Peas? You must be joking Mama!

Hello Everyone

As usual im a little behind on my updates- i continue to be ssooo busy at the moment, but so grateful for the hug amount of support we have recieved fir Srcub a dub dub - unbelievable!

I wanted to first say thank you so much to so many people who watched the Autism, a Musical movie on Saturday - for your comments an prayer and positive feedback and smiles and support. It was heartwarming and i know lots of tears were shed around town during the film - but just know , that it ended on such a high note for me - hence the Steve Wondie song from th movie as part of my playlist for Deqlan! I am just so inspired to continue doing everything I can for Deqlan, and I know i can do more- the most important things i can do you ask? Lots and lots of love, and patience and understanding, tolerance and guidance. I know I have mentioned this before, but it continues to ring true to me - when Deqlan was born , in the theatre, the song playing was ALL I HAVE TO OFFER IS LOVE – I think its a coleski song, cant find it to download on playlist , but anyway – i know how important this feeling is to our beautiful boy and i intend to continue providing it every second of the day- the love you pour on me my boy is priceless, never ending and the best gift God has given me in you!

So, we went to Maryke , the wonderful dietician on Thursday, and she has given me quite a few ideas on how to introduce veggies into Deqlans diet – she says he needs a lot more greens- there are actually none at the moment! We start by putting peas, for example, next to his plate for the first few days, so he gets used to what they look like- then move them onto his plate, then as time goes on get him to touch, smell and eventually taste them and see that they actually not so bad afterall !She was us to give Deqlan lots of praise – he loves it when we clap and cheer for him, so this hopefully will spur him on to eat !

Foods can be terrifying for kids on the autism spectrum. Tastes, colours, smells, can all be very overwhelming and turn them off food, especially veggies, completely! – so alot more perseverance and patience and tolerance and understanding is going to come into our eating times! Maryke also encouraged us to get Deqlan to sit at the table with us, and learn how to eat, and understand he needs to eat. At the moment, he will run to his plate , take a bite or two and run away...he forgets about his food, and Dada and Nanna and I run around trying to make sure he eats as much as he can- but this doesn’t really teach him to eat – cause he is playing at the same time!

So we will give the peas a bash and hopefully we can change Deqlans min about veggies and get him to enjoy them as we do!

Maryke also thinks Deqlan has an iron deficiency , which we tend to agree with – so we are going to test for this with our upcoming 3 monthly scans, blood and urine tests on 11 May – results 22 May – so please start the prayers Deqlans prayer army that everything is perfectly normal and that Deqlan remains NED always

Back to the dietician – Deqlan fell asleep in the car on the way there, so we let him sleep a little more while i chatted to Maryke – Deqlan woke up and played with Nanna for a good 20 minutes before realising that i wasn’t in the car and immediately became upset- the cherry on the top- was when he came looking for me , but he was about to have the biggest tantrum ever. Nothing calmed him down , not even me holding him and talking softly to him, not Thomas, not the Telly Tubbies- the only thing that worked was getting in the car and driving far far away

Our soldier is having a tough time with new places and faces and things that are not part of his familiar daily routine. Kids on the spectrum thrive on routine, and changes have to be made only if necessary and you have to try your best to explain before hand what is going to change- they need to be prepared and need to know whats coming next . First Maryke, then home – but Deqlan wasn’t having any of it, and off we went!
I need to check some ingredients on some gluten free products to ensure they are actually fine for Deqlan – one of them... his rice milk! So hold thumbs that its ok for him to continue drinking!


More updates to follow, need to get some much needed sleep and recharge my batteries for tomorrow, another very very busy day!Thank you Lord for the blessing and gift of running around after Deqlan and wathching him during the day, thank you for the blessings of so many people helping with our Scrub a dub project

Sleep tight, God Bless and lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

More Thank you's!

Dear Judy and David,

Thank you and thank you again to you and your families for your very generous donations for Scrub a dub dub. I am humbled and so grateful for you wanting to help the CHOC kids and i promise that i will use your donations for the items these kids will relish and benefit from. Thank you both, so so very much, we are Blessed!

God bless, love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan and Deqlans Army

Thank you Wendy Graham and team

Dear Wendy, Letitia,Karina, Yvonne, Christo, Sunita,
Ferdinando, Kokkie, Arni & Chriselda, Maryna, Marguerite, Angela, Mala & Joanne,

Words are not enough to express our thanks and appreciation to you all. I am astounded at the love and dedication and generosity that you have all so lovingly poured into helping us help these precious children with our project Scrub a dub dub. We are so grateful for your AMAZING contributions, and i can promise you that you have changed these children’s lives in the most positive way. It is friends like you , that make the difference in this world and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for us and for CHOC. I am blown away at the amount of items in the pic, and i already see the smiling faces!

Wendy, thank you so much for being so eager to get involved to help us, for collecting all the items and getting your wonderful team to help us.

I can not wait to see the children’s faces when we hand their OWN items to them! I promise to send you a full update of the hand out with loads of pictures!

God bless you all, thank you so very very much
Samm, Megan & Deqlans Army

Angels

So sad to tell everyone about another two angels who fought so hard against neuroblastoma

Jack Brown - http://www.jackbrownappeal.org/updatesonjack.asp fought so bravely for 3 years

David Moore - after fighting neuroblastoma for 6 years

Please say a prayer for these beautiful boys and their loved ones

Congrats to Damian!!

Dear Damian,

We are so very proud to hear that your international Canadian ice hockey team, won the European championships! We are so very proud that scored winning goals and wish we couldve been there to see it with our own eyes!

Please some photos so we can continue bragging about your amazing talents!

Well done! Hugs, God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Grandpa & Bev

Conrad Meggie Keaton

Happy Belated Birthday Michelle

Dear Michelle

A very very Happy Birthday to you dear Michelle for yesterday and many many more!

Hope you had a stunning day and that it was spent with your lovely family!

Sending you lots of love and hugs and blessings

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

PACKING PLANS IN PROGRESS

Hi Family and Friends,

Hope you are all well and enjoyed the weekend!

As most of you know Samm is running the "Scrub a dub dub" programme at the moment and is collecting all the fun and cool bath stuff for the kiddies with cancer this winter, everything from toiletry bags to toothpaste to soap to deodorant - you name it - were collecting it!
We have received so much already and we have never had such a great response thus far in any of our projects with people donating as far as Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, JHB, Midrand, Pretoria ect ect that Samm has had to arrange drop off points all over JHB and Pretoria in order to recieve all the goodies in time!

SO this brings me to the point of the email...... I am arranging the actual day of packing and if you were at the last packing event at my house you know how awesome it was to pack these goodies into their special bags and lable them and send them off to the relevant hospitals..... BUT this year the event has grown so much my house cannot cater for the packing event!

I am trying to get in touch with a few venues around centurion to see if they are willing to let us have there grounds or hall or lapa for a morning in order for us to get the stuff packed so I will be updating you soonest when I have found a venue who will be kind enough to either sponsor us the venue or give it to us at a reduced rate.

This year Samm and I have come up with the idea to HONOR a child who A) Is a Surviror, B) Is a Warrior or C) Is an Angel... We are coming up with ideas on how to celebrate their lives and to introduce you to them via photo's with a special twist!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, as a God mother and Aunt to Deqlan - words are not adequate to express my gratitude, thanks and privledge to know you all!

God bless,

Megan