My Apologies

My last post (so long ago) remarked what might 2010 bring, and I am sat here wondering exactly the same +1!

So many milestones were achieved last year with Sophie and yet I have seemed to let her down by not achieving any of my own, she’s outshining me! With a strong will I write with due diligence and utmost sincerity and cause that “I must do better’. My family as always the best people in the world and without whom I might not be here tonight.

So where do I start, and direct this article to giving Sophie’s wonderful followers the information they so duly deserve. Twitter has been a wonderful resource for keeping her friends up to date, her family and others. So much so that she has gained over a 1000 extra followers last year with some real key followers keen to say hello when the time is right and purposeful. I thank you all so much. We do our best to say this publicly whilst we can, but we do try and restrain ourselves from following everyone for very obvious reasons. Sophie’s communication is very limited and having an overactive timeline, much like an over active thyroid, can cause her real problems (in understanding what is going on). So we do limit who she follows and treat those that take the time and effort to send her wishes and good will on a regular basis. Repetition and routine is the key here!

I don’t update Sophie’s Facebook much again for very obvious reasons and what may seem unkind. Every time we log on, everyone assumes its Sophie and roughly 20 or 30 chat windows pop up, which confuses the hell out of me alone! We will endeavour to keep photos there for a select few and will be trimming those friends down to those again that take the time and effort. We are not into having several thousand ‘friends’ on Facebook but ok with several thousand ‘followers’ on Twitter who can help her with encouragement and the odd excitement as a celebrity pops up every now and again! Which is not meant to mean all of you are any less, anyone who follows or talks to Sophie is a celebrity to her.

A lot of people ask about the charity Sophie’s Gift, which has an amazing following. Five boys cycled the length of Britain for her and raised £6008. What can I say that even gives the remote credit they deserve. They did it for Sophie, they did it for my little girl! Four of them didn’t even know her, so why? It ceases to amaze me as further ideas land in my email box. Sophie’s consultant is amazed and beneficiary of these raised amounts through research equipment. Some one said to me she carries an Aurora, and that there is a reason. The more I hear and see the more I start to believe. Where we go with this we are not sure, but Wake Up (Celebrity Get Well Video Database for sick children) is a great idea but we can never get past the agents, publicists. If it wasn’t for the kids damn persistence Johnny Depp’s video would not have been a reality, Stephen Fry’s life story would never have been delivered, and the few Southampton players that said ‘Hi’ would not have had the miraculous effect that it did. So unless we get some massive breakthrough this year, or support from these celebrities then its unlikely I can devote as much time to trying to get it going.

Are we having a ball? Maybe, but after being stung by a shortfall of some £7000 in unpaid for auction prizes by some choice business people in and around Hampshire it’s a tough pill to swallow. We are still thinking about getting a professional company involved to come and run the next one for us.

So what of this year? Well its a big year. We have a High Court appearance to try and obtain some money for a new home to move the family into and try and bring Sophie home with full time care, so we can be a family again. We visit her every day where we can and its tiring! Whilst nearer to home it still takes the best part of an hour each way and with the others at school it makes time very precious and routine. Having her home would make such a big difference to her siblings and Sophie herself. It would mean family life after 4 years would return to some element of normality with proper care and activities for Sophie and a normal busy household to stimulate her. The evidence is compelling by so many experts and yet the people with the money won’t write the cheque, even though thats what insurance is supposed to be for. Words fail me, and its unkind for one person in particular and three siblings. So this is the big year and we can only wait and keep our hopes up.

Anyway I have waffled enough I promise to write more, and thats a promise..

I wish Insurance Companies could just care a small amount, it wouldn’t hurt them!