Let's talk numbers here. There were a total of 1,370 participants. There were 6 maybe 7 different bike contests, according to the kind of bike you chose for that particular child. In Owen's specific contest, for the Rifton bike, I didn't count up the exact number, but there ended up being around 140-150 participants. Because of generous donors, they were able to give away 18 Rifton bikes. Don't quote me on this, but I am pretty sure Owen won the 18th bike. No joke. The list of winners wasn't in alphabetical order, and Owen was the VERY LAST KID LISTED. Phew!!!! All in all, they gave away 108 bikes out of 1,370 participants, and Owen was one of them!
Gavin and I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Billie, Owen's case manager. She sent me the link to the contest, therefore, ultimately making this happen for us. Billie, you are AWESOME! :)
Also thank you to all of you Warriors who do ANYTHING for Owen just to see a smile on that kid's face....or just to make him feel better even for a little while. Thank you for voting, for sharing, and doing the previously mentioned actions over and over again.:) Owen is spoiled rotten, but deservedly so!!! It's been a happy week in this household, and not just because of the bike........
We have, in the past two weeks or so, started Owen on a new supplement called Holy Basil Leaf. It was recommended by many Dravet parents I am in contact with online. Though Owen's doctor (soon-to-be old doctor if I could be so blunt for a second) refused to recommend it, many of these other kiddos have the approval of their doctor to try the supplement. It is an over-the-counter medication, and inexpensive, which is a bonus. He is doing AMAZINGLY WELL on this medication so far. Most of you who know Owen know that he does NOT go a day without a seizure. Never. We have (at school and at home) maybe, possibly seen 2 tiny seizures in 6 days!!!! Owen's teacher and I are both on the same page about the 2 seizures...we think it was one, but it could have been just a jerk. Let's hope this is not a honeymoon period and this is what we have been looking for! On top of the increased seizure control, Owen looks like a brand new kid. He is wide-eyed, alert, happy, and seems to communicate non-verbally more with us than he did before. He is sitting up better at school. Overall, developmentally he has improved since beginning the Holy Basil Leaf. And on that note I say, WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!
