October-December, 2024 "Fun Times"

December 28, 2024 "Seizure #20"

Rayden had another seizure last night. He fell asleep on the sofa while we were watching tv. He sat straight up, holding his head, and yelled for me one time. Then he went straight into the seizure. We gave the valtoco and called EMS when he stopped breathing. He was coherent enough to TRY to follow my instructions of deep breaths but his eyes were so glazed over and he was choking on saliva. It was tough but we made it through it. The worst part is that I know I didn’t give him his medicine Christmas morning. Seems like he’s VERY dependent on his meds. We have an EEG scheduled for Thursday.

December 6-8, 2024 "Sawtooth Deer Hunt"

What a great weekend at the Sawtooth Farm Hunt. Rayden had a blast! He ate wonderful food, met fabulous people, received great prizes, spent some time with his life long SB buddy; Aaron, and even saw Santa. Rayden, Michael, and their two guides; Stacy, and Pastor Bird, went deer hunting three times this weekend. Rayden was able to harvest his first buck at the last minute, just before sunset Saturday night. They nicknamed him “Buzzer Beater!” They arrived back at camp blowing the horn. We came out to see the truck pulling a trailer with a four wheeler on it. Rayden was riding on the four wheeler with Pastor Bird beside him. They were waving like he was in a parade. Everyone was clapping and screaming that Rayden had killed his first buck. He was one happy little boy!! What a wonderful memory for him to hold onto for the rest of his life!We can’t thank everyone enough for making these lasting memories happen.

November 16, 2024 "Bear Hunt"

What a morning in Maple Hill, NC Angola Bay Busters Bear Club. Rayden, Alex, Ed, and Brian were in the blind at 5am looking for a chance at Rayden's first black bear. There was actually a bear on the peanuts when they arrived and stayed the entire hour and twenty minutes until legal shooting light. They enjoyed watching her dine and play. Two minutes after daylight, he took the shot. It connected in the shoulder allowing the bear to run off. The club showed up in full force and put the dogs on her. Within fifteen minutes they had her bayed right off the road. One of the club members actually swam across the little creak to get over there before Rayden shot again so he could grab the dogs. Rayden rolled the track chair and was able to take another shot. This time it was a head shot and down she came!!!!! The club members were ecstatic! They tied a rope to the 150 lb bear and pulled her across the creak.

We took the bear head to Jake Rouse Taxidermy and processed the rest at home. Rayden enjoyed eating his bear and sharing it with the family. 

November 8-10, 2024 "Gobbles and Grunts Deer Hunt"

Rayden was asked to deer hunt with the Gobbles and Grunts again this year because he was not able to harvest a deer last year. He was thrilled to have Mr. Ed Martin as his guide. Alex and Ed's daughter also tagged along. They had a nice time, but didn't even see a deer. Although hunting is great, the best part of this weekend has to be the fellowship and food. We were able to catch up with some old friends and introduced to some new ones.

October 10-13, 2024 "Dream Hunt in Louisiana"

On September 17, I received an email by the Dream Hunt Foundation inviting Rayden to deer hunt in Shreveport, Louisiana. They would absorb the cost of the entire weekend, including the flight, rental car, food, hotel, etc. This invitation was made even more special when they asked to film the entire weekend, creating an episode that will air on TV. 

What a weekend!! Brandy Garison was so thorough and planned everything wonderfully. We sure felt like celebrities when Connor Floyd met us at the airport to start filming for the episode.

Registration began at 3pm Friday where we met our cameraman and guide, Dalton. After the private interview, they took a deep dive into the backpack. It was filled to the brim with hunting essentials, a Dream Hunt t-shirt and hat, snacks, and more. Dalton showed Rayden the gun they planned to hunt with before heading down the hill for some target practice.    

We met some wonderful people, squeezed in a little sightseeing, enjoyed some shopping, and ate some traditional Louisiana food. Rayden was eager and willing to try crawfish, alligator, frog legs, gumbo, and etoufee.

Surprisingly, he had no trouble getting up, dressed, and waiting by the door for his guide, Dalton Gould, at 4:30am. They wanted him to ride with them to the hunting location in hopes of getting some footage for the episode. I'm not sure how well that went because he was a little shy at first.

Rayden fell asleep in the blind but Dalton woke him up when the deer began roaming. Michael and I were not able to go out with him because there wasn't enough space with all the camera's and the crew. I suppose we will find out when the episode aires. All I know is, Rayden shot a super fat doe. After the dust settled, they picked us up to help him 'find' the doe. We took some great pictures and completed the traditional blood smear on the face. Blood smearing is best described as a social ritual that initiates newcomers to the hunting ranks. It is considered a rite of passage. Even though Rayden didn't really like it at the time, he brags about it now.

Rayden fell in love with Dalton Gould, and by the end of the weekend he was following him and copying his every move. The memories he made will last a lifetime!! It was an amazing experience!! I can never thank Dream Hunt Foundation enough for making this unforgettable experience possible for Rayden. A special thank you to the land owners, guides, film crew, cooks, volunteers…EVERYONE!! I pray you continue to bless children with these unforgettable memories.

September 21 & 28, 2024 "Deer Hunts"

        September 21-Crossbow Deer Hunt

Rayden practiced a lot throughout the week preparing for the crossbow hunt. When the day finally arrived, he felt prepared. He put seven hours in the stand! He didn't see anything that morning, but the evening hunt was a little more adventurous. An absolute boss, eight point stepped out to the corn. He raised his head, spun around, and returned the way he came, not presenting a shot!!!! Rayden was super disappointed but lesson learned; "they don't get that big by being stupid."

                                                                                                September 28-Delway Deer Hunt

The guys spent another entire afternoon trying to harvest a deer with no luck. Mr. Craig Richardson was his guide this time, and he sure had a wonderful set up. The stand/blind had comfy chairs, carpet, and lots of windows. Rayden was particularly talkative while hunting. Mr. Richardson told him that he needed to be like a ninja (quite and stealthy). The funny part is; Rayden said a ninja is a motorcycle (and he's just like that!). At lunch, everyone even took the time to present me with a cake while singing Happy Birthday.

September 9 & 15, 2024 " Two more seizures, #18 & 19""

Sept. 4 I had a phone conference with Dr. Mary Ann Chiodo, pediatrician, about Rayden waking up scared several times throughout the night. He's been real agitated and moody lately, and falling asleep in class as well. I was wondering if we needed to increase his ADHD/anxiety medication. 

Sept. 9 Rayden had another seizure today after school. He was sitting on the sofa and started screaming, this unbelievable, agonizing scream! He was holding the right side of his head. His eyes were glassy and he was gagging like he was going to vomit. He was alert and able to talk a tiny bit but then he quickly clinched his teeth and started convulsing. I gave him the Valtoco within 2 min of onset (as soon as I could grab it and get it open). He was on his side and stopped breathing. Michael called 911 while I did sternum rub and kept telling him I was here and he was ok. His lips turned blue, but he came out of it pretty quickly. The paramedics checked him out and he was ok. This is the first one since Nov. 4. 

Sept. 11 Rayden got written up in school today for hitting a little girl two times on her head with an ipad! He was trying to talk to her, and got upset when she didn't respond. This is definitely not normal behavior for him. Luckily, the little girl wasn't hurt. She didn't cry or even tell the teacher. The teacher just happened to see it herself. I made him write her an apology letter, verbally apologize to her and his teacher, and took his ipad away for an entire week. He seemed to understand why he was being punished and accepted it. 

I began researching the symptoms he was having before the seizure. I found that a prodrome (beginning phases of a seizure) is a feeling people have prior to experiencing a seizure. This may happen weeks or days before a seizure. It can include unusual sensations or emotions, a sense of extreme fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood changes, anxiety, light-headedness, difficulty focusing, and behavior changes. That explains everything!! 

Sept. 15 Rayden had another seizure tonight. We were finishing up a movie before bed, he was laying on the couch, and had fallen asleep. I heard a noise and looked over to she him convulsing. I yelled his name, but, of course, no answer. He had foam (liquid) coming out of his mouth and nose! I gave the Valtoco and Alex called 911. His seizure watch did not work! Luckily we were sitting right there and saw it. What if he was already in bed and I didn't know? This terrifies me. He slept with us the remainder of the week until his neurologist decided to increase his medication. 

September 7, 2024 "KFO Dove Hunt and G&G Banquet"

Despite the rainy weather, everyone had a blast at the 7th Annual Kitty Fork Outdoors/Veteran Family Dove Hunt. Twenty five families spent the day hunting, shooting, socializing, and meeting new animal friends.

We left the dove hunt after lunch to make it to the Gobbles & Grunts Annual Banquet. I gave a big speech about how wonderful the organization is, what they mean to us, and how much they do for children. After enjoying a large meal, the auction and raffle began. It is fun to see how much each item will end up going for. Rayden won a handgun, ghillie suit, gloves, and game camera in the raffle. When the crowd realized the winning gun ticket belonged to Rayden, they all started clapping. It was so heartwarming.

July 18, 2024 "Miracle League"

This is the second year Rayden has played on the Miracle League in Dunn. He truly enjoys playing baseball, but his favorite part is meeting new people. We are very thankful to his 'fan club' for faithfully supporting him. ⚾ 

  

July 13, 2024 "Summer Happenings"

June 8 Rayden has been asking to help Daddy and Alex with the yard work for a while now. This kid has always loved to help work! I'm sure it will subside one day, but for now, we encourage his determination. We don't feel comfortable with him using the lawn mower or weed eater yet, so we bought him a light weight leaf blower. He could hardly wait to get out there and blow the grass clippings off the driveway. He 'had' to have safety glasses, and ear buds like Daddy and Alex too! 

 

June 15 Gobbles & Grunts 4th Annual David Henderson Memorial Pan Fishing Tournament. There were a total of 35 boats in the competition on the Cape Fear River. We caught a lot of pan fish, but not enough to place. Michael was in the running for biggest trash fish when he caught a blue catfish weighing in at 4lb. 13oz. The winner's fish was 4lb. 13.5oz. So close! 

June 18-19 Rayden participated in the 4H Pond Monsters Challenge Fishing Tournament. Thank you Gobbles & Grunts for allowing him to borrow your track chair this time. The fish at Taste of Heaven Campground were not very active in the heat, but everyone managed to catch a few small ones. Rayden won second place with 2.75lbs, bringing home a new rod and reel, hoodie, and tackle. First place was very close with 3.0lbs.    

 

June 26-July 13 Rayden developed an interest in growing things when he planted and nurtured a flower at school for Mother's Day. Daddy and Alex built him a little (above ground) garden. Even though we got a late start, we were able to get some produce out of it.