Message from Marqus: Grateful this holiday

I want to take this time to talk about the holidays. Last thanksgiving I was in the hospital and not at the dinner table for the the feast. But my family with the aid of Technology made it so I was. It got me thinking about how there will be folks in the hospital who might not have that. So thanksgiving comes around and we are with our family or friends about to eat pray for those who may be sick and hospitalized. Marqus

Photo: Birthdays

Thanks everyone for your support to bring back this smiling face !!!
I'm praying for his birthday it's 6 days
Away!!! My husband and Marqus have birthdays in the same week!! Those Red Robin free coupons are waiting for them LOL!!!
It's awesome how laughter has extra purpose it's a great way to cough and deep breathe!

Photos: Raising pups for service and animal assisted therapy work

We are raising these pups for service and animal assisted therapy work. An ADA service is like an extension of a persons health care. Marqus will use one of them for balance and mobility , to bring him his medicine bag and hopefully open the door for the paramedics. A true service dog performs specific tasks to aide the disabled handler. An animal assisted therapy dog may visit schools nursing homes provide comfort. The difference is the ADA dog is allowed in places where regular dogs may not go. They all are working dogs and will have hundreds of hours of training. Our dogs know when he is ill and they sense the onset of a crash. I've watched them follow him from space to space they will not leave his side . Last week they all tried to sit on his lap they knew he was headed into a crises. Dogs have a keen sense of smell. These guys have been trained not to touch his medical supplies. The one year old is still working on that. But they know if the condition of his wounds change or if a new type of dressing ointment etc is in place. They amaze me at hoe careful they can be with there great size.

Photo update: July 14, 2015

Finally some relief from pain just finished 2 more units of blood . Marqus is breathing a bit better. It's really great to see him sleep. I'm so grateful today for his hyperbaric wound devices and all the hard work the ICU nurses, RTs, doctors and everyone to relieve his suffering. Edward Hospital in Naperville takes excellent care of him. Thank you everyone for your prayers your like of this FB page His dream is to finish this documentary and it will happen.

Message from Marqus: home IV hydration

This is for the sicklers who wanted to know about home iv hydration. I use this to stay out of the ER 90% and it's kept me from having to stay outta Edwards. But i have a special case i have a port and i was taught how to do everything but putting the Huber needle in my own chest. But I'm not to far off from that. Any Who i hope to see a lot of all the conference members again. What up whiskey and the whole WDC crew i was happy to meet you face to face.

Message from Marqus:

I made the panel for the FDA my voice will echo through the halls and everything i have gone through good and bad have brought me to this point. I am Thankful i made it on and i will do my best to represent the constant struggle we all face with sickle cell disease.

Message from Marqus: DC update

I made the panel for the FDA my voice will echo through the halls and everything i have gone through good and bad have brought me to this point. I am Thankful i made it on and i will do my best to represent the constant struggle we all face with sickle cell disease.

Message from Marqus: To Mom

So my mom is in her final stretch for school. After she finishes she will go on to teach nursing. Who better to teach. A woman who's been a nurse for over thirty some odd years. She work in all areas of nursing. From ER to OR. And to top it off she gives birth to a disabled son. Through it all she has a edge. The foresight she has is going to enhance so many soon to be nurses. I share this with you because it is going to contribute to the sickle cell community. A few years back i had a very traumatic sickle crisis(i think i mentioned it in a old post). When this crisis hit me i had been seizure free about 8 or 9 years. So i had this massive amount of pain in my back, legs, hands, feet, and chest. I barely got outta my bed in time when i did my cuz caught me as i began to have a seizure. I spent close to three weeks in the hospital. That whole thing was caught on film and will be used as a teaching tool. My whole family has kept me alive and well and my mother taught my sister, brother and father what to do to keep me here and now that same wisdom will be put out into the world. I applaud and thank my mom.

Message from Marqus:

February is going to be a blast. I'll be going to DC then on the 21 I'll be up and out the door to the Hilton in Oak Lawn for more sickle cell stuff. I was really down a bunch in 2013 because i had to put the film SICKCELLS on hold. I didn't know what was next GOD has reason for all of this i think it's. To teaches us We might not see why until we reach the goal.

Message from Marqus

Guess who's on there way to DC thats right this guy! From the film, book, and now this. I will be on a plane in a few. Heading to DC to make the future for sickle cell brighter. I am going to a FDA to talk about the future of sickle cell in this country. So i can say our future is getting brighter and brighter with each move i make and breath i take. So Ronnie, Rob, D'angelo(R.I.P.) everything you all have been through will get better. I'll carry your voices with me. Each move i made has been to get our community the brightest future we so deserve. All the pain, suffering, and loss is with me in my heart soul, and life has lead me. Having the man up top walking with me is why my legacy will live on. So its been a hell of a journey and its no were close to being done. So to the sickle cell community and family's keep walking with me and add your voice to mine. From the newly diagnosed to the ones who were lost. I wake up each day with how I'll keep blazing the path for the future. After this if i make the right moves i hope to help draft a bill that would change protocol for sickle cell across the whole country. I go to bed knowing that with these angels at my side i cant lose!

Momma Fran: End of 2013 thoughts

2013 is over and done and 2014 has begun i have to say the year was one tuff year due to sum events that i had no control over. But i plan to go hard in this year. I have to be honest about the film as i said before the film has been put on hold and i feel really bad that it's on hold but making a film is hard so making a film, writing a book all with poor health is even harder. I want to let everyone whom i touch with what im doing know that every day i think of how i can get. The film back on track and finish Sick Cells. I know that a lot of times our community gets pushed aside i won't let that to happen. Being so close to a goal and dream my focus and judgement was bad and lax in some aspects and events i had no control over really hurt the film and my work in a bad way. But i won't give up on this film. Getting the project back on track is one of my new years resolution along with film done, book published, And stay out of the hospital. I look at every new year like a rebirth a way to correct the mistakes of the years prior. Getting back on track is gunna take a few months but im heading to DC to speak to the FDA about sickle cell, Then i am being interviewed for another magazine thats for sickle cell anemia. The publication is sold world wide and full of great information on all aspects of sickle cell. "As one door closes another opens" Happy 2014 to the sickle cell community and my family love all you and i hope you all have a prosperous and healthy years.