Take Steps...Be Heard!!!

 Take Steps Be Heard...Walk for Crohn's and Colitis!!!

Thank you very much to those of you who supported Matthew's Monsters!  All together we raised $1520.00!!!  As of walk day we were the #3 team for fundraising and the #1 in fundraising for a Camp participant!  We were also very close to #1 for team members! 

 

 It was a very cold day but we had a great turn out.  Not only for our team but all the other ones as well!  We started on the east side of silver lake.  Before we started they had lots of activities for everyone.  They had balloon animals and a bounce house! They also had food and live music!  There was a lot of good times had by all!

As we started the walk, Bagpipers started to play. 

They lead the whole way playing the whole time! 

Uncle Tyler, Auntie Kayla, Papa Steve and the 3 king boys all made it!

 
 It was really neat! After the walk we got to go back and play some more.  We got to see Dr. Tung and Ruby!  They introduced us to some more people!  We got to meet a lot of people who will be at camp with Matthew.

During the Walk!

 

Grandpa Dan and Grandma Karen!

Our Team!!!

 



Auntie Blythe and Uncle Kyle!



Matthew and Papa Apple!

Matthew and his Brothers! :)

Auntie Hailley!

Matthew and Some of his Cousins!!



Dad's friend from High School, Angie! She also had Crohns!



Matthew and Rachel!

Our Family!

 

Thank you very much for all your support!  It means a lot to all of us!

April's Treatment!

Matthew had a treatment way back in April.  He did amazing.  We had talked on the way in hoping that we would get the "good guy" Arik and we talked about how the day was going to go.  We had Zachary with us again so it was going to be a challenge.  We got a room with a chair instead of a bed.  I wasn't sure how it was going to go at first but Matthew seemed to enjoy the chair more then the bed.  After getting his dose of Benadryl and Tylenol the IV team got there.  Guess what?!?!  We got Arik!  He walked in and I said "Matthew look we got the good guy!!"  Matthew was excited.  He talked to him again to keep him calm and told him what was going to happen.  I asked Matthew if he wanted me to sit with him or just hold his other hand.  At first he just wanted me to hold his other hand.  Then when Arik started to wash his arm he got a little nervous.  So I sat with him in the chair and held him a little.  After he was all cleaned and ready to go Arik said it was time.  He got the needle and was set.  Matthew didn't flinch.  He got the IV in and there was not a peep out of Matthew.  He had to hold it with some pressure so that Arik could hook up the syringe for the labs.  He told Matthew he had to tell him when to stop when he got the blood all the way up to the 8.  He got closer and closer and then had to ask Matthew when he was supposed to stop cuz  Matt had stopped paying attention.  He unhooked him and got him all taped up.  Matthew didn't make a sound!!  I asked him if he took some brave pills this morning and he said no very confused.  ;)  So he did really well the rest of the treatment.  Ryan came to join us 1/2 way through.  I took Zack and headed home to get Braden.  Matt and Ryan stayed to finish up the treatment. In the middle Matthew had to use the bathroom.  ITC doesn't have a bathroom in their area, So Ryan had to take him up the hall with the IV pole in tow.  Ryan said it was really hard walking through the halls like that.  He said a lot of people looked at him with pity eyes.  It upset Ryan more then Matt.   Ryan said Matthew asked if he could help take out the IV and just started pulling and the nurse had to stop him!