Tyler Davis Has a Facebook Fan Page Now -- Link To Become a Fan!
Also, Link to Videos of Ty, Family & Friends at Denver's 2008 Angelman Walk
Dear Friends:
March 4, 2002, was the day we got Tyler’s diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome. It has been over 6 yrs since we got the news. Sometimes it seems longer then that and at others it seems just like yesterday. What I do know for sure is that Tyler is doing amazing and we are so very proud of him and all his accomplishments!! When we were given his prognosis we felt nothing but doom, but I have to say our lives have been nothing like we expected! Life with Tyler is full of joy, happiness, a never ending smile, unconditional love, hope, admiration, tolerance, gratitude, and pride! Tyler has made us better people and I honestly believe that he has a positive impact on everyone who is fortunate to meet him.
Tyler is finishing up Kindergarten and will be going to school full days next fall. This was our first time experiencing the transition stages and he a lot of adjusting to do this year which set him back on his academic goals. He will be attending the same school next year and will have a lot of the same support staff so we are very hopeful for his goals next year. Plus, structure is very important and we hope being on a full day set schedule will really help. Of course he loves the other children and his supporting staff and I think they are kind of fond of him also. So over all, he has had a good year in Kindergarten and we have high hopes for 1st grade.
Do not think that we are letting Tyler slide since he only has ½ days at school this year, it is quite the opposite. Tyler continues to be involved in several therapy programs after school. He has speech therapy twice a week. Water, hippo, occupational, music, and behavioral therapies are each once a week and physical therapy 2 times a month. Yes, he is a very busy man, but he is reaping the benefits from being able to be in these programs. We will be forced to down size next year when he is in school full days and that will be a challenge to try and determine which ones to discontinue.
Sadly we have to say that he did have a set back with seizures. He has had some seizures this past year that has caused us to stop weaning him from the ketogenic diet and switch him over to the Atkins diet. We did the switch because to go backwards on the ketogenic diet would have been very difficult for Tyler due to the strict food portions. Tyler was becoming very hungry between meals and we did not believe that we could take anymore food away from him. Therefore, we went to the Atkins diet which is usually not used on young children, but we feel at this time is our only option. He is back in ketosis and doing very well on the Atkins diet. We have not seen any seizures since the change. So please keep your fingers crossed for him!
We are excited for the upcoming summer break. We hope to spend a lot of time at the pool and doing family outings. Tyler just got a new front sitting tandem bike that we are very excited about. We plan on taking many bike rides this summer!! Tyler will also be participating in a special needs baseball program again this year. Big brother Clay who is quite the baseball player himself loves to be there with Tyler and help him on the baseball field. Brotherly love is always present with these two!!!!
A constant question that I get asked is how do Tyler and his brother Clay get along? How is Clay with his little brother? As I answer this question I always seem to tear up. Tyler is so blessed to have the best big brother a little guy could hope for!! Clay is so amazing with Tyler and shows him nothing but tolerance, patience, admiration, protection, and most of all love for him. We could not be more proud of Clay and the way he has handled his brother’s uniqueness. This could be a tough thing for a sibling and Clay has never wavered, he is an amazing kid!!
We are so very proud of Tyler and the huge achievements and accomplishments he has made!! As I wrote once before, he is like the “Little Engine That Could” and we will continue to keep him working and motivated to achieve all that is possible. He has come so far and I can not wait to see what he accomplishes next. We want to thank everyone who continues to work with and pray for Tyler. We could not do this without all the wonderful therapist and teachers who continually give him love and support. We also want to thank our family and friends for supporting us through this unknown journey. Tyler is a true blessing to our family and everyday he gives us joy, love, and hope.
Warmest regards,
Stacey Davis, Tyler’s Mom
April 4, 2008
