Abigail Smiles

Abigail Serial Casting

2011-03-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

Abigail just completed a series of 2 cast to help with stretching her heel cord and improve range of motion. She did very well. Abigail is such a little trooper...never complaining! She gained a tremendous amount of stretch in her foot and is able to keep her left foot flat when walking/standing. The problem now is the leg length difference of about 1/2-3/4 inch. This difference causes Abigail to be off balance and eventually walk on her tiptoe when she is not in her AFO. (foot brace) The goal is to keep her foot flat on the ground and stretch....stretch....stretch daily to maintain the stretch we have gained. The leg difference is in her tibula so we will continue to watch her leg as she grows and just PRAY that God will grow her left leg to catch up with her right. Please continue to keep Abigail in your prayers.
Thank you and God Bless!!

5th Annual Motorcycle Ride -- May 21 2011

2011-03-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

5th Annual Motorcycle Ride -- May 21 2011
Sponsorships beginning at 50.00.. Please join us for our 5th annual ride!
This year the ride is on May 21 .... the day the Lord blessed us with our beautiful Abigail 8 years ago!

Update on Abigail

2011-03-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Abigail is currently going through serial casting for her left leg. She got her cast on last Thursday March 3 and we just had it changed yesterday March 10. She will wear a series of three different cast and with each weekly cast change the therapist will increase the stretch in her left leg. Her heel cord has increased in tightness so we are hoping to gain more range of motion through the serial casting.
Please keep Abigail in your prayers that this casting works for her left leg and we gain a stretch to help her with her walking and keeping her foot flat on the ground and her foot in her AFO (foot brace).
Thanks and God Bless! Amanda :-)

Conductive Education Center Summer Camp

2010-07-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Abigail had a wonderful time in Florida this year at the Conductive Education Camp for children with motor disabilites. Mrs Sandra has been seeing Abigail now for 5 years and Abigail just adores her. This summer Abigail has really started trying to incorporate her left hand in more activities without me having to que her to remember. This is AMAZING...Praise the LORD! I believe God is healing my little girl! Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.
Amanda ;-)

4th Annual AbigailsMiles

2010-06-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Abigailsmiles 4th Annual Motorcycle Ride

2010-03-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in being a sponsor for AbigailsMiles and having your business name on the ride shirt... sponsorship levels begin at 50.00.
Please make checks payable to AbigailsMiles P.O. Box 842 Holly Springs, GA 30142

ABIGAILSMILES 4TH ANNUAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE MAY 8TH!!!

Abigail's Upward Cheerleading!

2010-03-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Abigail enjoying her Upward cheerleading. She is the one leaning over that everyone is watching do her stuff!! :-)

Upcoming Yard Sale - Abigails Therapy

2010-03-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

We will be having a yard sale sometime at the end of March or beginning of April.. Check back for exact dates - If you are in the process of de-cluttering and would like to get rid of some items email..... mullinsant@comcast.net

Abigail will be attending Conductive Education in Winter Park Florida this summer for 2 weeks. This clinic is for children with hemi-plegia Cerebral Palsy like Abigail. Please keep her in your prayers.

UPDATE on Motorcycle RIDE

2010-03-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

4th Annual AbigailsMiles Motorcycle Ride will be May 8, 2010.
Registration will begin @ 10:30 am with the ride leaving @ 11:30am from the Canton Kmart.
If you have any questions please email mullinsant@comcast.net
Thank you and we Look forward to seeing you there!

Update on Abigail

2010-03-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

HI Everyone-
We will be having our 4th Annual Abigail'sMiles Motorcycle ride May 1, 2010...more details to follow!!

Update on Abigail - We are repeating Kindergarten again this year. She is doing ok. She still seems to struggle in many areas and at this point it is so hard to say how much of this is a result from her brain damage or how much is just being 6 years old?? Kindergarten work is HARD...so much different than when I was a little girl. Some of the work that is expected of her just blows my mind!
Abigail just completed her 2nd season of UPWARD cheerleading and buddy she can remember every word to all her cheers and movements....I guess we need to begin involving cheers in our school work :-)
Abigail is at Kings Academy this year which is a Christian school that she attends 2 days a week and the other days we do school from home. Abigail really enjoys Kings Academy!!
Please keep my precious little pnut in your prayers that she will thrive in her K studies and move forward to 1st grade for this fall!!
Thank you and GOD bless!! :-)

Abigails APPROVED

2009-08-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone-
Just wanted to thank you all for your continued support and prayers for our precious Abigail. She is doing great!! After consistently fighting the system to get what Abigail needs she has been reapproved for the Deeming Waiver. Praise the LORD!!
Abigail will be starting school at the Kings Academy in Woodstock repeating K. We pray that this will be good for her. They have smaller class sizes and we will be working at home a few days a week so she will be getting a lot more one on one attention.
Please continue to keep our little pnut in your prayers!! Thanks again.
Amanda :-)

AbigailsMiles 3rd Annual Bike Ride

2009-06-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Thank you SO much to everyone who came out Saturday May 30th and supported Abigail and our cause to help children with Cerebral Palsy. We could not of asked for better weather!! What a beautiful day!! Praise the LORD!
Thank you so much to all of our SPONSORS :
A-PLUS TAX & ACCOUNTING --- BANK OF WOODSTOCK --- BARCO DISASTER RESPONSE --- BG & KASIE GEORGE --- BILL & WANDA MULLINS --- BUBBA & JULIE WISE ---C.C. MORGAN BAND ---COMPREHENSIVE THERAPY CONSULTANTS --- CROWE CUSTOM COUNTERTOPS --- DANIELS BODY SHOP --- FALCON RIDGE STABLES --- FATCREATIVE.COM --- GAMEPLAN FINANCIAL --- GARRETT HAULING ---GRASSROOTS TREE & TURF CARE --- GREAT SOUTHERN LAWNS --- GREEN HEATING & COOLING --- HALLFIREPROTECTION.COM --- HARPER RENOVATIONS --- HEWATT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS --- LAKOTASPRINGWATER.COM --- MANELY KIDS --- PUEBLO CANTINA --- SUPERIOR HVAC --- TIP TOP FOODS --- WOOD MOORE AUTOMOTIVE........ WE THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Bike Ride pictures coming soon......
God bless!
Amanda :-)

AbigailsMiles 3rd Annual Bike Ride - May 30th 2009

2009-04-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

AbigailsMiles 3rd Annual Bike Ride--- May 30th!!!
Registration Begins at 10:45am at the Canton Kmart. Leaving around 11:15am -- Journey to the Pueblo Cantina in Jasper for live music and lots of FUN!
Riders - 25.00 / Passenger 10.00 (Includes tshirt)

Sponsorships Available
$50.00 ++ donation and your business name will be on the back of tshirt.

For Further information please call 770-846-9189

Thanks so much and GOD BLESS!
Amanda :-)

Update on Abigail

2009-02-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well we lost our hearing for Abigail based on the amount of therapy she had when she was 3. Apparently the state does not think that 4 therapies PER week is very aggressive. The good news is --- is that we can reapply on how she is doing now-- Currently Abigail has 5 therpies per week and this seems to be the magic number for approvals. Abigail has an IEP currently through Sixes Elementary school.
Abigail still has the leg length discrepancy of about 1/2 - 3/4 inch ( her left side being shorter). Abigail just finished wearing a series of casting on her left leg in order to stretch her foot so it would touch the ground flat--but with the leg length difference it has become hard for her to walk and she is limping. We will be going to see the orthopedic soon in order to have a lift put on her shoes to balance her out. She wore the cast on her left leg 24 days. She is such a trooper and NO complaining! We are still having to use the cast as a night splint in order to maintain her stretch until the orthotis can figure out what is going on with her AFO she wears on her left leg-it is still hurting her. They may just have to make a new one!
Through it all our little pnut smiles and is so cheerful - we are thankful to have her in our lives. I will keep everyone posted on her leg progress - PLEASE pray that GOD will grow her left leg to catch up with the right! Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see -- Hebrews 11:1

Abigails Deeming Waiver Hearing

2008-11-17T05:09:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone- We had Abigails Deeming waiver hearing this past Friday (Nov.14). The judge told us she would make a decision within 30days... Please keep this in your prayers that the judge will make the right decision and Abigails Deeming Waiver will be continued in order for us to attend her 5 therapies a week. Without this deeming waiver her medical/therapy expenses would be 600+ per week! I know GOD is in control and he has taken care of our precious Abigail and her needs since birth and he will provide Abigail with what she needs! Thank you for all your continued thoughts and prayers!
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
Amanda

Abigails 2nd Annual Bike Ride

2008-09-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Finally....I am able to upload pics to Abigails site. My brother was able to help me figure it out! Here are some pics of The 2nd Annual bike ride! We will be having another benefit ride in the spring of 2009...sometime in May since that is the month the Lord blessed us with our little pnut!! Thank you so much for all your support and thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Amanda (Abigails mom)

Abigail started Kindergarten!!

2008-08-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone...Abigail started Kindergarten this year and we can not believe it!! She is in her 4th week of school and she loves it!! She really loves riding the bus in the mornings! I put her on there the 2nd day of school because she really wanted to ride the bus! I came in the house and cried like a baby! :-) School starts at 7:45 in the morning so this is a big adjustment for Abigail since she has always been such a great sleeper and usually will not roll out of bed till about 9 or 10!!
Please continue to keep Abigail in your prayers!
Abigails mommy,
Amanda :-)

Abigails Progress!!

2008-07-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Abigail is doing great! We just received her prior approval for the next 6 months of therapy-GOD is good!! Still waiting for our hearing date to appeal the decision for her initial denial from the Deeming Waiver.
Abigail will be starting Kindergarten this year--- I can not believe it!! She will be in a main stream class and will have OT - weekly and PT-monthly. She is such a blessing and the Lord is continuing to heal this precious child!
Please continue to keep Abigail in your prayers. Thank you so much!!

We have a new camera and I still have not figured out how to get these new pictures downloaded....I will have to find some help!!

Abigail in Birmingham

2008-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Abigail is on her 8th day of therapy. She had a great first week. Monday April 7th she got her cast and that was pretty tough b/c she constantly was asking for us to take it off. Once she realized that we were not going to she was ok. (I have pics of her getting her cast on but can not upload them on this computer I borrowed-so I will put them on when we get home)
Please continue to pray that God will help Abigail to make lefty extra strong. Abigail is working so hard and trying very hard to make her left hand stronger. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Chair Raffle Winner

2008-04-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rilla Price who won the chair raffle. Thanks so much to Linda Taylor who painted and donated the chair!!! :-)

2nd Annual AbigailsMiles

2008-03-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all of you who came out Saturday and braved the rain with us!! We really appreciate all of you being there for our little Abigail!! She had a wonderful time playing in the rain with her friends... The ride was fun but a little cold and wet! Thanks again to all of you who stuck it out with us!! God bless you all!
(Pictures of the ride and day will be posted soon.)

Abigails Day

2008-03-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today Abigail had pt/ot this morning and this afternoon we went to pick up her new AFO for her left foot. She has had a growth spurt so every 3-6 months we have to have her fitted for a new brace for her left leg. Her left leg is extremely tight right now which may be because she is growing. It is hard to get her in a good stretch. Please remember Abigails left leg in your prayers that God will grow it to catch up to her right leg. Right now her left leg is about 3/4 of an inch shorter than her right leg. Thank you for your prayers.

Abigails Hippo Therapy

2008-03-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here is Abigail during hippo therapy from Manely Kids in Woodstock. Abigail has been riding for 2 years and this therapy has extremely helped with Abigails posture, balance and ability to be more aware of her midline when staying on the horse.

Abigail in Aquatic Therapy

2008-03-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Abigail in her aquatic therapy with Mrs. Kelly.

Birmingham April 5-May 3

2008-03-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

We will be in Birmingham for a month for Abigails Aquired therapy. Please keep us in your prayers that God will bless our precious Abigail and give her greater strenght in her left hand and more functional use!! All things are possible through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Abigails MILES & Chopper Raffle

2007-06-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to support our precious Abigail! We really appreciate all of you and could not have done it without YOU! The chopper raffle and bike ride were a great success. The winner of the chopper was Jonathan Gibbons. Here are some pictures of the ride and WINNER!!

Abigails Orthopedic Appt / Therapy

2007-04-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

We took Abigail to see her orthopedic this week and did not get great news. I knew that it looked like her left leg was becoming a little shorter than the right so I made the appt for a follow up. Dr. Shrader took xrays of her pelvic area bones and leg and all her bones look good (so that is great news) but....her left leg is almost 3/4 of an inch shorter than her right from the knee bone down. Therefore, we are making an appt with the orthotis to have a new AFO made for her left foot and we will have to put a 3/4 lift on the bottom of her left shoes in order to keep her bones growing correctly. Please pray specifically that GOD will give her little left leg a growth spurt and it will catch up with her right leg.
Also- we heard back from her Katie Beckett (form of Medicaid) and they have sent us an intial denial which means...they have reviewed all her therapy documents and doctor notes and do not see her eligible to continue to have this coverage. So...Abigail will have no form of insurance within 30 days unless something changes?? Our insurance will not cover her b/c of preexisting conditions but I am not giving up. I will be submitting more info to the Katie Beckett review nurses. Please continue to pray that GOD will provide insurance some how...some way for our precious little Abigail.
GOD BLESS!
Amanda :-)

Abigail

2007-03-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Abigail recently completed another week of Cond Ed Therapy! She had a wonderful week. She actually did not want to come home...she loves Mrs Sandra so much and enjoys working with her!

Please continue to pray for Abigails "Katie Beckett" (form of medicaid) We are still waiting to hear whether or not she is approved for the next year. The Katie Beckett review nurse recently asked for more paper work in regarding Abigail and all her therapies. We are praying that she will be approved! GOD IS GOOD!

Abigails Benefit SALE March 2 & 3

2007-02-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone- We will be having our next big yard/garage benefit Sale on March 2 & 3 from 9-4. Please email me if you have any questions. abbysaccessories@comcast.net
We will be leaving on March 10 for Conductive Education in Orlando. Abigail will receive 2 hours of therapy per day for the week.
Please continue to pray for Abigails medical coverage. We have submitted all paperwork but still have not heard back any response. It could take several months or we could hear tomorrow...who knows!!??
Have a great day!
Amanda :-)

Abigails Therapy

2006-12-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Please continue to pray for continued services for Abigails therapy. Right now she receives 4 hours of therpy per week at approximately 324.00 per week. We are still waiting for her approvals for the month of December and she has missed about two weeks of Physical Therapy! Medicaid does not seem to understand the importance of these therapies and we would gladly pay an Insurance premium for Abigail if someone would approve her! She is too big of a risk to them!!?? Abigail needs steady continued services to maintain all the goals she has reached. PLEASE continue to pray that these services will not be taken away from our precious Abigail and that she will be APPROVED!!!
Thank you so much and GOD bless!
Amanda :-)

Abigails Acquired Therapy

2006-11-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

We returned from Birmingham this past Sunday after Abigail completed 9 hours of Acquried therapy. UAB held a nation wide training for therapist to learn how to minister this type of therapy to children with hemiplegia. Abigail worked very hard and had a new cast made that we will use at home and in her therapies. Here are some of her pictures.

ACQUIRED THERAPY

2006-11-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

We will be traveling to Birmingham next weekend November 17-19 for an Acquired Therapy training. They are training therapist nation wide in the acquired therapy program and Abigail will be a participant in this training. She will have a cast made on Friday and will have 9 hours of therapy over the course of the weekend. Please keep Abigail in your prayers and pray that God will continue to strengthen her left hand and that she will gain more use and control!!
Thanks and God bless!!

Abigail

2006-10-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Abigail will be going to school tomorrow. She has school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She will also go and see Mrs. Kelley her aquatic physical therapist. Abigail is doing very well in all her current therapies but she is at risk of losing some of them thanks to the new medicaid cuts. It would not be as big of an issue if we could get Abigail insured but under an individual policy no company will insure her due to preexisting conditions. Please pray that her medicaid (deeming waiver) will continue to help pay for her many therapies needed.
Thanks and God bless,
Amanda

Abigails Conductive Education

2006-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here's some of Abigails pictures during her Conductive Education in Orlando. Mrs Sandra is the conductor that works with Abigail. She is originally from Hungary. This form of therapy/education originated from the Peto institute in Hungary and has only been in the United States since 2001.

WE'RE HOME!

2006-10-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

We are home from Orlando! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers while we were away!!! Abigail had a wonderful and very productive week of therapy. She worked on lots of two handed tasks - carrying things with two hands, pulling pants up and down (since we are still working on potty training), turning light switches on/off with her left hand and many other daily tasks that require two hands. Abigail worked on walking up/down stairs with alternating legs, focusing on strengthing her left leg with her foot straight and heel down when walking. Abigail was very enthusiastic each day about the new activities she would get to do with Mrs. Sandra (the conductor that works with Abigail). She was very patient and willing to work on new and challenging activities. We are very thankful for such a wonderful week in Orlando and will be returning after the holidays and new year in March. Please continue to keep Abigail in your prayers and that God will continue to strenghten her left hand.
God bless,
Abigails mommy

Off to Orlando!

2006-10-02T11:17:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Abigail and family are currently in Orlando for therapy. Pray for great results, safe travel, perseverence for Abigail, and rest for the entire clan. Amanda will be up and blogging when they get home.

Web-Maven Lisa