I HAVE AUTISM

Taken from Autism Speaks Blog


In Their Own Words – I Have Autism
Posted: 29 May 2010 07:11 AM PDT
I have autism. I hold only a few similarities to the character in “Rain Man.” When I am out on the playground, never say to my mother, “I would have never guessed that; he looks so normal” The face of autism is not a defined one.
I have autism. This does not mean I am deaf, nor does it mean I can’t understand your words. When cruel things are said, it hurts just like it would anyone else. Sometimes even more, as I am very sensitive.
I have autism. I am not blind. When you stare at me, point, and whisper – I don’t like it. I sometimes cannot control my emotions; however, I still can see you.
I have autism. I am not spoiled, undisciplined, or disrespectful intentionally. Don’t tell my parents I just need to be smacked, as that would never work and I smack back! All I know is if I am being hurt I must defend myself.
I have autism. This does not mean I am mentally delayed. I am very smart. I may focus on only a few things, but I have become an expert on them.
I have autism. Don’t think I am not capable of love or am emotionally detached from the world around me. I am very close to my family and sometimes need to be hugged. I do have the capacity to care. Especially if I see someone else being hurt or teased.
I have autism. I will line things up on the floor in my room in perfect order. This may be strange, but to me it is contentment. I can only relax if things are in sync.
I have autism. Which means I am supersensitive to sounds; I hear all of them. Even the smallest of sounds. When I get overloaded with too many sounds at once, It is hard to cope and I must step away and be alone. This does not mean I can’t handle the world, I just have to have more time to tune out as I hear more than everyone.
I have autism. I live by schedules. This is one of the ways I have found to cope with the chaos around me. Knowing what is going to happen at a certain time each day helps me prepare for transitions. That is why it is difficult for me to deal with a schedule change. I have to have order to obtain peace.
I have autism. It is very important for people to mean what they say That is why joking with me is never understood. Things are black and white to me, like a set schedule. If you say you are going to turn blue in five minutes, I expect you to do so.
So remember, having autism does not mean I am blind, retarded, unresponsive, incapable of love, or unable to function in the real world. I am unique and gifted because I have found a way to coexist within two very separate worlds. Take a moment to think about how many of us have difficulty within just the one world we live, now imagine juggling two. This is something I have learned to do. So forgive me if at times I have trouble separating the two, again I am only human.
I often hear people say to my mom, “It must be so hard for you” – no one ever says that to me. In fact, no one expects me to understand or respond because of the face society has painted autism to be. I do not know all that autism is, but I know who I am. I am special, and cherished. Almost like a superhero I was set aside to have these unique abilities. They are not a disability. They are not something to fear. In a way they are magical. I have unlocked parts of my brain that others cannot.
When you look at me, don’t look at me with sadness or feel sorry for me. Look at me with wonderment and I will amaze you every time.
This “In Their Own Words” essay is written by Tonya Procor, a loving mother of a son with autism.
If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.

what leaps has Deqlan made in the last few weeks..

Since Deqlan has gone back to school this week , after being ill and away from school for nearly two weeks - this week has been fantastic in terms of new words and new things Deqlan has accomplished! He has really really loved being back at school, the teachers report that he has made bbiiggg leaps this week

- Ayline , Deqlans teacher has started teaching Deqlan emotions. He can say Happy , Sad and Angry and has apparently started making the expressions to go with the words! This is a big deal as kids on the spectrum apparently dont understand expressions and battle to read faces and emotions!

- One of the themes of the week is numbers and Deqlan LOVES his number, he has pretty much fined tuned them all the way up to 20, in English and 10 in Afrikaans! He has also started counting in 5's and 10's! So instead of just doing numbers with Deqlan , she has added a little extra twist - Deqlan started saying in the bath a few nights ago " 1 DOT, 1,2 DOTS, 1,2,3 DOTS, 1,2,3,4, DOTS ' and on and on he counts!

- Deqlan is repsonding alot quicker when Ayline asks him to do something, like sit on a chair..in the past she used to have to ask a few times, or try harder to get his attention, but he is listening much better now!

- Deqlans appetite is FANTASTIC - he is eating so much more and this means less of needing the bottle and juice and milk all the time!

- Deqlan on the whole is just alot happier !!!


He is also saying so many new words and basically trying to repeat any new words/sentences we say

The Love and Learning DVD's continue to show that they have just opened up another world for Deqlan - new words /sentences/spelling of new words include;

I LIKE TO RUN
I GO UP THE STAIRS
A SWAN IS A BIRD
REFRIDGARATOR
FAUCET ( THE DVDS ARE AMERICAN! SO SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN SAID WITH THE AMERICAN ACCENT BY DEQLAN!)
TELEVISION
SEAGULL
BUG
CAP
CUP

Deqlan also loves saying SIMONSBERG. MAKERS OF FINE CHEESE.

He tells us when the news is on, and when the weather is on says 'TODAY IS SUNNY, THEN ITS CLOUDY, THEN ITS RAINY'

He loves to tell us what programmes are sponspored by you for eg' IDOLS, BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUTSURANCE' or ' BBC LIFESTYLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY RAINBOW'

Some sentences are just created out of his wonderful imagination 'MAYBE BABY ROLLER SKATE MANS CAKES' you got to laugh!

Deqlan is thoroughly enjoying his nursery rhymes and we know when they singing new ones at school cause we get to hear them in the evenings, such a joy so special! Deqlan loves Old Macdonald alot at the moment, complete with a cow and a sheep.

Of course the good old favorites are still around, lining up boxes of cereal, MILO CHEERIOS AND RICE CRISPIES. In Front of them, perfectly in a row is dvd box sets of OPRAH, TIGER WOODS, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES AND COLDPLAY!

Thought you would all like to know what our gorgeous boy is getting up to, we are so looking forward to a quiet weekend, just enjoying and exploring and learning with Deqlan, hope you have a great weekend to!

Please continue the prayers for Deqlan and all those affected by cancer and autism around the globe

All our Love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

CATCHING UP WITH THE MACDONALDS

All the kids together, what an awesome feeling to see them all together, little Khloe was asleep though so we need to get the next one with all of them together!

Deqlan loves Logan and we just love watching them bond

Logs and Mia having their breaky in 'bed' Mia didnt want to go home so the girls had an awesome sleep over!

Logie taking Keaton for a ride

Mia's turn - i wish you could have heard the giggles and smiles from this activity!

Keaton and Liam enjoying the trampoline

Mia is very softe and gentle and understanding with Deqlan, trying to tell him its ok when he gets upset! Bless her!

Mia and Logan

Logs and Megs just chilling ( how amazing does Megs look 2 weeks after Khloe arrived!!)

Keaton and Logs = BFF 4 EVA

Liam and Keaton were Stuffy's best friends when they had chips in their hands!

Khloe's first visit to our house!

As mentioned a little while ago, Don arrived ( a very big surprise!) for a two week visit to South Africa . We had them all over for a braai this past weekend, and it was so awesome to catch up with them and enjoy the kids all playing together and getting to know each other. Deqlan was particularly smitten with Don and enjoyed runing and diving onto him. By the Sunday, he was giving Don and Sam hugs! Deqlan has a photo of Mark and Me and Don and Sam, taken on our wedding day , nearly 5 years ago, that he loves to carry around with him. Perhaps he is realising the people in the picture were sitting right in front of him ,life size and able to hug back!

Have a safe trip back 'home' Don, hoping that you are all lead to the right place for you to settle down and call 'home' no matter on which side of the world it is, as long as its right for you all!

So lovely to see you all and get to you know your gorgeous Mia and Liam - hope to see lots lots more of you!

Love Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

OUR NUMBER 1 BAFANA BAFANA FAN

With only 2 weeks to go to kick off, all the boys and teachers at Little Leaps are kitted out from head to toe in their Bafana gear today ! They look to beautiful for words, hoping they take lots of photos which i would love to share, but in the mean time, enjoy our own little Bafana star!

REJOICE

I wanted to share 'todays word ' with you all, HOW STUNNING TO READ THESE WORDS, ESPECIALLY TODAY

Dear Friend

Here is your word for today:Verse: 1 Samuel 2:1 (Hannah's Prayer)

My heart rejoices in the Lord! Oh, how the Lord has blessed me! Now I have an answer for my enemies, as I delight in Your deliverance.
- God can come through for you even in impossible situations.
- You will also be able to rejoice because He has helped you.
- Celebrate the great things He has done for you.
- Believe Him for the rest and expect Him to answer and deliver you.

PRAYER: Lord, those things that are impossibilities in my life, I place in Your hands. You are the miracle working God and I thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Amen.

THE DAY THAT CHANGED OUR LIVES

Today marks 3 years since Deqlan was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma.

Its a day of thanks giving and complete adoration for Our Lord and the miracles He has and continues to perform in our precious boy.

Its a day to reflect on the Giant Leaps Deqlan has made since that day.

A day to appreciate the family and friends and prayer army that are still hear to support us, love us and pray for Deqlans total and permanent healing

A day to think of all the kids around the world who have been called home to Jesus, and those still fighting - Lord, please heal them.

A day to think of the other survivors on this journey and to continue our prayers for them to remain NED Always

A day to remember to treasure every single moment of every single day with our loved ones

Its a day to continue telling Deqlan that he is our all and everything ,our hero and inspiration and reason for everything we do . To take in every second , every breath, every word, sound, clapping of hands, smile, touch, cuddle , kiss, dance, every moment...not just today but every day

Its a day to continue trusting in Our Lord that Deqlan has recieved his total and permanent healing and to say thank You Lord for all You have done, all You are doing, and all You are going to do, there is no OTHER like You Lord. We ask You to please continue answering our prayers as we pray for them, and keep our precious Deqlan free from cancer , to keep him NED forever and ever, to have mercy on him and our family, and spare him for many many more years. We know you have such special plans for our Deqlan and we are honored to watch them unfold each day in front of us. In Your Holy Name Lord, AMEN

Deqlan, we are incredibly proud of you. You are the light in each day, the rainbow in each moment, the love of our lives. We are honored to be your parents, and we will continue to love and adore and treasure each moment with you, thank you for teaching us so many important life lessons, for turning our lives around. We love you to infinity and beyond!

All our love, and so much more

Mamma and Dada

Happy Birthday Ruth!

Hello Ruth!

Wanted to wish you a very very Happy Birthday for yesterday, trust it was a lovely day and that the year ahead is fantastic in every way!

Thank you so much for your continued love and support! WE REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

God Bless Love Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Please get better soon Deqlan!

We were at another doctor yesterday, one that we should have gone to a long time ago - he isnt just any doctor and has a great deal of understanding of what our Deqlan has gone through

You see, at 3 months of age, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - the primary tumor was located in the same region as Deqlans the sympathetic veins and arteries next to the kidney. And today, its over 40 years since his diagnoses - what a fantastic inspiration and story.

He also has a great understanding about autism, so knew what meds he could and cant give and understood all my concerns. It was great to hear him saying that Deqlans autism ' WAS REALLY NOT BAD AT ALL'

We waited over an hour to see him, and not once did Deqlan moan, he sat on my lap, listening to Beyonce and Old Macdonalds farm on his ipod and looking through his book. Granted, he also wasnt feeling well, but in the past ten minutes of waiting would be the absolute max before he started to get unhappy...i was so very proud of him

We saw another doctor, on Sunday evening who diagnosed tonsilitis, and gave a 3 day anti biotic - but this didnt touch the infection.

Tuesday night Deqlan was having temps of 39.5 every 3 - 4 hours and couldnt sleep cause he couldnt breathe through his very blocked up nose- i couldnt get into an ENT at such short notice, so off we went to try the fantastic Dr Kotze, who has been Mark and his family's doctor for many many years.

He told me that Deqlans tonsils were 'vrot' (very badly infected) and that his sinuses were so sticky and gunged up they were not going to be able to drain properly ...so onto another antibiotic, this one for 6 days and a much stronger one. I fear what this is going to do to Deqlans candida, but its more important to get the infection healed and sort the candida out later.

He had a rough night last night , tossing and turning, unable to breathe or drink - not wanting to eat - but eventually he settled and we didnt have a temp early this morning! So i think the meds are finally doing their job. He is a bit mis this morning, and not really wanting to drink/eat ...but we trust he will be much much better by tommorow


Deqlan has missed a week and a half of school, same, but we got to get him better first, hopefully by monday

This all means that we have had to potpone Deqlans 6 monthly scan and blood and urine collections, which were due to happen tommorow. Because he isnt feeling well, cause the blood count will be all over the show cause he is fighting this nasty infection and because we dont want the medication skewing the urine results either - so it will probably be in 2 weeks from now ... will keep you posted, but please do keep the prayers going for his recovery from these bugs and his check up to be totally normal and clear and for Deqlan to remain NED forever and always


Also wanted to say Congratulations to Tyler and Gaynor, Marks younger brother, on their pregnancy! They are expecting a baby boy at the end of September!

Also a hug congrats to Gill and Daryl on the news that Angel Declan will be getting a baby sister in October! So thrilled for you!!

Yes, another also, on Sunday Sam and the kids came past to say hello while we were at my moms house having lunch. About 10 mins after they arrived, someone burst through the door - DON!!! Sams husband! What a surprise, i wish i could have seen our faces! He is visiting for 2 weeks, so lovely to see him again!

The excitment is really building...tommorow is 21 days to go to kick off for world cup...IT IS NEARLY HERE, WE ARE READY!

Well, let me run and help Deqlan feel better and start all the meds he needs for the day!

Have a lovely day, thanks for the prayers , God Bless,
All our love
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

THE KIDS

Logan meeting her new little cousin Khloe! She was so proud!

Gorgeous Deqlan posing for the camera, he gets so excited and says ' CAMERA.1.2.3. CHEESE'

Deqlan and Logans bond continues to strengthen each time she comes to visit - Deqlan absolutely loves and adores her and Logan feels so much closer to him now cause they can do things together and communicate with each other! Even Logan understands the little words and specific things Deqlan does, as we do . She gets so excited when he says a new word or does something new!

Deqlan meeting Khloe for the first time and giving her a big hug!

Me holding beautiful Khloe

Mark meeting Khloe!

Was thrilled to get some new photos from Megs, especially the one with Deqlan meeting Khloe, to precious for words, i know they going to be big buddies. Please go and visit Meggies blog for the most stunning post she has ever done! http://www.keatonjohnduplessis.blogspot.com/

CONGRATULATIONS MR AND MRS DUPLESSIS

Dearest Conrad and Meggie



Wishing you the most wonderful Wedding Anniversary today as you celebrate 7 years together!!



Wishing you a continued life time of happiness, love, laughter, health and smiles



I think you recieved the most precious and perfect gift in the form of beautiful Khloe being here to celebrate the occasion, and that Keaton has taken to his role as big brother as a duck takes to water!



You are an inspiration to us, and your love for each other is so very evident and clear. Congratulations, God Bless and all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Barbie, Tinkerbell and Man

meet "barbie" "tinkerbell" and "man", Deqlans new friends
Our Love and Learning kits arrived from the US! Deqlan very thrilled with them!

Now tell me this isnt imaginary play?

Hi everybody - hope all is well

Things are great on our side , except we have been visited by a bit of flu thisb week. Deqlan didnt go to school since Wednesday, a blocked nose and post nasal drip and cough, made him feel a little under the weather, but thankfully he is much better today! As for me, im on another round of antibiotics for my sinuses - hoping we can get get over it so we dont re infect each other!

Otherwise Deqlan doing great, his vocab increasing everyday - trying so hard to make sentences for example 'blue car peugeot'- he is also using some of the sentences he has learnt from his Love and Learning DVD's 'may i have a cookie' 'please may i have some milk'

His imaginary play is coming along so beautifully - something thats very hard for kids on the spectrum. Make believe play such as having tea parties or using objects as other things ...Deqlan seems to like a tree in Nanna's train set, that reminds him of a rocket, so he makes the tree 'blastoff'. I also found him in our passage with the above red car and his soldier , who he calls 'man' THE MAN WAS DRIVING THE CAR AROUND THE HOUSE ! HOW FANTASTIC! To add even more into the play, Deqlan went to fetch 'gorgeous girls' who happen to be Logans 'barbie' and 'tinkerbell'. Now, when he wants to play he says ' MAN. BARBIE.TINKERBELL CAR CAR' So thrilled with this!

Another game is using his bird teddy bear 'jordan' to drive in trains. He watched on episode of 3rd and bird where jordan, the toucan bird is driving the train! Deqlan is also putting his Thomas and friends trains on train tracks , not just using the tracks as frisbies anymore!

Deqlan is loving saying nursery rhymes to, favorite at the moment is 'humpty dumpt' shame, so sweet!

He is also enojying playing with his animals 'hippo' 'elephant' and 'rhino o ceros' bless him he sounds so cute saying his version of rhinoceros

Deqlan got to meet Miss Khloe earlier this week , he didnt really notice her to much until we picked her up at the camp cot and held her close for Deqlan to see. He touched her back quickly and ran away. A little later when Meggie was changing her nappy we brought Deqlan to her again and this time he was all smiles and tried to touch her softly. Then out of his own a few minutes later, he went to give Khloe a hug and lay next to her for a few seconds! waiting for the pics from Megs then will post them for you to enjoy!

Can you believe its Deqlans 6 monthly check up next Friday...Friday morning, ultrasound at 0830 then blood and urine collections. Please please continue to pray and stand with us that these tests continue to be totally normal and clear and show that Deqlan remains NED forever and ever.

Before we say bye for the weekend, a few birthdays!

Happy Happy birthday to Louise, Hellene, Melissa and Elriza for the last 2 days- hope you all had a fabulous day and year ahead!

Have a great weekend everyone! God Bless, lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

khloe settles in!

Keaton is the sweetest, most gorgeous, most loving and gentle big brother i have ever seen, its to precious to watch him and Khloe together
how my heart sings to see these precious moments of Deqlan and Keaton doing things together

ag man, khloe is just to beautiful and precious for words

'its ok khloe, dont worry, ill make it beter'

everybody saw aaawwwww

my perfect mothers gift

wow Deqlan is growing up so quickly - cool new hair cut hey? Mark is getting very good at it and Deqlan allowing him a little more time to do it!

Keaton and Oumie admiring Khloe

Nanna and her very first precious grand daughter

Keaton came with nanna and grandpa to have mothers day breakfast with us on sunday and was an absolute star - his sinus op went very well and he is on the mend - his allergies can back showing a whopping dairy allergy and a slight allergy to wheat so guess which two cousins are going to now be sharing food?? at least Keaton already likes most the food Deqlan eats - at least now i have someone to exchange some recipes with!

Deqlan enjoying some mothers day waffles, sitting at the tabke , oh so grown up!

Mark prepared the most divine mothers day breakfast for us, thank you my love for spoiling us

My mothers day gifts from Deqlan from little leaps - how stunning!

Keaton meeting Khloe for the very first time, he was amazing from the minute he saw her - son gentle and soft and even offered her some of his sweets and grapes!

hello everybody!

Keaton and Khloe with a very proud Nanna

precious, beautiful Khloe

Megs and me on Khloe's second day, not yet 24 hours old! You can see on the right hand side of the pic the frame i made for Megs with Khloes very first picture

Coreen meets Khloe!

Autism Mothers Chosen by God

A poem i wanted to share with you


Autism Mothers Chosen By God
Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit.
This year, nearly 500,000 women in the world will become mothers of children with autism.
Did you ever wonder how mothers of these children are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation.
As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
“Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron saint, Matthew.
“Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia.
“Rudledge, Carrie, twins. Patron saint… give her Gerard, He’s used to profanity.”
Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, “Give her a child with autism.”
The angel is curious. “Why this one, God? She’s so happy.”
“Exactly,” smiles God. “Could I give an autistic child a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel.”
“But has she patience?” asks the angel.
“I don’t want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she’ll handle it.”
“I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I’m going to give her has his own world and that’s not going to be easy.”
“But Lord, I don’t think she even believes in you.”
God smiles. “No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness.”
The angel gasps, “Selfishness? Is that a virtue?”
God nods. “If she can’t separate herself from the child occasionally, she’ll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child who is less than perfect. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a ’spoken word.’ She will never consider a ’step’ ordinary.”
“When her child says ‘Momma, I Love You’ , she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.”
“I will permit her to see clearly the things I see… ignorance, cruelty, prejudice… and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side.”
“And what about her patron saint” asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.
God smiles. “A mirror will suffice.”

Happy Mothers Day!

A mothers heart

Its very hard to list even a fraction of
Those things that mom means to me
She gave me roots when i thought the soil
Was to rocky to grow any
She opened my eyes to visions of the possible
And then cheered me on as i attempted to attain them
When i thought i had grown too old to embrace
Her anymore, she patiently left her arms open
So id have refuge in times of need
It is her heart tat i love the most , for it is unlike
Any i have ever known. It is aheart with an
Unlimited capacity for love. It is a heart
That affects all it touches. It is a heart that
Game me wings and confidence to fly
MIKE ALLEN

Thank You Lord for the honor and privilige and gift of being Deqlans Mom, it is the finest blessing i could have ever recieved, thank you for helping me be the best mom i can be to my beautiful, beautiful Deqlan

To My Darling Mom, Happy Mothers day, I love and adore you and cant thank you enough for all the sacrifices you make for us, for living each day for us and your grandchildren. I aspire to be a mom like you and thank Our Lord everyday for giving me the best Mom in the entire world, I love you so very very much

To My Nan, i am honored to still have my grandmother and Deqlans great grandmother, i was so proud to have you at Deqlans concert on friday. Stay the very lovable and gentle lady you are, we love you so much!

To Meggie, thank you for being the most spectacular Godmother to Deqlan and for all the love and support and prayers you shower him with. Thank you for giving me the honor of being Keaton and Khloes Godmother, i am so so honored and promise to love and guide them as best as I can

Happy Mothers day to all the moms around the world, you are all loved so much!

Deqlan, our super star

Deqlans great Nan and Grandpa, what an honor to have them there to watch Deqlan
Granny Rene

Grandpa and Nanna - all kitted out to get into the theme of the morning, the Fifa World Cup

such a pity such a blurry photo but this is Deqlan with Candice, a teacher from Little Leaps he adores

the boys waiving their south african flags

the most priced moment of the entire show....after the boys sang each song, everyone clapped and cheered. When they were finished, Deqlan clapped and cheered - the audience were in stitches of laughter... i will treasure this moment forever and always, it was priceless

so proud of all the boys from Little Leaps, you did an awesome job, wow, i am so proud of you all!

The boys singing

Grandpa blowing the vuvuzela!

the music for the show ( you know me i am very sentimental take photos of all the details!)

the stunning programmes which mentioned each and every single child in Little Leaps and the school next door Little Christian Village Nursery School

the gorgeous ginger bread men soccer players and fields Ashley and team made, so cute

deqlans chair on the stage - i had tears in my eyes even seeing this!

Deqlans lifesize 'ME' on the wall in the hall, wow, i was beyond proud

the awesome Little Leaps display table

So soccer balls and vuvuzelas to get you in the mood!

The stunning picture frames that were made with pics of the boys

What an unforgetable, priceless day it was to see Deqlan appear in his very first school concert , for Grannies and Grandpa's day today.

From the moment i walked into the hall to set up for the table i was hosting,the tears started. It was so very emotional to take everyting in , and to realise how massive this event was. When Deqlan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma I started praying many many prayers and many for specific events, such as seeing Deqlan go to school, to talk to make friends , to see him in a school concert. When Deqlan was diagnosed with Autism, the prayers for him to speak and ride a bike and talk and sing and perform in a concert continued ...and My Lord has answered them all...today i got to see my beautiful boy sing in his very first concert .

Ashley, the principal of Little Leaps explained to the audience what an extraordinary event this was for "her boys" - from riding in a bus for the very first time, to learning 4 different songs, to standing still on a stage, infront of complete strangers , to learn the actions to the songs - things many would take for granted...each and every single one of these, MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS. The tears started again as i watched the teachers bring the guys onto stage, and when i saw Deqlan ...awww...i just beamed with pride and say THANK YOU GOD. On the way up to the stage he spotted the piano, and wanted to stop for further investigation , but Candice managed to get him onto the stage. We definitely would have had another concert if Deqlan managed to get his hands on that!

Then, the boys lined up on their specific chairs and they started with 'HELLO GRANNIES HELLO GRANDPAS ITS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HEAR' Not all the boys are verbal, but even those who arent sat in their places and held their flags proudly. Once the audience clapped and cheered, Deqlan shouted out YAY! and clapped his hands - well, the audience was in laughter and applause. This happened after each song, and i just smiled and cried and smiled and cried, i cant explain the amount of pride i had in my heart.

As Nanna says, Deqlan brought the 'GEES' ( the spirit!) to the Bafana World Cup Theme morning!

The boys waved goodbye , blew kisses and made their way back on the bus to school. I wish it could have lasted the entire day...i will treasure these minutes forever, i will never ever forget a second of it. Especially when Deqlan realised i was sitting at the bottom of the stage taking photos and video, he looked at me and said MAMA and gave the biggest smile and laugh!

I looked at our table and saw Nanna and Grandpa, Granny Rene , Great Grandpa and Nan and Christine all in awe and laughter and tears and applause - thank you all so very very much for coming through and making Deqlans day so very special - thank you for your love and support and all you do for us - Mom and Dee, i know this was a priceless and treasured gift to you, thank You Lord !

Deqlan, we are so incredibly proud of you , you took my breat away watching you today. The love i have for you is to infinity and beyond , it grows each time i look at you, hold you, hear your sweet voice, watch your excitement, feel your hugs and adore your kisses. God has got such wonderful plans for you my love - you continue to touch so many people, people we dont even know came up to me yesterday telling me how gorgeous you are! I am so proud of you and cant wait for the concerts to come, which you seem to love! You really love the applause and noise and attention, Nanna could be right, you could be a Drakensburg boys choir in the making! We love you so very very very much, you are our everything! Thank You Lord for taking such good care of you

There is a dvd being made of the day, cant wait to see it , unfortunately my photos didnt come out the best, i was shaking so much and trying to take photos and video at the same time!

Ashley and her team went to so much trouble, everything looked stunning! The rest of the kids at Little Christian Village Nursery school also song World Cup theme songs and i had a smile on my face the entire time and many many laughs watching the gorgeous kids do there thing...when walking up to the stage, some saying 'HEY THERE IS OUPA FRANS' 'HELLO GRANNY' Blowing kisses and waving...ag shame, children are such precious gifts, they really are. Makes you want to become a teacher so you can be around them all day long! Although i am sure the actual teachers would have a different comment hey!!!

Enjoy the photos everyone!
God Bless , lots of love, well done Deqlan and all Little Leaps

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE