As you can see in the photo above, Ava-Jane is celebrating her sixteenth birthday. So, I hope all of you who celebrate Ava-Jane’s life will raise a glass of some intoxicant or another in her honour.
Because, quite frankly, there were times that we didn’t think she would make it to this particular milestone. Indeed, it was as recently as the Thursday before last that she was struggling to breathe with chronically low oxygen levels. When your oxygen levels should be somewhere between 99-100% and the machines all panic and bleep when you drop below 90%, being at a 60% levels is really not great.
Ava-Jane has skated on the edges of mortality for a great portion of her life and all we can do is marvel that she is still with us and enjoy every moment. Because she certainly does.
We have a thing that is Ava-Jane therapy – hanging out with AJ when one is feeling down and rather sorry for oneself is truly heartening. As AJ really has been through an awful lot and has never felt sorry for herself for a moment, she is something of a life lesson.
Ava-Jane’s actual birthday was last Thursday, a couple of days ago. But she gets a full week of celebrations, what with her being Ava-Jane and her turning 16 and all.
We had presents and singing of “Happy Birthday” on Thursday, more singing of “Happy Birthday” and cupcakes yesterday and then to the circus today with more singing of “Happy Birthday”. Tomorrow, we have got a party with some of her friends from school. So I probably will hold on posting this, so that I can include the full experience.
Meanwhile, I will post some pics from the run up to the big party.
Party Update
We had a party with three of Ava-Jane’s friends from school and her respite care centre. Two of her mates had come to birthday parties before, many years ago. It’s quite easy to not kindle her friendships enough. We have spent too many birthdays when it is just family and our friends, so it was really special to have Ava-Jane’s own friends over to celebrate with her.
Misliterature 