A piano!

Cam’s Nanna had it on her heart to buy him a piano, and it was delivered this afternoon! What an awesome blessing – we are so excited! It is 60 years old – restored and absolutely beautiful. We had lots of fun trying it out!

‘O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things…’ Psalm 98: 1

Goggles and patient cousins

We’re trying to get Cam to wear goggles when he swims, because he likes to put his head right under sometimes, and we don’t want him losing his contact lenses in the pool!

Meagie and Craig slept over last night, and I played them an ABC sing-along DVD. I explained that it’s easier for Cam to watch the TV right up close, and they very patiently made room for him, and watched right up close, too. (I realise this is not necessarily a long-term solution...!)

A few things have lifted our spirits lately. Cam has started recognising us in photos. My Mom has put pictures of me in some of his visual therapy powerpoint presentations that she has designed for him (who ever said Grannies weren’t techno-savvy?!). The other day I was drinking my morning coffee from a mug that has on it a picture of me and Cam. He pressed his nose right up to the mug then pointed at the picture of me and said, ‘Mom’ – and that was without his lenses in. This is technically impossible, and definitely miraculous. He did the same with a photo of Murray; then he also got hold of my ID book and did the same again, even pointing to my eyes and nose. Yesterday he was pointing out two of his cousins in photos – ‘Gark’ (Mark) and ‘Niggie’ (Nici)!

Cam just doesn’t seem to notice or interact with other kids much. They certainly don’t freak him out, but he doesn’t really play with them (Meagan and Craig are an exception, to some extent; I suppose because he knows them well). He also hasn’t grasped the concept of sharing, because he can’t see that there are other children playing with various toys and that if he happens to stumble upon a toy, and if that toy happens to be in another child’s hands, he can’t just take it. When Murray dropped him at school the other day, he hung around and played a bit with Cam on the carpet. They were playing with a cow and making cow noises, etc. One of the little boys in Cam’s class came up and said, ‘Hello, Cam!’ He had a pig, which he proceeded to give to Cam. And then Cam gave him the cow. And then they all made piggy noises and laughed. Progress!

‘That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.’ – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Friends, mud, hats…

Bits of news

Eye news

Cam is now wearing a +26 lens in his left eye, because his prescription for that eye has changed (he is still wearing a +39 in his right eye). Interestingly, he is using his left eye a little more, but is holding objects really close up to his face – that’s obviously where he is seeing things more clearly. The new lens also made him a little unsteady on his feet for the first few days – he seemed to lose even more depth perception – but he seems to be adjusting again.

Murray got a call from a company that specialises in low vision equipment and visual therapy, and they’ve offered him a staggering discount on the quintessential visual therapy software suite, so we’ve got a demo and will check it out – a real blessing!

Healing service

Family friends invited us to a healing service at their church in Alberton, on Saturday. We went along with mixed feelings – it raised many questions again in our hearts. Certainly, God has gifted some in the area of healing, but he can also use anyone, anywhere, for His healing purposes. Certainly, Jesus says that ‘you do not have because you do not ask’, but we have had such a strong sense, from the beginning of our walk with Cammy, that it is because of – not in spite of – his eyes, that he will be used mightily of God. We also love him so holistically and can’t imagine him any other way, and yet if he can be healed and spared the suffering of visual impairment then of course that is what we would choose. Eish...

The people were so kind and genuine, so encouraging in their sense of God’s hand on Cammy’s life and His plans and purposes for him. We were glad we went, even though nothing miraculous happened. If the prayers of the saints are a sweet-smelling incense to our God, then prayers are never wasted, however He may choose to answer them.

Tough days

I've been quite emotional about Cam’s situation, this past week. The pain of it has been close to the surface, where normally I keep it firmly in its place, right down at the bottom of my heart. I suppose I’ve noticed more the difficulties he is facing, and will face. Like, his little buddies can walk down stairs by themselves, whereas he still struggles because of his lack of depth perception. Sometimes he’s naughty - and too cute! - at bedtime: he climbs out of his bed after lights out and comes running into the lounge, grinning his head off, thinking that he is undiscovered and planning to surprise us in our room. It breaks my heart because he runs right past us and can’t see us sitting on the couch watching him.

Lola is an angel

Lola is one of God’s more amazing creatures, and one of Cam’s best teachers. Besides teaching him how to deal with being smacked in the face by a wagging tail, she is so patient. The other day Cam poked her in the eyes and said, ‘Eyes! Eyes!’ I then showed him Lola’s ears – which feel quite different to his own – and so he spent a while (roughly) contemplating her ears, and nose, and mouth… Through it all she sat completely still, stoically enduring his tugs and pokes. :)