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Living day by day only by God's merciful grace and blessings.
Journal
Thursday, July 3, 2008 10:51 pm Dear Family, friends and prayer partners,
Today marks the fourth anniversary of Fernanda’s trauma. Our dear daughter has come a long way since God’s predestined event. Our family has come a long way, a trial beyond all trials we would ever imagine God would place in our life. Never did Jake and I envision, our second child would undergo such a traumatic event while sustaining so much pain and suffering. We hold fast to our faith in God day in and day out. It is not an easy road we travel daily, some days we feel God’s presence stronger than others helping us manage each hour, each crisis, each decision, giving us the encouragement we need. Other days are long, lonely, sleepless, and low and we don’t know why we are going through this trial. It is my prayer we have glorified God in each and every action and how we have lived our life since July 3rd 2004. It is our prayer we will continue to glorify Him and be the Godly witness he so commands us to be. Praise to God for you our family, friends and prayer partners who have continued to walk with us on this journey. Please continue to up hold Fernanda and our family in your prayer and support our family as each day holds a new experience, trial, growth opportunity from our omnipotent and providential God.
While you take your summer vacation, short or long please remember Fernanda by dropping her postcard in the US Mail or signing Fernanda’s guestbook. She receives great joy knowing she is not forgotten. Our home address is 18334 Christeph Drive, Morgan Hill, CA 95037-3437
Signing her guest book
http://www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda/guestbook.html
Middle School Dance, Alejandra’s Prom, and relaxing on the chaise Pictures
http://www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda/photo.htm
Sleeping
Sleeping is becoming easier! We are seeing her have problems sleeping farther and few nights. Considering we do not have night care three nights a week this is a blessing.
School
School closed for Fernanda on June 11th, she finished of the year on a wonderful note. Her classmates were learning and asking to work with Fernanda frequently. They had mastered when, where and how to integrate using her step by step switch in class. She became a participant in the class rather than an observer. During Fernanda’s adaptive PE class a prior softball teammate and friend, Tara came in for a few visits. Both the girls enjoyed the company. Fernanda is preparing to start summer school at Charter School of Morgan Hill on Monday, July 7th. The program for summer school will be different since the large group of interns from SJSU occupational therapy program are heavily involved in the day to day activities. Fernanda is excited to be going to school to interact with her friends.
Caregivers and Medical
We said good bye to all the caregivers I hired at the start of the school year 2007-2008 or this spring due to graduation. Unfortunately we also said goodbye to a nighttime caregiver which means we are back to only four nights of coverage. Praise be to God for San Andreas Regional Center for stepping in on the last day of June to provide the gap funding for Care at Home (the agency providing the Medical funded care, 65 hours a week). The State of California has put on hold all Medical payments for several types of Medical providers until the State budget is signed. Last year the budget was signed August 22nd. Please pray the budget is signed immediately and the cuts to areas of health care and social services are minimal.
Therapy
The new home hospital teacher, Valerie assigned in April has been coming on a regular basis. Fernanda has benefited from the ongoing sessions as demonstrated in an extended team meeting for Fernanda last week. Peggy, the alternative technology communication specialist said during the meeting, she has mastered her switch control; we need to identify her next step. Peggy brought in a super soaker last week; the soaker’s battery power connection was interrupted with a short wire and hooked it up to her switch. Last Saturday Denise, her speech therapist and Jacob plugged in the soaker to the switch, Fernanda had a ball spraying her little sister Elena and little brother Andrés.
Hanging out, going out…
Fernanda had a couple doctors’ appointments, two in Oakland one in early May where she visited with her neurosurgeon’s physician’s assistant. He read the new CAT scan taken in late April. All looks well with the CAT scan of her head and he released Fernanda for two years. The second appointment in Oakland was with her orthopedic surgeon for her back. A new back x-ray was taken; all looks good two years post scoliosis surgery. He released Fernanda indefinitely! Both trips to Oakland Fernanda traveled so well, unlike three years ago where she would cry on and off up and back. The trips to Oakland usually take 7 to 8 hours. These two trips there was no crying!!
Fernanda visited the California Children’s Services clinic in South San Jose a couple of times, the OT fitted her with new hand splints, checked out her wheelchair and did some range of motion measurements. We have been directed to wear her foot splints 24 hours a day for 4 months due to a loss of range in her ankle muscles. Next week Fernanda has another appointment to take more range of motion measurements and fit her for new foot splints.
Fun activities for Fernanda over the last three months included going to the Middle School Dance escorted by her big sister Alejandra, seeing Prince Caspian and Kung Fu Panda at the movie theater; attending the Family Fun Festival at Charter School of Morgan Hill, she loved the petting zoo, the talent show and seeing all her friends; she attended her cousin’s graduation (Aunt Maria’s son) from High School in Menlo Park; not to mention weekly to every other week dips in the neighbors pool or spa and walks to the local park. Last week Fernanda along with Papa and Grammie Wilber and her siblings and Mom attended the Red Robin Restaurant grand opening. Fernanda enjoyed watching the group fight over the huge piece of mud pie!
The rest of the family
Alejandra attended her school prom in May; Fernanda was part of all the pre prom conversations around the house, her eyes and head seemed to perk when this topic came up! She also had the opportunity to take part in the pre prom photo op at Alejandra’s friend’s home in San Jose. (See the pictures in Fernanda’s photo album.) Alejandra is a senior in August! She has been enjoying her summer looking for a job, babysitting, reading, swimming with Fernanda, Elena and Andrés in the neighbor’s pool, going to the movies and out to dinner with friends!
Andrés finished 1st grade and will be moving to a new 2nd grade program at a new school in August. He is presently attending summer school, day care, attended a basketball camp last week and playing baseball off the T in the backyard with Elena. His academic progress this last year was outstanding. Debbie continues to work with him on routine basis under the guidance of Sharon Sousa, a devoted servant to our family.
Elena is 3 ½ and as smart as a whip! She can be big helper around the house though also continues to challenge Mom on a daily basis. Her favorite pass time is to play with Zorra in the backyard, jump on the trampoline and go swimming at the neighbors.
Wish List
The Hernandez Family wish list items for the month of July are located at: http://www.emmauschristianfellowship.org/custom.cfm?CustomLinkID=7 ;
1) Gift cards for the following stores are very useful in helping meet our daily needs, Trader Joes, Costco, Target and Safeway. The cards may be mailed directly to our home address, 18334 Christeph Drive, Morgan Hill, CA 95037-3437).
2) Help framing photo graphs received in our Christmas cards.
3) Assistance with organizing Fernanda’s files for her school documentation.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please call 408.997.9866 or email ecf_sj@ix.netcom.com for more detailed information as to how to do so and where to mail the contribution. You will receive a receipt reflecting the total amount of your donation.
Our July prayer requests are:
Prayers...
• Pray the Lord will provide a night caregiver for three nights.
• Pray for Fernanda as she starts summer school Monday, July 7th.
• Pray a new caregiver for the day shift will be found to help starting in late August
when several of the current caregivers go back to school.
• Pray for Debbie’s cousin Alexis in Washington who is receiving treatment for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Pray for treatment of her lung which may have a fungus infection. She too has a caringbridge site, please keep her in your prayers http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexishengbeckley
Coram Deo,
Jake and Debbie
www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda
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