In honor of Harper’s Birthday (4/12/16), we invite you to register for Hope4Harper’s memorial Run4Hope at the one-day (April 12th only) one-time price of $12! This registration special ends at midnight. No coupon code is needed.
Harper’s 1st Birthday, 2011
Life was such a blur. The life we had prepared for with the birth of Harper turned into a living nightmare just two weeks after she was born. We spent the entire first year in and out of hospitals just trying to figure out why she was having seizures and how we could stop them. At 9 months old we were told that the seizures at that point and time were never going to stop.
So we did what everybody does…the best we could with the information we had at the time. For Harper’s first birthday we took her and Lily to the play area and a cupcake shop in Willow Bend Mall where Harper got her first taste of icing. The image below links to the blogspot post from just after her first birthday.
Harper’s 2nd Birthday, 2012
Lily and I left Harper and Daddy at home and went shopping at Kohl’s for a new birthday outfit for Harper. We picked out several and sent pictures to Daddy and Harper. Harper shook her head “no” to everything but the birthday pajamas which she wore to her party as a dress with a fun hat Lily picked out for her.
We missed the typical “BIG 1st Birthday Party” for Harper because we were just trying to survive. So for birthday #2 we organized a fundraiser birthday party at Chick-fila where lots of people came and Harper tried her first kerogenic chocolate cake….not a fan!
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- Flyer from Chick-fil-a fundraiser for Harper’s 2nd birthday
Harper’s 3rd Birthday, 2013
Still in a body overtaken by seizures and unable to participate in typical birthday events, we choose to take Harper to the Rainforest Cafe with extended family. She liked to look at all the animals and other visual input the restaurant has.
Harper’s 4th Birthday, 2014
Thanks to RSHO (Real Scientific Hemp Oil) from HempMeds Harper had her FIRST SEIZURE FREE-BIRTHDAY EVER! This is when her life really changed and the Harper we always knew was stuck inside began to come out and truly be able to live. For the first time Harper made her very own party plans!
We offered up roller skating, ice skating, bowling, Chuck E. Cheese, an indoor pool party; all things she liked doing. But in the end Harper wanted a small celebration at Grapevine Mills Sea Life Aquarium where she liked to watch the fish swim and spend time afterwards at her favorite restaurant, Rainforest Cafe. Harper never ate out but she liked the visual input of the restaurant.
Harper’s 5th Birthday, 2015
This was her BEST YEAR and sadly her last. She planned every bit of this birthday party on her very own (except for the cake) and she made it BIG!
Harper did tell me she DID NOT want a cake but I insisted that the guests at her party would want cake even though she was unable to eat it.
YES, she was trying to kick the cake off the table in her picture because she told me NO CAKE!
This party was a Harpunzel-themed fundraising event for Spirit Horse Therapeutic Riding Center. Riding horses there was one of Harper’s favorite activities to do and she wanted to share that love with all her friends. The party was fantastic although the party favor should have been Benadryl! LOL Hello Spring!
On what would have been Harper’s 6th Birthday
April 12, 2016
We have no party to plan,
no gifts to share,
no pictures to take of her so we could remember the way she was….
Instead, this year Harper gave the gift!
And the pictures we post are of her new beginning! We have traveled to the University of California San Diego to see Harper’s sacrifice 4 science.
Please connect to Harper’s Facebook today (4/12/2016) for a real-time view of HOPE in action! As I shared before, Harper’s tissue samples were sent to the University of California San Diego and are reproducing other tissue cells in a petri dish at the university lab for CDKL5 research on a metabolic level.
There is no way we can possibly begin to help you understand the feelings surrounding the loss of a child. Many have experienced loss at some point in life, be it a family pet, grandparent, parent, or some other extended family member or friend…
For me, none is like the loss of your own creation.
How am I today, really?
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” —Winston Churchill
Help us celebrate HOPE and Harper and benefit Seizure Research and Awareness by registering today for Run4Hope. Virtual Runners: t-shirts will be mailed and no running is required. Get all the details about Run4Hope 5K and 1-Mile Kids Fun Run.
$12 discount registration fee ends on April 12th at 12 midnight! No coupon code is needed.
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