Update: Deadline to get stuff to me is Saturday! We are driving to Windsor early Sunday morning to deliver everything!!
Hi There,
I know I haven’t blogged in forever. This post is very different. I have sent out a Call to Action to my friends and family to help me with a family who I have “adopted” called the Kidd’s. They need a little help with Christmas this year. Brigid has some sort of degenerative disease that she has suffered with all her 7 short years. It hasn’t been diagnosed, so they don’t have a name for what’s wrong and she has been in serious condition many many times. For now, she is in “remission” and isn’t in the hospital. Her mom Allison, doesn’t work, all these hospital and doctor’s visits are a full time job. She does do some crafting to try and make some extra money. Brigid also has a brother named Reggie, he’s 14. He has a Wii and DS and needs winter clothing. And lastly there is Dale, he just recently lost his job. The only income the Kidd family had. Along with that went their medical benefits. You can read all about the trials and tribulations of of this family on Allison’s blog: http://snsherpa.blogspot.ca/
Here is the latest update on the Kidd’s Chipin page:
“Your kindness is overwhelming – with everything going on, knowing there are people out there – some who have met us, some who wouldn’t know us if they walked past us on the street, who care, who think about us, who pray for Brigid, who have donated… it really is humbling.
Thank you.
Since the last post, Brigid has come home from hospital – just over 6 weeks in total, over 5 weeks in London, away from home, but we are back together under the same roof, sharing laughter and tears, getting in each others’ hair and generally doing the family thing.
This is good – that we can smile, and love each other, because otherwise, the challenges we are facing could be the end of us all.
Brigid is very stable medically – in the world of degenerative conditions, stable is the best we can ask for. She is happy, driving her brother nuts, going to school, limiting her hospital visits to one a week… and until a shoe drops, we are in a decent place with her.
I, on the other hand, am not doing well. While Brigid was in the hospital, I ran into some medical issues that required prompt attention. Without going into too much detail, biopsies were taken, and the cancerous Sword of Damocles in hanging over my head right now. There were abnormalities in bloodwork that are concerning, as well, so now, I wait to get in to see a doc here. I lost an ovary to a tumour when I was 18, and since the concerns are in the same geographical area, the concerns are very real (and justified). Not to be one to have a single challenge, this past Friday evening, I noticed some odd issues with my vision (I have developed a blind spot in the central vision of my right eye). Since it hadn’t resolved by Saturday morning, I got myself off to an eye doc who confirmed my concerns – there is a problem with my retina. I am waiting now for the appointment with the retinal surgeon to determine the degree and origin of the problems, and if there is anything that we can do to restore the vision I have lost, or prevent it from progressing.
That, however, is not the scariest thing going on right now – the scariest thing is what has happened with Dale. Just shortly more than 2 weeks after Brigid finally came home from London, the day before Brigid’s 7th birthday, Dale lost his job, and along with it, his medical benefits. What does this mean? Well, first of all, there is the obvious – no job = no money, and we live in the Canadian city with the highest unemployment rate in the country.
But beyond that, the lack of medical benefits means that Brigid will not be able to access 3 of the most important medications that she takes – Ondansetron, an anti-nausea/vomiting drug, Atarax, one of the drugs that keeps her mastocytosis in check, and Keppra – the first anti-seizure drug that has been anywhere close to effective for her. Dale, already sporting pre-cancerous changes in his esophagus, will not be able to get the meds that have been reducing the damage done by his reflux.
My blood pressure remains uncontrolled, and without benefits, medication to try and get on top of it is out of reach. At this point in time, it will be all we can do to stay on top of bills and keep a roof over our heads.
And please don’t mention Christmas…”
That’s where we come in. If just a few of us pitch in. We can give them Christmas. Here is a list of things we are looking for. If they are crossed off, then we are good. If you wish to donate one of these items, please contact me directly at stampwithb@gmail.com or call me.
Brigid:
VeggieTales stuff (no more dvd’s we have lots now)
My Little Ponies
Reggie:
Wii games
DS games (Pokemon Black 2 & Pokemon White 2)
iTunes gift cards
Clothing- Men’s Medium or Large (he’s a husky build), 34 waist, 32 inseam size 10.5 shoe
Allison:
Fimo, fimo and more fimo!
Micheal’s gift cards
Dale:
Anything War of 1812 related
Game of Thrones book 3
Game of Thrones book 4
Family:
Gift cards for Shoppers Drug mart
Clothing stores Gift cards
Food gift cards- Real Canadian Super Store
Money- you can send it to me so that I can fill in the gaps or directly to the Kidd’s by using the Chipin link
I am also looking to see if any one has a company courier account that can be donated so that we can get this stuff to Windsor/London for Xmas eve.
Update: My family and I will be driving to Windsor on Sunday to deliver the gifts. I want to thank everyone so far for their amazing generosity. I am truly amazed.
Anything you can do to help will be MOST appreciated. I have already had an out-pouring of support from many of you and have started receiving gifts.
Merry Christmas,
Blair
