Bye Bye Heart Medications

I have been very remiss in not posting the most exciting news of (I think) all times. Despite Connor still having a narrow Mitral Valve and expected surgery again at that mysterious point of time in the future (usually the left field time), Connor has been off every medication for almost 6 weeks now and going well. Add to that he is JUST holding his own without peg feeding, to say we are riding a bit of a high is an understatement.

The road ahead is still long and hard, the majority of which Connor takes in his stride and rises to each challenge, and I can only say that it is Connor that should have been awarded the recent Honour that was awarded to me in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In your six years 'mister' you have achieved more than I could in a lifetime. Nothing makes us prouder of watching you attempt and scale the next hurdle given that your hurdling race is not a 110m race but more a marathon of hurdles dispersed every 10m.

In a saying developed by Tarn and based around "Guess How Much I love You" with Nutbrown Hare, we "love you to the moon and stars and back". Ok Huddy .. we haven't forgotten you.

Special Zipper Challenge Finally Out of My Hands

Wow .. it has been so long posting that I couldn't even remember my login details ... third attempt necessary.

Back almost a year ago I mentioned that I was holding the Sir Donald Bradman A.C Limited Edition, the final item traded over a lengthy two year period which was meant to be 12 months and $10,000 worth, until such time as HeartKids SA had an appropriate function to allow auction of the item with funds to go to assist families travelling to Melbourne (a scheme now commenced by the organisation and ironically we were the first family to utilise the scheme with Connor's surgery in December of last year). Just quietly, I know I broke all rules in that was the most lengthy confusing sentance but them the breaks when I happen to be at Sydney Airport with several minutes up my sleeve.

So from memory HeartKids SA will auction the item as part of a sport auction at a Melbourne Cup Luncheon style function later in the year. Given the time that had elapsed I did raise the aspect that if they were not in a position to auction, then I would like to give Novita, an organisation that provides much support to Connor and us, a chance. The end result is that HeartKids SA as above now have a suitable function but have given an undertaking, agreed by the committee, that half the equivalent amount of the auction up to $1000 will be donated to Novita based on my choice to still provide the item after such a significant time period.

So for those that followed the journey from many years back starting from a clothes zipper of $2 value, whilst no where near my high standards I expect of myself, the trading will have a positive outcome hopefully into the thousand(s) of dollars. The item's current market value sits around $1,500 however get the right auction atmosphere, people present and the right cause, things can sometimes surprise.

Stay tuned for the final update and adios to the challenge email. Hard work for little outcome but I still look at how many people from around the world have visited during those times and now have a little more knowlege about Childhood Heart Disease (CHD) and the associated conditions that often come with it.