Fundraiser Update
We want to thank all of you that have donated to James’ fundraiser and shared the link to the donation page. As of yesterday, we have raised $3,330. We’re not quite halfway to our goal, but we’re still extremely grateful for all of your support.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/let-s-get-james-a-new-ride#/
If you have donated, and received an email about us being under investigation or that the fundraiser was fraudulent, we sincerely apologize. Stacy has contacted them and has gotten it all squared away. We’re still not really sure what happened. Somebody did reach out to Stacy through Facebook Messenger on James’ page and said that she heard from several people that we have done over a dozen of these fundraisers over the past two years. We have no idea where she got that information, but this is our first fundraiser. Sorry again for any emails you may have received about the fundraiser being fraudulent. We really appreciate all of your generosity. And even if you haven’t donated, we still appreciate you. If you’ve been reading the blog posts, following him on Facebook and leaving comments, thank you.
VNS
We met with the neurologist a couple of weeks ago to go over James’ MRI and MEG scan results, but due to a storm the night before, the computers were down, and he could not access them. The doc called Stacy a couple of days ago to let her know that he had reviewed the scans and unfortunately the seizures are coming from several parts of his brain. We were hoping that maybe there was only one area of the brain where the seizures were coming from and that it might be possible to remove that part of the brain to get rid of the seizures. Since the seizures are coming from all over, brain surgery is not an option.
The next option we have been discussing is the Vagus Nerve Stimulator, or VNS. It’s a small device, similar to a pacemaker, that would be implanted in James’ chest. It sends an electrical impulse through an electrode that is attached to the vagus nerve in the neck, which then travels up to the brain. I know, it sounds weird, but if there is a chance that it will eliminate, or at least reduce James’ seizures, then we have to try it. We have an appointment with the neurologist on the 16th to discuss scheduling the procedure. Here is a 2-minute news story that explains more about the VNS:
School
We received a letter earlier this week from the school district with information about the school James will be going to, who his teacher is going to be, and what his schedule is. This is becoming too real now. We’re getting a bit nervous about this new stage in James’ life. I’m not sure if we’re ready for it. I know Stacy isn’t. He will only be in school for a few hours a day, and it’s right down the road if there are any problems. I have a feeling Stacy might be hanging out in the parking lot for the first day or two, so that she’s right there if there are any issues. He can’t officially start school until he turns 3, which is on the 29th. Since that is a Wednesday, we decided that his first day will be Tuesday, September 4th, the day after Labor Day.
James is Becoming Famous
Stacy’s aunt works at a restaurant in Wisconsin, and they’ve dedicated a window to him. How cool is this?
