Tag Archives: Cerebral Palsy

Day 2096: 25 Smiles Campaign Five Months Later

Teamwork will get you further than working by yourself ever will – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 2096 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read James 4: 8, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Flag of Switzerland. The flag of Switzerland consists of a red flag with a white cross (a bold, equilateral cross) in the centre. It is one of only two square sovereign-state flags, the other being the flag of Vatican City.-and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Today marks the five month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far sixty-seven people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $5 875 I am SO GRATEFUL for everyone’s amazing support. Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna, My Paper Parties, Happy Odd Girl, Adam Butler, Deepuchachen, Tinuchachechi and Jerynchachen, Duane, My Paper Parities 2, Joyce Childers, Jacqui Mackway -Wilson of Go Social SA, Kevin B (on behalf of Lesley), Meg Guegan, Susanchechi, Reshma Jacob, uncle Abraham Matthew, Debbie McMannis, Anish Krishnankutty, Ellyn Harris, Zak Ebrahim, author of The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice, Joseph John, Reshma Ravi, Wayne Mansfield, Jinuchachen, Samuel Kochukanayathil, Laura, Tim Fargo, author of Alphabet Success – Keeping it Simple. My Secrets to Success and founder of TweetJukebox (soon-to-be Social Jukebox), Shari Mason, Benjin Thomas, Bruce Sallan, Nithin Yohannan, Juliana Mullan, Fireman Max and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you uncle Abraham Matthew, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Smile Train India, Sue-Ann Allen, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Thara, Anjali, Sherin, Pamela Eapen Nadine Stander, Yusuf Abramjee, Anatoli, Cazanne, Gaynor Young, Glenda Butler, LA Janssens, Nisha Kotecha, Zareef Minty, Janez Vermeiren, Jonathan Boynton-Lee and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign. ‏

[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]

Day 2095: “Holes Inside” by Joe Brooks

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When all that you’ve tried, leaves nothing but holes inside,
It seems like you’re wired, to stay here held in time,
Cause nothing seems to change, oh no.
No nothing’s gonna change, at all.
I can see it in your face, the hope has gone away.

If you hold tight, shadows will be lost in the light.
Oh cause sometimes, fate and your dreams will collide.
So don’t walk away from me,
Don’t walk away from me,
Don’t walk away from me.

– Joe Brooks, “Holes Inside”

It’s 12 : 26 PM on day 2095 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Psalm 32: 8, have breakfast, learn one new thing -In 1937, the Walt Disney Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and pioneered a new form of family entertainment.- and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Recently I heard “Holes Inside” by Joe Brooks I love the lyrics if you hold tight, shadows will be lost in the light. Oh cause sometimes, fate and your dreams will collide maybe because it is true or maybe because I want it to be true. Listen to “Holes Inside” below:

Day 2094: Remembering Jenna Lowe

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“Love is a verb, people should do love.” – Jenna Lowe

It’s 12 : 38 PM on day 2094 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Philippians 4:13, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Swans can also fly. A baby swan is called a Cygnet. The name of the constellation Cygnus is from the Latin word for swan.- and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Today marks the one year anniversary of Jenna Lowe’s death (Jenna had a rare degenerative disease called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension after a potentially life-saving double lung transplant she spent many months in the hospital before she passed away on this day last year) although I never met Jenna in person we did tweet each other she taught me that we live on in the lives we touch (Jenna’s life continues to touch the lives of others through the Jenna Lowe Trust). Rest in peace Jenna I will never forget you every sunny afternoon I go outside, look up at the sky and think of you I live for two now – I live for me and I live for you.

To find more about Jenna and the Jenna Lowe Trust please visit jennalowe.org/ .

Day 2093: The Secret to my Happiness

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“When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.” – Elie Wiesel

It’s 12 : 13 PM on day 2093 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Psalm 46: 10, have breakfast, learn one new thing -Shellfish fall into two different groups: crustaceans (like shrimp, crab, or lobster) and mollusks (like clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, octopus, or squid). Some people with shellfish allergies are allergic to both groups, but some might be allergic only to one.- and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Yesterday I recorded a video entitled “The Secret to my Happiness” in an effort to simplify happiness I truly believe that happiness is nothing more than one part gratitude and one part giving. Watch “The Secret to my Happiness” below:

Day 2092: Being Happy and Perfection

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Your life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be perfectly happy – that’s what I realized yesterday.

It’s 12 : 39 PM on day 2092 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Proverbs 18: 10, learn one new thing – Having more than five fingers is a little more complicated because it can be a dominant or recessive trait, depending on what genes are involved. If polydactyly is caused by just a single gene that only affects the number of fingers or toes and nothing else, then it is typically a dominant trait. – have breakfast, make a few videos and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Yesterday I realized that your life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be perfectly happy you just have to count your blessings and strive to be a blessing.

Day 2091: World Environment Day 2016

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“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.” – Jim Fowler

It’s 12 : 30 PM on day 2091 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Isaiah 60: 20, have breakfast, learn one new thing – This is an area of rotating thunderstorms with winds of 62 km/hr (38 mph) or less. A tropical depression becomes a tropical storm if its winds reach 63 km/hr (39 mph). A tropical storm becomes a hurricane if its winds reach 119 km/hr (74 mph).- and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Anonymous donated $50 (thanks SO MUCH Anon 🙂 ) which brings my total raised to $5 875 only $375 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

Today is World Environment Day and in honour of this year’s theme “Go Wild For Life” I’m going to share with you some facts about the illegal wildlife trade. Take a look:

4 Facts about the Illegal Wildlife Trade

2010-2012: 100 000 African Elephants killed out of a population estimated at less than 500 000
2015: 1338 Rhinos killed by poachers in Africa according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
2016: Chimpanzees are now extinct in Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo
Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world

For more information about the illegal wildlife trade please visit www.wed2016.com/content/itw-facts

Day 2090: Do the Random Things you Love

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If the random things you do give you enjoyment or some serenity then they’re not random things – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 03 PM on day 2090 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Ephesians 2: 10, learn one new thing – Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk. -have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 825 only $425 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Recently I’ve started spending every sunny afternoon outside just staring at nature I have no doubt people think I’m weird but it centres me and gives me such inner peace that I don’t really care what people think.

Day 2089: Be a Good Person

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Whatever else you become the most important thing you will ever be is a good person – that’s my message to the world.

It’s 12 : 05 PM on day 2089 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read John 12: 25, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), born Augusta Ada Byron and now commonly known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine.- and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – Fireman Max donated $25 (thanks SO MUCH Fireman Max ) which brings my total raised to $5 825 only $425 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

Yesterday I was tweeting someone and I said I always aim for extraordinary and tell youth: Whatever else u become the most important thing u will ever b is a good person it’s so true who you are will always be more important than what you are you could be a neuroscientist but it won’t really matter if you’re a crappy person.

Day 2088: The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice by Zak Ebrahim

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“Everyone has a choice. Even if you’re trained to hate, you can choose tolerance. You can choose empathy.” ― Zak Ebrahim, The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice

It’s 12 : 31 PM on day 2088 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Revelation 3: 5 , learn one new thing – “Concord grapes are one of only three fruits native to North America. The other two fruits are blueberries and cranberries.” (Dole.com) “The cranberry is one of just three fruits native to North America (along with Concord grapes and blueberries)” (Pittsburgh Magazine) – have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – Jim Mahar donated $26 (thanks SO MUCH Jim your ongoing support means the world to me ) which brings my total raised to $5 800 only $450 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

Yesterday I finished reading The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice by Zak Ebrahim it’s an inspiring story of a boy who was trained to hate who grew up to be a man who chooses peace and tolerance (I actually know Zak via Twitter he’s such a nice human always advocating peace and love it hurt my heart to know that nearly everyone he came into contact with as a child abused him in one way or another I suppose one has to experience hate and violence to know the true power of love and peace I’m SO PROUD of the human being Zak grew up to be).

Day 2087: Action and Priorities

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“Action expresses priorities.” – Mahatma Gandhi

It’s 12 : 36 PM on day 2087 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, have breakfast, learn one new thing – This is evidence that humans are related to every other species on Earth. The genes of organisms that look very different are surprisingly similar. For example, human DNA sequences are over 95% identical to chimpanzee sequences and around 50% identical to banana sequences. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 774 only $476 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ),

This morning I realized that I’m not a priority to myself I’m supposed to do stretches daily (to keep my tendons the right length) but I don’t and I’m really starting to feel its effects my legs are stiff and I feel pain in the back of my knee hopefully when I start doing my exercises again things will get back to normal (my normal anyway).