Sam. Conqueror. Overcomer.

"IN ALL THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVES US : Samuel was born on 15th May 2009, two months early and in respiratory distress. After an initial Apgar score of 1, he was taken to the NICU and placed on a ventilator, together with an undeterminable amount of tubes, IV’s and monitors which made it almost impossible to see the little Smurfie character lying within…slightly blue and only three apples high. Sam was diagnosed within 24 hours with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, a scarce medical advantage as, due to the rare occurrence of the Syndrome and the limited medical literature on it, many individuals are only diagnosed well into adulthood and some never at all. The page-long list of medical/health issues related to the syndrome, while vital in providing a prognosis and compiling a care plan, took a backseat, however, as Sam’s struggle to breathe and swallow became the primary focus of our concerns and prayers, deepened only by the heartache of not being allowed to hold and comfort him for the first ten days of his already traumatic life. After seven weeks Sam was successfully weaned from the oxygen but was still dependent on a nasal gastric tube for feeding, with which he was eventually discharged. Once home, what should have been a precious time to recover from the stress of the NICU and enjoy a relaxed and cherished time together, instead became a seemingly-endless timeline of specialist appointments, therapies, illnesses and surgeries as that page-long list of medical complexities came into play, affecting every part of Sam…physically, neurologically, medically and emotionally. Yet, despite these challenges and an “ineducable” future being predicted when his prognosis was delivered, Sam showed a delightful potential and eagerness for learning. Unfortunately though, this learning potential seemed limited to his cognitive abilities as, physically, Sam’s development lagged significantly behind that of his RTS peers. A week before his 5th birthday a brain MRI confirmed that, in addition to the RTS, Sam also has Periventricular Leukomalacia and Static Leukoencephalopathy (included under the umbrella diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy), which would more than likely have occurred as a result of the oxygen deprivation experienced leading up to and/or during his birth. Thirteen years later and with a number of surgeries and medical procedures which appear to be in fierce competition for their own “page-long list” (which surgeries and their subsequent recoveries have left Sam to face his day-to-day life with a residue of unshakeable anxieties and phobias), the boy you meet face-to-face…with his cheeky sense of humour, unfathomable joy and fierce warrior spirit…make it almost impossible to believe that that disheartening brain MRI and poor medical prognosis are of the same kid. As we begin to navigate this journey with a newly aged differently-abled teenager, leaving behind the little smurf whose fears and discomforts could so easily be remedied with a cuddle on mom’s lap, the anxiety of more surgeries and medical challenges now compounded by the universal fear of every differently-abled child’s parent/s (who will take care of their child once their own time here is gone) threatens to become overwhelming. But then the excitement of a horseriding lesson, the sheer delight of spotting a balloon (especially a hot air balloon) or a super silly giggle caused by simply hearing someone sneeze provides a beautiful reminder of the profound joy and courage these children radiate, despite their overwhelming challenges, and it provides the perfect encouragement and inspiration for facing your own. #samtheconqueror
SAMUEL - COMPLETE IN GOD
Our world has crashed, been blown apart.
This can't be happening....why us? Why now?
Your fragile life shaken before it could barely start,
How do we get through this...please, Lord, tell us how?

Drowning in our sorrow, waiting for answers that just don't come.
Our baby "special needs"? It simply can't be true!
The heartache overwhelms us, we're left feeling cold and numb.
The diagnosis tells us little - these children are so few.

But then we finallyget to touch you, to see your precious face
And all the heartache and questions fade, replaced with love and pride.
It's obvious from the very start you're showered in God's grace,
And with His love and guidance, we'll take this challenge in stride.

When once we couldn't pronounce it, Rubinstein-Taybi's become our norm.
When once the future seemed dark, we now welcome the journey as having an RTS angel brings lessons in unexpected form.

Our world has crashed, been blown apart!
This IS happening....to us.....right now!
We've been blessed with a gift, so precious from the very start. How do we get through this? Here's how.....
By believing in a God, so merciful and great,
By trusting that He's right beside us as we journey through the narrow gate.
By believing His love for us is not determined by a human frame,
By trusting that we draw Him near by merely calling His name. This precious baby we asked God for,
Prayed he'd be perfect and complete.
And, as Samuel means "God hears", He's laid His answer at our feet.

(Nicky de Beer : 27/05/2010)

Friday, January 15, 2010

PICCIES


The past week or so I have been gushing about our Sam weighing 4.8kgs (I was wishing for just 4kg by Christmas...so what a bonus) and then when we downloaded our pics and saw this one I was really quite astounded...he is still so so tiny if you compare him to this 2L bottle. But hey, at least he was enjoying himself and when a kid's got no friends to hang out with over Christmas, he's gotta do the best he can and make a plan and he found his new plastic friend quite entertaining, thank you!



A rare pic of Sam with BOTH mom and dad (one of us is usually
operating the camera). The reason dad looks a little "strained" is because of his having to shorten his 6.3ft length to be able to fit into the pic with 5ft mom and half-pint Sammy!








Sammy with Oupa and Ouma (Chris' folks) who, unfortunately, rarely get to see him due to the four hour drive between our respective towns. But Oupa did offer on numerous occasions to have Sammy stay with them in Stilbaai!







Sam having a short afternoon nap - who needs a bed or a cot when
you've got mom to lie on!

And while Sam was having his nap.............







...the others were enjoying the lovely weather down by the river. No worries, next year Sammy will be right there next to all the other kiddies, building sand castles, splashing in the water and wrestling cousin Hendrik for his wheel-toy!
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3 comments:

  1. CindyJanuary 16, 2010 at 6:00 PM

    What a great picture of Sam with his parents...It's nice to meet both of you in pictures. Now to get a family picture... I know how hard that is. Our first family picture with four people is quite hilarious. Sam is growing so much, even if he's still tiny!

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  2. ChristineJanuary 17, 2010 at 7:01 PM

    I love these pictures! I especially love your family one.
    Nathan is 31/2 and we attempted our first photo with him and he wouldn't sit still for it so we let hm run around. We have one photo with the four of us and he is blury because he's running past the camera....

    Thanks for sharing your pics.. You can never have too many!

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  3. KellyJanuary 22, 2010 at 5:38 AM

    Wonderful pictures! so glad to come across your blog!

    Kelly W.

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