OT: Card Request for very ill boy
Nov 12, 2023 22:17:59 GMT -5
Post by Smilyn on Nov 12, 2023 22:17:59 GMT -5
Hello friends... I posted this on FB and thought maybe it would be ok to share here as well. I hope you can help.
Trevor has Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC). It's an extremely rare and incurable disease of recurring episodic paralysis attacking one side of the body or both sides at once with painful muscle stiffness and uncontrollable eye and body movements. It's a progressive disease and Trevor is now wheelchair bound with additional medical issues including a swallowing disorder and Grand Mal seizures. When he was diagnosed as an infant, his life expectancy was 4-5 years. Trevor is amazing; he just turned 24!
Trevor is also fighting severe depression: Following the unexpected death of his beloved Grandfather last November, four dogs that he knew and loved have also passed away, including the (SAR trained Golden Retriever) Service dog he was intensely bonded to. His cognitive level has not enabled him to understand why Willow is not there to lay on him and calm him when he has episodes; her sudden loss traumatized him. Her daughter Echo was being trained, and is there, but the bond is not the same. This year also meant the proud beginning of a career as a pilot for Trevor's brother - in Anchorage. Trevor understands, but is lonely. He can't play Wii games and watch movies with Logan now.
Trevor's mother Karen is a Sitka EMT, raises and trains dogs, including SAR and Service dogs, cares for Trevor full time, and is a friend of mine (her mother was the bridesmaid who gave me my first dog.) Karen is asking for cards. Silly cards, cheap cards, simple cards that have things like fire trucks, ambulances, planes, horses, and any kind of dogs, are best. He won't understand fancy writing or lots of words. Messages that say things like: have a great day, any kind of hello, keep your chin up, dumb jokes, would be perfect. Cheery Christmas or New Year's cards would also be helpful; they will be held back for him.
So that's the mission; I hope some of you will accept it. Please send Trevor cards. If you can; please save his address and send him a few over these winter months. Sitka is pretty remote; it's a smallish island in southeast Alaska, and it has a long winter. Because Sitka is small, and people are so busy, Trevor gets very few visitors. Cards are really the thing that makes a big difference in the quality of his life.
Thank you for reading this. Shoot me a PM and I will send you Trevor's address and another sincere thank you!
Trevor has Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC). It's an extremely rare and incurable disease of recurring episodic paralysis attacking one side of the body or both sides at once with painful muscle stiffness and uncontrollable eye and body movements. It's a progressive disease and Trevor is now wheelchair bound with additional medical issues including a swallowing disorder and Grand Mal seizures. When he was diagnosed as an infant, his life expectancy was 4-5 years. Trevor is amazing; he just turned 24!
Trevor is also fighting severe depression: Following the unexpected death of his beloved Grandfather last November, four dogs that he knew and loved have also passed away, including the (SAR trained Golden Retriever) Service dog he was intensely bonded to. His cognitive level has not enabled him to understand why Willow is not there to lay on him and calm him when he has episodes; her sudden loss traumatized him. Her daughter Echo was being trained, and is there, but the bond is not the same. This year also meant the proud beginning of a career as a pilot for Trevor's brother - in Anchorage. Trevor understands, but is lonely. He can't play Wii games and watch movies with Logan now.
Trevor's mother Karen is a Sitka EMT, raises and trains dogs, including SAR and Service dogs, cares for Trevor full time, and is a friend of mine (her mother was the bridesmaid who gave me my first dog.) Karen is asking for cards. Silly cards, cheap cards, simple cards that have things like fire trucks, ambulances, planes, horses, and any kind of dogs, are best. He won't understand fancy writing or lots of words. Messages that say things like: have a great day, any kind of hello, keep your chin up, dumb jokes, would be perfect. Cheery Christmas or New Year's cards would also be helpful; they will be held back for him.
So that's the mission; I hope some of you will accept it. Please send Trevor cards. If you can; please save his address and send him a few over these winter months. Sitka is pretty remote; it's a smallish island in southeast Alaska, and it has a long winter. Because Sitka is small, and people are so busy, Trevor gets very few visitors. Cards are really the thing that makes a big difference in the quality of his life.
Thank you for reading this. Shoot me a PM and I will send you Trevor's address and another sincere thank you!
