SamBeller.org

SAM'S BUDDIES … Pray, Donate, Volunteer, Love

Our mission with adding information about other kids with special needs is to ask people to pray for these children. As you read their stories, please lift them up to the Lord. If you feel the desire to help any of these kids with things that they need, please email our Volunteer Coordinator on the Contacts page of Sam’s website. Thank you for your love and concern for all of Sam’s buddies.

Alex Yarbrough

About Alex

Sweet little Alex is 9yrs old. Alex is the oldest of three and has two little sisters that are 6 & 7 - they think their big brother hung the moon. When Alex was born, he was healthy, no problems, no illness, until he was 9wks old. He contracted Meningitis. We spent 3 months in Children’s of Oklahoma because of complications. When his parents finally brought home their little boy, he wasn’t the same Alex. He screamed, cried, and NEVER slept. By the time he was 2 1/2 yrs old, they got meds to make him sleep at night, the family found their angel helpers (two of the best LVNs in Paris TX) and he got a feeding tube. Those first three years were hard and it all proved to be more than his father could handle. So for the past 5yrs, Mom, Deanie, has been raising her three angels alone. Alex has gone to school, and with a little encouragement from Mom, the school system has done all they could to teach Alex. Through a difficult illness in early September of this year, the family had to realize that Alex is not going to be with them forever. They’ve done countless rounds of IV antibiotics at home to help him through respiratory infections in the past and, thankfully, he pulled through this last one as well.

• Alex’s lungs to get stronger, to fight off infection.
• Alex’s sisters to understand why they were blessed with their big brother, and not burdened by him.
• His nurse, whose health problems threaten to take her away from caring for Alex.
• A van with a lift o get Alex out of the house and to the doctor’s office, school, movie theater, store, or anywhere else ALEX would like to go!

Joseph Lucido

About Joseph

Joseph is the second of three boys of Michael and Melanie Lucido. He is five years old. Brothers, John Michael and Luke are 8 and 3 years old, respectively. Joseph loves all kinds of music, being around his brothers, being in water or outdoors, and toys that move or vibrate. Joseph has Leuko Dystrophy that causes a certain part of his brain to not grow/function properly. He was born with significant hearing loss and visual impairment. He uses a wheelchair. He endures seizures and has very tight muscle tone throughout his body. He has a Baclofen Pump that slowly dispenses medicine to help loosen his very constricting muscle tone. He is able to eat blended food and takes liquids through his g-tube. He is a sweetheart with beautiful eyes that warm your heart.

• Joseph to tolerate school better. With all the stimulation at school, he becomes very overwhelmed due to his multiple disabilities.
• Joseph’s overall health to continue to be stable.
• Michael and Melanie to be blessed with patience and guidance (and more sleep).
• Wisdom as Michael and Melanie manage the needs of the entire family.
• Better information regarding Joseph’s hearing. There are varying viewpoints about how much and what Joseph hears.
• The right dose for his Baclofen Pump to be determined so that benefit without side effects will come to Joseph.
• Joseph to get into one of the Medicaid Waiver programs to provide the many things he needs.
• A lift for their current van so that as Joseph gets bigger, they can safely transport him without lifting him or his wheelchair.
• Adaptations to the Lucido home (ramps and bathroom modifications).

Elizabeth Diana (Nana) Fleming

About Nana

Nana is two years old and is one of four children. Nana got her name when her brother couldn’t say Diana and called her Nana instead. She has Wolf-hirschhorn syndrome. This affects her in creating very low muscle tone, Chronic Lung disease, kidney reflux, gastro reflux, a swallowing dysfunction, and seizures. She is nonverbal, but very responsive to everyone around her.

• 9/25/04 Nana has been in the hospital due to digestion problems.  She had surgery to place a J-tube for formula.  Please pray she will go home in a few days and will digest well and be comfortable.
• Over all physical health and protection from respiratory illness.
• Eventually, the family will need a wheelchair accessible van for Nana.

Cagen Dixon

About Cagen

Cagen is six years old and has a pituitary disorder which causes him to be grossly obese. He has no other diagnosis. He is fairly easy to tend to - just extremely heavy (165lbs). He receives no therapy because the family is unable to find an agency able to send pediatric therapists to go to Greenville, TX. They do not currently have a church to attend and very few friends for support. He does have nurses and aids who assist the family from most of 7am ‘till 10pm (through the MDCP and CCP Medicaid programs). The family is not financially able to go out very much but with the help they receive, they are able to have some time to themselves or time to spend with the other children. Cagen prefers to be on the go with the family and is a sweet, lovable child.

• Health and development for Cagen as he struggles with his size.
• A van so they are able to install a lift and safely transport Cagen.
• That the Lord will watch over him as he grows into a young man and keeps him healthy and happy and will soon one day understand that he needs to accept Christ.

The Arnold Triplets

Prayer Requests for the Triplets

• A wheelchair ramp for their van for the two Kid Karts (squirt-sized wheelchairs).
• A paved driveway for their Chris and Kim Arnold’s Oakcliff home – it is very difficult to safely maneuver their Kid Karts on the grass to get to the car.
• The family desperately needs to get the boys into the Medicaid system to cover all their expenses and provide the in-home nursing that is required to keep all three well and moving ahead in their developmental milestones.

12-month-old Matt is the most thoughtful of the three; examining everything people do around him and doing his best to get into trouble. Matt spent his first six months of life in the hospital. He is currently ventilator-dependent and has a trach tube to facilitate breathing. He has a g-tube and is slowly improving in his ability to swallow. He has hypertension. He is working on sitting up and can push up on his tummy. His parents are hopeful that he will one day be able to breath without his ventilator.

• For continued improvement with no set backs

12-month-old Drew is the “little pistol” of the bunch – happy and the healthiest of the three. Drew spent the first five months of his life in the hospital. He requires a g-tube, but is gaining strides in feeding himself and accepting new foods to eat. He is crawling and pulling up on things and keeping everyone quite busy while Matt and Nate require more care.

• His brothers require much more medical attention, so Drew needs patience and self-determination to continue to continue to move forward.

12-month-old Nate is the comedian of the bunch and just explodes with giggles whenever he feels the urge! He spent the first eleven months of his life in the hospital. Nate has is ventilator and oxygen dependent and has a trach tube to facilitate breathing. He has a J-tube to enable his folks to feed him formula. He has extremely low muscle tone and struggles to hold his head up. He seems to have some vision loss as well. He has Brady Cardia and experiences occasional times when his heart just stops – thankfully, this has not happened at home.

• For the strength to push through the hard struggles of his health.