DQ

DQ is a 16 year old kid/young man, who is fostered by an internet friend of mine in Kentucky, USA.  DQ has muscular dystrophy and a bad heart.  He cannot walk at all and uses a wheelchair.  He has no family, no-one to care for him apart from his foster parents and he has had a life of abuse and neglect up till now.  He is the kindest, sweetest and dear child you would ever want to meet, says WendyB, his foster mom (who, with hubby Jim, has fostered an amazing 189 kids so far and adopted 2 of them!)  They have 5 boys at the moment – all special needs kids.  I love this anecdote she posted about DQ:

“I heard a thump in the back hall earlier this evening and I called out, “What was that?” DQ answered, “It’s OK. Ms. B., I was just practicing my back flips!” God love him…he has my heart!”

DQ and M

DQ had surgery on his back (he had his spine fused and steel rods inserted) at the end of June so that he could breathe more easily.  On 17 July he became very ill and nearly died when an E-Coli infection set in.  He had 3 more surgeries, his back being left open to heal “from the inside out”.  He was stitched up again on 9 September, but his back keeps leaking fluid.  He came home last week with a wound vac to suction the wound (from the top of his spine to his tailbone), IV antibiotics (which are labour intensive – Wendy is getting 3-4 hours sleep a night) and daily Home Health.

The lifespan for a kid with Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy is early to mid twenties.  Jim and Wendy hope to be able to care for him until then and to give him the best years they can.  DQ told one of the nurses that he hopes to be able to stay with them until he dies.  He always has a smile and a good attitude, even during the very worst of the pain.

He has lost most of his upper body movement and strength since his surgery and infection and has to be cared for like a baby at the moment. He even needs pillows under his arms for him to be able to eat or brush his teeth because he just can’t lift his arms high enough.  He needs total care now he is home.  He can’t start physical therapy for a year until his back heals inside.  Then he can start to build back his upper body strength if the muscular dystrophy has not already locked it out.

Wendy and Jim are saving to buy DQ a laptop, and hopefully later a keyboard.  Here is where we can help.  Can I ask those of you who can spare $10 (or $5) to send it to Wendy and Jim?  Their meagre resources have been incredibly stretched by the 84 mile round trips to the hospital (one of them was there with him continually since the surgery) and the other incidental expenses.  The B’s will need a chairlift for their van too.  There have been funding “issues” and the state cut off all funds for him, except his medical card to pay for the hospital… Sigh.  The payments should resume now he is out of hospital.

Let’s inundate DQ with cards of encouragement.  Emails would be good too.  For those of us who can afford to help with the laptop funding, let’s do that as well.

Let’s make a difference in this young man’s life!  His story has touched mine.

James 1:27

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Email me at wjcsydney @ yahoo dot com and I will send you the address and details for cards, emails and/or donations.

Tags: foster kid, muscular dystrophy, pure religion