davidthe8thdwarf
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2011
- Messages
- 8
Good evening everyone. I have been quietly "lurking" around the boards for a little while and been a HUGE fan of the podcast for a long time. I come to you today asking for help. What started out as an attempt to help my neighbors win a local contest, has turned into a movement. I am a DVC member a frequent Walt Disney World visitor and have planned vacations for others, but I am having questions about how to plan a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth with my neighbors and their 6 adopted children. Here is a little background on the children from their mother Stephanie...
Dustin was three and in the hospital when we met him. He had been starved and abused in his FOSTER home. He had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and was so jaundiced when I first saw him that I thought he was bi-racial! After a few days in the hospital with lots of meds, sleep, food, and breathing treatments he was released to our care. He had originally came into custody from being found in a meth lab. We just couldn't believe this vibrant child could have a death sentence so early in life, so we started crying out to God. Within weeks, his tests started coming up negative, he regained color and no longer needed meds or breathing treatments...then the Dr after doing rigorous blood tests, told us what we prayed for: He was fine!!! He couldn't figure out what happened, because generally speaking, they didn't misdiagnose something that serious! We fought to make him ours for 3 long hard years, and when he was 6 we finally gave him our last name! He is the caretaker and simultaneous prankster in our house. He wants to do anything Star Wars related, and really wants to meet as many characters as he can!
3) Matthew - (April 20, 2005) We got Matt and William at the same time, and Matt was 2. They are biological brothers. They had already had three foster homes, because no one wanted Matthew he was "weird". He has Autism. He hits himself and others when he is frustrated. He is verbal, and smart, but absolutely can't handle any kinds of frustration. He will be the one that is most likely to be problematic at Disney. He can't deal with crowds or waiting in line. He cries and hits himself. He LOVES lots of stimulation. Bright lights, loud sounds, tight hugs! LOVES it! He is still not completely potty trained because of these sensory issues. He is so gentle most of the time, but like most Autistic children, his meltdowns are Epic! He is six and loves rides in general, and wants to see fireworks and pretty animals
4) William - (December 6, 2006) He was 1 when we got him. He was the reason that he and Matthew were in custody. He had been beaten so severly when he was 4 months old, that both sides of his skull had been fractured. His biological father had beaten him hard enough to crack his skull on both sides, with a plastic bottle. Everyone wanted to adopt William but not Matt. But William has since developed ADHD. He is a little lover man but has a bodacious yell when he's upset! He really wants see Minnie and Mickey and see musicals and ride rides!
5)Nathaniel - (March 22, 2007) He was 22 months when we got him, and he is currently 4. He is a beautiful sad puppy eyed boy who loves working with his hands! Building, demolition, painting, digging, playing guitar! He is my best helper and the cutest pouter in the bunch! He came into care because both he and his sister were removed together.
6)Zoe-Renee - (July 10, 2008) She was 5 months old when we got her, and is currently 3. She was a mess when I got her. She weighed only 6.5lbs and had 12 fractures. Both her arms, and legs had been twisted broke...along with 8 of her ribs. Both biologicals deny involvement. She was so tiny and fragile. In so many ways she still is. She is now 3, but has just gotten into 24mos and 2t clothes. She has a brain condition called PVL, it is speculated that she was born with it due to bio moms drinking and drug abuse during pregnancy. Zoe was also born 10weeks premature because the bio parents had a fight which resulted in a kick to the stomach which separated the placenta and sent her bio mom into early labor. Zoe had to fight to be here, before she was even born. Now due to her PVL, she has Cerebral Palsy. But she is a fighter, and she is stubborn! She is walking (although wobbly) when they said she wouldn't. She is a survivor, and such a blessing to us! She wants to see princesses, ride rides and "shop for pretty clothes"! LOL
if you search facebook for The McKinney Familys Dream Trip to Walt Disney World you can read over their page and see how we are trying to help this family out. I am worried that I am trying to fit too much inot the trip for them. Stephanie wants to see "as much as she can " while there including that park that shall not be named. We will be staying off property (this is a whole new world for me) in a 6 bedroom vacation home donated by Heidi DeLuca. I need you help in preparing for this trip because these kids have had a rough start to life and I don't want to overload them and wind up ruining their trip. I tought about sending this as an email to the podcast but I didn't know if it was something the "gang" would deem appropriate for the podcast. Thank you for any help or guidance that you can give.
Semper Fi,
David Mullican
Norris Tn
Dustin was three and in the hospital when we met him. He had been starved and abused in his FOSTER home. He had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and was so jaundiced when I first saw him that I thought he was bi-racial! After a few days in the hospital with lots of meds, sleep, food, and breathing treatments he was released to our care. He had originally came into custody from being found in a meth lab. We just couldn't believe this vibrant child could have a death sentence so early in life, so we started crying out to God. Within weeks, his tests started coming up negative, he regained color and no longer needed meds or breathing treatments...then the Dr after doing rigorous blood tests, told us what we prayed for: He was fine!!! He couldn't figure out what happened, because generally speaking, they didn't misdiagnose something that serious! We fought to make him ours for 3 long hard years, and when he was 6 we finally gave him our last name! He is the caretaker and simultaneous prankster in our house. He wants to do anything Star Wars related, and really wants to meet as many characters as he can!
3) Matthew - (April 20, 2005) We got Matt and William at the same time, and Matt was 2. They are biological brothers. They had already had three foster homes, because no one wanted Matthew he was "weird". He has Autism. He hits himself and others when he is frustrated. He is verbal, and smart, but absolutely can't handle any kinds of frustration. He will be the one that is most likely to be problematic at Disney. He can't deal with crowds or waiting in line. He cries and hits himself. He LOVES lots of stimulation. Bright lights, loud sounds, tight hugs! LOVES it! He is still not completely potty trained because of these sensory issues. He is so gentle most of the time, but like most Autistic children, his meltdowns are Epic! He is six and loves rides in general, and wants to see fireworks and pretty animals
4) William - (December 6, 2006) He was 1 when we got him. He was the reason that he and Matthew were in custody. He had been beaten so severly when he was 4 months old, that both sides of his skull had been fractured. His biological father had beaten him hard enough to crack his skull on both sides, with a plastic bottle. Everyone wanted to adopt William but not Matt. But William has since developed ADHD. He is a little lover man but has a bodacious yell when he's upset! He really wants see Minnie and Mickey and see musicals and ride rides!
5)Nathaniel - (March 22, 2007) He was 22 months when we got him, and he is currently 4. He is a beautiful sad puppy eyed boy who loves working with his hands! Building, demolition, painting, digging, playing guitar! He is my best helper and the cutest pouter in the bunch! He came into care because both he and his sister were removed together.
6)Zoe-Renee - (July 10, 2008) She was 5 months old when we got her, and is currently 3. She was a mess when I got her. She weighed only 6.5lbs and had 12 fractures. Both her arms, and legs had been twisted broke...along with 8 of her ribs. Both biologicals deny involvement. She was so tiny and fragile. In so many ways she still is. She is now 3, but has just gotten into 24mos and 2t clothes. She has a brain condition called PVL, it is speculated that she was born with it due to bio moms drinking and drug abuse during pregnancy. Zoe was also born 10weeks premature because the bio parents had a fight which resulted in a kick to the stomach which separated the placenta and sent her bio mom into early labor. Zoe had to fight to be here, before she was even born. Now due to her PVL, she has Cerebral Palsy. But she is a fighter, and she is stubborn! She is walking (although wobbly) when they said she wouldn't. She is a survivor, and such a blessing to us! She wants to see princesses, ride rides and "shop for pretty clothes"! LOL
if you search facebook for The McKinney Familys Dream Trip to Walt Disney World you can read over their page and see how we are trying to help this family out. I am worried that I am trying to fit too much inot the trip for them. Stephanie wants to see "as much as she can " while there including that park that shall not be named. We will be staying off property (this is a whole new world for me) in a 6 bedroom vacation home donated by Heidi DeLuca. I need you help in preparing for this trip because these kids have had a rough start to life and I don't want to overload them and wind up ruining their trip. I tought about sending this as an email to the podcast but I didn't know if it was something the "gang" would deem appropriate for the podcast. Thank you for any help or guidance that you can give.
Semper Fi,
David Mullican
Norris Tn
