Tag Archives: Gideon Jolicoeur

Gideon’s New Wheels

Special needs children, , , ,

If you follow our family’s journey on social media, then you know we attended the Abilities Expo in early December. This expo has a wide variety of venders that offer an ever wider variety of equipment, supplies, services, etc. for people with disabilities.

While we were there, I rode something called The Duet. It’s an adaptive bike that allows me and Gideon to ride together. The front half is a wheelchair fastened to a modified bike; but the wheelchair can be detached and used independently! How cool is that?

Duet Wheelchair Bicycle Tandem Duet Basic model
image credit: https://www.mobilityaccess.com/duet



I knew I wasn’t going to talk my husband into purchasing it… I mean, after all, the basic bike starts at 5k. As we left the expo, I felt like a piece of my heart was attached to that silly bike. I say silly because the bike isn’t necessary. It’s a luxury item. One that most families simply cannot afford.

Why did I have such a strong desire for this thing? I think my heart longed for what the bike represented- inclusion. You see every time we take a family bike ride, it’s not really a family bike ride. Someone always has to stay behind with Gideon. My desire is for him to be included in everything we do if at all possible. And this bike would make it possible!

Well…

Not very long after I posted that video, some people we love dearly got together and bought Gideon that bike for Christmas!!! They just bought it! I’m still in disbelief and still moved to tears over this. It’s such a huge gift! And while I would love to share their names, they’ve asked to remain anonymous. They want no credit for giving Gideon the gift of inclusion…and fun! It makes me love these people even more.

So hopefully we will have some random warm days this winter. (We do live in Texas.)

And as we do, watch our social media sites for videos of Gideon’s new wheels!

Thanks for following our family’s journey.
Thanks for loving Gideon and cheering him on.
He will be turning 10 on January 18th!!!!!!!

My 72 year old father took him for a ride.

One year ago

Faith & Hope

My favorite part of Facebook is the Memories. Most of the time, I scroll through them and laugh. But today, this was the post and photo marked, one year ago.

Hard to believe one year ago, Gideon contracted a virus that led to hospice & funeral planning. Since he was 7 months old, we have known that one day we will bury our boy. And while I cannot fathom the grief, despair, and utter devastation of my heart when that day comes, I trust that the Lord will carry us through. 

Psalm 139 reminds us that all our days were ordained before we ever came to be. And while we do not live with a spirit fear, we do love & live each day as though any day could be our last.

As I reflect back on this time last year I’m reminded of just how loved we are as a family. Not only by our sweet Savior Jesus, but by our family, friends and church body. We are so thankful to be a part of Crosspoint Community Church. They truly were the hands and feet of Jesus during such a difficult time.

We are also thankful for our social media followers who sent such love and encouragement from all over the world. It gives my heart such joy to know that our sweet Gideon has impacted your lives even though you have never met him.

So thank you all for following our journey. We hope to keep you smiling & laughing with videos of Gideon and his siblings for years to come; but most of all, we pray for God to be glorified in how we walk this journey out. ♥️

A Wish with Wings

Faith & Hope, Parenting, Special needs children, ,

I have never felt more helpless than I did this past September, when our son Gideon was placed on hospice care. Since Gideon was 7 months old, we have known that his life expectancy would be short. However, that did not seem to change the shock of it all when he suddenly fell so ill.

End of life planning for a child is something no parent should every have to do. During his time on hospice, I called a funeral home to begin preparations should that time arise. We spoke with our pastor, planned music, gathered photos, etc.. And then something amazing happened. Gideon pulled through it all. On November 7th, he was discharged from hospice care. And just like that, two of the worst months of my life were over. The weight on my heart was lifted and I could breath again.

Maybe that is why I’m feeling extra emotional this Christmas. You see the truth is, when he was originally diagnosed with PBD, we never thought we would get even one Christmas with him. But as I reflect on these past six (almost 7) years, I’m reminded of an obvious and important truth.

None of us are promised tomorrow.

Any one of my kids could be taken from this life in an instant, not just Gideon. My able bodied children could become disabled in the blink of an eye. There are no guarantees of health and prosperity in this world.

That’s why I love the Christmas story. God knew before the foundation of the world how it would all come to pass. Jesus’s birth, offering the hope of our salvation reminds me that even when things seem to be out of our control, they are not out of His control. God’s working all things for our good and His glory.

And I can rest in that truth.

After my last post, a friend reached out and suggested some other organizations, similar to Make-a-Wish. A Texas organization called A Wish with Wings, has been granting wishes for kids with life threatening medical conditions since 1982. And although they don’t grant swim spas, in two short months they were able to give our boy a hot tub!! And the best part is that they got it done 3 days before Christmas!!

We would like to thank A Wish with Wings, Aries Spas of Rockwall, and Gary Winkles with Electrical Specialists of America for making Gideon’s wish a reality. We are eternally grateful for the many memories we will make with him as a family in these waters.