ReachOutGiving

December 1st-December 31st: This is the first year since 2008 that Nicholas did not have his annual Nicholas Modestin Toy Drive for his friends battling luekemia at The Brooklyn Hospital Pediatrci Oncology Departemnt. This year daddy ran the NYC Marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of NYC. After Christmas a family that knows Nicholas from Queen of All Saints Church, donated several toys to Nicholas to give to the hospital. Nicholas' body had to slow down as he was going to PT Therapy five days a week as his PT Therapist at school came back. During the Christmas Break, he just rested his body and played with his new toys. One gift that Santa dropped off the was a set of engibe running Lego toys that Nicholas built with the help of his father. The days of rest for Nicholas was good for his body and his mind.  

November 1st-November 30th: The month started with daddy running the NYC Marathon which Nicholas spent the day with mommy, cousins and aunts cheering on daddy. Daddy ran a solid race until mile 18 in which his left leg started to act up and slowed him down. He did finish as ran tha last eight miles in pain. Great day to see my daddy finish the NYC Marathon in honor of me and my friends battling luekemia. He raise over $4800 for a great cause and to continue fighting to find a cure for childhood cancer. Nicholas' PT Therapist at school missed the month of November recovering from a car crash, during that time he was working hard with his PT Therapist at Support By Design, HSS and the electro therapy  at home. Nicholas PT is happy with the continuing hard work of Nicholas, that his left is not dragging and he is walking stronger in a straight up position. Now we just have to slow him down from walking side to side. Overall he is taking little steps, but getting stronger and realizing what he has to do. 

October 1st-October 31st: Nicholas' thrid grade teacher McCoy is working Nicholas to a point that he is improving in various ways of understanding what he is learning. The math work of multiplication and division of word problems is working him hard on a daily basis, but he understanding on how to break down the problem and show work. PS 11 started a Saturday Academy for the students who want the extra help to get ready for the state test in April. Nicholas is going to class 9am-12pm on Saturday's and is enjoying his time getting prepared for the test. Phyiscal therapy going strong and his body is becoming more flexible and he is actually running a little faster with better balnce on his body. Daddy continues to get ready for the NYC Marathon on November 2nd. Nicholas had his three month check up and he grew a 1/2 inch and gained  1 pound up to 99. He also got a flu shot that will take care during the winter flu season.    

September 1st-September 30th: Summer is over and school starts as Nicholas enters 3rd Grade. His teacher is Ms. McCoy and she is a solid hard work teacher who will continue like every teacher Nicholas has had at PS 11 to get the best out of him and keep up his solid work of doing classwork in and out of class. Mixup in the insurance company as they can't or will not cover the electro therapy machine for us. Now we have to figure out how to get this machine, so Nicholas can get the treatment of building back up his muscles and bones in his left leg. Even though the legs is a little stronger, everything willhelp to continue for him to get back to 100%. With the marathon two months away, daddy's training has increase and you can him more focus and ready to run 26.2 miles in honor of Nicholas and the all the kids around the world battling chilhood cancer. 

August 1st-August 31st: Fun month for with summer camp and enjoying his time with his friends at camp. The camp counselors have given Nicholas a great workout in the swimming pool that has given him more flexibility. Daddy is going strong training for the New York City Marathon. He runs during the week and on Saturday's he has a long for 10-18 miles. During his off days from camp, Nicholas goes to physical therapy and Support By design in the afternoon and in the morning he starts off his day at Hospital of Special Surgery doing electro therapy and intense workout. 

June 1st-July 31st: I want to aplogize for putting two months together. June was interesting month for Nicholas. First he finished the 2013-2014 school year strong with solid grades in Ms. Frazier's class. Ms. Frazier was a hard working straight to the point and no games teacher who brought out the best in Nichoals found his strength and weakness that wil help improve in certain areas going into 3rd grade and the state test. The PT department at the NYC Board of Education gave the family the run around. After reassigning thr first PT therapist, they gave us a solid therapist in Mr. Peter and now going into 3rd grade, Nicholas is going to have a new therapist. Funny how mommy and daddy do not know what is going on from the supervisor and getting most of the answers from the therapist and Nicholas' Parra who talks to the therapist. When the 2014-2015 school year starts in September, mommy and daddy have every right to be upset a little, because they never got a final report from his PT/OT therapist to see what Nicholas is doing and what he needs to improve for the upcoming school year. Everybody jump all over Nicholas' father for speaking his voice on Nicholas, but now we just wait for the next meeting about Nicholas and take it from there. Once school was over, Nicholas was bound for Sunrise Day Camp three days during the week and other two days Physical Therapy. Monday he went to Support By Design and on Wednesday double PT. In the morning at Hospital For Special Sugery and in the afternoon, Support By Design. HSS has more exercise machine for Nicholas to work on the early morning workout is great for hime. Nicholas also started getting electrotherapy at HSS to start building up the weak muscles in his leg . Every day is a step for a full recovery for Nicholas. He is strong and is a fighter when it comes to his PT sessions. The traing and the hard work preparing the New York City Marathon November 2nd is paying off bifg for daddy. He is losing weight and gaining lots of confidence of making his promise come true to Nicholas to compete and finish the NYC Marathon. The long runs on Saturday's 10-15 miles is encouraging as Nicholas reminds his daddy every Friday night to run strong and run the extra miles. The one thing that keeps daddy inspired to run and complete this race is Nicholas fun loving attitude and enjoying life as he always tells daddy, when are you running once I see him after coming home from camp. I thought ate first to get me out the house, but it was all encouragement.  

May 1st-May 31st: The month of May was full of appointments and First Communions to attend and to be part of for Nicholas. The second opinion appointment was at Hospital of Special Surgery witha Dr. Scher and his staff. The day was long at the hospital, but after the full check up, X-ray and talking with the doctors and therapist, mommy and daddy came away with questions and answers that they would like to find out about Nicholas cancer and during his treatment. His bones and muscles are strong, his waist is intact with the good bones, but his gait is unbalanced, drop food on his left foot, left side his weak and his brain still controls his body. The doctor wants the mommy to ask the oncologist and neurologist to see if Nicholas had a stroke or a mini stroke during his cancer treatment or did the chemo slip it into his brain to cause the swelling. He also wants he to find out what is the name of Nicholas sickness of his brain affecting his left side of his body. Nicholas body was getting measured by the doctor and two physical therapist to see how far his body can be stretched out and the movements of his left leg and foor that was seen as weak and needs more PT to strengthen up the bones to buold Nicholas muscles and strength back that he needs to recover. After the full examination, Nicholas was fitted for his new brace that will be only be worn on his left foot to help walk straight and reduce the limp. The doctor will like to see Nicholas in six months and the physical therapist would like to work with Nicholas. Now mommy will call the insurance company and see how much therapy Nicholas can get for a full year or a month. The next week after the second opinion came the First Communion of Nicholas' cousin Manny on Saturday in upstate New York and Sunday was Nicholas' First Communion. The Modestin family made to trip to celebrate the special day with Manny and when the First Communion was over and the mass was over, daddy had to return to the city to work and mommy and monny and Nicholas stayed back to eat and have fun with the family. Sunday came and is was Nicholas' turn for his First Communion. Both sides of the families came, mommy side and daddy side. Nicholas looked stunning is his suit and walkin up to get his bread and the blood of God. The week before during practice the priest asked the parents how Nicholas would take his wine and daddy said a sip. On his first sip of wine after taking the bread, Nicholas took a big gulp of wine, that when he came back to his seat with mommy and daddy he said his chest fely a sting as the wine went down his tummy. After mass, the family went to eat at Rustik Resturant and the food was delicious as our landlord and owner of Rustik treated us with open arms and delicious food. At the end of the month, Nicholas went back to HSS and picked up his new long foot brace and felt no pain after two days of walking with it.  

April 1st-April 30th: Nicholas is getting ready for his First Communion next month, spent the first Saturday of the month in mass with daddy, mommy and his entire class of First Communion practicing for the specila day, getting his first taste of going to confession and learning what he has to know and what to do on the day when he takes the bread and drinks the blood of god. Physical Therapy was delayed the majority of teh month as Nicholas' therapist from the DOE got in a car accident and sustained major injuries, was out the whole month. During that time he missed, Nicholas only had physical therapist outside at Support By Design with Lima. She has given Nicholas so tough hard working workout that has made him more flexible and more reliable of doing the exercise the right way. Lima spoke to daddy and mommy about getting Nicholas a second opinion of his leg and see if his right side of his brain is still controlling the left side of his body and to see which is right brace for his left leg to improve his walking and running. The therapy that Nicholas missed at PS 11, will be recovred during the summer as the DOE PT supervisor gave us the make up to be done in the summer. School is going solid as Nicholas is improving how to express himself in writing better of what he has read in class when he comes home form school. He is enjoying math and science. Daddy continues to train for the Marathon and started raising funds to reach his goal of $6000 and $3900 to run in Novemeber. 

March 1st-March 31st: HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICHOLAS 8 YEARS OLD. Relaxing month for Nicholas. He celebrated his birthday at school with his classmates. Mommy and daddy suprised the class with cup cakes and a ice cream cake. Nicholas had a blast with his classmates celebrating his birthday. The weekend of his birthday family came down from upstate New York to spend time with Nicholas. Daddy had to go to work and mommy was left alone to attend the family and have fun. When the day was over Nicholas was tired from playing with every toy possible in his room, building every car and train tracks that he found new ways to build it. Nicholas told mommy and daddy that when he grows up he wants to be a engineer on designing bridges and tunnels. Physical therapy is going good and everyday he is getting stronger in both mind and body. Daddy is starting to do some research to get Nicholas a second opinion of his legs with a Pediatric Orthopedic to see what we have to do to improve the weakness on the left side of his body and especially in his left leg and to see of the nerves from the brain still has a affect on the nerves in his left side. Walking to school has done a solid job on Nicholas of picking up his pace and increasing his endurance. Before he wil be tired when he got to school, but now he feels more fresh. Daddy continues to train and run for the New York City Marathon in November. With Nicholas making sure that his father runs, daddy runs once he comes home from work and in the morning on the weekends. Religion school is going good as Nicholas is getting ready for his First Communion. His teacher is teaching everything that he needs to know and one Sunday, they covered Stations of The Cross.    

February 1st-February 28th: Relaxing month for Nicholas. The one problem that Nicholas had to take care during his winter break from school was a visit to the hospital to see what was going on with the stomach pains he is getting off on on. First Nicholas had to drink six glasses of water to have his stomach full of water before having his sonagram. The sonagram gave Nicholas a chance to look inside his tummy and see what was causing the pain. After the test, Nicholas has a little gallstone that is either going to go away by medication or surgery. When the testing was done, daddy went to talk to Nicholas' oncologist and she explained about the gallstone what can happen. Nicholas enjoyed his week off, other that his visit to the hospital, he did some physical therapy and spent sometime upstate on his cousin birthday fiesta. The fiasco continues with the NYC DOE as the second marking period came and went and Nicholas did not get a progress report report. Witha  change of PT therapist, the old therapist who got replaced on January 6th, did not give Nicholas a evaluation and or a progress report. This time around daddy has kept his silence instead of saying something and just waiting to hear, why Nicholas' parent did not get a progress report. Eye therapy is going good as Nicholas vision is improving left to right. The second marking period report for Nicholas was solid which left mommy and daddy full of smiles.

January 1st-January 31st: Happy New Year!!! The year started off on a beautiful note as the family went to New Year's mass and had dinner before the ball dropped in Times Square. Nicholas brought light of looking for a positive year and joy into the New Year. The first day of school took the joy out of the New Year when the DOE reassigned Nicholas' physical therapist with no explination to the change. Mommy and daddy were not to happy with the DOE decision and having the PT therapist leave without leaving a report on what she did with Nicholas and to top it off, PS 11 principal sent a official letter head of how the PT therapist was fear of her life after the mediation meeting in which Nicholas' father stayed away from the therapist and still got thrown under the table. So now we have a new PT therapist, no progress report on what the old therapist did and have dadd's name on the bad side at PS 11. Positive, stay strong and keep looking up for the best is one thing daddy has kept the family together during Nicholas rehab of getting back to a 100%. The new therapist engaged with mommy and daddy and right away realized why Nicholas was not wearing braces and was walking flat footed. Nicholas was missing his braces, because his outside therapist at Support By Design ordered that Nicholas to put back into wearing braces daily. Nicholas is happy with the change since he told mommy that he is doing different challenges during his PT workouts. Nicholas had a another check up and the doctor saw both reports of the PT therapist from the DOE and reading the difference, she wondered why Nicholas PT time was cut down in the first place. Nicholas was back in center stage at Queen of All Saints children chior as he sang on Three Kings day. This time around the children did most of the signing and a beautiful version of Alleluia that the father stopped paused for a minute for the kids to get a round of applause. Nichola slikes to sign and daddy and mommy hopes that QAS can make up the chior and have the kids sing more during the year. Nicholas was honored by a cancer foundation for his hard work and ambition of beating cancer and now determined of running full speed. Another foundation invited Nicholas to play basketball with St. Francis (NY) & Mt. St Vincent Men's College basketball team. Nicholas had fun and this year he was dribbling the ball better and has pick up his speed in running and was happy to see his fellow cancer friends who beat leukemia. Daddy is continuing getting in shape to run the 2014 NYC Marathon and just wishes the cold weather will just go away. Spring please come, so Nicholas can go outside and kick the soccer ball around. Nicholas was back in the hospital for his three month check up and he came away with a clean bill of health. He gained couple pounds which moved him up to 95 pounds and added a inch to 55 inches. The oncologist Dr. Sedrak was happy to see how his body is moving better and his balance is getting stronger and work is still have to put in more to get more strength into the left foot of Nicholas. Ms. Frazier continues to make Nicholas a solid student in and out of class with the work he is doing for class and homework. He is understanding more on how to catagorized the main subject in the book that he is reading and realizing finding evidence during his homework is helping him more of understanding the main character.