Almost there

We had a visit yesterday from Lynella who brought with her Joanna from the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre (where we are going for all the Implant related appointments from here on).
I got to have a play with a dummy implant, and see how it all worked. I even got to put it on James, and see how the magnet works. I also decided to try and keep that bit away from Cameron, as i can just see him sticking his magnetic fridge letters to his brothers head, and thinking it's the coolest thing ever.
It was a little hard seeing how big the things are, and just how much they are going to dominate James' wee head, especially with two, but i guess it's not a biggie, all things considered. It will just be keeping it on his head that will be the trouble - apparenly once they learn to pull it off, it's a great game to get mum running. Little monsters!!!

Thanks Joanna for the information. Look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Count down now to switch on!

A few more thank-yous to some amazing people

No end of thanks to the Southern Cochlear Implant Trust, who paid for James' second implant and are allowing us to pay it back over a year. Life would have been a lot harder without you.
To the fine folk at Lush Porirua - for donating a basket and for treating Cameron like an equally special little man.
To Christine and Valrae and all the other helpers at the Tawa/Linden Anglican Church Pop-In.
To the DLT and DSS Teams at NZ Post
To Cathy, Peter F, Darcy and Graham (A really lovely thought Graham) from NZ Post.
To the hungry people demolishing all my slices at Metalworx, Bunnings and NZ Post Wellington.
To Margaret Mc, Lyn H (Granny Dot's friend)
To Tawa and Porirua Rotary - Going so far out of your way to help us.

Just thanks to everyone who donated money, time or just thoughts.

Through Cameron's Eyes

"I'm Cameron and I have a little brother called James. I cuddled him when he came home from the hospital, then he got sick and went back with Mummy and Daddy. An ambliance came and took him. I wanted to go in the ambliance.

At the hospital the docters gave James medicine and it made him all better. I gave him milk in a bottle at the hospital. There were lots of babies. James is our baby.

Being sick broke James' ears. He can't hear me when I shout. He likes to smile at me. He laughs at me lots.

We went to Old McDonald's House and James had an operation to fix his ears. I played at Old McDonalds House. I went on the bike and played basketball with Daddy and I went on the playground right to the top, and went down the slide, and I played soccer on the table with Chase and ate all my dinner. James had cuts on his head and a bandage. He looked funny. He smiled at me.

I want to go to Old McDonald's House tomorrow."

Cameron is just two, and has had to deal with a heck of a disruption to his life. We expected some disruption, and had the best of plans as to how we were going to integrate the new baby into all of our lives. But 'the best laid plans' and all that... Not only did Cameron loose his new little brother just after he got him, but he lost his mum and dad for a few weeks too. Though we did our best, it just wasn't enough for the poor wee man, and it's the most heartbreaking thing to have to choose between your children.

However, Cameron has generally been a star. He is so helpful fetching things for James, and he adores his little brother. (Not nearly as much as his little brother adores him!) Even with trips too and from Christchurch now, Cameron is great. He loves the plane rides, and is so well behaved that you wouldn't believe he was only two. He also loves turbulance, and the last trip back into Windy Wellington had the rest of the passangers clutching their arm rests, going green while Cameron shrieked with laughter, shouting "Bumpity bump!"

Unfortunatly though, Cameron is still feeling a little left out a lot of the time. When we are out trying to organise fundraising, everyone goos over James, and Cameron is often left holding onto the buggy with no-one even noticing him. We have tried to draw attention to him, and it is his job to introduce his brother to people, but though his speech is incredible, and he is a tall boy for his age, he is often not seen or heard.

So a wee note if we see any of you out and about - please notice my wonderful, caring, beautiful big boy. He is the best big brother a little boy could ask for, and needs to be recognised as such.

A slight setback

With all the positives, i guess there is going to be a few negatives. Southern Cross Healthcare have come back to say that they won't pay for any of the implant. Really not certain now exactly why we have health insurance when they won't help when something happens.

Sorry. Just a little gutted.

On the brighter side, all is well with James, and his scars have healed up almost entirely. He doesn't need bandages on anymore as he is leaving them alone, and no more socks taped onto his hands. Just got to wait for his hair to grow back where they shaved it, as he looks like an anti-monk with hair on top, and none around the edges.

James an appointment with his neuro-development person, Mary-Anne yesterday. Muscle tone is still a little low, and he's just a bit behind so far, but she has given us some exercises to do to try and remedy that. Not into the worrying level yet, thank heavens, but watching him carefully. Apparently there is a relatively high chance of some long term damage from the seizures he had when the meningitus was at it's worst, so good to know that we have such a lovely team taking care of James.

And so to the nitty gritty of fundraising.

So far we have...

Had two sausage sizzles outside Toy World Porirua, which raised almost $800.

Been baking like a bat out of hell (if bats could bake i guess) and selling slices, fudge etc in direct accordance with NZ's obesity epidemic.

Porirua Rotary and Alicia and Dave at Toy World have been running a donation and prize draw over the school holidays, which managed to raise over $2000. HUGE thanks to all of you! Rotary are also still running raffles with the goods that Alicia and Dave are still getting in through their reps.

For anyone with kids - shop at Toy World (I am an advert on legs!) they are the most wonderful people, as well as being a great shop.

And then there have been the incredible people who have made donations into James' bank account. I really hope i get you all, and please tell me if i have missed anyone.

Aged Aunt Seona and her fellow coffee addict friends Una and Madhuri

Treasures mums Maegan, Andrea and Cyndi

The Webster Family

Tony and Jill Gerritson

Gayani and Family

All the amazing people who made donations at Toy World

Thanks also to...

North City Pharmacy

Porirua New World

The staff at Bunnings Naenae

Bartercard

Who have donated things that we can raffle to raise more money.

So, so far we now have $7500, plus the money to come from the Toy World/ Rotary fundraising. Thanks to you all. Big goober grins coming your way.

James the Bionic Baby

9th July, 2008 - James got both implants during a 6 hour surgery at Christchurch Hospital, thanks to Phil and Darran Murray, the ENT surgeons. It was a little harder than hoped, and there was a bit of drilling to do through bone that shouldn't have been there. They had to remove one of the small bones in James' right ear as there just wasn't enough room to move around in his wee head, but as his ears are now just there to hold up his sunglasses, all is well.

And no, we hadn't forgotten about the $30K. We just kind of ignored it, and hoped for the best. Which happened in the form of the Cochlear Trust and David Kent, who have paid for the implant and are letting us pay them back over the next year. You guys are legends, and have made a stressfull time a lot less so.

Suddenly all is moving fast.

While organising our first big fundraiser thanks to the amazing folk at ToyWorld Porirua, we got the call that James and i would be going down to Christchurch to meet the people at the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre. This is the place that does all the testing and follow ups for people who have got Cochlear implants (among other things) and where we would be staying each trip to Christchurch. We also got to meet Phil Bird, the ENT surgeon who would be doing the surgery.

James was a star on the flights, even flirting with the air hostesses, and didn't stop grinning the whole time we were down there.

The tests all proved however, that James' hearing was almost entirely gone, and he couldn't hear our voices anymore. Phil decided that James would need the surgery asap.

We flew back to Wellington on the Thursday morning, and i got 3 calls all at once from everyone involved in Christchurch saying we needed to come back on Monday, James was booked for surgery on Wednesday. We promptly crapped ourselves, but turned up as ordered in Christchurch hospital on Monday morning.

We got to stay in Ronald McDonald House, which is the most amazing place ever, and had a huge playground to stuff Cameron in when ever we felt the urge to slaughter him (which was often. He was really making the most of being away from home to push all buttons)