Week 52

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since Briana set her goal of modeling in the Be Beautiful, Be Yourself fashion show. It is even more difficult to believe how much Briana's life has changed in the past year. When I look back on our journey, I am more certain than ever that God has a plan for everything. A year ago, Briana was dependent on her mother for everything: cooking meals, helping her dress, helping her shower, putting on her shoes. She didn't have the stamina or gross motor skills to do many of these things for herself. If she had not been blessed with the opportunity to train with me, she would still be extremely dependent on others for her care and well being. So I believe it was God's plan to have me prepare Briana for living a capable, independent life. When I look at her now and see that independence, I am overjoyed. However, by no means do I take the credit for Briana's success. It truly took a village to make this happen, so I want to dedicate this final week of the year to thanking everyone that has been involved in this amazing journey. First and foremost, I must thank Pat McDonnell of the McDonnell Family Foundation. If it weren't for you, none of this would have been possible. Your loving heart and generosity brought Briana and me together. You have blessed me with a year of work that never felt like work and that I will continue to do for the rest of my life. Second, I want to thank Biana's mom, Lorrie Carrey, who is now an angel in heaven. She was the backbone of Briana's success from day one. She made sure she followed my meal plans consistently and she taught Briana how to say no. There were many times that she skipped work parties or social engagements where she knew it would be difficult for Briana to be there and not be tempted to eat things she shouldn't. Without Lorrie's dedication, Briana would not have been successful. Next I would like to thank Trish Morris from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Thank you for being there to support me when things got rough this summer when Lorrie became ill. You have been a stable person in Briana's life and she considers you family. I also want to thank Gladys Upton, Briana's aunt and guardian. Thank you for all the time you spent on the phone with me, talking about Briana's diet, trying to understand everything that we had been doing, and supporting the process. You have been a blessing. Which brings me to Sandy and Crystal, Briana's new host family. It isn't every day that you see people open their homes and hearts the way you have for Briana. I am overjoyed that she has you in her life now. I know she is in good hands, and I appreciate you both making the effort to support her diet and fitness progam. I know it isn't always easy. Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank Briana. You are an angel in my life. I have learned more from you this year than you have learned from me. I will forever be inspired by your determination and you are always in my heart, reminding me to live in the moment, to love big, and to be honest in all things. And so it is with gratitude and love that I end this post, and with great pride that I can say Briana looked amazing on the runway last Saturday night. She will forever shine in my heart. This is just the beginning of another journey for both of us, so check back soon to see what happens next. Until then, live in the moment and celebrate the gifts you have in your life.

Weeks 50-51

Briana called me on Monday night. Our conversation went something like this: "Hello?" "Roberta, I have something to tell you, and I don't want you to be upset, okay?" "Okay, Briana, what is it?" I asked. "Today, for lunch, I had something that wasn't on my diet." "What did you eat, Briana?" "I ate casserole. It was at the Denver Rescue Mission," she answered. "You ate casserole at the Denver Rescue Mission? What were you doing there?" I wondered. "We went to volunteer!" she replied excitedly. "So you were volunteering and they fed you lunch?" "Yes, they did. Is that okay?" she asked? "Well, when you do special things like that and don't have a choice, it is okay to eat what they offer you. I'm not mad about that," I assured her. "Oh, good! Well I have to tell you something else. I took my lunch. I had a sandwich and juice and fruit," she said. "So you took your lunch and ate it AND had casserole?" I asked. "Yes, I did. Is that okay with you?" "Briana, next time that happens, I want you to eat the lunch you brought and skip the casserole. It isn't good to eat two lunches. If you don't have a lunch, you can eat what they offer you. If you do have a lunch from home, that is always your best choice," I informed her. "Okay. I just wanted to let you know," she said. "Thank you for telling me and that and thank you for thinking about making good choices," I told her. "I will see you tomorrow for your workout." "Okay! Love you! Bye!" she said as she hung up the phone. This conversation was just one of many we have been having lately. Briana is a new world with new opportunities. Everything is very different than it was six months ago. Before, the grocery budget was extremely small, so I didn't have to worry about excess or abundance of food. Her mom provided exactly what was allowed on the meal plan and there really wasn't room for anything else. Briana only went out occasionally, which meant she was rarely exposed to temptations or situations where she needed to make choices. Now that Briana is living with her host mom, she is out and about all of the time. She is part of the family, which means she is visiting friends and relatives and finding herself "celebrating" many things with many people. What used to be a rare special occasion has turned into a packed social calendar. This is all good news, but I am realizing that my job now is to educate Briana. It can't always be up to her host mom to tell her no. She needs to know a good choice from a bad choice and be able to stand up and say no for herself. So, over the past weeks, I have made lists of approved food choices for Briana. She and her host mom know where they can stop to grab a bite (and what they can grab) when out and about. They know which crackers Briana can have with her soup if she really wants crackers. They know how many days a week she can have cheese. They know what foods to use as substitutions for "treat foods." They know how to make good choices. When I talk to Briana and she tells me that she made a good choice (which doesn't happen quite as often as I would like) I really celebrated her success. She thrives on making me proud. So when she makes a bad choice, I simply have to say "that doesn't make me happy," and she will always come back with, "Okay. I am going to do my best. I won't make a bad choice anymore." Day by day, meal by meal, she is starting to think about her choices, which makes me proud. What makes me even more proud is that it finally starting to show. For the first time in weeks, Briana lost weight at a weigh in! She weighed in this week at 166 pounds for a total weight loss of 61 pounds! Hallelujah!