Van Fundraiser, Father’s Day, School, and an Eye Update

Van Fundraiser

I had a thought while I was scrolling through Facebook while having my morning cigarette. Several friends have been posting pictures of these amazing vacations that they’re either currently on or recently took with their families. It got me thinking about the memories that their kids will have to look back on when they get older. Then I started thinking about James and what his memories are going to be when he looks back on his life. All of the hospital stays? Staying home and watching TV all summer? That just doesn’t sit well with me. This kid deserves an epic vacation. I think we all do.

To be fair, we have taken James on several vacations over the years: Columbus, Indianapolis, Nashville, Pigeon Forge, and St. Louis. I believe that our Spring Break 2019 trip to Indy was the last time we took a vacation. It was right before his spinal fusion, and before Covid locked the world down.

Now that Covid seems to be behind us and the world is returning to life as normal, I’m itching to get away for a week or two. We could all use a change of scenery and a new adventure. I’m not sure if taking the van on a road trip is a wise thing to do right now, though. I don’t think we should be putting any more wear and tear on it than is necessary. Plus, we would probably need to use some of the money we’ve been saving for a new van to put towards the vacation.

I think our next vacation is going to have to wait until after we get a new van. 2025 will be the twenty-year anniversary of when Stacy and I took our honeymoon road trip across the country on Route 66. Maybe that could be James’ vacation of a lifetime. How epic would that be? We will hopefully have a new van by then, although we’ve still got a long way to go. If you’ve made a monetary donation or bought a shirt, thank you. Words cannot express how much we appreciate your support. Please continue to share the links for our fundraiser and shirts:

Monetary donations: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/21730/

Shirts: https://www.bonfire.com/rollin-for-james

Stacy loves her sweatshirt:

 

Stacy wears a light gray hoodie with a simple cartoon monkey face printed on the front, outlined in black with a friendly smile. Beneath the design, purple text reads “Rollin’ for James.” She is outdoors in a residential area, with a house, a red vehicle, and trees visible in the background. The image highlights the supportive, personalized design tied to his community event.
Stacy’s Rollin’ for James sweatshirt. https://www.bonfire.com/rollin-for-james

 

 

Father’s Day

Stacy created this picture for me for Father’s Day. I may be James’ first hero, but he quickly became one of my heroes. How many dads can say that about their son (or daughter)? This kid has been through so much in his short life, and we rarely hear him complain.

 

A two‑photo collage shows Jeff holding James at two different stages of life. In the top image, he cradles and kisses newborn James, who has medical tubes attached, in a hospital setting. In the bottom image, Jeff holds an older James outdoors among trees and sunlight, supporting him gently as James rests against his chest. Between the photos, multicolored text reads “FATHER” followed by the phrase “A son’s first hero.” The collage highlights enduring love, protection, and connection across the years.

 

 

School

Just because James graduated from junior high doesn’t mean he gets to take the summer off from school. He is in summer school with the high school district for a few weeks. It’s not so much for the education as it is to get him out of the house to have new experiences and to be around other kids. They’ve gone swimming, had their own petting zoo, and put together a 4th of July Parade around the school.

 

James sits in his wheelchair near an outdoor community pool on a sunny day. He’s wearing a green shirt, a gray sweatshirt across his lap, a blue bucket hat, sunglasses, and a neck pillow. Behind him, children and adults stand and play in the shallow water, with a small slide structure visible. Trees surround the area, giving the scene a relaxed, park‑like feel. The image captures an accessible, inclusive moment of leisure at a public pool.
Hanging out at the pool

 

James sits in his wheelchair near the edge of an outdoor swimming pool on a sunny day. He’s wearing sunglasses, a green shirt with a printed design, and a neck pillow shaped like a hot dog. His chair has padded arm supports and a harness. Behind him, people relax around the pool and stand in the water, with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and trees creating a lively community‑pool atmosphere. The scene captures an accessible, relaxed summer moment.
Watching the other kids swim

 

In an indoor community or therapy setting, James sits in his wheelchair with assistive supports. A large tortoise with a textured shell is held close to his lap by a staff member, giving him the chance to touch and interact with it. Other wheelchair users and a few standing people are visible in the background, watching and participating. The scene captures an inclusive, hands‑on animal‑therapy moment where everyone gets to meet the tortoise.
Is this a turtle or a tortoise?

 

James sits in his wheelchair inside a gymnasium with a wooden floor and a basketball hoop visible in the background. He’s wearing glasses and a black outfit while a brown chicken is held close to his lap by someone standing beside him. Several people gather around, watching and assisting with the interaction. The moment captures a hands‑on, inclusive animal‑therapy experience where James gets to meet the chicken up close.
Chicken

 

In an indoor community space, James sits in his wheelchair wearing glasses and neck support while a large light‑brown rabbit is held close to him by someone standing beside his chair. James leans in with clear interest as he interacts with the rabbit. Several people stand in the background watching the moment unfold. The scene captures an inclusive, hands‑on animal‑therapy session where James gets to meet the rabbit up close.
That’s a really big rabbit!

 

James sits in his wheelchair outdoors near a yellow school bus. He’s wearing a blue T‑shirt that says, “Somebody who loves me went to KUWAIT and got me this T‑shirt.” His chair is decorated with a star‑shaped sign reading “I ♥ USA” and blue flowers. Beside him stands another person dressed in a red shirt and a headband with red, white, and blue streamers. The school bus behind them displays “SCHOOL BUS” and district lettering, with other people and vehicles visible in the background. The scene captures a cheerful, patriotic moment, likely part of a parade or community celebration.
4th of July parade around the school

 

 

Eye Update

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about his eyes, but I am happy to report that surgery has been taken off the table. He had a routine appointment with the eye doctor earlier this month and she was very pleased with how good his eyes look. The goggles, glasses, sunglasses, eye drops, and eye gel are working. We’ll just need to keep up with it to keep his eyes healthy.