Recently, I was contacted by our local newspaper to see if they could come and do an interview with us about our story. I have been blown away by the response we have received since the airing of the 9news story. Every day we receive a full mailbox and most days we have a package on the front porch. I hope our mailman is not getting frustrated with us:) It has been very humbling for us to see the amount of support that is out there. We are loving going through all the postcards, brochures, dvd’s, personal pictures, personal postcard collections and the list goes on.
We went this weekend to meet with a family who donated a CCTV to us. If you saw the news piece, this is the same type of machine that he uses at school to do his work on. He puts the paper on a tray and it magnifies it on to a screen and he can slide the tray back and forth to read. It is amazing to have access to this in our home as it will help us with his work at home. Homework has been a struggle as all we have had is a small dome which is hard for him to use. While at their house, we met their handsome young son, John who is 9 and also Autistic. It was so wonderful to see Nathan connect with someone who is like him. They got along really well and John even gave Nathan some of his Legos. We do not live close to them, but we all decided it would be worth the travel time to set up playdates so that the boys could play together. I would like to personally thank the Kyser family for their generous donation and the time they spent sharing their journey with us. It is through these connections that I learn more and more. I realize, we are not alone and there are others out there who want the exact same for their children as we do, to be loved and respected for who they are. I look forward to getting to know them better. Again, from the bottom of my heart-THANK YOU!
We have also had an amazing offer from a breeder who would like to give us a Labradoodle puppy who we could train as a therapy dog for Nathan. The litter is not due until June/July so Jay and I are thinking very hard about this generous offer. My gut tells me that we have to jump on this offer as it would be great for Nathan, but we are making sure we are not just falling in love with the beautiful face of a puppy and that we are making sure that we can take on that additional responsibility. I have been in contact with trainers to see what we would need to do to make sure that it would be the best fit for Nathan and our family.
Another special Thank you to the 5th grade class of Ms. Strabala. Since adopting Nathan as an honorary 5th grader they have done special things for him. Right before the Christmas break they brought him into the classroom to give him a present. They gave him a huge Transformer that he loves. He plays with it all the time and I think is pretty tickled by the attention he has received by the older kids. They are an extraordinary group of kids and I am so glad that Madison is surrounded by great people with big hearts. It means a lot to me that they have taken him under their wing and are watching out for him.
I have been cataloging all of the postcards and things we have received and let me tell you that I have multiple spreadsheets going. It has almost become a full-time job trying to keep track of all the places that are coming in. I am doing my best if there is a return address to send a thank you note. If you have not received one yet, please bear with me as I am a little behind. Nathan and Madison’s school have put maps up in the hallway and I will take the postcards to them tomorrow and they are going to identify all the places that we have received so that the students can see the response as well. It is a great geography lesson for us all!
I have attached a link to the article that was done by the Parker Chronicle.
Thank you all for everything, we appreciate it so much.
Stacey
Nathan's Batten Battle 
Do keep notes and track all this. I see a book in the making! There is more for you to experience. God is moving in your life. He is giving you a panoramic view of His love for you and your family. Nathan’s struggles will become more your growth in courage; your leap in faith; your triumph over dispair; your true joy; your consolation and strength. It consoles me to watch and know that “eye has not seen; nor has ear heard; nor has it entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.” I hope that smiles and joy are returning to your heart. So much to be thankful for. We saw the Reinhart family again this past weekend at the Monroe wedding. Eddie is so tall and so friendly. There was a child sitting at their table and Eddie launched into a rendition of the song from the Sound of Music about raindrops and roses and crisp apple strudel. It was wonderful. He changed his families life and none of them would trade one hardship for their life now. God is greater, so much greater than anything that can happen. He is all love. xoxoox
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 02:56:01 +0000 To: difrmaria@msn.com