Please sign the petition

Vermont brothers Austin Leclaire, 13, and Max, 10, both have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but only Max is able to get treatment in a promising clinical trial. (Handout/Justin Ferland Photography)

http://www.dmdhero.com/

Austin McNary is one of Ben's friends from Saxtons River, Vt.  Sadly he is fighting for his life.  He has Duchene's Muscular Dystrophy.  DMD is a fatal disease that effects 1 in 3,600 boys

As of now there is no cure for DMD but families are holding out hope.  A new drug has been introduced to a control group of boys that is making a difference.  Austin's brother Max has had access to this drug and it has made a huge difference in stopping the progression of DMD.  Austin did not have access to the drug's study since he is already wheelchair bound.  There is a chance the FDA can fast track this drug but in order for it to happen there needs to be 10,000 more signatures on the petition for the FDA to consider it.  Will you please sign the petition?  If could be what makes the difference between life and death for a sweet, fun loving, kind 13 year old boy.

The site for the petition is:

http://www.dmdhero.com/

Also is a letter that you can read, print, and sign. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b3x8_EP7UWgNv_zW0QaEcH19B1z_bZQ12Wfo0BiSeQ8/edit?pli=1



Please do what you can to help support Jen and Craig McNary.  Just like us, their children are the most important thing in their lives and they just want Austin to have a chance.




Lisa

Progress

Kevin to the rescue again!  Yesterday he and John framed out Sam's new room in the basement.  Nothing like getting a professional on the job!

Holiday Concert

Sniffle Sniffle, my babies are growing up.  Only one kid was in the holiday concert at the high school this year.  Maisie and the second grade were great!  They sang a Hawaiin Christmas, Joyous Hanukkah, and Winter Fun.

Here is Maisie...

Great Day!

Today was a beautiful day!  You could never have guessed that it was the last day of November.  The chickens and dog enjoyed one of the last shiver free days of the year together.  Freckles has trained very well.  We are so pleased with her.  She has proven herself trustworthy with the chickens!  We can leave her out in the yard with the birds and not only does she not eat them, she barks and rounds them up in the coop if the neighbors dogs come sniffing around the fence or she sees people other than us coming.  Besides working independently she is a great partner for any one of us.  When we let the birds out to free range they are sometimes hard to get back in the run.  Well not with Freckles on hand!  We give a few claps and give her the call and she can get those birds in the run in less than a minute.  The new birds are still giving her a hard time but I think that's because THEY aren't trained.  Rather than heading for the door when the dog comes around them they all scatter like an explosion.  It's something we are working on and by spring I am confident we won't have any issues with any of our current birds.  Here are a few pics of Freckles and her charges.  The group behind her is the group that is still giving her a hard time.  It's the Ugly Duckling (the big brown one) who is the worst!

Even more to be happy about!

OK, I know this sounds frivolous and silly.  Maybe even makes me a little bit of a bragger BUT..... I got new floors.  They are beautiful.  They are oak.  We no longer have white wall to wall berber carpeting.  Hurrah.  Life is good.  Now onto other projects.......

Great Wolf Lodge with our cousins

Halloween

Happy Halloween!  Despite the cold weather our kids made the most of their night and hiked for long enough to fill the bottom of their pillow cases.  There will be candy at our house for a month!