Time goes by so fast, with another great month to report. Jake is still seizure-free. He has been off the meds for 7 weeks now. We've noticed he's become more cognizant. Even his therapists have mentioned they notice he's more aware of his surroundings. Since he's able to sweat now, we wanted to do something fun for him for vacation. Although he loves the water, a waterpark would be a waste of money since we could only go down 2 slides. So we took Jake to the beach for a couple days for summer vacation. Between the Gulf of Mexico and the pool, Jake was rather pruney!

Jake continues to do new little things all the time. We're so happy to share this with you. Since Jake has started getting up on his hands and knees, he'll sometimes try to climb up on something. As we've mentioned, Jake has started to stand. In his playroom, he tries to get up on the ballpit. Occasionally, he can accomplish this very quickly. Even though the room is padded, you must be there to break the fall from a 44" tall little boy. Graceful isn't a word that anyone would use to describe his exit from the standing position. But this is a huge milestone that we're so happy to see. Mom was able to capture it on camera.

If you haven't noticed, we've started to take a more active role in advocacy. We'll make sure not to spread too much propaganda, but we will feature items that are worthy. Right now there are thousands of Floridians with their names on a list, waiting for vital services from the state, just like Jake. And in states across our nation, people with disabilities face the same problems that we do here in Florida. The National Organization to End the Waitlists (NOEWAIT) is currently engaged in a campaign to highlight the challenges faced by people waiting for services. One of their first steps has been to create a petition, which encourages our leaders on the federal level to take action to address this growing crisis. Please take a moment to sign the petition.

This month will also provide new information and inspiration for us. We mentioned in May about CureCMD, the only organization on Planet Earth that is 100% dedicated to curing Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. August is here now, we leave in two weeks for the 1st CMD Family Conference in Philadelphia. This is an opportunity for us to not only learn about some of the unknowns Jake will face, but also to meet families who truly understand the journey we're on. A Special Thanks to those who donated to CureCMD. The conference wouldn't be possible without you.

As always, thanks for caring about Jake and taking the time to follow his progression! We truly appreciate your support and Jake will prosper because of it.