My Birthday Wish From My Readers.

Jen and her sister & husband and our kids at Halloween

I normally maintain an anonymous face here in my blog because my "politically incorrect" views could harm my career prospects in psychology.

However, for today I am going to break with that tradition and make a request of my readers for my 38th birthday - unseemly though it may be.

If you desire, I'm requesting people make a $10 donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association through the Fundraiser site my wife set up to raise money for research for a cure for Muscular Dystrophy.

Were it not for the MDA we wouldn't have survived.  They helped fund her first power wheelchair when she could no longer walk late 2007 and have helped with a few other medical devices along the way.  But also they are progressing towards finding a cure for this devastating disability.  We're headed to Washington DC in March (coincidentally where Simplybecauseitis began a few years ago) for another study on this, and Jen and her siblings are on the cutting edge of research into this because we have two sisters and a brother with this in one family - so the genetic opportunities for research are pretty unprecedented. Jen's sister's baby also has spinabifida and her husband - in the photo - is with me at  the university becoming a doctor of optometry - we're not quitters. 

The day our youngest "surprise" was born 1 year ago

When she was diagnosed we were told she'd walk for 10 years.  We got a little over 24 months before she was  permanently confined to a wheelchair.  Each new month brought new heartache as more was taken from us.  This wasn't supposed to happen to us!  I felt trapped, betrayed and forgotten by God.  Suicide was an everpresent thought in my mind and I'm quite lucky to be alive now through it all and being off balance mentally for so long.  I made it through college with a 3.92GPA and have over 5,000+ hours of clinical and supervisory experience in mental health and am now at one of the top universities for mental health working on my masters in counseling psychology degree preaparatory for my doctorate degree. 

This last semester was the worst thing I've ever been through in my life and I'm lucky to be in school still.  But I've picked myself up and am pioneering a new field of mental health - it doesn't exist.  I'm studying the mental health of healthy caregiver of disabled spouses.  This will also have a military application as well as working with people in my situation. My wife is going to join me in researching the mental health of disabled parents.  We're pioneers.  This is brand new.  It doesn't exist.  My place - our place - in history so to speak is assured when we get done.

awkward baby girl with mama about 5 years ago

In the end this is what I have to say and those of you who know me in person may understand: I'm not going out like this - fuck horrible fates - I don't believe in them and I live by my own cards not the ones life hands me and I'm going to beat this damned thing, kick its teeth in and plant my flag on it when I'm done regardless of the shitty and devastating circumstances we got handed. 

But truth be told, were it not for the Muscular Dystrophy Association we wouldn't have made it this far.  And others won't and they are getting close to a cure on some of these variants of MD.  

That's why for my birthday wish I'm asking those who read this to make a $10 donation (Or any amount) to help the research for a cure.

Thank you all. 

I will still sign my name though for some trace of anonymitiy's sake but to those of you who know me,
~Saturday's Warrior

attempted family photo when she could still walk 6 years ago