School, Christmas, A Special Guest, and a Look Back on 2019

  • Post category:Holidays / School
  • Reading time:5 mins read

Welcome to the last post of 2019. This year has a bit crazier than most, but before I share my thoughts about 2019 as a whole, let’s take a quick look at this past month…

 

School

The week prior to their holiday break, James’ school had another one of their spirit weeks. Have I told you how much we adore his one-on-one nurse? I think she may be one of James’ crushes.

 

Monday: Sports Day

A classroom setting shows two people: James seated in a wheelchair wearing a blue Chicago Cubs shirt and jeans, and his nurse kneeling beside him wearing a dark Chicago Bears shirt. The nurse is holding James' hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets decorated with motivational posters, including messages about thinking before speaking and learning from mistakes. Classroom supplies and a plush orange octopus sit on the counter, giving the space a warm, supportive feel.
Sports Day

 

Tuesday: Sweats Day

A classroom setting shows two people together. James sits in a wheelchair with a tray attached, wearing a dark hoodie and pants. Beside him, his nurse kneels on the floor wearing a light hoodie with “SILVER BIRCH RANCH” printed on the front and gray leggings. She holds James' hand and makes a peace sign with their other hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a microwave, baskets of supplies, a lamp, and a small decorated Christmas tree near a window. The scene feels friendly and supportive.
Sweats Day

 

Wednesday: Festive Wear

A classroom setting shows two people wearing Santa hats. James sits in a wheelchair wearing a green shirt that reads, “I’ve been really good this year! Yep!” Beside him, his nurse kneels on the floor in a red‑and‑black checkered shirt, smiling and holding James' hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a microwave, colorful bowls, and a small decorated Christmas tree near a window. Motivational posters are displayed on the cabinets, including one about learning from mistakes and another listing positive affirmations. The scene feels festive, friendly, and supportive.
Festive Wear

 

Thursday: Buddy Day

A classroom scene shows two people wearing matching bright green “TEAM JAMES” shirts with a cartoon monkey face printed on the front. James sits in a wheelchair, and his nurse kneels beside him, holding hands. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a lamp, a telephone, books, bins, and a microwave. Motivational posters decorate the cabinets, including one with the acronym “THINK” and another listing words like “Explorers,” “Detectives,” “Creators,” “Thinkers,” and “Important.” The environment feels warm, encouraging, and team‑oriented.
Buddy Day

 

Friday: Pajama Day

A classroom shows two people close together. James sits in a wheelchair wearing a red‑and‑green striped outfit and a shirt that reads “NEVER NAUGHTY ALWAYS NICE.” Beside him, his nurse sits close, holding James' hand and leaning her head gently toward him. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a countertop with a lamp, a phone, and various supplies. Signs on the cabinets include one with the words “N‑NECESSARY K‑KIND?” and another that says “DON’T FORGET AWESOME.” The scene feels warm, supportive, and festive.
Pajama Day

 

 

Christmas

A three‑photo collage shows our family outdoors on a grassy field. In the first photo, Stacy, James, and Jeff sit together on the grass, smiling and interacting closely. The second photo shows James seated in a wheelchair wearing a blue plaid shirt, with trees and grass in the background. The third photo shows Jeff, James, and Stacy sitting close together again, smiling warmly. Text on the collage reads “Blessings The Fulkerson Family 2019.” The overall look is bright, natural, and affectionate, like a holiday or year‑end family card.

 

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. James made Santa’s nice list this year, which didn’t really come as a surprise since he’s always on the nice list. Even with all the stuff that James has been thorough, he rarely complains or acts out. He really is a good kid.

 

James on a patterned blanket with a stuffed dog resting on his shoulder. He is wearing a red shirt with green and white lettering and holds a Christmas‑themed certificate. The certificate features decorative borders and states that James has been placed on the Nice List, signed by Santa Claus with an official North Pole seal. The scene feels soft, festive, and celebratory.
Nice List certificate

 

As usual, he got lots of clothes for Christmas. I think we’re going to have to retire some of his older shirts to make room for the new ones. Someone also gave him a box full of books, which is perfect. A woman from respite care comes over once a month to babysit James so that Stacy and I can go out and spend some alone time together. That alone time is usually grocery shopping, which is fine by me. At least Stacy and I get to hang out without having to worry about James. Anyway, the woman that watches James loves to read to him. Now they have lots of books to choose from.

 

James lies on a carpeted floor with a small plush dog resting on his shoulder. Around him is a spread of colorful shirts featuring playful designs, including a shark with the words “FREE HUGS,” a monster truck with the text “CRUSHING IT,” and other graphics like a dog and a yeti. The shirts are arranged in a loose semicircle, suggesting new gifts or a display of favorite items. A red piece of furniture is visible in the background, giving the scene a cozy indoor feel.
Lots of new clothes…

 

James lies on a blanket in a carpeted living room, surrounded by a spread of colorful children’s books. A stuffed animal rests near his shoulder, and a Christmas tree stands in the corner with boxes nearby. The books include a mix of winter and holiday‑themed titles arranged around him, creating a warm, festive, story‑time atmosphere.
…and lots of books to read

 

A red‑background collage labeled “CHRISTMAS JAMMIES” shows two photos. One photo features James lying on a patterned cushion wearing dark blue pajamas decorated with festive prints of cars carrying Christmas trees and presents. The second photo is a close‑up of the pajama fabric, highlighting the same holiday pattern. A small illustrated snowman wearing a green hat and scarf appears in the bottom corner, adding to the seasonal feel.
Comfy pajamas

 

 

A Special Guest

A couple of days ago James had a special visitor. A friend owns a therapy dog and he stopped by to meet James. I so badly want a dog now. Stacy and I have been talking about getting one for a while, and James seemed to be okay with it so we might be adding another member to the family in the near future. We are still talking about it, so we’ll have to see. It would have to be a rather low-key dog that won’t jump on James and that doesn’t shed too much. With James not able to close his mouth or his eyes, we don’t want dog hair falling in his eyes or throat.

 

A therapy dog wearing a red‑and‑black vest labeled “THERAPY DOG” lies on a carpeted floor beside James who is reclining on a pillow and covered with a blanket. James wears a gray shirt with yellow sleeves featuring colorful comic‑style words like “BOOM!” and “BAM!” The dog rests close to him, creating a peaceful, supportive scene in what appears to be an indoor care or home environment.
Look at that face

 

James lies on a cushioned recliner covered in a polka‑dot sheet, wearing a yellow‑and‑gray shirt with cartoon graphics. A brown plush neck pillow shaped like a dog rests around his neck. Beside him sits a black‑and‑white fluffy‑faced dog looking toward the camera. Furniture and household items are visible in the background, giving the scene a warm, relaxed indoor feel.
Hi James

 

James lies on a cushioned surface wearing a yellow‑and‑gray shirt with comic‑style words like “BANG” and “WOW.” A plush dog‑shaped neck pillow rests around his neck, and a syringe sits on his chest. A person nearby points toward the child’s hand, which holds a small dog treat. A large black‑and‑white dog stands close, looking toward the treat in James' hand. In the background, a wooden cabinet holds various household items. The scene feels like a quiet, attentive caregiving moment in a home setting.
Giving Rocco a treat

 

James lies on a cushioned surface wearing yellow pajamas with bright comic‑style words like “BAM!” and “BOOM!” A plush dog‑shaped neck pillow rests around his neck. A large black‑and‑white dog leans in close to the James' face, creating a tender moment of connection. Behind them, a wooden table holds small figurines and decorations, giving the room a warm, lived‑in feel.
Giving James a kiss

 

 

A Look Back on 2019

Wow, what a year this has been. The first few months were pretty status quo, with the exception of those sub-zero temperatures we had in late January. Although James spent as little time outside as possible, we think those cold temperatures still got him. He had a couple of days of respiratory issues, but fortunately we were able to manage it at home and it didn’t require a hospital stay.

We had a good trip to Indianapolis for Spring Break. Well, it was mostly a good trip. There were a few incidents that made us question if we wanted to just pack up and go home. A couple of weeks after our trip to Indy, James wound up in the hospital with pneumonia, which had us a bit worried because we were counting down the days to his spinal fusion surgery. We had been waiting a long time to get the surgery and we were nervous that an illness would postpone or cancel the surgery. We made the decision to keep James home from school until surgery so he wouldn’t pick up any germs that were going around.

Fortunately, he remained healthy enough for the spinal fusion. While the surgery was a success, he ended up having an extended hospital stay because his digestive system didn’t want to cooperate. We’ve learned that James usually has some digestion issues after surgery, but this time it took a bit longer for his digestive system to get back to work.

He landed back in the hospital for a couple of days in August with pneumonia.

And then came the viral Facebook post. What a whirlwind that has been. Although it is not spreading as fast as it was after Stacy first posted it in September, it is still reaching more people every day. As of December 8th, it has surpassed 17 million people.

 

A collage is split into two sections. On the left, a white background is filled with repeated handwritten words like “peace,” “love,” “joy,” and “gratitude,” with bold pink text over it that says “THANK YOU FOR SHARING.” On the right, a photo shows James sitting in a wheelchair outdoors on grass, wearing a red plaid shirt. Above the photo is text encouraging people to greet others, and below it is additional text reinforcing that message. Social‑media‑style engagement numbers appear underneath, and large pink letters spelling “OMG” overlay part of the section. The overall design mixes handwritten textures, bold color, and an outdoor portrait to highlight a message about friendliness and inclusion.
December 8th: 17 million people reached!

 

Yes, we have had a small number of derogatory comments from ignorant people, but the positive, supportive, and loving comments grossly outweigh the negative ones. We want to express our gratitude to everyone that shared the picture, reacted positively, and left supportive comments. And a special thank you to those that confronted the bullies. I do believe in karma so the people that left disrespectful comments, made jokes, or turned James into a meme will get what’s coming to them. I just wish I could be there to see it.

All in all, I think it was a good year. Thank you for all of your well wishes and support. We wish all of you nothing but the best in 2020.