A New Year...a new beginning

Today is the new lunar year, ushering the year of the Rabbit in 2011. This is also a time when each of us celebrate in different ways with our loved ones.
For us, we missed our little Angel..and what better way to spend it than with the kids that we celebrated his 4th birthday on 23 Jan 2010. The Good Samaritan Home is the first place we threw a birthday party for Ayden, and we know now why God's divine plan was such that we learnt what "Unconditional Love" meant. Even today, was not our plan, but somehow, God and his Angels guided us. After following my dear friend, Mr Chen, to an orphanage and an old folks home in Jalan Kapar, Klang, to give away "ang pows", we were pleasantly surprised that the next stop was this orphanage home that brings back so many wonderful memories. A year has passed and although we had seen the kids twice since Ayden returned to Heaven, they do grow up pretty fast. Such wonderful kids they are, kids like young Anthony, who came from a broken home but shows so much love to his now extended family at the home. We know now why Ayden chose to have first and final birthday celebration with them. The 3rd pic is of the cupcakes we gave out on 23 Jan 2011 at the children wards in Hosp Selayang where Ayden spent the final 3 months on his earthly life.
Sweet children of God are always guided and blessed by Him and His Angels.
May we always remember that we are all God's children, and the most wonderful gift we can give one another is Unconditional Love.

Love always, Julie

Ayden is in Heaven

Ayden has returned to the Kingdom of Heaven to be with God on 25th April 2010.

GOD saw that you were suffering and a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around you and whispered "come with me",
Thru tear filled eyes we watched you suffer and slowly fade away;
Although we love you deeply, we could not make you stay.
A Golden Heart stopped beating, precious hands put to rest,
GOD broke our hearts to prove to us - He only takes the Best.
Author: My best friend: Janet Loo, 26 Apr 2010

Thank you dear family and friends for taking time to share Ayden's final church service and prayers with us in Assumption Church on 26th April 2010. Our lil one was a magnet for LOVE and we hope with GOD's grace, you and your loved ones grow from strength to strength with LOVE too. GOD Bless you.

We Need Your Prayers

"photos removed 28 May 2010"

Dear Friends,

Up until today, I had never posted any photo of Ayden when he's sick. It's not a "pretty" picture and also heart wrenching. But now, we need all your prayers to heal him. Ayden had an episode of acute gastro enteritis(AGE) and was admitted the day after his 4th birthday last month. Now, we're in hospital again since 17th Feb 2010 as he fractured his left arm ulna and right leg femur. Doctors say it's because his liver condition is deteriorating and cannot absorb sufficient nutrients. I've always believed in the Power of Prayers, and GOD answers our prayers. But sometimes with the billions of prayers, GOD maybe (I guess) needs more voices on a prayer for it to be "prioritized".
We still don't have a relative that has come forward to donate part of a liver to Ayden, and even though our kind friends offered, the Medical Legal Law in Malaysia and Singapore disallows non-related donors. I don't know what else to do, but Pray.
I am appealing to all now, to please help Pray for Ayden. Do visualize that he's the chirpy and happy boy that was doing his Penguin dance (1st blog post) when you say your prayers, and I know that the Power of Prayers always brings forth Miracles.

God Bless you all.

Ayden's special birthday party

My fourth birthday was truly special...as it's the first time I had more than just a cake. Mommy planned a party for me and I celebrated it with 27 special Ko-Ko and Ceh-Ceh from the Good Samaritan Home in Klang. This is a home for kids who's mommies or daddies are not around anymore or can't take care of them, yes it's an orphanage run by the wonderful Pastor Ong. We brought noodles and lots of food prepared by my darling grandma plus yummy cupcakes and sandwiches made by my cousin Sabrina. My delicious cake was done with a picture of my favorite toy, a red sports car. But I didn't eat anything then because I was having a tummy upset. Here's some photos of the party. I hope to go visit the home again soon, maybe for Chinese New Year???

Decisions

In any moment of decision,
the best thing you can do is do the right thing.
The worst thing you can do is do nothing.
(Theodore Roosevelt)
該下決心的時候，
你所能做的最好選擇，就是做該做的事；
最糟的則是甚麼也不做。

Doctors told us a year ago that Ayden should be put on the liver transplant list. At that time, we didn't choose to, as we believed he'll grow out of it.
Sometimes, when a decision needs to be made, especially difficult ones, humans may choose to take the easy way out..by doing nothing. Animals however make decisions to hunt, eat, run, hide, procreate etc...simply for one thing - to Survive. Therefore we are learning that having intelligence also means having the Courage to take action and do the right thing.

Time waits for no one

Time is too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love,
Time is eternity.
時間是那麼的多變－
等待的時候，時間過得特別的慢；
害怕面對的時候，時間偏偏快速的降臨；
悲傷的時候，時間變得好長；
歡樂的時候，時間又變得好短。
然而，對戀愛中的人而言，片刻即是永恆。


A friend of mine sent me this poem last week and I truly feel the essence of every word at this time that every day, every hour, every second passes too anxiously for us. How long more can Ayden wait - for a new liver, for the funds, for the tests, for the surgery? Only TIME will tell.

It's ok to ASK

Another day, another opportunity for us, and many more doors opened when we knocked. Fundamentally, we need to ASK >>>>

A>> Always find out more, even when I think I already know. It's ok to ask the same question more than once. No question is too stupid to be asked, especially when my child's life is at stake.
S>> Seek clarifications. Don't assume to understand or try to act smart. Ignorance will put us on the losing end.
K>> Know everything and take notes to remember. Knowledge is power, we need all the power we can garner.

Why am I saying all these now? Because I should kick myself for not ASKing enough and losing precious time since last week. I've just found out this evening that Ayden can also receive liver from type O+ blood group donor as O is the universal donor for all blood types. Of course, first preference is his own B+ but O+ is also compatible enough.
Why didn't the doctors explain earlier? Probably because from the moment we were told we need to do the transplant, I was determined to be the donor! Until we got the bad news last Friday that I couldn't, we started to search for another donor frantically and didn't ASK for options. Don't do the same mistake I did, as time is of essence, especially in medical emergencies.

So now we've sent out messages to all our relatives again. Oh Yes...we have to have proven relation donors, due to medical ethics requirements. This applies in both Malaysia and Singapore as the rule is to prevent organ sale.

When there is a genetic implication, doctors usually discourage donors from the same family tree in order to avoid any future complications, even when the donor may seem healthy at present moment. So for this case on Alagille Syndrome, many carriers may not even know that they have the defective gene as they may show very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Sometimes it also skips a generation as the chance is 50-50 that it'll be passed on. I've been told by a Geneticist that usually children may not be tested before they reach 18years of age, as every human have the right to know or choose not to know of any medical condition they may be carrying.
Ask for me, I want all my children to know so that they can prepare for their next course of action if they reach the same bridge that their brother has, with their kids or grandkids and on.

Lastly, I would also like to appeal to ppl who's intentions are anything but pure. Please do not scheme to benefit from other's desperations. Do not contact us if you only have your own agenda in mind! We were given this warning by other parents and now we have experience for ourself too. Every living being were born into this world by mothers, and we all know that mothers are willing to go through hell and back to save their kids. Would you want your own mother, or your wife, who's a mother to your own kids to suffer from a scheming trickster at the time she's trying to save your life or your kid's life? Think before you act! Money is impermanent, but death is.