SAM...MORE THAN A CONQUEROR: July 2020

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)

Thursday, July 9, 2020

THE MAGIC OF EQUINE THERAPY

You know that indescribable feeling of pride and hope and pure joy every time your differently-abled kiddo takes a step forward in a new direction for the first time? Well, I gotta tell you, each week's equinetherapy is like experiencing that feeling all over again for the first time! Today was Sam's third session after a three month period without horses due to Covid-19 and considering how his very first few sessions last year saw us spending an entire session with having only coaxed Sam forward by two steps, I prepared for the worst. But, first day back, and Sam was literally shuddering withexcitement as we made our way towards Whiskey and he pretty much blew me away. You can read about the benefits of horse therapy on paper...even marvel at a video or two...but only when you experience the holistic healing firsthand do you really grasp the MAGIC.

#samtheconqueror #rubinsteintaybisyndrome #rtswarrior #cerebralpalsy #cpwarrior #milagroequestria

Thursday, July 2, 2020

REMAINING THANKFUL

3rd July is #worldrtsday and usually by now I've decided on a few images, slapped a few words together about why awareness days are so important and, flip, some years even had a t-shirt or two printed 👊 This year, with all the Covid-19 uncertainty and additional concerns heaped on top of the 'normal' concerns most special-needs families face, reflecting on a life without Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome seems to be occupying my mind more than usual...a life without watching you go through endless medical interventions, without watching a beautiful and incredibly receptive little mind struggle with a body which robs you of speech, without watching you innocently forgive attitudes and behaviours you shouldn't even know exist, without the daily (or nightly) mind-numbing fear of what will happen to you when I'm gone. And then I think about the 11yr old boy you would be without RTS...I can almost hear that non-stop, sing-song voice chatting my ear off, imagine a feisty little character asserting himself 100 times a day as his beautiful and incredibly receptive little mind continuously amazes me. Kinda like the non-stop, sing-song voice which fills my every day as you go about your conquering, kinda like the beautiful mind that almost-daily amazes me with the wonders it has stored in there alongside an awareness of your vulnerability, against which you assert that little feisty character. Give or take a surgery or ten and (hopefully) minus a backhand or twenty (Sam's, not mine 😜) you'd be the exact same little guy. Just without the invaluable life lessons...without the unique opportunities to shine...the precious RTS family bonds...and without the funkiest hair any kid could ask for! Do I wish away the heartbreaking challenges and hardships that medically-fragile and differently-abled people have to endure? Every minute of every day! But never will that overshadow the thankfulness and gratitude for the soul(e) this journey has shaped. Happy World RTS Day to our Rubinstein-Taybi Familia 💜

#samtheconqueror #rtswarrior #cpwarrior #rubinsteintaybisyndrome #worldrtsday