The Most Asked Question

Sitting here in front of my computer, I can't express how blessed I feel to get to know my readers.  When I first had the thought to share our story I didn't know if I would face more adversity through those that felt I was guilty.  Still, once a person receives a strong impression from God to do something, there's no other choice but to act on it.  In opening myself up, I have heard your stories in return.  (And I have yet to read one negative comment!)  I love the brotherhood and sisterhood there is in overcoming hard things.  I love that we can lean on each other. 

I love hearing how someone decided to stop smoking.  Seriously!  Smoking - a lifelong, hard habit to break. 

Another decided to begin a workout program after battling extra weight most of her life. 

Many, many, many have turned to the Lord in prayer and in returning to church.  These individuals that have made changes, have in turn, changed their families for the better.  It's hard to take that first jump.  Man, it's so stinkin hard.  Deciding in your mind to change - to do something different - is the first step.  We're in it together and most times that strength comes from God sending another person to help us along the way.

I have been asked lots of questions... Do I still keep in contact with the girls I served time with?  Where was the jail located where I served time?  Will I ever know what happened?  Do I feel like suing the doctors for false accusations?  How am I helping other families going through the same things?   

There is one question - one little person - that is always the #1 question...  How is Bryer doing? 

This little girl has been a miracle in the making.  I'd love to say that she has fully recovered, but that has not been in God's plan.  Doctors told us there was a high probability she would be a vegetable the rest of her life.  Feeding tube.  No speech.  No emotion.  No voluntary movement.   

No one informed Bryer of that expectation. 

She counts to 10 (and beyond), she feeds herself, she plays peek-a-boo, and loves to be packed around to play hide and seek.  She has been pretending to be different characters (Olaf, Anna, Nanny McPhee) since Halloween.  She rolls and scoots short distances.  Her siblings argue over wanting to sit by her in the car.  Her smile is contagious and there's not a trip to the store that her curls do not draw attention. 

She has literally changed lives. 

Not bad for a little girl who doesn't crawl or walk.  How many of us can say we've done that - and most of us have full use of our body?! 

Through a lot of research and answered prayers, we have found a surgery that will help Bryer.  What was going to cost $112,000 and not covered by her current insurance, we have found another insurance carrier that will cover all but about $10,000 of the procedure.  Bryer's diagnoses is Cerebral Palsy, which is a very broad term that means the messages to/from the brain are interrupted.  It makes it hard to control her muscles or purposely relax them.  She has spent most of her 4 year old life fighting against tight muscles to do what she wants to do. 

I'll explain the procedure and then how we want to include you.

The surgery has 3 parts:
  1- to form the hip socket so that her hips don't dislocate, which they will if left untreated. 
  2- Tendon lengthening in her heels so that she can stand flat footed instead of on her tight ballerina toes; tendon lengthening on the inside of her legs 
  3- Alcohol blocks in those same areas, as well as her arms so that she will have full range of motion.  The blocks interrupt the signal to the brain to stay tight, stay tight, stay tight. 

The big question is "Will she learn to walk?"  We feel that this is the best option to set her body up for the best possible outcome.  It will be up to her brain to make those connections once she is able to feel how her new body moves without all the tightness.  We are optimistic with the motivation she already shows, that she will want to walk. 

She will be under anesthesia and then literally "Wake Up and Be Different."

.... which is where you come in!  We would love for you to join us in Bryer's new challenge to

Wake Up and Be Different 

Her surgery is scheduled in Texas for May 13.  We have been warned that it will be a painful hard couple of weeks after surgery.  We want you to find a way to stretch yourself for the month of May and set a goal for a way you can also Wake Up and Be Different. 

We've set up a t-shirt campaign online and we'd love your support.

Click here to show your support.