Things are Good!

As Joey's mom, it is hard for me to see the changes in him. I am with him all day everyday. It is not until someone who hasn't seen him in awhile sees him and notice's his improvements. Which brings me to today. I took him to his Gastro doctor to check his g-tube site. As many of you know his g-tube has been out for about three weeks now. The doctor said the site looks perfect and I don't need to come back to see him ever again. YEAH! Well, that's not the exciting news. The doctor also checked his weight and height. He has grown 2 inches and gained 1.2 pounds since October. I was most concerned about his weight because he hasn't been gaining, so for him to gain 1.2 lbs in 4 months is awesome. I also ask Joey to talk to the doctor and he said "Hello and I Love You and I know". The doctor was so excited he was jumping out of his skin. He kept saying "OMG he talks, OMG he talks". Even when I was leaving the doctors office I heard him say to his receptionist "Did you hear him, he talks, he talks, OMG he talks". He wasn't talking so much or as well last time he saw him in October. He was also very impressed by how well and quickly he responded to him when he spoke to him. When the doctor put the blood pressure cuff on him, the doctor asked him to sit still and don't move and Joey did. It was really cool. The doctor couldn't believe how much he has improved. 

I am very relived. I didn't notice any improvements over the last several month, so I'm glad the doctor did.

Joey has still been working hard at the NAPA Center twice a week. I am also in the process of booking our trip to China. I will keep everyone updated.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

Recovering From the Plague

What a week, first my mommy got sick with the plague last Monday and she is still recovering as of today. I just got a cold on Friday and I am almost all better now. I did really good without the feeding tube through my sickness. I drank plenty of liquids and feel much better. 

My mom has kept me loose and my body is feeling good. I have hit a bit of a platue. I haven't progressed much at all, but I have not regressed either. I am hoping that when I go to China that will give me a little push to get over the hill. Please pray that my Stem Cell Therapy will help me regain my eyesight. 

Otherwise not much else is going on. We have been stuck in the house due to all the rain.

JOEY'S FEEDING TUBE IS OUT!

Ok, so I'm a little late on this post. A week ago Thursday we noticed that Joey's feeding tube was loose. I added more water to the balloon that holds it tight and thought I fixed it. Well I thought wrong. On that following Sunday Joey pulled it out. He didn't just pull it out, he got rid of it. It must have happened at the mall because I couldn't find the missing tube anywhere. We noticed before he pulled it out over those few days that he wasn't eating or drinking much. The tube must have been bothering him a lot. Since the tube came out, he eats and drinks better than he has ever before. The hole in his stomach closes up within hours and the hole in his skin is still closing, it just looks like another belly button. It feels funny holding him and touching him and not feeling the tube. He had it for exactly two years. YEAH! IT'S GONE.

GREAT THINGS HAPPENED TODAY

Today I got to see Joey walking in his gait trainer again. He moved so fast down the hallway. It was like he was running. When you stopped him from going, he got pissed off. The teacher told me that he walks all over the play ground and will try and play ball with the other kids. The aid will place the ball at his feet and he will kick it and then walk as fast as he can after it. They say he loves to be on the move and doesn't stop. 

I think back from when he started school and he hated the gait trainer, now he loves it. It just gives me such hope on what the future brings for Joey

THANK YOU AGAIN to all my friends and my family that are sending Joey to China.

HELPING JOEY

I NEED YOUR HELP!

It has just been two years now since my accident. Since the day that has changed my life and my families life forever. Two years ago I had a drowning accident. I fell in our pool. The accident has left me with severe brain damage. Over the last two years I have done many different types of therapies. I have done all the traditional therapies such as, PT, OT, and ST. I have also done many different types of alternative therapies, which are Equestrian Therapy, HBOT, Biofeedback, Tomatis, and NeuroSuit Therapy. I continue recieving traditional therapies once a week from school, however it is the alternative therapies that have been making a difference in my healing. These alternative therapies have cost my mom and dad tens of thousands of dollars.

Why I need your help? There is another type of therapy my mom and dad want to do with me. It is Stem Cell Therapy. The SCT is only done out of the country. My mom wants to take me to China. SCT costs a lot of money. To do this therapy I need your help to raise the money. It costs close to$30,000.

Please help me go to China. There has been great research and results from this treatment. It will make my quality of life so much better.

You can read more about Stem Cell Therapy and my other alternative therapies below.

To donate, please click on the donate button to the right which will take you to paypal, or you can send a check to:

Joseph Stafford
3090 Evelyn Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93063


Stem Cell Therapy
What is Stem Cell Therapy? Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division anddifferentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are:embryonic stem cells that are found in blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells andprogenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.

Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies. [3].

In China, Joey would receive 5-7 injections of stem cells. The therapy can take anywhere from 20-35 days.


NAPA Center
The NAPA Center is where we currently take Joey to therapy. The NAPA Center provides PT AND OT. It also provides NeuroSuit and Tomatis therapy. Joey began talking when he attended his first NeuroSuit Intensive session. He has also gained incredible control of his body with this therapy. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover this type of therapy. The therapies that the NAPA Center provides have made some of the most significant changes in Joey.

You can read all about the NAPA Center by logging onto www.napacenter.org


PLEASE HELP ME! Tell all you family and friends.

You can donate by clicking the Donate button or by sending a check to Joey Stafford at:

3090 Evelyn Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93063

Thank You for all your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot to us.

Best Wishes Always and Forever

Joey, Julie and Jeremy Stafford

Joey's Christmas Present to his Mommy and Daddy

Two Christmas presents. One for Mommy and one for Daddy. Today when mommy and daddy were feeding me, they brought the sippy cup toward my mouth and I SAW IT and opened my mouth for a drink. This time instead of biting it to get the water, I used my lips and mouth to suck on the sippy cup. I was able to suck and continue drinking at the same time. Mommy and Daddy had tears in their eyes. 

Merry Christmas!

Becoming a Scrooge!

Over the years I have become a scrooge. The planning and shopping and wrapping and cooking it's just to much. We celebrate Hanukkah with my family. A Hanukkah party with my moms side and then another with my dads side. We also celebrate X-mas with my husbands side of the family. So things are busy.

The kids have been given homework on their vacation, and not just a little, but BIG projects. I HATE homework. We leave on New Years Eve to go camping. Yeah! Camping is very relaxing and a great way to start of the new year. 

Amongst all the holiday hoopla, I am still taking Joey to his therapy. Twice a week down near LAX we go. He just began his tomatis therapy again. This seems to really calm him and center him. We are not doing any other alternative therapies (ie: HBOT, NeuroSuit, Biofeedback) for a while. I am working on getting Joey to China for Stem Cell Therapy. I am also continuing my research on other alternative therapies. As far as 'How Joey is doing', he made a lot of improvements after his last NeuroSuit session in November and has now plateaued. Which is OK. He is loose and happy and is finally gaining weight after 2 years. Hopefully in March his feeding tube will come out. 

Happy Holiday and Happy New Years to everyone. May 2009 be the best year ever.