It’s been a while… and an update…
It’s been a while… we’ve been through quite a lot. Owen had 8 plate. It’s a funny surgery. You are screwing plates and screws into your child…but the recover remarkably fast. The hardest part for us was getting Owen comfortable with wearing a shoe. I finally had to put my foot down and just make him. It was pretty nasty at first- his poor little ankle and knee looked so bloated. But now that we’re 3 months post surgery, he’s up and running and enrolled in Soccer that begins in two weeks! So all is good! And we are simply in a wait and hold period! We will continue to send Dr. P the x-rays until he tells us to come down to have an 8 plate removed. And hopefully – after that point, we are good… for a while.
So the boys and I are planning on going to West Palm Beach for the first week in December. They are having a fund raiser for the Paley Foundation – and it works out that Owen could use a trip for a check up anyhow.
We all know what a remarkable few years this has been for Owen. There were many days that sucked. And there were many hurdles he overcame. The bottom line is, Dr. P and all his staff put my boy on a level playing field with his peers. He will never been “the same” as everyone else – it’s not feasible – but he is running, and jumping, and capable of participating in all the activities his friends participate in because of Dr. P.
I always want Owen to understand how lucky he is – I want him to understand that he was put here with this condition because he was strong enough to handle it. I want him to know how amazing he is to have gone through it, and come out the otherside a stronger boy. I want him to never forget that he was so lucky to have the opportunity to have this procedure by one of the best doctors in this field.
We are at a point in this process where I’m strong enough to reflect and see what an amazing process this was.
And it saddens me that some children, like Owen, will not have this opportunity due mainly to finances and logistics.
So while we’re down in West Palm, we will be participating in the Paley Foundation 5K. Owen will run/walk the race as well – which is pretty remarkable (Gavin will be tagging along too!). Our goal is to raise $1500 for the charity. It’s a non-profit – and all donations are tax deductible. This charity is in its infancy – but the ultimate goal is to help more children get this needed surgery or equipment to get through the surgery. That’s a good thing.
If you are interested in donating, stay tuned. We will eventually have an option where you can donate online. You can also send a check to us written out to the Paley Foundation. So stay tuned!
