Graduation Party 2019

Demi pulled off a major feat.  I shouldn't be surprised.  She is the Super Hostess.  She can plan a party like an All-Star.  This graduation party was one for the record books.
     Coco had more input that Caz did for his.  Coco had a vision.  And that vision was The Office.  Coco wanted decorations from episodes of the office.  I had no idea what that entailed.  I should have known standard white paper stock would be in line.  Upside down, brown & yellow balloons were also features.  The food was taco based.  Coco wanted a taco bar.  Apparently, so did all his classmates.  Every party we have gone too, has had guacamole, sour cream, salsa, nachos, hot sauce and taco meats.  Demi cooked all of it for Coco's party.  I thought that was overly aggressive but she pulled it off.  And she did it in advance.  We were gone for the better part of four days for Orientation, leading up to the party.  There were 3 different kinds of corn for Pete's sake.
     There was a great showing of my cousins for this party.  It was nice to see some of them and their kids, who I haven't seen a quite some time.  And really, it was my side of the family that dominated the attendance, which is very abnormal.  I can't say I was happy about that leading up.  Sure, there is going to be a joint party, which includes Coco, in NC in July.  Sure, we are the family that lived out of state.  But we asked the family to be in MA for family events 4 times in twenty odd years, with about that much time span in between half of them.  I didn't think that was too much to ask.  But what do I know?
     The important thing is that Coco was happy.  He and his friends really had a good time.  He let Caz invite quite a few friends too.  Caz and his buddies had fun too.  Coco was able to socialize with adults, entertain his young cousins and children of family friends, and he was able to party with his pals.  They were up late, always a sign of a good time.  They slept late.  And his buddies came back to help pick up.  They really are a good bunch of kids.  Coco was appreciative too.  He hugged and thanked Demi a half dozen times.  He hugged and thanked me.  I think the showering of love humbled him.  What a party!

Carolina Orientation

Coco, Demi and I had a successful orientation in Columbia, SC at the U of SC.  Day One was a marathon.  Day Two was shorter but we were still spent at the end of it.  After all that, we all feel better about the decision for Coco to attend Gamecock Nation.
     Coco was anxious right off the bat.  The instructions about starting off were unclear.  In fairness, Coco didn't put a lot of effort into preparing for it.  I did put most of it on him.  He needs to be able to fend for himself 17 hours from home (by car).  He thought we could drive right up to the check-in.  He started getting antsy when I told him we were walking.  The starting point was a line that would make Disney World proud, snaking around a courtyard in the Carolina heat at 8 AM.  Everyone was looking for shade.  Once check-in started, the line moved pretty well.  Coco seemed to calm down in line, when he saw two hundred or more other kids in the same line, with the same amount of luggage and in the same situation.
     The rest of the day was a series of informational sessions, with a long walk in between.  Some of the time we were with Coco.  Other times, they broke the kids up into groups of 20 (which they stayed with for other small group breakouts) or by their college.  They did shuttle us places a couple of times.  But there was a long march to the college of arts & sciences during the height of the heat, that really gave you a taste of Carolina.  The last lecture went until 6 pm.  Coco had initially indicated that he would eat dinner with us.  But he ultimately chose to eat with his small group.  We were happy by that.  Mostly because he was socializing with new classmate.  Secondarily, we didn't want to eat on campus.
     Over the course of the two days, we were given a lot of information.  We were told how to pay tuition, how students select courses and how they would live and eat on campus.  We were given information on campus security, on attending sporting events and on the city of Columbia.  There were some really entertaining speakers actually.  In the end, we all felt we knew what to expect come move-in day.  I think Coco will be happy there.  We think he will thrive there.
     Spurs up!

Dear DHS

Dear DHS,

Graduation is a time for congratulations, for recognition and for giving thanks.  While we are so proud of our son, Kyle Chin, we would like to congratulate and thank all of you as well.  You all provided so much support to us, in so many ways. You may not have even realized that you helped. So we, Kyle’s parents, would like you to know that all of your efforts are appreciated.

Some of you know Kyle’s story well.  Others may not know it at all. We will try to be as brief as we can in recapping it.

Kyle began to experience bouts of pain just after starting middle school.  At first, it seemed we could attribute it to jitters of starting a new school experience.  Over time, the pain got worse and more frequent. He missed large chunks of school. We sought out medical help.  We received multiple diagnoses, which led to various courses of treatment. Nothing seemed to work. He missed more and more school.  Everything seemed to come to a head when Kyle entered DHS. We were fortunate enough to get an appointment with a specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital.  Simply put Kyle is not able to shut off messages of pain going to his brain. He is always and will always, be in some level of pain. That pain manifests in his stomach, and can be intensified by anxiety.  It is a chicken and the egg scenario, as to whether his physical ailments trigger his anxiety or vice versa. We were happy to receive a viable diagnosis and thought we were trending up. But the pain got worse.  Kyle could barely leave the house. He missed months of freshman year. As fortune would have it, in the spring, a spot opened up in a program at Providence Children’s Hospital. At this time, 3 years ago, Kyle was transitioning out of that program and back into DHS.  We were focused only on getting him back to school full time. Graduation was the furthest thing from our minds. Frankly, it didn’t seem likely to happen. College seemed to be a wild dream. Graduating from DHS on time? Improbable.

      Kyle was determined to move on with his class, with his friends.  You all helped make that possible. In the final weeks of that school year, you all worked with Kyle and with us, to help put him in a position to pass.  Sure, his grades weren’t pretty. However, he was back at school full time and he was able to move on to sophomore year. Following that, he worked his way back to honors classes.  He brought his grades up. Then, he was accepted at a few colleges, ultimately choosing to pursue History and Archaeology at the University of South Carolina.

Kyle and we owe a lot to our DHS village.  It took everyone, teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and staff.  Whenever we contacted DHS, our first greeting was “what can we do to help?” Help came in a multitude of ways. And it came often.  Seemingly little things, like a shared inside joke from Monty Python with a teacher, or a green wristband from a Phys Ed Volleyball Championship, went a long way towards building Kyle back up.  We know your jobs are not easy. Having to tailor plans to accommodate one student, makes that job even more complex. We hope you know we understand and appreciate that. Kyle’s graduation is your achievement too.  Congratulations!

With our deepest gratitude,

Demi and me

Graduation 2019

The big day.  Finally!  Years in the making.  The unfolding was not like most.  Demi and I are so proud of Coco.

Graduation day = a time to recognize achievement, to congratulate, and to say thanks.

At this time 3 years ago, Demi and I didn't know if this was going to be possible.  Coco was just wrapping up the day program at Providence Hasbro Childrens Hospital.  After missing over 100 days of school, he was reintegrating back into DHS.  We were hoping for the best.  Each day we held our breath.  Coco dug in.  He was determined to stay on track to move to sophomore year with his buddies.  By the end of June, the boy who taught himself math by searching out YouTube videos on algebra, was able to do just that.

Look how far you've come!  DHS graduate.  Off to @uofsc in August!  Be proud of yourself son.  We are.

Thank you to his village for their love and support.  DHS was amazing.  Teachers, administrators and guidance counselors made sure he could concentrate on healing and coping, while providing online courses, individual learning plans or even a ride to school.  His incredible friends stuck by him.  You couldn't blame a teenage kid to forget someone out of sight for so long, especially as one dealt with all the challenges of first year of high school.  Not this bunch.  They were always around, always looking to include him and accepting of his limitations.  When he couldn't leave the house, they came to him. What a bunch! 

Thank you to our village - our loved ones, family and friends.  We couldn't have come through the dark times without you.  Everything you did helped.  You might not have even known you were helping, but you did.  A simple "hi", a smile or a hug goes a long way.  This day is yours too.  We love you all.✌️