednesday to check for possible areas of concern on the pancreas and bone.

Please pray very hard that both these scans are normal and that whatever is causing the psa level to rise, be totally destroyed by the Holy Spirit running through Dee’s body .

Dee is such a loving, giving , caring person and continues to look after all of us before thinking of himself – he has given me so many gifts, but the greatest being the gift of my Mom being able to watch Deqlan while i work. He showers all of us with so many blessings, and my prayer is for the blessings to be returned to him a million times over.

Please also pray from my Mom, aka Nanna, please pray that peace comes over her and that Our Lord continues to prosper her, never to harm her – please shine Your light Lord on Moms path this week especially.

Thank you so much for your prayers, will keep you up to date

God Bless and love and thanks
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Happy 21st Vanessa

Dear Vanessa
Wishing you the most wonderful day today, your crown birthday, 21 on the 21st!
We hope you had the most stunning day and most beautiful and unforgetable party tonight. We are so sorry we couldnt be there, but we are in spirit and thought!
May the year ahead sparkle for you and continue to be lit up my Our Lords guidance.
God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Friday, February 20, 2009

Rejoice ! Rejoice!

Hello Deqlans Prayer Army!

Our Lord continues to keep Deqlan NED!!!!

Dr De Jager is very happy with all the results.
Feretine is 40, normal being between 8 - 140.
VMA - 6
HVA - 8.2

All normal , thank You Lord!

Dr De Jager is very happy with Deqlan and says he is wonderfully fit and healthy and strong! All music to our ears.

He has given us the go ahead to give all the vitamins and supplements and antifungals that Dr Lindenberg wants us to get on to - so , here we come, full steam from Monday 23 Feb!

Thank you so much for all your prayers, love, support and being there for us, we appreciate it so very very much. Please never ever stop the prayers for Deqlan and all the other warriors and angels around the world.

OUR GOD IS SO GREAT , SO STRONG AND SO MIGHTY THERE IS NOTHING OUR GOD CAN NOT DO!

God Bless, go and have a great weekend
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE!

Welcome to the world Michael

Congratulations Heidi , James and Hannah on the arrival of baby Michael!

He arrived this morning just after ten, weighing in at 3.07kg and is beautiful!

May he bring you many many many years of absolute joy and happiness !

Cant wait to meet him, so happy for you all

God Bless and all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Angel Yolande Van Der Linde

It is with such a sore heart i let you know that our dear friend Yolande, has gone home to be with her Heavenly Father and son.

Yolande made such a difference in our lives - i remember the first time we met her. Mark and I were feeling so desperate and so lost, so angry , sitting in icu after Deqlans 1st blockage. Yolande came in there with a smile on her face and the words THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. And these are the words that she used every single time she saw us, these words will always remain with me, i know she was right.

I was shocked to her that she was a mommy herself that lost her son to nephroblastoma at the age of 2. And through all the heartache and devastation she was determined to help others.

I remember her carrying our bags to the car from Kloof hospital when we left to start our second round of chemo. Even though Deqlans eye was so so bad, she told us about little Charlize whose eye was worse and was so much better and that Deqlans eye would heal to.

She was delighted at all the CHOC projects we started - meeting her in the parking lot , handing over balloons and bubbles for the kids. We were shocked to hear that her little daughter of 2 years was diagnosed to also have nephroblastoma. She had an operation to remove the tumor and thank The Lord still remains clean today. ..Meeting her to hand over Christmas presents.

I remember she was actually on the way to my house to fetch a tumble dryer we had donated to the CHOC house when she got the first sign that something was wrong - it felt like something had burst and she just started bleeding - we were shocked beyond belief to find out she had cancer of the uterus. Yolande endured many many chemo sessions, a hysterectomy, hours away from her family.

Only weeks after finishing chemo and being declared NED, she came with me to Kalefong hospital to hand over all the pjamas to the kids for our snug as a bug project - she never ever moaned about anything. We were so hopeful that she had beat the beast and again flawed when a regular scan picked up that the cancer had spread to her lungs and there was nothing that could be done. Still Yolande soldiered on - feeling great on some days and not so great on others.

But still she continued to do the amazing work for CHOC, still she continued to smile. I will always remember the past CHOC party i stood chatting to her, as we watched Miluska jump on the jumping castle - the pride for her daughters just beamed, the love she had for life was so clear - the passion she had to help others, an absolute blessing. Yolande, we are going to miss you terribly and we are so blessed that you touched our lives more then you will know, we pray you are pain free and that Frankus welcomed you home to be with Jesus.

Dear Friends, please pray for Yolandes husband, daughter Miluska and 13 year old daughter who now face the days and years without their beloved wife and mommy and friend.

We love you, God Bless
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Happy 1st Birthday Caden

Hip Hip Hooraayyy!! Happy 1st Birthday Caden!
We hope you have the most wonderful day celebrating the little miracle you are and that your nemo party tommorow is nothing but fun fun fun!
I remember this time , 1 year ago - we were all praying so hard for you little guy - you were 3 months early and everyone was scared and didnt know what to expect - but you showed us all your fighting spirit and God revealed his amazing plans for you , and here we are today celebrating the big 1!
May God continue to bless and protect you, love you and guide you. Stay the very sweet monkey you are!
Go Shorty its your Birthday, we gonna party like its your Birthday!
God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Army Get your camo out !

Hello Deqlans Army

The countdown has begun to our results tommorow and we ask that you all please join us in prayer, that Deqlans blood and urine results are perfectly normal and that Dr De Jager continues to tell us those three precious and priceless words NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.

Our appointment is at 11am and i promise to let you know as soon as we possibly can

We continue to have faith and trust and hope in Our Lord and ask for the shoes to continue this journey. Thanks so much for all the calls and emails and posts already, we appreciate them more then we could ever tell you, to know that we still have so many people praying for our beautiful boy, is a gift that is priceless.

A little bit about our REACH course from the weekend! Diet is absolutely crucial in the road to recovering our kids - once the candida and items which harm Deqlan have been taken out of his body we can start from scratch teaching the skills Deqlan missed out on, filling in the gaps so that we can lead Deqlan to the next steps in teaching. Giving Deqlan and apple or apple juice is like giving him a Hunters Dry , because of the Candida, anything that ferments has terrible side effects - you could actually say he is 'drunk' and he cant learn! Other foods that affect Deqlan in a bad way are anything to do with Gluten - protein from wheat, Casein - protein from milk, soya, yeast and sugar - so basically all Deqlan is going to be allowed to eat is organic fish, chicken, meat, vegies or rice - thats it. But he has been coping so well so far and we have tried a few things out and have lots of ideas to try out to get him ready for 100% free day which starts 23 Feb , after we have got the go ahead from Dr De Jager. Deqlan also goes on an antifungal from Monday for 2 weeks, 2 weeks off, 2 weeks on - he has to have 3 courses and that will hopefully get the huge amount of candida he has out his body!

We already see a huge difference in Deqlan by limiting the bad things he shouldnt eat - he is lots more vocal and making a whole lot of different sounds and trying to say so many things - they still all his own language , but the babbling gives me so much hope as this is how all babies start talking after all! His eye contact has improved and lots more sparks seem to have gone on! How blessed are we!

Once Deqlan is 'sober' - we have a clean canvas to try and teach and we will continue with speech and occupational therapy and two new therapies called APPLIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS and RDI - relationship Development integration ( hope i remembered them right!) They would on a rewards basis with prompts such as nice food or favorite toys and eventually the prompts will be faded out and Deqlan will want to do thing because he enjoys them!

Deqlan is now on a suitable multivitamin, calcium, zinplex, pro biotics, vitamin c, and from monday b12 and the omegas to , to replace all the nutrients he wont be getting from food- not forgetting the antifungal....

Deqlan wont be going to playgroup for a while - until we can teach him the social skills to enjoy why he is there, he is going to continue screaming and trying to get out the class room. We are very sad to leave Baby Therapy centre and will forever be grateful to the lovely ladies who made a huge difference in Deqlan and in our lives, thank you - we will never forget you and we promise to stay in touch.

I have been in contact with some lovely families of kids on the spectrum, and 1 in specific has been an absolute gift from God - Michele, your guidance, advise and just answering my million questions a day has taught me more then i have read or experienced - you are such a great help to me and i cant thank you enough! Jean Luc is very blessed to have you as his mommy!

Nanna and I laughed several times during the course at some of the red flags that our little Deqlan displays so well - some not mentioned anywhere else , but we had a two page document full of red flags to go through - the funniest was - " Does your child take the covers out of the dvds" ha ha yes, we could never understand this and have many covers with no inserts - there is such a simple explanation for us - he just wants to study the pictures in more detail!! Clever boy!

Well, let me be off and continue our new way of shopping and getting our house equiped for this new adventure - did you know we cant even use the same pots, or knives or let the foods touch as they could be contaminated - so all new stuff- for 2 houses- a little , should i say, a lot tough on the pocket, but we have to start somewhere and we have to do this right from the start or not do it at all !


Please continue praying for Yolande, who is not doing well - please pray for comfort and guidance for her family and for Yolande to see her son waiting for her as she goes home to him and The Lord.

Please continue the prayers for all the angels and warriors around the world

Thank you for your prayers for tommorow, we really appreciate them
God Bless and all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
SACRED HEART OF JESUS WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

Max's Ring Of Fire

I am sure you all remember beautiful Max, who became an angel late last year, after fighting neuroblastoma so bravely for so many years.

His parents have created MAX'S RING OF FIRE, and I must say besides being one of the most awesome sights i have ever seen , his parents are doing everything they can to raise funds to give to Dr Giselle Sholler in Vermont, who continues to work on finding the cure for NB. Go and visit at http://www.maxsringoffire.org/

You have to watch the video clip!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Urgent prayers for Yolande

Hello Deqlans Army

We need to ask you for your urgent prayers for our friend Yolande from CHOC

Yolande lost her son to nephroblastoma, kidney cancer ,when he was only 3
2 years ago, she found out that her daughter, Miluska, 2 at the time, also had nephroblastoma, but thank Our Lord has been ned for a while now
Yolande was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus in Nov 07, went through chemo and a hysterectomy and was in remission for a while, but then it spread to her lungs and now her liver

She is really in a lot of pain and struggling to breathe, and they have now started morphine to help with pain relief

Our hearts again are shattered by this news, of a young mom , who was such an important part of our journey, that supported us, came to visit us each week – i will never ever forget, she even helped carry our bags when we left Kloof hospital.

I ask you all to please pray very hard for a miracle for Yolande, for pain relief, for comfort and strength and guidance for her family.

Thanking you all , God Bless and lots of love
Samm

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Just as i was about to pack Living and Loving away....

For those of you that are not in South Africa - The Living and Loving is a magazine based on pregnancy, birth, babies and everything to do about these subjects . I was addicted to getting my copy the 15th of every month, from the moment i found out i was expecting Deqlan - i relished every article and every page - the magazine took me through pregnancy, birth, newborn, feeding and play time and the milestones our little ones should be reaching.

But when Deqlan was diagnosed, my literature changed to pages and pages of neuroblastoma research and information, caring bridge and blog sites of warriors and angels fighting the beast.

The pages showing what my 9 month old should be doing seemed so irrelevant......

I was so pleasantly surprised to pick up the latest issue to see one of the front page headlines
CHILDHOOD CANCER: WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW

I am so happy that finally more awareness is being made through a channel that reaches hundreds of thousands each month - people can actually read that cancer does happen to children. That they can share in others journeys and that they can read the most important warning signs.

They also list the most common types of cancer in children with a brief description - an example
NEUROBLASTOMA
BESIDES BRAIN TUMOURS, NEUROBLASTOMA IS THE MOST COMMON SOLID TUMOUR IN CHILDREN IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. IT IS MOST OFTEN FOUND DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE . THIS TUMOUR USUALLY STARTS IN THE ABDOMEN AND IS NOTICED AS SWELLING, BUT IT CAN START ANYWHERE. IT CAN CAUSE BONE PAIN AND FEVER IN A CHILD.

I wish a little more couldve been said, but i suppose there is not enough space to elaborate on each in the 6 page article.

What i want to say is Hats off to Living and Loving for running an article many never want to read about - thank you for creating some awareness to addressing something so pressing and so urgent , its all about finding the cures for all the warriors around the world.

I am actually going to write to the magazine with an idea to run a story a month , focusing specifically on one cancer at a time , perhaps even writing a journey on a warrior or angel. If you would like to help me promote this idea, you can email the magazine at livingandloving@caxton.co.za

Well done Living and Loving, you have started to help so many children who need it

God Bless, Lots of Love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

'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

Monday, February 16, 2009

Happy Birthdays

Happy Birthday T for Sunday,
hope you had a most wonderful day with your loved ones!
Hoping the year ahead is nothing but fantastic and that you reach all the stars you have your eyes on!
Thanks for your continued support and prayer for our soldier!
God Bless and lots of love
My Dear Friend Shaz,
Happy Happy 30th my dearest friend! I miss you so much today , but hope you are having a rip roaring celebration! Hoping the year ahead continue to make your dreams come true and is full of love and happiness and laughter! I miss you so so much and hoping to one day come and visit you in the land of Oz and dolphins
Love you my friend, God Bless, sending you a huge hug
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Squatters

Deqlan and Keaton had a great time playing in the washing line at Reeces party
Yeah! Deqlan found sand! His favorite!

The birthday girl Reece, all pretty in pink!
Deqlan really enjoying jumping on anything at the moment , even our bed at 10 at night!
Hello Keaton Beaton!
Jump jump sugalump
Logs showing off her medals! We are so proud of you!
Deqlan and Keaton in Nannas zen garden - sand + water = the best time ever!
Deqlans hand prints from playgroup - he dislikes paint on his hands, so didnt get a good print but managed to draw around his hand
Mr Man made with teaching parts of the body


Hello Deqlans prayer army
Hope you are all well - it has been a very busy week!
We have been enjoying more, yes more rain the last few days and along with all the changes in temperature, we have caught some bugs to. Nanna and I have been battling with flu for over a week now. I had a strong course of antibiotics over the weekend which worked and then stopped working as soon as the course was finished. So back Nanna and I went to the doc again on Wednesday morning, where we both enjoyed a imune system booster of an injection and back on another round of antibiotics for the next 5 days again! Meggie was fortunate enough to get over her bug in a day or so, althought little Keaton is fighting a runny nose.Deqlan, being the soldier that he is, has been fine through all the bugs - only a slight cough and runny nose which cleared after some additional vitamin c and acc 200 - his immune system is really really doing a great job!Logan was with us last weekend and as always, a pleasure to have her. She is so kind and gentle and really has such beautiful manners. She was proudly showing her 2 silver medals off ! She is really enjoying athletics and is doing so well at it! She even broke a record last year, which still stands in this years progamme for the school! Her big adult tooth has started growing in the place of the one that came out in Jan , so she is very chuffed with that. Deqlan and I were at the doc when she arrived, so when Deqlan and I walked into the lounge and he saw Logan, he had the biggest smile ever on his face and touched her and laughed at her and pulled her around by her hand, what a lovely sight!We went to Reece's Hello Kitty, second birthday party on Saturday and it was wonderful, besides the fact that i had to blow my nose every 10 seconds! I spoke with some of Theresas friends who are teaches and are interested in Autism , so we had a great discussion and i even got some great ideas from them to! Deqlan enjoyed himself , once he found a patch of sand around the side of the house! He even got on and off the jumping castle by himself and jumped and laughed a few times.
We took Deqlan to his second playgroup date on Tuesday and the theme was My Body. Deqlan fell fast asleep on the way to therapy , so we didnt think he would really be up for playing, but to our surprise, he was ok and even smiled a few times when singing the hello song. Next we had to fish in a dress up box for items that we could describe to our kids " deqlan put this hat on your head' and Deqlan loved this and enjoyed the spider man mask the most. But then came the paint your hand on print on paper part, and Deqlan was not impressed with this terribly gooey paint on his hands and he let us know it ! The rest of the lesson was spent trying to get out of the door, but i managed to bring him back to the table each time , even though he clearly didnt want to be there - But - it was an improvement on last week where he cried from start to finish. So i am sure each time will get a little better for our soldier. He just dislikes being told to sit and finish something , but we got to teach him how so that he knows when he goes to Little Leaps school he will understand he needs to sit through a lesson to learn.
I forgot to mention that Deqlan is LOVING his trampoline at the moment and really jumping well on it - so well, he bumped his teeth on the safety bar and chipped one of the front big teeth! aaww...but as long as its not painful will just keep an eye on it - he is fascinated with the new feeling in his mouth and keep biting his fingers on the sharp points.

We got some of the stool and blood results back from the tests Dr Lindenberg requested. WE WERE SHOCKED AT THE RESULTS - Deqlan has candida to the power of eight, normal is to the power of two!!!and there are two strains of candida. The results also show that his has inflamtion in his gut! No wonder the wheat and gluten and sugar are putting Deqlan into the 'haze' he is in. What this means is we need to give Deqlan something called Diflucan, which is an antifungal and will get rid of the candida infection which could be causing the proteins from wheat and milk not be absorbed properly and giving Deqlan morphine like effects from them. He will need to have three courses of 2 weeks each over the next few weeks. Candida feeds of yeast - which means we have to stop the best before we start the Diflucan, this means we will have to be on the GLUTEN FREE CASEIN FREE YEAST FREE SUGAR FREE DIET from 23 Feb, after we have seen Dr De Jager. Candida remind me of squaters that just set up camp wherever they want and if they enjoy and thrive in the environment, there is no reason for them to leave, but grow and grow and grow! Will squaters, i would be packing my bags as i type this if you not whats coming to uproot you all in a weeks time!
Deqlans new 'thing' is throwing rocks. Just as he loves throwing sand, he is now throwing rocks, but into pools, they have to go into water and make a big splash! We were horrified going to our new occupational therapists rooms to see a fountain, with Koi fish , as we knew what was going to happen. Nanna definitely had to distract Deqlan as the company who the fishpond belongs to would not be impressed if Deqlan had to knock one of the Koi with a stone on the noddy! Our session was very overwhelming and unsettling for Deqlan, as its a brand new environment, brand new therapist, so he was not a happy bunny and cried and cried, but could calm himself and do a few of the things we asked him to do. The new ot is also very much focused on sensory integration and she works with all the kids that go to Little Leaps, so we think it will be great for Deqlan to get to know her and will know her well by the time he starts school.
Nanna and I are currently on course with Jenny Buckley from REACH and we are enjoying every single moment of it - we are learning more then we can ever imagine, the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fit together and we are understanding a lot more on why Deqlan does the things he does! But that is going to take me a whole nother post to tell you even 10% of what we are learning! We have lots and lots more to do for our Deqlan and the great thing is we are being lead on the correct path, so we are full of so much hope and enthusiasm to get it all started, promise more details after the course!
Great news for Will and Connors scans , they both remain stable Praise Our Lord! Please continue the prayers for all our friends around the world!
Hope you all had a great Valentines day, sending you lots of love, God Bless, please continue the prayers as we await Deqlans results next Friday 20 Feb
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Congratulations Grant and Ren

To two very special people,
Congratulations on the news of your engagement today! Grant and Ren we are ecstatic for you both! We wish you many many many years of love and happiness and laughter and we are so pleased you two find each other! You chose a good day Grant to pop the question!
Cant wait to see the photos and enjoy the details!
God Bless, congrats and all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan and Logan

Happy Valetines day!

A very Happy Valentines day to all our family and friends and loved ones! We love and treasure you all and we should tell each other everyday, not just on Valentines day!

Deqlan you are our greatest Valentine and we love you more each day!

All our love Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE
HIS ONLY
BEGOTTEN
SON
THAT WHOSOEVER
BELIEVETH IN HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH
BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFEJOHN 3;16

Friday, February 13, 2009

Calling all bone marrow donors

From Declan Du Toits site:

Lastly, the bone marrow drive. Just a short note. (which I see now has turned into a long one). All it involves is giving a sample of blood for them to tissue type and then when you have to donate, if you are a match, it’s just a matter of being hooked up to a drip machine for 6 hours. So easy and so simple to save a child’s life. The difficulty is that a lot of people sign up for a specific person and then when they called to donate they are like, oh no, I don’t really want to be a donor, it was only for so and so. That’s horrible and families can be devastated when they think they have a match and the donor declines. So please think clearly about this and realise that once you are on the registry, you should commit to it for life and may only be called to donate in like 15 years time or something like that. We are also looking for a corporate sponsor to cover the costs to the bone marrow people as they are not government funded and need some help, so if you work for a corporate who may consider helping, please mail me on aurasa@metroweb.co.za

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Happy Birthday Damian

Happy Bithday Damian! Hope you have an awesome day and wonderful celebrations planned!
Hope this year is extra special for you and that all your dreams come true!
Sending you lots of love and hugs from South Africa
God Bless
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Monday, February 9, 2009

In Honor of a hero, Declan Du Toit

We are heartbroken at the news of our little friend Declan, going home to Jesus last night. We ask that you continue to pray for this beautiful brave soldier, and especially for his parents Gillian and Darryl.

Dearest Gillian and Darryl and all the family We are heartbroken to hear Declan didnt recieve his miracle on this earth, but elated to hear he is now with His Heavenly Father, pain free , swimming with the fishies. Swim Declan swim. You are going to be missed terribly, but your legacy will ALWAYS live on. We have learnt so much from you in the little time Our Lord leant you to this earth. Your courage, your spirit, your smile, your positive attitude, doing everything you can to help others also fighting monsters. We will never ever forget you and we are proud to say we knew you. I promise you that I will stand with your Mommy and Daddy and continue fighting monsters for the rest of my days. I saw you last night in your ad and just smiled at your beautiful face. The tears we cry today will change to smiles each time we think of you. You have the bravest mommy and daddy i have ever known. So go and swim Declan, pain free, in the beautiful see with Our Lord and all the angels. We love you and we promise to take very good care of your Mommy and Daddy, and we will always always support them. Gillian and Darryl, May our Lord and Savior hold you in the palm of His hands, shine His light on this path He has set out for you, comfort you , guide you, lift you up during this time. We are so very sorry, and our hearts break with you. God Bless you all, all our love and support always, Mark Samm Deqlan and Logan

DECLAN IS THE STAR IN THE CHOC AD CURRENTLY RUNNING ON DSTV IN SOUTH AFRICA. HERE ARE THE APPROXIMATE TIMINGS OF THE AD SO YOU CAN BE SURE NOT TO MISS SEEING THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE ON BEAUTIFUL DECLAN, YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE FORGOTTEN AND I WILL REMEMBER YOU BY YOUR BIG BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND THE COURAGE AND LOVE YOU SHOWED IN YOUR EYES.

IT SHOWS CHANEL ON DSTV, THEN DATE, THEN TIME, THEN PROGRAMME DURING WHICH THE AD WILL RUN. IF YOU NOT IN SOUTH AFRICA, YOU CAN GO INTO DECLANS SITE AND TRY AND DOWNLOAD THE AD FROM HIS HOMEPAGE

www.all-hands-on-dec.co.za

BBC
2009/02/09
18:08:00
THE WEAKEST LINK
ANIMAX
2009/02/09
19:53:00
SOLTY REI
DISCOVERY
2009/02/09
20:44:00
DIRTY JOBS
HIST
2009/02/09
20:50:00
MODERN MARVELS: ALUMINUM
BBC KNOW
2009/02/09
20:50:30
SA DESERT - ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH
SKY
2009/02/09
20:55:03
LIFE AT FIVE
BBC
2009/02/09
20:56:57
SPORT TODAY
STYLE NETW
2009/02/10
08:40:00
ISAAC
NATGEO
2009/02/10
09:13:00
CARRIER
REALITY
2009/02/10
09:28:00
LEGEND HUNTERS
HALLMARK
2009/02/10
10:10:30
MERLIN'S APPRENTICE
2009/02/10
11:08:00
SUNSET TAN
BOOMERANG
2009/02/10
14:19:00
ADDAMS FAMILY
HIST
2009/02/10
15:47:00
CITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD: ROME: THE RISE
CRIME
2009/02/10
16:07:00
THE FIRST 48: LAST NIGHT OUT/DEATH DO US
CARTOON
2009/02/10
16:59:00
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE
BBC
2009/02/10
17:17:58
BBC NEWS
BBC LIFEST
2009/02/10
17:42:30
MASTERCHEF GOES LARGE
BBC ENTER
2009/02/10
18:43:30
MR BEAN
ANIMAX
2009/02/10
19:03:00
RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
ESPN
2009/02/10
19:45:00
SPORTSCENTER
SKY
2009/02/10
19:55:03
LIVE AT FIVE
DISCOVERY
2009/02/10
19:58:00
HOW ITS MADE
BBC KNOW
2009/02/10
20:27:00
HIMALAYA WITH MICHAEL PALIN
CNN
2009/02/10
20:29:00
YOUR WORLD TODAY

Angel Declan Du Toit

From Declans Website:

Monday, February 09, 2009Hello all my special friends
Last night at 11.10 pm I left to go and be with my Daddy in the sky. A beautiful angel called Michael, with massive wings and a brilliant white glow all about him came to fetch me and held my hand as we flew through the sky. He has been with me for some time now but last night he said it’s time to go home.
Mommy and Daddy held me in their arms as I left and the rest of the family were standing in the room with me. What a welcome I got when I arrived. Open arms and hugs and tears of joy cos I have no more pain. The monster stayed behind on earth and I can see beautifully from 2 open eyes. I can even run around and there are just so many toys here. Today I plan to go for my first swim in the sea with fishies and star fishies and the angels told me I will even be able to breathe under water.
Thank you so much for all your love and support and for walking my road with me. My family and I could never have done it alone and we just don’t have words to explain how much your love, encouragement, faith and strength have meant to us.
Mommy promised me a party when I got better so I am holding her to it. Mommy will put the details on my site and it will probably be towards the end of this week and you are all welcome to come.
Mommy and Daddy promised me to continue the work I started for other kids fighting monsters so please don’t stop coming to my site. There is still lots to do. Instead of flowers and such things, I am asking you to sign up for our Bone Marrow drive and Mommy will put more details on the site later.
This is Declan signing out. I love you all lots and I know it’s hard for the people who stay behind to understand, but be strong, cos I am in a place now where I understand everything, I understand how loved I was on earth and I understand and am experiencing true peace for the first time in my little life.
Love Declan 7 months, 3 weeks and 4 days

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Autism Sunday

Autism Sunday – February 8, 2009
Advocates for those affected by autism are urging world leaders and church leaders around the globe to speak out on autism on Autism Sunday, the International Day of Prayer for those with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Sunday will take place on February 8, 2009.In preparation for Autism Sunday we have put together a list of resources that families and faith leaders may find helpful. In addition, there are some suggestions to create awareness and further celebrate this special day. Our hope is that all families affected by autism may be welcomed in their house of worship, and to become active participants in their faith community.

Ways to celebrate Autism Sunday Contact your faith leader to let them know about Autism Sunday. You may want to discuss the following possible suggestions for celebrating the day:
An announcement about Autism Sunday in their weekly bulletin or newsletter, giving attention to any special events planned for that day. Click here for a sample announcement.
Request that a special prayer be said during the service for families affected by autism
Offer to speak to the congregation about autism and to share your story
Ask your religious education leaders to include an activity about accepting people with disabilities into their classes. Click here for suggestions. Click here for a list of books to help children learn about autism.
Distribute information about autism and Autism Speaks. Click here.
Additional Suggestions
Wear your Autism Speaks blue puzzle pin. Visit the Autism Speaks store for the pin and more awareness items.
Invite members of your congregation to participate with you in fundraising events such as Walk Now for Autism. This is a great way to build support and enjoy an inspiring day out together.
Resources Click here to read Inclusion in Faith Communities: Some tips for Parents to Get Started Click here to read Guidelines for Clergy and Religious Educators for Conversations with Parents.Click here for a brief description of autism to present to faith leaders. For a listing of books, manuals and websites that focus on autism and faith communities visit our Resource Library, click here. Visit our Resource Guide to find special needs religious services and/or religious education classes in your area. We welcome new submissions to continually build the Resource Guide. If you know of additional special needs services or religious education classes please feel free to submit them here.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Ultrasound Clear!

Hello Deqlans Prayer army,

We are back and we are praising Our Lord for wonderful results ! The ultrasound is clear! Thank You Lord Jesus, for giving us the gift of Deqlan and his health, i can not thank You enough Lord.

Thank You Prayer army for standing firm in your faith with us, agreeing on Deqlans healing. You are our rocks and your support, calls, messages and prayers mean the world to us - i cant tell you how much i appreciate you all standing with us on Deqlans journey.

All the ladies in the xray department are always happy to see Deqlan and commented on how big he has grown - they are so lovely and i know they prayer for our Deqlan to. Mr Deqlan was not happy having funny jelly smeared all over his abdomen and tried his best to get off the bed. After pulling out some flings, and trains and balls and music i recorded on my cell , as Nanna's cell was stollen with all the favorite sounds on, we got our soldier to lay still long enough for the doc to get a good look which she is very pleased with.

Down to Oncology and to see Sister Alida. We saw Dr De Jager while Deqlan was waiting outside with me and he gave Deqlan a huge big hug and cuddle. I asked him a few questions that were on my mind and he put them straight at ease.

Sister Alida and Sister Val are so lovely and Sister Val actually goes to our church, so its always nice to know they are going to be doing the bloods. Deqlan HATES this part. Being wrapped in a blanket and being held down so he cant squirm when the needle goes in is terrifying for Deqlan. Sister Alida got the needle in his tiny little vein in his hand , first go , but no blood could be drawn. Deqlan has always had such tiny and delicate veins . I suggested we try his foot and we were much luckier with a nice vein there. We needed to get around 10 tubes of blood!!!! Yes ten, thats a LOT of blood from a little vein. We needed so much for the normal tests Dr De Jager needs and then the mountain of tests Dr Lindenberg has requested. So hopefully this will only be a once off! Deqlan screamed and screamed and i just tried to sing and sing and pray and pray with him, till it was all over. He even wanted the plaster off his hand and foot immediately they were worrying him so much.

We then said goodbye to Dad on his way to work, and Nanna and I decided to take Deqlan for a quick hello to great Nan, as Deqlan loves to run around the gardens at great Nans frail care home. She was delighted to see us and Deqlan a much happier bunny rabbit to be outside in the open! And it stopped raining today so we even had a bit of sun for the first time in over a week, so he got right back to his normal self. Mr Deqlan fell fast asleep on the way home and is now resting on his bed at Nannas house.

We are so grateful Dear Lord for the miracles you continue to perform in Deqlans life and for the amazing prayer army You are leading that stand by us every step of the way.

We get our blood and urine results 20 Feb, so please continue the prayers that they to are perfectly normal and that we can continue to scream and shout and sing NED ALWAYS.

Have a wonderful weekend, you are all so special to us, all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Deqlans Army, please get your camo on for tommorow

My first picture
the most gorgeous gift from God

Their two their four their six their eight ...

Our light and life
Helping Dad wash the car
I LOVE THOMAS!
Some of Deqlans collection..

Mischief monkeys...
Calling Deqlan, Deqlan come in, this is Keaton
aaahh, thats the spot...

Hello Deqlans Prayer Army
I must apologise for the lack of updates. It has been very very difficult to write the last few days. So many of our little friends have gone to join Jesus or in the fight of their lives.We ask you to please continue praying for them all.

Its that time of the year again, Deqlan goes for his 3 monthly check up tommorow. We will start with an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis at 8am , and then go down to Sister Alida afterwards to have some bloods drawn and get the urine sample done. We need a lot of blood again this time as we have lots of test Dr Lindenberg, our DAN ( defeat autism now) doctor has requested. They range from checking for heavy metals, possibly from chemo, not the metallica kind, to vitamin and mineral defecencies and we are hoping the results will paint a picture which allows us to treat Deqlan in the correct way with the correct vitamins and if needed chelation - which is a technique to get the metals out of Deqlans body. We also await the results of the stool sample which was sent to Germany on Monday - which will tell us wether we need to do any antifungal treatments, or treatments to get rid of yeast etc.
We ask you all, to please get your camo and green on tommorow as is tradition for our little soldier of God, and please stand together with us, agreeing on Deqlans results being absolutely clear and that he continues to remain no evidence of disease always. We will only know the results of the ultrasound tommorow and will need to ask for your prayers for us in patience and trust as we await the blood and urine results 20 Feb. Please pray that the ultrasound is completely clear and normal. Please pray that holding Deqlan down in order to get the iv needle in to get the blood is not as traumatic as last time, and please pray that the results of the blood and urine are completely normal, completely perfect, completely no evidence of disease.

Deqlan has been doing fantastically well. Growing up so quickly, learning new things every day, being the absolute light and love of our lives. He is clapping his hands! Which is so wonderful to see as Keaton has also started clapping, so they both spur each other on. I actually think Deqlan understands the concept of clapping pretty well. Once he has done something wonderful and clever we all cheer and clap and he is starting to clap with us now.

Deqlan has also started jumping on his own feet. He LOVES his trampoline and makes sure he gets every possible bounce out of it, when he is on it, but now actually tries to jump on his own on the ground - another great milestone for our boy!

We started speech and occupational therapy as well as a little play group at the baby therapy centre. Speech is going very well and Martie is always impressed with Deqlan. Anri Louise had her last seesion with Deqlan yesterday as she is leaving the centre due to ill health and having a very busy schedule. We are very sad to see Anri Louise go - she really got alot out of Deqlan and really learnt to read him well. Yesterday, was actually the best session he has ever had with her. Most of the session was spent running up and down the corridor with Anri holding Deqlan upside down and bouncing him as they ran - Deqlan kept asking for more and more and giggled most of the session - it was truly wonderful to see. Anri also gave us some very vital tips and ideas and how to read Deqlan and what senses need regulating and what times and how to regulate them. Once that sense has been satisfied , Deqlan immediately calms down and is more willing to do what you would like to do with him. For example if Deqlan is squeezing between tight spaces and under and over things , he is most likely requesting deep pressure and we can do this by rolling a big ball over him or lying on him . If he comes to be holding his hands out jumping, we can do an excercise of running and bouncing Deqlan up and down at the same time. So we are definitely going to give this a go.

Deqlans little play group was really lovely and we were so excited to be amongst other little friends in a classroom environment for the very first time. Deqlan, however was not. He cried and wanted to get out the room. But we managed to keep him inside for the half an hour and even got some participation from him during the animal themed session. He did decide to choose some crayons and draw a tiny bit on his picture. He did enjoy putting his hands through the rice and throwing it everywhere! Keeping in mind, that is was the first time Deqlan has ever been asked to participate in a group , we think he did great, even with the tears. We are going to try and get his sense regulated before he guys and take ques from him during the session to see how we can get him to participate and ultimately enjoy the session more! Perhaps, the noise of the other kids was to much for our soldier and if we can maybe get some headphones or play some white noise, as Anri suggested, perhaps his focus will shift to enjoying the class. Esedra and Gail our doing the classes, and we are so happy to see Esedra again. Every week is a different theme and a lot of lovely themes coming up that we know Deqlan will love , like water and baking and transport! Deqlan and I and Gail made Deqlans first official picture, a lamb with cotton wool . I am so very very proud of this pic and have hung it in our play room, Deqlan has been pulling the cotton wool off the lamb with great delight and enjoyment.

Our diet is still going great , I got a lovely book SPECIAL DIETS FOR SPECIAL KIDS 2 from the states and it gives great ideas for recipes which we are going to try. I must say the food that Deqlan has been eating has even me bored stiff - he doesnt seem to mind it but i would definitely like to try and spice things up a little for him. We are not 100% on the GF/CF diet as yet, we plan to be completely within the next few weeks and we are so confident Deqlan will happy on it to. My mom and I were just saying how Deqlan doesnt even ask or go looking for his beloved biscuits anymore, he doesnt even miss the cream soda ! One thing he is aksing more for is his milk formula, niddo. We cant have him on rice milk until after our blood and urine tests, as the rice milk has some vanilla in it , and this can affect the outcome of the urine tests - so we will pick up on that again next week.
Thomas is still the favorite kid on the block - Deqlan LOVES LOVES LOVES his Thomas collection and even tries to sleep with at least 1 or 2 of his Thomas trains. They come everywhere with us. Latest in his collection is one Dad got for him - you can change 'cds' of the Thomas Tune, London bridge etc and the train moves and sings and makes engine noises - to adorable. Deqlan is as bright as a button with his dvds though - we have about 6 different Thomas dvds and you cant just put anyone one - he wants to see the dvds and he knows exactly which one he is choosing to watch. The one in particular at the moment, is the chugga chugga dance and the one with the ducks, which i mentioned before he calls ' kuck kucks'!

Deqlan is thrilled to be around sand at anytime of the day, anywhere he see's it. This to is defintiely a sensory experience Deqlan craves and we are all happy to let him do it - even if it means bathing twice a night! With all the rain the sand has turned into mud and it makes the experience even better for Deqlan.
His laughter and smiles continue to complete our lives. Its an absolute joy watching Deqlans expressions and hearing his beautiful laughter as he watches mumble from happy feet, escape from his egg, or watching the naughty noo noo swallow the telly tubbies blankets or them making tubby toast. Its an absolute joy to listen to his giggle as Mark makes bouncy ball sounds from his favorite episode of Noddy. Its the best feeling in the world just holding Deqlan, him running up to me giving me a hug or a kiss, cuddling snuggly with him at night, trying to envelope every single breath he breaths out , trying to kiss him as much as i can , before waking him up. Deqlan is the greatest gift Our Lord has given us, we are so very very blessed.

Nanna and I will be attending a course on 14 & 15 Feb at the Little Stars school in Johannesburg. The course is run by Jenny Buckle who formed Reach . She is the proud mom to 4 teenage boys, which include a set of triplets on the autism spectrum. Through hard work, determination and learning every technique in the book , Jenny has been able to help her boys tremendously and we cant wait to attend the course. It entails ABA therapy - APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, which is a therapy based on a reward system. RDI - RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT INTERACTION - to help the kids understand the true meanings of a situation, for example making a friend, that they understand the emotions, that its not just a 'robot response' which is taught to them. It also involves lots on the Gluten Free Casein free diet and we are so excited to learn and get some answers answered for our little guy.
We got Reece's second birthday party this weekend and Cadens 1st party on the 21st , so we are trying to find some delicous Gluten Free Casein Free cake/cupcake recipe so that Deqlan can enjoy cake at the parties! Logs is also coming to us for the weekend and we cant wait to catch up with her, we miss her terribly during the two weeks we wait to see her!
Meggie, Mark and I went through to Vanderbijpark on Monday for Ruans funeral while Nanna watched the boys with Joycies help. It was one of the most heartsore experiences i have ever had. To watch Yolandie and her parents in such pain and sorrow was heartbreaking. This is the most amazing family and by the grace of God and lots of prayers , they will continue going on. Meggie, Yolandie and Yolandies 4 sisters all wore purple , to mark Ruans love of Barnie. While we were at the grave site, 4 doves flew above , it was during a prayer and Meggie and I happened to look up - dont think anyone else saw them. I wanted to tell you about our guardian angel on Monday. We got lost , not to far from where the church was, but we would never have found it by ourselves - we stopped at a garage and asked a man to help us find our way. He was so kind to leave the garage before pumping his wheels and feeling his tank to get us to the church in time. As he pulled over on the road to show us we were at the church his car cut out. He had run out of petrol! How amazing is our God to send us this angel when we needed him and that he lasted just until we got to the church? Mark helped the man by going to get him some petrol and he was on his way. Please continue to pray for Yolandie and her parents, they really need our prayers right now for God to shine His light on their journey.
Please also continue the prayers for little Declan and his family - he really needs every single prayer we can offer for him. http://www.all-hands-on-dec.co.za/. Claire has just told me that Declan himself has upated his blog now, so go and have a read and leave a message of hope and prayer for him please.
WE HAVE TO FIND THE CURE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCERS.

We also ask you to pray for our buddy Will, his make a wish trip to Disney was cancelled as he needed to get a blood transfusion - please pray that Will feels real better real soon so that he can go and have some fun with Mickey and friends.
Please also pray for Connor Gerber today as he has his bone scans done, please pray for stable and even better, improved results!
Hope you are all well and happy and healthy and thank you in advance for your prayers for tommorow. I promise to update as soon as we are back, trusting in Our Lord that it will be great news. Please pray for our anxiety to cease, as we know God has plans to prosper Deqlan and not to harm him. Please pray for our patience as we await all the results.
God Bless, lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
SACRED HEART OF JESUS, WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE , ALL FOR THEE OH LORD, OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

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