'He's trying to tell you something!'

'He's trying to tell you something!'By Stacey MoffatWhen your child doesn’t speak, he can’t talk back. If you swear, you don’t have to worry about him repeating you at an inopportune time. And you always have someone to confide in, someone who will keep your secrets.It may seem odd to joke about something so serious, and I don’t mean to be flippant about an issue that affects my son Carter (above) so greatly. But to quote Bill Cosby: “Through humour,...

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Surgery number two

I wrote this yesterday but had trouble with the photo. Mr. Houdini (above) did not cooperate last night and both IVs were eventually removed after D'Arcy had had enough of holding Ben down. We told them the hand IV wouldn't work (he also had one in his foot). We told them he had a phobia. We asked for sedation. We told them it would be bad. But the bad had to happen before it came out. Surgery number two This is a photo I took of Ben waiting...

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'Thank you' will never be enough

In 2008, Ontario gymnast Taylor Lindsay-Noel was on track to compete with the Canadian team in the 2012 Olympics when she broke her neck while attempting a difficult dismount. Taylor, now 16 above, spent 18 months in rehabilitation at Bloorview Kids Rehab and recently wrote and read this tribute to the nurses who worked with her as a goodbye gift. It speaks to the invaluable role our nurses play! Thank you Taylor for sharing with us and congratulations...

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Canine companions

A PBS documentary called "Through a Dog's Eyes" airs Wed. April 21 at 8 p.m. ET (check local listings). The documentary shows how five children and adults meet their service dogs and begin new lives together. The documentary was based on a book of the same title by Jennifer Arnold, expected out in Septemb...

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Grace

Thank you Elizabeth, Ellen, Lianna and Sherry for your comments on Ben's homecoming. I pulled my first all-nighter in years last night: Ben was in terrible pain. He had been weaned to tylenol and by the time I realized he was crashing and went to get the strong pain medication filled, it was too late. At one point last night Ben started thrashing around in his cast, trying to roll onto his affected leg. We were frightened he would hurt himself...

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Homecoming: it's bittersweet

Remember I said we had 30 stairs? I was wrong. It's 29. And the ambulance drivers had never seen anything like it. There was no point getting the stretcher out because they couldn't carry it up the stairs. So they picked Ben up in the blankets he was lying on and carried him in what, from a distance, looked like a body bag. It was exciting to see him make his ascent today, but once we had him in the medical bed in his room -- beside the reclining...

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He made it

I wrote this post yesterday, but had trouble with the photo. Ben continues to do well today although he's already asking when he can get "up" and unfortunately that won't be for six weeks! He still has an epidural infusion which is keeping him pain-free and an IV, which he can't wait to be rid of. He was able to sit in a reclining chair for a while and had some pizza tonight.He made itMy son Ben had his hip and knee surgery today and I'm very grateful...

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Dad wins disability funding appeal

In February, an Ontario tribunal ruled in favour of Peterborough resident John Wood after funding for his daughter’s medical needs was cut based on an income cap related to the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) benefit. The ACSD program helps parents with extra costs of caring for a child with severe disability – such as travel to doctors and hospitals, wheelchair repairs and assistive devices. The benefit ranges from $25 to...

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Preparing for surgery

Last weekend, I was weepy. "I don't have enough courage," was all I could tell my husband. I had no patience and snapped at my kids. I woke in the middle of the night on Wednesday with a sore throat and panicked. I can't be sick, I told myself. I CAN NOT BE SICK. I went to the washroom and grabbed an anti-bacterial mouthwash I'd been given for a prior dental surgery and gargled like a maniac. I kept eating. Even when I wasn't hungry. I'd go downstairs...

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Seeing ourselves in media

Happy Wednesday! Here are some interesting items about film, TV and news related to disability or difference. "When Carl Met George" is a new storyline in the PBS television show Arthur that features Carl, above left, a new friend of George's who has Asperger syndrome. The first episode aired April 5. Did anyone see it? Tell us what you thought! Tying Your Own Shoes is a beautiful, animated documentary about the lives of four adult artists...

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Neckband turns sounds into computer clicks

Corvin Cioata (above right) is many things: An explorer, a skier, a Scooby Doo fan. Like his mother – a software developer – he’s nuts about computers. But until last year, the nine-year-old couldn’t use one. Corvin has involuntary movements related to cerebral palsy that make using a mouse impossible. He tried finger and eyebrow switches but couldn’t control them consistently. An off-the-shelf, microphone-based sound switch misfired in noisy...

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U.S. funds Bloorview trial of Oxytocin in autism

Given World Autism Awareness Day on Friday April 2, here's some exciting news about a clinical trial set to start at Bloorview. Louise U.S. Department of Defense funds autism research at Bloorview Bloorview has received an $805,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct a randomized clinical trial to see if Oxytocin – a hormone released during women’s labour and milk let-down – improves social functioning in teens with autism. The...

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