The Grass is greener....

Levi had dental work done today. 

Unfortunately, once the dentist was able to take a good look (after Levi was put under) he realized that some of Levi's teeth were not worth fixing.  We knew Levi's teeth were getting bad.  He is regurgitating which has had a negative impact on his already sensitive teeth.  Levi ended up having a back adult molar extracted and 5 primary teeth extracted.  For a child who has severe oral aversions, the feeling that so many teeth are missing have bothered him since he woke up from the procedure.  I don't think he is in much pain.  I think the open spaces are really irritating him.  Hopefully in the next few days he will get use to it.  He seems to be willing to eat his food which is great.  I was really worried he would regress and refuse to eat.  There is a benefit to him only eating soft and slimy foods.

Because he had so much dental work done, I decided not to let him go outside and enjoy the wonderful weather.  I feel bad, but Levi likes to eat/chew grass and dirt.  The fact that he spit out the packing that was put in his sockets right when he woke up at the surgery clinic means the sockets are unprotected.  The worry of getting dirt or grass in them is something few parents would have to worry about.  This is part of life with Levi.

On a good note, the nurses all complimented Levi on how well he did.  

So Close Yet So Far Away

When I decided we were going to take this path, I had no idea what would happen.  I remember thinking "$13,000?!?! It will take us forever to get to that goal!"  Little did I know how many people would help us along the way. In a little over 4 months time, we have raised $7,550 of Levi's $13,000 fundraising requirement.  Though it looks like we are still a long ways away, we are so much closer than I thought we would be when I started this.  My hope is to get Levi to his requirement goal by his birthday on May 22nd.  What an awesome gift for Levi!  We would know our class date and be planning for our trip to Ohio for the following Summer.  We would be sending in hours and hours of video of all of Levi's routines and behaviors so they can train a service dog specifically for Levi's needs.  We are so close yet so far away!

Levi has been having a few rough days lately.  He becomes so upset and overwhelmed and we can't help him.  He has a few medical appointments being scheduled to make sure there's nothing underlying going on. I just keep thinking how great it would be if he had his service dog to go to these appointments with.  He needs his service dog.

The March 2013 4 Paws class is training right now with their new service dogs in Ohio.  I read their blogs to get an idea of what it will be like when we go over.  All I can say is I'm so ready to be the one blogging about training!  They are talking about their child being able to walk through the mall (while tethered to the service dog), for some of the kids, it is the first time they have been able to walk without an adult having a grip on them at all times.  Some parents are sharing their experiences of tracking where they take the child and hide out in a park and the service dog tracks the child's scent.  The joy these parents blog about when they realize their service dog can find their child is priceless. 

This is the link to 4 Paws' Documentary.  It is approximately 25 minutes long and there are very short "commercial" breaks during it, so please watch all the way through.  This includes families talking about how their lives have changed since getting their service dog as well as the story behind 4 Paws.  This is why I want so badly for Levi to reach his goal.
4 Paws for Ability Documentary 

I know full well that there will be a lot of work and care involved with getting Levi's service dog.  We will be responsible for keeping up his/her training and making sure to practice skills multiple times a week.  We may have some transitioning issues after we come home to work through.   The wonderful thing about 4 Paws is that the trainers are available at any time for us to contact with questions or concerns.  The network of families I have gotten connected with will be there for support and advice.  My Mommy instinct is telling me this is what we need to do for Levi.  If we had the money, we'd donate and reach his requirement right now, but we don't have it and need the help of our family, friends and community to make this a reality for Levi.

If you have suggestions for fundraising events, please contact me through Levi's Facebook page or through the "Contact us" option on this blog. 

Please share Levi's information with others.  You never know who may want to help him reach his goal!
 

Levi's Double Event

 Amazing.  That is the only word to accurately describe Saturday's double event for Levi.  I was in awe during the Zumbathon watching a gym full of people and 10+ Zumba instructors come together for Levi. 

 We ended up raising over $2,000 towards Levi's fundraising requirement between Zumbathon, Chili Supper, the raffle items, t-shirts, etc.  Levi even made an appearance at the Chili Supper and enjoyed running around the gym and being pushed around in his chair.  It was nice for people to meet him and put a face to with the event.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported Levi and helped us get closer to his goal.  Keep tabs on his Facebook page and here (though I tend to update the Facebook page more often than here, but I'm working on that.) for more events to pop up and if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!