Some of you have been asking how we are since the Lollars
moved to the States, and as Rachel and the children are still here it is
clearly time for an update!
The wheels of Rachel’s Green Card application seem to be
turning, but more slowly than she would wish. She is due to have a medical in
London soon but still has no idea of a date when she can take Phoebe and Reuben
to be reunited with Matt in Mobile. To state the obvious, it is very hard
to be separated and we hope and pray that the wait will end soon.
Meanwhile we continue to try to support Rachel in the care of the children and
preparing the house to be let. Matt came back for a few days just before
Easter and was able to attend a friend’s wedding where Phoebe was a flower
girl.
Poignantly, Phoebe wore the same dress as she had worn as a
flower girl two and half years ago. This gives an indication of the
damage to her body from the aggressive cancer treatment she underwent; her
pituitary gland no longer functions and so her growth has halted. About a
month ago she started an unwelcome but necessary addition to her day – growth
hormone injections. Rachel was shown at the Children’s Hospital how to
give the daily dose by injecting into Phoebe’s tummy or thigh and this is now
part of the usual bedtime routine alongside brushing teeth etc.
Phoebe is generally such a cheerful and positive little girl
that it is easy to forget the huge challenges she faces on a daily basis.
Concentration and memory problems mean that learning, especially concepts she
had not started before she was ill, is very hard for her. Lack of balance
and stamina mean that she has not yet mastered riding her bike unaided.
It was lovely to have Jono, Heather and Rosanne stay with us
in the run-up to Easter, and as ever Rosanne (nearly 11) was a patient and
cheerful playmate for her younger cousins.
The guitar concert mentioned in our previous update went
really well; donations to Brain Tumour Research from those who came and those
who couldn’t come amounted to £1180, a total that surpassed our hopes.
March 31st was “Wear a Hat Day” to raise awareness of the charity,
and although we didn’t do any further fundraising, Jen spent the whole day
wearing the hat she had for Jono & Heather’s wedding, hoping to provoke some
questions!
We really do appreciate very much your ongoing interest in
Phoebe and the family; although we update the blog less frequently than during
her treatment, your encouragement and prayers are needed as much as ever.
THANK YOU!!
Marcus and Jen
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