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, May 21, 2010

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY SAM!

It's almost hard to believe that it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since our little Smidgey Smurf fought his way into this world...ONE WHOLE YEAR since we first heard the words Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome...ONE WHOLE YEAR since we left the hospital without the baby we came there to deliver, feeling robbed and devastated of what was meant to be such a celebrated occasion...ONE WHOLE YEAR since I had a single solid night's sleep (with the exception of that very first night Sammy was born, thanx to a MEGA dose of morphine)...ONE WHOLE YEAR since I battled to fit into our shower (it's a really small shower, okay)...ONE WHOLE YEAR since I had a little Smidgey kicking me in the ribs in the middle of the night...ONE WHOLE YEAR since I sometimes had to get up ten times during the night, still half asleep, to use the loo (we're down to only three times now)...Mmm, okay, guess there have been one or two positives there -just kidding, of course there's been heaps of positives like making new friends (whether it be in person or through cyber-connections) and having this whole new group of wonderful RTS angels enter our lives, who teach us every day about courage, hope, patience, love, acceptance, perseverance and, perhaps the most important, to never take anything for granted and to cherish every moment. Seriously though, thinking back that this time last year our little elf was lying so tiny and fragile in his incubator really leaves you in awe that you have made it so far and not only made it through, but that you've made it through in one piece and can still manage a smile and hey, even a laugh most of the time.
I also can't believe how much Sammy's face has changed since he was born. Of course his "cpap nose" eventually disappearing makes, I think, alot of difference.
So, here we are with our one year old Samuel Christian de Beer (aka Smidgey/Grumpy/Jokey/Barfy Smurf, Little Elf, Little Monkey, Fievel) having just celebrated a whole year of being Sam!
Sam was quite impressed with his very first EVER birthday card which he received all the way from Pearly Beach from his Granny and Aunty Alvie & Uncle Charlie and made sure he savoured and memorised every last word of it, even the barcode on the back (he's sure to be a clever lad this one).
And after thoroughly studying his card he spent some time showing his new friends on Noah's Ark all the other wonderful things you can use birthday cards for (Sam's very into "keeping it green"). Here he's busy demonstrating how to make a.......a.......a......funnel-type-thing?
Another cool new toy that has all sorts of shapes and colours and sounds on it, although the first few days with this toy were touch-and-go as one of the little cars make the sound of a siren which instantly made Sam cry (thank goodness it seems to have passed).
Sam all of a sudden has really started enjoying his baby food (although we're still only alternating between two flavours - oats & honey and creamy carrots & (you guessed it) honey. He even gets excited now when he sees me bringing his little bowl. On Saturday morning I made him pancakes seeing as he appears to be getting over his food-phobia and, if we had to wait for him to get his first tooth I might be too old and bent-over to reach the top of the stove (as it is I barely make it) but it was a no-go, the tiny micro-crumb of pancake hadn't even touched his tongue before he started gagging and coughing. But offer him a piece of cupcake mind you and all of a sudden that hectic gagging reflex disappears. Could it be that my son has a sweet tooth? I really can't imagine where he would have inherited it from seeing as I am a very healthy eater myself (of course my fingers aren't crossed behind my back, really!)
And there you have it....undeniable proof! I wonder what butternut tastes like with honey...and potatoes with honey....and chicken with honey...and pasta with honey!
Sam is still not sitting, although he does occasionally manage a few minutes here and there, but he loves being on his feet...in fact, it's almost a sure-fire way to get him to stop moaning when he's agitated.
Sam's crown that Meg made for him a few weeks after he came home from NICU last year became a little too small (we know that at least one part of his body is growing then), so she was kind enough to make him another one for Saturday.
And yes, we are still doing neuro-therapy every week and even occasionally make it through a few exercises before the scream/vomit assault begins.
And all the hard work (the hard work being the crying and tantrums which he puts a whole lot more effort into than the actual therapy) leaves Sam absolutely exhausted and, on a rare occasion, he even passes out for at least like ten minutes.
Meg had her very first official choir Eisteddford. It was so precious, when they first started singing I became so emotional and then I noticed how the rest of the audience were reacting with delight and loads of "aaawwwhhh's" and that made me even more emotional. This whole emotional thing is really snowballing lately - you should see how I bawl my eyes out every time someone else gets voted out of Idols, regardless of whether I actually liked them or not...in fact, even adverts make me cry lately!

3 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Sam! I LOVED being one year old...every year is more and more fun as I learned how to play and move and get into everything. I know this will be a great year for you.

    Hugs!

    Your friend,
    Natalie

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  2. hi sammy you are so looking so happy!!!!good luck with the operation.I'm sending your b day pressie with gandpa and grandma!love Janina

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  3. Happy Birthday Sammy! Little blue smurf... so cute. You have come a long way and look at how well you are progressing! Keep it up. We are all so very proud of you.
    I loved seeing all your pictures and mommy has such away with words, I'm always laughing when I read your blog!
    Can't wait to read all about your playdate with Payton. Hugs to you and mommy and thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

    Christine and the Grabber

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