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Living day by day only by God's merciful grace and blessings.
Journal
Friday, July 3, 2009 9:58pm Pacific Dear friends and prayer partners,
Today marks Fernanda’s 5th anniversary of her brain trauma. The day started off in haste, not how I would have preferred. A rare breakfast together as a family was fun. We rarely have the opportunity to have all 6 of us sit around a table for a meal. At lunch it hit me hard, 5 years ago today we were doing the same thing, sitting down to eat a meal with all of us and Fernanda was able bodied, talking and a healthy girl. Little did we know a dramatic change of events in her life and ours would take place in a few hours. Each anniversary of her trauma is difficult, with this being the 5 year mark made it more emotional for me than the last three years; the 1st anniversary was a very hard for me too. Jake and I were talking after lunch, he said “The fact she is here today is a gift. The Lord has been faithful to our family. Yes it has been difficult; remember the story of Job and many trials he went through. Our family has grown in our faith and we continue to be very dependent on others. The trial we have gone through has not been in vain.”
We do get out and about quite a bit, our family does appear on the surface to be doing well though there are still many struggles for the Hernandez family that are not always apparent. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, I have detailed some specifics below.
If you leave town for the summer, please remember Fernanda by dropping a postcard in the US Mail or signing Fernanda’s guestbook. She receives great joy knowing she is not forgotten. If you would like to come by give us a call on our home phone, 408-776-7979.
Our home address is 18334 Christeph Drive, Morgan Hill, CA 95037-3437 . I also created a Facebook account for her, you may look her up by her email address Fernanda_hernandez@sbcglobal.net .
Signing her guest book
http://www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda/guestbook.html
New Pictures in her Photo Gallery
http://www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda/photo.htm
The last three months have brought many decisions, emotions and outings. Fernanda was promoted from 8th grade at the school she started as a founding 1st grader. Alejandra graduated from high school there were joyous parties for them both; looking for a new school placement for Fernanda; hiring a new caregiver for the summer; regular visits to the bowling alley and playing baseball with other special needs children.
School
In preparation for a new school placement the county psychologist paid a visit to our home to meet Fernanda and discuss with me Fernanda’s needs and capabilities. I personally searched out four different schools for Fernanda’s placement for high school. Some of the schools required multiple visits or requests by myself to other individuals on Fernanda’s team to visit. The school district and our family agreed on a new placement in San Martin, a county classroom with several disabled children. It will be a huge school environment change for our family, a difficult decision indeed.
Debbie helped work on a 8th grade party for Fernanda and her school classmates. A team of families put on a beautiful party for the group of students to enjoy. This was the last time they will be together as many of them are going to several different high schools. Jacob helped chaperone the party!
We lost of our home hospital teachers, Terry. He has left employment with the school district. Kim, Fernanda’s other home teachers is taking over as many extra days as possible.
Fernanda is working with a new computer and new software program. The school district purchased the new equipment/software earlier this year. A team of specialist are building new tools and documentation in hopes to provide Fernanda with more opportunities to communicate through a computer and give her control. The two switch control we started working on earlier this year did not progress, Fernanda was getting too confused. We backed off and went back to one switch access.
Caregivers and Medical
A new college student Sara W. was hired in late May, she will stay on with us until early August when she returns to her nursing program at SF State. She came in at the right time as one of our other caretakers took an extended leave to visit Spain. Praise God the schedules for vacation and caregiver’s availability has worked out. Typically I have had more trouble finding caregivers to hire, this year I am having a challenge with finding the hours to pay the girls as one of the programs I use to pay the caregivers cut our hours earlier this year. During the summer months I need more hours since Fernanda is home through out the day. A dear friend has volunteered to help one 1/2 day a week, there are few gaps when no caretaker, all and all we are really blessed with the individuals working with our family.
California budget is in a state of crisis it definitely is on my mind how the changes in the budget will affect our care.
Therapy and Doctor Appointments
Our grievance for home speech services I filed at the end of December finally was resolved this month, it only took 6 months. The grievance would have likely fallen by the way side had I not kept on top of Kaiser. The resolution they proposed is to see an inpatient speech therapist; Fernanda will work with her for four sessions. Small goals will be set, if Fernanda makes progress there is a good chance inpatient Kaiser will continue to treat.
In early June we visited California Children’s Services for Fernanda’s yearly exam for her range of motion and wheelchair evaluation. The therapist gave us some new arm stretching exercises to work on which have proven to help relax Fernanda’s arm for computer switch access. They also make some small wheelchair modifications and suggested some changes to her foot splints.
She continues to do well on the tilt table, standing for an hour.
Hanging out, going out…
Fernanda was promoted from 8th grade!
We went to see a couple movies, Hannah Montana and Earth!
She is taking in the lovely weather with walks and being read to under a tree.
Fernanda and Andrés played baseball March through May with the special needs baseball team. We are now meeting with some of the same children bowling. Fernanda gets to bowl too, there is a special apparatus we use to hold the ball. Fernanda uses her arm to push it down the alley.
We continue to enjoy church on a weekly basis, most Sundays Fernanda is able to participate in Sunday school and month we have a fellowship meal together a congregation.
Cousin Chuck Dowell from Washington paid a visit to see our family, unfortunately this was the same night Fernanda’s eye was scratched. Fernanda was out of sorts this weekend and could not socialize with Chuck. The eye did heal after a couple of days of wearing a patch and with some ointment.
The Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras was a blast!
Fernanda attended Alejandra's graduation ceremony at Presentation! Fernanda also made a the small trek via the EuroVan up Mt. Madonna in Watsonville to see our God daughter’s presentation about her trip to Africa in the Spring.
Jenny and Pam Leding from our church baked and cooked a delicious meal for us to share at a lovely promotion party for Fernanda at our home.
Every other week this summer we have been going to the library to see special events they present, such as Python Ron with his reptiles, insects and snakes and this week a magician. Fernanda and Elena are so entertained by the shows. Fernanda has also been attending meetings every couple of weeks for a Girl Scout Day camp she will attend in late July.
Getting Fernanda ready during summer vacation usually means we have more time, one morning a few weeks ago Elena was such a dear to Fernanda. It was early in the morning, Fernanda had just got up in her wheelchair and was still in her PJs. As I was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready for us all Elena took Fernanda into her room and turned on a Jonas Brothers CD. Elena proceed to go to Fernanda’s room to pick out all Fernanda’s clothes for the day, put them on her (Elena’s) bed. It is not easy to change Fernanda on Elena’s bed, though how could we hurt her baby sister’s feelings after all her effort. It was a precious site.
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, Vitamin Shoppe, Trader Joes, Costco, Target and Safeway. The cards may be mailed directly to our home address, 18334 Christeph Drive, Morgan Hill, CA 95037-3437).
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:
• Pray God will provide for the Hernandez family financial needs.
• Pray for guidance and strength for Jacob and Debbie in raising our family.
• Pray for our relationships with each other, specifically with Jacob, Debbie and Alejandra.
• Pray for a new aide who is a good match with Fernanda’s needs. School starts in late August.
• Praise Christine’s (a prior caretaker) back is healing!
• Pray for Fernanda's Grammie Hernandez, Jacob's mother who suffered a massive
brain hemorrhage in the Fall 2008.
Coram Deo,
(Jake and) Debbie
www.caringbridge.org/ca/fernanda
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