Deqlan Ross Higgins

we have moved!

2010-05-24T16:11:00.001+02:00

for Deqlans prayer army that still follows this site and relies on getting updates from this site, we have moved to our new blog as our space ran out on this one! so come and visit us at
www.deqlanhigginsblog.blogspot.com

THIS IS IT

2010-05-06T15:57:00.001+02:00

Hi All, got all the glitches sorted out so i am sorry to ask you to move to yet another blog, but this is it, all set up on www.deqlanhigginsblog.blogspot.com

COME AND FOLLOW US

2010-05-03T17:37:00.002+02:00

Hi Deqlans prayer army

I cant believe we have reached our limit for the blog -thats right, we only have 1% space lift! Soooo...that means we are starting our second blog at www.deqlanhiggins2.blogspot.com

So please continue to follow our beautiful Deqlans journey, please remain part of his prayer army and please continue to celebrate all he excels in each day!

its still a work in progress, alot i would still like to do, but happy with the start of it!

On the new blog page, you will see a new followers link, please click on follow to follow our new blog !

So see you there! Lots of love!! Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

5 things you can do to help families with Autism

2010-05-03T17:19:00.001+02:00

WRITTEN BY LISA FOX

It's hard not to hear about autism in the media these days. With the ongoing controversy surrounding autism and vaccinations, to missing children who have autism, to hearing about a child who has recovered from autism, there are many different angles for news agencies to report on this topic. With 1 in 91 children being affected, the general public has gotten decent at recognizing the signs of autism. But what the general public doesn't know is how to help those individuals and their families who are battling this disorder. So let's turn Autism Awareness Month into Autism Action Month. Here's five things you can do now to help these families:

1. LOOK BEYOND THE LABEL TO SEE THE CHILD. Many times over kids are ostracized, ridiculed or bullied in school and the community because of their differences. If you look beyond the odd behaviors, unusual speech or awkward social skills, you'll notice that our kids are just like any other child. They have their likes and dislikes, they enjoy video games too, and they like to be involved in their communities. Having a child with autism can be isolating for a family if the child has many sensory issues (such as with loud noises or crowded, tight surroundings). Families want to be able to provide their child with a social outlet and sometimes require special accommodations to make it possible. If you are arranging an event for your local community, talk to disability organizations to find ways to include those with special needs. If you are having a birthday party, please invite the child with autism. Talk to the parents regarding any special requirements or ask that the parent stay for the duration of the party in case a situation arises.

2. SHOW COMPASSION RATHER THAN JUDGEMENT. I've heard countless stories of rude stares, harsh comments and unwanted advice regarding parenting skills. Becuase there are no tell-tale physical signs of autism, often the general public can't "see" the disorder and will put the blame on the parents for not raising the child properly. There is still so much we don't know about autism. These parents are doing the best they can given a very difficult situation. Think twice before you pass judgment. That unruly, screaming, tantrumming child in the grocery store or library may have autism.

3. OFFER HELP. If you see a parent struggling in the store, ask if there is anything you can do to help the parent. If you are at the playground and a child is having a meltdown, ask if you can help carry items to the car (if they have any). If you have a neighbor who has a child with autism, offer to help the parent as much as you are comfortable with. For some people that might mean watching the child while the parent runs errands or just playing with the child in the backyard while mom cleans the house. It could be something as simple as offering to run an errand for the parent to ease the burden of tasks. The divorce rate among autism families is reported to be near 80%. More often than not, single moms do not have a support system in place to help provide for respite care. Just recently, the state of Indiana eliminated the respite care program for special needs families, which leaves some families with 100% of the task of taking care of the child and the house. Please offer assistance if you are able.

4. GET INVOLVED. Get involved with an autism organization of your choice. There are several organizations that represent autism families and all of them could use your help in organizing fundraisers or utilizing any special knowledge you might have (such as legal, financial, education or recreation) to help their cause. The National Autism Association of Northwest Indiana is currently seeking a person to fill the Secretary position. Please contact Lisa Fox at
for more information. You can also get involved by showing your support with by attending fundraising events or organizing a fundraiser for the organization. 5. HELP STOP RESTRAINTS & SECLUSION IN SCHOOLS. Currently there is proposed federal legislation (bill S.2860) that will prevent the use of restraints on students with autism as well as prohibit seclusion of the student who is enrolled in a public school. In 2009, there was an alarming number of students with autism who were tasered, handcuffed, smacked, locked in closets -- and we only heard about the ones who made the headlines. One case of using restraints ended with the student dying. This is not acceptable for the general student population and the special needs student population should be no different. Please visit the National Autism Association's web site (link: http://naa.kintera.org/actioncenter) and fill out the form to contact your Senator to ask them to co-sponsor this bill. Lisa Fox is the President of the National Autism Association of Northwest Indiana, which represents all families affected by autism in Lake and Porter counties. For more information, please visit www.northwestindianaautism.com

KEATON UPDATE

2010-05-03T16:29:00.000+02:00

Hello Everyone

All went very well with Keaton today. The ENT got lots of yucky stuff out his sinuses and has mentioned that Keatons adenoids were also very enlarged. He was such a superstar before going in and had as laughing most of the time ( alot due to the pre med to relax him before theatre!). He wasn’t the same happy boy when he woke up though, but had a good rest and then some needed physio, before going home around lunch time. Doctor did some more blood tests as Keatons allergy score is ‘tremendously high’ – should be under 5, Keatons is 69!!!!! He is also going to be off dairy for a while as Doc thinks that is where the allergy is lying. Please continue to pray for Keaton to feel lots better and that he stays healthy and strong, especially in this freezing cold weather, and he has to be 100% ready for the arrival of his baby sister in a few days!

God Bless and thank you for all your prayers
Samm & Family

PRAYERS FOR KEATON

2010-05-02T20:02:00.001+02:00

Hello Deqlans prayer army

Hope you all had a great weekend? Please can we ask you to pray for Keaton tomorrow morning – he will be going into theatre to have his sinuses washed out and antibiotics placed directly into them – please pray with us that the anesthetist does a fantastic job and that the doctor does a perfect wash out, that Keaton is comfortable and happy and that this finally solves the puzzle and that he gets better from the moment he wakes up.

Please pray for Conrad and Megs that they are calm and rested and ready to help Keaton feel better. Please Lord fill them with Your peace and trust

Thank you all, love Samm and family
SACRED HEART OF JESUS WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

ANGEL - DAXTON BLANFORD

2010-05-01T19:47:00.001+02:00

Please pray for little Daxton who was called home to his heavenly home last night. Only a few months old, Daxton fought a very hard fight against neuroblastoma. Please pray for this little soul and for his heartbroken family - that Our Lord carries thems and guides them and strengthens them. Rest well beautiful Daxton

ANGEL IMOGEN HOLMES

2010-05-01T10:44:00.002+02:00

I was so sad to check my updates this morning to learn that gorgeous Imogen, in Australia, became and angel today. Immie fought neuroblastoma for many many years, but through her fight remained so courageous, so full of life - her smile and beautiful eyes spoke a thousand stories.

Dear Holmes family, we are so very sorry that your beautiful Immie is no longer physically with you but her spirit will most certainly live on in all of you, until you meet again. Our prayers and support sent to you from across the sea, God Bless, Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

SCREENING KIDS FOR AUTISM

2010-04-30T09:43:00.002+02:00

As Autism Awareness month draws to an end , i would like to share another clip with you with some of the basic red flags that could be cause for concern.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arWw7dQSy5o&feature=related

I would like to thank you all for your continued support for our precious Deqlan and his conquers autism one day at a time, each day bringing him closer to reaching his full potential, which is to 'INFINITY AND BEYOND!'

Please continue to create awareness, to support and to love all those affected by Autism, i can promise you they are among the most loving, creative, intelligent, caring , giving, delightful people you will ever meet!

God Bless, lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

WE ARE READY

2010-04-28T16:51:00.003+02:00

Wow, am i behind again....

First things first, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OUR VERY SPECIAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, I PRAY I HAVE REMEMBERED YOU ALL

CONNOR HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY ! STAY THE GORGEOUS GUY YOU ARE

IMOGEN - HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY IMMIE! SENDING YOU LOTS OF LOVE AND HUGS AND PRAYERS AND SMILES ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTH AFRICA

UNCLE BILL - WE HOPE YOU HAD A STUNNING DAY AND GREAT YEAR AHEAD

JERAN - MY DEAR COUSIN, HOPE THE CELEBRATIONS WHERE AWESOME AND THE YEAR AHEAD IS FANTASTIC!

JELENKA - WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!

GRAHAM - HOPE IT WAS AN AWESOME DAY ( PROBABALY SPENT ON THE GOLF COURSE HEY?)

SAM - HOPE YOU HAD A LOVELY DAY WITH ALL YOUR LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS DEAR SAM

ALSO A VERY BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO SAM AND DON ON YOUR 10TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, MAY THERE BE MANY MANY MORE!

CONGRATS TO PIERRE AND DESIRE ON YOUR WEDDING, IT WAS SUCH A LOVELY CELEBRATION! WISHING YOU CONGRATS FOR YOUR SECOND WEDDING CELEBRATION IN FRANCE TOMMOROW!

Its with great sorrow, we heard yesterday that CARTER CUMMINGS passed away after fighting such a courageous fight against neuroblastoma. Please pray for this precious soul and his family and friends

As you can see from the pic today, we have our tickets for the FIFA WORLD CUP!!!!!!!! We are so excited and Deqlan was also rather chuffed to come with to the ticketing centre - so exciting - you know whats so sad, its seems like our little family are the only ones that are so excited about it being here - ok, us and Deqlans school Little Leaps. The teachers are in full support with Football friday and next week Friday is Grandparents day. This is when all the grandparents come and watch their grandkids sing some songs they have practised very hard ! Unfortunately its not for parents, which many are so sad about , but thankfully i have found the way to be there - i am hosting a table so will be able to be there, i cant wait , i am so proud , i am thrilled just thinking about Deqlan and his buddies singing together on stage ! Thank You Lord

Deqlan has been eating better since his teeth have been fixed. We even tried new things from an awesome place called O Crumbs . We heard about it loonnnggg ago and Elriza also told us about it, so we eventually decided to make the journey to go and check it out! We are so happy we did - bread, biscuits, cereals, ready made meals, sauces, bread and scone and biscuit mixes - you name it - they have it ALL GLUTEN FREE! Most of the items are also CASIEN SUGAR YEAST AND SOYA FREE - so we came home with a nice selection of things to try. First up was the bread - wow , Deqlan couldnt get enough of it and ate four slices ! Unfortunately his tummy didnt agree and he got sick that night - so smaller amounts definitely better. Yesterday we tried a carrot muffin for little lunch at school and he wouldnt even try it - it took the entire day for him to accidentally put a crumb in his mouth, and then realised, hey this is good, very good and finished the entire muffin. Then we tried spagetthi bolognaise last night- Deqlan was just not having it . He really is against anything new, he wont even try it. After crying for about half an hour , i managed to get a sliver of spagetthi in, and so we carried on for another half an hour and eventually Deqlan was taking entire mouth fulls - he loved it - the food is so delicious you wouldnt know the difference!

He is as cute as a button at the moment , actually he has started saying ' I AM GORGEOUS'

Deqlan also loves telling us about the new Woolies soup add, even adding in "13.95 each" at the end

But the most memorable was waiting in line at Macdonalds , Deqlan looks at us and says' MY NAME IS DEQLAN MACDONALDS' Boy did we laugh!

Deqlan still continues to enjoy school, at the moment, they focusing on colours and shapes, which Deqlan is loving!

We off to Declan Day tommorow , in honor of angel Declan Du Toit - so come along if you feel like a lovely afternoon out with the family and at the same time supporting this amazing cause. All Hands on Dec Friends look after all the warriors and their families in every way they can!

Hi EveryonePlease dont forget about Declan Day tomorrow...Please come and support us, even for just an hour, at our annual Declan Day to be held on Saturday 1 May from 12.30 till 5pm at Chuckleberrys in Linden, corner or Road Number 3 and Rustenberg Road, Victory Park.It is a perfect venue for the kids and we have lots to keep them busy - a jumping castle, face painting, games, a sandpit, swings, trampolines and a jungle gym and slide PLUS we have arranged some lovely ladies to watch them so that you can relax.For the adults, we have great entertainment lined up - bands, a drumming circle, fire dancers, dancing displays, wine tasting, raffles, an auction and lucky draws with awesome prizes like weekends away, and to satisfy your stomachs, food will be on sale and a cash bar with wine, beer and cold drinks available. Bring a picnic blanket and come and enjoy some good music and entertainment in the sun. Winter is a coming and soon the days will be too cold. You will also be supporting a very worthy cause. All Hands on Dec Friends (AHODF) was set up in memory of Declan Du Toit who died from cancer when he was just 8 months old. The charity aims to help families whose children are fighting the cancer monster, by assisting with the payment of medical bills. For more on the charity visit www.allhandsondecfriends.org Please invite your friends and enjoy a family day of fun in the sun while supporting a worthy cause.Thank youAll Hands On Dec Friendswww.allhandsondecfriends.org

Have a lovely weekend everyone

God Bless love Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

SACRED HEART OF JESUS WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD, OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

Autistic Surfer Clay Marzo Masters Waves but Struggles on Land

2010-04-28T15:58:00.003+02:00

By JOHN DONVAN and CAREN ZUCKER
April 26, 2010 When pro-surfer Clay Marzo rides the waves off Maui's coast, it's hard to imagine that a man so gifted in the water could struggle so much on land.

An autistic boy who struggles on land conquers the waves with his surfboard.
Beyond a few words, Marzo, 20, finds it hard to hold a conversation. Ask him a question, and finding an answer seems to cause him pain. Chat with him for half an hour, and the words never never flow any easier, because Marzo has autism.
He has a milder form known as Asperger's syndrome.Labeled a disability, Asperger's may help to explain why Marzo is so good on a surfboard.
Since he was a little boy, when his difficulty in communicating became evident, Marzo zeroed in on water. He wanted to be near the water, to be in it -- a focus so intense that it was actually obsessive, according to his mother, Jill Marzo. Obsession is part of Asperger's.

Surfing Obsession Leads to Stardom
In the water, "he was comfortable in his skin," said Jill Marzo. "Out of the water, he is not comfortable, even today. In the water, it's like he can breathe."
Marzo spends hours a day in the ocean, year after year. Some Asperger's obsessions, such as fixating on train schedules or "Star Wars" or lightbulbs, can disrupt. But Marzo's water obsession evolved into surfing, where obsession is required to succeed.
Marzo's obsession has made him a star surfer. He's a favorite with surfing magazines, is sponsored by Quicksilver apparel and earns an income that reaches into the six figures.
Surfing Fame Leads to Struggle
But on dry land, says his mom, Marzo's a fish out of water, unable to process easily anything that takes quick thinking. He struggles in getting around, meeting strangers and answering questions. It's too much too fast for his brain to take in, and the attention that accompanies his surfing fame makes for an uncomfortable experience.
"It's got to be more simple," said Marzo. "You know? Simple. Surf and eat and sleep, you know? My three top things."
That might sound simple enough, but it's never simple to live with Asperger's.
For Marzo, though, it just happened to work out: He needed the water, and the sea was there to catch him.

watch the awesome video clip here: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/autistic-surfer-clay-marzo-masters-waves-struggles-land/story?id=10477337&page=1

AUTISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON SIBLINGS AND FAMILY MEMBERS

2010-04-27T15:23:00.001+02:00

Autism and its effects on siblings, family members and the community
April 25, 2010 10:03 PM
By Pamela Gross Downing/Special to The Herald
"Tommy" walked down the aisle at his favorite store, Target.

He spotted what he was after, a small toy elephant. Tommy loves elephants. He turned to his parents and his sister "Jenny".

"Do you see the elephant, mom?" His sister groaned; she knew what was about to happen. Her brother not only loved to talk about elephants, he was fixated on them. He knew everything about them.

Tommy took a deep breath and said, "Did you know that there are two types of elephants, Jenny? There is the African elephant and there is the Indian elephant." Tommy continued with his one-sided conversation.

"The African elephant is almost hairless. Their ears are very big and look like fans. The African elephant has two little fingers on the tip of its trunk. They really aren’t fingers, though. They just look like them. Indian elephants only have one finger.

"Jenny," the boy said, "guess what?" He was getting more excited. "Jenny, Jenny, did you know that elephants are herbivores. That means …"

Tommy’s parents and his sister had always been very proud of him. He was a gifted child diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. His family understood that meant that Tommy was on the autism spectrum. He would have to face many of the same challenges that other children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) had to go through.

Tommy’s constant fixation had become difficult for Jenny to deal with, especially since he was now 18 years old. As a sibling, Jenny was going through her own challenges of having a brother with ASD.

Having a brother or sister with autism face can create challenges within the family. Constant communication about the issues facing siblings of ASD children is extremely important. For example, 6-year-old "Jack" often would hit his sisters and brothers. The siblings were afraid to challenge Jack because they thought he couldn’t help himself.

If a behavior is unacceptable for the siblings, it is unacceptable for Jack, too. In Jack’s case, an individual behavior plan was set in place for him. The family learned to have open discussions on questions they had, not just about Jack but autism in general.

When children are very young, begin talking with them about a brother or sister who has autism.

Ideally, a family will be open and discuss what to expect as the ASD child grows older. When friends come over to play, consider including them and their parents in discussions about autism. Never be afraid to talk to friends and families about what autism spectrum disorders are and their impact on your specific child and family.

Sadly, even today, it is not uncommon for parents of children with autism to sometimes have other family members, including medical professionals, blame them for the child’s diagnosis.

This misinformation only emphasizes the need to educate and explain what autism is to everyone in our community, beginning with those in our own home.

Playtime is an important time for siblings to be with their own friends. There will be times when it is appropriate for the child with autism to be included in playtimes, especially when the siblings are younger.

"Annie," just 5, is extremely close to her brother "Eli." When her friends come over, she has chosen to include her brother in their play. Her friends have learned to accept Eli into their activities. This has helped him learn how to interact more appropriately with his peers.

In Annie’s case, her parents and Eli’s teacher have worked with her to help Annie feel confident about her own abilities and her brother’s.

However, it also is important that brothers and sisters of special children have their own time, not only with friends, but with their parents as well. This may not always be easy or even possible. Yet, with assistance from friends and family, a special time for the siblings and their parents can be built into a weekly schedule.

Brothers and sisters also provide wonderful role models for language development and social peer growth. As the children grow older, a variety of different issues will occur.

Today, there are many websites, such as http://austimspeaks.org, to help siblings and families with questions on a variety of situations.

Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher, can be contacted at downpamg@aol.com.

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY

2010-04-27T15:14:00.000+02:00

TAKEN FROM 5 MINUTES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS

Mother of Quadruplets, one with autism, tells her story.
Posted: 23 Apr 2010 06:00 AM PDT
I have made some of the greatest friends because of Matthew, and I have learned a lot from them. Robin Hausman Morris is one of those friends and she has a most unusual perspective, so unusual that I've been trying to convince her to write a book.
Robin started her career as an actress in daytime soaps, commercials and off Broadway plays.
Life works in mysterious ways.
Her "Oscars" – Sabrina, Jesse, Tyler and Paul – were delivered in 1987 when she and her husband Danny became the proud parents of quadruplets. Her personal drama was soon to begin. A multiple birth was easy. Premature infants were a snap. But nothing could have prepared her for the struggle and journey that faced her.
"Autism entered my world without permission and stole my peace. Conceivably, the tenaciousness I once pursued as an actor was my shield, as I left no stone unturned to help our son."
She and her husband Danny were pioneers back then, traveling throughout the country and Canada to investigate interventions. Robin became an "ordained expert" from the schools of hands-on autism and hard knocks.
This is her story.
****
It was December 1987. Our quadruplets were six months old. We were on a routine visit to the pediatrician and Paul's skin was tinged with gray.
Suddenly he was gone.
I screamed for help and amidst the frenzy of mouth to mouth and shocking with paddles, there was silence. Someone brought me his clothes and as I held the tiny blue stretchy to my heart, I was paralyzed by the number three.
But Paulie, defied the odds. A doctor came in and said: â€œWell, he is certainly a fighter, we had to sedate him to get him breathing again".
Little did I know that our struggle would just begin.
If I had a dollar for every person who said "I don't know how you do it…", I could probably fund all of Autism Speaks. Paul's autism is a way of life. It is my career. It is my passion. It is my pain. It is my armor. It is my love. It is for my baby boy who fought so hard to live.
When our children were born, play groups were rare for us. I always felt as if I was looking into the candy store from the outside. Appointments with therapists and doctors across the country were our play dates. Saving Paul was my mission and I knew in my heart, as he thrived, so would our family.
Perhaps I sacrificed myself along the way, because people who don't know me well, are hard pressed to figure who Robin is. I am not a warrior and I do care if I am regarded as "tough".
Nevertheless, when I review the last 22 years with Paul, my role as mother was often transformed into therapist, behaviorist, and rule maker. I had to simulate what the professionals taught me, day after day, year after year. Although I held Paulie to the highest standard, in the end, I was always his protector.
Autism is a chameleon. Paul's strengths were only confounded by his weaknesses and I always tried to build on the first, while encouraging the latter. However, it was I that dealt with his tears of absent play dates, it was I that fought for mainstreaming, it was I that confronted the high school senior who mimicked him at play practice. Without Danny, Sabrina, Jesse and Tyler's help, I would have crumbled.
Robin and Paul
So what has all of this got to do with now? Suddenly it is 2010. It is not only about Paul. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined. The battle will not end until the perils of autism are faced. Research is vital, and awareness is paramount. My prayer is that the community will embrace those with autism while pursuing a cure.
Paul is blessed with his family: Sabrina's feisty spirit, Jesse's embracing humor, Tyler's tender heart and Danny's unconditional adoring love. Will our devotion be enough to cushion his falls and insulate him for the future? No. We need your help to make that difference.Laura

OUR HOLIDAY !

2010-04-22T14:47:00.015+02:00

the breathtaking view from our unit, its truly beautiful - the photos dont really do it justice!
Our gorgeous, gorgeous Deqlan Ross

the sun setting against the mountains and cosmos flowers

i actually said to my mom when we were taking these photos that i am sure this is the way God intended the entire world to look - untouched, unspoilt, just perfect

there were so many new horses at saddle and trout this time, lots of babies, to precious to see!

Deqlan Loved this picture of the bunny, reminded him of his favorite progamme Hopla!

how grown up does Deqlan look here!

Enjoying sitting on the bales of hay for the horses

the horse stables

checking Nanna's glasses out

Deqlan doing a bit of abseiling at the junction, he loved it! we were keeping a careful eye, the wall was very high!

Mom and Dee enjoying creme soda made in the midlands, we love drinking it here in gauteng cause it reminds us so much of the midlands, we can pretend we back there whilst drinking it!

Eating some fries and watching a dvd all tucked up warm next to Grandpa

Deqlan and I on the beach - i think if we could build a little house right on the beach that would be awesome, even if we lived like robinson crusoe, as long as we at the beach, our most favorite place in the world - Deqlan spent about 3 hours running up and down the beach in and out the sea - we were only 1 day in Durban, hopefully next time we can stay a whoollee lot longer at the sea

how i treasure these moments of bliss, in the sea with my boy

Deqlan LOVED the feel of the dry sand to!

We got to see Marks Dad and step mom while we were in Durban for the day, they were really taken at how well Deqlan is doing! This was such a cool place, Moyo, right on the beach, an african style restaurant, with african music to, it was so awesome, could have stayed there the entire day!

How gorgeous is this photo of Mark and Deqlan?

Cheryl, Oupa Chris and Deqlan

The World Cup soccer stadium from the beach - i think this is the most spectacular out of all our stadiums - mark will be going to watch the brazil vs portugal game here - can you imagine how awesome thats going to be!

my beautiful, beautiful Gambit

Gambit, how majestic and beautiful he continues to be

Deqlan was an absolute star watching the dolphin show - it was the first time he ever sat through the entire show!!! the previous 3 times were very overwhelming for him - i was so thrilled!

part of the show , tells the story of Shaka - well, Deqlan thought this was the best thing ever and kept on saying "shaka' and laughing and getting so excited each time his picture came up! He continued saying Shaka for many days after

One of my most favorite places in the world is ushaka watching my dolphins, and to be there with Deqlan on my lap enjoying them as much as i do, couldnt help have tears of joy and gratefulness

my amazing mom sat infront of us so she could capture deqlans face - thanks mom you did an awesome job - i love this photo!

Deqlan LOVED this display -a spinning wheel, full of colours and creatures of the sea- if we could have taken it home , we wouldve!

Deqlan LOVED this giant size mumble!

Wow! Imagine having this in your lounge at home?

what a joy to watch Deqlan having such a great time - you shouldve seen the size of the great white sharks behind him, massive but stunningly beautiful

Nanna and Grandpa enjoying the fish!

a magnificent sting ray - deqlan also started saying MANTA RAY - he loves them to!

This turtle was massive!

I think we should move into this aquarium - the peace and happiness and beauty is just breathtaking

Deqlan and Dada saying the colours of all the fish

Deqlan loved the Nemo display - for the first time ever he paid attention to each window he stopped at instead of just running around , he was interested in the fish and other creatures!

Our view on a beautiful morning in the midlands

We went for lunch at Lords of the Manor, the hotel we had my 30th at - such a special place in all our hearts and Deqlan was such a superstar sitting at the table! Its so nice to go back there, they always remember us - Deqlan even ran to the room where Mom and Dee stayed for my 30th! He remembered exactly where it was!

Dada and Deqlan

Deqlan seems to love The Lords of the Manor as much as I do!

Grandpa and Deqlan waiting to be called to our table

1,2,3, cheese! Deqlan still loves me taking self portraits of us!

Whose this guy Mama?

Its a fine day for a guiness with Dada! Juice for you my boy!

Lovely photo of Mom and Dee

Deqlan and his Nanna

we couldnt get Deqlan out this puddle of mud, he loved the squishy mud in his toes, fingers, hair, everywhere! I love it when he gets so dirty!

peek a boo!

should i , shouldnt i???

Deqlan singing for us ' THE PENGUIN BOP"

I LOVE YOU GRANDPA

Walking around the lake

I SEE A HORSE!

3, 2,1, BLASTOFF!

HIGHER HIGHER , AGAIN AGAIN DADA

LOVE YOU DADA

Deqlan loved the gate at the main entrance and we spent a good half an hour here, opening and closing !

My boys ( staight after i took this pic, Deqlan through his juice bottle into the lake, it took Mark a good 20 minutes to get it out!!)

Nice to see you!

2010-04-22T10:31:00.004+02:00

Logan and Mia!
Liam and Keaton

The boys playing so nicely together, even if it was only for 1 minute, im glad i could capture it!

Liam and Deqlan - Thomas fans!!!

Liam exploring big Thomas

Megs, Yolandie and me

Happy Birthday Ivan!!!

Keaton helping Ivan blow his candles out

gorgeous boys

We had a very busy weekend thats just gone! Friday started having the most delicious braai ever at Megs, Conrad and Keaton to celebrate Ivans Birthday!

Saturday , angel Ruan's mommy, Yolandie come to visit! She stays all the way in Vereeniging so it was so awesome to see her after such a long time! She is doing so well ! please do continue the prayers for her!

Saturday afternoon we popped passed Ivan again and then all came home to enjoy some takeaways!

Sunday morning started off with early Mass, then we very eagerly awaited the vist from Sam,Liam and Mia! It was AWESOME to see them to say the least - they have been staying in Plymouth in the UK for 10 years and are finally back to see if they are going to remain back in South Africa permanently. Poor little Liam had a bad tummy bug and was so uncomfortable but he did have some moments of enjoyment, especially enjoying Deqlans collection of Thomas and friends ! He even enjoyed playing with Deqlan and a balloon very a little while! Logan and Mia also had a great time painting and listening to music and watching Jonas brothers together and Keaton loved playing with everyone. It was lovely to have a house full of kids laughing and running around and a tear here and there, but on the whole a stunning time was had by all, cant wait to see you guys again! Your kids are beautiful Sam & Don!!!

WE HOME!

2010-04-21T12:13:00.002+02:00

Hi Deqlans Prayer army

thanks so much for your prayers ans messages for Deqlan today. We are home and Deqlan is happy!

He was such a star not being able to drink, he did ask for milk 4 or 5 times and i just said ' MAMA SO SILLY I FORGOT IT AT HOME! WILL GET SOME FOR YOU NOW NOW' and he seemed ok with that....

We did loads more reading last night and discovered how bad nitrous oxide can be for kids with autism- he hampers methylation - the bodies way of getting rid of toxins. I made contact with 3 families use kids regressed ( lost all the skills they gained) after having anesthetic! My Mom even called Debbie and Jeff in Canada to get their opinion, Jeff runs his own dental practise . He doesnt even keep it in his practise - he also advised how neuro toxic it can be! Thank you guys for helping us in our decision for today!

So there was no way Mark and I were willing to chance this happening. We were not evens sure if we were going to go ahead this morning . We kept asking God for a sign that we were doing the right thing

Off we went, Dada, Mama, Nanna and Deqlan to Protea Netcare , very bright and early this morning and were so amazed by the very caring understanding staff. It was really a refreshing experience. We had a very in depth chat with the anethetist who was very understanding about all our concerns and was more then willing not to use nitrous oxide but another gas called sevoflurane! BINGO! My first confirmation from God this was all going to be ok - the other autism moms suggested using this one as the body is able to git rid of it easier!

Then it was time for Deqlan to go into theatre and brave Dada was the one as always, to take Deqlan in. Of course Mama had a few tears , but then Nanna quickly brought me back on track to continue having Faith in Our Lords plans for Deqlan NOT TO HARM HIM!!

Mark told me that Deqlan was given a sticker in theater and guess what sticker it was? A FROG! Thank You Lord for another sign of re assurance

After about an hour and a half our little superstar was wheeled out - not happy at all, and coughing a very raspy sounding cough. He was very upset and we tried hard to calm him, eventually after some juice and watching some Thomas, and cuddly with me, he calmed and fell asleep again. When Deqlan woke up we got him some Macdonalds chips and he wolfed them down!He is now playing and watching his dvds singing and talking and laughing, THANK YOU LORD!!

Dr Nicky and her mom, who is also her assistant came to say hi before we left. Luckily we didnt leave this any longer, an abcess has started on the left molar! So Deqlan on antibiotics for that - luckily we have another round of diflucan due to start Monday , so that will help him cope with that. She took at the nerves of two molars and filled them, also had to take the nerves out of the front two teeth, which she also filled and cleaned - they look beautiful!!! What an amazing dentist , with such a passion for children, i would recommened her to everyone! Thank you Dr Nicky for making this as stress free as possible for us, you are amazing!

Thank You Nanna for all your hard work in making sure we made the right decisions for Deqlan. Thank You My love for putting up with me when i am very stressed and for helping us to make the right decision. Thank You Deqlan for being our beautiful , brave, courageous, clever, cute, gorgeous boy - thank You for bringing me through today, we love you more then life itself! Thank You Lord for always answering our prayers as we pray for them, for guiding us in the right directions, for healing Deqlan, we love and worship and praise and honor You each moment of every day!

Thank you all for your loving prayers and support, we love you Deqlans prayer army, he sends you all a biggg hug !

God Bless, all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE

Prayers for Deqlan for tommorow please

2010-04-20T16:43:00.002+02:00

Hello Deqlans prayer army

I know i am very very behind with our blog, but promise to update on all i cant to update on as soon as i can. More importantly, please can I ask you to say extra special prayers for Deqlan tommorow as he goes into theatre to have his teeth fixed.

We have to be there at 7am, Dr Nicky will do what she does best to repair Deqlans teeth , his molars and front teeth at 8am. It should take an hour and then as soon as Deqlan is awake and happy we can come home!

We are going to a day clinic in Krugersdorp as that is where Dr Nicky has her theatre space as well as the aneathetist she works with. So its going to be a VERY early start for us tommorow morning.

I have already chatted to them both, with close on 1 hundred questions each, included what is going to be used to put Deqlan under anaesthetic - we found some literature that suggests nitrous oxide can be harmful in kids with autism and can cause them to regress!!!!!!!!!!! So He has agreed to use different gases just in case. We will still want to have another final chat with him when we see him in the morning to be 111000000000% sure , but the best surity we have is that Our Lord will be taking the very best care of Deqlan as He always has,and as He always will.

Please pray that Deqlan doesn’t get to upset by not being able to drink and eat
Please pray he doesn’t get frightened and scared by the new environment of the day clinic and new faces
Please pray that the anaesthetist does the best job he has ever done and that the gases he uses has no negative effects on Deqlan
Please Lord will you work through Dr Nicky’s hands and let her be able to fix Deqlans teeth quickly and properly
Please Lord let Deqlan wake up feeling ok and still in fantastic health and let this resolve all his teeth problems that have been bothering him
Please pray for Mark and Me and Nanna as we wait for Deqlan that we continue to put all our trust and faith into Gods hands knowing He is taking the very best care of Deqlan always

Promise to update soon as I can

Thank you so much, God Bless and love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

P.S - LOTS OF NEUROBLASTOMA FIGHTERS NEEDING EXTRA SPECIAL PRAYERS RIGHT NOW
CARTER
IMOGEN
DAXTON
MELINA
NICK
QUINCY
YLARIA

'FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU ', DECLARES THE LORD.' PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE' JEREMIAH 29;11

A HAIR DRYER KID IN A TOASTER BRAINED WORLD

2010-04-20T16:41:00.001+02:00

Wanted to share this with you all, thanks Loren for sending on from the blog of MOM - NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A hair-dryer kid in a toaster-brained world
Okay, so: the presentation.First, I should tell you that we orchestrated it with the stealth of CIA operatives. We didn't want Bud to see me in the building, because we knew that my presence would be difficult for him. (Mom does not belong in school. Mom should only be here when she has come to take me home.) We all synchronized our watches, and as lunchtime approached, Mrs. Nee walked Bud to the lunchroom, where he was meeting another staff member, and Ms. Walker readied the classroom, while a student, Noelle, helped me slip in the side door and up the back staircase.While we waited for a few students to return to the class with their hot lunches, Ms. Walker let me know that they'd told the children a little bit about my blog, read them a few excerpts, and let them know that people all over the world read about their classroom. The kids were delighted to know that they had fans, and even more delighted by the idea that they'd been given pseudonyms when I wrote about them. It seems they'd had some fun trying to figure out who was who.Then, the children returned with their lunches and settled at their desks, which had been arranged in a circle. I sat down to join them, and it was time to begin.I started by thanking them for inviting me to their class. "I hope you know," I said, "that you are really, really important people to Bud. He doesn't always show friendship the way other people do, but believe me - you are important to him. He talks about you all the time. He tells me all about his buddies. And he loves having buddies."They grinned their response."I also want to thank you for asking such great questions." I held up their index cards. "Your questions were fantastic, and they tell me that you really pay attention to Bud."Dan raised his hand. "I wasn't here the day they wrote cards," he said. "But I do have some questions.""That's great, " I told him. "How about if I answer the questions that other people have asked first, and then if I haven't answered your questions, you can ask me more about them."Dan agreed, and I turned to the rest of the class. "You can all ask more questions. Sometimes when something seems different, people can get nervous about asking questions, but I want you to know that I want you to ask questions. It's the best way to learn about things you don't understand."My intro was over and it was time to get into my answers to the questions they'd written. I'd prepared ten pages of notes. I wanted to help the kids understand Bud's differences, but I didn't want to present him as "other," as though he were an alien living among them, as though there were something wrong with him, so I'd developed some analogies - some things that I hoped would help them relate Bud's experience to their own.The first one felt the riskiest. It was my make-or-break analogy - the one on which the rest of the presentation hinged. If it didn't resonate with them - or, worse, if it seemed lame - I was afraid I'd lose them. I knew that one ill-placed snarky comment from one of the kids could make the whole thing unravel.So I took a breath, and I started talking."The first question that lots and lots of you asked is: What is autism?"Autism is something that people are born with – you either have autism or you don’t have it. You can’t catch it."Having autism means that your brain is put together differently. Your brain still works perfectly well. It just does things differently from other people’s brains."Let’s think about the brain as a machine. You know that your brain controls everything you do. You use your brain to think about things and to make your body do things. Your brain also controls things that you don’t even think about. You don’t have to remember to breathe, because your brain does it automatically for you. You don’t have to remember to blink, because your brain does it. So, sometimes you USE your brain to do things and sometimes your brain just does things because that’s what it’s wired to do."The same thing is true in autism. Bud uses his brain for everything, too. But because there are differences in the way his brain is connected, there are differences in the way his brain reacts to things."Now, we all know that your brain is a machine that's made of tissue and neurons and nerve cells. But let’s pretend it was a more simple machine. Let’s pretend your brain wasn't made of tissue and neurons and nerve cells, but instead, it was made of metal and plastic and electrical wires. And let's pretend that when you put that metal and plastic and electrical wire together, it turned into a toaster."Here, the class laughed - the good kind of laughter. I carried on. They were with me."And let’s pretend that MOST of us had toaster brains. Some of us might make white toast and some wheat toast or rye toast, and some of us might make light toast and some of us dark toast. Some of us might only toast bagels, and sometimes we might even burn the toast, but for the most part, all of our brains would be able to do the same thing: make toast."Now, think about the pretend world that we have just created. In our world, MOST people have toaster brains. So, when we make the rules for our world and decide how we want to spend our time, what do you think we’ll decide is the MOST important thing a person can do?"Nora raised her hand. "Always try hard and do our very best?""Yes!" I said. "And WHEN we do our very best, we will be doing a great job making...""Toast!" they responded in unison."Yes! Because we have brains that are really GOOD at making toast - so we will want to have a world where it's REALLY important and REALLY valuable to make toast. Right?"Heads nodded around the room."Now let’s pretend that Bud’s brain is ALSO made of metal and plastic and electrical wires, just like our brains, except that when HIS metal and plastic and electrical wires get put together, they turn into a totally different kind of machine. Instead of being a TOASTER, Bud's metal and plastic and electrical wires turn into a HAIR DRYER."I swear, I heard gasps."Now, there’s nothing WRONG with a hair dryer, right? Hair dryers are great! There are some things that hair dryers are really good for. There are some things that a hair dryer can do even BETTER than a toaster. But it is REALLY, REALLY hard to make toast with a hair dryer."They laughed again, and nodded, and totally, completely got it."So, in our pretend world, even though Bud has a perfectly wonderful hair dryer brain, it’s going to be hard for him, because we toaster-brained people have decided that the most important thing that people do in our world is make toast. And Bud probably can make toast with his hair dryer, right? But he is going to have to work a lot harder to make toast with his hair-dryer brain than we will with our toaster brains. It will probably take him a lot longer to make his toast. And no matter how hard he works, his hair-dryer toast will probably always look different from our toaster toast."The room filled with murmurs of understanding."But, on the other hand - think about THIS! When we toaster-brain people have wet hair? We are REALLY going to hope that Bud and his hair-dryer brain are around."Nathan piped in. "Because we could get ZAPPED if we tried to use our toasters!""Exactly," I continued. "And the same thing is true in the real world with our real brains, that are made of tissue and neurons and grey matter and, uh...""And important stuff," offered Travis."Yeah, and important stuff," I said. "Because for most of us, when that important stuff gets put together, we have a certain type of brain. And we have created a society that says the most important things are the things that most of our brains are really good at - things like:"Talking and communicating with people;"Making friends and spending time with people;"Doing lots of different kinds of things, having lots of different kinds of interests, and trying new things."Because our brains are really GOOD at those things, we try to spend most of our time doing them. But those are all things that, because of his autism, Bud’s brain has a really hard time doing."Language is difficult for him and he doesn't talk the same way as other people."Being social and knowing how to interact with people is difficult."Changing his routine and trying new things is difficult."The classroom resonated with affirmation. Bud's classmates knew exactly what I was talking about. They knew, without me explaining any further, what kinds of behaviors I was talking about. I could see the understanding in their faces."But, remember how there were some things that the hair-dryer brains could do better than the toaster brains? There are ALSO things that Bud’s brain is really GOOD at doing. There are things that HIS brain can do better than a lot of our brains can do."I bet you can guess what some of those things are. Can you?"Hands flew up all over the room, and without my prompting, they recreated the list I had written in the notes in front of me."He's really great on the computer. He's better at it than LOTS of people.""He has great hearing.""He can remember lots of lots of things.""He can remember all the words to TV shows.""And he can remember the words to songs.""He is very musical.""He's a great speller, too," I added. "Once he learns a word, he usually remembers how to spell it.""If I had a brain like that," said Nathan. "I'd read the whole dictionary and learn all the words.""That would be a great thing to do," I said. "And it reminds me that Bud is also a really good reader."Molly raised her hand. "And he has a great sense of humor, too.""He does have a great sense of humor," I said. "And that's one of the ways that his brain is a lot like other people's. What are some of the other ways that Bud is just like everyone else?"Again, the hands flew up."He can see just like everyone else.""He looks just like everyone else.""He's human.""Yes! He's human - which means that he has all the same feelings that everyone else does. And he loves the people in his life. And he likes to play and have fun. He likes to laugh, he likes to swim, he likes to eat pizza. In lots of ways, Bud is just a regular kid."I looked around the room at the smiling faces of Bud's classmates - his friends, with their toaster-brains firing."But a lot of your questions were about some of the ways that Bud is different from you and about the things that are harder for him than they are for a lot of other toaster-brained people. So, let’s talk about some of those questions."

PLEASE SUPPORT DECLAN DAY

2010-04-19T11:50:00.003+02:00

An interesting discussion with people from all corners of the earth

2010-04-19T11:28:00.000+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b78pG5zoS-Q&feature=channel

A day in the life of autism

2010-04-19T11:09:00.002+02:00

Please take a few minutes of your time to watch the following clip ...to get a taste of whats is like for those affected by autism...please create awareness and please support all the drives you can to help us help recover our kids!

http://www.theautismnews.com/2010/04/17/a-day-in-the-life-autism/

A beautiful post

2010-04-16T10:08:00.001+02:00

By Bob Allen ABP
CINCINNATI – Now a nationally recognized author and speaker in the field of disability ministry, Kathleen Deyer Bolduc says she was unprepared to parent a special-needs child before the birth of her third son. Now 24, Joel has autism, intellectual disabilities and an anxiety disorder. She tells the story of their life together in Autism & Alleluias, a new book by Judson Press.
“There is a lot of pain involved in parenting a child with autism,” Bolduc said in an April webcast scheduled during Autism Awareness Month to promote her new book. “There’s a lot of joy, but I think we’re kidding ourselves if we don’t look at the grief that’s involved.”
“I can also say at the same time that living with autism, more than anything else in my life, has brought me to a closer relationship with God,” she said. “It really has brought me to a gut-level understanding of the Lord’s words to Paul in Second Corinthians, when he said that ‘My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.’”
“Once I came to an acceptance of that truth, once I figured out that I couldn’t do it all on my own, that I needed God’s power to gift me with the strength I needed to parent Joel, Joel became one of the most spiritual teachers in my life,” she said.
In one of the stories told in the book, Bolduc describes a particularly harrowing morning that started with Joel rushing out of the house barefoot and in his pajamas with the temperature in the 30s. It escalated into an emotional meltdown for Joel and reduced her to tears. Approaching her and reaching a hand toward her, instead of grabbing for her glasses as he sometimes does when he is anxious, Joel patted her face. “We need Jesus,” he said.
“We do need Jesus,” Bolduc said in the webcast. “And Jesus is with Joel no matter how difficult things get.”
Bolduc said the most important spiritual lesson her son has taught her is that God’s love is unconditional.
“God loves me just as I am. I don’t have to try so hard,” she said. “And God loves Joel just the way he is. I don’t have to fix Joel. God loves him just as he is. Such a huge burden lifted with that realization.”
Bolduc said parents of children with disabilities long for a church where their sons and daughters are loved and accepted just as they are, regardless of their behavior or their ability to achieve. Those that do, she said, receive a lot in return.
When Joel was about 8 or 9, she says in the book, his behavior caused Bolduc and her husband to give up on sending him to Sunday school. They learned that if they sat on the front row, where he could not kick the pew in front of him, they could usually make it at least through the congregational singing.
During communion, she said Joel would typically act out in ways so that it “was not really a spiritual experience, to say the least.” One particular Sunday, however, the pastor raised the plate in the air and recited, “This is the body of Christ, broken for you” and then the cup, saying “and this is the blood of Christ, poured out that you might live.”
Joel stood up and clapped his hands to his chest and said: “For me! For me!” He turned around and said the same thing to the people behind him.
“Joel gave a gift to the whole church that day, when he turned around,” Bolduc recalled. “He was announcing to everybody: ‘Wake up! Open up your eyes and look at the sacrament with brand new eyes. This is for you and this is for me. This is for all of us together.’ I think it was just an amazing lesson that my son had to teach the congregation that day.”
Another teachable moment came when Bolduc’s family had made a commitment to attend an African-American congregation honoring Martin Luther King Jr. During the music, Joel did what he usually did in their Presbyterian church. He worshiped with his whole body, bouncing and dancing in the aisle. This time, though, others were doing it, too.
“A proverbial light bulb went on in my head,” she said. “I thought, ‘You know, you just can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.’ All of these years of trying to make Joel fit into our worship service, it’s craziness.”
That created a dilemma for the family. “Do we leave a church that we love, or do we try to help the church see what Joel has to bring?” They chose the latter.
“I’m glad to say that our church has changed,” Bolduc said. “And I like to think that it’s changed partially because of Joel — and Peter and Jeremy and Matt, who are three other guys with developmental disabilities — and what they’ve brought to us.
“We have a contemporary service now that is much more relaxed,” she said. “Matt walks around and greets people. He doesn’t care what part of the service it is; if he sees you and he hasn’t said ‘hi’ yet, he’s coming on up. Peter dances during the worship songs.
“Joel stands up when everyone else is sitting down, if he wants to, and people are telling me, quite often, how much joy they get out of worshiping with Joel, Peter, Matt and Jeremy. There are some real gifts if we open up our eyes to them.”
“Joel has changed me, and Joel has changed our church,” Bolduc said. “If you open up your hands and your hearts and your minds and your attitudes, and you open up your church doors to those with disability, transformation will take place.”
Kathleen Bolduc
Autism & Alleluias
* Paperback: 144 pages* Publisher: Judson Pr; Original edition (February 15, 2010)* Language: English* ISBN-10: 081701568X* ISBN-13: 978-0817015688* Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
Source: http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5050/53/
Please share this news with friends, family and also with your contact list on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Deqlans first visit to the dentist!

2010-04-15T10:18:00.002+02:00

This event was one that i was dreading -knowing how much Deqlan dislikes sitting still in a chair with someone trying to make him keep his mouth open while they poked and proded, while i try to hold him still....well my friends, my vision of what it would be like was the furthest from what actually happened!!!!!!

The offices were so lovely and inviting and the kiddies area a definite winner for Deqlan - check one
Nicolette and her mom so friendly and welcoming and understanding to Deqlan - check two ( we even shared a few moments of tears and gratefullness when finding out how they to followed Deqlans journey and praying for him)
Nicolette has other patients on the autism spectrum so she was so understanding of Deqlans needs and what she should avoid doing to upset him - A BIG CHECK THREE ( do you know if an other dentists like this???)
Deqlan was allowed to run around the rooms, climbing on and off the chair , allowed to become familiar with the new enviroment - check four
Nicolette let Deqlan sit on my lap reading his magazine, and she very gently, without making a big deal at all, took her little mirror, and checked Deqlans teeth without him having to open his mouth as wide as a hippo! She managed to get a good idea of what needs work - and unfortunately there is quite a bit of work to be done - check five

Deqlan was so chuffed with the whole experience he gladly waved goodbye and gave high fives!!! WOW - i can recommend Nicolette to anyone, but especially to those of you looking for a fantastic dentist for your kids - you can see she is so passionate about them and so understanding! What a wonderful experience!

Now ...for the what work needs to be done part...Deqlans molars look terrible - the 2, second last from the back at each side have massive cavities. The left side is definitely worse for wear with the gum also being affected. The front teeth also have a little cavity she is going to try and repair and then when Deqlan is in theatre she can have a good look a good clean and repair anything else all at the same time

This will probably be done Wednesday next week - under anaesthetic , there is now way we could ever think of putting Deqlan, or any other little one, through that amount of trauma and holding him down , etc, no way - so this is the kindest and best way to do this .....will keep you all posted...

Deqlan is definitely in pain - he is holding his cheek and his ear time to time, bouts of moaning and crying, brushing teeth is very painful and causes the gum to bleed, and he is not eating. anything. he tries to, he maybe has one or two bites then pushes the rest away - no matter what i do to try and get him to eat - not happening. Going to try and make him a smoothie tonight and see if he will drink it ...dont know how great a gluten casein sugar yeast soya free smoothie will go down...but we haev to give it a go

Otherwise Deqlan continues to thrive and develop fantastically - he is really into songs and singing at the moment- he loves to sing all the Praise Baby songs, Old Macdonald is a big hit at the moment, even complete with E I E I O! Deqlan is also singing bits and pieces of Nkosi Sikileli ( our national anthem). The boys are learning so many new songs at school for Grandparents day on the 7th of May. Three new boys joined Little Leaps this week so now they are officially full at 16 boys! They are all GORGEOUS and they all have a massive place in my heart, every single one of them. I love dropping Deqlan off in the morning and getting kisses blown at me, or getting pulled to the trampoline to jump, or helping someone climb up a jungle gym, or one of the boys playing with my car keys or looking at my chain, or asking HOW ARE YOU? I just love them all dearly ! And when Ash tells me about something new they are doing, i celebrate their accomplishments just as i do with Deqlan. I really fell a calling to this area and who knows where the road will take me, but i just feel so called to do something to help kids with Autism!

I will be updating the blog with our Easter holiday pics next, we have been back a week already!!!! Cant believe it! Deqlan still asks for the ' Hippo Gate' at Saddle and Trout, as well as the beach and "SHAKA" ( UShaka Marine world) and the Dolphins....cant wait to go back...

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, we are so excited as we are going to see Sam and Mia and Liam again and Logan is with us, so we are sure all the kids are going to love being together!

Happy Birthday Ivan for today, 16 April! Hope its a stunning day and that the year ahead opens many doors and oppurtunities for you! Hope you enjoy all the celebrations!

P.S - Deqlan is 27 months NED today, thank You Lord, we trust that it is Your will to keep Deqlan NED forever and always - please always continue the prayers Deqlans prayer army!

God Bless lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

How Beautiful

2010-04-15T10:08:00.002+02:00

Our friend Loren suggested we go and visit this site for something very touching-wow, how absolutely beautiful i wanted to pass it on for you all to enjoy it as much as i did- the most beautiful music, beautiful pics and beautiful precious kids - i still have goosebumps and a smile on my face!

http://cheryl-rubyslife.blogspot.com/2010/04/beautiful.html

KEJE SETS SAIL AGAIN

2010-04-14T10:07:00.004+02:00

A Very Proud Dad and Keje
Me, Dee, Keje and Mom

Denise, Keje and Jeran

Mom and Keje

The three cousins- boy i wish i could post photos from when we were younger and what we three used to get up to...from fashion shows to "radio broadcasts" straight out of our bedroom ' in touch in tune and independant' I KNOW YOU LAUGHING MEGS AND KEJE!

Keje cuddling Deqlan

Just LOVE this photo of Nan - she lent Jerans cap , so cute!

Grandpa, Keje and Nan

Deqlan tending to Uncle Ken and Aunty Jennis flowers - Keaton broke them off and Deqlan was trying to put them back on! He he he

My mom and her wonderful brother Ken - my uncle and godfather to!!

Keje, Deqlan and Me!

What a delicous lunch it was, what a stunning day with our wonderful family, thank you all for having us

Keje and Megs

A gorgeous photo of Keaton and Deqlan! Go Brazil and Go Bafana Bafana!!

We had a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch at Uncle Ken - Aunty Jenni is away in Germany at the mo, but we got to catch up with Jeran and Denise and Kejenne , who was visiting home for 2 weeks! Keje has been away for over a year now, sailing around the beautiful and gorgeous seas of Europe! She is mostly between France and Italy and we loved seeing her for the afternoon catching up and hearing all her very entertaining stories and adventures!

I am so proud of you Keje that you are living out your dreams and learning so much on this journey of life! You are looking absolutely fantastic, so happy and content and as always, so full of wisdom and wonderful words of advise. I wish you many happy travels, many extraordinary adventures,many life changing moments, many happy and healthy days as you travel the sea's of the world! Remember what i told you, each time you see dolphins, you will know we are thinking of you and sailing with you in spirit!

So proud of you Keje, God Bless and keep you safely and bring you back safely home when the wind blows this way again! We love you! Bon Voyage

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

A MESSAGE FROM THE TELETUBBIES

2010-04-14T10:06:00.000+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g5jtGqHJEw&NR=1

Happy Birthdays!!

2010-04-13T16:26:00.004+02:00

Dear Gill, Abigail, Grant, Adrian , Carol, Diane, Celeste, Candice

Wishing you all a very Happy Birtday over the last few days! Hope you each had a fantastic day full of love and laughter surrounded by friends and family and loved ones!

Hope the celebrations flowed and continue into the year for you!

Thank you for each having a very special place in our lives!

God Bless and lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

8 WAYS TO CELEBRATE AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

2010-04-13T10:58:00.001+02:00

If you are the parent of a child with autism, you have no doubt been getting a lot of well meaning phone calls from family and friends today.

"Hi, turn on CNN quick! They're doing story on autism."

"Did you watch the Today Show today? There was a girl on with her mother. She was cured of autism. Here is what she did. Have you tried it yet?"

It's enough to send 'autism' parents into a tailspin.

Here are 8 EMPOWERING THINGS that parents of children with autism can do to celebrate Autism Awareness Month give it meaning.

1) Reach out to other parents, especially those with newly diagnosed children. Remember how you felt in the early days? Wouldn't you have loved to know someone like you? GO HERE to find out how you can help.

2) Spend a day with your child with autism doing EXACTLY what they like to do. My son wants to go to two states that he has never been to. We are going to Spokane Washington next week and then driving over the border to Idaho and back. It's going to be great.

3) Spend a day with your OTHER children in the same way. Hopefully they won't want to go to two states.

4) Go for a walk with your spouse and talk about ANYTHING except the kids.

5) Write down three goals for your child with autism for the upcoming year. Raise the bar, and celebrate each success.

6) Find a mentor/helper for your child. Your local college is a great place to find psychology and special education students who are anxious to learn from our kids.

7) PLEDGE to make time for yourself each day. Caring for a child with autism takes tremendous patience, physical and mental energy.

8) Last, but NOT least, remember how hard it must be to have autism. Show your child the admiration they deserve.

HAPPY AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH!

A BEAUTIFUL EVENING

2010-04-10T21:20:00.004+02:00

Before our confirmation there was a display in the hall, of a coffin, everything was dark and only lit by candles - after our mass, the coffin was open and only the sheets and thorn of crowns remained, with beautiful white rose petals everywhere symbolising that Jesus has risen!
Me, Keaton and Mom waiting for the fire to be blessed before mass

Megs, Dee and Me, a very special moment!

Grandpa, Me, Mom and Megs - our guides in this journey of confirmation!

Mark, Deqlan and me just before mass started. Thank you My Love for watching Deqlan through all the classes and all the weekends and all the help you have given me to have made my confirmation possible - thank you my boy for being so patient and for letting me go and do what i needed to and learn what i needed to! I did this for you to to say thank You Lord for the miracle and blessing you are - love you both with my all

Keaton, Megs and Conrad ( and Khloe!)

Mom made Megs and I the most beautiful confirmation candles, so sorry the flash was to bright to pick all the detail up! Thank you Mom for this stunning gift, its something i will treasure always, i was so proud to be holding it as i was confirmed, knowing you created it with so much love! Thank you Darling Mom and Dee for all our other stunning gifts , which i was blown away by! Love you both so very very much

Me and my amazing Grandpa whose dream was to see Megs and me get confirmed in the Catholic faith! I was honored to have him as my sponsor and touching my shoulder at the moment of my confirmation, thank You Grandpa for inspiring and guiding me in so many ways, you are truly a saint on earth and i love you so much!

Me and Megs - after a year of attending classes every Thursday evening, after many discussions, after many hours of enjoyment and learning and questioning, we were so proud to be doing our confirmation together - thank You Megs for joining me on this journey which i will treasure always- Love you!

It was a stunning night indeed. After many months of preparation we were finally confirmed with our group of 4 other ladies on Easter Saturday. It was extraordinary to be confirmed at such a stunning mass, celebrating our Risen Lord. It was stunning to have our family with us to witness it. It was a very emotional evening and Megs and i were of course in tears of joy and pride as we watched each other being confirmed and being annointed with the oil of chrism. other photos were taken of the other moments throughout the mass, will share them with you all when we recieve them!

Thank you Sophie for your beautiful card and gift, which i am enjoying so much!

Thanks to all of you for your messages and phone calls and prayers, we are so touched that you remembered our special day and you were certainly a big part of it!

EASTER CELEBRATIONS

2010-04-10T21:02:00.003+02:00

megs and mom and khloe on the way!
Easter eggs everywhere!

Grandpa and Nan opening their gifts

Deqlans Easter treat was this view finder which we think he enjoyed much better then he wouldve chocolates if he could eat them!

mmmmmmm

What a stunning Easter display was put on at Meggie and Conrads house on Easter Saturday! We celebrated one day earlier as we went to the Midlands on Easter Sunday - unfortunatley Megs and Conrad and Keaton couldnt join us this year as Meggie is to close to having little Khloe, and as you may know Keaton come 1 month early to his due date. Doc advised rather to be safe and spend Easter at home, we sure did miss them!

Thank you Sophie, Ivan, Megs, Conrad and Keaton, Grandpa and Nan, Mom and Dee for the stunning Easter celebration for all the gifts and eggs and beautiful cards and words and effort you put into making the true meaning of Easter stand out ! Love you all ! Hope you all had a stunning Easter celebrating Our Risen Lord and a good break! Lots to update the blog with so watch this space!

REJOICE IN OUR RISEN LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!

WELCOME HOME!

2010-04-10T20:55:00.002+02:00

Welcome Home Sam, Mia and Liam!

We were thrilled to welcome you back to South Africa after being in the UK for 9 years!!!!

We pray that you can find your feet again and settle in and be very happy and stay 'home' permanently so Don can join you soon!

You all look wonderful and we cant wait to catch up properly! Mia is the perfect little lady and Liam, to gorgeous for words, cant wait for all our kids to play together!

Welcome home, my dear dear friend, we have missed you!

the Els family on Autism

2010-04-08T10:37:00.001+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dv-9tTrvlE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEehPXnFp2E&feature=channel

Thank you Ernie and family for doing such a great job in creating awareness for our kids!

GUESS WHERE WE WERE TODAY?

2010-04-07T21:10:00.001+02:00

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-04T21:10:00.002+02:00

Dearest Friends and family

Wishing you all a beautiful and very Blessed Easter!

He IS Lord, He has risen from the dead and He is Lord!

Every knee shall bow , every tongue confess ,

That Jesus Christ IS Lord!

We had the most beautiful confirmation mass last night, it was very moving and very emotional and an unforgetable moment i will treasure, always. More details and photos to follow soon !

We are in the mountains! feels like we were here only a month ago , and its been over 1 year...like our second home! Deqlan is very at home and keeping us very entertained with his gorgeous antics, beautiful songs, and gorgeous smiles and hugs. He was so tired he feel asleep standing up, i kid you not, while i was bringing his dinner to him...aw shame... he was up at 6 this morning and didnt sleep the entire day, and the fresh air = a great nights sleep!

Have a wonderful week ahead, more details and photos to follow soon!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

GOOD FRIDAY

2010-04-02T12:49:00.001+02:00

Good Friday Prayer
O Jesus, Who by reason of Thy burning love for us hast willed to be crucified and to shed Thy Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us here gathered together in remembrance of Thy most sorrowful Passion and Death, fully trusting in Thy mercy; cleanse us from sin by Thy grace, sanctify our toil, give unto us and unto all those who are dear to us our daily bread, sweeten our sufferings, bless our families, and to the nations so sorely afflicted, grant Thy peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Thy commandments we may come at last to the glory of heaven.Amen.

WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY 2 APRIL

2010-04-01T15:42:00.004+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpsI20cC4q0

Please join us in supporting World Autism Awareness day, tommorow 2 April, by wearing all the different colours of the rainbow instead of just the normal blue!

Our kids are as beautiful, as colourful and as unique as each colour of the rainbow, but hold such promise! Please help us create awareness especially this month by telling people about Autism, and that it is treatable , there are things we can do to help our children reach their full potential!

WE NEED ;

- More education,that parents and families are lead in the right directions for the children right from the start

-More funds to help every single child, that no one is turned away because they cant afford the specific therapies and diets and supplements

- More acceptance of people and embracing their uniqueness

- More medical professionals to get on board with the parents and accept that bio medical treatments do work for our kids , so why wont they help us?

- More options for the children who turn into adults, that still have to deal with Autism every day , that they are accepted into our society and given every chance and oppurtunity they deserve

I intend to use the month of April to spread as much awareness as i can , and to inform people with links and sites and videos to open the lock to the world of autism and to try and find these gorgeous people, within themselves, they are in there!

Thank you for all your support and love for Deqlan, he is thriving and proof that if you can find the key to unluck the potential the possibilities will amaze and delight and leave you saying thank You Lord for each moment of very day , every word, every bit of eye contact, every smile, every puzzle piece put into place, every drawing, every bit of social interaction, even if in appropriate, and my favorite at the moment, every note of every song Deqlan is singing

All our love and thank you for all your prayers and love and support, may they never end

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

candida in the house

2010-03-30T08:37:00.005+02:00

World Autism Awareness day is 2 April - i will be using the month of April to post as much information and wonderful links as i can to spread the awarness and understanding! This year instead of asking you to just wear blue, it will be a rainbow day of celebrations, all the colours of the rainbow, reflecting that no child on the spectrum is the same, but that each one is as bright and beautiful as the next!

Deqlans evaluation from Little Leaps even mentions that he is exceeding neuro typical 3 year old development - how amazing is that?

Some more lovely comments, i love how many songs Deqlan knows and how much he enjoys singing them!

Ash made a beautiful folder for us, with lots of Deqlans art work as well as photos of him doing activities - this was the day the made a life size paper version of themselves, Deqlan sure looks fascinated with himself!

Deqlan continues to enjoy and love the Little Leaps logo

awww, probably his favorite animal to!

aawww again, Deqlan sometimes says I AM 5 YEARS OLD - which he learnt from the love and learning DVDS - but there are times where he does get it correct and will say I AM THREE YEARS OLD!

Deqlans report card - the theme of this term and next is strongly focussed on the Soccer World Cup!

Deqlans Easter works of art - he can say CROSS when he looks at the picture! Deqlan is also know bringing me the bible saying JESUS!!!

Bunny ears! Not to fond of having them on though!

We took the boys to the little animal farm at Rooihuiskraal terrein on Saturday , and they loved the turtles and chickens! Keaton was feeding them carrots and calling them DAD, MOMMY AND BABY TURTLE, to cute for words

Deqlan making the sound of the rooster

Admiring the TURTLES, although they actually tortoises....

Deqlan looking at at the duck pond, he can now say DUCK and the sound of QUACK QUACK

The gluten free casein free sugar free yeast and soya free biscuit cross Deqlan made for Easter - to beautiful!

As the title might suggest we have candida issues with our little guy AGAIN

As mentioned Deqlan wasnt well last week and we eventually had to get him onto an antibiotic for a sinus infection - he was so frusrated, crying all the time for everything and reasons we couldnt understand, he couldnt make choice between dvds or milk or juice - lining everything up and inconsolable, when the cars dont touch each other exactly as they should - no appetite- no sleeping during the day, waking up at night, headache - pulling our hand to his head all the time saying WASH - Nanna had used a wet clothe on his forehead last week when he had a fever - now he takes us to get toilet paper or a cloth and says WASH - which we think means he has a headache - not nice for us to see Deqlan like this at all.

Saturday afternoon was at all time high - Deqlan had a meltdown for over an hour and a half, nothing would calm him,it also didnt help that Dada was away for the weekend. Meggie and Keaton were here when it happened and tried to help me stay calm , but i must say my nerves were frazzled and patience was not the gift i could offer Deqlan at that stage of the game. Eventually , he fell asleep in the car and slept till 1 am ,then woke up again another 6 times either coughing or wanting milk.

Sunday even Nanna and Grandpa could see that things were not right and the smallest of things wer upsetting Deqlan so much that nothing could calm him down. Deqlan was ALOT happier when Dada got home Sunday afternoon and seem to be more himself - but then Deqlan started doing little things that made the Candida alarm bells ring even more - standing facing the wall, making tiny little steps, wen placing his cars in line, now tapping each one a certain amount of times. Meggie even saw Deqlan calling for me, when i was right in front of him - scary stuff.

After not hearing back from our DAN doctor, we took it into our own hands to start Deqlan on diflucan to try and kick candida's butt - it seems to have improved things alot and Deqlan is not so tearful and frustrated. He isnt throwing his bottle as much, just to see the juice or milk come out of it . HE HAS STARTED EATING!!!!!!! Today he had 4 bites of eag, 4 biscuits, packet of lays chips, 10 macdonalds fries (thanks Megs) and drum roll please, tonight we had chicken nuggets and a few potatoes, Thank You Lord , Deqlan is feeling better.

Even through this awful candida spell, Deqlan continues to amaze and delight us. Deqlan is loving songs and singing them, some excerpts from his favourites are:

'HOLY, HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY'

'JESUS, LAMB OF GOD, WORTH IS YOUR NAME' I cant explain to you how are hearts leapt for Joy when Deqlan just started singing these songs, the most beautiful music i have ever heard!

'MY JESUS, MY SAVIOR'

'HELLO SPOT, SPOT HELLO'

'TINKY WINKY, DIPSY, LALA, PO'

'FIMBLES, FIMBLES, FIMBLES'

The thing with Candida is, that some doctors dont actually think that it can be such a problem - its not something you can see with a light or throat stick - the only real way of confirming is sending a stool sample away , which came back right at the begining of Deqlans bio medical treatments, saying he had candida 10 to the power of 8 - a massive amount. We know when is starts to over grow because of his nappies, eating habits or certain flags that flare up. We know that its there because giving the diflucan makes it better and takes it away. We of course dont want to have to give diflucan every so often as your liver can take a beating - so we need to start looking into more natural ways of controling it - Deqlan is already on such a restricted diet, so thats a good thing, increasing probiotics is a must and you can give natural things like olive leaf extract - we have already tried this option and its disgusting , no chance Deqlan will even try it ..so we need to try and teach Deqlan to swallow the tablet...mmmm... will have to work on this one

So , for your lesson for the day , here is a bit of information on Candida:

Candida Albicans - do you suffer from the Candida infection? Read on to discover the symptoms and treatment of Candida
Is life one big pain? Could be Candida
Tired, Headaches, Irritable, Aches And Pains? It Could Be Candida!by: Willie Jones
Many people suffer from a host of symptoms but are told by Drs. that they can’t find anything wrong with them or are misdiagnosed and put on treatments that are not working for them. The difficulty is that the medical profession denies the existence of candida and therefore cannot treat it. You may find the odd healthcare professional that knows about it and will prescribe something for it.For those of you that are not familiar with Candida, this is what it is and it may be what’s bothering you.Candida albicans is a natural inhabitant, yeast that lives in your colon. It is a small group of parasites that that co-exists with other microbes and friendly bacteria. It thrives in that toxic putrid, damp waste land. For a normally functioning colon candida is not a problem but if you are chronically constipated and backed up or if your immune system is compromised due to bad diet or over use of antibiotics, then Candida can become over abundant and change into its fungal form that can then escape through the intestinal wall and wreak absolute havoc in other parts of your body and you can experience a whole host of symptoms. It is especially insidious because it can change its form to survive much like certain bacteria can change form and become resistant to antibiotics, Candida can be resistant to antifungal. When Candida begins to proliferate it grows like a weed and sprouts long tendrils that burrow deep into the intestinal walls. This is the beginning of infection and disease. If for some reason Candida gets into your blood stream then the spores get carried along and deposited in another warm moist organ where it takes on a fungal shape and resumes its attack on the host. It can be a formidable enemy that can make your life miserable and it makes it all the more miserable when your doctor has taken a whole battery of tests and tells you there is nothing wrong with you. But you know better! You know how you feel and it is not normal!If you have candida, you may experience some or all of these symptoms depending on the severity of this parasitic invasion:
constant fatigue
sinus problems and lots of mucus
interrupted sleep
flu like symptoms
aches and pains in the joints
especially tight neck and shoulder and increased headaches
dental problems
dark circles under the eyes
low grade fever
constipation and or diarrhea
gas and abdominal bloating
mouth and your eyes feel dry
unexplained rashes
dry brittle hair and nails
feeling foggy
restless leg syndrome
irregular heart beat
numbness or tingling in the extremities
feeling faint or light headed
lack of concentration and short term memory loss
shortness of breath
sexual dysfunction
sugar cravings
white coating on the tongue
intolerance to smells such as perfume, chemicals and insecticides
digestive disorders
depression
irritable or easily angered
intolerance to alcohol or gluten
asthma
hay fever
ear infections
These are the most common symptoms reported but there may be others. These symptoms can be moderate to severe. To find out if you have candida you can do a simple home test that has been fairly reliable to determine if candida is a problem for you.In the morning when you wake up, before you do anything else, work up some saliva in your mouth and then spit it into a glass of clean water. Wait for about 30 minutes then check the water. One of four things may happen. If there are strings coming down from the spit floating in the water or if the water is cloudy or speckled then you may have Candida. If you don’t have candida the saliva should just float on top and the water should stay clear.There are several reasons why candida can become such a problem. One is over use of antibiotics. This kills the friendly flora and allows the rapid growth of candida as does Steroid abuse.Another major factor is our environment and the changes in the food industry. Exposure to a toxic environment weakens our immune system. Living on the golf course is all nice and pretty but the reality is that you get exposed to the constant spraying of chemicals that you cannot escape from. The industry smoke stacks are built high up but you would be a fool to think it does not affect you. Cars and trucks have been a huge source of pollution for the last 60 to 70 years and we have been lulled to a non thinkingness about it. We just don’t have a thought about it when we walk down the street and get bombarded with toxic petro.It is the same with the food industry. We used to eat wholesome meat, fruit, vegetables and grains that were not tampered with. Now, the major players are finding ways to make food last longer with preservatives, dyes and chemical sprays. Processed food should be a no no for anyone who wants to stay healthy let alone someone who has candida or other related health problems.What should you do to treat candida?
Stop eating processed foods. Other than non perishables, just go to the meat and produce department for all your food. Unless you are stocking up for a hurricane or some emergency, I don’t suggest you eat anything that is not in its natural form. Organic, raw fruits and vegetables are best but, be careful not to eat too many fruits; they contain a lot of sugar. The fruits that are very high in fiber are blueberries, plums, raspberries and strawberries. ½ cup of theses fruits have more fiber than several bran muffins.
Stay away from meat that has been fed hormones. If you are going to partake of dairy foods, also get it hormone free.
SUGAR! Yeast thrives on sugar. It loves sugar and will grow more prolific with sugar products. You will not get rid of candida unless you stop eating those cookies, desserts and chocolates. We rarely ate sugar 80 to 100 years ago, we don’t need them now.
Drink a lot of water. This ensures that toxic material can get removed from the body. Just like a toilet will not be able to remove fecal matter without water, so is it also with the human body. Drink lots of pure water.
Exercise on a regular basis. This also helps to keep the intestines working correctly, not to mention all the other benefits you get by working out.
You can jump start your treatments by doing a coffee enema daily for a week possibly two and then once a month for maintenance. Full caffeine organic coffee works best and you should only use filtered water. Coffee enemas help remove impacted fecal matter fairly quickly and may remove the yeast and parasites. There are two herbs that you can add to the coffee solution that make it more effective. Aloe Vera and slippery elm. You can purchase these herbs in capsule form. Take two of each, break open the capsules and pour them into the coffee. They are soothing and help with inflammation.
Psyllium seed and Bentonite are also good natural sources for cleaning out the colon. Psyllium seed is used as a laxative but make sure that you drink a full glass of water or it can have the opposite effect and constipate you. Bentonite is a volcanic ash that draws toxins to it. The bentonite does not get absorbed into the system so it will be disposed of along with what ever toxins it has attached to it. The problem with these herbs is that although they do work, it can take a long time before it is effective with Candida. It can take up to a year before it is completely handled.
There is a new product that works much faster and is very effective for a lot of people. This is the Threelac system. Threelac products are very effective based on testimonials and has shown relief in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. There is also Threelac for children. If your child has thrush or diaper rash that does not go away, it is a yeast problem. Results vary from person to person and the degree of severity will also make a difference in how long it takes for recovery. Your body needs the friendly flora to maintain its normal ph balance. Threelacs advanced formulas work to restore your ph balance to help your body recover naturally and quickly.
Remember, Candida feeds off sugar! Americans eat enormous amounts of sugar and is the biggest single factor in Candida over growth. Candida’s appetite for sugar is insatiable. You can reduce (but not completely handle) Candida by cutting out sugar in your diet. Natural fruit and vegetable sugars should be all your body needs.
I hope this helps!

Candidiasis - Candida Alibicans
Candida Alibicans is one of many fungi that are present in most people’s intestinal tracts, and other places, where it is kept in check and causes no harm. If the intestinal balance is disrupted and healthy bacteria killed, Candida albicans will flourish and release toxic chemicals into the bloodstream. Continual antibiotic use is not the only cause of candidiasis, or yeast overgrowth, in children. An infant born vaginally to a mother who has a vaginal yeast infection can become similarly infected. Severe diaper rash and thrush, which looks like a whitish coating on the tongue and mouth, are signs of candidiasis in babies.
It has been found that children along the autistic spectrum are at greater risk of developing candidiasis. There are several reasons why yeast overgrowth is found among these children. Antibiotic use is one factor. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria as well as good bacteria i.e. lactobacillus and bifidus, that are necessary to keep candida from overpopulating the gut. The affected children may lack something in their digestive secretions that is needed to keep yeast from proliferating.
Anything that weakens the immune system can contribute to yeast overgrowth including, environmental toxins and chemicals, such as pesticides, and exposure to lead and heavy metals all of which also burdens detoxification of the system.
Note: and neurologically toxic mercury via thimerosol (50% mercury by weight, a pereservative in virtually all vaccines given to most children from about 1990 to 2001 in the United States
It may be that children along the autistic spectrum are more sensitive to candida itself than are other children, and that their behaviors are the result of an allergic response. Everyone has organisms in and on their bodies. The problem arises when yeast, fungi, or candida overpopulates the intestinal tract. Candida pushes their way into the intestinal lining, destroying cells and brush borders. This damage allows macromolecules of partially digested food to pass through the lining. The macromolecules are the perfect size for antibodies to respond to. Your immune system then goes on alert for these specific foods so the next time you eat them, your antibodies will be waiting to attack. The result is increased sensitivity to foods and other food substances and the environment. Also the yeast by products - metabolites that are toxic are also passing through the intestinal wall.
One of the major toxins produced by yeast is acetic aldehyde, through conversion by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. Its multiple effects can be devastating. It is converted by the liver into alcohol, depleting the body of magnesium and potassium, reducing cell energy, and causing symptoms of intoxication, disorientation, dizziness, or mental confusion.
The ‘spaciness’ or ‘mental fog’, often described by , is one of the most frequent symptoms of candidiasis. Children along the autistic spectrum have behaviours that strongly resemble these symptoms. They may also have physical signs of yeast overgrowth that include a distinct ‘yeasty’ smell, and cravings for foods that yeast thrives on, such as sugars and carbohydrates, as well as a whitish coating of the tongue, diaper rash, and/or itching around the anus.

So there you go , now you can imagine what this must feel like for a 3 year old, that cant pin point and explain to us what he is feeling - please pray we can get rid of this for good!

Before we go:

happy birthday Dalene for today, hope you had a beautiful day with your wonderful husband and gorgeous girl! I pray the year ahead is fantastic for you in every way! May God Bless, guide, protect you and strengthen you! Stay the lovely person you are!

Dear Suzanne

Wishing you a lovely Birthday for today, sure you are celebrating tonight! Have fun and may the year ahead make all your dreams come true

PLEASE PRAY FOR MICHAEL WHO IS AWAITING SCAN RESULTS - HE IS A RETINOBLASTOMA WARRIOR - PLEASE PRAY THEY ARE CLEAR CLEAR

PLEASE PRAY FOR JED A BRAIN CANCER WARRIOR - HE HAS SCANS TOMMOROW , PLEASE PRAY THEY ARE IMPROVED AND EVEN SHOW NO EVIDENCE OF THE TUMOR

AS ALWAYS, PLEASE KEEP ALL THE WARRIORS, SURVIVORS AND ANGELS IN YOUR PRAYERS

Good night everyone,God Bless and love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

" FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU', DECLARES THE LORD.'PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE'

JEREMIAH 29;11

LET THE EASTER HOLIDAYS BEGIN

2010-03-26T16:27:00.002+02:00

Well, thats it, Deqlans first term of school done! We recieved the most gorgeous works of art, a book created all about Deqlan and his adventures at school, as well as his Individual Education Programme.

At the beginning of the year Ash gave us Deqlans intended IEP for the term , on what she wanted to achieve with him. I am thrilled to report that most of the items were accomplished ! Ash goes on to say that she has hope for a great future for Deqlan and that he has exceeded expectations for ' neuro typical ' 3 year olds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We couldnt be more delighted, more proud, more grateful, more elated with his wonderful report - i look very forward to sharing it with those of you who would like to see it! Will try and see what i can get on the blog for you to enjoy!

They even had the Easter bunny visit today and a Birthday party for Ash and Florie!!! Happy birthday to two very special ladies, thank you for all you do for Deqlan and for all the love and care and dedication and patience and potential you see in our Deqlan and all the other boys you love and look after!

So , here starts Easter Holidays, its going to be awesome to have Deqlan with us all day every day , but i think he is definitely going to miss his beloved Little Leaps these 3 weeks, Ash, Candice, Florie, Caroline and all his buddies, especially Tebogo, his new BFF.

Tebogo is 6 and has Aspergers - he is a delightful boy, such beautiful manners , so friendly. He loves WWE - like as in the wrestlers - so guess what Deqlans new words are ' WWE - SUPERSTARS"

Guess what Tebogo has started doing ? ' 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 BLAST OFF!!!' I wonder who he couldve gotten that from ha ha ha ha ha

So lovely to see this relationship developing!

If you recall Deqlan wasnt 100% well last week - well, the last two nights, esp last night he has been so so frustrated - he has been taking our hand to his head as if to show us its sore - he doesnt want to eat, just drink and drink...the doctor visit we had at ten last night didnt satisfy as with an answer us to why Deqlan was continuously crying- so off we went to our trusted regular doctor this morning who confirmed our suspicsions of a sinus infection. So we have Deqlan on antibiotics and cortisone and and and , and hopefully he will start eating and feeling much better soon!

Dada and Uncle Conrad and Uncle Ivan are away for the weekend so i am sure alot of ours will be spent with Grandpa and Nanna and Meggie and Keaton, which we are looking very forward to. I do think Deqlan is going to start asking for Dada any moment and i hope he is happy with just Mama and him this weekend! Hope you all enjoy the break away, have an awesome time boys and be good!!!

Oh yes, great news for my Grandad, it seems that the prostate cancer hasnt spread anywhere else, Praise Our Lord, which is a great surprise to the doctors and an anwer to our prayers , thank You Lord - we will hear in the next few weeks about the game plan, but a definite hip replacement is in the cards to...

Have a great weekend everyone, please continue the prayers for Deqlan and for him to feel better and get over this infection and for all the cancer warriors, angels and survivors around the world

God Bless, lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
SACRED HEART OF JESUS, WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD, OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

SUCH A PERFECT DAY

2010-03-23T10:18:00.008+02:00

Deqlan and Dada
New best friends Deqlan and Keaton

Big Hug

Precious precious moments to watch them love each other

I love you Keaton, I love you Deqlan

Watching the footie

Cool dudes

lets go for a ride Deqlan, buckle up!

Keaton and Conrad

Deqlan loved playing with these naughts and crosses

Sophie and Conrad

Big boy sitting at the table all by myself!

Our family, in 1 photo, sitting together for the very first time!

So proud of you Deqlan!

Dee and Mom

Me and Conrad

What a perfect day Sunday was. It started off with us all going for breakfast to celebrate Conrad's birthday - our family loves to celebrate birthdays so we usually celebrate week long birthdays!!!

Deqlan and Keaton had a great time at papachinos, playing on the jungle gym , riding the bikes, playing in the sand. But what made this specific get together different was that Deqlan sat at the table with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never ever before has Deqlan sat on a chair, at a table- never before have Dada, Mamma and Deqlan all sat together to eat!!!!!!!! it was a priceless moment, one i will never forget. Deqlan was quite happy to sit and play with his animals, drink his ricemilk and enjoy his special biscuits !

After a while, Deqlan wanted to run off an play and as we approached a the big jungle gym, Deqlan said 'ROCKET' . Sure enough the one side of the jungle gym was shaped like a rocket - it still requites a degree of imagination to see the rocket shape - i was overjoyed to say the least!

We then went back to the table to have some cake and sing Happy Birthday to Conrad. After we had finished singing. Deqlan broke out into song ' HAPPY TO YOU , HAPPY TO YOU , HAPPY TO YOU. HIP HIP HOORAY' Needless to say we all had tears in our eyes, absolute tears of joy and happiness and appreciation!

I dont know if you can re call there was a time where it wasnt possible for us to go out cause Deqlan wouldnt want to sit at the table and Mark and I would be running after him making sure he wasnt in danger - wow, we are really so thankful for these amazing gifts, to us they are worth more then gold!

Then we went to Conrad and Megs and Keaton for the afternoon to watch the Man United Liverpool game and Deqlan and Keaton started 'playing alongside' each other much better and less frustrated then what it normally is !

Deqlan even started pushing a car and saying "brrmmmm" this is a massive deal in the world of autism , as its imaginative play!

Then Deqlan and Keaton decided to lye down next to each other, on the same big Thomas cushion. Mark thought it would be fun to wrap them together like a bureto, and guess what, they loved it!!! They both started saying ' GOODNIGHT' and pretending to snore. They even hugged each other, look at each other for a good few minutes and most importantly, laughing WITH each other - more tears in my eyes - i have waited 26 months to see Keaton and Deqlan bond. Keaton has tried ever so hard but Deqlan just prefered to do his own thing - for the first time ever, they actually were enjoying each others company!!

More amazing is that in the way home Deqlan was asking for Keaton - as well as yesterday and today, actually lying on the floor saying 'GOODNIGHT' and 'KEATON' to precious for words

I cant thank You Lord enough for these gifts that you shower us with every single day. The miracles you are working through Deqlan each day are a priceless gift, i treasure every single word, sentence, cuddle, laugh, smile,dance, every breath, thank You Lord. What a perfect day it was, we look forward to so many more Dear Lord, please continue to keep Deqlan NED forever and always, please help us to do all we can to help him reach his full potential

Other new sentences and words;

HIGGINS - Dada got Deqlan to say our surname !!

SUPERMAN - i got stickers to try and assit with our toilet training, but Deqlan is more interested in saying Superman then doing anything else

BAFA BAFA HEY - bafana bafana hey! ( our soccer team name, meaning the boys)

HOW ARES YOU? I AM FINE THANK YOU

I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM

I WASH MY HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER

I LIVE AT 5921 PINE STREET, WHERE DO YOU LIVE? all from love and learning dvds, now we have to channel them at the right times so Deqlan can understand what they mean

MILK HOT - Deqlan can now tell me when i need to heat his rice milk up!

Deqlan is also singing THANK YOU FATHER, THANK YOU FATHER, FOR OUR FOOD FOR OUR FOOD, THANK YOU FOR OUR BLESSINGS, THANK YOU FOR OUR BLESSINGS, AMEN, AMEN - to beautiful for words

Deqlans temperatures seem to have disapeared so we trust he is on the mend from his ear infection. Poor little Keaton has now come down with heavy flu, hope you feel better soon little one

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MERLE FOR 22 MARCH, HOPE YOU HAD A LOVELY DAY AND WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD

WE LEARNT OF ANOTHER ANGEL THIS WEEKEND - HANNAH - SHE HAD BEATEN NEUROBLASTOMA BUT SUFFERED TERRIBLE ISSUES WITH HER LUNGS , AS A RESULT OF THE TREATMENT, AND JESUS CALLED HER HOME 19 MARCH, RIP SWEET GIRL

Another prayer request for my Grandad today , he is having around 7 to 8 scans and xrays and blood tests to check if the prostate cancer has spread anywhere else, please please pray that it hasnt and that the doctors can put a fantastic plan together for him and for the cancer to be frozen and destroyed.

Have a great day everyone

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

WAITING FOR KHLOE

2010-03-22T13:40:00.012+02:00

Megs and Mark

Khloe's Dada and Mama to be

How gorgeous are these?

Thanks Mom for helping me make this day magical! We make a great team!

Samm and Meggie

Keaton helping us clean up!

Suzanne, Kerri ( with Phoebe on the way), Sam, Theresa and Meggie ( with Khloe on the way)

Keaton and Kai

Nan was very happy to be out for the afternoon to celebrate the anticipated arrival of her first great grandaughter

Gorgeous Kristen and her mommy Dalene

precious photo of Cole and Lisa

Meggie opened and opened and opened her pressies for Khloe. One of her friends suggested the reason that everyone was so generous was because Meggie is so generous to all of those she loves, how very true!

I met Mr Noah Christian Paul, only 2 and a half weeks old, to precious for words!

Khloe is going to be the most fashion concious little girl we have ever seen!

Lindsay and her tiny little man Johnathan , Sharon and her tiny little man Morgan- they were sitting next to the cd player which was left on repeat- The Nutcraker ballet music made all the babies sleep very well!

The gorgeous frame from Khloe's Oumie Sophie, her room theme is ballerina's!

Issie, Sophie and Wendy enjoying all the pink gifts - its the first girl in the Du Plessis family in over 70 years!

everybody say 'aaaahhhh'

Gorgeous Natalia - shame, i tried to make her laugh and first time ever made a baby cry!!! Sorry sweetheart!

T & Sam

Megs still opening and opening and opening....

Me and Nan, was lovely to have her there

Mom and Nan

Elizabeth, Coreen and Natalia, Leigh and Lorraine

Aunty Jen, T, Sam, Kerri, Suzanne and Christine

Kelly , Elizabeth, Coreen and Leigh

Nix, Mich and Nats

and opening and opening...

Kelly and Coreen

Claire and Dalene

Mom and Meggie

The beautiful cupcakes who specially had made , with ballerina slippers and a rose representing Khloe's second name, Rose!

The stunning Toybox Nix made for Khloe!!

Megs arriving

Surprise!

The stunning tribute Mom made for Khloe

My tribute to Megs and Khloe

Our Thank You gifts - "Sugar & spice and all things nice"

Bela and Joycie we helped us so nicely, baie dankie vir julle!

The gift basket Mom and I so lovingly created for Khloe and Megs

The stunning bibs we had made - thank you Aunty Beryl, they were beautiful!

The glass bubbles we specially and lovingly created, with a Rose and feather inside- we thought they were very special and looked so lovely!

Our ballerina gift basket - each gift chosen specifically and with so much love and excitment in mind - can you see the tiny ballet slippers?

We couldnt wait for Meggie to see what we had been up to - why we had to keep doors closed when she visited - why we were always out when she wanted to visit...

On Saturday, 20 March, Mom and I hosted Meggies surprise baby shower for Ms Khloe Rose.

Many , many months of planning and dedication and love were finally realised as the finishing touches were put into place before all the guests arrived.

We try to keep everything to pink and white, even down to the food! Even the guests wore the colours of the day and added to the ballerina sugar and spice theme, we so lovingly worked on.

Meggie was surprised, although she did have her suspicions! She got the most stunning presents , Khloe is definitely ready , with the most trendy, gorgeous, girly , wardrobe i have ever seen! We are so used to doing things in blue, it was so lovely to also experience things in pink!

Thank you so much to you, Meggies family and friends for joining us in celebrating the anticipated arrival of this already very loved, little girl, Thank you for showering Megs with your love and most beautiful, exquisite gifts - they are each loved and adored, and we took the whole of yesterday afternoon to go through each one again, and ooohhhh and ahhh all over again. From the tiniest , gorgeous shoes, to fairy outfits, to the most stunning dresses, and angels , Khloe has them all! And i know Meggie will think of each of you as she changes Khloe a hundred times a day to wear all the gorgeous outfits she recieved - thank you for making Meggies day so very very special!

I also want to say thank you to my Mom, who perfected EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of this wonderful day - each heart on the scrap page, every feather placed on the table, every bead placed on the glass bubbles. every word in your tribute to Khloe was done with the outmost of love - you wanted everything to be just perfect, and wow Mom, you did the most amazing job of making sure of that - well done Mom, you are amazing to say the least - as many of of our family and friends said on Saturday, we are blessed to have such a close family and such a loving relationship, we really are! Deqlan and Keaton are so blessed to have you as there Nanna, wow , Khloe has so much to look forward to! We love you so much Mom!

Thank you also to Dee and Lampson for all yoru help setting up! and Dee, thank you for all your help in everything you did to make mom and my visions come to life!

Thank you my love for all your help and watching Deqlan so i do what i needed to do and thanks Conrad for all your help in keeping this a big surprise and for watching Keaton!

Thank you Sophie for your beautiful tea cups, they really added the finishing touches!

Meggie, you look as beautiful as ever - each day seems to make you glow more! Even though some of the pregnancy hormones make their appearance, only every now and then, you still look as beautiful as ever. I am so very proud of you , and cant wait to see you welcome your beautiful little girl, that you have dreamed of and prayed for! May the remaining 7 weeks until Khloe's arrival, be fantastic , stress free, happy and healthy

Now, we wait for your Khloe Rose, we cant wait to see your beautiful face, and feel you in our arms, you are already loved so much little ballerina

God bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE

A MORNING WITH THE TRAINS

2010-03-22T12:54:00.002+02:00

On Friday morning Deqlan and I joined Nanna and Meggie and Keaton at Centurion Model Trains for a morning of fun and trains and friends! of course the boys had a great time , we rode around the track around 4 times ! Was a lovely morning Thanks Meggie and Keaton for taking us for a picnic to!

Football Friday

2010-03-19T17:18:00.002+02:00

Fridays in South Africa have been declared Football Fridays , to increase the spirit for the Fifa soccer World Cup arriving in just over 80 days!

So workers and if kids are allowed and engouraged to wear Bafana ( the name of our soccer team) shirts on Fridays! Today was our families first official football Friday and we think Deqlan looked to gorgeous for words! I even taught him to say ' BAFANA BAFANA HEY!'

Mark also got his collection of soccer tops out last night and found his Liverpool top from 30 years ago - he was so proud to put it on Deqlan ! It was a very special moment and Deqlan looked lovely in it, although many in our family would have liked it to be a Manchester United top!

Deqlan has had a little temperature going the last 2 nights and his sinuses looked blocked - we took him to the doctor who says his right ear is the cause -we going to keep an eye on it and hopefully can get away without giving antibiotics. Please pray his little body can fight this and that he feels lots better soon!

Otherwise, Deqlan is doing so well and saying almost everything we say - he is even trying to string his own sentences together and succeeding with our help - 'BEACH, I PLAY AT THE BEACH' 'SEA. I SWIM IN THE SEA' Both hopefully can be used with delight when we go down to the midland and hopefully the sea for a day or so!

Hope you all have a great weekend, its a long one here in South Africa, so we look forward to spending 3 whole days enjoying each others company, without traffic and rushing around to much!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONRAD

2010-03-17T09:11:00.002+02:00

Dear Conrad

Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

We hope today is awesome in every way and that the year ahead opens many doors and windows and cupboards ( ha ha) for you! May all the dedication and love you put into everything you do , return to you a million fold !

Thank you for being an awesome brother and friend and godfather - you are one very special person and we are so thankful and blessed to have you as part of our family, it wouldnt be the same without you!

You have a heart of gold, and you are so quick to want to help anyone in need. You are so patient and tolerant and understanding and loving and giving and caring with our precious Deqlan and Logan.

You are the most amazing Dad to Keaton, its priceless to watch the two of you together! I cant wait to see you with your little girl who is only a few weeks away from being in your arms..i know she is going to be loved and adored by you !

Have an awesome day Conrad, stay the amazing person you are!

God Bless, lots of love

Mott Ice The Deq and Loggie Bear

HAPPY TO YOU !

2010-03-16T12:50:00.006+02:00

keaton and ice eating our cake
hip hip hooray for conrad

keaton helping his dada blow out his candles - this was the best cake i have ever tasted - chocolate and cream and strawberries and more chocolate!

Kristen had an absolute ball opening her gifts, definitely enjoyed the wrapping paper and ribbon more then the gifts themselves

kristen picking inside our gift to her

Deqlan had an awesome time at the party, even sitting down at the party table!

Getting ready to blow the candles out

my heart nearly broke watching Deqlan stare at the cupcakes.He didnt try and take one, its like he knows what he cant eat..i just felt terrible he couldnt enjoy one...but i know what could happen if he eats it , so we will enjoy our healthy happy chatty guy and one day when your tummy can handle it my boy, you can have all the cupcakes in the world!

lovely pic of Dalene and Kristen the gorgeous birthday girl!

Deqlan playing muscial chairs, there were 6 or 7 chairs lined up against the wall and he had to try each and every single one out, and then decided it was more fun to run around anyway

Happy 1st Birthday Kristen!

Megs and Keaton

Keatie and Ice - he loves posing for photos and saying cheese!

My boy and I playing on the round a bout!

One of Deqlans new 'things' - he calls them '5 cds' and they come everywhere, to parties, to shops, to bath to sleep!

Keatie!

deqlan and Nanna on the round a bout- i think Nanna got very dizzy after a few turns around and around and around

Chris and his little girl Kristen

Deqlan and Keatie playing together and having fun! I knew they were going to have to enjoy playing together some time - i know they love each other so much!

Deqlan in action on the trampoline

Keaton feeding grandpa chips

told you they have started enjoying playing together, a little...

'come in captain keaton , this is captain grandpa' this is the cutest ever - Nanna taught Keaton this game of holding these shapes up to his ears and pretending to be a pilot!

'Come in Nanna!'

Had a lovely weekend ! Lots of Birthdays !

We joined Kristen and her parents Dalene and Chris at a lovely venue called Kings and Quenies in Johannesburg to celebrate her 1st Birthday! each party has its own venue in the venue with a lapa and trampoline, jumping castle, jungle gym and so much space to run and play! It also has a little farm with cows and horses and chicken and rabbits and both boys enjoyed seeing the animals -Deqlan payed the animals a lot more attention then what he normally would, cant wait to see how he enjoys the animals when we go to the midlands, especially the horses ' I SEE A HORSE'

I think Kristen had a lovely time and she got some gorgeous gifts! Deqlan was very excited at singing happy Birthday ( he also had 2 birthdays at school the day before) and after eveyone had sang their rendention of Happy Birthday to you Deqlan broke out into his! 'HAPPY TO YOU, HAPPY TO YOU,HIP HOORAY' It was to beautiful to see.... Thank you Kristen for a lovely party, thanks Chris and Dalene for having us, it was a lovely morning and thanks for going to so much effort with Deqlans party box and his requirements! It was a lovely day!

Deqlan had a lovely nap on the way home and then woke up to find Logan was visiting, so he was quite happy about that. We then headed off to Conrad and Megs and Keaton for the afternoon to celebrate his upcoming birthday with a lovely braai and divine cake and awesome company. it was awesome to see all three kids playing together , Keaton and Logan are best of friends as always, and Deqlan also joined in with them while having a very wet bath in Meggies spa bath! I think Megs is still mopping the water up, Deqlan splashed everywhere!

Sunday we went to Mass, and Grandpa and Mom were once again there as our sponsors -thank you both so much for coming with us and for leading us and guiding us on our confirmation journey, we are thrilled to be making our official confirmation in two weeks time, after 1 year of hard dedicated wanting to learn, thursday evenings!

I was so shocked to hear of another angel today, Connor Ross, passed away after fighting leukimia for only a short while, and landed up in icu with an infection. He was only 9 years old, please pray for Connor and his parents and family. We have to start finding cures..Please Lord

Please pray for my Grandad as he goes for a full physical work up tomorow , there are also concerns about his heart and circulation as well as diabetes. He will be going for bone scan, lung xray and liver tests on 22 March, then a plan will be confirmed for him. Please pray for the cancer to be frozen , not to cause any further harm and for any pain to disapear. Please lead us to the right plan for Grandpa Lord.

Sleep tight everyone, till tommorow

God Bless, all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

ANGELS

2010-03-15T11:38:00.002+02:00

It was been an incredibly tough few days in the world of neuroblastoma - so many precious children were called home to Jesus after fighting neuroblastoma, some for many years, some for only a few months.

Their parents never left a stone unturned in their dedication to fighting for their children to recieve the best possible treatments.

Please pray for these precious children and their families and loved ones. We are so very sorry and send you our love and support and prayers and ask Our Lord to guide you, carry you, comfort you as only He can. Please Lord lead us to a cure

Rest In peace sweet angels

Layla grace
Bethany
Sam www.teamsam.com
Lesly http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leslyfoster/mystory
Sophia
Sydney Marie https://www.carepages.com/carepages/Sydneymarie

Happy Birthday Aunty Shirl

2010-03-15T11:35:00.001+02:00

Dear Aunty Shirl

Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday for yesterday!

Hope you had a fantastic day and that you were truly spoilt as you deserve to be!

Praying the year ahead is full of love and laughter and great great health!

Thank you for being such an important part of our prayer army and for all your love and support!

God Bless and lots and lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN

2010-03-13T13:07:00.002+02:00

Dear Kristen

Wishing you a very very Happy 1st Birthday for today !!

We wish you a day full of love and laughter, lots of cake and bubbles and smiles and presents!

Thank you for having us at your party we had a lovely time and loved watching you laugh as Uncle Derek sang 'skinny marinky dinky dink'

Enjoy all your presies and stay the gorgeous, gorgeous little lady you are

God Bless , lots of love and hugs

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Boston Deqlan

2010-03-10T09:57:00.001+02:00

Think waaayyy back to a particular Survivor series , featuring 'Boston Rob' . Rob and Amber, the contestant that won the series, eventually got married, i think? Anyway, he spoke with a very interesting accent that is apparently unmistakenly from Boston in the USA.

Meet "Boston Deqlan" everyone! You might hear of some kids on the autism spectrum learning to speak or recite entire movies from tv or dvds - they also tend to pick up the accents ! Well, when Deqlan is watching Thomas or wanting to tell us something about Thomas, he is British "oh bother!' When Deqlan is saying words or sentences or referring to the Love and Learn dvds, he is American, Boston American ( if there is such a term!) ' Caf" for calf, like a baby cow 'ZEEBRA' for zebra 'BEER' for bear - oh he keeps us laughing all day long

Deqlan has also started talking in his sleep, one moment we will hear ' BUMBLE BEE' the next counting in Afrikaans 'EEN, TWEE , DRIE, VIER, VYF, SES, SEBE, AG, NEGIE, TIEN! YAY'

This morning Mark walked into our room to say goodbye before he left for work and Deqlan said 'I LOVE YOU' then 'DADDDAAA' to precious and beautiful for words. Mark said the other day, he waited a loonnggg time to hear Deqlan say Dada, our hearts sing with joy each time he says it, in fact EVERY SINGLE WORD is celebrated and i try to remember them all - thats why i use the blog to makes notes of them all. WE ARE ELATED AND BLESSED FOR EVERY SINGLE WORD.

unfortunately, so many kids on the spectrum or non verbal, they will never speak, but thankfully learn to communicate with other alternative means of communication from ipods to PECS ( A picture exchange system) to sign language to machines that talk what is typed in by the user. I have seen many documentaries about individuals with autism that are not verbal, the poetry and beautiful way of talking through these methods is astounding.

April is Autism awarness month and we will be starting the celebrations last week of March , as thats when school breaks up. I dont know how Deqlan is going to feel not going to school for a few weeks, but we sure will be thrilled to have him at home for the entire day! Have lots planned for our blog to create awareness and i hope you will all help me!

We are delighted again to be going to the Midlands this year , after Easter weekend, as Megs and I will be getting confirmed Easter Saturday , so we will leave Easter Sunday for the mountains with Nanna and Grandpa. Meggie and Conrad and Keaton wont be joining us this time, as its very close to Miss Khloe's due arrival, so doctors orders are to stay in the vacinity! WE WILL MISS THEM TERRIBLY, but know next year we will have an extra family member come with us! CANT WAIT!!!

Cant wait for Deqlan to run in the mountains and be in the fresh air and to see if he actually says 'I SEE A HORSE' when he see's the horses!!! And that its not just scripting

I am also hoping we can get down to the sea, man oh man, would Deqlan love to run through the waves and eat the sand and run for miles on the beach, hold thumbs i cant convince Dada..perhaps a trip to Ushaka Marine world to see my beloved dolphins...maybe i am pushing it, will let you know what i get right!!

Deqlan has been giving us lots of clues that he isnt only scripting but understanding and relating to the words he is saying - like last night - seeing an ad on tv for sunglasses - he said 'sunglasses'

I got Deqlan a gorgeous little Thomas scooter today ( thanks for telling me about it Megs) and when i took it out the boot in great anticpation of Deqlans reaction, he said ' BICYCLE' for the first time ever - ' YES MY BOY, IT DOES LOOK LIKE A BICYCLE!' Then he looked at the box and said ' BOX' . wow, Deqlan you amaze us every single day my boy!

Candice tells me Deqlan had another great day at school -they did number matching, and Deqlan can do it till 10!!!! So proud of you big boy!

Another highlite of today was saying 'i love you' to me and Nanna!! Both Keaton and Deqlan have chosen this week to say this words , with meaning and understanding, thank You Lord, how blessed we are!

PLEASE SAY A PRAY FOR LAYLA GRACE WHO JESUS CALLED HOME YESTERDAY. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER AND HER FAMILY.

Well, let me run for now, nearly home time, hope you are all very well, enjoy the evening and let us know how you are

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

'FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU'. DECLARES THE LORD.'PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE'

JEREMIAH 29;11

My first school photo

2010-03-09T14:30:00.002+02:00

I was delighted to fetch Deqlan from school today to recieve his pack of first school photos - WE COULDNT BE PROUDER!!! I cant wait to hang it on our wall, i have dreamt and prayed for this moment , thank You Lord for another answered prayer

I am also ecstatic to tell you that when I fetched Deqlan and told him to say goodbye to Florie, one of the ladies at Little Leaps, HE LIFTED HIS HAND AND WAVED TO HER!!!!!!! This is the first time Deqlan has ever waved goodbye to somebody , a massive deal to us. Its one of the red flags in autism, no waving or pointing, my dear friends, Deqlan is now doing both, Thank You Lord!

Happy birthday Aunty Elaine

2010-03-09T09:20:00.002+02:00

Dear Aunty Elaine

Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

We hope you have a lovely day and that it involves lots of spoiling from your family!

Thank you for your continued love and support and prayers for our Deqlan and our family

God Bless and give you a fantastic year ahead!

God Bless

Lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Our bilingual Deqlan

2010-03-08T11:17:00.006+02:00

Deqlan the mechanic
Deqlan thought it would be fun to stick his fingers in the threading of the garage door, that is full of oil. He took it a step further by smearing it all over his face, his legs and his tummy. When Dada picked him up to go and wash him off, he took his hand and wiped it alllll along the walls in the way to the bathroom! I thoroughly enjoyed this and so did Deqlan - when he saw himself in the mirror he gave the naughtiest laugh and grin, to damn cute!

Dada Deqlan and Mama at the CANSA Shavathon- as always, very emotional to be there

My precious, precious Deqlan Ross, Cancer survivor, thank You Lord!

Of course green was the colour of choice and Mama had a star done as has become tradition!

Meggie and Keatons turn! they tapped Keaton having his hair done, so who knows, he could be a tv star! Keep your eyes open on SABC 2 , i think..

Dada's turn

Our gorgeous survivor and reason for all we do, Deqlan Ross

Deqlan showing Nanna the logos on the poster, he loves to use our finger to point as we say the logos VODACOM, FNB, SABC 2 etc

OUR SURVIVOR!! ALL PRAISE AND THANKS TO OUR LORD

Keaton and Meggie waiting their turn

Great turn out! Keaton and Deqlan had a great time running around in circles to the music in between the people, not sure if they thought it was so great..but we loved watching the boys have so much fun together

Dada and Deqlan in his brazil soccer kit!!

We had a great weekend - it started off a little stuffy for me, started get sick on Wednesday night and by Thursday morning i already knew it was time for antibiotics already - got some medicine for upper respiratory tract infection. I was particulary worried about Deqlan picking it up from me - i really felt dreadful and had to blow my nose every 2 minutes. Thank Our Lord Deqlans immune system held its own and he didnt get sick! I am feeling better today and trust i am on the mend!

Saturday morning we went off to support the CANSA shavathon - as always a very emotional event for me. I just continue to say THANK YOU GOD as i have my hair sprayed with Deqlan sitting on my lap. I say please Lord lead us to the cure for cancer. Please look after all the warriors around the world, all the survivors to forever remain NED and for the angels and their families, that continue to make such a big difference. It was very touching to see tons and tons of people supporting this cause, by spraying their hair and lots brave enough to shave their heads, well done to you all, and thank you Nanna, Meggie and Keaton for joining us again.

This year another 'reason' was added to our list in doing this - My precious Grandad has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. We are very heart sore about this and ask you to please join us in praying for him. Mom and Grandpa will go and see the urologist next week to make plans for treatment, which will probably be along the lines of hormone therapy to slow it down, but has plenty of side effects and not good for patients wit diabetes , which Grandpa has...please pray for the right plan to be put into place and for the cancer to freeze in its tracks and never cause Grandpa any pain or discomfort. Grandpa is optimistic and continues to show his absolute trust and faith in Our Lords plan for him

Saturday afternoon we went on the hunt to find Deqlan a Bafana soccer shirt , but EVERYWHERE is sold out, so we are hoping more come in soon! Deqlan slept only at 3pm and woke up after 1830!!! So we were up till midnight on Saturday night, but Deqlan kep us entertained with his abc's and counting and new words and sentences- just thinking back to how he was a year ago, to now, is an absolute gift and blessing from above.

Sunday we went to mass were Grandpa and Mom were our sponsors during a very special blessing on our confirmation class. It was very important to have Grandpa there he is another reason Megs and I decided to get confirmed last year.

The hunt for the Bafana top continued after Mass, still none in sight, but Deqlan had a fabulous time walking through a massive fountain outside Sportmans Warehouse, the wetter he got the bigger the smile, the harder the jet shot at his head, the more he wanted - Dada and i just laughed at our gorgeous water loving boy - we will have to think about going there again in winter....bbbbrrrrr

Deqlan fell asleep in the car on the way home, and had a lovely 2 hour nap. When he woke up he decided to go and make sure our garage door was working properly..when i went to look for him, i found Deqlan with a smile on his face, covered in grease from head to toe - when i lifted him to see himself in the mirror, he laughed and smiled at himself. After scrubbing numerous times and soaking for many minutes, we still couldnt get it all off. I had to write in Deqlans diary not to be alarmed at the black marks everywhere!

Deqlan gave us a beautiful gift last night - a few in fact ...we discoverd he can count in ! I couldnt believe my ears ! H ecan count 1 - ten in Afrikiaans, so beautiful. He learnt this from Hopla ( remember Deqlan fans, the programme i have spoken about many times)

Then before going to sleep, Deqlan started saying a whole lots of words, one after the other

APPLE, BUS, CAR, DANCE, EAT, FINGERS, GREEN, HUG, ICE CREAM, JAR, KEY ETC...Do you see the pattern hear? Now, instead of just saying the alphabet , he is saying the items associated with each letter!! WOW WOW WOW ....

Must dash, hear my big guy waking from his nap, have a great evening!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

SACRED HEART OF JESUS I PLACE MY TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYDEN

2010-03-07T16:27:00.002+02:00

Dear Jayden

Wishing you a very very Happy 4th Birthday for today and many many more!

We hope your super hero party is as awesome as you are and that you have a absolute blast at your party!

We look forward to welcoming you back home soon and having lots of playdates!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

CANSA SHAVATHON

2010-03-04T11:55:00.002+02:00

PLEASE JOIN US IN PARTICIPATING AT THIS WEEKENDS CANSA Shavathon 2010

OUR FAMILY WILL BE AT THE MALL AT REDS SHOPPING CENTRE IN PRETORIA, 6 MARCH 2010 AT 10AM IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US THERE, OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE AT ALL MAJOR SHOPPING CENTRES AROUND SOUTH AFRICA

Shave or spray your hair in solidarity with a cancer survivor or someone lost to the disease.

Shavathon 2010 promises to be even more successful - over 300 work places and 150 shopping centres are taking part in CANSA's 7th Shavathon event. On the 5th of March schools, organizations and work places will host Shavathon events, while on Saturday, 6th March, Shavathon events will take place at shopping centres across South Africa. Keep posted on Facebook and Twitter or add pics on Flickr.
Cancer survivors Mark Pilgrim and Lillian Dube encourage all South Africans to show support and to take part in CANSA Shavathon. "By shaving or colour spraying for the event, we show support and celebrate life with cancer survivors. We remember our loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer," says Sue Janse van Rensburg, CANSA's CEO and cancer survivor of over 25 years. Listen to the Shavathon message in English or Afrikaans.
For a R50 donation (adults) and a R25 donation (children under 12) when you shave or spray, you can help make a difference in many lives. Take part at your nearest participating shopping centre . You could also volunteer your services or collect a pledge from family or friends. If you are not able to participate, pay a "bail-out fee".
For those spray-junkies looking for an extra thrill, these are the latest stencil designs available at 2010's shopping malls Shavathon Event: a star, butterfly, flower, soccer ball, lightning bolt and "warrior" design. Safe, quality vegetable dye colour sprays are available in red, pink, purple, "blue bull blue", green, silver, yellow, orange, black and white. You can double your support of CANSA by first shaving and then spraying!
Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer - join the fight by registering your school, organization, place of worship or work place at www.shavathon.org.za and support the work of CANSA.
CANSA is truly thankful to all those who are sponsoring Shavathon 2010.
See you there!

Also wanted to wish Pat Lacey , Wills Dad, and all the other families hosting the Cure Me Im Irish events this weekend, we know they are going to be a massive success, sending you all our love and support from South Africa!!

God Bless, Love Samm

THE DAYS OF THE WEEK

2010-03-02T14:39:00.009+02:00

Deqlan playing his new alphabet game- he got these gorgeous baby einstein books from Debbie in Canada, for his 1st birthday! He decided to take them up 'jumble' them up, to make it a challenge , then he lines then up in the order of the alphabet, and proudly walks past each one, pointing and saying the letter.

Another alphabet game - Grandpa's sailing chart, and flags and symbols - of course you realise the attraction ...the alphabet is said, while running around holding the flag

Just hangin'

I found a NEW gluten /casein/sugar/ yeast/ soya free treat! Waffles! Look how lovely our waffle machine makes them into little hearts. At first Deqlan wasnt to sure, but eventually got the taste for them and LOVES them! Mark and I loved them so much we had them for breakfast to, you actually cant taste the difference with this mix from Glutagon

Logan painting one of her Christmas presents from Kevin and Louise, she was very keen to pose when i told her i was going to show you guys!

Deqlan enjoying listening to music with Logan, he also enjoyed adjusting the volume - his favorite song out of Logans collection? Hannah Montana 'boom clap' song

Nanna and Deqlan

Grandpa, Meggie and Nan on their 56th wedding anniversary!

Grandpa , Me and Nan

Grandpa, Mom and Nan

The anniversary couple, we are so proud of you Grandpa and Nan and so grateful for God giving you so many happy years and we pray and trust there will be many more

Beautiful Deqlan Ross

Keaton John!

Stunning flowers from Meggie

Deqlan and Keaton on 'Tsunami watch' on Saturday- i actually stayed up till 1am the next morning watching and waiting for the tsunami to hit Hawaii, thank Our Lord nothing serious happened!

Keaton bringing Big Grandpa and Nan their flowers , which were nearly bigger then him!

We had a great weekend, starting off with wishing Big Grandpa and Nan for their 56th wedding , what an achievement! Grandpa also recieved a blessing for him and Nan at Mass on Saturday evening.

Logan was with us this weekend, so Deqlan was very happy to be able to play with her, while she was listening to her cds. Logan was most impressed with Deqlans spelling skills and increase on vocab!

The latest in Deqlans amazing achievements is

Saying ' THE DAYS OF THE WEEK ARE: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SAT UR DAY, SUNDAY' I couldnt believe my ears!

Last night, Deqlan started saying ' HELLO. HELLO. MY NAME IS 'CLAYTON'" He is trying to say Deqlan, but it sounds like Clayton, bless him!

Other sentences include:

A MOUSE IS LITTLE

I CLIMB UP STAIRS

I KICK A BALL

PLEASE MAY I HAVE MILK

A CALF IS A BABY SHEEP (WE GOT TO WORK ON CHANGING CALF TO LAMB FOR THIS SENTENCE)

All of the above learnt from the love and learning Dvds, leant from dearest Loren and Kai - we are going to order our kit and cant wait to get it! Deqlan has been asking for 'fingers' which is dvd 2 of the set, and i just say its on its way my boy!

Deqlan also says ' SURVIVOR, PAY, MNET' He is speaking about the show, Survivor, which is sponsored by Pick n Pay, shown on Mnet! How clever my gorgeous boy!

Deqlans tummy seems to have calmed down, thank goodness, and the hitting, biting, stomping and scratching seem to have come down a notch - so definitely caused by the candida i would say. Appetite definitely better , but still not to keen on new things, but that wont stop me trying!

Please can i ask you for your prayers for the following cancer warriors around the world who are going through a very tough time at the moment

layla: http://laylagrace.org/

bethany http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=41824994897

sydney https://www.carepages.com/carepages/Sydneymarie/updates/2561484?client_code=etch&ipc=mur

carter http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cartercummings

evan http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/evanthomason

Spread the Word to End the Word March 3 is End the R-word Day. Help Spread the Word to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word "retard(ed)" and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word! Pledge your support at http://www.r-word.org/

To end off for today, WELCOME TO THE WORLD NOAH CHRISTIAN PAUL , BORN 0852 THIS MORNING 3 march 2010, PITCH BLACK HAIR, 2,46KG!

CONGRATULATIONS ELRIZA, WESLEY AND CADEN ON THE ARRIVAL OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GIFT , WE WISH YOU ALL THE LOVE AND HAPPINESS AND JOY IN THE WORLD! CANT WAIT TO MEET YOUR LITTLE GUY

God bless and lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

100 DAYS TO KICK OFF!

2010-03-02T09:32:00.002+02:00

100 DAYS TO KICK OFF FOR SOCCER WORLD CUP 2010 IN SOUTH AFRICA!

WE ARE SO VERY EXCITED FOR THIS ONCE IN A LIFE TIME EVENT AND ITS DAYS LIKE THESE I CAN PROUDLY SAY, I AM PROUD TO BE A SOUTH AFRICA!

YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THE VIBE HAS STARTED EVEN LITTLE LEAPS HAVE PICTURES AND POSTERS UP AND THE THEME FOR THEIR LITTLE CONCERT IN MAY ,IS THE FIFA WORLD CUP, THEY ARE LEARNING SONGS AROUND THIS TO SING ON GRANDPARENTS DAY! CANT WAIT TO SEE OUR LITTLE STAR IN ACTION!

GO BAFANA BAFANA ( AND BRAZIL, HA HA HA!!)

Happy Birthday Don!

2010-02-27T20:31:00.002+02:00

Dearest Don

Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

We hope that this year opens up a lot of doors for you and Sam and the kids and that all your dreams come true!

We miss you all and hope that we get to have you back home some day soon!

I am sure you are being spoilt today and we are with you in spirit to celebrate

Thanks for being an amazing friend and all your love and support, we miss you all

God Bless lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

HAPPY 56TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

2010-02-27T18:24:00.002+02:00

Darling Grandpa and Nan

Congratulations on your 56th wedding anniversary!

We ask Our Lord to continue keeping you both happy and healthy and as in love as you were 56 years ago.

I am honored to call you Grandpa and Nan and Deqlan to call you great grandpa and Nan!

Many will not see this occasion in their life times, its extraordinary, a shining example of unconditional love and something we all hope we are blessed with!

We love you so very much, God Bless and keep you safe always

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

I DRAW WITH A CRAYON!

2010-02-24T12:22:00.006+02:00

Deqlan loves this photo - its of Mark and Me and Don and Sam ( our best friends in the UK), taken the morning after we got married. Deqlan is carrying it around, and here you can see he is using Dada's finger to point everyone out , then we tell him who he is looking at , and guess what, he can say Don!!! ( hope that made you guys smile Sam!)

We got my old work pc and loaded it with a whole lot of power point presentations we have created for Deqlan - cars, alphabet, numbers, colours and family - Deqlan loves looking through the slideshows and saying the names of the cars, colours and family members - i think this is also an excellent learning tool for our guy and we plan to make many more presentations on specific subjects. Deqlan is becoming a pro at using the mouse and arrows on the keyboard

Waiting for the computer to start up , and still admiring the photo of Sam and Don!

A lovely game Deqlan plays - he takes the photos, i created for our family Christmas tree, and lays them out across the floor. Deqlan loves counting them and pointing to each photo saying each family members name...but he isnt saying his name....last night we started to teach him to say MY NAME IS DEQLAN and he is trying very hard to say it, to precious!

Our gorgeous, blessing, Deqlan Ross

"1, 2, 3, Cheese" Deqlan says these words when i ask him to smile for the camera!

and again ' 1, 2, 3, CHEESE!"

How gorgeous are these two in their striped shirts, i was so glad i had my camera ready for these pics, very rare indeed, sitting together, sitting still, happy and smiling!

These pose, they actually both said 'CHEESE' and laughed!

ha ha ha, look at Keatons face!

Birthday boy Caden enjoying his sandpit

Keatie enjoying the jungle gym

Mr Malakai loved throwing the sand around

Me and my gorgeous Deqlan taking a breather from all the running around!

The birthday boy showing me his 'crocodile teeth'! You very cute Caden!

Deqlan admiring the aeorplane cake - there where little aeroplanes stuck down with icing on the tray, so cute, Deqlan did sneak a taste of the icing in, when he thought i wasnt looking!

Keaton and Deqlan!

Sorry been so quite, been a very busy week, havent managed to sit down and do this post all in one go!

Deqlans tummy is on the mend from the parasite , although his appetite is not the greatest. On Thursday last week, after we started the medication, he came to me and said ' EAT' he couldnt get the rice down quick enough! I was delighted! but over the past few days, Deqlans taste has only really been for 'CHIPPIES' Lays gluten free chips, popcorn or 'DONALDS' fries...Deqlan will cry and perform when we try and give normal meals that he normally enjoyes, somes times i do get him to eat it, others , not a chance!

Deqlan is on Diflucan now , because the flagyl he was on for the parasite had yeast in , which did cause his candida to flare...Deqlan started hitting himself in the face, scratching our arms, sometimes biting my arm, increased kicking of doors and cupboards to...after one dose of diflucan, that has decreased, thank goodness, its awful to watch Deqlan hit himself...and no matter how loud you shout and say no, he will continue doing it. You have to , in a firm voice, say NO - and just carry on doing that , hoping Deqlan will know its not the right thing to do. Because Deqlan cant voice if his head is feeling funny or if his frustrated, it will come out in these behaviours - but a change in behaviour in Deqlan almost always will signal bloody candida!!!!

What i am very happy about is that i found organic carrot juice at woolies, which i now mix just a little in to his pear juice...so its a different tast to just pear which is the only juice Deqlan can have, plus i am getting a vegie in to his diet, a good one!!!!

We were all so impressed with Deqlan when arriving at Cadens party, he ran to the cake and excitedely exclaimed 'CAKE, CAKE!' wow, how far we have come...he also treated Elriza to his display of the alphabet

Saturday night, we were treated to Deqlan singing a brand new song ' HELLO CODY, HELLO CODY, HELLO CODY...LA LA LA LA LA LA' When i asked Candice at Little Leaps if they were singing someting along these lines, she explained this was the greeting song for the boys in the morning, they sing each boys name and then end with 'ITS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HEAR' Apparently Deqlan sometimes sings louder then anybody else!! I wish i could be a fly on the wall to see this and so many other things the teachers tell us about....

Deqlan continues to learn SO MUCH from the love and learning dvds. The current one we are one starts with a polar bear - and thats how Deqlan tells us he wants that DVD ' PO-LAR BEAR'. This dvd has stepped it up a notch a little more difficult and longer words, a lot more sentences ,and Deqlan has learnt them all!

' I SEE A POLAR BEAR'

'A COW SAYS MOO'

'I DRAW WITH A CRAYON'

Along with many new words:

POLAR BEAR

ROCKET

BLAST OFF

SWEEP

PENCIL

TRICKS ( WHEN I SAY YOU GETTING UP TO TRICKS DEQLAN!)

LIPS

CALL DADA ( WHEN ITS BED TIME, I TELL DEQLAN TO CALL DADA)

YE - HA ( LIKE THE COWBOYS SAY, A DJ ON 5FM SAID YE HA , AND HE IMMEDIATLEY REPEATED IT. NOW WHEN HE COUNTS INSTEAD OF SAYING HOORAY OR WELL DONE, DEQLAN SAYS 'YE- HA'

WHO PA ( YOU KNOW LIKE THE GREEKS SAY! DEQLAN LOVES SAYING THIS AND WILL OFTEN FALL OVER LAUGHING SAYING IT)

Deqlan has become a pro with his shapes to, thanks to this dvd;

CIRCLE

SQUARE

TRI ANGLE

OVAL

RECTANGLE

A lot of kids on the spectrum to echololia - which is just repeating what you say without always understanding what the words or phrases mean....well...

Deqlan saw a crayon on the kitchen counter, called Dada and said 'I DRAW WITH A CRAYON' then took the crayon and drew on our tv and tiles! I didnt care about the tv or tiles - he was understanding what the object was, what it did - he wasnt just saying the words!!!!! He understood what it ment! wow, we are blessed beyond words to think where we were this time last year and were Deqlan is now, THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS!

We are hoping to get to a restaurant/ deli in Johannesburg this weekend called O Crumbs to see if we can find some new and exciting and safe things for Deqlan to eat, hold thumbs!

great news for Dee today, his PSA levels are down again! Thank You Lord for this great news!

My Grandad had to have a prostate biopsy on Tuesday as his PSA level ( prostate cancer marker) was 34, should be under 6 for an 80 year old man, so needless to say we are very worried about him. I continue to stand firm and ask God for the results to be clear of cancer, please will you pray so to, we get the results next week Tuesday.

Happy Birthday to Aunty Val for yesterday, hope you had a beautiful day with all your loved ones and only the very best for the year ahead!

Have a great day everyone , God Bless, thanks for all your prayers and love and support

Lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

SACRED HEART OF JESUS WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE, ALL FOR THEE OH LORD, OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

Happy Birthday Caden

2010-02-20T18:10:00.001+02:00

Dear Caden!

Wishing you a very Happy 2nd Birthday for today!!

Thank you for a lovely party , we hope you had lots of fun and enjoyed the lovely party your mom and dad put together for you, lots of aeroplanes!!!!

Hope the year ahead is wonderful in every day especially as you are to become a big brother in 2 weeks!

God Bless, love and hugs

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

An answer

2010-02-18T12:33:00.002+02:00

FINALLY, AN ANSWER WITH WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DEQLANS TUMMY.

Last night , Nanna was looking after Deqlan when i went to adult instruction and when i came back he had the most shocking nappies we have ever seen.

So, Nanna suggested we get a sample to a lab asap cause we cant carry on with Deqlan not eating and being so bloated and diarreah which could lead to him becoming dehydrated. Our house doctor who saw Deqlan last week , when we thought it was a tummy bug, was kind enough to give me her cell number. So we arranged with her to get the sample in at Unitas last night which means we could hurry the process up of getting the results

We got a call this morning from our doc saying no bacteria or viruses found, but a parasite called Giardia Lambila - this parasite causes chaos in the small intestine, loss of appetite, lethargy, a very bloated tummy full of gas, nausea, diarreah, nausea, pale colour to stools - and there you go - everything Deqlan has had the past week.

Where does it come from? Could be from a swimming pool or day care centre when changing nappies.......mmm... .....one of the cons of being in a school with lots of other kids....so we have decided to take Deqlan out of swimming lessons..even when the pool is treated , a child could be a carrier and re introduce the parasite back into the water, and the cycle starts again. We cant afford for Deqlan to get this again and not eat for a week , so safer then sorry and we will try and do some specific things with Deqlan at home that the swimming teacher would have done. Such a pity as Deqlan LOVES swimming, but poor little guy cant battle like this anymore. We have alerted the school so that they can do something about the water so other kids dont get sick to.

Deqlan is now on anti parasite medication and hopefully has already started kicking in and bringing Deqlans appetite back to. The only thing he has wanted to eat the past few days in popcorn and his beloved 'Donalds" fries.....

Please continue to pray he feels lots better and we can get rid of this parasite for good!

God Bless, enjoy the evening
Love Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
SACRED HEART OF JESUS WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN THEE ALL FOR THEE OH LORD OH MY JESUS ALL FOR THEE

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD

2010-02-18T12:29:00.000+02:00

http://www.examiner.com/x-26516-SF-Autism--Parenting-Examiner~y2010m2d17-Autism-How-do-parents-describe-their-children?cid=examiner-email

Please visit this site and support Spread the word to end the word

I SEE A HORSE!

2010-02-17T14:28:00.002+02:00

Did i tell you how AMAZING these LOVE AND LEARNING dvds are or what?

We are also watching part 2 of the series and they start putting sentences together and teaching 50 words. Out of the blue last night Deqlan told Dada and I ' I SEE A HORSE'!!!!!!!!

This is the first sentence of the dvd! Hooray!!! As we go on, each day Deqlan is saying something new

I am thrilled and would highly recommend then to any family wanting to help their child with reading and talking

We got Deqlan to eat a little last night - Macdonalds fries - he LOVED them and this is usually only a treat on Friday nights, but we got to do what we got to do to get him eating

He didnt want breakfast this morning, he had one biscuit eventually. He ate a bit better at school today but not great - when we got home Deqlan enjoyed some popcorn Nanna made, he really enjoyed that

His tummy is bloated....i really hope this tummy bug passes soon, i am really starting to worry about how little Deqlan is eating and i am worried not being on the probiotic is helping yeast to grow again, causing the bloated tummy??

When Deqlan has a nappy he tells us immediately OFF - we think its so acidic its burning his bottom. Going back to drawing board and just trying one thing at a time to see what we can do to help Deqlans appetite come back again!!!

Nanna, Meggie and I went to Mass this morning to celebrate Ash Wednesday the start of lent - 40 days to go to Easter. This also means 40 days to go till Megs and i get confirmed!! We are so excited about this, we have been going to adult instruction since April last year, so lots of time and effort has been put into something we cant wait to do....My Grandad especially, cant wait, its ones of his dreams to see Megs and Me confirmed in a Catholic Church and we are honored to do this for him to. We will get confirmed on Easter Saturday night , there is a group of 6 ladies , so its going to be such a lovely occasion!

Conrad was discharged this morning, but was a little sore, shame, praying for you big brother, hope you feel better soon soon!

Hope you have a great day, God Bless and please, please pray for our Deqlan to feel better and start eating soon soon
Lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
'FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU', DECLARES THE LORD.'PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE'
JEREMIAH 29;11

soul cake

2010-02-16T12:00:00.005+02:00

this is a new spin on deqlans tucking us into bed game. now, he gets Logans pillows out her room, takes photos of Logan, Me and Mark and puts our photos on a pillow and tells us to sleep!
Gorgeous photo of Megs and Conrad at the wedding

Me and Meggie

Gorgeous photo of Erl

Ren, Samm and Megs

Ren and me, so nice to see you Renwa!

Megs and i entertaining Conrad ...

'soul cake, soul cake'????? Where did these new words come from? On Sunday out of the blue, Deqlan started saying these new words? it took me a few minutes to realise they were from my new Sting CD that i play in the car to get Deqlan to sleep , very chilled , laid back kind of music! He actually loves it and is trying to sing this song! When i put the song on now, he has the BIGGEST smile on his face, its so beautiful to see how much he loves music, not to mention, STING, one of my favourite favourites, great taste my boy

Another little tune that can be heard around our house is ' sun is shining shining shining' This one we had no clue of?? But mystery was solved when i asked Ash this morning and she told me they do sing a song in the mornings saying Good morning to the shining sun !!! Wow!!! Deqlan, you blow me away at all the things you are learning each day , i AM SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!

Deqlan continues to LOVE watching Love and Learning Dvds and has learnt so much from them - new words for the past few days, most coming from the dvd include;

POT

BUS

FINGERS - ABSOLUTE FAVORITE WORD AT THE MOMENT

JAR

WINDOW

CUPBOARD

VW - NOW INSTEAD OF SAYING MAMA FOR VW CARS, HE CAN SAY VW!!!

BOAT

CODY - his friend that drives home with us

SOPHIE - CONRADS MOM

There are more , but cant think of them at the moment

Deqlan has foam letters he plays with in the bath - he picked up the B and started saying BA BA BA -hooray!!!!!! this will be great in helping him say the words he is trying to read

Deqlans tummy is better ...every day a little better. He did get sick on Sunday night again. But his appetite is coming back slowly- he does seem his happy self again...i have heard of SO MANY people who are down with a tummy bug, apparently its even in the papers of this new strain going around that is affecting so many people!

We also think that the new probiotic we have Deqlan on could not be agreeing with him - he also started so many new supplements, at the same time as doing diflucan for candida, and then the tummy bug - so we will be giving his system a break from everything then introduce one thing back at a time to see if it could be this to?

Off to fetch our gorgeous guy, hope you all have a great day! God Bless, please continue the prayers , lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

HAPPY HAPPIES

2010-02-16T11:18:00.002+02:00

Dear T

Wishing you a fantastic birthday for yesterday!!! Hope it was extra special and that you were spoilt in every possible way! Praying all your dreams turn into realities in the year to come and praying your health is fantastic to say the least! Thanks for all your love and support and prayers for our big boy and our family!

Dear Gill and Darryl,

I AM ECSTATIC to type this message to you! CONGRATULATIONS on the amazing news that you are going to be having a little brother or sister for your treasured angel Declan. We couldnt be happier for you! We pray for a healthy, happy pregnancy and know that your baba is going to have the most special guardian angel in Dec! Gods richest blessings and lots of love and hugs to you both, we look so forward to travelling on this journey with you!!!!

Dearest Shazzy

Happy Happy Birthday for today my dear friend and 'sister'! I hope you have a fabulous day full of love and laughter and smiles and fun! Wish i was there with you to celebrate!!! Trusting God will lead me to come and visit you guys down under some day soon! Thank you for being such an amazing friend to me, even though we dont see each other , as millions of miles seperate us, i know our bond is forever. I blessed to call you my friend and wish you the best birthday ever! Miss you so much , hugs to you my friend, love to Grant and high fives to Lyal and Cam!

Dear Conrad, my big brother

Wishing you a speedy recovery from your shoulder op, we say thank You Lord that you are safely in the ward now recovering and on your way to feeling better! Hope the happy medicine they are giving you today keeps you happy and comfortable and praying for a great recovery and lots of arm wrestling when you up to it, you know i will win...ha ha ha

God Bless you all, all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Valentines weekend

2010-02-15T12:10:00.008+02:00

I recived my first Valentine from Deqlan with chocolates, how gorgeous is this?

Deqlan is loving tucking us into bed and now arranging the photos of how he tucks us into bed , then tells me LOGAN SLEEP, MAMMA SLEEP, DADA SLEEP

Megs and Conrad and Khloe in tummy at Erl and Alexs wedding yesterday, what a pretty venue!

Alex and Erleen Gray! What a romatinc day to get married on. Congrats guys, it was a beautiful wedding, you both look so happy and in love, wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness, have a stunning honeymoon!

Mel and the gorgeous bridesmaids

Erleen radiating happiness ,just about to walk down the aisle

Alex anxiously waiting Erls arrival, he wore a kilt and looked so smart!

Logan pushing Keaton around in Deqlans car, the poor thing couldnt go fast enough

Deqlans turn, first time he has let Logan push him around in the car, and he loved it!

We really working hard on turning Deqlans play room into a sensory play room - this is Deqlans crash zone, a tent where he can chill out and crash into pillows and roll around in a soft comfy area, he already loves it!

Mark and Keaton enjoying the pool, it was so hot this weekend

Gorgeous Keaton

Keaton and Meggie enjoying spraying Logan wet

Keaton and Logan

Deqlan on one of his new favorite ads- he likes it because he recognises silversand casino from the tv ad, there just happened to be a blond lady in a bikini in the ad.....

Keatie and Ice eating marshmallows

Me? Naughty? Never..

I SAY WHY???

2010-02-12T14:07:00.003+02:00

Poor Deqlan. He didnt go to school today. He is not feeling well

He was actually worse last night, with a fever to accompany no appetite . He was also lethargic, just laying on his Dada. When i went to the bathroom and returned , i found our poor little guy throwing up.

So off we went to the doctor and she reckons its a viral tummy bug - there is a tummy bug going around at the moment. The fever tells us that its a seperate thing to the candida die off we experienced in the beginning of the week. Luckily, a bath or laying under a fan , manages to bring it down without us having to give medication for the fever

So Deqlan had his first day off school. I must say it was lovely to have him running around us this morning and tucking us in to bed , making us clap as he jumps up and down on the bed.

Still no appetite this afternoon, although he did eat a few crisps and some popcorn, and he is still enjoying his rice milk and juice today, and all has stayed down. Fever seems to come and go , but not to high.

Please pray for Deqlan to feel better soon and for his tummy to feel better and for it to ask for food soon again!

Deqlans new game , when coming home to Nanna's house after Little leaps, is to "tuck" us into bed. No matter where we are in the house, he comes to fetch Nanna, then Mama, then Grandpa. We all get put in our regular places and then heads gently pushed to sleep. We might get one of his little fingers on our lips, as if to say 'ssshhh'. He will proudly point to us one at a time and say "nanna, mama,grandpa' Yip, Deqlan is saying Grandpa and Dee couldnt be more delighted! Then he will squeeze , in between us and say "good night'! But only for a little while. He then goes to Nanna, to show her how to claps hands for him, then to Mama , then to Grandpa, which follows a beautiful display of jumping on the bed while we all clap and say hooray!!!! Big smiles all around and lots of laughter and fun had by all.

Another new sentence is ' I SAY WHY?' Because Deqlan has watched his favorite dvds over and over and i mean over and over, in some parts of the dvd is a scratch preventing the dvd from playing smoothly. This is MOST upsetting to Deqlan, who will cry and ask ' I SAY WHY?" Its hard not to smile at how cute this is, even though he is so upset! When he was looking for Grandpa earlier today, before he returned home from work, he searched every room of the house and we tried to explain that Grandpa was still at work , coming later. ' I SAY WHY?' Shame, he was so upset - but is so lovely to hear him expressing himself.

At times when Deqlan doesnt know how to express himself, also during a dvd jumping or stopping, you might find yourself dodging a jewellery box, or dvd or frame, whatever is closest for Deqlan to reach and throw . He can get so frustrated and this is how he deals with some situations - throwing to get it all out... of course we will have to work on this and have to find another way for Deqlan to release the frustration.

Its hard to explain to people who dont understand autism or know Deqlan, but he isnt naughty. He doesnt do things or throw things or get upset without having an absolute valid reason. He doesnt do things because he wants to test us ...they all are a result of an action. Like, a page in his magazine tearing, or if we change the channel of mnet, or if he cant find a photo he is looking for. So we have to handle situations differently, go back to the cause of the problem and change things at that level. For example, a torn page in his beloved car magazine, can be solved with a piece of sticky tap or a scratched dvd can sometimes play again after washing it with sunlight liquid!

We hope he feels lots better for the weekend so he can swim and run around and play with Logan and Keaton! Please do pray for this to pass

P.s - those of you following baby Reef , he is in need of platelets again A+. Doctors are concerned he may have a bleed on the brain - please if you can donate platelets please do so for Reef, he is at Unitas hospital in Centurion. When you go and donate please mention you are doing this for Reef Carneson, thanks and God Bless you for helping this little fighter www.savebabyreef.com

Have a great Valentines Day weekend everyone, thank you for all the love you give to Deqlan and to our family! Thank You Lord that You loved us so much You sent Your only son to save us!

God bless, lots of love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
DO NOT FEAR, ONLY BELIEVE
MARK 5;36

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAMIAN

2010-02-11T10:55:00.002+02:00

Dear Damian

Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday for today!!!

Wishing you a fantastic , adventurous year ahead, continue reaching all the dreams you set your eyes on!

Have an awesome celebration!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

wives

2010-02-10T08:48:00.003+02:00

Deqlan in his Little leaps shirt - still a little big, but he LOVED it so much we let him wear it to school! Look how grown up he looks in this photo!

Deqlan LOVES playing piano, he is even singing the bars - DO RE ME FAR SO LA TI DO!!

Swimming with Dada

Dont know if i have mentioned before about Deqlans liking for Desperate House Wives?

He loves the DVD cover, he loves the ad on tv, he loves watching the start of the programme, each Thursday night at 2030!

We started watching Kai's dvds from Love and Learning and are currently on the alphabet and the sounds and pictures - when A for Apple comes on, and the little girls start enjoying the apple, Deqlan immediately shouts 'WIVES'! It took me while to figure out, that the Desperate Housewives hold apples !!!

So now Deqlan relates the apples to the wives, ha ha ha ha couldnt help but laugh and smile , how sweet and how clever is he?He LOVES these dvds and is glued to them for the entire 20 minutes or so!Deqlan has also saying the words from the dvd like fingers and hug! They are fantastic thanks so much Loren and Kai!!

Deqlan has also started to count on his fingers!!!!!!! When Deqlan swims in the jacuzzi, Nanna and I stand and count with him, showing him the numbers on our fingers , we have done this for many many months and now Deqlan is doing it to!

He also picked up one of his beloved living and loving magazines and said 'BABY SLEEPING' sure enough, the ad at the back was a little baby lying in a camp cot fast asleep!!!!

The other new two words are MNET SERIES! We have managed to also watch a bit of the MNET SERIES chanel , instead of just MNET ! When changing the channel, Deqlan will stand at the Tv saying 101, MNET - 103 , ETC for each chanel!

We also got Deqlan to eat something new which i am thrilled about - spagetthi bolognaise! This means we can sneak vegies into the sauce we cook the mince in - he really loved it last night and we loved watching him enjoy it so much

The 'cooking task' at school today was spreading butter on bread - so i hunted for an alternative as Deqlan cant have butter or margarine or any of the normal spreads! I came up with Tahini - which is made from sesame seeds. It looks a little like peanut butter, tastes a little bit like it to. Deqlan is not to fond of it, yet..., but at least he could partake in spreading it on his piece of gluten free bread today! Ashley, Deqlans teacher, had a taste of the gluten free bread and told me it would be the last time she tried that...shame...

We had to stop the current round of diflucan Deqlan was on, as he was starting to show different symptoms then what we normally see with his candida die off reaction...we want to see a die off reaction cause that tells us its working. This will happen in the form of tantrums, regression, terrible nappies etc - but this time around, Deqlan was lying on the floor on his tummy, which was so bloated, he had so much gas, the worst nappies he has ever had, kicking everything he could lay his feet on, hitting himself in the face, no appetite - even for the food he loved.

Diflucan can affect the liver, so some of these symptoms also show the liver working a bit to hard - so we stopped the diflucan 3 days ago, and Deqlan is much , much better - eating again, happier , better colour - not so much kicking, no more smacking in the face....

We still have to keep a very very close eye on the candida and i am looking into natural ways of getting it under control, such as grape seed extract, but to give it to Deqlan is going to be another story....

He is also picking up every crumb on the floor, ones we dont even see till they on his finger. He also had prestik in his hair from school, another favorite snack if he could get his hands on, thats loaded for gluten! Another tasty treat is the mold on the wall, that stands inthe shade by the tap, probably the worst thing he could have, candida would love to grow in anything that is mould or ferments. We have asked the girls at school to keep an extra close eye on Deqlan and what he tries to eat - the wrong things could cause his candida to flare up again, or him to even regress from the gluten, his body cant cope with

Deqlan had a lovely day at school , great occupational therapy lesson, great swimming lesson, and was very happy to have his nap this afternoon! I think the art project for this week is painting a big size version of me, so excited to see that, I think Deqlan would love doing it to!

Megs and I got to see Ren this morning, who is visiting from the UK! Was lovely as always to catch up with her - Ren and Grant are here for Erleen and Alex's wedding on Valentines day, which we will also be going to. Deqlan will be home with Dada while i go and say congrats !

Got to run for now, hope you all have a super evening, please continue the prayers for Deqlan to continue to be NED forever and always and forever and always and for him to continue thriving at his school that he loves so much, and that we can help him reach his full potential!

God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

ANGEL ERIK

2010-02-10T08:42:00.000+02:00

To all the amazing members of the Ludwinski family,
we are so very sorry for your loss of your precious Erik.But we rejoice with you in KNOWING that Erik is most certainly with Our Lord this morning, pain free and totally healed. What an EXTRAORDINARY young man Erik was, who touched many many people around the world in so many ways. The faith of your family is an example to the entire world, what amazing trusting servants you are for Our Lord. We ask Him to guide you, comfort you , strengthen you, continue to shine His light for the path He has laid out for you.
With great sadness, God Bless, prayers and never ending support,
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/erikludwinski

URGENT PRAYERS NEEDED

2010-02-09T10:24:00.001+02:00

Hello Deqlans Prayer army,

We need to ask for your prayers for two very special guys

ERIK - www.caringbridge.org/visit/erikludwinski

JAXSON - www.jaxsonsfight.blogspot.com

Thank you and God Bless
Love Samm

Always in our hearts, Declan Du Toit

2010-02-08T15:47:00.004+02:00

We never actually had the chance, the honor, to meet this amazing warrior in person, but got to know him through his Mommy Gillians beautiful writings on http://www.all-hands-on-dec.co.za/

The 8th February 2009 , Jesus called Declan home, after fighting cancer for his entire 8 months on earth.

Declan touched many , many hearts around the globe and continues to do so every day. His legacy has inspired, many, many willing people around South Africa to get involved in helping children fighting cancer - All Hands on Dec Friends have done amazing things to help these famillies in all that they are needing. And all because a little boy called Declan fought so bravely , because his smile could light up the darkest night, because his parents continue to feel his spirit alive in them, aiding them to help other warriors fight their monsters.

Declan will never be forgotten, he will continue to inspire and help others fight cancer.

Gill and Darryl, we continue to have you in our prayers each and every day. We continue to ask Our Lord to shine His light on the path He has chosen for you. May He continue to hold you and strengthen you, guide you and comfort you, today and always.

Declan, always in our hearts and minds, God Bless you little fishy!
God Bless, love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

ANGEL SANTI

2010-02-07T18:02:00.001+02:00

I was really heartsore to just learn that Santi passed away this morning. His parents continue to be such faithful servants and I ask you to pray with me for precious Santi who faught so hard against neuroblastoma, with such a positive spirit and for his parents , for Our Lord to hold them up and guide them.

Santiago went with Jesus at around 3:00 am while sleeping in his mother’s arms. Half an hour earlier I prayed with them and asked Jesus to heal Santi for once and for all, we ordered his cancer to leave and stop making suffering. Santi’s breathing was laborious and we asked him to calm down and relax, he was without fear.
I prayed an entire rosary and almost fell asleep when MJ called me again, Santi was not breathing anymore. He stop doing so in peace without struggle, a few seconds before he complained about pain in his side, neck, etc. he went to fetal position and laid his head in MJ’s chest, very slowly, very slowly he relaxed his breathing. And there he went.
Before dinner, last night, he asked me to hug him, I hugged him.
Two or three days ago he claimed “From Jesus we come, to Jesus we go”. Amen!
The cycle of a wonderful life has been accomplished. We thank the Lord for showing us that love can save lives; we dedicated nine years of our lives to love this child because we believe that only Love makes one completely happy. Santi never stopped being happy, he recently observed that he always has an optimistic heart and he never, never gives up. I am not going to describe all that cancer did to his body, but I assure you that his spirit was never affected.
--Juan Santiago Wall, our beloved son, wait for us; when God calls us, we’ll be there. In the meantime, play, dance, have fun, and rejoice in the presence of Jesus, look him in the eye and tell him we love him and thank him for the uncountable blessings he gives us. Give Ale a hug and another one to Jose Luis.--
We thank you all for your prayers and for being so close, please don’t leave us.
Now, let’s rejoice! Santi has arrived to Heaven, the bells are singing, Halleluiah! This is the day the Lord made! Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/santi

yes, i hit the dentist

2010-02-05T11:19:00.002+02:00

Deqlan playing on Dada's blackberry!
Nanna and Keaton

Peek a book! Deqlan and Keaton playing on the steps!

Swim time with the boys!

Beep beep! Driving in Keatons car

Look Ice! I made this with my mamma!

Gorgeous surfer boys!

Deqlan LOVES the jacuzzi more and more each day

Keaton, what a gorgeous face!

Keaton helping Nanna with her make up

im not kidding - i have told my friends and family about the annoying pain i have been experiencing in a tooth that has been worked on several times...i thought i could live with the pain, but it just was getting out of hand, couldn't even brush that tooth and flossing sent me through the roof.

what did the dentist do? she flossed - i hit on the head ...it wasn't on purpose, it was just so sore , it was a reflex i couldn't control! I apologised a hundred times , i think she was used to this sort of thing happening ...i think she started taking me seriously and decided to give me two injections to numb my mouth, before proceeding to remove the crown on that tooth and remove the nerve , completely. relief....

now i walk around with half a tooth, luckily its at the back of my mouth and the best part is , no more pain!!!! i can eat on that side again, i can actually close my mouth and let my teeth touch again.

i go back for another 1 and a half hour session on 19 Feb and then again to have the permanent crown fitted 1 march...i cant wait......hope my reflexes are a little more in control on these days, or the dentist will know now to duck out the way when working with me as a patient!

our gorgeous Deqlan continues to amaze us each day.... we give a mom and her son a lift home from Little Leaps each day. When we stopped at the complex yesterday, Deqlan took his little finger and started pointing at the letters of the complex, then saying them C-O-C-O D-A-L-E-S - WE ARE THRILLED! Its not just specific words his trying to spell, he is trying to spell all of them! We have noticed that the words are better if they are in black and background is white- they really stand out better to Deqlan this way. He also came to us last night saying F-O-X and when we started looking for where this word came from we discovered it was from is DVD's - Fox the movie company!

Loren has been so kind as to lend me a fantastic programme that Kai uses, called LOVE AND LEARNING

http://www.loveandlearning.com/

"Our technique and materials (DVDs, audio tapes, books and computer programs) help Infants and Toddlers with Language and Reading development. We originally developed these materials for our daughter with special needs. Maria exceeded our expectations by being able to speak, read and understand 250 words at 3 years of age and over 1,000 words at 5 years of age. We offer an easily do-able, loving manner of teaching that values the individuality of each child and helps nurture self-esteem."

We cant wait to start! They way its presented , shows the alphabet for example, as Deqlan knows it, but also phonetically and also with the correct emphasis in the correct places! Pictures are also shown as well as real life images. We think Deqlan will thoroughly enjoy this and be able to have a great understanding of how to say the words he is spelling! Thanks so much Loren and Kai , we cant wait to get stuck in, we will let you know how it goes!

It was wonderful to see Loren on Friday morning and to get to meet her new little guy, Harlan – he is to beautiful for words , you need to go and check the photos out on Kai’s blogspot, link to the right of our page- Kai was sleeping so didn’t get to see him this time, but i hear he is now settling well into brotherhood! Enjoy Harlan guys, he is gorgeous, look forward to spending more time with him and watching all the boys in action together

Deqlans recognition of colours is also getting stronger each day – this morning Deqlan came to me to show me once of his cedarmont kids dvd covers – on the inside of the cover, it shows the different cds on offer , each with a different colour background . Out came Deqlans little finger as he started to proudly say ‘BLUE, GREEN , YELLOW, PINK, ORANGE,RED, PURPLE’ALL the right colours, ALL in the right order – wow, we are astounded at how much and how quickly Deqlan is learning things every single day

Deqlan continues to do very well at his occupational and speech therapy sessions – both therapists say Deqlan co operates very nicely with most activities , and he loves the books and car exercises in speech therapy, and prefers to sit on Danita’s lap while doing them...told you he was a ladies man! Anneke is working on Deqlan using his own muscles to balance and he is tolerating swinging in the spandex hammock a lot better then what he used to.

Deqlas also had his very first swimming lesson this week! Hooray , the weather held for the day!Apparently he loved every moment! I am hoping to go and try and let the swimming teacher let me sit in on a lesson, somewhere where i cant be seen, but can enjoy Deqlan the dolphin in action!

On Thursday, was the first of the boys Birthdays. Deqlan is the only boy on the gluten casein sugar soya and yeast free diet, so i packed his own little party bag for him, with his allowed , safe foods, hoping he would also feel special and included in the celebrations. When the birthday cake came out , he wanted it ‘CAKE.CAKE’ unfortunately Danita had to take Deqlan for his speech session right there and then to take him out the situation...shame, its times like this that i really feel bad that Deqlan doesnt get to enjoy these treats- but it think back to how he was before the diet, when he was eating these things, and i quickly get back on track-thats just no good for him – i am still searching for the perfect cupcake/cake recipe that Deqlan is allowed and that actually tastes good and looks good to! Any ideas?

We are having a face off with candida again – Deqlans nappies atrocious at times , he is hitting himself in the face at times, and wanting to lye on his back and kick everything from doors to oven doors to glad tables. From morning to night. He is also a lot more frustrated at times. Eating not so great, but we know and trust it will all get better again , we are currently on our second weekend of Diflucan, please do the trick!

Keaton continues to get more gorgeous by the day- he continues to call me “ice’, something i treasure and love to hear and hope will never change, another thing that makes our special bond just ours. He is starting to say 2 and 3 word sentences and his comprehension is fantastic – he understands so many instructions. Everything is MINE at the moment. MY NANNA, MY ICE, MY CAR so sharing items between Deqlan and Keaton can get a little hair raising at times, but all part and parcel of growing up! He has also started pointing to Meggies tummy when we ask where Khloe is – if i didn’t mention it before , this is the gorgeous name Megs and Conrad have chosen for the little girl due 17 May 2010- Megs tummy is growing more beautifully by the day and we are beside ourselves with excitement! Its lovely to walk into a shop and now ooh and aahh at the boys AND girls items

Well, we off to fetch Deqlan, one of my favourite parts of the day. Praying you all have a blessed, safe weekend, please continue the prayers for all the cancer warriors, angels and survivors around the world. Please also pray for all the autism heroes around the world!

God Bless, all our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

IN HONOR OF DECLAN DU TOIT

2010-02-05T11:14:00.000+02:00

FROM DECLANS MOMMY GILL:

Hi All
My dear, nutty friend, Lisa Baird, is climbing Kilimanjaro for AHODF. Pls visit http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/trektothetop2010 to support her and AHODF. Read more below if you wish to know the story and please forward this mail to all your millions of contacts.
LoveGillian

LISA'S MAIL
"Hello friends
Firstly, apologies for the mass email but believe me when I say, I am speaking to each and every one of you!
You may (or may not) know I'm climbing Kilimanjaro in, oh about …. three weeks time. It's been one of my dreams (for as long as I can remember). I will be approaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro by the challenging Shira Route which is an "exhilarating option for walkers keen to explore less trodden trails". Knowing my propensity for getting lost, I'm quite relieved to know that I will be accompanied by not 1 but 3 experienced guides. I will be hiking through magnificent mountain scenery that extends from the volcanic summit at Uhuru Peak (5896m) on the crater rim to the vast African plains. After 8 days of this, I will be exhausted but I will have been to the Roof of Africa!
I've decided to do something I've always dreamed of doing - and what better way to enjoy the privilege, than by assisting a worthy cause. There are so many worthy causes out there, that picking one is not easy.
All-Hands-on-Dec-Friends http://www.allhandsondecfriends.org (AHODF) came into being just as Declan Du Toit’s life came to an end at the tender age of 8 months, the result of being born with cancer. AHODF helps innocent children, who through no fault of their own, are suffering as a result of cancer, either directly or indirectly and has as its aim to provide financial support in the form of either contributions to medical bills for young children fighting cancer or the provision of financial support to the other children in the family, where their needs are not being adequately met due to the financial strain of medical bills eg payment of school fees, provision of food vouchers, etc.
So, whether you have a healthy and happy child, godchild, niece or nephew, or you know a family where a young child is fighting a battle against cancer, or even if you just feel like making a few pounds, euros, dollars or Rands go somewhere other than the taxman, the grocery store or the pub, then please please please dip into your pockets and make a small donation to http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/trektothetop2010
Every penny goes straight to the charity, AHODF based in South Africa and will be used to make the life of a young child struggling with the fight against cancer, that little bit easier. And remember, no matter how small the donation, it all adds up - especially once its been converted to Rands!"
Lisa BairdSenior AssociatePinsent Masons LLPDDI +44 (0) 20 7490 6291Internal Ext - 816291www.pinsentmasons.com

Special child, special diet

2010-02-04T15:02:00.002+02:00

Wanted to share this article with you all to give some insight on what the gluten /casein free diet (GFCF) can do to help kids on the autism spectrum - have ordered this book cant wait to get it!!:

Special Child, Special Diet
Autism and the miracle of a life free of gluten and casein by Barrie Silberberg
www.livingwithout.com/2008/jj08autism.html

When my son Noah was two years old, he taught himself the alphabet. At four, he could read. He was very verbal and exceptionally bright. I thought perhaps he was gifted. But although Noah excelled intellectually, I noticed his social skills seemed lacking. In preschool, he never played with the other children.

In kindergarten, Noah’s behavior disintegrated. He had uncontrollable meltdowns where he’d scream, throw things and become violent toward his classmates. He had severe sensory issues, limited social skills and poor eye contact. He suffered digestive problems and would eat only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, chips, pretzels, French fries, milk, yogurt and cheese.

Things didn’t improve in first grade. Noah continued to get into constant trouble for inappropriate behavior. Puzzled and distraught, I kept searching on line to discover why my son was different. I’d share articles with his teacher about the odd behavioral traits of gifted children. Some of it fit but most of it just didn’t make sense.
In the middle of the school year, a friend showed me a magazine article about a boy with Asperger syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. ”Read it,” she insisted. “This is Noah.” I read it … and cried. Suddenly, everything was falling into place.

Armed with the information from the magazine, I called a meeting at Noah’s school. When I brought up autism, everyone in attendance nodded their heads. It turns out they’d been discussing Noah’s behavior and were in agreement. It wasn’t long before testing at the California Regional Center officially nailed my son’s diagnosis: Noah was autistic.

Autism Spectrum Disorder According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a developmental behavioral disorder characterized by impairment in socialization and communication and by restricted, stereotypical patterns in behaviors, interests and activities. Children with ASD suffer from sensory hypersensitivity and have intense reactions to sound, sight, touch, taste and smell. They have difficulties with social integration and adjusting to new things and changes in their routines. They engage repeatedly in the same behaviors or thoughts, fixating on objects. For example, like most youngsters his age, Noah was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and Disney movies. Yet, unlike most kids, he would talk about these topics non-stop and every conversation would revert back to them.

There are five levels of autistic disorders, according to the DSM-IV. On the higher functioning end of the spectrum is Asperger syndrome. On the lower end is classic autism, often called Kanner’s autism. Other types are Rett’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder.

The rate of ASD has increased alarmingly in recent years. In 1995, one in 500 children was diagnosed with autism. In 2000, the rate was one in 250. Today, in 2008, it’s one in 150, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A Wild Boy Before Noah began second grade, his father and I were called to the school for an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting. Because of Noah’s out-of-control behavior, school officials didn’t want him there. Yet they were willing to have professionals observe him and try to fit him into a regular class. The plan was to meet again in November and decide what to do.
From the start, Noah was disruptive in the classroom and on the playground. At the November IEP meeting, the director of elementary special education informed us that not only did Noah not belong in a fully-included class, he didn’t belong in the school’s SDC (Special Day Class) either. The only place for him, the director said, was a school for moderately to severely autistic children.

Shocked and heartbroken, Noah’s father and I agreed to visit this classroom. There we observed several non-verbal, heavily stimming (hands flapping) children. Knowing Noah’s exceptional verbal skills, we kindly told the director that this wasn’t the place for our son. He then suggested a SDC for emotionally disturbed children. This classroom was better but still not a fit for Noah.
You Are What You Eat After Noah was diagnosed, I spent hours on my computer, searching for information about autism. I kept stumbling across a strange diet that some parents were using which excluded all gluten (the protein in wheat, rye and barley) and casein (dairy protein). It sounded ridiculous, insane—especially for Noah who was an extremely picky eater. Every single food he ate contained either gluten or casein. He would starve! What were these crazy people thinking?

But given the dire school situation, we had no choice but to try it. For four days, we removed dairy products from his diet. No more milk, yogurt, cheese. To our amazement and delight, we saw a huge change in his behavior. Suddenly, he was a much calmer child. If stopping dairy could do this in just four days, what would gluten removal do?

We started limiting the gluten, slowly, and then permanently. The improvements were vast. The school staff was shocked at the changes. The difference was so striking that Noah was able to remain in a regular classroom and didn’t need a teacher’s aide.

I later learned about the Feingold diet, which excludes artificial food dyes and preservatives. I discovered that ingesting dyes and preservatives could lead to inappropriate behaviors in some sensitive children. So we stopped giving Noah any foods with artificial ingredients.

Suddenly, every item in Noah’s life had to be examined—his vitamins, toothpaste, shampoo, even his play dough and school supplies. I made certain that everything he touched or ingested was free of gluten and casein and contained no dyes or preservatives. (For a while, I also removed soy, as many children on the autistic spectrum don’t tolerate soy. But it turned out that Noah can eat soy, so we reintroduced it without negative effects.)
Noah’s behavior continued to improve. His hyper-sensitivity to sensory stimulation diminished. Before long, he was able to listen to loud music, go outside without sunglasses and sit at the kitchen table while I cooked onions, activities he couldn’t tolerate before. He began to have normal conversations about many different topics. His eye contact improved. His meltdowns disappeared. It was a miracle.

A Mother Knows There are plenty of skeptics who contend that dietary intervention has no impact on autistic symptoms. But I say you can’t argue with success. And I’m not alone. Thousands of other parents, as well as a group of physicians associated with Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), testify that this diet works. In fact, Karima Hirani, M.D., a DAN! physician in Los Angeles, claims that the gluten/casein-free (GFCF) diet could help alleviate symptoms in as many as 60 to 70 percent of children with ASD.

What is it about gluten and casein? The scientific answer isn’t absolute but one popular explanation is the leaky gut syndrome. According to Karl Reichelt, M.D., director of clinical chemistry at the Department of Pediatric Research at Rikshospitalet (National Hospital) in Oslo, Norway, many children with ASD suffer from a leaky gut, a condition where incompletely digested proteins (peptides) seep from the intestines into the blood stream. He observed that these peptides have progressions that match those of opioid peptides, casomorphin and gliadomorphin. Dietary sources of these opiate peptides are casein and gliadin (gluten). When a child with a leaky gut ingests foods that contain casein and gluten, the peptides enter the blood stream, head to the brain and attach to opiate receptors there, prompting the child to have sensory issues and to react with unmanageable behavior.

Living the GFCF Life As for my concerns about Noah starving on his new diet, I needn’t have worried. When I began to remove the gluten and casein, he started to try new foods. At first, there were infractions. He would eat something with casein or gluten and the autistic traits would return with a vengeance. Now, because he never wants to be “that boy” again, he happily sticks to the diet.

The whole family has adjusted to the new lifestyle. I serve GFCF meals for family dinner. We still have gluten and casein in the house but Noah has his own freezer, his own refrigerator shelf and his own pantry shelves to avoid cross contamination. We’re all careful to wash our hands and not contaminate anything that Noah will eat or touch.

Is Noah cured of autism? Not entirely. He still has difficulty when his routine is changed. And he can get easily frustrated, especially when he’s overwhelmed with too much homework or when abstract or social concepts are involved. Although he has friends now, his social proficiency is not up to par with other children his age. He’s involved in a social skills group to help with this. Aside from these challenges, the other autistic symptoms are gone.

Many parents who state that their child is cured by the diet will still report some form of PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) or some degree of disability. However, it’s likely if these children were medically re-assessed, many would not be diagnosed with ASD, based on DSM IV criteria.

Hope for the Future Last year, Noah completed 6th grade in fully-included classrooms, earning all A’s and E’s (excellence in work habits and citizenship). Now in 7th grade, he’s enrolled in academic honors classes and doing well. He still has an IEP with some small modifications, such as using a typing device (his writing is illegible due to fine motor difficulties), less homework and fewer problems on math tests.

The GFCF diet changed his life. Since this incredible transformation, I’ve dedicated my time to informing parents and health-care professionals that improvement is possible. There is hope for healing most autistic symptoms. A few years ago, when Noah was in 5th grade, the students were asked to compose essays as part of a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) contest. One essay would be chosen from three classrooms (three of 96 students) to be read by the student. Imagine our surprise and joy when Noah’s essay was picked. He received a ribbon, a medal and an award. Then he read his essay at a special ceremony to a room full of students, parents and school professionals. Not bad for an autistic kid!