Life with The Leivas: Pumpkin Pickin'

Friday, October 21, 2011

Pumpkin Pickin'

We were absolutely spoiled by the pumpkin patches in the Pacific Northwest. We searched for a pumpkin patch and thought we found one in a small farming town about 30 minutes away. We met up with Mike's brother and his family and our adorable Goddaughter, Miss Sophie Jaye. The website promised a tractor ride but instead of the cozy hayride we were expecting they crammed about 100 people standing up onto a trailor attached to a tractor for a 1 mile ride into the "pumpkin field". The farmer announced that it wasn't possible to grow pumpkins in southeastern Louisiana so he imported pumpkins from New Mexico and then lined them up in the field. Yep, you read that right, the man ordered pumpkins from New Mexico (complete with the Made in New Mexico stickers) and then lined them up all over his field. Crazy! As disappointing as the pumpkin patch was the company made up for it!

1 comment:

Wendy Leiva said...: Sorry you guys didn't like it. We were glad to see you, though!; Sunday, October 23, 2011 4:00:00 PM

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MPS/Sanfilippo Syndrome

In October, 2008 Olivia was disgnosed with MPS III or Sanfilippo Syndrome, type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.