Keeping up with Tenasee

Life with Tenasee is constantly changing and I know our first page helped with all of her needs and our flights and meals while traveling across state to a different hospital, in one month of 2016 we had made 4 round trip flights between Denver children’s and Philadelphia children’s hospital! All while our family was attempting to move to a different state which did not work out and we had made 2 trips with all of our stuff in a uhaul!! I’m glad that all of that is over for the most part.

Now it’s much more exciting around here with growth and development And learning to walk,talk and eat! She’s learning new words every day and is still also doing sign language. She’s getting stronger with walking every day also and at 2yrs and 7months old is beginning to gain the strength to stand on her own and take one step with no assistance and is also using a walker to go longer distances. She is wanting to eat but is struggling with textures and sensations in her mouth from being intubated a few times at birth. So we will most likely do an intensive feeding therapy at children’s after January that requires us to stay up there and do two feeding classes a day for 15 days straight. Although she is making so many strides each day we still struggle with breathing and a lot of time things get hard and tiring for miss Tenasee and we have to rest. Along with routine surgeries that are scheduled every 4-6 months which take it all out of her too.
We are set to go back November 13th and it should be quick, two small incisions and lengthening each rod. Hopefully she will be straighter this time around! Just depends on what they can do.
Our latest endeavor is getting a therapy dog. After lots of research I found that she does not qualify for grants because of her age and the ones we can do with her are $20,000 and a two year waiting list! They also don’t get to be around the dog so we have decided to try and see what we can do with a puppy picked for us based on temperament and behavior towards noise and surroundings. So we will raise him with Tenasee and do training through the akc and then some more personal trading towards service duties once he is a little bigger. So he will start as a therapy dog and hopefully move on up from there! We feel that this will be a good companion for tenasee and like the idea of something that can maybe sense things faster than us! He is set to come home today!
His first classes will total out to $349 and he will be Canine Good Citizen certified and will be allowed in most public places and then we will begin more of a therapy routine and start visiting facilities both with and without Tenasee . This is exciting and all of our kids are excited to help with him and help with training to support their sister. Our hopes with this page is to raise money to help with Tenasees growth and development and aid with her therapy companion. We know that sometimes people want to help and are not sure how... well this is one way that helps us tremendously as we will be honest and tell you we don’t not receive any government help for tenasee only medicaid for medical supplies and her machines at home. Most doctors appointment we pay part of. We make just above the amount to receive any help for her. We hope you enjoy following Tenasee and do not expect anything from this so even if you just want to follow along for the journey that is quite alright with us! We love you All and thank you for supporting us and Tenasee all along!