This year Ryan has come on in leaps and bounds.  In January Ryan joined a "special" football club.   There do not seem to be any set number of children on either side and they are all of very varied ability/disability.      I have the utmost respect for the people who run  it.   Trying to organize children into a football team must be hard enough but with children the like our Ryan the task must be even harder and must require a fantastic amount of patience.    Frequently you see a child just sit or lay down on the pitch in the middle of a game.   Someone checks them and they either get up and carry on playing or go and sit on the sidelines with an adult.  The children enjoy it

 In March we went on holiday to Lanzarote, it was the first time Ryan had flown.   Rebecca sat with her mum and dad and Ryan sat with us - he said he should do that because "you won't have a child and that's not fair, so I'll sit with you".

He got a bit bored in the airport (but then don't we all) and held on tight when we went through the various checks.   He did not like the metal scanning and got quite worried when his grandpa had to hand over his bottle of water - "what can we drink now".   

We did not have any idea how he would be on take off or flying.   As it was he sat there looking out of the window and when we started to move he asked "will we go any faster than this ?".   I said yes we would  "well he better be careful then" was his only comment on the speed.   He felt the bump as we took off and looked out of the window,   "we're not going any higher are we ? "   I said yes we would so that we could fly safely.   He looked out of the window again and saw the houses looking so tiny   "Oh my Lord, that's not right, that's too high.   I'm not looking out there again Granny".

He then played with his Nintendo DS until the food arrived.

Landing was fine, he held my hand and took it all in his stride.

The holiday was wonderful Debbie & I were in the pool every day with the children and everyone loved the Jacuzzi.   

I hope it did Ryan some good, I know it eased my arthritis.       

Ryan and his dad on Timanfaya             

just a selection of shots of Ryan taken on holiday                   

The summer at home passed quietly, we did the normal things that families do in the summer holidays, visiting the Maritime Museum at Falmouth                                                                      

 and play parks    and of course the beach.   

In August we took Ryan up to Bristol for the International Balloon Fiesta.  Rebecca followed two days later with their mum.                                                  

Its now September and On Wednesday 18th Ryan was rushed to the Neuro Unit at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol (2½ - 3 hours away) His shunt was not working.   We all worried, he had the op and came home again.   Its amazing, brain surgery then home !   We were all very happy and relieved to have him back safe and sound.   Then the following Wednesday (22nd September) it happened again.   This time his ventricles were even larger than the previous week, he went downhill very quickly.   The neuro surgeons performed an emergency operation and he is recovering even better than before.   We are of course watching him very carefully, but he appears to be fine again now.