the adventure continues...

We have some new prayer requests. Mike and I attend a support group meeting the second Saturday of each month, ACT (Autism, Conquering it Together) led by two moms. It is a large group of parents that meet and discuss all that is happening in the world of autism. We always end our meeting with an hour long discussion of the latest biomedical interventions available to our kids. It is always an informative time but also somewhat intimidating in that Mike and I are challenged each month to do more in recovering our son. We have recently changed many of his supplements and are researching a different chelation method that is transdermal as opposed to oral so that it bypasses his digestive system which is already compromised. We are also considering giving Sam the vitamin B-12 through daily injections which are proving to have positive results in over 90% of the children using them. In addition to all this, we are also asking Dr. Mahoney about the possibility of Sam's glutathion/NAC being given through an IV. This and more... We are also considering the possibility of doing NAET, a procedure that would boost Sam's immune system through acupressure. Healing his little body has proved to be quite the adventure. Sam begins private speech therapy this week. Our insurance has not decided yet whether his speech is "medically necessary" but we feel that we must begin to supplement the speech that Sam was receiving at school. Please pray that our insurance will cover his speech. We are still in prayer that Therapy House, Sam's ABA center, will be opening a private school soon. When the school opens, they have asked me to come on staff and work at the school. My salary would consist of private, ABA therapy for Sam 3 hours each day, Monday thru Thursday and free enrollment for him in the school. As you can imagine, we jumped at the chance for Sam to be in a private school and therapy. Even as we are very blessed to have the best of teachers in Sam's public preschool, we are looking very forward to this new school. Mike is putting the final touches on a video that will be sent out with a fundraising package in hopes of raising money for Therapy House to expand without asking their families to go further into debt as an average fulltime ABA program/school is close to $50-70,000/yearly. Because Mike and I were trained as ABA therapists and run Sam's therapy program ourselves, we are able to afford his therapy. Many families sell their homes, cars...to run an ABA program for their child. God has blessed Therapy House with some of Fort Worth's best fundraisers and so we pray that through donations we may soon be able to lighten the financial burden for families seeking help. As much as Mike and I look forward to the idea of a private school for Sam, it will mean Grace will be in childcare four days each week. As Grace is so social and lovable, I believe the change will be hardest on me. Please pray that we find a loving, safe place for her to be while Sam and I are at school. Thank you so much for joining our family in praying for our little boy. Our dear friend, Shane Gage, who Sam is partially named after, said that God laid on his heart that "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" when thinking of Sam. We pray that God takes Sam's autism away only after His greater purpose is served. We just humbly pray that it be quickly Lord...Melissa