We first heard about ABR when we were at the The Cole Center for Healing in Cincinnati Ohio for hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Another family approached me and gave me a piece of paper and on it read, ABR. They told me to check it out. I filed it away in my notebook. ( I like to call it my handy dandy green notebook.) It has everything I needed for Noah, doctors, phone numbers and etc. About a year later I found that piece of paper and decided to do some research. After a lot of research and consideration we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately it was another therapy that wasn't covered by insurance. We then put it into God's hands and said if this was something we were to do for Noah, God will provide. It has been a four year journey thus far and we are still able to provide ABR for Noah. Praise God!!!
The end of August I posted on Facebook how excited I was that we again had enough money for our ABR training. The only thing we needed was money for our traveling expenses. My friend Barb, who is a Celebrating Home consultant asked me if I wanted her to set a Fundraiser Party online to raise money? I said, "Sure why not" I then posted it on Facebook. (Thank you everyone that helped out with that. We really appreciate every ones support.) Another friend contacted me on Facebook and asked me how much I needed for our traveling. I reluctantly told her a dollar amount. That was Friday and on Sunday she was knocking at on our door. She proceeded to tell us that her church family (St. Mark's Church) wanted to help us out. She then handed us the exact amount we needed for our traveling to Montreal.
She then proceded to say that they wanted to purchase a swing for Noah that Scott had posted on Facebook. It took me a few days but, I sent her this:
With thoughtful consideration about the swing..... Scott and I feel, yeah it would be great to have something like that but, we really don't feel it would get much use. It could only get used during the summer months and the way this summer was Noah spent all his summer inside out of the heat. It would have honestly made him sick to be outside for any length of time. So, we feel it would be waste of money to have someone purchase it for us. We would rather have help with things that Noah would benefit more from.... Like ABR....
With thoughtful consideration about the swing..... Scott and I feel, yeah it would be great to have something like that but, we really don't feel it would get much use. It could only get used during the summer months and the way this summer was Noah spent all his summer inside out of the heat. It would have honestly made him sick to be outside for any length of time. So, we feel it would be waste of money to have someone purchase it for us. We would rather have help with things that Noah would benefit more from.... Like ABR....
Now let me tell you how hard it was for me to be even consider asking someone else for any help at all. I was literally sick to my stomach when I sent that message.
This was her reply:
Well, give us a cost of such n item if we can't pay it all it doesn't mean we can't start a nest egg for it. Don't feel bad about talking about this or the cost. We are asking!:)
This was her reply:
Well, give us a cost of such n item if we can't pay it all it doesn't mean we can't start a nest egg for it. Don't feel bad about talking about this or the cost. We are asking!:)
This was my reply:
I'm not the one to ask for anything. In fact I always feel so guilty. We always just plug away and do what we can. That being said..... ABR is the therapy that we do for Noah. We go every 6 months to Montreal for training. It cost us $1700 each time we go and if we were rich, there is a machine that would provide therapy while he sleeps. That would be 10 hrs of extra therapy Noah would receive besides the 3hrs of manual therapy he gets every day. I can't even imagine the progress he would make with the machine. There is a deposit of $1800 for the machine and an additional annual fee of $3150. I'm not sure how the other families do it.....
Gosh I feel so bad even typing all this out...... Its going to take a lot to even press reply. Here it goes 1 2 3.....
Gosh I feel so bad even typing all this out...... Its going to take a lot to even press reply. Here it goes 1 2 3.....
Her reply:
Again on Sunday, there was a knock at the door. This time we were told that St. Mark's Church was going to sponsor or even "adopt" Noah if you will. Then proceeded to tell us that they would provide the funds for Noah to continue ABR indefinitely, including the ABR machine.
Can you say answered prayers? God will provide.
With great excitement, Noah, Emily and I traveled to Montreal, Canada to attend our ABR training and brought home the much wanted ABR machine.
When we returned the whole family attended St. Mark's Church on Sunday morning. Scott played and sang three songs through out the service. Again I'm not the kind of person to go and feel comfortable in a new surrounding. I was very anxious about going. In fact I was sick to my stomach just thinking about it but, I knew I had to go. How could I not? Now mind you this is a very small church in our little community. There maybe 20 people attending church that day. When we walked in I looked around, I recognized everyone of them. Each person had been touched by me and me them, even way back when I was 15 years old and I baby sat their children. I felt the biggest wave of peace I've ever experienced. I saw that our ABR journey was God's plan all along.
Gives you chills doesn't it?
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