Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Hunger Games



Harkins Chandler Crossroads
202 South and Gilbert
March 23rd at 7:00pm

Please if you are going to see the movie please come and see it for Seth! Tickets are 20 dollars each and will go to help raise money for us to go to San Francisco to the CMV conference in October, video monitor for Seth, therapy needs and toys. Thanks again for helping out our precious little boy!

Please contact me through FB or email if you would like to purchase a ticket. Email address is: mmarinello3@mac.com

Monday, January 2, 2012

Sorry its been so LONG!

We finally got his new bed at the end of October! Thank you everyone that came out to ColdStone and helped raise money so that we could get him a bed and keep him safe. It is amazing and a huge piece of mind for Mike and me. If I need to get something done and can not keep an eye on him I am able to put him in his bed and he can play in there and crawl because it is big enough. I am able to put toys in there and leave his door open and he just plays until I can get him out. It has been amazing! The night we put it together it took FOREVER! My dad came over so that he could help Mike do the bed and they started around 6pm and then by 10:30pm they headed home because my dad needed to be at church early so he needed to get to bed so Mike and I decided to just try and get it done and we did finally! We finished it around 12:30am and Seth got to sleep in there for the night :) Here are some picture of the finished bed!







Here is Seth inside his new bed.

He looks so tiny in his big boy bed!

So we decided to take the mattress that he use to sleep on and the gate that we bought to keep him in one place and put it in the living room so that he has a place to also play when I cant hold him or watch him. In this house we call it the crazy cage :)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Water Walker!

Two weeks ago, we took our annual Finney/MacCallum/Marinello trip to Palm Springs. We all knew this was going to be such a fun vacation for Seth because he LOVES swimming! However, just days before we were to leave, Seth's Water Walker - the device we ordered to allow him to swim without his face in the water - had not arrived. After calling the company from which we originally ordered & finding out they had no order & couldnt rush deliver, we called the manufacturer. She happily shipped the Water Walker 2-day and we had it Friday before we left! Seth loved it! He spent hours just floating around the pool - or being pulled, spun, bounced, and dragged around by any of us adults or our crazy group of kids. Here are some pics of him using the Water Walker - you wont be able to stop smiling when you see how much fun he is having!







Thank you again to everyone for all of your support, donations & prayers!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Help...and Intro

Hey y'all. We thought it was time for a little intro...my name is Lisa, and I do the writing for the Funds For Seth blog. Seth's mom, Melissa, is my best friend and for all intents and purposes, my sister. I've been there since the day Seth was born - the second, to be more accurate - and have watched this family go through all of the peaks & valleys of CMV. Seth is a precious, beautiful gift to me and my family & Im so thankful that I have the opportunity to help him & his family by telling his story and helping to organize and keep track of the every day goings on of Funds For Seth!

That said....

We very much need your help. Recently, Seth has started to be able to bear weight on his hands, ie. a crawling position. This is fantastic as prior to this, he could only hold himself up on his elbows/forearms! However, this has also posed a bit of a threat to his safety when in his bed at night. He now attempts to launch himself forward - and this boy is strong. Two weeks ago he gave himself a black eye when he hit his face on the bed rails. He is also quite tall and only going to get taller, so one day he will most likely launch himself right out of the bed! This is all compounded by the fact that he cannot see, so he has no idea where he is going - he only know this is a fun thing to do and he enjoys the self-propelled flying forward.  So, priorities have changed and the Courtney Bed is now in the top position.

Insurance will not cover the bed. If we are raising the funds on our own, the maker of the bed will do it for $4000 plus $195 shipping & handling. We are so blessed to have the $2000 half-payment required for production of the bed to begin, which was sent to CYR Designs on Monday.  We have an additional $1000 in the bank and about 8 weeks to raise another $1000. So...we are asking for your help. I know so many of you have donated already, whether via The Ortiz Family Foundation or by standing in line & purchasing ice cream at a ColdStone fundraiser. If you have the ability, Im asking that you would consider donating yet again, so that we can get Seth his bed...his parents need the peace of mind as they sleep at night, and Seth needs to be safe & secure - and NO MORE BLACK EYES!

Please consider making a tax -deductible donation through The Ortiz Family Foundation - just click the paypal button in the top left corner of this page. As always and most of all, we covet your continued prayers for sweet Seth!

Thank you.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Another Fundraiser! And Another Update!

Join us PLEASE for another opportunity to help us raise some "Funds For Seth"!!!  Last month's turn out wasnt the greatest - help us make this month's fundraiser a success! On Wednesday, July 13, Visit the following ColdStone Creamery locations between the hours of 11 am and 10 pm and say "I'm here for Seth"! Twenty-five percent of all purchases will be donated to Funds For Seth!

ColdStone - Gilbert
3641 E Baseline Rd Ste Q101
Gilbert, AZ 85234
This is on the SE corner of Val Vista & Baseline! It's tucked away in the lot but keep looking!

ColdStone - Scottsdale
14858 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd Ste 165B
Scottsdale, AZ 85260


Thank you for your efforts up to this point! we have been able to purchase Seth's vestibular table (instead of the chair) and an awesome device for the water which will allow him to be in the pool, have fun & be safe! Swimming is one of Seth's favorite things to do but with very little upper body control we spent a lot of time just trying to keep his face out of the water....with the Water Walker, he will be able to truly enjoy his time in the pool as well as work to gain strength, balance & coordination as he plays. It will also very likely be used when he begins his water therapy!

None of this would be possible without your support & prayers - please keep them coming! And we will see you on Wednesday at ColdStone...remember to say "IM HERE FOR SETH"!

Monday, June 20, 2011

A Little Update....

You all have been asking for an update on Seth, and this is late in coming isnt it? Well, here you go! Okay, it's a partial update. This one is medical/health stuff only. We will update again after his fundraiser on Wednesday with the info on his physical well-being/therapies. For now...this is what is going on with Seth!

Seth has been through a lot recently! The biggest news healthwise is that he had his g-tube placement this past Thursday. He had been aspirating his Pediasure bottles and medicines, which caused several rounds of pneumonia for him this past winter....so, his gastro doctor decided this was best for him. It went well, but of course as is usual any time a (nearly) two year old has surgery, he's been cranky & struggling through this healing period. Seth prefers to sleep only on his tummy, and with a healing wound in his abdomen, this is difficult. And painful! So, please pray for rest, healing, and happiness for this sweet little guy!

On July 7th, Seth will have his second set of eustachian tubes placed in his ears. Another surgery. More anesthesia. Classically, Seth's seizure disorder(s) has been exacerbated by anesthesia. To say there is worry over being put under twice in a such a short time period is being gentle....it's pretty scary to think about! But we have been assured that it will be fine and we really dont have any other options. He needs the tubes - the left ear doesnt have a tube at all right now, which leads to a ridiculous amount of ear infections for the poor kid. He gets them anyway, but without tubes, his ears are like little time bombs, ticking away. He ended up at urgent care just today, with a nasty infection & ruptured drum in the ear that is missing the tube.

He just cant catch a break it seems.

Seth's seizure disorder has also seemed to change recently. A few months ago, his "infantile spasms" stemming from West Syndrome started to seem longer,more frequent and more dramatic. He has never had great results from any of the meds he has taken for this specific disorder - but they just seemed so much worse than they had been. Upon examination and hearing what had been going on, his neurologist diagnosed him (preliminary) with myoclonic jerks stemming from Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. This has not been confirmed because Dr. Bernes (Seth's neurologist) wants to wait until he has both surgeries to do another EEG, but it seems quite likely. Lennox-Gastaut is very difficult to treat and does not respond well to medication. You can read more about this syndrome HERE.

It seemed appropriate to share with you all the medicines sweet Seth takes every single day! Here is our current list:

Sabril 2x per day
Klonopin 2x per day
Keppra 2x per day
Depakene 3x per day
Miralax 1x per day
Albuteral 1x per day
Pulmacort 1x per day

This is all of his morning medicine including one antibiotic and pain killer from the surgery


Seth has taken medicines - multiple medicines - since birth. He has ALWAYS hated it! So, one huge blessing of having a g-tube will be the ability to give him his meds straight through the tube! In addition, there are always days when he just flat refuses to eat at certain times (our stubborn boy!)....having the tube will allow us to make sure he has a full belly when he needs to and all of his meds - without the temper tantrum! :)

So, that's it for now! Please keep praying for healing for Seth - we are so thankful for your support & love for our precious little boy. And, dont forget...Wednesday is Seth's 2nd birthday and his 2nd ColdStone Fundraiser! So come on out, eat some yummy ice cream, and say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Im here for SETH"!

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Results, Some GREAT News, and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Seth!

Sorry this is a long time coming, we were waiting for some information before we posted about the final tally from the ColdStone Fundraiser.

We had a TON of people come out & buy ice cream for Seth! It was very touching to see how many people care about Seth and want to see him thriving, happy & safe! Thanks to all of you who came out to ColdStone, and to all of you who have donated directly through this website!

The ColdStone Fundraiser brought in a total of $700! And seperately, we have had Over $2100 in donations come through The Ortiz Family Foundation! What that means is that Seth WILL get his chair/table and other things that he needs! We are so grateful for all of the prayers and support we have gotten from each & every one of you!

Now, for some really great news - the owners of both ColdStone locations where the previous fundraiser was held have offered to hold a fundraiser for Seth on the second Wednesday of EVERY month through the end of 2011! So, get ready to get your ice cream fix at least once a month in Seth's name!

For the month of June, we will have the event on the 22nd. This is an AWESOME day for a fundraiser to support Seth - because it is Seth's 2nd Birthday! From open (11 am) to close (10 pm) at the ColdStone stores on Val Vista & Baseline and Frank Lloyd Wright & Thompsen Peak Parkway. Just mention Seth's name and 25% of your purchase will be donated to Funds for Seth!

June 22nd, 2011  11 am to 10 pm

ColdStone - Gilbert
3641 E Baseline Rd Ste Q101
Gilbert, AZ 85234 
This is on the SE corner of Val Vista & Baseline! It's tucked away in the lot but keep looking! 

ColdStone - Scottsdale
14858 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd Ste 165B
Scottsdale, AZ 85260


More details will follow - but PLEASE mark your calendars for another awesome day to support our sweet Seth...and to say "Happy Birthday" to a very special 2 year old!