Back to Normal?

It’s been a couple of months since I wrote a regular monthly post, but it feels like it has been a lot longer than that. I think things are back to normal…if there is such a thing. As long as James doesn’t throw us another curveball and remains healthy, I should be able to get back to a regular monthly posting schedule. He has this knack for keeping us on our toes, so I can’t guarantee anything.

There really hasn’t been much going on lately, so this should be a relatively short post. A lot shorter than each of the “A Long Six Weeks” posts I did. If you haven’t read those, here are the links to them:

A Long Six Weeks, Part 1: Pneumonia

A Long Six Weeks, Part 2: Adjacent Tissue Transfer

A Long Six Weeks, Part 3: An Expensive Uber Ride

Before I talk about what’s happened in James’ life over the past month or so, I want to say thank you to a couple of his fans, Mary and Jeff, who sent him a get-well card and some stickers when he was in the hospital with pneumonia in early July. That was very thoughtful of you.

 

A collage features five photos arranged around a central graphic. In each photo, James lies on his cushioned recliner while Jeff shows him greeting cards and sheets of stickers. The cards feature a dog wearing a white doctor's coat with the word “HEAL.” The stickers include bright cartoon characters such as SpongeBob, Patrick, Mickey Mouse, and Minions. In the center, decorative pink‑and‑purple script reads “With Love,” surrounded by heart shapes. To the right, purple cursive text says “Mary & Jeff,” followed by a blurred section hiding personal details. The overall collage feels affectionate and thoughtful, capturing a moment of sharing cheerful cards and stickers.
A get well card and some stickers from a couple of fans

 

I’ve been contemplating getting a PO box at the post office for James so people can send him stuff there instead of our house. I’m a little uneasy about giving out our address, but I think it would be cool if people could send James stuff, like shirts or postcards from trips they have taken; or get well, birthday, and Christmas cards; or little gifts if they want. Prices range from about $200 a year to over $600 a year depending on the size of the PO box so I’m not sure. Still thinking about it, but I think I’d rather put that money in his medical expense fund.

 

 

Health Update

James lies on a cushioned recliner on a carpeted floor, positioned comfortably with pillows and a patterned sheet. A brown dog, Maggie, rests close beside him, lying on her side and facing away, creating a calm sense of companionship. Furniture and household items sit in the background, giving the scene a relaxed living‑room feel. The moment feels peaceful and grounded, centered on the closeness between James and the dog.

 

As I mentioned earlier, James has been remaining healthy since his last hospital stay in early August. We’re all thankful for that, Maggie included. She seems to be a herding dog and must always have her eyes on her herd, which is us. When James and Stacy were in the hospital for several days, she seemed a bit lost, like she didn’t know what to do without her herd.

Stacy and James had a virtual appointment with the infectious disease doctor who saw him during his last hospital stay. If you didn’t read that post, there was a concern that there was an infection in or around his tailbone. James had to have some blood drawn a week prior to the virtual appointment and the doc said that the bloodwork looked good, and she doesn’t think there is a bone infection.

James turned 12 on August 29th, which means that he in now old enough get the Covid vaccine. He didn’t waste any time and got the first dose on the 30th.

 

James sits in his wheelchair wearing a colorful face mask decorated with comic‑style characters. Sunglasses rest on top of his head, and his neck support is wrapped in bright orange and striped fabric. A round sticker on the neck support reads “I got the COVID‑19 vaccine #ThisIsOurShot.” Behind him, part of a sign with the word “COVID” is visible, suggesting a vaccination‑site setting. The scene captures a proud, upbeat moment connected to his vaccination.
James got his first dose of the Covid vaccine

 

Instead of taking James to the doctor who repaired his tailbone wound for a follow up appointment, they just had a phone call. When the appointment was made, the doc wasn’t sure how the healing process was going to go and didn’t want James to be sitting in his wheelchair to travel to the appointment and risk the healing process. Stacy had emailed him some pics before their phone call, and after looking at the pictures and talking with Stacy, he was cleared to go back to school on September 2nd.

 

 

Back to School

James missed the first couple weeks of school to give his tailbone some extra time to heal after surgery. Once we got the surgeon’s approval to be in his wheelchair for extended periods of time, he was off to take junior high by storm. It’s weird. Stacy and I were in junior high for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Here, junior high is just 7th and 8th grades. I don’t know why.

 

James sits in his wheelchair inside the home, wearing sunglasses and holding a sign that reads “FIRST DAY OF 7th Grade.” Maggie, a light brown dog. sits on a patterned rug in front of him. Behind them, a wall decoration displays motivational phrases such as “LISTEN more,” “TALK less,” “ARGUE less,” “FEAR less,” “RELAX more,” “WORRY less,” “BELIEVE more,” “DOUBT less,” “PLAY more,” and “WORK less.” Furniture, a therapy table, and boxes fill the background, giving the scene a lived‑in, homey feel. The moment captures the start of a new school year with a warm, supportive atmosphere.
First Day of 7th Grade

 

A collage shows James across multiple school years, each photo marking the first day of a different grade. In each image, he appears in various settings — sometimes lying down, sometimes seated in his wheelchair — alongside signs that read “First Day of Pre‑K,” “First Day of Kindergarten,” “First Day of 1st Grade,” “First Day of 2nd Grade,” “First Day of 3rd Grade,” “First Day of 4th Grade,” “and First Day of 6th Grade.” The center photo highlights “7th grade.” The collection captures his growth and continuity over time, creating a warm visual timeline of his school journey.
A collage of all of his First Day pictures

 

I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to enter a plug for Stacy’s Thirty-One business. They have a new item, reusable snack bags, that she is using for James’ rescue meds. They come in different sizes. She used the small one in his wheelchair, so it is with him at all times. The medium sized bag has a couple of doses that she will keep in her backpack/purse. The school nurse will also have two doses to keep in the locked box in her office. The bags are plastic and easy to wash (by hand) if they get dirty, and they’re also see-through so you can easily see what’s in them.

 

Two pairs of reusable snack bags sit on a countertop, shown in a before‑and‑after layout. The top pair is empty, displaying a crisp black‑and‑white houndstooth pattern with black sealing strips along the top edges. The bottom pair is filled with medication. Text on the image reads “NEW reusable snack bags.”

 

 

Update on the Viral Post from 2019

Two years ago, on September 6th, 2019, Stacy posted what she thought was going to be just a simple message:

 

James sits in a wheelchair outdoors on a grassy area, wearing a red‑and‑black plaid shirt and looking upward. Green grass and softly blurred trees fill the background. Text over the image reads: “Instead of ‘don’t stare’," “Let’s start teaching,” “‘SAY HELLO’,” and “www.facebook.com/fansofjames.”
The picture that went viral on Facebook

 

That simple post quickly went viral. In just four days it had reached 1 million people. A month later, 9 million people reached. As of August 27th of this year, it has reached almost 18 million people. That’s just crazy!

 

A Facebook post from the “Fans of James” page shows James sitting outdoors in his wheelchair on a grassy lawn, wearing a red‑and‑black plaid shirt. Text on the image reads “Instead of ‘don’t stare’,” “Let’s start teaching,” and “SAY HELLO.” The message encourages inclusion and friendly connection, inviting people to greet rather than stare. The post is tagged with Stacy Fulkerson, dated September 6, 2019, and shows over 17 million people reached.
The “don’t stare” picture that Stacy posted two years ago has reached almost 18 million people!