A House Call for Repairs - Week of Mar. 10th

 

"There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others." ~Mandy Hale

Ever since Cameron was born, we are continually amazed by the giving nature of so many people we've encountered. 

Cam's mom had to travel to Wisconsin for work leaving Tuesday morning and returning late Wednesday.  Friday was a day off of school for Cam due to a professional administration day for the teachers.  We scheduled power wheelchair repairs for 10:30am, knowing it would take a few hours.

The biggest bonus, besides a day off for Cameron, was the fact that the person performing all of the work offered to drive to our home and complete all of the parts replacements and adjustments in Cam's house!  We transferred our son to the couch so he had a front-row seat to all of the action.  Mr. Dewayne, the amazing technician who arrived right on time, answered all of Cam's questions and inquiries.  We learned that if you have a very large wooden block, you can tip Cameron's 450 lb chair on its side, shimmy the wood under and use it to prop the chair up so that the wheels can be changed out.  All of the parts replacements and adjustments took nearly four hours! 

Cam was very patient and once he was back in action, Ms. Amanda arrived shortly thereafter to hang out with her buddy for the evening.  Chris and Jane met our longtime neighbors and friends for dinner downtown.

For the remainder of the weekend, Jane was busy with a large work proposal while Chris and his son completed some home projects.

As many of you are aware, Cam was the first youth ambassador for our local non-profit, Renew Mobility.  As a youth ambassador, Cam helps ring the bell to start the "Wheel Run for Everyone" at the Allendale Grand Valley campus.  This year, the walk/run is being held on Saturday, April 12th.  Please sign up if you're able!  

Youth Ambassador Cam and his parents thank you!! SIGN UP/DONATE

Camology Quotes:

On Saturday, Chris spent some time at a fishing expo downtown. Afterwards, he met up with friends at a local favorite restaurant, Vitale's.  Jane and her son called him when he was driving home and he admitted he had some breadsticks.  When he walked in the house, Cam greeted him with a good dose of funny. 

"Dad, I cannot believe you just had breadsticks. It killed me to hear that... It wouldn't really kill me.  I was just being humorous!"

The Real Power Soccer Chair - Week of Mar. 3rd

"Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance." ~Verna Myers, vice president of inclusion strategy, Netflix 

Back in the 1970’s, France became the first country to introduce a soccer league for power wheelchair users. Years later, the US and several other countries joined in, and eventually formed a formal association known as the Federation International de Powerchair Football Association in 2005, and later the United States Power Soccer Association. Today, power soccer remains one of the fastest growing sports worldwide featuring athletes from all backgrounds.

This week, Cam was able to test out a brand-new professional power soccer chair during his practice time.  After adjustments and settling in, he started to acclimate to the low profile and faster speed.  We are borrowing the chair at this time and hope to be able to use it at home over the summer when practice has a long hiatus.  The power soccer chairs are $10,000 to purchase, so we would prefer to borrow.😉

At school, Cam had another basketball game with his inclusion team.  They gathered for a team picture afterwards and Jane was happy that her son requested that the photographer (a classmate's mom) send the pic to his mom.

Our Weatherford family was excited for the weekend.  On Saturday afternoon, it was road trip time to see cousins. Cameron and his parents played with the kiddos and we all shared an early dinner.

We decided to get back on the road sooner than we normally would due to the time change of springing forward.

Sunday afternoon, the sun shone once again so Cam could take a spin in the power soccer chair outside.  It was very windy and we somehow managed to completely lose the lightweight ball he was using for practice.  We all kept joking about where the ball might turn up...perhaps Cam will spot it on his daily school bus ride 😁

Camology Quotes:

Cam wore a sweatshirt on Saturday that has an anchor displayed on the front.  It also contains phrases in Latin. "Noli in vento urinare" and "Grande Havenus Michigandus" which we knew was Grand Haven, Michigan.  The first phrase, however, was looked up online.  The literal translation is "Don't Urinate in the Wind"...Hilarious laughter followed!  And Cameron could barely catch his breath.

"I don't think I can wear this to school.  What will my teachers say?"

WMML Joins the Y - Week of Feb. 24th

My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn't accessible. ~Stella Young

We often talk about how fortunate we are to live in the community that we do.  Cam plays baseball with the West Michigan Miracle League (WMML) in the spring and the fall, inclusion basketball at high school and power soccer at the Y.

Most every Wednesday, Cam eats an early dinner and then we head out for power soccer practice at the Mary Free Bed YMCA.  Chris assisted this week by filling in the goalie spot near the end of the practice. 
The Mary Free Bed YMCA in Grand Rapids, Michigan opened in December, 2015. The 16,200-square-foot facility became the first facility in the world to be recognized with Universal Global Design certification. It is a universally designed health and wellness center that partners with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. The YMCA's history reflects the commitment of both organizations to community and inclusion.

On Saturday, we were headed to a celebration Family Night for the WMML.  First, we met Cam's best buddy, Brody and his parents and grandma for dinner at the boys' favorite, Culver's.  It was a lively meal and we finished up just before 6pm.

The MFB Y was closed to members for the evening and open for WMML families who had registered to be there for the event!  The entire location was filled with WMML athletes and their invited people.

At the end of the long ramp to reach the lower level, the mascot from the the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team was ready for pictures.  On the lower level, there is a large hot tub and pool.  Jane convinced Cam to hang out in the hot tub since the larger body of water was a bit chilly.  A lift is shown to the right of Cameron in the picture.  Typically, one of these lifts is only next to a pool and rarely a hot tub.  The water was very relaxing.  We hung out with Brody and his family and saw so many other friends we knew.  The time went by quickly.

On Sunday, we made our way to Grand Haven to spend time with Oma.  We picked her up at 11:30 so we could all go out to brunch.  Two Yolks was our chosen location and we all loved our choices for our midday meal.  After dining, we returned to Oma's place to work on some projects.  As a surprise, Chris installed a new shower head with Cam.  Jane and her mom organized a large closet and before we knew it, it was late afternoon.

As we were saying goodbye, it was fun to be able to talk about seeing Oma in just two more weeks!

Camology Quotes:

The ASAWM sent a wrap up video (https://youtu.be/haqCEOFvYx0 ) from the skiing season and we were reminded of a funny story.  One Sunday, Chris made the trek to get the ski sled for Cam to use.  However, he didn't ask his son which sled it was. When he returned, it wasn't the right one.  Cam quickly commented.

"Dad, I have the #1 sled. You should've just asked me!"

Sports Rule - Week of Feb. 17th

"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." ~Mike Singletary

Monday was part of Cam's mid-winter break and a holiday for Jane from work.  The extra day was needed due to the cough hanging on for both Jane and her son.  Tuesday, Cameron stayed home an extra day to help the coughing subside a bit more before heading back to school on Wednesday.  Chris remained working from the house and made time for an experiment in the frigid weather.  He soaked a sheet in water and then showed Cam how it "flash froze" by holding it up.

Fortunately for Cam, Wednesday was a good day to be back in action.  That evening, the FH Northern High Unified basketball was headed to a local university, Aquinas College. 

The itinerary was set: Pre-Game: 5:20 PM: Both teams should line up with our home team for  introductions, 10 minutes before tip-off. 

Northview Unified will join Cornerstone Women’s Basketball during the national anthem and handshake line (North Side). 

Forest Hills Northern will join Aquinas Women’s Basketball during the national anthem and handshake line (South Side). 

Halftime (15 minutes): With 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, both teams should gather in the Northwest Corner of the gym to prepare to take the court. The Unified game will consist of three five-minute quarters with a running clock. 

Post-Game: Following the women’s game, food and refreshments will be available in the Hospitality Room. Meal provided: Pizza, pop, and water.

Cameron had a great time with his teammates and meeting the Aquinas Women's Basketball team!

It was a short school week for Cam and Sunday was our big day out.  At 12p, we arrived at a location where the Adaptive Ski Association of West Michigan was hosting a brunch for volunteers, athletes and their families.  After picking from a large assortment of choices, we enjoyed a hearty meal and then played bingo and heard about upcoming events for ASAWM.  What a great way to close out the skiing season!

We had a bit of time to relax at home before heading out once again.  Our destination was the Van Andel Arena downtown.  For the last few years, we have attended the Sensory Friendly Grand Rapids Griffins game, which is typically held in February.  It has become a family tradition Christmas present.  Cam and his parents do appreciate the lower noise level that accompanies this event.

We dined at the restaurant on the main floor and then found our awesome seats.  We had a great view of the action and munched on some popcorn from a local vendor.

As we were leaving, we exited out a side door where the intercom system could be heard on a loudspeaker.  It was incredibly confusing for a moment because we all thought we were somehow overhearing a very loud conversation!  We were all laughing for quite awhile and it was a funny experience to end our evening with.

Camology Quotes:

Even though the noise level in the arena is reduced, the chatter and activities can still make a bit challenging to hear each other. When our team scored, Cam thought he heard Jane say something that sounded more like an outcome of the Olympics and then realized his error, commenting,

"Ohhh, I thought you said they got gold..but you actually said they got a goal!"

Influenza Take Down - Week of Feb. 10th

"Health is not valued until sickness comes." ~Thomas Fuller

"You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in." ~Dr. Suess

Sometimes, even with all of the precautionary measures, sickness can still find you.

Jane was the first victim.  After battling a scratchy throat all day Monday and enduring a work training (on video) at night, she was down for the count all day Tuesday.  That evening, after a visit to the med center, she was diagnosed with Influenza A and given a script for Tamiflu.

Cameron was next.  He remained in school until mid-morning Thursday when his teacher texted indicating he didn't feel well.  Chris took his son to the med center and received the same diagnosis as Jane.  Ironically, the pharmacy was out of the prescription but would be replenished on Friday.  Cam's mom was feeling better by that afternoon and after Cameron had just two doses, his coughing was less severe.

Based on the sickness that permeated our household, all Valentine's plans were put on hold.  It's a special day for Cam's parents, signifying the day they met, the date of their engagement as well as their Puerto Rico honeymoon.  

We still managed to find some smiles, though.  When Cameron requested a sundae for dessert on Saturday, his dad snuck outside and gathered up a large bowl of snow.  He even drizzled chocolate sauce to make it appear more authentic.  Cam couldn't be fooled, though, and erupted in laughter as he got closer.  On Sunday, Chris wasn't feeling the greatest so movies dominated our household.

In honor of Valentine's we created an album of past V-Day pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/63WMvfrmjWepYdqT7

May the flu bug stay away from everyone for the remainder of the season!

Camology Quotes:

Cam's flu symptoms were in full force Thursday night.  After settling into bed, he called Jane into his room with the following request due to his fever: 

"Please close the front door.  It's freezing!"

Unified Basketball - Week of Feb. 3rd

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." ~Helen Keller

Inclusion has been a part of Cameron's life from the beginning.  How can we include him in an activity? How can he advocate for himself to be included?  Recently, Cam expressed an interest in his school's unified sports team.  In the picture, he is shown assisting the coach with uniforms.

Unified basketball is a Special Olympics program that combines players with and without intellectual or physical disabilities on the same team. The goal of Unified basketball is to promote understanding, inclusivity, and friendship.

Friendships are strong with Cam.  It was spirit week at Forest Hills Northern High and our junior always wants to participate.  For twinning day, he wore his Brody's Be Cafe gear, just like his best bud, Brody.  There were multiple assemblies in the gym.  The activities were all leading up to the dance scheduled for Saturday evening.

Attending social events is Cam's choice.  He will typically ask if he should go and we always explain that it's not our decision since we're not the ones participating.  Swirl is the annual dance held in February at the high school.  Cam decided he wanted to go and paid his $20 ticket fee.  The dance was scheduled from 8-10pm and Cameron arrived shortly after the doors opening.  He met his friends there and had a good time!

Cam slept in on Sunday.  He was ready for his last session of the ASAWM adaptive ski season at Cannonsburg.

We arrived early and our skier was a bit nervous because another instructor would be guiding him down the slopes.  His hesitation quickly faded after a perfect first run.  Chris accompanied his son on the chairlift each and every time.  Mr. Noah guided Cam down the ski hill.  Ms. Jessie also took the lead for one of the last downhill adventures.  We ended the season on a high note without a single wipeout that day!

After skiing, we welcomed our cousins and friends for a SuperBowl party.  Cam likes seeing the kids enjoy many of the toys from his childhood.  What's old is suddenly new again!

Camology Quotes:

Cam sometimes struggles with a tough choice.  He is good at recognizing the difficulty.  When he finally chose, he also told us:

"I need to get better at making decisions and deciphering how I feel."

An Italian Feast - Week of Jan. 27th

"There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as more." ~Robert M. Hensel

Monday morning provided an exceptionally beautiful sunrise, as seen from our front porch.  Cam was back into his swim therapy that evening.  He was excited to be in the warm pool once again with Ms. Mandy.  Following swimming, it's time for physical therapy with Patrick.  It was great for Cameron to be back in his typical weekly routine.

We received a major surprise on Wednesday after dinner.  There was a drop off to our porch from UPS delivery.  Chris was at a work conference and Jane and her son assumed it was an Amazon delivery.  They were completely shocked to open the big box which contained 2 large red cooler bags.  The envelope on top was a special note from Ms. Cyndi entitled "Homemade for you with love..." and the contents were overwhelming.  Containers of freshly made frozen meals included Sunday Sauce, Chicken Scampi, Bolognese and Italian Chicken Soup. There wasn't just a single container of each...it was multiple meals.  The coolers also contained dried pasta made in New Jersey, Tastykake's from Pennsylvania and two eastern coast classics: Taylor Ham and Scrapple.  We have already sampled the majority of the homemade goodness and have declared Cyndi a world-class chef! 

Saturday morning, Chris was scheduled to volunteer for Mary Free Bed's adaptive skiing day. The sunshine found its way to Michigan so Cam and his mom were off to visit Oma Saturday afternoon.  We all wanted to see the ice on our Great Lake, so we made our way to Grand Haven State Park to check out the frozen water.  It is quite a sight to see the view in the winter.  Even though it was windy and a bit chilly, we were able to clearly see the break point of ice versus H2O. To warm ourselves up, we all had a tasty Starbuck's treat.  It was fun to see Oma and hear about all of the activities she's been involved with.

Sunday afternoon, we were back at Cannonsburg for the fourth week of adaptive skiing.  It was a bit icy on the slopes and the sun was being elusive.  Cam's ski partner, Mr. Jim, expertly navigated him down the slopes.  They had a rough go of it on the first run but settled in quickly.  Chris has mastered riding up the ski lift with his son.  It takes mad skills and lucky for Cameron, his dad was up for the challenge.  In the lodge afterwards, we had a good laugh about how everyone looks so different when they have their ski gear on.  Truly, people are almost unrecognizable without ski helmets, googles and snow pants!

Camology Quotes:

Cam is always gracious with his compliments.  Sometimes they come in another form.  Jane created a pesto chicken sandwich for dinner one evening.  Halfway through the meal, he let out a large belch.  He said "excuse me" and then quickly added...

"That means compliments to the chef, Mom!"

The Frozen Tundra - Week of Jan. 20th

Quote: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." 

Fact: Martin Luther King Jr. often spoke about love and brotherhood, encouraging people to think of others — including "enemies" — like family. He believed love, rather than violence and hatred, is the answer to the world's problems. 

What we can do: When someone treats you poorly, try to treat them well in return. Use your energy to love yourself and help others.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, school was not in session for Cam on Monday.  We talked about his legacy and how important it is to help others.

Due to a crazy snowstorm and cold snap, school was canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Luckily for our high school student, the cancellations were announced the night before for each of the closures.  Cameron's parents, however, can always access work activities with available technology.  Cam kept himself busy during the three homebound days. Chris and Jane checked in with him periodically in between their meetings.

Chris can make us laugh even when he isn't trying to.  For a family Christmas gift, he purchased a robotic floor cleaner.  He had placed Cam's shoes on the leg lifts so that the robot (which we named "McClean") wouldn't have any issues with the obstacle.  When Jane and Cam saw the setup, they could not stop laughing!

We dined on Olive Garden takeout (thanks to Auntie Karen's Christmas gift card) Saturday evening in preparation for adaptive skiing on Sunday.  

Sunday's weather conditions could not have been better!  The sunshine boosted everyone's energy and Cam had the most ski runs down the slope ever. 😀

We were happy to have a visit with 'big sis' Lauren when we returned home from the Cannonsburg ski hill.  Cam commented how tired he was from the week to which his dad commented, "Oh that's right. The two days of school you had must have been really exhausting!"

Camology Quotes:

When Cam was younger, we always encouraged him to explain himself by telling us and explaining as much as he could.  It's funny how sometimes he'll say something that his parents used to use as a comment with their son.  When Jane asked Chris about an afternoon snack and there was no response, Cam interjected:

"I guess Dad doesn't want anything. He's not using his words."