Naitalie had a great visit to Prince Edward Island, Canada

Naitalie had a wonderful visit to Prince Edward Island.  We went to Walmart,  Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of PEI, Family Resource Centers, Tim Hortons, Vernon River School, and had visits from Journalists.  We joined in a hockey practice and met the wonderful family and friends of the MacCallum/Drake family. We passed out information sheets and cards all around Charlottetown and Montague areas.We had many discussions about NAIT and our hopes for research, treatment, and screening.  The wonderful members the naitbabies organization  had the "Travelling Bear" plan long before my terrifying introduction to NAIT  11 months ago. It was very heartwarming to have my children snuggle with a bear that these families have hugged and will hug. I am so thankful for the support they have given our family, and I admire the support and advice they are able to offer to others.  We are looking forward to fallowing the adventures of Nait and  Naitalie as they continue to visit these lovely families. 

Touring around Charlottetown

We went to some PEI tourist attractions over the weekend.  I enjoyed the smell of Tim Horton's coffee but decided to try a Timbit.  My Brother Nait will be asking many questions about these Tim Horton Timbits. He was recently bragging about the tea and scones he tried in Ireland.  I also met Anne of Green Gables and had a wonderful chat with the lady at the Anne store. We then stopped in to visit Lincoln's Nanny and Great Nanny who were very excited to meet me after seeing me in the newspaper. I now have to rest up for a busy day tomorrow.  We will be going to Lincoln's physiotherapy session at the hospital where he was born.   I have heard great things about the staff at   the QEH and I look forward to meeting them.  And tomorrow is also Lincoln's first Halloween!

Naitalie visits Vernon River School

This morning i found out we were going to Vernon River School :) Lincoln and I were both very excited.  We met Aiden in his class with the grade 1 and 2 students.  We talked about my travels, the hopes for research, treatment, and tests for NAIT.  Aiden  passed out some gummy bears and berries with information cards for parents. I was very impressed by the questions the children and teachers were asking! 

Naitalie learns how Lincoln and Aiden became NAIT survivors and enjoys outdoor adventures..

This morning we met with two local newspaper reporters.  I learned all about Lincoln's diagnoses with NAIT and the treatment he received. The reporters were very interested in this disease that not many are aware of.  (Article links below) You can read about the "MacCallum/Drake" story on the naitbabies.org website under "Our stories" the website link is on the upper right of this page.  After School, I was very exited to hear the kids suggest we go for a walk in the woods.  It was a bit chilly but Lincoln kept me warm with his blanket.  He also held me back from fishing in a river we came across. My favorite part of the day, was learning about a special memorial place made in memory of baby Dennis which can be seen from both boys bedroom windows. After joining the nait social group and meeting wonderful people who also have angel babies, they have learned of many ways to keep his memory alive and this helps with grieving his loss. I am a very lucky bear to be visiting these families. Our article in The Guardian News Paper http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2011-10-28/article-2788041/Mother-fighting-for-prenatal-screening-of-blood-disease/1

Naitalie visits a playgroup and skates around a PEI rink

I met a delightful bear in Lincoln's room this morning. He told me all about our plans for the day.  He showed me some print outs all about me, and showed me some baggies with gummy treats and information cards. Our first outing was to the Families First playgroup at our local Church with baby cousin Maggie.  Many children were dressed up for a Holloween party.  We gave the ladies from Families First Family Resource Center some information papers so they will be able to send any future families affected with NAIT to http://www.naitbabies.org/ for information and wonderful support.  After supper we went to Aiden's hockey practice. He even took me for a skate around the ice.  After practice we passed out some baggies with the treats and cards to his team mates.  Tomorrow we are meeting with some local newspaper reporters to tell  the story about me, and how Aiden and Lincoln  became NAIT survivors. 

Naitalie arrives on Prince Edward Island



It was a rainy day when I arrived in Vernon River, Prince Edward Island.  I was hanging out at the post office and peeping though my travel box when I spotted a lady across the road. She opened up her mailbox and started jumping with excitement.  She headed straight over to get me :) I was then brought into a warm cozy home and I heard a baby babbling.  I just had to meet this baby and I couldn't stay in this travel box any longer so I popped out! Lincoln spotted me and came right over to give me a big hug :) A few minutes later, children arrived back from school and they were asking many questions about me.  Lincoln's big brother Aiden took me over to a  mat and we all sat in a circle with a globe.  Marin then showed the children all the places I have travelled so far. She also showed them where my brother Nait has travelled. We then looked at http://www.naitbabies.org/ website and saw all the great pictures from our blogs.  Now it is time for homework and bed.  I wonder who I will get to sleep with tonight ...

Weekend Activities with Caleb and NAITaile

We had a great weekend with NAITaile and Caleb. First we went to visit our friend Calum in Burlington. Caleb and NAITaile had a nap while Calum held us tight! Then on Sunday we went to the Terry Fox Run. Just like Terry, NAITaile and her brother NAIT have had to overcome a lot of obstacles. And just like Terry Fox, Caleb never gave up.



He kept fighting and staying strong! It was a beautiful day to be outside. Even though you can't see Caleb in these shots, he is cheering NAITaile on from inside his warm bassinet! It has been great having NAITalie here with Caleb but we know that we need to send him on to his next family. We are still trying to organize a fundraising event at Caleb's mommy's school but we don't want to hold NAITalie up. We also wanted to go to the hospital where Caleb was born...we will see if we can do this tomorrow, if not Caleb's mommy will write a blog about it later! Take care everyone!