Friends of BELLA
Beauty, Education, Love, Laughter, Acceptance

FAMILY UPDATES



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Well we made it through the holidays. Of course Bella was spoiled and got everything she wanted, including an E-Z Bake Oven from Disney star, Selena Gomez.

Bella has taken quite a liking to sledding this year. She insists on going down the hill by herself...sitting down. Now that takes some incredible balance.

We have recently made friends with an organization called www.guardianangelmotorsports.com who have found a donor in the name of EMC Corporation who were generous enough to donate enough money for a beautiful Handicap accessible van for us to get Bella around in.

The van will be ready in the next couple weeks. Leading the way with Guardian Angel Motorsports is Bruce Ledeux Who I can't thank enough. They will be racing in multiple charitable races this year to raise money for Bella's future. Thanks again to all of you!

More good new is that we have moved into our newly renovated home in Chelmsford. Bella loves her new room and amazing shower made especially for her. She has access to the whole house thanks to a beautiful elevator installed by Accurate Elevator Corporation. And to make it easier for Bella, Door Concepts Inc. has installed automatic door openers so that Bella can get in and out with the touch of a button. Its a great feeling knowing that she can have so much independence.

Bella seems to be growing rather quickly over the last few months. She has already outgrown her first pair of legs. Our friends over at Next Step Prosthetics and Orthotics are putting the final touches on her new and improved legs. These new prosthesis will be a little bit longer, and will have what look like real feet with a bit of flexibility in the ankle. She will actually be able to wear sneakers. We're very excited to see her get started with these.

As far as her upper extremities go, her left arm is in the final stages of completion. We are hopeful that she will be able to wear this home this week. They have set it up so that when she flexes her muscle the hand will open, and when she relaxes her muscle the hand will close. This is going to take al lot of work and practice to perfect. I have every bit of confidence that she will once again surprise us all and figure it out in no time at all. Her therapists at her school will be doing all they can to work this into her daily activities.

So as you can see, things are moving along nicely. Although every day is full of new challenges and struggles, We are so very lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family. Thank you everybody for all of your love and support! We couldn't do it without you! Hope you enjoy all of the new pictures.

Family Updates of Bella Tuckerwelcome_homeSaturday, November 20, 2010

Hey there! It’s Bella’s dad, Rich here. I’ve got some serious catching up to do on Bella’s progress. Quite a bit has happened since our last update.

The big day came on October, 8th. Bella was discharged from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Home at last!! Although she is home, she is extremely busy.

Bella spends three mornings a week at Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital in Salem, NH. There she is learning how to walk again and so much more. She tooled around the parking lot this week on a modified bicycle, pedaling with her right arm. They also plan to teach her to do everything from brushing her hair to dressing herself. She’s been working very hard every day learning to go from lying on her back to sitting up straight. It won’t be long before she masters this skill. She is becoming more and more independent every day!

Bella started back at Londonderry South Elementary School on October, 13th. She is now up to 5 days a week, 4 hours a day. Her main 4th grade subjects are math and reading. Her favorite subject is Math, in which she got an A on her first report card this week (as if I wasn’t proud enough!). Her teacher Mrs. Gray told me that her brother Josh (in the 5th grade) comes to eat lunch with her every day. He is such a good brother! Her classmates and teachers are so happy to have her back! She has even started to take the bus to and from school. Very exciting stuff!

We’ve been meeting once a week with our new friends at Next Step Orthotics and Prosthetics in Manchester, NH. We’ve got an incredible group of guys all working on designing the best possible prosthesis for both her upper and lower extremities. We couldn’t be happier with all they’ve done and continue to do. They explain everything very thoroughly to us so that even Bella understands what they are planning and why. It’s clear that they genuinely care about Bella and they always let her give her opinions and input. In fact, they insist that she has the final say in all decisions made. Thank you Jason, Matt, Dave, Randy and of course Arthur! You guys are awesome!

Since Bella has been home, she has been having a blast around the house, playing with her cousins and all the neighborhood kids. She likes to play hide-and-seek, volleyball, board games, cards, Wii, and most of all she likes to wrestle on the bed with me and Josh. I think we all like that the most. It’s amazing how fun she is to be around. We are truly blessed to have her.

Construction on the house is moving right along thanks to contractor Tim DeSalvo and his sons. They are almost ready to insulate and blueboard the addition. It looks incredible. We’re all very anxious to get moved in!

Finally, I want to say a big Thank You to the good people at Ride-Away in Londonderry, NH. They were kind enough to donate and install a special carrier for my truck to transport Bella’s wheelchair. Bella and I had a great time hanging out, playing UNO with Aaron Morse who is responsible for getting all this started. We had a tour of the shop and saw a ton of cool modified vans and trucks. Bella is definitely going to be able to get her drivers license and take herself wherever she wants to go. Thanks Ben Goupil for installing the carrier to my truck. You all will be seeing more of us in the future!

I’ll be back with another update in the next week or two. Thank you everyone for all you do!

We love you Bella!!!

Websites to check out:

www.nextstepoandp.com
www.rideaway.com
www.northeastrehab.com
www.spauldingrehab.org

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The MacGillivray-Tucker Estate is underway!  The project is being managed by Tim DeSalvo of DeSalvo Construction located in Chelmsford, MA.  Tim and his crew are doing an absolutely awesome job -- we are all so pleased and impressed with the craftsmanship and professionalism of Tim and his crew!  It is so wonderful to see this project finally coming to fruition -- and it is turning out better than we all ever could have imagined.  The new addition will house Rich, Josh, Bella and of course our dear Grammy Tucker!!  It will double the size of the existing structure and all of it is wheelchair/handicap accessible (including an elevator so that Bella will have complete access to all of the house)!  Another bonus is that Rich will be adding his expertise in finish carpentry throughout the addition -- he's a perfectionist and who better to add the finishing touches to their new home!  Again, none of this would be possible without Tim DeSalvo, Rich Tucker, Allan MacGillivray (the man behind the plans!), Grammy Tucker, and all the generous donations received from the Bella Ball held this past weekend in Los Angeles (THANKS JOHN AND LIANNE!!)  We can't wait for move-in day -- after that -- A HUGE BASH TO CELEBRATE -- but that's a story for another time!

 

 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Well friends much has been going on with Bella since our last update. Last week Bella moved to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. While she and her dad were very sad to leave all the doctors and nurses and staff at Boston Children's Hospital they were excited about the next step. It started off a little rocky and emotional but turned out great. Imagine their surprise when they were allowed to leave the hospital and walk to Faneuil Hall for an impromptu field trip. Bella, Josh and Rich were accompanied by Auntie Barb, Auntie Meg and Auntie Stacia. They took the new electric wheelchair across North Station to Fanueil Hall where they strolled, shopped and enjoyed a great Mexican meal. Bella danced to some music and smiled the whole three hours. Check out the new pic of Bella's first road trip!

Looking ahead Bella will be fitted for some new prosthetics tomorrow for her legs. They are rudimentary and basically just to help her get adjusted to the weight on her limbs. As usual Bella has been handling every new twist and turn and challenge with remarkable strength and courage.

We love you Bella, keep up the good work! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The last two weeks for Bella have been all about hitting the gym! She has started working out on a Pilate's reformer. Her core strength is amazing and her balance is improving daily. Like her dad, she enjoys her trips to the gym. Unlike her dad, her trips are more about working out less about socializing.

She continues to love monkeys though turtles are slowly gaining on them. Just like any other 8 (almost 9) year old she is obsessed with SillyBandz and loves to collect and trade with her cousins.

Bella had lots of aunts, uncles and cousins visiting her over the last week. Her Auntie Diane and Uncle Mike, cousin Alyssa and Aimee from California came to visit. Her Auntie Meg and Uncle Matt, cousin Christopher and Elizabeth from New York came to visit. Her Aunti Terry and Uncle Tim, cousin Danielle, TJ and April from Ohio came to visit. Wow, it was kind of crazy but soooo much fun.

Check out the photo gallery for pics! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Bella is celebrating her own Independence Day. She finally moved out of ICU! It took her all of five minutes to make fast friends with her new nurse Jenn. She and her cousins were treated to the grand tour of the 9th floor which included an awesome play room and a computer/library room. A date in the garden with her dad and NO nurses made the day complete. This move has come hand in hand with a stronger spirit and a stronger body for Bella. She is wowing us all with her turns and sitting up all by herself while her dad brushes her hair. Looking ahead Bella is excited to have more freedom and getting stronger. She said she is looking forward to the day she can join all her family at Auntie Barb's for a party because "it ain't a party without me" and she is so right! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Monday, June 7, 2010

Bella has had a few ups and downs since our last update! She has had what we hope to be her last surgery and is now free of wound vacs on all limbs. Her arms and legs are free to move and she sure has been doing that. She has had a few dance parties in her room to her favorite artist Justin Bieber. Auntie Stacia made her one of her famous mix CDs and she has been getting her dance on.

Last week she moved to Spaulding Rehab in Boston for a very short stay (1 day) and then unfortunately came down with pneumonia and returned to Children’s Hospital. While she felt very ill and cranky she was happy to see her team at Children’s again. They are working very hard to get her well again and back to Spaulding where she can strengthen her body and start down the road to bigger and better things.

Bella continues to inspire us with her spirit and strong will. She is proud of her new body and before she got pneumonia was enjoying wheelchair trips through Children’s Hospital and meeting new people. She also enjoys spending all her dad’s money in the lobby gift shop. She still loves to shop!

Please keep Bella and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they continue their journey to full recovery! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ


Friday, May 21, 2010

Bella has had a very busy week! It started over the weekend with a visit from her Auntie Diane from California and her Auntie Meg from New York. Lots of kisses and cuddles were given and received. The week also included 2 trips out to the beautiful courtyard garden of Boston Children’s Hospital. The first trip was with Daddy, Aunties and a few nurses who I suspect just wanted an excuse to get out on such a beautiful day! Just kidding-- everyone on the floor was so excited to see Bella get her first taste of fresh air in over a month! Her second trip was with stepdad Pete and again it was a beautiful day – bright, sunny and warm.

The week also included two more surgeries and while that is never fun it did result in the removal of the wound vacs on her arms so now her upper limbs are tube-free. She also has lost a few other annoying tubes and looks and feels like a new person!

She started a new exercise routine and is kicking butt! She has quite a determined look to her when she is squeezing in that last rep and giving it a little extra power! Her dad is her own personal trainer and he really doesn’t let her cheat like her Auntie Val does.

She is continuing her tutoring with Kyle and now has Kyle’s cell phone number to text him whenever she wants. Watch out Kyle! They have been reading and doing math and getting her ready to graduate from third grade to fourth grade. She also is starting to use her new laptop donated to her from her awesome friends at Phantom Gymnastics. It has the Dragon Naturally Speaking Program and she is very excited to use it.

The medical team at Children’s Hospital held a meeting with Bella’s caregivers to discuss her rehab plan so things are moving along for our little Bella and we thank you for your continued prayers, positive thoughts and contributions. She has a long road to travel but knowing her we will all be running after her to keep up! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ


Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

It finally seems like the end of Bella's surgeries is in sight! Doctors finished up with her arms yesterday, and she has only one more surgery planned for next Tuesday to finish up her legs. She has been in good spirits lately, check out these cute pictures taken this past weekend with her dad, Rich:


In other news, there was a nice article in the Boston Herald about Bella, you can check it out here. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ


Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Bella needed to have more surgical work done on her legs and arm this week. It was unfortunate news, but Bella continues to impress us all with her strength and courage. In happier news, she began work with a tutor this week, and is very excited to resume 3rd grade while she is in the hospital.  She also got to rearrange her room for a better view of the beautiful weather outside, which made her happy! Her room is covered with all sorts of wonderful cards, posters, photos, artwork and countless other forms of support she has been receiving from her friends, family, classmates and community! Thank you all so much for your support, prayers and words of encouragement! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ