Harrison's Story

MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS YEAR!

2010-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

OK.....SO MY MOM HASN'T PUT ANYTHING ON HERE FOR ALMOST A YEAR---SORRY! I WANT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PAST YEAR!

1. I CAUGHT UP IN SCHOOL. I AM NOW AT GRADE LEVEL FOR EVERYTHING!

2. I LOVE MATH. I AM IN A REGULAR MATH CLASS WITH ALL THE 6TH GRADERS THIS YEAR, AND I THINK IT'S TOO EASY!

3. I USE MY HANDS TO NAVIGATE MY COMPUTER....I'M WORKING ON USING AN ADAPTIVE KEYBOARD SO I CAN USE A REGULAR COMPUTER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!

4. I CAN SIT FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES BY MYSELF....SOMETIMES LOTS LONGER!

5. I CAN USE A FORK TO EAT WITH, BUT I STILL NEED HELP POKING THE FOOD....I'M WORKING ON THAT!

6. I'M SO GOOD AT DRIVING MY POWER WHEELCHAIR THAT I ACTUALLY ESCAPED OUT THE FRONT DOOR OF SCHOOL AND WAS GOING HOME WHEN THEY FOUND ME IN THE PARKING LOT!

7. I DON'T DROOL VERY MUCH ANY MORE!

8. I'M WORKING ON WALKING WITH CANES!

9. I CAN THROW A BASEBALL....A LEAST 10 FEET!

10. I STILL LOVE THE COLORADO ROCKIES!

My Hands Work!!

2009-09-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have a goal at school to read for 30 minutes every night, then I have to use my talker(computer) to write a sentence about what I read. Well, sometimes this takes me another 30 minutes.
This is how my talker works....I use picture icons that turn into words. My computer scans each icon, then I use some switches to stop the computer from scanning and then click again to choose that icon. If I miss the one I wanted, I have to wait for the computer to get to the icon again. Sometimes this really frustrates me!
Well, yesterday my mom talked to Brian (my computer speech therapist) and discussed my frustration with the speed of my computer. They got to talking and my mom asked him when they tried using the direct select method instead of scanning. (I forgot to tell you that my computer has a touch screen) He said it's been since I got my computer.....2 1/2 years ago, when I couldn't do it at all! So my mom told him we needed to try again....guess what? I'm really good at it! My hands work soooo much better than they used to! He said we didn't need to use my switches now! Now, I can just touch the picture icon that I want to use, and I don't have to wait for the computer to scan! It's amazing! I am soooo excited! I can now write sentences in less than 5 minutes, even when I make errors! And Brian said I would only get faster!

See Me and Dom on the News!!!

2009-09-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Fox 31 News came and did a story of us at Coors Field during batting practice! Check it out!
http://www.kdvr.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=706e24af-8aa1-4443-bccd-3e014630d292&src=front

Love,
H

GO ROCKIES!!!

2009-09-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

My very awesome agent, Sharon Freed, helped make one of my dreams come true last night! She contacted the Colorado Rockies baseball team and told them about Dominic and me. They invited us to come down on the field during batting practice and meet some of the players! I got to meet Dexter Fowler, Ryan Spilbourghs and a few other players. They were really nice and we had fun talking to them! They even gave Dom and me and bat to have the players sign! It is very, very, awesome and it will be a treasure of mine FOREVER! Here are some pictures! This night was unbelievable! They even won 4-3 in the very last inning....just for me! Thanks Sharon!

My Friend Gibson

2009-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write and tell everyone that I have another friend that is going to XCell Center in Germany! He lives by my family in Arizona, and I met him last spring. He is an amazing little boy and he has a rare form of Cerebral Palsy! Check out his blog at www.supergibson.blogspot.com!

Love,
HG

Tummy Time

2009-09-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is Andrew and I playing nintendo ds.....I'm up watching him on my tummy! This is also me watching the Rockies play....they are winning 7-2!! Go Rockies!

See me standing now!!

2009-08-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

My body is getting stronger everyday! I've been doing my exercises! Here is a picture of me standing up holding onto my Dad's hands again. I have also been doing some tummy time....I love to watch TV laying on my stomach now, instead of on my back! I can almost watch a whole Rockies game on my stomach. In fact, I automatically roll onto my stomach to watch TV or play on the floor!

Thanks to everyone who is supporting me! It's fun to talk to people about my experiences. People always ask me would I go again? My answer is yes! It was hard, but the results are definitley worth it!

Physical Therapy

2009-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my physical therapist, Sandra, came to see me. She told me I need to work on my core muscles that will help me improve my balance and help me to sit up without using my hands. I was a little mad at her. I really want to run...not walk! She was making me do all sorts of crazy exercises, which included throwing a ball with 2 hands, not one. "I want to pitch," I told her, "You don't pitch with 2 hands!" But she explained to me that doing exercises like throwing a ball over my head with two hands was going to give me the strength to have more control and balance. I can also b So, I guess I'll try. I can also practice standing up, if I wear my AFO's. (They are plastic inserts that I wear inside my shoes to give my ankles and legs stability) My mom took pictures of me doing my exercises--I'm working really hard!

Let the Games Begin

2009-08-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm doing great!

2009-08-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

After my exciting day of sitting up by myself, I got really sick....for 8 days! My mom and dad didn't have me do much in those days, but I am home now! Boy does it feel good to sleep in my own bed! I survived the plane ride....I only slept about 2 hours during the 11 hour plane ride. That may sound terrible, but it made for an easy recovery to Denver time. And guess what? Two of my favorite families were at the airport to welcome me home! The Freed's and Cohen's! It was sooo fun to see familiar faces! I was so tired I could hardly talk! We got home a little after 8 pm and went right to sleep.
For an update....it is much easier for me to get my words out. My speech is getting better each day. My hands aren't clentched and my wrists can rotate! Yesterday my mom helped me hold on to a chair in our front room, and then she let go....I could stand holding onto furniture for a minute or two! I'm really excited!
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this adventure possible! We are praying for my bestest friend Dominic today and tomorrow. His procedure is tomorrow and Wednesday! We love you Big D!

Lunch today at McD's

2009-08-05T08:53:00.002-07:00

H picked up bottle, drank, and set it back on table with minimal assistance. No spills too!

Note the satisfaction in his face. You'd think even now from his reaction 5 min later he made a significant breakthrough. That's because he did.

What we are beginning to understand is that H will need training to get the most out of this therapy. Line upon line is how this will work. It's almost as if what was not there before is now present. It just needs to be trained like a younger child. So many firsts to come.

OK! So he just stole my fry while I was typing! And he used his right hand too. That's new. This is like Christmas every day. You just have to pay attention.

Go H go!

Jeff

Update ...

2009-08-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

About 36 hours ago Harrison received his stem cell treatment.

Things went very well.

The photo taken moments ago of H playing on the floor with his new toy. He is balancing on his own. At the time of the photo, he had been up-INDEPENDENTLY- for about 10 min. This has never happened before.

"Would you like to go to bed now?"

"I've been waiting my whole life to play like this. I'm NOT tired!"

So he will be allowed to stay up later. All he wants...

Never doubt prayer, faith, and that miracles can happen.

Forward this to anyone interested. I have some toys to play with...

Jeff

2009-07-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm done! On Monday, we went to the Xcell Center at 9:00. When we got there my Mom had to read sign a zillion papers, and I was starving. She wouldn't let me eat or drink because I was having anestisia. But guess what? The first paper she read said I didn't have to fast! So, my brother Caleb, got me some really good apple juice! Well....the doctor got really angry with my mom a few minutes later...."You should have known better!" She showed him on their paperwork where it said fasting wasn't neccessary, but he was still being mean! These German people talk like they are mad at everyone! But he wasn't really mad at my mom, he was mad because the mistake happened at their center! So, we had to delay my procedure for 1 hour. It was really hard for my mom to watch me be put to sleep. They put the IV needle in my wrist before I was asleep...AND IT HURT REALLY BAD! I was screeming. My mom asked why they did that before I was asleep, but the doctor got angry with her again...saying he knows what's best! Well, maybe he does, but they don't do IV's like that at home. I've had a few surgeries before, and it never hurt that bad!
But, the procedure went great! I woke up only 5 minutes after they were done, and they watched me for an hour, then I got to leave! Boy, are the hospital beds uncomfortable! I felt just fine! We even stopped for ice cream on the way back to the hotel! They have really yummy ice cream here!

On Wednesday, we went back to the Xcell Center at 9:00, did I tell you it takes an hour to get there on the train? When we got there, this time I was fasting again, and my mom wouldn't let me eat or drink! But the doctor was running really late, so we got started over an hour late! I was so anxious and bored, I was kind of mad! But, everything went fine during the procedure. This time they put the IV in my elbow area, and guess what? As soon as they were done....I pulled it right out! I didn't want that in my arm any more. They made me stay in my hospital bed for 5 hours to watch me. It was really boring! All I could do was lay there. My mom read me a whole magazine, we looked at pictures we've taken on her camera, we tried to watch TV(but there was not any channels in English)...it was boring!
But, I did have a roommate that was 15 years old from Spain. She had a stroke when her mom was pregnant, and she can't really talk, but she can walk a little. She reminded me of my friend Molly Parnes. I kept asking her questions like, "Do you like rubber ducks?" and "Do you like baby dolls?" She didn't speak english, she spoke spanish. Her sister could speak English and would answer my questions. She would make all these funny sounds and clap her hands alot....she was really loud! Her mom and sister were really nice.
Finally, it was time to go home....but then I got a headache and my stomach hurt! I threw up all over my Dad! Oops...sorry Dad! My mom and dad didn't want to take me home on the train because I wasn't feeling good, so they called a taxi to bring us home. But, we waited and waited, and after 40 minutes, we decided to take the train. So, an hour later, we got back to our hotel. It's not really that far, it's just you have to get on 2 different trains to get there. I wasn't feeling very good, so my mom and dad gave me some pain medicine and I fell asleep. I had a really good night sleep. I slept for 10 hours and then woke up because I was thirsty. Then I went back to sleep for 3 more hours. I'm feeling pretty good, my back is sore where they put the needle in.

I'll keep you posted! Thanks so much for thinking of me! I love you all....my dad will add pictures later! My mom is not sure how to add the pictures.

Love,
Harrison...HG....."The Man"....Chiefy....Hrificent!

Goings on in Dusseldorf

2009-07-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Dusseldorf on Thursday morning. After collecting our luggage, we hopped on a train to the Hauptbahnhof (Hbf, or, main train station). At the Hbf we took a tram (surface street train) to our hotel. We are staying at the Renaissance Dusseldorf.

When we arrived our rooms were not quite ready so we sat in the resaurant and ate breakfast. We ate pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, apple juice, donuts, scrambled eggs, etc. After a long trip, we were very tired and hungry.

Since the rooms were not going to be ready for a while, we checked our bags and went looking for the Supermarkt (supermarket). Fortunately we found it a few blocks away. It is small, but has everything we need: milk, bread, pasta sauce, Belgian chocolate, Diet Coke, etc. Dad bought some kind of sausage that nobody can pronounce the name of, but it tastes good. Mom brought an electric griddle and two hot pots so we can cook stuff in our room. So far we have had mac and cheese, Zataran's jambolaya, cereal, PBJ/PBH, and pancakes.

When we came back from the Supermarkt, we checked into our rooms and crashed. Everyone was asleep within moments. We use our minibars (emptied) to store our cold food. We slept for a few hours and then went swimming in the pool upstairs. Don't worry, I have my fish to swim in. I think we are the only kids in the hotel because everyone looks at us funny. Especially at the pool.

On Friday, we were planning to go to the Rhine Festival, but it was raining and it was not yet opened. So Dad consulted his handy dandy PDA and we re-routed to the Aqua Zoo, an aquarium with fish and other animals. Very cool place.

After the Aqua Zoo, we decided to eat lunch in the park nearby. We walked a bit to find a place to sit and found the coolest park ever! It had life-sized legos to build stuff with. We played for hours and built a bridge, an airplane, and a Wal-Mart. See our pictures!

Having fulfilled our dreams of building with very large blocks, we grabbed a tram to Koenigsallee, the high rent shopping district. Think: Rodeo Drive, Biltmore Fashion Square, and Cherry Creek Mall all on steroids combined. Dad, Caleb, Andrew and I sat quite fashionably in a sidewalk cafe and ate fine chocolate while sipping a late vintage Coca Lite and Wasser mit Gaz. Sehr shon. Mom, Morgan, and Aprill engaged in retail therapy. BORING!

Upon our return to the hotel we ate grilled cheese samiches, nectarines, and peanuts. Dad and Morgan went back to the Supermarkt and brought more food. We ate like kings! Of course, we had to again take our evening dip, so we realxed in the pool before retiring. The pool attendant gave us a hard time about swimming - she didn't want me to get in the pool because she thought I would "have an accident". Not nice.

Mom and Dad had a private meeting with the hotel manager, Gabi, to discuss the lack of welcome from the pool staff. She took care of us by giving us a nice dinner in the hotel restaraunt Saturday night.

Saturday was fun too. We went to Altstadt (Old Town) Dusseldorf and visited the shops and walked along the Rhine. Across the river was the festival, so we hopped a ferry and went in to check it out. It was free to get in, but each ride costs money. It ain't cheap either. We all rode two rides at about 4 euro per person. We also ate bratwurst at a biergarten just to sit down for a bit. Dad, Caleb, Mom and I rode the hugest, ginormous ferris wheel and figgured out how to get back to the hotel by surveying the landscape from the high vantage point offered by the ride.

We walked a short distance to the nearest tram station and made our way back to the hotel.

Our dinner reservations were at 6, so we rested a bit and then got dressed for dinner. Gabi had a big table waiting for us and had even purchased a special cup so I could dring my apple juice all by myself! We had really good food and a superb dessert! The only problem was my tooth was bothering me, so I didn't eat much - until the ice cream came. After dinner, we pulled my loose tooth then we all went to bed.

Today is Sunday. We found the church yesterday so we will be heading there soon. Today we are fasting in preparation for the stem cell therapy which begins Monday morning. I am a bit nervous - which is probably why I have been grinding my teeth. Dad and I talk a lot about what will happen tomorrow. I hope everything goes well. Dad asked me if I could only have one thing get better because of the treatment, what would it be. I said I'd like to walk. Dad asked me if I could only have two things get better, what would they be. I said I'd like to walk and use my hands better (so I can pitch for the Rockies). Dad asked me if I could have three things get better, what would they be. So I repeated the walking thing, using hands, and of course talking better-so I can sing.

We planned a party for when I get better. It will have ice cream cake, all-you-can-eat. So far the invitation list is pretty exclusive...of my brothers!

Things are going well here. Thanks to all who are supporting me!

H-rificent.

Front Page Story

2009-07-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

This morning Dominic and I were on the front page of the Denver Post! Check out our story:
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12728203

Love,
Harrison

Do you want my autograph?

2009-07-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight Dom and I were on the news! Here is the link: http://www.9news.com/life/programming/shows/evenings/article.aspx?storyid=118657&catid=510

Love,
Harrison

We're going to Germany!!!

2009-07-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving on July 22nd from Denver, CO. We arrive in Dusseldorf, Germany on July 23rd. We will be adding posts while we are there! Thanks again to everyone for making this possible!
Love, Harrison

2009-06-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

We want to thank everyone for all of their kindness and willingness to help us get Harrison to Germany! Famliy, Friends, Neighbors, Community members, and even some people we don't even know have helped us....YOU ALL ARE UNBELIEVABLE AND GENEROUS! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!
Monetary Donations can be made by check to:
The Big Hope
c/o The Spiers Family
5754 S. Lansing Ct
Englewood, CO 80111
Please put "Harrison's Fund" or if you wish to contribute to both boys, put "Dominic and Harrison" in the memo line of your check. ***MONEY IS DUE BY JULY 20TH.***
Please note that donations are no longer tax deductible; Beyond the Mark closed their books on June 30th. At this time, donations would be for travel expenses

Harrison and The Big Hope 5k run May 23, 2009

2009-05-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to view the video of the news story about today's run!!:

http://www.kdvr.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3792930

Fundraising Efforts!!

2009-05-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Cottonwood community has really stepped up to help our boys. In the school cafeteria, they are selling "Miles that Matter". For every $5 that is brought in, Dominic and Harrison's plane moves a mile closer to Germany. It is approximately 5,000 miles. In four days, the children at school have raised almost $4000. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
On Saturday, May 23rd, there will be a 5K Fun Run for The Big Hope. It will start at Cottonwood Creek Elementary at 10:00 (start times will be staggered by last name) and will end up at Cherry Creek Vista Pool. There will be water bottles along the way and popsicles will be sold after the race. If you are interested, please e-mail Christina, Dominic's Mom at the3kings@comcast.net. if you would like to preregister! On Sunday, June 14th, our hairstylist will be doing Haircuts for Hope at the Blue Mist Salon. Claudia is a mom of Harrison's classmates and has been cutting Dominic and Christina's hair for years. She and 5 other stylists will be offering discounted haircuts with all proceeds going to The Big Hope. I will attach the flyer if you are interested.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING FOR US!!!!!!!

New Temple Photos

2009-05-08T22:45:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Margaret has posted four new photos of the Logan Temple.

Click HERE to go to Mindy and Margaret's Temple Pictures Blog.

You can download high-resolution temple photos for your personal use for FREE!

If you download the temple photos, my family and I would really appreciate if you would donate to my fund!

Thanks!

2009-05-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Please visit my best friend Dominic's blog as well. He's going to Germany with me to have the same procedure done!!! http:/www.dominickingsstory.blogspot.com

Opening Day 2009

2009-04-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Harrison went 2 for 2, scoring twice, with about 4 RBI's on opening day. H plays for the Super Stars in the Foothills Adaptive Baseball League with many friends, including Dominic King and Ryan and Rachel Garrett. It was cold and a bit rainy but, as you can see, we had a good time.

After the game H took his new wheels for a test drive on the WIDE OPEN SPACE...

Temples for Harrison

2009-04-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Mindy took these pictures of the Mesa, Arizona and Salt Lake City, Utah Temples and wants to share them with you! They are FREE! If you would like to give back, you can donate to my fund (any amount would be so great!) All the info is HERE

To get your high resolution copy of these temple pictures go HERE

From Temples

Harrison's Fund

2009-04-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

April 10, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

We as a family wanted to write and tell you about a procedure that could possibly help our son, Harrison. We have spent many hours researching, praying, and fasting about this treatment.

We will be taking Harrison to the XCell Center in Cologne, Germany for an adult stem cell therapy treatment. You can visit http://www.xcell-center.com/ for more information about the center and the treatment.

Why aren’t we doing this here in the US?

We have chosen to travel to Cologne simply because this procedure is not approved here as a treatment for pediatric cerebral palsy patients. Germany is ahead of the US in this pioneering treatment. At the same time, Germany has the same high medical standards as the US, so we know the Center will be professional and safe.

What is the procedure?

The treating physician will put Harrison under general anesthesia and extract stem cells from the bone marrow in his hip. The Center will then treat those stem cells to become neurons (brain cells). A couple of days later, the stem cells will be reintroduced into Harrison’s body through a lumbar puncture.

Both of the procedures are outpatient treatments. As soon as Harrison is safely out of the anesthesia, he will leave the center. All the follow-up care will be via email and phone calls with the doctor in Germany. There is no need for us to stay in the XCell facility after the procedure is complete.

What are the results?

There is no guarantee of results, but the doctor has had great success ….60% of the patients have seen results, and 30% of them have had tremendous results. Results typically take 4-6 weeks to become evident, so we will need to be patient. Some of the possibilities could include: better balance, increase in fine motor skills, walking, feeding, speech…the possibilities are endless!

Are there side effects?

There are virtually no side effects, because these are Harrison’s stem cells and they’re basically just moving them from his hip bone to his brain. The doctor has performed over 1,000 of these procedures, and has had zero side effects.

Will this be covered by insurance?

No. We are leaving the country and our carrier considers this procedure experimental.

We are asking for your help to defray the cost of this procedure. The cost for the procedure is 7,500 Euros, which translates to approximately $12,000US. We anticipate doing this procedure the first week of August of this summer. In order to plan accordingly, we will need all funds by June 15th. We have arranged for Beyond The Mark Foundation, a non- profit 501c(3) organization, to accept donations on Harrison’s behalf. Financial contributions to the Foundation could be tax deductible - check with your tax advisor for assistance. You will receive a written receipt of contribution directly from them.

Monetary Donations can be made by check to:

Beyond The Mark Foundation

12649 E. Caley Ave #118
Centennial, CO 80111

Be sure to write “Harrison Fund” in the memo line. Our deadline for receipt is June 15, 2009. Please do not send money to our home address; use the Foundation’s address above.

Why not do a fundraising event?

Planning and executing a successful fundraising event poses significant challenges with respect to time and resources. By asking for your help in this manner, 100% of assistance provided by you will go toward the procedure without overhead expense.

We also need your prayers and faith in behalf of Harrison, our family, and the doctors that will be performing this procedure. We will be having a special fast for Harrison on July 26th. If you would like us to phone or email you to remind you of the fast, or to learn more about this procedure for Harrison, please call us at (720) 493-5161 or email us at jeffandlish@msn.com.

Thank you so much for all you do for our family, especially your faith and prayers.

Sincerely,

Jeff, Alicia, Morgan, Harrison, Caleb, and Andrew