The older threads have gotten really long so I won't bump them any longer but you can read about Audrey's near death experience in May and the battles with insurance to keep here safe. I cannot say this enough that the Dawgvent might be better to my family than my actual extended family. No one has done more to help Audrey than this forum right here so I want to thank you all again for that. Insurance is still not wanting to cover the monitoring that she'll need the rest of at least her teen years so we are still challenging them on that.
Link to GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/22b6fa08
Link to Support Audrey Tshirt Fundraiser (Ends Nov 14): http://teamaudrey.deco-charity.com/
Now let's discuss returning to Sanford Stadium to see her Dawgs plus other events of this first week of November!
Last week, I took Audrey back up to Atlanta to see Dr. Mao at the Sibley Heart Center. We had a good check up and the Doctor said she was fine to go to the football game! After her last surgery, she has to go to the doctor every three months for a check up. She is on two medicines: A beta blocker and flecainide. We'll have to do another stress test in December to see how the medicine is doing to control her heart issues. But back to this week. So on Monday we were excited about the game. On Thursday we get the surprising news that Audrey has made it up to #1 on the service dog list through this one organization. Normally it takes a year but every person ahead of her decided to go with a different group OR decide to wait on another litter to be trained. They said this has never happened before. So Next Friday, my wife and Audrey will fly to Wisconsin to see in they can find a match for Audrey. Hopefully this is a match but this is partially why we had the goFundme. These aren't cheap. But we're going to do it regardless!
So after a good doctor's visit, the service dog news, and the game on Saturday we were having a great week. I woke up Friday morning to see an email from Travon Walker's account. He's from Thomaston. I know him pretty good. He is a great kid. I had emailed him about a month ago just to let him know that Audrey and I were coming to cheer him on. Travon is her favorite because before he was a Dawg he was a Knight. And Audrey loves her Knights and her Bulldogs. I also let him know that Zamir was closing in on his number 1 spot because like Audrey, Zamir rides horses and Audrey loves horses. I just emailed him to let him know we'd be cheering for him and that's it. So when I opened the email, I was shocked to see a note from his mother saying that Travon had worked it out with Audrey to get some pictures taken with not only Travon after the game but also Zamir. I mentioned this to Audrey and she was almost too excited. I had to ask her to relax! haha
Okay up to Friday night. We drove to Athens to see my college aged daughter and we went out to eat. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (although I was not smarter I do like their omelets). Saturday we headed to drove to the Tate Center deck parked and went in side. My wife and son were going to sit with her parents at their seats while Audrey and I were in section 104, the seats Josh Brooks sent us. I haven't talked about this much but I definitely have PTSD from her heart event. I'll catch myself thinking about it, and believe me I can picture ever bit of it. I'll either tear up, or get those weird shivers but even beyond that, I'm more emotional since it happened. Everybody being so nice to her brings me to tears or "dust in my eyes" as us tough dudes use to say, I walk into that stadium and down to our seats and just look around and I look at Audrey, and I start tearing up. Then I see the produced video of Mark Richt, and I tear up. Like at this point, the game hasn't started and I'm not sure I'm going to make it out of here in one piece haha. Audrey is loving it. She ate a whole cup of boiled peanuts herself before the game started. She was cold but as it warmed up she got better! Every time Travon or Zeus was on the big screen, or during the game, we pointed them out. Travon especially had a good game.
Not to go on a tangent, but Mark Richt at half time made me cry again! Like holy hell. He's such a good guy and even if I was ready for him to go, damn he's a good dawg. And to see how the crowd and halftime show choked up Coach Richt, I was right there feeling the same.
Audrey was getting into the game and kept joking that "These Tigers never stood a chance" and we would laugh. With about 12 minutes left in the 4th, I realized we better start making our way to the other side of the stadium to go see Travon and Zeus. As we start walking in the concourse two guys walk up and say "Hey are you Gandawg" and let me tell you, I think that's the first time I've ever heard that in pubic. I laughed and said yes. It was @DisplayDawg and @Dawg 4:13 who obviously recognized Audrey! They talked for a minute and were super cool to Audrey and while she was quiet she did tell me later it was cool that all the Dawgs are so nice to her!
Game is over and we're at the gate. Travon's mama tells us when they get out they'll bring em over. At this point, my in-laws, my wife, my son, my UGA daughter and her boyfriend are there too. While waiting, I see Josh Brooks walking out and I apologize for interrupting him but let him know who I was and introduced Audrey. He of course remembered her story. I thanked him again and told him today was an amazing day and I knew he must be tired after everything. He faked like he was gonna collapse and agreed. Josh Brooks is an outstanding UGA representative if you ask me.
After awhile, I see Travon come out, wave and he runs to go find Zamir. They come over and hug me and my wife and talked to us about everything then Travon starts talking to Audrey and hugs her. Kept talking. All these fans were like "look that's Travon Walker" and I know that meant a lot. We took some pics and he hugged all of us again. Zeus then walks over and I remind him that I had bought a Cameo video for him to send to Audrey about horses and he immediately remembers and starts talking to Audrey. He tells her he has 12 horse and after his football days are over, that's what he'll do with his life. Loving his horses. He then told Audrey he wanted her to come ride horses with him whenever they could. Remember me saying it was an emotional day? Yep we were all in tears at this point and oh my goodness, my sweet quiet girl was talking their ears off. She hugged Zeus again before he left and ran over to sneak one. last Travon hug.
Honest to God this year has had its ups and down but dammit this was a helluva week but most importantly a helluva day. I won't ever forget everybody here who has prayed, cared and supported Audrey. I won't forget @Radi Nabulsi and @Anthony Dasher for your support. I promise one of these days to convert to the annual membership haha instead of 20 years of the monthly lol. Thanks everyone and I'll try not to post too much about everything but I can't afford therapy so this is the best I can do at the moment hahaha!
New Update Nov 12.
Link to GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/22b6fa08
Link to Support Audrey Tshirt Fundraiser (Ends Nov 14): http://teamaudrey.deco-charity.com/
Now let's discuss returning to Sanford Stadium to see her Dawgs plus other events of this first week of November!
Last week, I took Audrey back up to Atlanta to see Dr. Mao at the Sibley Heart Center. We had a good check up and the Doctor said she was fine to go to the football game! After her last surgery, she has to go to the doctor every three months for a check up. She is on two medicines: A beta blocker and flecainide. We'll have to do another stress test in December to see how the medicine is doing to control her heart issues. But back to this week. So on Monday we were excited about the game. On Thursday we get the surprising news that Audrey has made it up to #1 on the service dog list through this one organization. Normally it takes a year but every person ahead of her decided to go with a different group OR decide to wait on another litter to be trained. They said this has never happened before. So Next Friday, my wife and Audrey will fly to Wisconsin to see in they can find a match for Audrey. Hopefully this is a match but this is partially why we had the goFundme. These aren't cheap. But we're going to do it regardless!
So after a good doctor's visit, the service dog news, and the game on Saturday we were having a great week. I woke up Friday morning to see an email from Travon Walker's account. He's from Thomaston. I know him pretty good. He is a great kid. I had emailed him about a month ago just to let him know that Audrey and I were coming to cheer him on. Travon is her favorite because before he was a Dawg he was a Knight. And Audrey loves her Knights and her Bulldogs. I also let him know that Zamir was closing in on his number 1 spot because like Audrey, Zamir rides horses and Audrey loves horses. I just emailed him to let him know we'd be cheering for him and that's it. So when I opened the email, I was shocked to see a note from his mother saying that Travon had worked it out with Audrey to get some pictures taken with not only Travon after the game but also Zamir. I mentioned this to Audrey and she was almost too excited. I had to ask her to relax! haha
Okay up to Friday night. We drove to Athens to see my college aged daughter and we went out to eat. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (although I was not smarter I do like their omelets). Saturday we headed to drove to the Tate Center deck parked and went in side. My wife and son were going to sit with her parents at their seats while Audrey and I were in section 104, the seats Josh Brooks sent us. I haven't talked about this much but I definitely have PTSD from her heart event. I'll catch myself thinking about it, and believe me I can picture ever bit of it. I'll either tear up, or get those weird shivers but even beyond that, I'm more emotional since it happened. Everybody being so nice to her brings me to tears or "dust in my eyes" as us tough dudes use to say, I walk into that stadium and down to our seats and just look around and I look at Audrey, and I start tearing up. Then I see the produced video of Mark Richt, and I tear up. Like at this point, the game hasn't started and I'm not sure I'm going to make it out of here in one piece haha. Audrey is loving it. She ate a whole cup of boiled peanuts herself before the game started. She was cold but as it warmed up she got better! Every time Travon or Zeus was on the big screen, or during the game, we pointed them out. Travon especially had a good game.
Not to go on a tangent, but Mark Richt at half time made me cry again! Like holy hell. He's such a good guy and even if I was ready for him to go, damn he's a good dawg. And to see how the crowd and halftime show choked up Coach Richt, I was right there feeling the same.
Audrey was getting into the game and kept joking that "These Tigers never stood a chance" and we would laugh. With about 12 minutes left in the 4th, I realized we better start making our way to the other side of the stadium to go see Travon and Zeus. As we start walking in the concourse two guys walk up and say "Hey are you Gandawg" and let me tell you, I think that's the first time I've ever heard that in pubic. I laughed and said yes. It was @DisplayDawg and @Dawg 4:13 who obviously recognized Audrey! They talked for a minute and were super cool to Audrey and while she was quiet she did tell me later it was cool that all the Dawgs are so nice to her!
Game is over and we're at the gate. Travon's mama tells us when they get out they'll bring em over. At this point, my in-laws, my wife, my son, my UGA daughter and her boyfriend are there too. While waiting, I see Josh Brooks walking out and I apologize for interrupting him but let him know who I was and introduced Audrey. He of course remembered her story. I thanked him again and told him today was an amazing day and I knew he must be tired after everything. He faked like he was gonna collapse and agreed. Josh Brooks is an outstanding UGA representative if you ask me.
After awhile, I see Travon come out, wave and he runs to go find Zamir. They come over and hug me and my wife and talked to us about everything then Travon starts talking to Audrey and hugs her. Kept talking. All these fans were like "look that's Travon Walker" and I know that meant a lot. We took some pics and he hugged all of us again. Zeus then walks over and I remind him that I had bought a Cameo video for him to send to Audrey about horses and he immediately remembers and starts talking to Audrey. He tells her he has 12 horse and after his football days are over, that's what he'll do with his life. Loving his horses. He then told Audrey he wanted her to come ride horses with him whenever they could. Remember me saying it was an emotional day? Yep we were all in tears at this point and oh my goodness, my sweet quiet girl was talking their ears off. She hugged Zeus again before he left and ran over to sneak one. last Travon hug.
Honest to God this year has had its ups and down but dammit this was a helluva week but most importantly a helluva day. I won't ever forget everybody here who has prayed, cared and supported Audrey. I won't forget @Radi Nabulsi and @Anthony Dasher for your support. I promise one of these days to convert to the annual membership haha instead of 20 years of the monthly lol. Thanks everyone and I'll try not to post too much about everything but I can't afford therapy so this is the best I can do at the moment hahaha!
New Update Nov 12.
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