Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas day with the family. Santa brought Taylor a knit hat with an attached beard! These are all the rage right now, if you didn't know. Who needs hair when you can knit some! Taylor's brother Sammy got a Go-Cart so everyone zoomed around the hood all day, including Taylor. 

We were so thankful to be together as a family. 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Big week at Brooks!

Taylor has had a very productive week at Brooks! He has learned how to stand and he's been taking steps using parallel bars. He pedaled 5 miles/40 minutes on a special stimulator bike. And of course, he's been practicing the ever popular wheelies. Brooks said he's a model patient and that he needs to move to outpatient therapy in Orlando. The therapists said they want to see him WALK in the door next time he visits Brooks.  Thought we'd share a few of his accomplishments here.

Taylor will be heading home on the 23rd to spend a very Merry Christmas with the family.

Happy Holidays everybody!

Even Legomen are Praying for Taylor!

Taylor's 6 year old cousin, Jackson, likes to bring him presents all the time to "help him get better", as he says. Jackson has painted a Gator themed Nutcracker for Taylor, he's given Taylor a picture of himself with the Chick-fil-a Santa Cow and he brought Taylor a Gator Pillow-Pet. Jackson also likes to make Lego creations for Taylor. His latest is this church.

...and inside the church are all the Legmen praying for Taylor to get better.

Hope you'll keep Taylor in your prayers too!

PROGRESS!

Taylor and his parents just arrived back at Arnold Palmer Hospital from Brooks Pediatric Rehab Center yesterday just in time for his next chemo treatment. Taylor spent a week at Brooks doing intensive Physical and Occupational Therapy. The great news is, he's making progress!

Have a look!

LATEST SCHEDULE: 

• 12/9-11   Chemo Treatment
• 12/12       Taylor is tentatively scheduled to go home for a few days
• 12/16       Back to Arnold Palmer for another Chemo treatment
• 12/17-23 Brooks Pediatric Rehab in Jacksonville
• 12/23       Home for Christmas!
• 12/26-30 Arnold Palmer for next Chemo treatment

We welcome visitors and well wishers! Thanks so much for all your support! Taylor is definitely on the road to recovery!

The DNA Project

Aunt Melanie here— Taylor's brothers, Spencer and Sammy, came over to my house for dinner tonight along with my parents. We put up our Christmas tree (tree only— no lights or ornaments yet) and ate Take-out from Oh Boy's BBQ under the flickering light in my dining room (I've got to get that dimmer fixed). Anyway, before dinner while laying on the couch watching ESPN, eating the last of a box of Cheez-its and gulping down a bottle of Arnold Palmer Iced Tea, Spencer asked me if I could help him make a DNA model for his Science class. I said, "Sure! When's it due?" His response without taking his eyes off the TV, "Tomorrow."  

Well lucky for him, I love a spontaneous craft project! I swept Spencer out to my studio and immediately put him to work (but not before we turned on ESPN). Who'd a thought Spencer would have a knack for string art? The boy's a natural! He just needed a little guidance and he was stringing away in no time. He said he felt like he was a Dentist flossing teeth.

The finished piece— Magnifico!

Next he'll be knitting sweaters!

Just in case you want to make your own String Art DNA strand... 

Materials used:

• Piece of Cork (we covered it with felt because the cork had a big gash in it.)
• Stainless Steel straight pins 
• Embroidery Thread in multiple colors
• Duct Tape to frame the work of art (optional)

And for those of you who think this work of art looks like a Roller Coaster, here's a simple definition of DNA: 

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid: an extremely long macromolecule that is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics in all life forms, constructed of two nucleotide strands coiled around each other in a ladder-like arrangement with the sidepieces composed of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine: the genetic information of DNA is encoded in the sequence of the bases and is transcribed as the strands unwind and replicate. 

For more basic info you can check out DNA for Dummies

And just in case you were wondering...

What causes Ewing Sarcoma? Exactly what triggers Ewing sarcoma is not known. But we do know that cancer cells in Ewing Sarcoma almost always have a specific chromosomal abnormality causing normal cells to grow out of control. It is important to know that this chromosomal abnormality is not something a child inherits; it seems to be an "accident" that occurs in a cell sometime after birth. Often, the sarcoma cells are tested for this particular chromosomal abnormality, providing a tool that confirms the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma. (source: Comer Children's Hospital, The University of Chicago)

Ok, I'm gonna go brush, floss and hit the hay. Good night everybody!

Aunt Melanie

First Full Day of Therapy at Brooks

TAYLOR HAD HIS FIRST BUSY DAY OF THERAPY TODAY. Three hours of mostly showing off to the Physical Therapist!  His blood counts are low right now because of the chemo treatments. We are all wearing masks and washing our hands a lot. The counts should recover in a few days.  We're all going to sleep well tonight! Ready for another busy day tomorrow!

Love to all!

Melissa

Chillin' after a hard day.

We are at Brooks in Jacksonville!

 We arrived at Brooks Pediatric Rehab Center Thursday (12/01) and we're ready to work!

But first, we need to catch up on the news...

FLORIDA TIMES UNION: East Ridge (Clermont) vs. First Coast (Jacksonville) for the Class 7A Regional Finals TONIGHT AT 7:30pm. 

GO KNIGHTS!