[Posts combined.  BIG]
 
Past Summary:
It has been brought to my attention that it is the one year anniversary of
"Sean's Miracle".  Last year at Christmas time, I decided to share with you
a magnificent thing that happened in my home and life.  To me it was just
another post at the time ... there are so many positive things that go on
in the FML.  But you all supported me, and befriended me, as well as Sean.
Kat Parsons memorialized this special time by making a gorgeous xmas site
centering on the post.
 
To refresh your memories, my son Sean now 9 has autism.  Through the years
he was very violent, and volatile.  The targets of his rage had at times
been animals, and even babies.  I tried exposing him little by little to
animals with no luck.  Somewhere near age 6 he began to show some
improvements globally.  But even when Sean acted appropriately towards
animals...most had the instinct to fear him.  It was all very sad.
 
Meanwhile we had been without animal companionship for many years.  We had
to not have ferrets in our household for all those years.  My husband was
very sad and lonely and missed his furbabies.  I did a very risky thing ...
and bought my husband two ferrets Ping and Pong home.  I then posted to you
all what happened next.  That is what is up on my Christmas Miracle page.
 
Present:
So what has happened since?  Well, we all know that Sean earned his own
ferret Rocky after 6 short months of splendid behavior.  We all know Rocky
was alone in a shelter waiting for this special boy.  It,s on my shelter
page how that all came down ... all of Sean's stories are on his pages.
But what of as of late?  Is all all right?
 
Sean continues to brush Rocky each day.  He continues to do his chores of
giving all the ferret fresh water, cleaning cage trays, etc..  He sits with
Rocky in his arms each morning while he waits for his little bus each day.
Rocky gets eye to eye contact, he gets lots of touching and kissing, he
gets lots of spontaneous conversation from Sean, and even some imaginative
interaction.  We are not allowed to "scruff" Rocky for any reason.
Everyone must handle Rocky with "kid gloves" as Sean says he is special.
And he is right.  Rocky definitely acts.....well....delayed mentally.
His motor is greatly delayed and on its own schedule.  With Rockys past
horrible illness as a wee one, this is not surprising.  But Sean claims
that Rocky is not Autistic.  Very astute.. because he is not.
 
Sean has taken some things he watches in ferrets and generalized it to his
world.  You ever notice most ferrets are super polite, and share???  Well,
they are....and that is what Sean is working on socially right now.  That
is very difficult for an autistic individual as it is hard to have anyone
"touch" their things because it "feels" like to them you are "touching
them".  And it goes much deeper than that.  Once upon a time,,, Sean would
not tolerate anyone looking at Ping, Pong, or Rocky too long....he would
scream.  Now Sean "shares" them all with his class weekly.  That is
monumental.
 
He still snuggles with Ping calling him our mush.  He still frolics with
Pong.  Autistic individuals can have a tendency to be a one person kind of
individual.  lol.... ex ... they may be very comfortable with Daddy, but
not mommy, or not acknowledge a brother kind of thing.  So for him to find
places in his heart for all our ferrets is special.  We later added Laddie
for his brother Chet.  Laddie make Sean giggle a lot with his thieving.
And then of course Scotti got me my little girl Jubilee.  Sean really
oogles over her.  He has learned that they are a family.  And he can
understand something a bit more than we can....social order.  Sean
"lives" it ... so he well knows.
 
And it's a bit odd to see this child have more understanding of that than
us even.  I hope you have enjoyed the updates and little ditties I wrote of
Sean and Rocky all year.  Mostly what there are now are fleeting moments.
Moments of stolen kisses, moments of song, moments of illumination, and
many many heartwarming moments of Sean "teaching Rocky" about life.  Some
of these are humorous as Sean was in the bathroom one day showing...yes
showing Rocky how to poop and the why of it all.  Some are heartbreaking...
like when Sean learned about God this year ... and how fragile life is.
I don't think any of us will forget when he realized that someday... Rocky
will die.  But that was quickly addressed with the answer of heaven and
Rainbow bridge.  The news was just too good for Sean to keep to himself....
I found a private moment of him telling Rocky the entire story about
Rainbow bridge.
 
The Future:
He continues to break all the rules of autism with this relationship and
the relationships between he and all the ferrets.  Now why ... why did no
other creature "grab" him, or fear him?  That is the mystery of it all
now istn't it.
 
Santa will have an extra load in his bag this year ... yes in it will be
a miniature, bright red, Radio Flyer Wagon filled with ferret toys, and
all sorts of goodies.  There is an extra stocking....that reads simply
"Fuzzies".  I don't know what Santa puts in ferret stockings, but I'm sure
we will not be disappointed.
 
We are praying..  to be able to acquire our first real home this winter
after the holiday.  We are not allowed to stay here with the fuzzies
anymore as rules have changed.  We have run out of room to boot.  So now
Sean doesn't just dream of his own room and own bed,,,,,but he dreams of
an extra room.  A special room with a half door, slides, baby pools filled
with rice, ferret tents, and a day bed......where he can lay and cuddle
with all these creatures.  I'm betting........... that he will allow the
ferrets/Rocky into his room for visits and play time to share toys,
popsicles, and even his bed.  A bed that remains forever made.  A bed
that he sleeps a top, instead of "in".  A bed that has puffalump material
animals as he could never stand the offensive touch of fur/fuzz from
stuffed animals.  Yup...I have a feeling lots of changes are still to come.
 
Ps special thanks to all those that have "adopted" Sean and Rocky into all
your hearts, thank you Kat for giving me a voice, thank you to Ron C for
inspiring me to write this update.
 
Wolfy
Please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/
for information on ferret deafness:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv
[Posted in FML issue 3271]