Walking the path of SMA with Ella has shown us much.  One aspect that we speak of often is the unending support we receive from so many.  When speaking or writing of "the many" we will often say, "family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers".  I'd like to speak of one particular "stranger"; whom, by the way, is no longer a stranger.      Her name is Katherine and she lives in Pennsylvania.  We had never met Katherine.  We never knew her at all.  She, likewise, never knew us.      Katherine is a runner.  She runs all kinds of races.  She trains, from what I can tell, constantly.  She braves all sorts of weather and terrain.  To run as she does requires commitment, determination, stamina, and a passion for it.       We met Katherine through Facebook.  You see, there is a group of people, a rather large group, of people who are runners.  The...

Showering our children with love.  Filling our house with grace.  Bringing smiles to our lives. Ava, Henry, and Ella have a mother who has dedicated herself wholly to them.  I have a wife who loves me.  The world has a person who brings it "cookies and flowers" in that she spreads joy wherever she finds herself. Lindsay Casten.  Born on December 24th, celebrates her birthday amidst the holiday season.  A season which she holds dear to her heart.  A season that is highly favored in her eyes.  She finds a joy during the Christmas season that I have yet to find in another.   The joy that surrounds her is more than the Christmas carols, candles, and cards.  It's more than the fire, the hearth, and the decorations.  It is a simple yet complex feeling that shines forth from her.  If you catch her in just the right light, at just the right time, you can see the beauty of the season in her face.  Her eyes sparkle just enoug...

My intention was to go to Wendy's with Ava, Henry, & Ella. I pulled onto the entrance street of the restaurant only to see a boarded up building.  A sign flapped in the wind and read, "Closed for Renovations".  The three kids and I were disappointed; but more so we were hungry. Without thinking I said, "We can find another Wendy's or McDonald's or something."  Once the word "McDonald's"  left my breath all three kids screamed, "YAY" and Henry said, "I just saw one over there and it has a playground!!" The McDonald's playground.  Every kid loves the McDonald's playground.  Who wouldn't?  You get to take off your shoes and climb, jump, slide, and be silly knowing that a McDonald's meal was either just enjoyed or is coming soon. Who wouldn't?   This is SMA.  A child who has every mental capability fully intact.  A child who has every desire as any other child.  A child with the urge to p...

We're so excited  to be a part of this holiday event.  We will have a booth set up with all of our ellaWEAR Jewelry   alongside 20+ other local small businesses.   If you're in the Chicagoland Area  stop by and find some  creative, original, and unique gifts!   Of course, all sales of  ellaWEAR Jewelry   will  benefit Ella Casten's housing needs.

Just recently Ella was complaining of her nose hurting while taking her bath.  At the same time she was also having rough nights, one after another.  Her bipap machine was also going off throughout the night...much more than usual. We put two-and-two together and figured out that her overnight mask was too tight.  For a few nights we experimented with different "tightnesses" until we found a happy medium.  So far things have been back to the normal nightly routines.  With one exception... During the time before we figured out what was bothering Ella she would always say to me, as I was bathing her, to "not wash my nose when you wash my face".  Of course, I obliged.   Once we figured out the bipap mask issue I figured this request would stop, yet she continued to say the same thing night after night. As time rolled along I gradually began "skimming" over her nose to make sure it was, in fact, getting clean...at least somewhat.  She never ...

I woke one morning this past week to read on my Facebook page that a young boy, a very young boy, died early that morning.  SMA took his life.  The post was a mixture of an author dazed and confused, angry and despondent.   The young boy was the fifth child lost to SMA (that I know of) in as many days.  Five days.  Five children.   The posts, when they appear, quickly fill with comments from all walks of life.  The thread grows longer every minute as more and more people chime in.  Many of whom have lost a child to SMA or some other disease.  Expressions of sorrow and support echo through the writings.  Sympathy and empathy abound.   The SMA Community is a tightly knit community bound together unwillingly by the strings of a disease most had never heard of.  Yet bound together we are.  As I have written so many times before, we celebrate our children's triumphs together, extend a helping hand when possible to one an...

Sitting across from Ella while on the hardwood floor, her back resting against the wall behind her, I see my three-year old concentrating on a game.  Her focus is sharp, her intentions are calculated, her body unnaturally fighting her desire to manipulate not only herself, but the world around her.   She sits in front of me, void of any braces, as she relies on her own devices to keep herself balanced. A considerable amount of energy on her part is used simply maintaining her sitting position as she plays the game in front of her. The game is a wooden board covered in a strong but thin plastic.  Pathways are carved into the board, intertwining and intersecting, and at the ends of the pathways are circles (almost like cul-de-sacs) which are of various colors.  There are tiny magnetized balls that are colored the same as the pathways' end circles, and a magic magnetic wand is roped to the board.  The object: using the magic magnetic wand one must move the ...

Our kids are small.  They're petite. They always have been. But Henry's size has caused a little concern with us and his pediatrician.   Henry has a disorder called Renal Tubular Acidosis (RTA).  He was diagnosed by a blood test shortly after he turned one year old.  Basically, having RTA means that Henry's kidneys are not working properly and he has too much acid in his blood.  Having this disorder can also cause stunted growth (which is why he was tested in the first place). However, there is an easy fix.  He's been taking a medication twice a day since he was one year old and has had normal blood tests ever since.  RTA is typically outgrown by the age of 5 or 6, so this spring we will be taking Henry off of the medication to see how his kidney function reacts. But Henry is still quite small.  He is at the 5th percentile for both height and weight and at his 5 year checkup last week, his pediatrician suggested that we take him to a ped...

It's our pleasure and honor to announce that a local businesswoman has stepped forward and offered to help us raise money for the "Ella House Fund"! Zana Maxwell, IPC for doTERRA Essential Oils, has dedicated the entire month of November to Ella!  Any sales generated by us (and you!) will result in a generous donation to Ella through Zana! Please take a moment to view her website.  Learn about the wonders of essential oils.   Get some great ideas and products for your holidays! (new online holiday catalog coming out soon!) Website:  Direct Link:   Spoiled by Oil Copy and Paste:  www.mydoterra.com/spoiledbyoil Please share as you see fit Zana Maxwell's contact info:   zanzan2619@gmail.com Zana Maxwell's IPC #:  540785

The sight of Ella standing by herself has long eluded us.  She was briefly able to stand while holding onto something as a baby...a milestone that never passed the assisted stage and in fact, never developed into the next milestone. Shortly after she stood while holding on to something she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  Our sights were directed into another direction, one we never imagined. That direction included, but wasn't limited to, therapies, equipment, heartaches, sleepless nights one after another, scary hospital visits, a knowledge of the complexities of the human body, fundraisers, and miracles. The picture below is one such miracle.
  According to Wikipedia, the first part of the definition for "miracle" reads: "A miracle is an event not ascribable to human power or the laws of nature and consequently attributed to a supernatural, especially divine, agency".   My ...

Life after Ella's diagnosis was rough.  Rough in many ways. We were new to this disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  Our future, Ella's future, was unclear.   We knew she would probably never walk and we feared for if/when the disease would take her life.   She was officially diagnosed late summer of 2011 and after the reality started to sink in, I went to a dark place.  The darkest place I've ever been in my life. Fast forward a few months to the holiday season. The time from Thanksgiving until New Year's has ALWAYS been my absolute favorite time of year for as long as I can remember.  It's always so magical for me and it fills me with such joy (to the point where I kind of freaked out Michael during our first Christmas season together ;)). But the holiday season of 2011 was different.  It was dark.  And empty. I wanted to skip the holidays all together.   I didn't want to spend time with any friends.  I didn't even ...

The rain started in the late morning, just a slight drizzle, not enough to stop the mornings events.  It continued through the afternoon, off and on, building up more strength with each short rainfall. Our plan was to visit "Skinny Sweet" in the mid afternoon for the fundraiser they were hosting for Ella.  We came home from Henry's soccer game around lunch time, ate our lunch and began to get ready to go. Ella must leave our house through the front door these days since that's where her temporary ramps are.  Ava and Henry usually run out before her and play for a short bit in the front yard as they wait for the rest of the family.  I called Ella to the front door.  The whizzing sound of her wheelchair told me she was on her way.  She rounded the staircase and stopped, as I was between her and the door.  I wanted to tell her why we were going to Skinny Sweet. "Ella" I began, "today we're going to Skinny Sweet just for you.  The people who...