I always say, “how has another year already come and gone” but with that being said, we all know this past year has been exceptionally odd, hard, and scary - especially for those vulnerable people like Dylan - who are the immunosuppressed individuals of the population. Although we have not been petrified of the “what if Dylan got Covid-19”, we've certainly been mindful of keeping him away from unnecessary grocery store trips, being around folks we do not know, and just paying extra attention to our environmental surroundings.
This past year truly has been exceptionally hard on all levels though. Dylan (and Tegan) literally have been locked up for 11 months. For those that do not recall, we live in California and it has been a draconian unbearable experience to say the least. As adults, both Amber and myself lost our jobs – and my business of 17 years – add in to this stress the kids who have lost all their friends and close connections, as well as school interaction(s)…it is beyond a travesty what has transpired. Not to get too political on our son’s blog but honestly the worst part about what has been done here is the complete unapologetic ruin of people’s lives for the sake of “saving others lives”, or so they say, but costing your own existence at the same time. Although we care deeply about others, we also still must put food on the table, pay for life saving meds, outrageous insurance premiums, and when you have had the rug pulled out from under you and you are left to fend for yourself and what little crumbs the .gov says we can have…I have no means but to feel jaded by the way this has all been handled. It is not right, it is not fair, and lives are forever changed. In addition, my brother’s family, whom me and him had our 17 yearlong business, working side by side together, have already picked up and moved out of California. So, the kids have also lost their cousins as well. And soon enough, our family will be forced to move, as we cannot continue to make ends meet here anymore. It is an incredibly stressful time, and we feel the weight of the situation on our family. I honestly fear for the youth and the negative outcomes that will result from this failed experiment they have implemented on us all.
But let me get back to how this affects these kids, both Dylan and Tegan have anxiety issues far greater than they ever had before. Although this roller coaster seems to have no end in sight, I wonder what it even looks like once it is “over” and whatever that even means, as I just do not see them magically going back to business as usual, packing Dr. offices, kids playing like normal at school, etc. Dylan has been feeling awful for some time and most recently has rapidly lost over 20 lbs of weight (he is already skinny and doesn't/didn't even have this kind of weight to lose). Just the other day, I had to take him to the hospital for labs, EKG, and chest x-ray as Dylan has been having a really hard time (this is a severe understatement) with things as of lately. The hospital/Dr. offices are basically shutdown, 1 entrance in and out, lines are hours long, and they have closed most all the services like treatment rooms, drop-in appointments, even most the labs are all shuttered. Meanwhile doing critical face-to-face, hands on appointments via Zoom. This is just asinine if you ask me – if we are in the midst of a health crisis, why on earth are they limiting services – it should be expanded. Dylan needs extra support, which we feel is a culmination of everything that has transpired not only from his unique life early on but especially what has transpired over the course of this past year. This forced Covid isolation is breeding unhealthy antisocial behavior, extreme anxiety, which in turn is having major mental stability repercussions...it's sad to witness, it's sad to not get the support needed, it's sad that there is a large group of people whom enjoy what is transpiring in this country.
As we work through this overwhelmingly stressful time, seek to get more support, and hopefully turn the page for better days ahead – we cannot help but be immensely grateful that today marks a decade, 10 years since Dylan’s rebirth on life. We are so proud of the young man he is, the strength he continues to muster throughout, and what great things he will accomplish over the next decade. As always, to those of you who have supported us, albeit lending an ear, financially, or the dedicated team who oversees Dylan; we could not be here without you. So many take the smallest gestures for granted, just know that we never have and/or do. Thank you for your love and support.
-Noah
This past year truly has been exceptionally hard on all levels though. Dylan (and Tegan) literally have been locked up for 11 months. For those that do not recall, we live in California and it has been a draconian unbearable experience to say the least. As adults, both Amber and myself lost our jobs – and my business of 17 years – add in to this stress the kids who have lost all their friends and close connections, as well as school interaction(s)…it is beyond a travesty what has transpired. Not to get too political on our son’s blog but honestly the worst part about what has been done here is the complete unapologetic ruin of people’s lives for the sake of “saving others lives”, or so they say, but costing your own existence at the same time. Although we care deeply about others, we also still must put food on the table, pay for life saving meds, outrageous insurance premiums, and when you have had the rug pulled out from under you and you are left to fend for yourself and what little crumbs the .gov says we can have…I have no means but to feel jaded by the way this has all been handled. It is not right, it is not fair, and lives are forever changed. In addition, my brother’s family, whom me and him had our 17 yearlong business, working side by side together, have already picked up and moved out of California. So, the kids have also lost their cousins as well. And soon enough, our family will be forced to move, as we cannot continue to make ends meet here anymore. It is an incredibly stressful time, and we feel the weight of the situation on our family. I honestly fear for the youth and the negative outcomes that will result from this failed experiment they have implemented on us all.
But let me get back to how this affects these kids, both Dylan and Tegan have anxiety issues far greater than they ever had before. Although this roller coaster seems to have no end in sight, I wonder what it even looks like once it is “over” and whatever that even means, as I just do not see them magically going back to business as usual, packing Dr. offices, kids playing like normal at school, etc. Dylan has been feeling awful for some time and most recently has rapidly lost over 20 lbs of weight (he is already skinny and doesn't/didn't even have this kind of weight to lose). Just the other day, I had to take him to the hospital for labs, EKG, and chest x-ray as Dylan has been having a really hard time (this is a severe understatement) with things as of lately. The hospital/Dr. offices are basically shutdown, 1 entrance in and out, lines are hours long, and they have closed most all the services like treatment rooms, drop-in appointments, even most the labs are all shuttered. Meanwhile doing critical face-to-face, hands on appointments via Zoom. This is just asinine if you ask me – if we are in the midst of a health crisis, why on earth are they limiting services – it should be expanded. Dylan needs extra support, which we feel is a culmination of everything that has transpired not only from his unique life early on but especially what has transpired over the course of this past year. This forced Covid isolation is breeding unhealthy antisocial behavior, extreme anxiety, which in turn is having major mental stability repercussions...it's sad to witness, it's sad to not get the support needed, it's sad that there is a large group of people whom enjoy what is transpiring in this country.
As we work through this overwhelmingly stressful time, seek to get more support, and hopefully turn the page for better days ahead – we cannot help but be immensely grateful that today marks a decade, 10 years since Dylan’s rebirth on life. We are so proud of the young man he is, the strength he continues to muster throughout, and what great things he will accomplish over the next decade. As always, to those of you who have supported us, albeit lending an ear, financially, or the dedicated team who oversees Dylan; we could not be here without you. So many take the smallest gestures for granted, just know that we never have and/or do. Thank you for your love and support.
-Noah
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