Joshua & Michael Garman: November 2008

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Tickets/Prizes

Just a note to let everyone know that tickets are selling fast. We have several pushes out to the papers and radio stations this coming week so we can get this to be a sold out event. I would not suggest waiting until that night to purchase tickets because they may be gone. Anyone who sends in checks this coming week, will be held at the door due to mail lag time.

November 17 , 2008 will begin the will hold at the door tickets.

Don't loose your chance to attend this event because it is going to be great!
We have some great raffle items and will also hold a live auction for some of the items. Her is a brief list of some of the items that will be at the event! There is something for everyone and more rolling in each day.

Eagles tickets
Star Wars Memorabilia
Fliers signed Hockey Puck and Stick
Jeff Gordon Car Framed Picture
Over 40 Great Baskets/Prizes
Lots of Gift Certificates to Local Vendors

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Eagles Tickets Donated

For those attending the benefit. We have had 2 tickets donated for the Thanksgiving Day Eagles home game. We will be doing a seperate auction for the tickets and some of the other higher ticket items that have been donated for the benefit. I wanted to let people know these items are up for grabs because they are for a certain date and time shortly after the event.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Need Help

We are in need of the following items to be donated to help with the deferment of cost. If you can donate any please email me as soon as possible so I can take it off the list of items needed. Sorry this comes later then anticipated but my grandmother passed away this week and we miss her terribly. She is watching down on all of us and we know she is in a better place and she promissed me she would watch over Joshua. Thank you in advance for all your support and prayers! These are the items we are in need of.

Items:
Soda
Cups
Forks/Knives/Spoons
Cake plates
Baked Goods for dessert
Ice
Coffee
Salt/Pepper

My Story

Joshua was born in 2005 and developed normally until he was 4 months old, he was the perfect baby. In December, in his fathers arms, Joshua had his first seizure. We took him to the local hospital only to be sent home being told it was a childhood seizure and not to worry. The next day he had another one and we found ourselves spending 3 days at Cooper Hospital.
Doctors had no answers by the time we left and Joshua had been placed on seizure medications. Our pediatrician at the time looked at his labs and had us get new ones ran. At his 6 month old check up he told me he thought that Joshua happened to have the same disease his son had. He sent Joshuas information to a specialist in this disorder and that June right before his 1st birthday we flew him to Atlanta, GA.

The doctors did a live muscle biopsy and ran many tests to see what was causing the seizures and the developemental delays. After 4 months of waiting, right before Halloween we got the news that Joshua has Mitochondrial Disease Complex I.
Mitochondrial Disease is a life-threatening disease with no cure or medication. Joshua's body does not produce enough energy for him to sustain life properly.

Joshua has had seizures, developmental delays, loss of speech when sick, hemiparesis, dysautonomia, and a comprimised immune system. He is a tough little cookie and tries to not allow these things to hold him back. Recently, Joshua's brother Michael, was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease also. He was diagnosed through a mouth swab done at St. Christopher's Hospital for Chrildren.

Michael is just as fiesty but has his own set of medical issues. For Michael, the disease affects his GI system and gives him significant sensory dysfunction. He was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and underwent surgery to remove his tonsills and adenoids in hopes to fix the problem.

Doctors at St. Christopher's are now keeping an eye on George the newest addition to our family. Dispite all of their issues the boys are happy and overcome any obstacles that this disease places on them.

Looking at Joshua and Michael you would never know that there is something wrong with them. They lighten up the lives of those who know and love them. We could not immagine life without them.