A Harlem Shout Out! ~Doublinit up~ My mom “reminded” me that I am not being a good Social Campaigning Girl and I still have a lot to learn about the social world & As we come to learn in our thirties, Mom is usually right about these things. I admit to dropping the ball, yet again. (I am bad at every ball related activity. ;) ) Really, I had to take a step back and have some ‘private’ mental space for a little while, I have to make active work of my own mental health too. But, I “cannot expect people to support me fighting for Isaiah, when I don’t stay in communication.” *hold on a second while I chew my crow.* Honestly though, sometimes I feel like our life has become a slow moving car accident and I am making it a spectacle. Face Book Likes and Shares are down. This tells me that the small amount of interest I have worked for is slipping. It is a terrible feeling to see less and less of the people that I care about, take the time to stay informed about our situation, or even just click a button in Solidarity with us to let me know they ‘Are There’. People stopped interacting with me as they normally would. I need to get this blog up and running, so I can reach out to the greater Internet, but am having some technical issue with the software. Bearing daily witness to the harshness of humanity on the street, I have felt like one of the homeless the beggars shaking their cup on every corner here in The City. This is a humbling exercise for me and each post costs me another piece of my pride. Very few speak back; I just pour our life into a quiet void and hope ‘Lifeblood’ (money) comes back. It is difficult to articulate some of the aspects of this journey, but is can be a little like those dreams where you show up to a formal party and realize that you forgot to put clothes on. The tough stuff is sometimes the things that DON’T happen. Sometimes I am caught in just lamenting Humanity as a whole. It is like crying out in a crowded room, only most just turn their heads and pretend not to notice. I am struggling with this a bit, getting heart sick from loneliness and aching for my ‘Other 3 Bunya Babies’ at home in Colorado. Since my last post, I have taken the opportunity, given me by those of you who HAVE stood in solidarity with us, to push toward Isaiah’s further treatments, education and recovery therapies. I also am on the verge of being ready to step out and work; once Isaiah needs are met and details in place. I have been committing my previous writing time to crafting time to producing finished stock of goods. Programs are difficult to connect with as most require tuition and we are barely keeping ourselves fed and maintained. We run out of $$ frequently, but we are fed and housed. only by the efforts of those supporting us in various ways. THIS REALLY IS GOING TO COST MINIMALY the $45K. Forget movies and fun, we are just learning to be happy having our most basic human needs met. We are in the place that every drink of water, having a place to sit down and even getting a breath of (not even clean) air is either an overpriced luxury or a time consuming fight to negotiate. At least, the programs Isaiah needs ACTUALLY EXIST HERE; this is still a gargantuan of an opportunity NOT available to Isaiah in the Rocky Mountain Region. We are where he NEEDS to be, doing what NEEDS to be done. I brought my art and fashion materials and have been preparing to sell alongside the plethora of street vendors and trendy flea market Merchants. I have a job lined up at a coffee shop and another at a barber shop, for early September; once Isaiah is in school and the outdoor markets start to cool down. (I feel like I’m losing the summer market but Isaiah’s needs come first. His needs stay PRIMARY; the every reason for all of it.) I am exercising Faith in ways I never would have considered previously, but God has never left us, never turned a blind eye our suffering and our needs are continually met, sometimes not until the 11th hour and 59th minute, but I have a knowing that we will be ok. ______________________________________________________________ On the Medical front: The doctors have made a unanimous recommendation to proceed with the final two brain surgeries, ending with the resection of part of Isaiah’s left temporal lobe. We are holding out for the big Conference to give the “Official Green Light” so that we can begin the next round of scheduling and therapy. The conference will take place on the 19th and I will likely get the scheduling call within a few days following. The next surgery will be in late September of early October. The brain has a miraculous ability to regenerate and heal; but is the consistency of tofu & very, very sensitive to invasive treatment. The surgeries can only take place 3 months apart from each other with recovery therapy in between. After the last operation, Isaiah was blank and just stared for the first two weeks. I was very scared that I had made a bad decision with my baby’s life. But, just like they told me he would, Isaiah bounced back. They were right. I have a great amount of confidence in his medical team, for the first time in his life. This is a blessing I am grateful for! He is now ENJOYING learning very quickly in our EVERYDAY homeschooling, beginning at the third grade level. (He is a High School Sophomore) I want him to gain back every piece of information he lost, or missed due to this condition. He has suffered throughout the tenure of his entire school carrier and He deserves to be on an equal playing field with his peers. Please consider giving to support his ongoing education, we are going through books quickly and would like to buy more, I would also like to start taking him to museums more, but we can’t afford day outings. I am still Negotiating with the Colorado State Government, Medical Travel Assistance program to help us manage at least a visit home following the next surgery and recovery time (OR I want to bring our family to US for Christmas! What I really want.) I have also been considering that I need to get #SavingIsaiah set up as a Non-Profit Entity so I can give tax receipts back to our benefactors. It’s a big one ‘on the DO List.’ _____________________________________ On the Social and Every Day Living Front: We have made good relationships with our flat mates and are meeting good people around us who have good will for us. Sometimes we get out to a music event or Church service, but Constant loud environments give Isaiah stress. Harlem locals can be constantly loud. Insomnia is a problem for both of us because of this, as well as the August heat; but we are learning to adapt every aspect of our beings. One of our new friends is Jessica, an older Jamaican lady who owns a small dance studio & hosts open dance parties once and a while. We are leaving soon to set up my little booth and I will put my feathers in her hair for an African Dance Festival we are going to go to with her this weekend. In exchange she is giving me a free spot on her sidewalk, next to a busy restaurant patio. To whom ever this reaches, I hope you all are well. I hope you look at your loved ones more directly in the eye, hug them a little bit tighter for just a little bit longer. Sit and look at what you have and appreciate all of it. Most of all I hope that no matter what battle you are fighting on your own turf, no matter how long it takes, just stick to it and CHOOSE happiness anyway. If there is anything I hope to share about what we are learning, it is to LIVE. Live With What You Have, Where You Are. No one is promised tomorrow. I have also learned that not everyone who “hola’s at’chu” on the street in Harlem is being offensive or crazy. The Black Community is just REALY extroverted. I am learning when to appropriately “Hola back”. Time to go, Peace out. PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE PUBLICALLY, It means more than you know.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 00:57:43 +0000
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