2nd Annual Benefit Ride for Brayden

We are working on Braydens 2nd annual benefit ride and we have set a date and place. August 1st, registration starting at 10 am, at Walgreens in Ringgold, GA. (same place as last year). They have a pretty big area and things turned out well last year. We are still working on alot of things.

We would love to have a live band this year if anyone knows of any bands that would be willing to help us out, just let me know. We are in need of donations of things to giveaway and things to raffle off. So if you know anyone or have anything you want to donate just let me know. Anything is appreciated no matter how small.

We will have a 50/50 drawing, raffle, and lunch is provided for the riders. We hope to have a bigger and better ride this year. 43 riders last year and we hope to have more this year. The cost is $25 for riders and $5 for passengers.

Brayden will need ongoing therapies and treatments for the rest of his life due to his brain injury. All money raised will be used for Braydens treatments and therapies. We have come a long way in little over a year. Brayden went from being a vegetable to being able to smile and laugh now and is even starting to try and talk. He was able to get rid of his tracheostomy and he is even beginning to be able to try and eat small amounts of food by mouth. He is so much better now thanks to everyone helping to get him the treatments and therapies he needs. None of this would have been possible without everyone's help. We hope everyone continues to pray for Brayden and we thank everyone for their continued support.

No sleep for Brayden

The sleep study went about the same as the other one. Brayden did not go to sleep until about 2am. and the study is over at 5am so they really didn't get an accurate test done again. But, we are not trying that again. He just can't tolerate being hooked up to all of those wires. We had a great Memorial Day . Curtis got the addition to the deck finished and we got a new swing to go outside. We had a cookout with family and the kids had a blast swimming. We did have some excitement when a big snake was found crawling across the road into our yard. Brayden has been doing good. He has been tasting some foods. He doesn't really like anything in his mouth though. He has been babbling and trying to talk more now. He really isn't saying any words yet but making lots more sounds now. We are hoping all this rain will go away and it will warm up so Brayden can try out the pool.

Feeling Better Now

Well we have finished up all the antibiotics and Brayden is feeling much better now. We have been dealing with diarrhea and an awful diaper rash from the antibiotics this week. Brayden went to the pediatric ophthalmologist to have his eyes checked this week. They said that he can see but they couldn't tell us how much he can see. They said that his eyes looked good and he did not need glasses. That all of his eye control problems are from his brain injury and nothing wrong with his eyes. He still has alot of the upward gaze but his eye control is getting much better and he seems to be focusing on things more. He definantly understands some of what you are saying to him too because if you say something funny to him he will laugh. We are going for another sleep study Saturday night since he didn't sleep on our first try. We hope he goes to sleep! Not much else going on with Brayden right now. He has been enjoying the warm weather because his nurse Debra spoils him rotten and takes him to the park everyday. He loves to be outside. Finally the last day of school is here. The kids are excited and Brayden loves them being here to aggravate him. We are finally getting the pool fixed after the liner got a hole in it. We may try and see what Brayden thinks about getting in the pool. I think he would enjoy some water therapy because he really loves taking a bath and playing in the water kicking and splashing. I will try and to post some pics up when I update on the sleep study. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend.

Finally an update

A few pics from Our trip to Miracle Mountain




Brayden has been sick, ear infection and strep throat. He has been fussy and staying up all night. Our nursing hours decreased to only 8 hours a day since Brayden no longer has his trach. We are having the nurses come from 3 to 11 because he has been sleeping pretty well until now being sick. Kaitlyn has also been sick with strep. Not much else going on. Just getting started back with therapies. Starting to feed Brayden some tastes of food by mouth, which he does not like. But hopefully he will get used to it again---it has been over 1 year since he had anything in his mouth. We had a good trip to Miracle Mountain in NC. 3 weeks seems like forever being there. But Brayden did good with all of the treatments even though he was sick with coughing and congestion about the whole time we were there. We enjoyed meeting the other families there and thank everyone for the great job they are doing there. We have decided on a date for Brayden's second benefit ride for August 1st. The money raised will be used to help Brayden get more hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We have seen great results from the treatments so far and want to continue them. So any help with the benefit ride is greatly appreciated. I will try to keep updated a little more now that things are back to normal.