My name is Anna Elisabeth Voorhies. I live in Pocatello, Idaho, with my husband, Drake, and our three children: Uta Grace (14), Paul Marco (12), and our youngest, Siri Elisabeth, who is nine. I am a home-maker and home school instructor; as for my husband, he works for American Airlines, where he is a mechanic. We are comfortably well off (for now).
Our children are our world. Drake and I would do anything for them to make them happy or to provide for their needs. It is especially so for our youngest child. Our youngest child has special needs. She was born with Down syndrome and is mentally disabled. Even though she is nine, she looks (and acts) much younger. She doesn't look older than the age of five, and she functions at about the level of a four to five year old.
Siri also has heart issues. She has had several heart surgeries already; the last one nearly killed her because she had complications. Siri was in the hospital for months, trying to recover. We were so scared we were going to lose her, but thank God, we didn't! She has to be so careful: no strenuous exercise or excess running around (or excitement) for her: she has to take it easy, or else she could get very sick in only a matter of moments.
At night, Siri uses oxygen, and whenever we go anywhere, we have her portable tanks (and tubing) with us, just in case she might need it (like if it's hot out or if there's a lot of pollen, dust, or smoke in the air). We have to be so careful ...
Siri is a very happy little girl, even with all her health problems. She loves to read/write (she has recently learned all her letters and most of her colors; she delights in reading to us or writing simple little stories), drawing/coloring, playing with her big brother and sister, playing with he toys, going to church (we are Baptists; we go to a nice church not far from our house), dancing (ballet mostly), watching television ("American Idol" is her favorite show), and singing around the house. Life is simple: no worries for her!
Oh, if life could be the same for us ...
When Siri is sick, or in the hospital, our world stops. We spend as much time with her when she is in the hospital, and whenever she has had a surgery done on her heart, we don't leave her side until we know for sure that the danger has passed or that she is well enough to be taken out of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). I just thank God we have such a strong faith in our Lord and Saviour, and I thank God for all the prayers and well wishes from people whenever Siri is sick or has surgery!
I don't know what we would do if we didn't have that! Life would be so much worse!!
Well, I have to go. I have to get Drake up so he can go to work, and then, in a few hours, get the kids up and ready for another day of school. It takes time to get all their lesson plans ready; I want to start their schooling at nine sharp, which is the norm around here. Then they're done by three/four. And the next day it starts all over again (unless it's Saturday or Sunday; they have to have some free time or time off from learning, you know ... ). Until later, this is Anna E. Voorhies saying so long; may God bless you always! I hope you enjoyed reading about my family, in particular, Siri, our youngest!
~Anna. :)
