Fi broke my phone's camera on the first day so none of the pics in the next few posts will be mine. I couldn't really make notes of my thoughts, it was just too busy, too jet-lagged, too much really, so I'd better get this done now while everything is still so fresh.
We left the Irish winter last Tuesday 4 AM, putting our winter coats in the orange suitcase which otherwise only had chocolates for gifts at the airport. Had 2 very uneventful flights, other than half of the passengers being sick on the plane: never ever take a flight out of Dublin the day after Saint Patrick's day... But really it was fine, the 20 year old guy beside us fell asleep about 2 secs into the flight and was drooling the entire time, I wish Fi would do that, but she decided to stay awake and entertain herself with the inflight entertainment system for the whole duration of the flights, I have no complaints!!!
Arrived in West Palm Beach at 5 PM. By the time we got to the accommodation we traveled 20 hours. Fi never even whimpered, and was ready to explore all. Guess which suitcase made it to the summer weather, of course not the one with our summer clothes in it. But we got it soon enough, it wasn't too bad really.
I didn't rent a car, for the few trips we had our "own driver" whom the House recommended. More about him later.
We stayed at Quantum House which is within Saint Mary's Hospital where Dr Paley's Center is. The House is amazing. So beautiful, clean, affordable. Dinner was provided every day, there was plenty of food in the pantry, it really made life so easy.
We were up early every day playing in the garden, the mini golf course, the playground, the butterfly garden. There was some program for the kids every night, therapy dogs, piano and musical concert with tutus being given to the girls. Weekly golf lessons. The organisation is just so impressive.
The other families staying there were all lovely and I shall remember them for ever. The Russian lady whose family sold everything to get their child treated who was born without a fibula. Such a real eastern European intellectual, a life-long connection was made.
The beautiful couple who had 4 of their own extremely nice kids and adopted son with an undiagnosed form of dwarfism from China who was getting treatment there. They are about to adopt a second kid with achondroplasia.
The English lady with her 10 year old who listened to classical piano music on her phone in the morning. She just helped everyone in her own quiet, polite way,
The American couple with the 3 year old. They just worked so hard to help out in every way although their kid has been struggling and they were not really getting any sleep.
The mother from WI whose eldest girl was being treated, she moved her 5 children down to a condo in West Palm for the duration of the treatment while her husband stayed home to work.
The Asian mum whose son had fixators on but was studying so hard, he got accepted to Yale as a pre-med.
My pen pal whom I call a friend now, whose son has pseudo-achondroplasia and is being treated.
All have so much courage and are so special I will never forget them.
Here is a pic of Fi and me admiring her at the piano concert tutu night... What can I say, soemthing like this can only exist in Florida, right???
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