Please click HERE for Part 2 of my friends ~ The Teeter's story
"Home & disabilities fight against each other"
Shared Struggles The Documentary
6 months ago
Showing posts with label teeters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teeters. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Meet The Teeter's
I have had the pleasure of meeting part of this wonderful family. They went through our home during the parade last year and we've been following eachother ever since. We were even able to meet Annie and Zak in person last winter when we were in Wausau for one of Avrianna's swim meets.
Click HERE to watch The Teeter's story video, part 1.
by Cami Mountain
WAUSAU (WAOW) -- When a child is born with any type of physical or mental disability, a parent's life changes forever. But imagine if both of your children have disabilities. It's a reality for a Wausau couple.
A few weeks ago, I met Chris and Annie Teeters. The couple, married almost eight years now, always dreamed of having the perfect family, including children. They got their wish, a beautiful boy and a girl.
But their births weren't typical in any sense of the word. In part one of this special report, meet Zak and Callie.
You wouldn't know just by glancing, but Zak Teeters is five years old. He can't walk on his own, he doesn't talk and is legally blind.
Zak was born with a chromosome abnormality known as Unbalanced Translocation. It was passed to him in the womb, unknowingly, by his mom Annie.
"Chromosome three and six, I'm a carrier, they switch spots. "Annie says, "When we had kids, they're missing part of chromosome three and they have extra chromosome six."
The abnormality, undetected during pregnancy, noticeable the minute he's delivered by C-section.
"Once Zak was born, I heard the doctors gasp basically." Chris, Zak's dad says, "I looked up and as Zak was being delivered, he was covered in a mucus and wasn't crying. Something was going on. I didn't get a good feeling from the room that everything was ok."
Just minutes after birth, Zak flat lines in the nursery. Luckily, doctors revive him and eventually figure out he cant breathe through his nose. It's just the start of many medical problems to come. In just a few short years he's had surgery to open his nasal passage, surgery to lift his eyelids and a major surgery repairing his spinal cord. That one left him in a full body cast for a year and a brace for another six months.
But with all of Zak's medical issues, the Teeters want baby number two, even though they know that baby could have the same issues.
"We knew I was a carrier." Annie remembers, "We had a 16% chance of it happening again and we decided to put it in God's hands."
Several minutes after Baby Callie is born, it's clear she has the same chromosome abnormality. In fact, they're the only two known children in the entire world with the same exact breaks.
With Callie's birth comes many of the same medical issues and surgeries as her big brother. Between them they've had 21 operations. The condition leaves than much smaller than children their own age and developmentally behind.
"Zak is five years old and he's still working on crawling and talking. Basically, he relies on a caregiver for all his essential needs. So, developmentally he's been evaluated at about twelve months." Chris says, "Callie; she's fourteen months now and developmentally, I think, she's four or five months, developmentally wise. She's just now working on rolling from her back to her stomach to her back."
The Teeters kids do the same things as other kids, just at their own pace. And their parents applaud every milestone, big and small.
Annie says, "We called everyone when Callie first grabbed a Link-A-Do and held it. It's like, "Oh my gosh! Callie is holding a toy!"
Since Zak and Callie's diagnosis is so rare it's incredibly understudied. Chris and Annie have no blueprint, no other cases to use as an example.
"Life expectancy is normal." Annie says, "They don't have anything saying they're going to pass at a certain time."
That leaves the future wide open and the Teeters living for the day.
"We have high hopes that Zak is going to be able to walk someday and that Callie will walk and they will learn to get around our house. But, you just don't know, just dreams."
Online Reporter: Cami Mountain
Click HERE to watch The Teeter's story video, part 1.
by Cami Mountain
WAUSAU (WAOW) -- When a child is born with any type of physical or mental disability, a parent's life changes forever. But imagine if both of your children have disabilities. It's a reality for a Wausau couple.
A few weeks ago, I met Chris and Annie Teeters. The couple, married almost eight years now, always dreamed of having the perfect family, including children. They got their wish, a beautiful boy and a girl.
But their births weren't typical in any sense of the word. In part one of this special report, meet Zak and Callie.
You wouldn't know just by glancing, but Zak Teeters is five years old. He can't walk on his own, he doesn't talk and is legally blind.
Zak was born with a chromosome abnormality known as Unbalanced Translocation. It was passed to him in the womb, unknowingly, by his mom Annie.
"Chromosome three and six, I'm a carrier, they switch spots. "Annie says, "When we had kids, they're missing part of chromosome three and they have extra chromosome six."
The abnormality, undetected during pregnancy, noticeable the minute he's delivered by C-section.
"Once Zak was born, I heard the doctors gasp basically." Chris, Zak's dad says, "I looked up and as Zak was being delivered, he was covered in a mucus and wasn't crying. Something was going on. I didn't get a good feeling from the room that everything was ok."
Just minutes after birth, Zak flat lines in the nursery. Luckily, doctors revive him and eventually figure out he cant breathe through his nose. It's just the start of many medical problems to come. In just a few short years he's had surgery to open his nasal passage, surgery to lift his eyelids and a major surgery repairing his spinal cord. That one left him in a full body cast for a year and a brace for another six months.
But with all of Zak's medical issues, the Teeters want baby number two, even though they know that baby could have the same issues.
"We knew I was a carrier." Annie remembers, "We had a 16% chance of it happening again and we decided to put it in God's hands."
Several minutes after Baby Callie is born, it's clear she has the same chromosome abnormality. In fact, they're the only two known children in the entire world with the same exact breaks.
With Callie's birth comes many of the same medical issues and surgeries as her big brother. Between them they've had 21 operations. The condition leaves than much smaller than children their own age and developmentally behind.
"Zak is five years old and he's still working on crawling and talking. Basically, he relies on a caregiver for all his essential needs. So, developmentally he's been evaluated at about twelve months." Chris says, "Callie; she's fourteen months now and developmentally, I think, she's four or five months, developmentally wise. She's just now working on rolling from her back to her stomach to her back."
The Teeters kids do the same things as other kids, just at their own pace. And their parents applaud every milestone, big and small.
Annie says, "We called everyone when Callie first grabbed a Link-A-Do and held it. It's like, "Oh my gosh! Callie is holding a toy!"
Since Zak and Callie's diagnosis is so rare it's incredibly understudied. Chris and Annie have no blueprint, no other cases to use as an example.
"Life expectancy is normal." Annie says, "They don't have anything saying they're going to pass at a certain time."
That leaves the future wide open and the Teeters living for the day.
"We have high hopes that Zak is going to be able to walk someday and that Callie will walk and they will learn to get around our house. But, you just don't know, just dreams."
Online Reporter: Cami Mountain
Monday, January 11, 2010
We DID it!
With MUCH reservation and nerves the whole family went on our first "vacation" since Danny's trache surgery. We spent the weekend in Wausau to cheer on Avrianna at her swim meet. I wasn't sure I was going to even get to go there, as Friday morning Danny wasn't being himself and was in some obvious pain, but obviously I couldn't find it (which is happening more n more, sigh). I have an email into the doctors about that! But after medication and some time Danny relaxed and we went (packing everything including the sink, heehee). I thought we had alot to bring before but that was nothing compared to what we need now....the full size van was PACKED! Unfortunately whether we stay one night or 5 I need to bring EVERYTHING. Thankfully the nurse was there Friday to help me make sure I had everything. Our "vacation" went OK, by Saturday at 1am I was ready to go home already. Danny decided he needed to be up, he was acting like he was having reflux and then started to tremor with discomfort. He and I finally fell back asleep around 6:15 to be woken up at 7:30 to get ready to go watch Avrianna swim, UGH! Then when we were getting him ready he decided to have a repeat of this episodes of pain and needed to have additional meds :(. He did calm down before we left for the meet and was a prince the rest of the day. With the cold temps and the van being parked outside the lift didn't work properly all day so I'm VERY THANKFUL Dan came with us or I wouldn't have even been able to get out of the hotel parking lot in the morning to get Avrianna to the meet,UGH! Saturday night was more "boring" and we got to sleep in more.
Here's my lil swimmer at the swim meet in Wausua.....she rocked the pool once again :) Avrianna got 4 out of 6 ribbons.... she placed 10th in the 25 back & 50 free, 7th in her first ever IM relay, and 8th in the 25 free. She DQ'd on her 25 butterfly (but the coach and I are not sure why) and on one of her backstrokes (if she wouldn't have gotten DQ'd she would have placed 9 & 6th for those)
Coach Curt
Avrianna's BIGGEST fan club!
Here's my lil swimmer at the swim meet in Wausua.....she rocked the pool once again :) Avrianna got 4 out of 6 ribbons.... she placed 10th in the 25 back & 50 free, 7th in her first ever IM relay, and 8th in the 25 free. She DQ'd on her 25 butterfly (but the coach and I are not sure why) and on one of her backstrokes (if she wouldn't have gotten DQ'd she would have placed 9 & 6th for those)
Coach Curt
Avrianna's BIGGEST fan club!
Now don't they look like trouble, heehee. Unfortunately the seating in this school is upstairs and they don't have an elevator, BUT we were able to sit in the corner of the pool entrance so WE got a front row seat, :)
My two fish!
My two fish!
This next weekend I will be taking Avrianna to Green Bay for another meet but just on Saturday. She needs to be in the water at 7am (wow, they obviously don't know I'm not a morning person) so we'll have to leave the house around 5:30. She is entered in 6 races for that day so she is going to be on tired lil girl when she is finished :)
While we were in Wausau we got a chance to meet a wonderful women, Annie and her son, Zak. She found us actually by going through our house this summer in the parade to get some ideas for her two children that have special needs, and I've been chatting with her ever since. I'm so glad we finally got a chance to meet in person. Annie is a remarkable women and Zak was an inspiration, not to mention alil sweetheart. I can't wait to meet the rest of the family, I think we could do some damage putting our idea together, heehee. To follow their story click HERE
This week is pretty busy for us. Today we had the vision teacher stop by to see Danny and Avrianna has piano tonight. Tomorrow we are seeing Danny's GI doctor here in Fox Valley in the morning, I'm really interested in seeing what he has to say with Lil Man, then PT in the afternoon...... Avrianna has swim tomorrow night. Wednesday afternoon Avrianna has a dentist appt to get her teeth cleaned, which is normally a chore as she's not a fan of the dentist. Thursday Danny is going to have a private PT coming in to the home and assess him then we can get him on the books to come work regularly with lil man. Then Avrianna has swim at night. Friday Avrianna gets out of school early, swim in the evening and Danny has therapy in the afternoon. WOW ~ and the next week isn't looking too boring either, lol. I guess it keeps us out of trouble being so busy.
Dannys labs from Friday still show his liver function going in the wrong direction so we once again tweeked some of med dosing and we'll repeat labs again some time this week. Of course Danny needs to keep it exciting and added to the ever growing list....... his blood sugars decided to drop, not sure why but again we'll recheck it this week. It's never a dull moment!!
Thanks for stopping in and checking in on us!
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