Four Years Ago Today

Four years ago today, my ignorance overtook me, and I allowed my daughter to get 5 different live virus vaccines poked into her left shoulder. I remember it like it was yesterday. Visions of the day keep going through my head. She screamed and cried, and so did i, well cried anyway, having NO IDEA what I had just done to my baby girl. I would find that out nine days later. Brain damaged - severely - forever.

Once again Julia, I am so very sorry that I just believed what all the Dr's told me. I was trying to do what was best for you. I now know better.

I have learned so much over the last four years. About vaccines, about careers and career changes. About the support from (most) family and friends. About loss of those who I NEVER thought would leave my side. About NEW friends to take the place of the family members I have lost. About GIVING and helping people in need. I think I have become a more compassionate person through this horrific nightmare.

I am thankful this year, that ALL of Julia's needs will be taken care of soon through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program - that was a long four year battle, but we did it Julia! Soon, the financial worries for your care will disapppear! I just need to hire a really good attorney for you and an even BETTER accountant for me, as paperwork has always been a difficulty for me to keep up with, but I will, with everyone's help - especially an accountant.

Life is good, and I love you more than ANYONE would ever know. Love you baby girl - now and always.

Mom

Unemployment ROCKS!

Since I quit my job on Nov. 11th, here is what I we have done..........still working on finding another more suitable job for myself, but in the interim, have been trying to "pay it forward"....if kharma is real - we will get paybacks someday..........not to brag, but........it feels so good we have to share.....

1. Shawn and I got one of my future bridesmaids, Wendy and her two kids out of an abusive household, and they are living here in our unfinished basement until she gets on her feet.
2. Shawn found someone willing to sell Wendy his car for $500 (she has no transportation right now) - which I am going to buy for her and she is going to pay me back.
3. I managed to raise the $100K needed for my daughters therapeutic horse back riding facility, SaddleUp!......from ONE person (with the help of my mother and others) - plus the other small donations I got from fellow veterinarians. And I got a job offer for marketing from home with SaddleUp on a part time basis - AT HOME, so it won't interfere with anything I will do with the hospice/euthanasia job when it gets going.
4. I took on a part time job (just until January) cleaning for my other future bridesmaid, Pam, whose Nanny quit with no notice, who is buried in her home - she has her family of five (one brain injured), and another family of five - two adults and three children (one brain injured) living in her house right now - temporarily.
5. Shawn found someone willing to donate a cleaning crew to help clean up Pam's house - DEEP CLEANING - so she won't be so overwhelmed by the clutter and that is there simply because she doesn't have time to deal with it being a single mom to four of her own kids, and housing 5 others. AND the cleaning crew is donating close to $400 for her to get new sheets, towels, pillows, etc.

SO, that's what we have been doing. It feels SO GOOD to help those in need! WE LOVE IT! BUT, it doesn't pay the bills, but that will come...kharma is a GOOD thing!

Susan, Shawn, and Julia

santa

if you show julia santa.....she says "ho ho ho"..........her first words....since she was 12 months old - awesome!

She DID IT!

Among other things....


JULIA POOPED ON THE LITTLE POTTY THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!

WOW, long time no blog......

Not that nothing is going on, but, just been a while since I posted anything!

Julia is doing well. She got a new brace which is pretty complicated, but she seems to tolerate it well and is ACTUALLY keeping her shoes on for the most part! Had to buy two different sizes of Stride Right shoes, which are spendy, but, hey, if it works, it works!

I have officially been unemployed for about three weeks now and am going crazy. In my spare time, I am trying to help Julia's hippotherapy facility with fundraising. They are in dire need of $100K before Jan 31st....so, I am doing what I can. Shawn and I have 7 news lined up to do a story in the next week or so (hopefully). And tomorrow I plan on going to every place I can think of to pitch an effort to raise funds to keep this place going! SaddleUp! Foundation is the name - you can google, and even a small donation will help. Tomorrow I plan on going to all the vet clinics in the area to talk to the owners about the work they do. And possibly all the therapy clinics and special needs schools I can find. What else do I have to do! HAHA!

Actually, I am meeting with Julia's new ABA therapist to go over a behavior plan here tomorrow around lunch time....she will be starting with Julia soon, and most of the work will be done, eventually, by Shawn and I, and her teachers at school once everyone gets trained. Thank God, that I learned at Julia's hearing last month, that this will be covered for the most part when the settlement goes through...another 3-8 months. In the meantime, I have some savings.

Julia has made some great strides lately - still no words or anything, but I think she has a lot going on in that little head of hers! I hope someday she is able to express it!

Anyway, I will try to post more regularly! Thanks to everyone still sticking with us!

Susan and Julia