Angel Keagan

Hello Everybody,

I am so sad to have just found out, that little Keagan, went home to be with Our Lord, yesterday morning

We dont have any further details, but will post as soon as we know

Please pray for beautiful Keagan, for his Mommy and Daddy and little brother and pray Our Lord continues to give this family the strength and comfort and guidance always

God bless, and please continue the prayers
Love Samm

HAPPY BURTHDAY SOPHIE

Dearest Sophie

A very very Happy Birthday to you for today and many many many more!

We trust you had a stunning evening with everyone last night and that you had an unforgetable day today!

We wish you all the very very best for the year ahead, lots of love and happiness, smiles and treasured memories, friendship and family , but above all great health!

Thank you for all you continue to do for us, all your love and support and prayers and kindness, it means the world to us

God Bless, and all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Still proudly South African

I am still proudly South African today - even though we didnt win - we played like champions , we really played so well, i have never seen Bafana Bafana play so well! So today we dont hang our heads in shame, but we hold them up high that we played so fantastically against the best in the world - not to shabby at all!!

The world woke to the shocking news this morning that Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett passed away. I know that Farah fought many many years against cancer, and we know that now she is pain free and will always be remembered. Michael Jackson - how very very sad - only a few days before his THIS IS IT concert in London - do you think that all the people that judged hill will leave him alone now? How sad that i have already recieved so many sick jokes about him - deleted , all of them, leave the man be now.

We just got a call that Grandpa is on his way home with Nan and the new nurse that is going to be taking care of Nan! We are so thrilled and excited and cant wait to get to Grandpa and Nans house ( how wonderful to type that) to welcome Nan home! After ten years of being in a frail care home, Nan is finally home where she belongs!!!!


And oh yes, Deqlans words of the day KEATON!!!!! We are so thrilled ! Everytime he says the Huggies Baby add , i say baby and he says Keaton! aaawww shame, Deqlan is to adorable at the moment ( actually all moments!)

Liezl comes on Monday for the week to train Nanna and I and to get the Individualized Early Intervention programme into place for our beautiful boy! So going to be busy busy but will try and update and let you know how it goes!

Have a lovely weekend everyone, we have another busy one! Please remember to pray for little Keagan and all the other warriors fighting cancer around the world

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

Declan Bone Marrow Day

Hello Everyone

Just a reminder about the wonderful event happening this Sunday , the Blood and Stem Cell Bone Marrow drive in honor of Declan Du Toit.

If you havent registered or wont be donating blood you can still come along and support those who are and hold their hands! There will also be lots of items on sale , all going towards the ALL HANDS ON DEC FRIENDS fund which has got so many wonderful things they would love to do in the pipeline

Hope to see some of you there!

God Bless, love Samm

A reminder of the details :

BLOOD AND STEM CELL BONE MARROW DRIVE
Where: Round Table Clubhouse, Entrance to Clubhouse through Floroma Old Age Home, Berlandina Street, Roodepoort
When: Sunday 28 June 2009 from 10am to 2pm. Come anytime, children welcome
Why: We were devastated to lose our son from cancer when he was just 7 months, 3 weeks and 4 days old and realised how important life-giving blood and stem cell Bone Marrow is. If you are going to donate blood, just come along. If however you are prepared to register as a Stem Cell Bone Marrow Donor as well, you will need to register with Sunflower Fund BEFORE 23rd June. Call them on 0800 12 10 82 and say it is for Declan Day. More info about being a Stem Cell Bone Marrow Donor is below.
Contact: Gillian on 011 958 0037 or by email aurasa@metroweb.co.za
Directions to Clubhouse: Mail me on aurasa@metroweb.co.za and I will send you typed directions. It is a bit confusing to get there.
CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

Happy Birthday Tracey

Dear Tracey

Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

Hope you have something very special planned for today and that Andrew and the kids spoil you rotten!

Hope you are at least having some warm weather in Canada - its freezing here today , but we actually cant complain compared to your winters hey!

Have a lovely day Tracey, and prayers for a wonderful year ahead, full of love and blessings and all the things you wish for yourself

God Bless and lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Dad and Bev

Conrad Meggie and Keaton

Urgent prayers for Keagan

Hello Deqlans Prayer army

Just recieved the latest update on little Keagan and things are not looking good - please please urgently pray for Our Lords miracles to happen in this little fighter and for His mercies to flow into Keagans body and to lift his family at this very very hard time

Thank you and God Bless, love Samm

Hello,

We are in desperate need for everyone to please pray for this little man. The Doctor has contacted family to please come to the hosiptal as Keagan is in a very bad state. Things are not looking good at this stage!

Please wherever you are say a little prayer for him this will only take a few moments of your time! He needs it.

Please God I pray for a miracle today that you will keep your blessed hand over him and heal my cousin's little one as he means the world to his parents and family and everyone who knows and got to know and love this special boy! I pray this is Jesus name. Amen!

Please also keep Shireen and Bokkie and my whole family in your prayers as well.

God Bless!
Tanya

lets go a for a drive Dad!

Just had to post this pic from Marks birthday on Monday - Deqlan loves this car that Granny Rene and Grandpa Quitin got for his 1st Birthday - on Marks birthday he decided Mark should have a turn so went to fetch him and made sure he sat in the "passenger seat', with Deqlan behind the wheel!

Proudly South African

Well, you can tell by the choice of music today that we are celebrating being South African - why today more then any other day? Well, tonight Bafana Bafana, our national soccer team are in the semi final of the Confederation Cup against Brazil!

Its a tough one for Mark, because Brazil is his ALL TIME FAVORITE EVER team, but of course we want to support our home team so luckily Brazil and Bafana both have yellow tops - so he can just wear yellow to support both - but for tonight, we are routing for Bafana Bafana for sure!

Just us getting to the semi final is a great achievement for a side that was not highly rated at the moment - and it sure does a lot for the upcoming Soccer World Cup here in 2010

Watch this space...who knows...perhaps we play stronger tonight - can you imagine beating Brazil? Will it be another USA win over SPAIN surprise? Who knows, we certainly hope so, but either way, we got to the semi's and have hosted a good cup so far , setting the stage for 2010

I sure am excited and proud to be a South African today and cant wait for 2010 to arrive!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

a VERY proud moment, Deqlan requesting to sit on Great Grandpa's for the very first time, we will treasure this moment always
Deqlan pulling his scrunchy face

Keaton enjoying the ribbons and wrapping!

Deqlan holding his little hands in Great Grandpas

Happy Birthday Grandpa! We Love you!

To our wonderful Grandpa and Great Grandpa,

A very very Happy 79th Birthday to you for today Grandpa , and many many more!

We hope you have a very special day and that you can feel our love and admiration for you.

You truly are the roots of our family tree, and we couldnt be prouder to call you Dad, Grandpa and Great Grandpa

I was thrilled to hear Mom just get off the phone with you, announcing the wonderful news that Nan is coming home tomorow!!! I know that this is the biggest gift you could ever recieve, and we are so excited for you and cant wait to see Nan and you together, in your own house! It is only going to do the world of good for you both!

Another gift, i think you and I will treasure always, happened at the breakfast table this morning. For the first time ever, Deqlan approached you, Great Grandpa, putting his little hand on your lap, asking to sit on your lap and watch all the excitment of blowing out candles and opening presents. I will never ever forget the smile Deqlan gave you this morning, or the high five he so proudly showed you or the look on your face , watching the progress Deqlan has made

Thank you for all the love and care and above all support and prayers you give to all of us, especially for Deqlan - you have never ever doubted for 1 second that Deqlan wouldnt be A ok - and you still continue to be so positive about Deqlan coming through the window, and that Dear Grandpa, is happening in front of your eyes!

Another gift Meggie and I can give you , is that we are going to be confirmed , in our Catholic church sometime in the near future - i know that you have wanted this for so long, and Grandpa we are so proud to be able to do this for you!!

The gift that Bev and Derek will give you this year is that of their time and patience and help with Nan - they have already done so much to get everything ready for Nans arrival home tommorow - arranging nursing care, painting the room, getting a hospital bed for Nan, even down, to the beautiful duvets, Nan is going to sleep so comfortable in.

We love you very very much Grandpa and we are so very proud of you! Have the best birthday ever and may Our Lord continue to watch over you, guide you , protect you and ease the pain you feel in your hip each day. I want to thank you for being a big part of leading us back to church and for showing us the true meaning of faith and hope and trust and love in Our Lord - for that , i will be forever grateful and thank you to you Grandpa. You are one of the most important parts of Deqlans prayer army, we always say, you have a direct line up to God!!

We love you Grandpa,

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Bev & Derek

Conrad, Meggie and Keaton

Happy Birthday Jared

Dear Jared,

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

Trusting the year ahead is going to be full of dreams realised, and adventures to embark on, memories to make!

We hope you have something extra special planned for today and that it involves lots of spoiling to!

Cant believe how time has flown and that you are so grown up and handsome and doing so well! We are all so proud of you!

God Bless, have a super day, love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Grandpa & Bev

Conrad, Meggie and Keaton

Guess where we went yesterday afternoon?

I wish i could tell you it was some exciting place like the zoo or the circus, but we made a little visit to the Emergency Room at Unitas hospital....the story unfolds like this....

As Nanna and Meggie, Keaton and I ate some lunch, we heard a fall on the tiles, which i immediately jumped up to go and investigate, knowing it was Deqlan that had woken up from his sleep. What i didnt expect to find was Deqlan lying half way up the stairs, starting to cry, with blood on his little hand. Oh no. I picked Deqlan up and discovered that he had cut his chin open, badly, stitches badly, i immediately started crying.

I dont think Deqlan was quite awake yet, when he tried to come up the two little steps from Nanna's bedroom, like he always does, to tell us he was awake. I think because he was still a little drowsy, he may have missed the step on his way up and banged his chin on the top step.

Nanna came running down to the room and also burst into tears upon seeing the wound and hearing Deqlans cry. Meggie and Keaton also came running down and poor little Keaton come to hug my leg as i held Deqlan.

Not long, and Deqlan was calm, watching Old Macdonald, his favorite at the moment, especially because of the tractors, and we all had a chance to calm down. Had another good look, and knew it was time for stitches. again. in exactly the same place he had stitches from when he fell in the bath about 3 months ago . Deqlan fell so hard that it burst open .

So off we went to the ER - completing the thousand questions about previous surgeries and medical history always takes a good while. Deqlan wasnt impressed being held on my lap while the nurses tried to get the probe to stay on to get Deqlans vitals - i told them not even to bother with the thermometer they wanted to put under his arm that would need to stay there for 6 minutes - it wouldnt have made 10 seconds.

Eventually a doc saw us and i had to explain the last 2 years 9 months events in 1 minute . He decided it would be best to give Deqlan valeron and wait half an hour for it to help calm Deqlan down - not our Deqlan - it had the opposite affect - Deqlan became more hyper pulling my hair and wanting to run out of the room - so when the doctor came to check half an hour later to see if drowsy enough , he clearly saw Deqlan was not one of the normal patients who enjoy a calm 'trip' on valeron , and we agreed it would be best to just go ahead and not wait any longer

So two nurses had to wrap Deqlan up in a sheet and hold his head and body while the doctor did the stitches - they asked me to leave and i said i wasnt going anywhere - can you imagine being 2 years 9 months , in a strange place , with strange people holding you down , while you get an injection in your chin - no ways , i am his Mama and i said i was staying, thank you very much. After about 5 minutes, 3 stitches were in and Deqlan was very happy to get off the table , out the sheet and back into my arms - he quickly calmed down again, we met Nanna outside, and we couldnt have been happier to be on our way home! What a brave boy you are Deqlan, much braver then Nanna and I, thats for sure...

We hope he doesnt fiddle to much with the stitches and that we can keep him out the sand for a while and prevent him from soaking the stitches in the bath - thats going to be a challenge for someone who likes taking 1 hour baths at the moment.....

Have a super day, God Bless, Lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Mamas n Papas

Hello Everyone!

I am so proud to tell you about an article that our good friend Loren did on Deqlan.

Loren has started writing for a stunning magazine called Mamas n Papas and this specific edition thats out now, is focused on special needs. Loren wrote the most beautiful article about Deqlan, surviving cancer and now facing autism. She also shed such light on the progress Deqlan is making and how important diet and early intervention is. I was also so glad to see warning signs for cancer as well as red flags for autism listed in the article - awareness is so so key in helping children early to give the best possible outcome!

I would have love to have included the picture they used in the article, so to see it you will need to go and get yourself a copy, its to beautiful and Nanna and I stood in CNA crying yesterday, looking at Deqlans beautiful face, and the words Loren has portrayed so beautifully - here is the wording of the article, thanks you Loren and Mama's n Papa's , what a great job you are doing, what a great magazine, you have definitely found a loyal supporter in our family!


Hope Soars
Living with Cancer & Autism
WRITTEN BY LOREN STOW, FOR MAMA'S N PAPA'S

When you first meet Sammantha and Deqlan, you will firstly notice that Deqlan is like a little tornado of energy, enthusiasm and adventure. You will then notice that Sammantha is like the eye of that little storm – serene, soft spoken and graceful, even when she’s running after her little boy to see what he’s up to. What you can’t see at first is that Deqlan, now two-and-a-half years old, is already a cancer survivor and that he is also on the Autism Spectrum.

Deqlan is Sammantha and Mark Higgins’ son, and he was a much anticipated arrival in September 2006. Sammantha took her healthy baby boy home from the hospital and celebrated as he grew and reached his milestones as any other baby. At around 9 months, Deqlan developed a bruise on his eyelid that Sammantha could not find a cause for. After a month of questions and a Paediatrician who didn’t have any answers that made any sense, Sammantha had a strong instinct that something was not right and demanded a scan to be done.
Three hours later their world changed forever. Deqlan had a malignant tumour behind his eye. The cancer had started near his adrenal gland and was now diagnosed as Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system.
It was a time of hope and prayer and learning everything they could about this disease. Sammantha and Mark’s families and friends rallied around them as their world was turned upside down by treatment, recovery and keeping Deqlan safe from germs because his immune system was non-existent.
During this time, Sammantha and Mark reached out to others they met along the way - other families who were walking down the same road, the doctors and nurses who gave everything they had to help heal Deqlan, their Church family, supporters from around the globe, and the amazing volunteers from CHOC. To this day, Sammantha is actively involved in raising awareness and organising charity drives for CHOC.
Countless scans and x-rays, 4 surgeries, more blood and urine tests than could be counted and 11 rounds of chemotherapy later, Deqlan was announced to have No Evidence of Disease (NED) in January of 2008. Sammantha, Mark and a league of supporters celebrated – this little warrior had beaten the odds.

The trauma of the treatment that Deqlan had received and the fact that Deqlan could not socialise because of the fear of germs meant that he fell behind in his development. Sammantha and Mark expected this, but Sammantha’s mother-instinct whispered to her again. Deqlan had stopped talking, was not making eye contact, did not respond to his name being called, and various other ‘red flags’ niggled at Sammantha’s consciousness.
A paediatric neurologist shared Sammantha’s concerns, but they decided to give Deqlan some much needed ‘catch-up’ time in development. However, in Ocotober 2008, when Deqlan went for his follow-up appointment, the diagnosis was confirmed. Delqlan was on the Autism Spectrum.

Autism, a complex and usually devastating disability, is the most common of all childhood neurological disorders. It affects approximately 1 in 158 children under 6 years old and is 4 times more common in boys than girls. Because there are many different types and severities experienced, there is an Autism Spectrum from mild to moderate to severely affected individuals.
The most common symptoms of people living with Autism can be all or a combination of a complete or partial lack of communication; the inability to understand the complexity of social relationships; and the display of rigid thought patterns and behaviours. These can all lead to the person with Autism becoming isolated from the world around them, which is what is so devastating about this condition.
According the Autism South Africa’s website “It is a lifelong condition and there is no cure, but with the appropriate intervention, it is possible to guide each individual towards their full potential in life.” In the Autism community, they talk of bringing the person ‘through the window’, and this is possible.

A second life-changing diagnosis would surely be devastating for this young family, but no, this was not the case.
When asked how they coped with another diagnosis so soon after Deqlan beat cancer, Sammantha replied that after the possibility of losing her son to cancer, nothing could shake them. They had gone through an ordeal and beaten odds that were stacked very much against them and they had not only survived, but had learned to thrive – this new diagnosis would not stop them in their tracks.

Sammantha and Mark started anew, learning as much as they could about Autism and how they could help their son. Often people wonder where they get their energy and determination from, but their positive outlook is fuelled by a simple, solid love that they for their child.
Talking and getting support from other families with children on the Autism Spectrum has also been a huge motivating factor for Sammantha. As with any diagnosis, to get to know other people walking the same road is a blessing. They can share real life inspiration and even ideas that don’t come from the medical professionals they deal with.
After much research, they decided to take Deqlan to a DAN (defeat autism now) Doctor and start treating his autism on a Biochemical level. A dramatic change in Deqlan’s diet, removing many components such as sugar, wheat, gluten, casein, soya and yeast has made an amazing difference. Deqlan has started talking again, his new favourite word is ‘Mark’. He is also making eye contact and interacting.
Since starting this diet, Sammantha says the light has ‘come on’ in her son’s eyes. Just when you are sure that Deqlan has not noticed you are there, he will walk up to you, almost on his tippy-toes, and ever-so-gently take your hand. He wants you to follow him, to show you something that he’s found or seen. He may not have as many words as another toddler, but you cannot doubt that he is communicating with you.

Talking with Sammantha about her son and her love for him reminds me of most mothers to children with special needs. There is love and joy and achievement and dreams – as with any ‘typical’ child. Society often places in our hearts a fear of not being ‘perfect’, but mothers like Sammantha understand that perfection is subjective. What is more perfect than a son who brings joy and life and love and learning? Children with special needs are able to show us, if we stop and take notice, that anything is possible and that there is beauty in the smallest glance, lightest touch, and tightest hug.
In closing, Sammantha reflects on Deqlan and is grateful for the journey on which he has brought everyone in his life.
“Deqlan is the light and love of our lives and we thank God each day for blessing us with the most incredible gift in him. We feel the challenges that Deqlan has been through has taught us so many lessons, and we continue to learn from him each day. We treasure every moment with our precious boy, every touch, every smile. We hold onto every hug, every giggle, every attempted word and every word Deqlan has mastered. Even though Deqlan can’t say ‘I love you’ yet, we just know he does. It is obvious in the way he looks at us and the way he kisses us that he loves us too. I can’t wait to wake up in the morning and to go through the day with Deqlan, discovering all the new things he has learnt – we are amazed and so proud of Deqlan’s spirit, which is to keep on keeping on with everything he tries each day. Today it’s ‘ba’, tomorrow its ball! We have learnt not to sweat the small stuff, to appreciate each moment with everyone and to trust Our Lord and to thank Him for all He is doing for us and for our beautiful Deqlan Ross. We love him more and more each day and we are so proud of him!”
Two potentially devastating diagnosis’s in as many years has brought this family closer to their faith, strengthened their resolve and taught them Life’s most precious lesson – to love and live fully in every moment of every day, thankful for the gifts that are right in front of them enabling them to grab and hold onto life with both hands.

Sidebar:
Warning signs for Cancer (from the CHOC website www.choc.org.za):
S – Seek: medical help early for persistent symptoms
I – Eye: white spots in the eye, new squint, blindness or bulging eye.
L – Lump: in the abdomen and pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes, glands.
U – Unexplained: fever, loss of weight and appetite, pallor, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding.
A – Aching: bones, joints, back or easy fractures.
N – Neurological: change in behaviour, balance, gait and milestones, headaches, enlarging head.

Red Flags for Autism (from www.autismweb.com)
“According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Autism Facts, a doctor should definitely and immediately evaluate a child for autism if he or she”:
Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
Does not say single words by 16 months of age
Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.




I was also so touched to see an article on leukimia - and its possible that every edition is going to feature on article on specific types of cancers - how wonderful for awareness and hopefully funds which will lead to cures!

Also in this months edition, is the most beautiful article on Loren's son Kai and how their family is soaring and not letting Kai's diagnosis of Down syndrome get in the way of who is is as a beautiful and gentle little soul, who is already achieving so much , also due to early intervention and pure love and hope from his amazing parents.

So for all our South African friends, go out and get your copy now, i promise its worth the read!

I love Lorens explanation of the Special Needs edition:

A fledgling magazine, it is unashamedly proudly South African, while still being glossy and filled with interesting articles (I should know... I’ve contributed 6 articles to this month’s edition... LOL!)

But most importantly, this magazine has bravely chosen to ‘go where none has (sincerely) gone before’... publishing stories, facts, articles and information on children with special needs. Of course not all special needs could be covered (because we’d need more than a single magazine for that), but they’ve made a start and from the next edition, special needs will be featured Every. Single. Month.

Being a mom to a kiddo blessed with an extra chromosome, this fills me with hope and dreams that we can get our message out there – special needs are not bad, or ugly, or horrible, or scary. Our children bring us so much joy, love and satisfaction. More importantly, they themselves accomplish, learn, grow and feel tremendous pride in their own achievements!

I am so excited that there is finally a ‘voice’ for that part of our population that has thus far been ignored by other mainstream publications.

Anyhoo – a quick note turned into an essay!

Buy a copy – oh hell, go buy two copies and give one to someone you think may need a lift! Tell your friends, family and colleagues. And don’t forget to write many letters to the editor, telling her just how wonderful it is to be witness to the ‘not so perfect’ perfection of life. Support this magazine’s initiative to educate the public about special needs - a child’s life may be changed, made better, or even saved if the message gets out there regularly and with honesty and love.

GO LOREN, WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU !!!!!!

A Bill of rights for parents of Kids with Special Needs

Taken from To The Max, 5 minutes for special needs:


I put this together over at my blog with input from readers, and wanted to share it with all of you here.
A Bill of Rights For Parents of Kids With Special Needs
We, the parents, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure tranquility (and sanity) and promote the general welfare of our families, do ordain and establish this Bill of Rights.
* We have the right to expect our kids to be seen for who they are as individuals, not as labels or diagnoses.
* We have a right to trust our instincts about our kids and realize that experts don't always know best.
* We have a right to ignore the remarks, questions and stares and not give explanations or excuses for why our children are the way they are.
* We have a right to choose alternative therapies for our kids.
* We have a right to roll our eyes straight out of our heads when we encounter certain mothers who brag nonstop that their kids are the smartest students/best athletes ever.
* We have a right to wonder “What if…” every so often.
* We have a right to play aimlessly with our children. Not for therapeutic or educational purposes—just for fun.
* We have a right to blast Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty/Any Rocker, down a glass of Pinot Grigio, get a pedicure, go out with the girls or do all of the aforementioned at once if that's what it takes to avoid burnout.
* We have a right to react to people’s ignorance in whatever way we feel necessary.
* We have a right to not always have our child be the poster child for his/her disability and some days be just a child.
* We have a right to go through the grieving process and realize we may never quite be "over it."
* We have the right to give our kids chores. Even better if they can learn to make breakfast in bed for us.
* We have a right to stretch the truth when we fail to do the exercises the therapist asked us to do this week because we were too darn tired or overwhelmed.
* We have a right to have yet more Pinot Grigio
* We have a right to fire any doctor or therapist who's negative, unsupportive or who generally says suck-y things.
* We have a right to tell family and friends that everything may not be OK—at least not how they mean it, anyway.
* We have a right to hope for an empty playground so we don’t have to look into another child’s eyes and answer the question, “What’s wrong with him?”
* We have a right to bawl on the way back from the playground, the birthday party, the mall or anyplace where our children’s challenges become glaringly obvious in the face of all the other kids doing their typical-development things.
* We have the right to give our children consequences for their behavior. They may be “special” but they can still be a royal pain in the ass.
* We have a right to take a break from Googling therapies, procedures, medicine and treatments for our kids to research upcoming concerts, exotic teas or anything not related to our child’s disabilities.
* We have a right to talk about how great our kids are when people don’t get it.
* We have the right to not always behave as inspirational icons who never complain or gripe about the sometimes awful realities of raising a child with special needs.
* We have a right to expect quality services for our children not just when they’re infants, preschoolers and elementary school age, but when they’re in older grades and adults, too.
* We have a right to adequate funding for those services and to not have to kick, scream or endure a wait for them.
* We have a right to get tired of people saying, as they give that sympathy stare, "I don't know how you do it."
* We have a right to wish that sometimes things could be easier.
* We have a right to cheer like crazy anytime our children amaze us—or weep like lunatics.* We have a right to push, push and push some more to make sure our children are treated fairly by the world.

Happy Birthday Keagan

Dear Keagan

Happy 4th Birthday big boy! We hope you have a wonderful day today and many many more Happy Birthdays!

We hope your day is full of cake and all the lovely things you like to eat and lots of celebrations! Stay the very brave boy you are - we are all praying for Our Lord to make you much much better and for him to guide your Daddy and Mommy and brother !

God Bless, lots of hugs and hope and prayers

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

AN UPDATE ON KEAGAN FROM HIS MOMMY:
23/06/09Dear friends and family"Tomorrow, 23 June, Keagan will be 4 years old. We celebrated his birthday on Saturday and it turned out to be a wonderful day where everybody - especially the little ones - enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately Keagan was too weak and tired to enjoy any of it, but he did have a good time opening his presents later in the evening!On Saturday morning we finished the last chemo which can be given, but this morning (Monday) we returned to the hospital where he is being treated for an infection. He does not look well at all and cannot eat. A feeding tube has been inserted into his nose so that nutritious shakes can be administered. He also has severe and constant headaches from the medication, including high fevers. Fortunately he is being closely monitored and treated for all his ailments. I trust that he will be feeling better within the next day or two.The past 2 years have not been easy, but especially so - the past few weeks. My faith has been tested by circumstance like never before, I have cried more tears lately than I have over the past 2 years since Keagan was diagnosed. I have never been more scared, more emotional and more tired. No sooner do things look positive, when the next bad news or negative circumstance arises. Last Tuesday, 16 June, our doctor told us that he was not sure that Keagan would make it. Up until now he has received all the chemo that can possibly be given. Any further attempt to destroy cancer cells with more chemo could cause Keagan's demise. So, from Tuesday to Sunday afternoon, I had lost hope that Keagan would survive. I didn't stop praying, but had begun to prepare myself for the death of my little boy. I felt guilty for having lost my faith and I prayed for forgiveness from God. On Sunday afternoon my husband and I had a conversation about faith and miracles, and afterward I suddenly felt renewed strength, renewed hope and renewed faith. I prayed to God and I thanked Him for the miracle which is Keagan, and the miracle which is Reuben. We are begging and pleading with God for a miracle: that our son will live. Not only that, but we pray that he and our other son, Reuben, may be blessed with a joyful, long life, a life that will bear good fruits. We pray for guidance, wisdom and insight, so that we may raise both our sons on the solid foundation which is God, His Word, and that we may live our lives in a manner that is pleasing in His sight.In the Bible God says that when we pray and do not doubt, we shall receive whatever we ask for in prayer (Matt 21:21-22) . He also says where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, there He shall be. In James 1:6 God says again that when we pray we must believe and not doubt at all. I also find the verse playing over and over in my mind which says that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul (I don't remember where in the scripture this is written and I recall this verse from long ago, so I stand corrected with these words).We are praying for a miracle, yet at the same time I thank God for all the many, many blessings he has bestowed upon us, and He continues to bless us each and every single day in many ways. I will persevere and endure, and no matter what may lie ahead for me - I will hold on to God and His Word more tightly with each passing day. I am not afraid of the trials that still lie ahead for me and my family, because it says in Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".We trust in God, in His promises, and we take His words into our hearts and minds.Thank you for your continued prayers everybody! May God grant you the strength to endure and persevere throughout all the daily challenges we must all face - whatever they may be."TRUST in God.God bless and much love,Shireen

Happy Birthday Boys!

Happy Happy 1st Birthday to baby Dyllan for Friday, 19 June ! We hope you had a wonderful celebration little Rambo! You are truly a miracle from God and we continue to pray for you to stay healthy and happy and well, you are loved so much!

Happy 8th birthday to Connor in Cape Town ! We see from your photos that you had a fantastic party! We wish you only the very very best in the year to come, especially health , happiness and smiles! We pray for fantastic results for your upcoming scans, we know they going to be just great!

God Bless, lots of love to you both

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Welcome baby Haper Preister!

Congratulations to Chad, Brenda and Charli on the arrival of your baby boy, Harper! We wish you all the love and joy and happiness in the world, May Our Lord always bless, guide, protect baby Harper and you all! He is to beautiful!

Lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan & Logan


Harper was born June 19, 2009 at 8:42am!6lbs 8oz20"Fuzzy hair....with maybe a tint of red?!!!Charli is pretty unimpressed with her little brother, buthas managed to give a few kisses and innocent smiles!

Pics of Marks birthday celebrations

Logan and Keaton, inseperable....
Deqlan has started enjoying his bike more, but in this scene, he decided to try sit backwards and drive..we laughed so hard, he is just to cute!

a very precious picture - Deqlan LOVES Conrad, and kept bringing him to watch his Alphabet dvd so he could show Conrad that he can now say most of the letters, they really share such a special connection...

i grab these moments to have all three kids in one photo..

Mr Keaton - our next Graeme Smith perhaps?

Mark and Kevin with their Mom

Gangsta's...

The birthday Cake!

Cheers to the birthday boy

Mark and Kevin, brothers and best friends

Dee and Mom

Grandpa and Meggie

Deqlan showing Nanna his alphabet DVD

This is for you Mark open up!

Nanna says cheers to Mark with a traditional shot of whiskey! Conrad and Mark started this Tradition and Nana doesnt actually have a choice!

The apple of Dads eye

The gorgeous alphabet and number catepillar Granny bought for Deqlan

Logs was also spoilt with a dvd from Granny

Cool guy

I love this photo!

Loggie in her schookl uniform, so smart!

We had a great time celebrating with Mark on Saturday, just the family came over for a delicous braai and fun was had by all i think! Thank you to everyone for spoiling Mark rotten and the gift of having you there with us!Enjoy....

p.s- Deqlans new words for the weekend - we are so so chuffed..

CARE BEAR

CROCODILE

SHEEP

COW

WATER

KITTY ( AND HE SAID THIS WHEN LOOKING AT OUR CAT, BLUE AND HE MEOWED!!!)

FISH

HE ALSO TRIED TO SAY GOOD MORNING THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Deqlan is counting ...to ten....!!!!!!!!!!

We are so blessed, thank You Lord!

Have a great week everyone

God Bless, 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

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dear Dada,

Happy Happy Birthday to the best day in the entire galaxy! I love you so very very very much - you are my super hero and my best friend in the whole world ( Dub comes a close second at the moment) You make my day every day, you add meaning to it, just by being my Dad. I love you so very very much. I know how much you sacrifice for me and I know how hard you work to make sure i have everything i need. I hope you have a wonderful day, sorry you have to work today, but cant wait for you to get home so we can have a big party to celebrate your special day. My gifts to you today and always, will be all the love i can possible give and show you, as many hugs as my arms can give, as many kisses as my lips can give , as many words and songs and hugs and dances imaginable. I love you Dada, so so so much, Have a wonderful Birthday and many many more, God Bless, all my love and so much more

Deqlan Ross

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday Dad! Hope you have a wonderful day today and best year ever ahead! Dont worry about being at work today, cause i have to go to school to....thank you for all you do for me Dad, i love spending time with you and kicking the ball with you and just learning as much as i can from you . You are strong, and clever and wise and more i couldnt ask for in a Dad. Thank you for always being there for me Dad! Have a very Happy Birthday and remember i love you very much

Lots and lots of love

Logan

My one and only Love,

A very very Happy Birthday to you for today and many many more! I know that the year ahead is going to be the best one yet - i know that all the hard work you put into everything you do is going to pay off , i know that you are going to reap the benefits of everything you put yourself into, I know God is going to bless you with all His blessings as you are such a blessing to me and our family. Thank you for being the best husband and friend to me , and the best father to Deqlan and Logan. I know you put us first in everything you do , and i cant thank you enough for that my love. I pray that every dream you set your sights on becomes a reality , that every goal is reached, that every star you look to reach comes into your hands. I love you more and more each day and I thank God for blessing me with someone who is so loving and caring and supportive. You always know what to say to make me feel better, you never take sides, you always give the best advise and you support me no matter what, thank you my love for everything. I love and treasure and appreciate you more then you know

God Bless you, have a wonderful day and cant wait to sing to you later, even though we need a bit of practise, Deqlan and I will put on the best concert we can for you!

All my love, your Angel

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy Fathers day

We had a lovely Fathers day today. It started off with a little breakfast for Dad, his favorite - croissants ! Then Logan and I met Bev and Meggie and Grandpa at Mass this morning for a Fathers day service. Afterwards, we enjoyed the most delicous, fantastic, divine lunch and delightful afternoon with Mom and Dee,it really was such a lovely, relaxed day,with superb food and the best company in the world, each other..

Kevin and Louise with Logan, Kevin thank you for being a great Godfather to Logan and for always going out of your way to making her feel loved and treasured!

Dee, Dad to Debbie and Andrew, who stay in Canada - i sneaked this shot in, when Debbie called to wish Dee!

Grandpa, Granfather to Samm, Meggie, Kejenne and Jeran - we are so blessed to have you as our Grandpa, we love you so very much, we are so proud of you and look up to you in so many ways. The way you take care of Nan Grandpa, the love you have for her, is a quality that we all strive or . Always know we are here for you and will help you however we can, we love you!

Mark, Godfather to Keaton - these two have such a special relationship, Keaton really loves Mark and can often be found tugging on Marks jeans to be picked up for a cuddle!

Conrad, Deqlans Godfather - we got Conrad some of his favorite chocolate to enjoy! Conrad, you are amazing with Deqlan, the time and love and patience you put into getting into Deqlans world, is a gift we will always treasure, thank you from all of us. You are a great Dad to Keaton, and i know he looks up to you in so many ways!

The gorgeous 'I LOVE YOU DAD BECAUSE..' Chocolates Bev found, all the kids filled in the reasons why they love Dad, we actually needed a massive slab to list even half the reasons why!

Dee, Step dad to Meggie and Samm - Dee, we hope you had a stunning Fathers day.We cant thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for us. Thank you for all the love and support and care you put into our family. You are amazing and we pray that Our Lord will pour His blessings upon you , the same way you pour them upon is. You truly deserve so much in life - nothing is hard for you, no is not an option, you always put everyone else first - just know how much you are loved and appreciated.

Dee, you are also Grandpa to Damian . Chenya, Daren and Jared all in Canada, and i am sure they will also agree that you are also the best Grandad ever!

For two gorgeous boys, right here, you are Grandad to, Deqlan and Keaton have so much love for you - you really are such an important part in their lives and they smile in anticipation when arrriving at your house each day, knowing they are going to get big smiles and songs and laughter and high fives! Dee, what you have done to help me with Deqlan is priceless and treasure. Deqlan would not be making the amazing progress he is without your help , that is for sure, and Mark and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do for us! We love you Dee, We love you Grandpa!

The coasters we made for Dee and Grandpa - it was my first go and decoupage - thanks Claire for explaining to me how to do it, i hope i can better with practise, but they loved them!

Grandpa with Meggie and Samm , Great Grandpa to Logan, Deqlan and Keaton - a prouder Great Grandpa you will not find. It is an honor and privilige and blessing that our kids still have their great Grandpa - thank you for all the love you shower upon us Great Grandpa , we love you very very much and look so forward to spending lots of time with you and Great Nan playing in the zen garden and running around with Becks!

Mark, Dada to Deqlan - Dada, Happy Fathers Day to my best friend, my hero, my nuturer, my buddy - i love you so so so much - the bond we share is unbreakable and grows stronger each day. I see you as my hero and there is nothing that i cant do without you. I cant wait to see you each day when you get home from work - i cant wait for you to teach me new words and watch your face as i repeat the alphabet and today, count to ten, after you teach me just how to do it. Thank you for working so hard, thank you for putting me first, thank you for making me feel loved and happy - there is nothing i want for . I treasure, our cuddles and kisses and giggles, and rubbing your face as i fall asleep. I am working on saying Dada and i cant wait to be able to tell you with my own words and voice, that I love you more then anything.

Early morning breakfast wishes

Dad to Logan - Dear Dad, Happy Fathers day! Thank you for making all the sacrifices you do so that i can have everything i need or could ever want. I look up to you in so many ways - and cant wait to see you when you come to fetch me, i cant wait to tell you how i am doing at school. Thank you for all the life lessons you continue to teach me - i know i am learning the ropes from the best! I know that we are going to be the best father daughter team and i know that i can turn to you with everything and anything. I do love you so very much and i am proud to call you my Dad.

Fathers day Wishes to you Oupa Chris, in Durban- thank you for being a great Dad to Mark, Kevin and Sandi and for being a great Oupa to Deqlan and Logan - we hope you had a lovely day and we hope to see you soon!

Mark is also blessed to still have his Oupa, Oupa, we sending you lots of love and best wishes for a lovely day, we hope you are happy and healthy and doing very well and we hope to see you soon to!

Happy Fathers Day to you Grandpa Quintin, also Dad to Tyler, Keving and Mark - we also trust you had a great day and were spoilt! Thank you for taking such good care of Logan and all the effort and time you put into making her weekeends and holidays so very special! Have a wonderful day

To my Godfather , Uncle Ken, wishing you a wonderful day and safe travels back to Austria tonight. We have always shared a special connection and I shall always treasure that!

To all the Dads, Dads to be, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers - Happy Fathers day! Thank you for being the roots and pillars of strength in our families.

I know that the angels are also wishing their Daddys a wonderful Fathers day and now they are they ones in Heaven watching over their fathers..

To the most important Dad of all, Our Father , who art in heaven. Father God, you are the ultimate role model, example, nurturer, healer, provider, our lighthouse, our shepard, the way , the truth and the light! We love, worship and adore you and thank you for letting us come to you any time of the day or night to listen to our hearts, to guide us, to answer our prayers, to direct us, there is no other like You. Happy Fathers day Our Heavenly Father, we love you.

Fathers have an awesome task

To show what love is made of

So when their children look at them

They’ll see the heart of God

And grow to want to know God more

To walk in all His ways

To learn from their Father’s wisdom

And be taught how to pray.

Fathers have a special role

In each young child’s life

To mould and shape them to become

A follower of Christ

To show them the

Father’s heart

And help them understand

How God’s love can be their guide

As they take Him by the hand.

God bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan and Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Happy Happy Happy Happy Talk

How is Deqlan doing? Wonderful, marvelous, fantastic, incredible would be the best answers i could give you all!

The most beautiful music is heard each time Deqlan opens his beautiful little mouth to proudly practise the words he can say , or try new ones each day!

New words for the week , so far: sleep, steam ( Deqlan loves watching the steam rise from hot water) , "dee" for Birdy, " G" for frog, bye and bye bye ( now saying it at appropriate times) , Bee and wait for it, drum roll please...........................................

THE ALPHABET! THATS CORRECT, YOU READ RIGHT, THE ALPHABET

Our little boy, who has only started talking again in the last few weeks, at the tender age of 2 years and 9 months is saying the alphabet!

Nanna and I were watching Baby Genius, under water sea adventures on Monday afternoon, when all of a sudden, we heard Deqlan say " G" - we had a look at the screen and realised it was at the bit were the alphabet letters come up , out of the treasure box 1 by 1. "again, again' Deqlan said in his own little words. So , we watched it again and there Deqlan said G in exactly the right place. We both laughed with absolute delight and clapped our hands, which spurred Deqlan on even more. The next time we played it, even more letters came out of Deqlans mouth E , A, B, C...Mark was astounded to hear the new discovery when we got home from Mark.

This has becomes Deqlans new favorite thing to do - he requests to watch the alphabet over and over by getting us to play this dvd, then he nudges us to get it just to the right place and then he says 'E' This is his way of telling us he wants to say the alphabet! Well , Deqlans prayer army, let me tell you which letters he can say now

A, B, C, D, E, G,I,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,T,U,W,Y,Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are beyond proud and delighted and so is Deqlan, when he has finshed saying the alphabet, he proudly claps his hands together if we are not quick enough to start the clapping first. The letters he cant say yet, he makes a noise for them, so we know he acknowledges there is something in between.

It is the most beautiful thing and i will try very hard to record it and get it posted onto our blog!

How amazing is Our God???? Who can now turn around and tell me the gluten casein sugar year soya free diet doesnt work, i shouldnt even give it a go??????????????

Another beautiful development is asking Deqlan how does a lion go? "aaaaaaaaa" and he puts a bit of strain on the sound to, he really does sound like a lion! The other favorite is how does a cow go? 'mmmmmmmmmmm'' How precious!

When i say Sleep, Deqlan tries to lay my head down, no matter where we are. When he says the Ponty Pines in their beds, he says Sleep!

Thank you God every day for the progress that Deqlan is making, the light that has come on in his eyes, the understanding that is starting to happen , all this making things less frustrating for our Deqlan to be understood! We look so forward to every day in anticipation for what Deqlan will do or say or discover today.

Deqlan wasnt to well on Tuesday night, he had a very restless night and kept waking up , pulling on his ear and crying, and in the morning, pulling on his throat crying, so off we went to the doctor, as i was experiencing the same niggles - luckily nothing to serious, so we have Deqlan on some cortisone to relieve some pressure off his ear and the anti biotic script on standby for us both - but hoping we can do without it!

I also wanted to share a book with you , one of the best books i have ever read, Autism related or not - A FRIEND LIKE HENRY - what a stunning book and i highly recommend you all get to read it if you have the chance. Without giving to much away, Henry, the beautiful labrador, is the only being that is able to get into Dale's world . Dale was severely affected by Autism - by Henry changed a lot of that, and brought back Dale to his family and the world - what a stunning story, i have learnt so much from it and wish we could all have a Henry to help our kids, what amazing healing properties lye within this animals - id love to take Deqlan to swim with the dolphins to one day, i know he would love that, as he still lovingly smiles and watches Free Willy and carries our dolphin teddies around with him.

We are thrilled to see how much is being done and how much awareness is being created in South Africa with regards to Autism - we can only hope the same will happen for childhood cancer. if you can, please go and get a copy of the latest You Pulse magazine, it has stunning articles and information on Autism and what to look out for , with real life stories and experiences - i think i should actually share some of the information in the magazine in the days to come to continue creating awareness and understanding.

We have a new and very exciting development to announce in our plans to get Deqlan to reach his full potential and reach for the stars and beyond. We met a lovely lovey called Liezl, who is going to help us develop a home programme specially for Deqlan. She is going to train Nanna and I, she is going to help us create a schedule for Deqlans days, worked out around the setting and activities at Little Leaps, so he is ready to go to school in Jan , and the list goes on - here is a little bit about Liezl and what she does;

TREES OF HOPE



Why another ‘autism organisation’?
We live in a beautiful South Africa. Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, the statistics for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are on the increase. South Africa faces an enormous challenge to allocate its limited resources. There is a big discrepancy between wealthy and poor and the gap is still growing. Services provided are often limited, fragmented and very expensive.

Despite their long-standing tradition of independent operation, all service systems for young children and their families are currently challenged to provide for greater integration and to define best practices in order to guide the allocation of our finite public resources. The challenge is how to capitalise on current knowledge and mobilize our collective resources to ensure better health and developmental outcomes.

When both the child and parent reap benefits, program effectiveness is extended to the community as a whole, in economic terms as well as in quality of life. Therefore, as an organisation, we want to provide a service that is build on accountability, appropriacy and sustainability.

Our dream!
Our dream is for every child who faces possible developmental delays and their family to receive individualised intervention that will allow them to reach their full potential. We want to see a society where each person will have the opportunity to grow up and become a participating member. We want both the child and the family to thrive.

How are we going to achieve this?
We want to catalise change by empowering parents to help their child. We are acknowledging parents as the cornerstone of intervention for their child. By using a transdisciplinary approach towards intervention, we aim to combat the challenge regarding limited resources and unsustainable intervention strategies. We want to establish a working relationship between parents and professionals that will result in better service delivery for the children who needs intervention.

This is not an easy task, but we belief that we can make a difference, starting with helping one family at a time.

Who are we?
Phil de Wet, co-founder of Trees of Hope Foundation, is a qualified high school educator with a keen interest in physiology and biology. She is the mother of Philippa. A lovely girl diagnosed with ASD. Phil has extensive experience in dealing with autism in South Africa and wants to help parents who face the same delights and challenges, by
being the person she needed along the road. Phil specialises in helping
parents using a biological intervention approach to treat autism.

Liezl Schlebusch, co-founder of Trees of Hope Foundation, is an Early Childhood Interventionist. She completed a B.Sc Degree at the University of Stellenbosch. Her majors were Physiology and Human Movement Studies focussing on people with special needs. She completed a B.Compt (Accounting) Degree through UNISA. She then did an Honours Degree in Augmentative and Alternative Communication for people with little or no functional speech. Currently she is doing her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Intervention at the University of Pretoria. Since 2000, she had worked continuously with children with developmental delays. Work experience includes working in the UK, Cape Town and Pretoria with different children on the ASD spectrum. Liezl focuses on an early intervention home program to help children and their families.



Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Home program
Globally, ECI is moving towards service provision that is based on a transdisciplinary approach. Current interventions often happen in an isolated, fragmented way. Parents go through great lengths to organise intervention therapies for their child, often to end up waiting outside the therapy room, without learning how to help their child at home.

By using a transdisciplinary approach towards intervention, our aim is to establish effective collaboration between parents and the diverse service systems, in the end helping the child with intervention that is appropriate, affordable and sustainable.

What is Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)?
The goals of early childhood intervention:
° To promote child health and well-being
° Enhance emerging competencies
° Minimise developmental delays
° Remediate existing or emerging disabilities
° Prevent functional deterioration
° Promote adaptive parenting and overall family functioning

Goals are accomplished by providing individualised developmental, educational, and therapeutic services for children in conjunction with mutually planned support for their families. The ideal is to provide a comprehensive, broad-based program with a strong parental involvement component. The outcome of service provision is measured by developmental progress.

By providing an intervention service, we aim to help the learner to meet social expectations, to increase his/her social competence, to foster a healthy self-concept, to be able to use language, to have the capacity to communicate and interact positively with peers and adults and to prepare for formal schooling. Thus, providing an integrated holistic intervention.

The Trees of Hope – ECI Home Program
The home program is designed to empower parents to help their child. It consists of different stages that are dynamic and interchangeable, depending on the wants and the needs of the family.

First stage: Home visit and team brainstorm
A home visit where we discuss different aspects of the family life and specific needs regarding the child. Parents, myself and other interested parties brainstorm
together to determine immediate, medium- and long-term intervention goals.
The outcomes:
° Established the family’s priorities, structure, values and resources.
° Intervention aims divided into timeframes.
° Lifestyle planning.

Second stage: Theoretical issues and required readings (handout and teaching)
The information is given in a handout format. Theoretical information regarding a
home program is divided into relevant topics. This knowledge will allow the parent
to see the “big picture” and to assist in critical thinking.


The outcomes:
° Sound knowledge.
° See the big picture.
° Critical thinking.

Third stage: Play-based assessment of learner with parent involvement
This involves a functional play-based assessment with the child. The parent is involved in the process.
The outcomes:
° Establish developmental level of child, strengths, interests and difficulties.
° Practical experience regarding theoretical issues.
° Role release on how to work with your child.
° Program designing and resource allocation.

Forth stage: Designing an individual home program
An individualised intervention program is designed taken all the family dynamics into account.
The outcomes:
° Individual needs addressed.
° Family specific.
° Definite goals determined.

Fith stage: Implementation of home program and training of key worker
Implementing the program by providing training and helping with the practical set-up.
The outcomes:
° Confident and comfortable with doing activities.
° Apparatus and materials needed are organised.
° Sustainable intervention.
° Functional.

Sixth stage: Feedback, follow-up and reassessment
This stage allows the parent, key worker and program manager to have continuous communication and to monitor intervention aims. Adjustments can then be made.
The outcomes:
° Adjustments to avoid frustration.
° Support network, helpline for all parties involved.
° Ensure realistic expectations.

So now, all of you are in the loop and we ask for lots of prayers and positive thoughts for Deqlan and for us! Our training and assesments will be done the week of 29 June- 4 July and we cant wait to start, shall keep you all posted! Please pray this is exactly what we need to get Deqlan to soar and achieve all his dreams!

We hope you all have a great weekend, we have a busy one! Fathers Day Sunday and Marks Birthday on Monday!

My Gran will also be relased from hospital soon and I am so happy to say is not going back to the frail care home, my wonderful sister and mom have started making arrangements to get a night and day nurse to help my Grandad take care of her at home! How wonderful, thank You Lord for another miracle of healing in my Gran!


God Bless, lots of love and please please always continue the prayers for Deqlan to remain NED FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER and please pray for all his friends around the world, the angels and their families and for the cure for cancer

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!