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The Silcock Family ..it's all about Inclusion |
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AllOurBoys.com |
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News & Updates
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July 3, 2008 |
Phillip is back home after spending two weeks at a local children's rehab hospital. Phillip is now able to move about without too many issues although the doctor wants him to stay away from most physical activities for at least a year. Due to the brain injury, Phillip continues to have short-term memory problems and will work on the long terms effects of his brain injury on an outpatient basis. We are glad to have Phillip back home. |
|
June 27, 2008 |
 Max
was enrolled in the specialized boarding school for
teenagers with significant emotional challenges.
This school and residential treatment program will assist
Max with his impulsive and aggressive behaviors. We will
monitor Max's progress weekly through his therapists and
counselors. We hope this program will help Max develop the
skills for him to live safely at home and to return to
public school. We definitely miss him and can't wait
for Max to be able to return home. |
|
June 18, 2008 |
 On
June 15, 2008 Phillip was riding
his bike recklessly and was struck by a van. He was taken
to the hospital where it was determined that he had
fractured skull and a serious concussion. The doctors
report that it could take 6-9 months before it can be
determined if Phillip will make a full recovery. Currently
Phillip is NOT on life supports but remains in the hospital
in a semi-conscious state. We appreciate your thoughts and
prayers. |
|
June 14, 2008 |
 Rishi
joined our family today! Rishi is 7-years-old and
originally from India. Rishi is excited to live by the
beach so he can build sand castles. He also says he
can't wait for winter because he wants to be able to
play in the snow in the mountains. Everyone is excited
to have Rishi as part of the family! |
|
April 26, 2008 |
Saul gets his black belt
in Tae Kwon Do. |
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April 17, 2008 |
Check Out: Huntington Beach Independent |
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March 12, 2008 |
New Family newsletter for March 2008 |
| December 22, 2007 | |
| December 8, 2007 |
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| December 3-8, 2007 |
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| November 9, 2007 |
Jim was finally discharged from the VA hospital. The
boys were very glad to have their dad at home again.
Jim has to follow a strict schedule of getting out of
his wheelchair every four hours in order to allow his
wound to heal further. Jim will have continued
follow-ups at the VA to make sure the healing process
continues to be successful!
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October 30, 2007 |
 Marc's
adoption was finalized today! Yipee!! We have parented
Marc for almost two years so we were very excited to
complete Marc Xavier Silcock's adoption. |
| September 20, 2007 |
We just found out that Jim will have to return to the
hospital this week for a couple of months to have
surgery for yet another pressure sore. This pressure
sore started early this summer and we tried to treat it
at home with frequent visits to the VA hospital for
on-going medical supervision. Unfortunately the sore
never closed, although it came close. The doctors are
now recommending surgery and a six-eight week stay in
the hospital. Of course, we are all very sad about
this and none of us is looking forward to Jim's absence
from home. We hope after this surgery and hospital
recovery Jim's pressure sores will be healed once and
for all. Please keep Jim in your thoughts and prayers.
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|
August 21, 2007 |
 Max's adoption was completed
today! Finally!! We were all very anxious to have Max
an official member of the family. It was, at times, a
very stressful wait during the past 18 months. Although
Max's adoption started out as an independent private
adoption, half way through the process Social Services
got involved with the case. Although in the end it was
a benefit for Max to have the extra advocacy, the whole
adoption process was slowed down as a result. In any
case we are thrilled that this day has finally come, and
we are now Max's official and forever family! |
|
August 11, 2007 |
New Family Newsletter! |
|
August 8, 2007 |
 Thanks
to some very generous donations and some personal savings
we are now able to build a pool in the back yard. The whole
family loves to swim and play in the water but up until this
point we neither had the financial resources nor the space
for an in-ground pool. Now that we have the house next
door, which has a much bigger yard, we have a place to build
a nice pool. This summer, to our surprise, we received some
significant donation that allowed us to begin the process of
building a pool. Everyone around here (the boys and the
neighbors!) are very interested in the process as the Bobcat
goes in and out of our backyard with mounds of dirt. We
hope to have the pool completed by November. |
|
June 23, 2007 |
 Its finally official! Kyle C.
has joined our family!! Ann traveled to Florida to meet
with Kyle's foster family and doctors to discuss Kyle's
care and transition to his new "forever" family. Kyle
enjoyed the flight across the country. He couldn't stop
telling people that this was his FIRST time on an
airplane. Since getting home Kyle has been getting to
know all of his brothers. The transition is going very
smoothly. After all of this time, we are excited to
finally bring Kyle home! |
|
May 22, 2007 |
 The MYART production of "Suessical" is in full gear.
This week is "hell week" and the kids are rehearsing
four to five hours on stage every night until opening
night on Friday, May 25. Alin
is excited to have a lead in this show, although he is
still coming off the thrill of having a lead part in the
previous show "High School Musical." The younger kids,
Marc (8),
Yanny(10), Jordan (10), and
Kavin (11) are exhausted when
the get home every night after 10:00 pm. Marc and Yanny
are especially wiped-out as this is their first play and
they are not used to this hectic schedule! If you come
to the show be sure to also look for
Javier,
Jeffrey and Chris! All
eight of the guys have been rehearsing for this
performance since the beginning of the year and are
looking forward to performing for their family and
friends. We hope to see you there!! |
|
May 21, 2007 |
Jordan,
Mathew, Ivan,
Kavin, Alin
and Jeffrey had the
opportunity to meet and congratulate Heather Mills on
receiving the Shane's Inspiration 1st Annual
Women of Inspiration Award. The award ceremony was held
at Aiden's Place a "boundless playground" in Los
Angeles. Heather is an international advocate for people
with disabilities and most recently was featured on the
popular television show "Dancing with the Stars."
Heather was very nice to the boys and after the ceremony
even accepted an "In the Family" CD presented to her by
Jeffrey.
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|
May 19, 2007 |
 After
a grueling two months of drills, physical training, and
education, nine of the boys graduated from the
Saddleback Young Marines recruit training on Saturday,
May 19th. David,
George,
James, Jarrod,
Javier,
Jordan, Michael,
Saul and
Sergei were
 very
excited as they received there official Young Marine
uniform and gear. We all celebrated with a pot luck and
party on the base. Even grandma Sue and grandpa Jim were
there. All of the boys are now Privates and will be
actively participating in the Saddleback Young Marines
program. This program has many activities for the
boys at Camp Pendleton and in the community. On May
28 the boys will be participating in their first
community volunteer activity, assisting at a Memorial
Day Event. We are very proud of each of the boys and
their commitment to get involved with this very
challenging program.
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|
April 24, 2007 |
 We
are expanding! No, not our family this time...we
are expanding our living quarters. It just became
official, we were able to purchase the house next door
to us! We should have the keys to the five
bedroom, three bathroom house right next door to our
current house. This is so exciting!
Initially we will use the space for a computer room, an
extra living room, an office for us, and a quiet place for the kids to complete their
homework. Eventually we may be able to combine the
houses in some way, but for now we will just open up
the backyards. Just having a little more room for all
of us to spread our wings will be fantastic. |
|
March 13, 2007 |
 Thanks to a generous donation from
The Moise and Carol Ann Emquies Trust we are able to
renew our family membership to The Aquarium of the
Pacific in Long Beach this month.
The kids love going to
the aquarium to attend special "members only" events and
summer day camps. We have been members for six years
and the boys never tire of it. In fact, the whole
family enjoys going to the aquarium to visit and just
hangout for the day. Check it out, its a wonderful
place!
Aquarium of the Pacific |
|
March 11, 2007 |
 Michael,
Jeffrey,
Kavin and Jordan sang with
the Shane's Club Choir tonight at the Grand Ball Room
above the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. They were
singing at the 10th Anniversary Gala for Shane's
Inspiration supporting universally accessible
playgrounds. The boys enjoyed the event and they did an
excellent job! They boys even got to meet and talk to
Dakota Fanning before the night was over. |
| February 3, 2007 |
Jordan and
James successfully completed their First Aid and CPR
training today! Both boys were very enthusiastic about
learning life-saving techniques. Jordan said he is happy
to know that he "can help people out when they are
hurt." Although the training is good for a year, both
boys will be reviewing their skills every six months to
help them keep current with their skills.
|
| February 2, 2007 |
Ivan, Javier,
Paul, Jordan
and Kavin filmed a television
commercial for American General Life Insurance at Los
Angeles based orthopedic hospital. This will be a
national commercial and will be seen on all of the major
channels throughout the United States. The commercial
was a big production with at least 30 crew members! Jim
reported that the kids did great, and were real
professionals. The boys had a great time. They love
working and look forward to booking acting jobs. Now
that the shoot is over the boys are especially looking
forward to receiving their paychecks!
|
|
December 07, 2006 |
 Holiday Letter |
| December 3, 2006 |
Jarrod, Phillip
and Saul all received their First
Aid and CPR cards today. Despite significant attention
issues and learning challenges all three of the boys
learned all of necessary skills to pass both the CPR and
First Aid test. We are very proud of their efforts and
continue to be thankful that Shelley takes to the time
to make sure the boys fully understand these
life-saving concepts.
|
| November 21, 2006 |
 Jim
was finally discharged from the hospital today. During
2006 Jim has spent more than nine months in the
hospital. He is still only able to be up in his
wheelchair for three hours at a time then he must be out
of his wheelchair for the next three hours. Despite his
limited time up in his wheelchair, Jim is happy to be
home with the boys and, of course his dog, Odis. If Jim
is careful for the next year, he will likely have a full
recovery from the original pressure sore. |
| November 5, 2006 |
 Jeffrey completed his First
Aid training and earned his Red Cross First Aid
Certification today. We are very proud of Jeffrey.
This was a big accomplishment that only happened because
Jeffrey did not let his triplegia or his visual
impairment get in the way of learning this very
important skill! Bravo Jeffrey!!
|
| October 27-28, 2006 |
 Jeffrey spent two-days filming
a Disney Sing-A-Long in West Hollywood. Several years
ago, Jeffrey worked on another Disney project. The
casting director remembered Jeffrey and asked him to
come back for this project. This show should air near
the end of the year on the Disney Channel. Jeffrey was
excited to book the job and looks forward letting his
family an friends know exactly when this project will
air on the Disney Channel. |
| October 20, 2006 |
 Jordan earned his Black Belt in
Tae Kwon Do. We are very excited and proud about
Jordan's accomplishment. Here is the speech that Jordan
gave during the Black Belt award ceremony.
My name is Jordan Silcock.
I was born on December 6, 1996 in
Oceanside, California.
I am nine years old.
I am a third grade student at
Perry Elementary School.
I have been training in Tae Kwon
Do for four years.
i was born with cerebral palsy.
I am paralyzed on my right side.
When I was little my doctor told
my mom that I would never walk.
The doctor also said I would never
talk.
Today I earned my Black Belt in
Tae Kwon Do and I am giving this speech.
I wonder what that doctor would
think today!
Thank you Master Kim for believing
in me.
|
| October 24, 2006 |
Jim is still in the hospital but the pressure sore seems to
be healing well. It may be four more weeks until he is
discharged. Whenever we have extra staff they have been
going to the hospital to help Jim do work from bed. The
boys have also spent a lot of time visiting the hospital and
working on their homework with Jim. Its been a long
struggle to get Jim's wound healed but hopefully we will
soon be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.
|
| October 23, 2006 |
 Congratulations
to Nikolai and Mathew!!
International Christian Adoptions heard about an
opportunity to apply for scholarships for adopted youth
who have been involved in their community and also have
plans for a future careers. This scholarship is
sponsored by the California Alliance of Child and Family
Services & Community Care Licensing of California.
Kimberly Swaney and Linda Haas, from ICA, nominated
Nikolai and
Mathew for this special
scholarship. They mentioned how Nikolai would like to
become a chef or own his own bakery. They also
described how Matthew has held several jobs but would
eventually like to do work as a camp counselor.
Both of the boys were awarded the scholarship!!!! This will be money that they can use towards their education for their future careers. They will be presented with the scholarship on 2 November 2006 in Los Angeles at a conference called "Little Steps, Big Tomorrows" which is the 2006 Foster Family Agency Conference. We are very proud of both of boys! |
| October 11, 2006 |
 Jordan
finally started drum lessons. He is thrilled with the
idea of some day "playing drums for a band." We are
excited to see Jordan's enthusiasm with not only
drumming but also learning to read music. We can
already see the physical and cognitive benefits of
playing the drums. Jordan is learning how to coordinate
using both of his hands and both of his feet at the same
time as well as reading music. This requires a lot of
concentration on Jordan's part. It will be fun to watch
Jordan progress with his music lessons. |
|
October 7, 2006
|
 Phillip
was promoted to Private First Class in the Saddleback Young
Marines program. We are so proud of Phillip's commitment to
the Young Marines and his willingness to participate in all
of the activities even if sometimes "it is boring!" Since
joining the Young Marines this summer, we have seen a huge
improvement in Phillip's behavior, academic progress, and
self-esteem. We are looking forward to watching Phillip
mature and continue to be promoted in his rank.
Javier, George
and Val passed their Red Cross
approved CPR and First Aid training. All three will receive
their official Red Cross cards in a few weeks. It is
wonderful that the boys are getting trained to know what to
do in emergency situations. We are very proud of their
concentration and success with this training.
|
| October 5, 2006 |
Jim celebrated his 44th birthday in the VA hospital. He was
visited all day long by the boys, our family helpers, and
friends. Although it was a drag for Jim to hospitalized on
his birthday, we are all so happy that Jim continues to heal
from his pressure sore. We hope that Jim will be home
before Thanksgiving! Thanks for your continued thoughts and
prayers.
|
| September 11, 2006 |
Jim had to return to the VA hospital due to his pressure
sore re-opening. Apparently the wound had not healed
correctly underneath the skin and was not noticed by the
hospital staff in June. This time the wound is actually
larger than the first time, although the wound is not
infected. Doctor's predict that Jim will need to stay
in the hospital, flat on his back in the specialized
bed until the middle of November.
|
September 2, 2006 |
Nikolai, Alin,
Mathew, Michael
and Ivan all successfully completed
their Red Cross sponsored CPR and First Aid Class. They
learned how to administer CPR to infants, children and
adults. They also learned the fundamentals of First Aid. With
lots of hands-on participation and an instructor skilled with
working with persons who have learning disabilities, the boys
were able to understand and demonstrate their CPR and First
Aid skills enough to pass both the written test and the
practicum part of the class. We are very proud of the boys and
their interest in learning new skills that may benefit others
in the community.
|
| August 31, 2006 |
 Daniel is finally home with us. After
several days of placement steps, Daniel was able to move from
the skilled nursing home where he had spent the last two years
living and move into his first real 'home." Daniel seems to
be excited about all of the stimulation and activity with our
family. He already has a few favorite brothers. We are so
happy to be Daniel's "forever" family. |
| August 25, 2006 |
 We just received the news that Jim must return to the VA
Hospital. His original sore never healed completely.
Although Jim has been in bed since the 4th of July, the wound
continued to open wider and wider. It has become impossible
to provide an appropriate level of wound care at home without
risking Jim's health. Jim will return to the hospital for
another surgery and at least two months of bed rest. We hope
the Jim will be able heal in enough time to be home for the
holidays. |
| August 19, 2006 |
 Phillip
has graduated from the Saddleback Young Marines program. As a
recruit he spent almost a total of two weeks in boot camp
including two encampments. We are very proud of Phillip's
commitment to complete this very difficult and strenuous
program. As a Young Marine Phillip will continue to go to Camp
Pendleton every Saturday to participate in further training
and activities. He is looking forward to moving up in rank and
he improves his skills. |
| July 20, 2006 |
 James (11) joined our
family today. He was adopted from Russia in February. He
speaks beautiful English and a little Spanish. James says he
wants to relearn some of the Russian he has forgotten.
James is a smart boy who is full of energy. We are excited to
be his "forever family." |
| June 16, 2006 |
Jim was FINALLY discharged from the hospital on June 16th. He
spent 131 days (four and a half months) in the hospital.
Almost all of that time he was stuck in bed. We are all
very excited to have Jim home. The kids seem much less
stressed and much happier with both of us home now. Jim will
continue to recover at home where he must get out of his
wheelchair several times a day to relieve the pressure on his
skin. Thanks again for all of your prayers and kind
thoughts. We are all very happy to be together as a family
again.
|
| June 2, 2006 |
 Justin is in surgery at Loma Linda
Hospital as I write this up-date. He is receiving a kidney
from a young adult donor. We are so excited but also
anxious as we wait for the outcome of this transplant. This
is the fifth kidney that Justin was offered but the first
time he was well enough to accept it. Justin has waited
over two years for this transplant. Thank you for your
thoughts and prayers. We will post updated information as
we are able. |
| May 30, 2006 |
Jim is still in the hospital. Since recovering from his
original pressure sore, he has developed a new sore. Jim
is back in bed full time until this new wound heal. The
new sore is the result of improper medical care while in
the hospital. As of now, Jim is not slated for
discharge until the end of June or early July. As you
can imagine, we are all quite upset by this news. The
kids and I continue to visit almost daily, and Jim
continues to do what he can from the confines of his
hospital bed. Jim appreciates your e-mails, calls,
thoughts and prayers.
|
| May 2006 |
  Alin is featured in
Parenting
OC magazine - Quest to Be the Best - Four young OC
athletes share their inspiration and challenges on the way to
becoming champions.
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| May 15, 2006 |
 Our
friend, Dave Nachmanoff, is feverishly working on our
second family CD, tentatively titled "Team Silcock." We
recently received a CD preview of rough mixes for twelve
songs. The songs sound great and the kids are ready to
share them, even though the mixes aren't complete.
The boys are also getting excited about scheduling time
in the studio, possibly in September, so they can sing
on this CD. A couple of the boys may even play their
musical instruments on a few songs. We hope to have the
CD finished and ready for sale in Winter 2006. For
more information about Dave Nachmanoff, his music and
his concert dates please check out his website:
Dave
Nachmanoff - The Official Dave Nachmanoff Website - HOME
|
| May 10, 2006 |
 Jim is almost ready to be discharged from the hospital. The
pressure sore has healed and now Jim is getting back up in his
wheelchair. Jim has spent the past three months flat on his
back in bed. Jim is now able to sit up in his wheelchair for
up to three hours at a time. We were all excited to have Jim
home yesterday. He was able to spend some time with the
family outside of the hospital. Of course, he also enjoyed
some bonding time with his dog. Odis, who was banned early on
from visiting the hospital. Jim should be discharged with in a
week or two. We appreciate your prayers and encouragement.
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|
Saturday, May 6, 2006 |
 12:00-2:00 pm Ann will be attending a book signing along
with other women featured in the "Fearless Women" book. She will also
participate in a panel discussion on fearless aging and reinventing yourself
after 40. The mayor of Santa Clarita, Laurene West, is scheduled to be there
as well.
Barnes and Nobles
23630 Valencia Blvd,
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Fearless Women: Midlife Portraits By Nancy Alspaugh, Marilyn Kentz & Mary Ann Halpin profiles both courageous women who often stand at the forefront of controversy, and others who stand quietly behind-the-scenes offering their strength and fortitude in times of need. |
| April 12-17, 2006 |
 Korean TV is filming an hour long segment on the Silcock
family. The filming is taking place primarily during spring break. The crew,
who flew in from Korea, will follow the lives of the boys. This film
will document how a large adoptive family of children who experience special
needs can function well in their community. They will film the kids in their
various activities at home and in the community. The crew will interview
teachers, coaches, and our helpers. The object of the segment will be to show
the Korean community in the USA and in Korea the positive outcomes of adoption
and community inclusion, especially of children with special needs. This
segment is slated to air in late April.
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|
April 4, 2006 |
 Nine Silcock
boys (Alex Daniel, Alin,
Chris, George,
Ivan, Javier,
Jeffrey, Paul and
Val) plus one of our family helpers (Saundra) filmed
an episode of the "Pepper Dennis" television show on March 30 in La Canada,
California. The boys appeared in a scene of children playing wheelchair football. The show will air on the WB Channel. The boys had a great
time and were happy to have an opportunity to put some of their acting
skills to use. We will post the exact air date of this "Pepper Dennis"
episode as soon as we know.
|
| March 18, 2006 |
 Mathew was one of about 25 local Southern
California teenagers honored at a KABC-7 studio luncheon for the "Cool Kids"
program. This program, shown twice every week on the ABC-7 Nightly News,
highlights middle school and high school students who are making a positive
contribution to their communities. Mathew invited Ann and Grandma Sue to
enjoy the lunch with him. After lunch Danny Romero, KABC-7 Weatherman and
"Cool Kids" host presented Mathew with a nice engraved plaque and a savings
bond for $1,000. |
| March 10, 2006 |
 Max (13) officially joined our family on March 10, 2006.
Max was originally adopted from Russia three years ago. He speaks English very
well and is now relearning some of the Russian he has forgotten since living
in California. The family is excited about Max becoming a Silcock brother!
Check out Max's page and send him an e-mail! |
| February 6, 2006 |
 Jim
was admitted to the hospital with a very large pressure sore. This sore
developed while Ann was out of town and Jim was relying on a substitute
caregiver. The sore went to the bone and was infected. The doctors predict it
will take Jim at least one surgery, many rounds of antibiotics, and several
months in the hospital laying on a special bed to heal. On March 2, 2006 Jim
had his first surgery to close the wound. The surgery was successful and at
the moment, Jim is laying flat on his back at the hospital recovering. Jim is
slated to be discharged from the hospital in late May (YES! May) if
everything continues to heal well. In the meantime Jim appreciates your
prayers and calls. The kids and some of our helpers continue to visit on a
regular basis which certainly helps Jim keep his spirits up. |
| February 2006 | Dylan will be featured on an episode of "A Place of Our Own" on Thursday, February 23 at 1:30 (California time). Shawn will also be features on another episode of "A Place of Our Own" on Wednesday, February 22. Shawn's episode is airing at 1:30 and 4:30 pm in Southern California. Please check your local listing for the appropriate time in your area. A Place of Our Own: Homepage |
We
all enjoyed our annual Christmas party at Saint
Bonaventure Church. This was the 24th year that the
Hope Office from Saint Bonaventure sponsored a holiday
party got our family. Every year the kids look forward
to this annual celebration and fellowship. The boys
enjoyed the food, live holiday music, seasonal crafts
(thanks to the Saint Bonaventure Girl Scout Troop!) and
of course a visit from Santa Claus! We appreciate Saint
Bonaventure Church, the Saint Bonaventure Hope Office,
and the Saint Bonaventure School and Girl Scout
Troop's support and want to thank everyone for their
efforts to put this together wonderful event.
Our
friend, Dave Nachmanoff, conducted another song writing
workshop this week. The boys wrote a total of 18
songs. They worked with Dave individually and in small
groups. Most of the songs took between an hour and
ninety minutes to write. Dave instructed the boys
on how to put their thoughts into song lyrics and
allowed the boys to pick the style of music to accompany
their songs. The topics ranged from a song about out
dog, Ed to love songs. This was the boys' third year of
song writing with Dave and they look forward to the
opportunity every year! Our first CD "In the
Family" has been out for a while and the individual
songs can be downloaded from I-Tunes. Our second CD,
"Team Silcock" should be out before Christmas. Both CDs
are available for purchase on CDBaby.net. This third CD
will be ready by mid to late 2008. The proceeds from
the sale of our CDs goes to special educational and
recreational programs for the boys. 
