This past month Jake and his parents met with House of Representative, Rick Kriseman, District 53. We met with Mr. Kriseman because we learned that the only way to make a difference was to be involved. We met with the local legislator so that he is aware of the impact of the financial budget he votes for. While the State of Florida is increasing the budget for Agency for Persons with Disability by $61 million, it is less than 1.5% of the current budget. This is projected to assist an additional 330 people from the waiting list of more than 18,000+, not much help when Jake is estimated to receive assistance in 5-7 years. It is imperative our legislators comprehend the challenges their constituents face.

Jake is now able to pull himself into the sitting position now, forcing us to outfit his play area with padded mats. Now if he falls he will fall onto a soft padded area versus the hard floor, enabling us to encourage his significant gains. The mats are 2" thick and very soft and fold so that we can take them along when we visit outside of our home.

We have made the decision to change Jake's anti-convulsant medication. Although the new medication will cost $100 more per month, we believe that it will improve Jake's quality of life. The current medication prohibits him from perspiring. Since we live in Florida that means we don't spend much time outside in the summer unless it's in a pool. The current medication also suppresses his appetite causing him to be a littler thinner than doctors think he should be and is known to cause constipation. The new medication has very few known side effects. Our hopes are that Jake will be free to play outside this summer and maybe pack on a couple of pounds..

After selling my motorcycle, we visited Lampert's Pediatric Clinic to make the deposit and solidify Jake's spot for TheraSuit therapy, scheduled for June 2nd.. After a meeting with Rose and Harold, the owners, we've concluded that Jake's treatment must be individualized, as he will be the first Congenital Muscualr Dystophy patient to undergo the Therasuit therapy at Lampert's, and perhaps in the United States. The meeting to construct a safe and effective treatment for Jake should take place in late April. Mom and I will have a large impact on this plan as well. It looks like our little man will make history as the first CMD patient to participate in Therasuit therapy. The research that Jake provides has the ability to greatly affect the lives of other CMD patients. This will be recorded and shared with numerous doctors throughout the US that we work with.

We want all of our family, friends and supporters to know how grateful we are for all that you've done. Whether it's a kind word, a donation, an offer to volunteer, or just simply forwarding the site on to others, it means the world to us. Since we've launched the site we've had unbelievable feedback and support from all of you. We've also had several offers with assistance in fundraising events. Fundraising is looking promising and we're going to have a lot of fun with it. We'll be sure to keep you posted.