Nearly There..................................

Well here we are the night before our flight to America, just to think that 8 months ago Dr Park and his team accepted Ben for the life changing – Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and here we are about to leave for St Louis, Missouri.

After months of wonderful support and a fund raising frenzy we reached the amazing target to enable us to take Ben to America.

We sit here among suitcase checking and re-checking all the many lists to make sure we have not forgotten anything, trying not to think too far in front of us...

The taxi is booked for some unearthly hour in the morning to get us there in time, the boys will be not happy been woken up at 5am!!!!

There are 2 plus’s to the travelling, we are meeting up with another family who are flying out the same day as us and even more strange their daughter is have surgery the same day as Ben.

The other plus is we get to see my sister, husband and my 2 adorable nephews for a short time in Chicago airport, which will be great not only for the boys but for me as well.

I do hope I can keep up with the blog throughout our entire stay with photos, videos and other bits pieces.

Well Thanks again to you all – See you in St Louis....

Charlotte x

Merry Christmas

Just a short one today - It's been a lovely morning so far, Ben was impressed with Santa's letter.

Both boys are being so good and nice to each other (don't know how long this will last).

Santa has been very kind to the boys - PSP will come in really handy for our Transatlantic Adventure.

Thanks again to everyone for your support this year, a week today we fly to America for Ben's operation.  Still finding it hard to really get my head around the fact that this is really happening so fast.

Well enjoy what is left of your Christmas Day - and keep watching here for all the daily blogs from America, pictures, videos you name it.....

Charlotte xx

Another step forward

Well !!!! The final countdown begins.

Nearly all the final fund raising events have now taken place; all bookings - flights, accommodation & car hire, have been confirmed (thank goodness)

Christmas is a sore subject.  We have still to organise it all, well it will be fine (fingers crossed) as always.  The boys are desperate to get the tree up this weekend – so we will.....

Life has been MAD over the last 6 months – still don’t know how I have managed, housework (Damian may argue), work, kids and fund raising all in one and stay sane!!!! Somehow we have.

Damian has been amazing throughout this journey – even pulling out a fantastic birthday treat.  Well done you.  The boys have both grown up so much; Jacob the once shy boy is now full of confidence & Ben – well Ben is Ben taking it all in his stride and smiling all the way.  It’s been a very long term for them both they are looking forward to Christmas at home as we are.

Life has changed so much for all of us; we are truly grateful to everyone for all the support and help over the fund raising journey.

On the 1^st January 2011 this changes again for us as we set off to America – it’s hard to believe that Ben was accepted for surgery on 6^th May and 8 month to the day he will have surgery.  MIND BLOWING......

All that leaves me to say wishing all of you a Very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

And

THANK YOU

As one journey ends the BIGGEST JOURNEY begins

On 6^thMay 2010 we received the email from Dr Park and his team saying Ben would be a
suitable candidate for SDR – our world when into overdrive....
Well as I write this we have SMASHED our estimated £45K target, it's hard to think that on the 6th May we got the amazing email from Dr Park & his team saying Ben had been accepted for SDR.
Damian (ever the pessimist) though we should take our time to think about how to fund raise and plan it all out, I however ran at it FULL ON and dived in feet first......
After 3 weeks of organising our website went 'LIVE' (my very own handy work I might add!!!) and the media was contacted.  And so it began 5 months of mayhem!
We have been totally OVERWHELMED by how not only Ilkley but the wider community has help us with this mammoth task to make our dream come true for Ben to have this amazing operation to give him the independence he craves and so deserves.
We, as a family been bowled over by offers from everyone, whether a sponsored run, 40 Bungee jumpers, head shave, Lake Swim you name it.  We cannot thank everyone enough for how they have pulled together and help us every step of the way.

The coverage through the Ilkley Gazette has been FANTASTIC, we are so very very grateful to Sheena, Jonathan and the rest of the Gazette team for all their hard work and supporting us all the way on our amazing journey – THANK YOU.
Ben has as always taken everything in his ‘stride’ and his relentless smile throughout every event we have taken him to and personally thanking people who have donated or
raised money for him, which for a 9 year old is pretty AMAZING – we are truly
proud of him.
We are hoping to keep up a daily blog throughout our American journey with feelings from all of us and pictures and videos etc......
So as one journey ends the BIGGEST JOUNERY begins............................................

Charlotte x