Alea's Fundraising Page

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/chris-garner-1/awalkwithourangel2011

Last year this is what I wrote on Alea's Buddy Walk page, On August 14, 2010 Alea May joined the clan. It came as a surprise when she was diagnosed with Down syndrome. She is a true angel. She has been such a wonderful blessing to our home and has brought an amazing spirit."

I must admit, I had no idea then how amazing her spirit was. I have been blown away this year with her influence on our family.  She has a nack, even at a young age, of identifying those who need a smile and giving it to them.  You can't help but feel good when you are with her.  She is such a blessing!
The UDSF strives to bring families together to share experiences, challenges, goals, and dreams and to educate parents and society in understanding and appreciating the needs of individuals with Down syndrome. As parents gain knowledge, they are empowered to become better advocates for their children, thus providing them with increased opportunities to reach their highest potential.

Many thanks for your support as we continue our walk with Alea through life with Down syndrome-- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too! Every little bit helps.

Last year we reached our goal within 20 hours of posting Alea's Page. Do to the business of life, I am late getting my page up and running so hopefully we can have the same results this year.

A Little of Everything – Birthday Week Continues

Would birthday week be complete without a little bit of the tough stuff that Little Angel occasionally deals with?  Last night she had another sleep test.  We are hoping the results will mean that she doesn’t have to have oxygen at night anymore.

Learning and Laughing - Birthday Week Continues

Little Angel loves to learn.  She is always looking around her or trying to get into things.  I love it.  She is also the happiest baby I have ever seen.  We love her smile and her laugh.  She looks for the person not engaged or paying attention to anything and focuses on them until she catches their eye and then she gives them her big smile.  It has been fun to watch how much she cares for peoples feelings even at this young age.  Here are some examples from her first year. 

It’s Birthday Week

Can you believe it!!  Sunday our Little Angel will be turning one.  What a wonderful year it has been.  This week I will be posting some of the highlights.

Having her in the NICU was so hard.  Looking back at it now after getting to know her makes it seem even harder.  She proved from the get go that she is very patient and long suffering.

 

The girls couldn’t wait for Little Angel to arrive and they haven’t stopped loving her for one second the entire year.  Little Angel couldn’t have asked for a better set of big sisters.

She loved her swing.  It was her preferred napping spot.

Little Angel introduced us to a new world of wonderful people.  We look forward to getting to know the community even better this year.

This was one of 3 times this year that she fell asleep in my arms.  She has to be exhausted to do this.  She likes to sleep in a bed (or her swing) but not in your arms.

Her first Halloween.  She made a fantastic Tigger.  I will post more review pictures through out the week as it is now time for bed.

Catching Up with Photos

View Full Album

I Apologize in Advance….

So before I post what you all are wanting to see, pictures, let me list some excuses…

• 4 days of training in Phoenix for my work
• 3 Cranial Bands Helmets for Little Angel
• 7 trips to Fit Well in Salt Lake to try and get try and get the helmets to FIT WELL (GRRRRRRRRR)
• 1 looong letter to Altius Insurance asking them to reconsider denying payment for Little Angel’s helmet
• 7 four hour classes each Wednesday Night
• 4 intense quizzes, 5 research papers (6-7 pages each), and 4 group projects
• 1 AA meeting
• 1 paper on the AA meeting
• 1 nine year old turning ten
• 1 American Idol Microphone for said 10 year old’s birthday party
• 1 birthday party for said 10 year old
• 1 trip to Idaho and a look at Austin’s newly laid headstone

I am sure there are more.  Needless to say, it has been a busy couple of months.  Things with our little Angel are going great.  She is such a cutie.  She has recently learned to wave and as usual is almost always all smiles.  We have been able to take her out where ever we go since the end of April.  She loves the new world she is experiencing and especially loves being outside.
She has had her helmet in one form or another since the end of March, but the time did not officially start until the first part of May.  To say this helmet experience has been a nightmare would be an understatement.  Our insurance denied the claim to pay for it, stating that it was not functionally necessary.  Jodi put together a multiple page (8-10 pages) letter full of studies and other information that we sent to them in our appeal letter.  They have denied that as well so we are appealing the appeal, but are doubtful it will do anything.  Some have suggested we get a hold of a news station so that they can raise awareness of our insurance’s decision.  We have not decided to do that yet, but are leaning against it.  I never even thought about the added cost that kids with special needs and unique situations cost before I had to deal with it.  I must say, it is worth every penny.
I wish the nightmare would only include the insurance.  The helmet company can’t seem to get it to work right on Little Angel.  She had sores on her head for most of April as they went through 3 different helmets trying to make it work.  They just have not fit right, and are constantly in her eyes.  Finally on Friday, Jodi called them she had had it.  She wanted our money back.  They told her to give them one more chance.  They were willing to pay for our gas, and had us talk to a different technician.  The changes seem to be better, but the jury is still out as to if this helmet is fitting right.  It seemed in her eyes again today so we will see (no pun intended).
Now let me go find some pictures…

Picture Update

The last few weeks in pictures.  Little Angel learning to sit by herself, experiencing her first piano recital where EC and Keena performed, Mom’s birthday, and watching signing time with the girls.

Ask Heavenly Father

I realize it has been a long time since I have updated the blog.  I don’t know why, but every time I have started typing, I have not felt like writing anything.  Chalk it up to writers block.  I thought I would give you all (at least those of you still here) an update.

Little Angel is doing so good.  The doctors are so happy with her health.  She is growing like crazy.  In the last month or so she is sitting up by herself and is working on using her hands and legs.  She loves to be with her mom and sisters.  They take very good care of her.  In the last month or so, her heart has checked out and shows no ill signs of the hypertension she was born with.  The cardiologist said we would not need to be seen for 6-9 months.  The pulmonologist said that her lungs sound really good as well.

Little Angel will be getting a cranial helmet.  Since she was born, she has favored looking to the right thus causing her head to not form in the correct shape.  We have been trying for a couple of months to make sure she is facing to the left if she has to lay down.  Now that she is sitting, we try to have her sit up as much as possible.  She will have to wear the helmet for 3-4 months.

Unfortunately, our insurance has denied our claim for the helmet, so we will be selling advertising space on her head (helmet) .  Having Alea has opened my eyes to some of the issues of healthcare.  I thought I had a valid opinion before Little Angel was born, but I must admit, I have become a little less opinionated about most things over the last 7 months.  I certainly don’t base my opinions from things I hear on the news regardless how fair and balanced they may or may not be.

The doctor at Primary Children’s said they rank the severity of needing a helmet on a scale from 1 to 10.  1 being least severe, and 10 being the most severe.  Little Angel’s head ranked at a 9.  Research shows that if it is not fixed now, it may need to be fixed through surgery later.  Research also shows that if not treated it could cause hearing and vision issues (If interested in the research let me know I can send the articles to you). 

Our insurance considers it to be a cosmetic treatment just as it considers braces to be a cosmetic treatment.  When I found that out, I was surprised the insurance company didn’t include a copy of Carli Simon’s famous single.  I understand that there are cosmetic advantages that will come from this treatment.  Little Angel is more alike than she is different, her head shape does not need to contribute to her differences no matter how vain the insurance thinks that makes her.

I have had this post in my head for some time, but I have hesitated in sharing it.  I have struggled between sharing too much of our challenge that people may think we are a charity case, or that I am seeking pity. Our family has been very blessed, and Alea will get the treatment she needs.  These helmets are expensive.  We are appealing the insurance’s decision and are hoping they will understand that the helmet is medically necessary.  If not, we will make it work. 

This has caused me to stop and think about the state of healthcare in this day and age.  In no way do I want this blog to be a political blog, but my perspective has been changed.  Regardless of which side of the argument you fall on, there is one point that should be agreed upon by all.  Something needs to be done.  What if there was no way we could make it work?  What if Jodi and I were working two jobs just to make ends meet, and a helmet was not an option.  I am sure there are people in that situation.

I have heard both sides.  The government should step in and help everyone without insurance, while the other side cries that this is socialism taking hold of America.  I find myself somewhere in the middle, understanding that changes need to be made.  In church today we learned about charity. 

While the politicians argue about what is right and wrong about our healthcare, I would encourage you to consider what YOU are doing to help those in need.  Charity doesn’t come from the government, it comes from us.  If you are able and are not doing anything for those who need, I would encourage you to pray and ask Heavenly Father who you can help, and how you can help them.  It may be He answers telling you to send support to earthquake victims in Japan, or He may answer telling you to help the family down the street.  When you receive that answer, do what He asks you to do.

Our family is very lucky.  We have great support from family, friends, and neighbors as we are able to meet our needs.  I am sure that there are those in this world who could use the help, some of them being much closer than Japan.  Our little angel is opening my eyes to this every day.

Mosiah 4:26

“And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.”

Wordless Wednesday – 6 months

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

From Our Editor in Chief – Life Goes On

Editor in Chief (EIC) - These next questions make me uncomfortable, but I’m going to ask them anyway. These questions are probably influenced by that 90s drama Life Goes On, which as you recall Corky, the son with Down syndrome, had a girlfriend. Answer if you’d like.

Chris - I also remember this TV show. It was one of my family’s favorites. There were times in Jr. High or high school, however, when I was with my friends, that I would make fun of the show. I have to admit, I feel a lot of shame about that. Any person with Down syndrome or a learning disability that I knew, I treated with respect. But how hypocritical I must have been when a friend did something silly, or dumb, or stupid for me to reference Corky or the theme song of Life Goes On. I can’t go back and change it, but I feel very shameful for anytime I made light of someone’s intellectual disabilities. Every day for the rest of my life, I will try to make that up to Alea as I feel like that let her down.

EIC - Don’t be too hard on yourself here, Chris. For people of our generation, Corky is a name we’re all familiar with, and we’re all not proud of using it the way we probably did. It’s like my good friend Oprah says, “When you know better, you do better.” She’s quoting Maya Angelou when she says that, so out of the mouth of two or more influential women, it must be true.

Looking ahead, what type of life will Alea likely have in her adult years? Will she be able to live on her own? You posted a YouTube video about a girl with Down syndrome who was planning for college. Do you see college as a possibility? Is that common?

Chris - Cindy, I will be honest, looking too far ahead scares me. There is so much unknown that I can get caught up worrying about. Right now we are dealing with some effects of pulmonary hypertension. Alea has severe sleep apnea. I know several parents who are dealing with so many more health issues than we are. One is dealing with leukemia; one is dealing with seizures; and another is dealing with diabetes and celiac disease, as well as Down syndrome. I could just make myself sick trying to worry about it all.

I have dealt with some pretty significant anxiety in the past. I still do on a daily basis. It is something I have to fight constantly, so I have to be mindful of the things I can control and the things that I can’t. Our plan for Alea is for her to be the best she can be. We see it as our responsibility to see to it that she reaches her full potential, just as it is with our other girls.

Jodi works tirelessly doing early intervention with Alea trying to get her skills to develop as quickly as possible. I do know that she is a very smart little girl and works hard to learn. I can also tell that she has social intelligence that is on par with where our other girls have been at the same age.

Long story short, yes, college is a possibility and it happens more than I ever realized. Our role is to help her get there if that is something she chooses to do.

I will admit, I catch myself wondering how we are doing with keeping her where she should be. There was a neighbor girl in our church that was born 10 minutes after Alea. When I see her in church it is hard for me not to look at her and see what she is doing: Is her head strong; can she grab toys; etc.? I have almost caught myself wondering how Alea is progressing in her development when compared to her little church friend. When I catch myself doing it, I try to stop and remind myself that Alea is Alea. She will be her best, and her best already is a blessing to me.

EIC - Will Alea be able to get married? Are there laws preventing those unions?

Chris - I am not aware of any laws preventing this. There is a movie out about a couple named Monica and David. It is about a Down syndrome couple that got married. I started watching part of it a couple of weeks after Alea was born and it was hard. There were challenges the family faced (it had nothing to do with the marriage) that I wasn’t ready to think about at that time. I need to go back and watch it now.

EIC - Are kids a possibility for Alea? (I think they are, because I saw a Law and Order episode once where a girl with Down syndrome was impregnated.)

Chris - I do not have information on this.

EIC - What is the common life span of someone with Down syndrome?

Chris - I have heard it is around 60-65 years. Part of me thinks I should do some research, while part of me doesn’t need to.

EIC - What are your hopes for Alea’s future?

Chris - I hope that Alea can do what she came to earth to do. Help those that need her. The other day I got home from work after a long week of work. I was not in a good mood. She would not take her eyes off of me. She followed me with these caring eyes wherever I was in the room. Her social awareness is such that if you look back at her she won’t keep looking in your eyes as there is that perceived un-comfortableness. We all feel it. That was not the case this night. She looked at me constantly with such loving eyes. I finally picked her up and she laid her head on my shoulder and gave me a hug. She has a gift to tell if someone needs help. I know she felt that I needed to feel of her spirit, and she made it happen.

We will parent her just like most would parent any child. We will do anything and everything in our power to give her the confidence, practice, and support to be the best that she can be. We love her and are glad that she is a part of our eternal family.

Next month: School questions.

Catching Up

I need to apologize for my lack of updates over the last little while.  I don’t know what Christmas did to me, but I have yet to catch up.  Both work an school mixed in with family have left me little time to blog.  I intend to do better.

A First Christmas

Our Angel’s first Christmas was  a special one.  I had forgotten the spirit a little baby brings into the home.  It seems to be even more present during Christmas.  EC and Keena were so cute with their sister wanting to show her all the sights, sounds, and traditions of Christmas.  Santa decided to get some DVDs for her to learn sign language.  These DVDs, called Signing Time have been a family favorite.  Keena and EC watch them regularly as we try to help our Little Angel learn to communicate.

Angel’s First Road Trip

We were able to go and visit family in Idaho over the New Year.  It was Little Angel’s first road trip.  She loved it, especially all of the attention.  With her oxygen machine, we had to go a little white trashish and put some luggage on the roof of our van.  Ironically I forgot a piece to the oxygen machine so we had to track down an Idaho branch of Praxair.  They ended up just delivering oxygen tanks to get us through the trip, so we went all cousin Eddie for nothing.

My dad taught the kids a game he used to play with us as kids.  It is called “Fox and Geese”.  They all had fun.  It was a wonderful chance for us to go and visit family.a

Game rules:  Fox and Geese - This game is played after a snowfall. First the snow is tramped down in paths to make a big wheel with spokes and a hub in the center. One player is the Fox and the rest are the Geese. The Fox tries to catch a Goose (who then becomes the next Fox). Players must stay inside the paths. If a Goose steps off the path, that Goose is caught. The only safe place for a Goose is in the center (hub). But only one Goose is allowed to be in the center.

A Christmas Present for Austin

While we were in Idaho we ordered a Christmas present for Austin.  We just got the proofs.  There may be some minor changes, but we are anxious for the ground to thaw so it can be placed.

Updates & Milestones

• Little Angel’s pulmonary hypertension seems to be better.  We have an appointment with the pulmonologist on Friday for an update.
• She does have severe sleep apnea that requires oxygen at night.
• She has acid reflux that which complicates the apnea and the pulmonary hypertension.
• She has grown so much.
• She can use both hands to hold things.
• She reaches and grabs rattles and toys very well.
• Just recently she has learned to reach and grab with both hands for something right in front of her.
• She loves her play piano exersaucer.
• She can sit in her bumbo.
• She has started eating rice cereal and baby food.
• She has started laughing.
• She still sleeps through the night.
• She has become pretty social and looks when you call her name and smiles a lot.
• She easily rolls over on her own.
• Little Angel communicates very well.  Keena was paying the piano about a month ago and when she would stop, Little Angel would start whimpering until she started playing again.  She did the same thing watching signing time with me this morning.

Christmas 2010

"As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others" (Thomas S. Monson, "In Search of the Christmas Spirit," Ensign, Dec 1987, 3).

Christmas 2010 VIEW SLIDE SHOW

Today’s Fact About Down syndrome

Myth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents.

Truth: Most children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35 years old simply because younger women have more children. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother.

From our Editor in Chief

By Cindy Fisher
I have often wondered whether my marriage could survive having a child with special needs. It must be a strain on a family. However, when I heard that Chris and Jodi had Alea, this is going to sound weird, but it felt right. If any family was going to be able to help one of God’s choices spirits, it would be the Garners. They are such positive people, and they have two older girls who could be of great comfort to their parents and little protectors of Alea. I can already see the older girls ready to go to battle against any other kid who may say something mean to sweet Alea as she grows older and enters school.

Maybe you’re like me, and basically the only exposure to Down syndrome you’ve had has been seeing a Down syndrome child in the halls of the public school you attended or through a movie or television show.
These next set of questions are harder to ask, and probably harder for Chris to answer.


How long after Alea was born did you realize there was something different about the way she looked? Did you suspect it was Down syndrome?
 
First of all Cindy let me thank you for the kind words.
When Alea was born it was kind-of chaotic in the delivery room. Right after she was born I went to take her picture and realized that we had left the camera in the car. I ran out to get it. I returned to snap the picture and found the nurses all busy around her. They were worried about the way she was breathing. I snapped a picture, and they rushed her out of the room.
I made sure Jodi was okay, I then went down to check on her. I walked in the door to the nursery and walked over towards her. Her head turned towards me, and she opened her eyes. I knew right then. It wasn’t super obvious, but it immediately entered my mind; “She has Down syndrome.” I asked the nurses if everything was okay, and they confirmed that it was. I dismissed the thought that had entered my mind. 
 
It took them a week to confirm it. When I would go in to see her in the hospital, I would talk myself out of her diagnosis. It is kind-of silly looking back on it now. I would tell myself that her eyes were still swollen from delivery (which they were). I would tell myself that since she didn’t have the simian crease in her hands she didn’t have it. It was an interesting week mentally. I fought those thoughts even though I knew full and well I loved her beyond measure.
 
Take us through those moments after you were informed that Alea had Down syndrome. Was it similar to a grieving process: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and then acceptance? Have you found that your mind goes through this cycle many times, even now? 
 
Jodi and my mom had gone to see Alea at the hospital before my mom went back home after helping us for a few days. They walked in and Jodi was on the phone with someone. My mom had that look on her face. The look you get after hearing bad news. I asked her what was wrong, and she just looked at Jodi and said Jodi could tell me. I asked Jodi to get off the phone. It seemed like it took her forever. I asked her over and over. In reality it was probably a minute, and I was probably a little rude. Once she got off the phone, she told me the nurse practitioner had told her it was time to just accept the fact that she had Ds and to move forward. The results weren’t back, but it was time to accept it. She said there was certain care that Alea needed, and they couldn’t move forward with it until we understood and accepted that she had Ds. The way we were told still bugs me a little, especially because there never was any change in her care or urgent procedures that needed to take place.
 
I felt fear, I guess. Anger probably. I know I was angry at the nurse practitioner and I channeled all of my anger into that. My frustration was evident as I asked my mom and Jodi how they could know without the test results. At that point EC came in and asked what was wrong. When we told her she said, “So. I will still love her.” I then went to my room and cried for a few minutes.
Soon after that I had to take my mom to Salt Lake to meet my brother who would be taking her back to Idaho. After a while of driving in silence, I hit a point that embarrasses me the most looking back. I said to my mom, “At some point the Lord needs to figure out that Jodi has been through enough.” Ugh. So ya, I guess you could say I was mad.
I don’t really liken it to grieving, although it probably is the same. After the initial 24 hours or so it wasn’t a constant process. There were moments where it would hit me, and I would feel that fear or worry for Alea, but they were only moments. I still worry for her, but it is different now. Not sure how to explain.
 
In a letter I wrote to my family I said, “The hardest thing for me with this diagnosis, is that people may feel sad or sorry for us.  This is not the time for sorrow; we have had our share of sorrow. This is a time to celebrate this new life that has come to our home to teach us to be more Christlike.” We deal with grief on a daily basis for people who are no longer with us, so maybe that is why it is difficult for me to compare the feelings of uncertainty we feel with Alea to feelings of grief.
 
Who did you seek out first for emotional support after learning about Alea? 
 
I sought out Jodi. She is such a strength. After Jodi, I probably sought the advice of my parents. I have been that way since I was young, and they always have sound advice. I have been blessed with goodly parents.
 
Tell us about some of the people who have helped you look at the situation in a new light, or who has been a guiding help for your family? What has been some good advice or counsel you have received concerning Down syndrome? What new insights have you had that you could share with us?
 
This is a difficult question to answer. It amazes me the immediate support we received and continue to receive from other parents with children who have Down syndrome. I have a cousin who has Down syndrome. I called my aunt or she called me in the days soon after Alea was born with some sound advice. Everyone who has experience from similar situations has always said that these kids bring so much joy.
 
It is like anything that is new, though. I served a two-year mission for the LDS church. I remember getting out on my mission with the other 180 young men and women assigned to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with so much energy, excitement, and perhaps unrealistic expectations. Others who were more seasoned looked at me, I am sure, thinking, “He will learn.” Plato once said, “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” Being a new parent of a child with Down syndrome, I worry about being in that stage where I have to say something. The entire purpose of this blog is to raise awareness for Down syndrome, but I do worry that those seasoned parents are wondering if I just have to say something. 
 
As far as enlightenment, I think I have gained the most from my ever-evolving world view. As a member of the LDS church, we believe that kids with special needs are God’s most choice sons and daughters. If you stop and think about it, that is quite an honor. I have also been working on a master’s degree for the last year and a half in mental health counseling. The program has helped me be more accepting of all people and of my circumstances, whatever they may be. There have been two books I have recently read that have helped improve my world view. Both Ekhart Tolle’s The Power of Now and Michael Robinson’s Believing Christ have influenced my thinking about the life that presents itself to me each day.
 
What statement or expression do you wish people would NOT say to you when they learn your child has Down syndrome? What generally was people’s reaction when they heard about Alea’s condition?
 
“Oh, I am sorry.” That is the worst reaction. For some reason at first I hesitated to tell people, because I was afraid of their reaction. I am not that way now. It will be a challenge for Alea, but it is not something she did wrong. It doesn’t make me mad that people say that; they are doing their best, and I know I didn’t know what to say. For the most part, people congratulate us and cite an experience or two of the wonderful interactions they have had with people who have Down syndrome.

Angels Earn Their Wings

A common thing we heard after Alea was born, was about her free pass into Heaven.  I truly believe that kids with intellectual disabilities are guaranteed a spot in Heaven, but that spot is anything but free.

As I have learned more about Down syndrome, I am constantly reminded of my pre-Alea ignorance.  I had no idea what these kids go through.  As I have come to know more about families that have kids that have so many health issues that are due to their extra chromosome, I am in awe of the power of their spirits.  In every case, these kids bring so much joy to their family as they set an unbelievable example of determination, endurance, and will power for the rest of us.

Along this walk I have encountered many little heroes earning their wings.  There is the story of 6 year old Emma, who has diabetes and Celiac disease.  She dances too!  Stop and think about her story for a minute.  Down syndrome, diabetes, or Celiac Disease are all life altering conditions by themselves.  She has all 3!  What bravery Emma shows as she deals with it.  What an example of love her parents and siblings are to all, as they help Emma be her best.  Although it has to be hard, I have never talked to her mother that she has not had a smile on her face.  Emma is earning her wings.

Then there is Vada.  An absolutely adorable baby girl.  Over the last while, she has been experiencing frequent seizures.  As I have followed her story, it is clear how stressful this is to her parents, yet they proceed forward with faith in God.  Each day they face their new challenges head on hoping for the best for Vada as well as her other two siblings.  Recently the seizures have been less frequent.  It does not matter that her family attends a different religious affiliation than I do, their faith in God is undeniable and exemplary to me.  I continue to pray for Vada and her family, and I would ask you to do the same.  Vada is earning her wings.

These are just a two of the many examples of courage and faith that I have come across on this walk with our angel.  As I type this inside of a sleep center, I am very aware that my challenges are minimal.  Alea is currently hooked up to several wires as she tries to sleep so that the doctors can evaluate her O2 levels as she sleeps.  It is not critical, just the doctors trying to make sure she is getting all the O2 she needs.  Having been through a sleep study myself, I know it is not fun.  Alea, however, is resilient and continues to bring a smile to my face as she deals with being poked and prodded with such bravery.  I am glad she is my daughter and that her example is present daily in my life.

Here are some pictures of Alea earning her wings.