Princess Courtney's
Castle of Dreams!

Welcome to Princess Courtney's Castle of Dreams!
Courtney is getting her own, accessible, suite...including her own bedroom and bathroom. Please visit this page often to check on the progress of Courtney's Castle!

Progress Updates & Photos

July 2, 2008

Thanks to Raymond Ramirez from Fox 26 News for making the matching deal for Courtney with Mattress Mack, she now is the owner of a Sony 46 inch flat screen LCD Digital tv. The cost of the tv, on sale was $1,999.00 and add on $499.00 for the extended warranty. After Mack matched half of the cost Courtney finally paid a total of $1253.11. That took up the whole amount of the Skydiving fundraiser ($700.00) and the Putt Putt/Silent Auction Fundraiser ($500.00). We did not want to make any other purchases deciding to save the $2,000.00 from the San Antonio BBQ fundraiser to make all the additional purchases for the room and restroom. There still needs to be so many things to buy, sinks, ceiling fan, toilet, sheetrock, tile, and on and on.
Thanks to everyone who helped and participated with the fundraisers, Mattress Mack and all who donated money, sponsored a skydiver, paid their own skydiving fee's, bought Putt Putt tickets, donated silent auction items, bid on items and to all Courtney's friends who give their love and support. We love you all, we are blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.

My basketball from Mack

Me and Mattress Mack

Monday, June 2, 2008

This was the 4th work week-end on Courtney's new room.
*Saturday's miracle worker team consisted of Barry Boggs, Rod Sutton and my husband Manuel. They started early and worked late. I don't know if we could ever re-pay these two gentlemen for their hard work they are doing for Courtney. The day was filled with the sound of saws and hammering as the three men worked framing up the bathroom and adding a beam across the ceiling area for added support. For those of you who don't know Barry Boggs, this man is in such poor health that it is a miracle that he can hold up to work at all. And God bless Rod, he has a heart of gold. I do believe with all my heart that God is holding Courtney's little life in his powerful hand and is touching  everyone who she encounters. I can't stop being amazed by all the wonderful people who are sent to us.
*Sunday proved to be another spectacular day in which I felt the awesome presence of God. Barry and Manuel got an early start on the framing of the closet area. Courtney's friends at the South Houston Fire Dept. came through once more to answer our call for help. New volunteer Fire Dept. Cadet, Vernon Bussell has graciously volunteered to do the plumbing work for Courtney's room. The hammering and sawing sounds were drowned out by the new sound of the jack hammer. Vernon worked quickly and was finished with the jack hammer by the time Courtney woke from her nap. As I went to the kitchen and looked out the back door I was brought to tears as I saw a little girl on the garage floor picking up the broken cement pieces and putting them in a wheelbarrow. When I regained my composure I went out to meet her and take a picture. Her name is Heylie Bussell, she's the 7 year old daughter of Vernon, she wanted to come over to help Courtney also. Later on in the afternoon when she and her dad finished their work for the day, Heylie came inside with her dad, she wanted to meet Courtney. Courtney was thrilled to have Heylie next to her, Heylie read several books to Courtney. I asked Courtney before she went to sleep tonight if she liked Heylie reading to her, she raised her eyebrows and smiled. 
*And the miracles continue....my husband's family all live in San Antonio, several hours away from us. One of his sister's, Linda and her husband Markie along with one of Manuel's brothers, Randy and his wife Gloria came over for a visit. They arrived when Courtney was taking her nap. After we greeted each other, Randy handed me this huge card saying this was a little something they all had been working on for Courtney. The card was hand made, decorated with flowers and a photo of Courtney on the outside with the words 'we wish you well'. The inside of the poster card was filled with signatures and traced handprints. I didn't realize the significance of the card until Randy handed us a huge stack of twenty dollar bills. There was a total of
$2,000.00 that my husband's family had earned having a BBQ fundraiser for Courtney. I couldn't believe it, we didn't have any idea they all had been planning this for Courtney. I was told that all my husband's sister's, sister-in-law's, brother's, brother-in-law's, niece's, nephew's and his mother along with their friend's, businesses and community members from San Antonio had all joined together to prepare and sell the dinners on Saturday for our precious princess. I am so grateful to all these people, this was such a wonderful thing for them to do to help Courtney.
We don't know yet if we will use the money for the building materials or to take to Mattress Mack  for the Gallery Furniture project since we still have to buy so much for Courtney's room. I will make a list of things we have spent money on for the project so far soon. There will need to be plumbing fixtures, toilet, windows, doors, insulation, sheetrock, ceiling fan, and light fixtures purchased and the list goes on and on. 
*I hope to find out more today about the other fundraising events I hope to do, I will post another update as soon as I find out more.
I really hope we can get the skydives donated soon so the volunteers for that event will have ample time to get their sponsors involved. Please help us with this if you can. Please keep Courtney in your prayers that she will remain well for her upcoming ballet recitial.   

Barry

Vernon

San Antonio Relatives

Heylie

Courtney and her new friend, Heylie

Thursday, May 29, 2008

While we were in the hospital my husband Manuel and Courtney's Occupational Therapist Dawne Sweet met with Bruce Monroe from Mobility Headquarters. I think they have everything worked out for the lift. The past two week-ends have been really hard on the guys with the heat and the very hard job of replacing almost all the overhead joists and rafters. The plan was to replace two of the rafters in the beginning then it was discovered that almost all of them would have to be replaced. That second week-end Rod Sutton worked with Manuel both days and Justin worked several hours also. Manuel's good friend Barry Boggs joined in on the hard work that Sunday.
This past weekend was the third week-end since the project began, and it was Manuel, Barry and Rod working for both Saturday and Sunday.
 
*Next weekend the framing for the walls will begin.
We are in desperate need of a plumber now to start the work for the bathroom plumbing.  We had hopes that Daniel Olivo from the South Houston Fire Dept. would be able to get someone for us but I have not heard back from him. I sure wish we had someone to help design the bathroom. I am so afraid we will make a mistake and not do what is best for Courtney so she can get in and out of the bathroom without any problems.
*We have one month that Gallery Furniture will match our donations we raise for purchases we need for Courtney's room. We need to get busy to maximize this wonderful opportunity that Mattress Mack has offered to us. Thanks to our new friend, Raymond Ramirez from Fox News for setting up the benefit for Mack to match the donations for Courtney.  Sue Ann, Courtney's speech therapist has offered to sell things for Courtney at her garage sale in about two weeks down in Seabrook. If any of you have some nice things that you would like to donate for the garage sale you may drop them off at our house. 
*I have contacted the skating rink near our home and am waiting to hear back from the owner about a fund raiser there. I am hoping the owner will donate an evening during the week for an event and all the proceeds will go to the Gallery Furniture benefit project.
*I also am waiting for the owner of the Putt Putt in Webster to get back with me about a golf tournament.
*One of my idea's for a unique fundraiser, which I am calling around about is for a skydive business to donate several skydives, then I could get some key people to dive for donations for Courtney. I would need to ask the people we know with the best chances of earning more from sponsors. I think one person from the school district, one from the Fire Dept. and at least three others. I do believe in miracles so lets see if this will turn out to be another one for Courtney. 
*Please contact me via e-mail or call me if you have any suggestions or idea's. We all have the same goal, to do what is best for Courtney, to benefit her health, happiness and life in some way. Thank you all so much for "Caring for Courtney".

Saturday, May 10, 2008
 
The volunteers arrived early then started tearing out the old sheetrock and insulation in the two car garage. By 11:00 am they were tired, sweaty and hungry. I thought they might enjoy something cold so I had prepared an assorted fruit/dip tray and a veggie/dip tray along with assorted sandwiches with chips. After a short break, they were back to work again. At 3:00pm, as the Miracle Team Volunteer's were finishing up, South Houston Fire Fighter Capt. Daniel Olivo dropped by to see how things were coming along and to say hi to Princess Courtney. He's a funny guy, Courtney smiled at Daniel with his sun glasses on. We love all Courtney's Fire Fighter Friends. 
We want to say thank you to Rod Sutton and Joey Vestal from the PISD Air Conditioning Dept. and Justin Sharum from PISD Maintance Dept. for giving up your Saturday, helping make Courtney's new room happen. We also want to say thanks to Republic Waste for their generosity, donating the use of one of their waste containers for all the old building materials from the garage. This saved $500.00 of the money that you all donated, sold raffle tickets or paid for admission to the dinner/dance for Courtney. 
 
Friday, we will be having a representative come out from Mobility Headquarters to give us advice about the overhead hoist system that we want for our princess. Next work day will be Saturday, May 17, 2008, with plans to replace the broken rafters in the ceiling that support the roof.
 
Please pray for Courtney tomorrow, she goes to the pedi surgeons office to have her g/j tube replaced. The doctor said she will be in a great deal of pain, he will only be using a topical ointment to deaden the area.  

Princess Courtney with South Houston Fire Dept.Capt.Daniel Olivo

Justin Sharum, Rod Sutton and Joey Vestal

Thanks to the generous support from everyone, we have reached our goal of $4,000.00 to begin the renovation of the garage in to  a bigger room with a wheelchair accessible bathroom for Courtney. We will have to check and see how much one of those large waste containers are and have one delivered to leave on site for all the old materials that will be removed.
We are planning for 
Phase 1-The Demolition to begin on Saturday May 10th. After the bathroom is added and the existing washer, dryer and hotwater heater are enclosed, the room will not be as big as we would have wished for but it is going to be so much better for Courtney with her own door to the outside for a fire escape and her own bathroom. Presently we only have one bathroom for our entire family to share down stairs. The ideal situation would have been for our whole house to be remodeled for access for Courtney with all the doors widened and such or maybe an entirely new wheelchair accessible home with all new a/c duct work with all the new home benefits to fit our entire family. We are still making miracles happen for Courtney with this room, she will have a lift to carry her to the bathroom and to help Candace pick Courtney up to put her in her wheelchair/stroller. Our little miss is getting to be so big and long, 46 lbs. and 46 inches long, that it is getting difficult for Candace to lift her safely. I plan on updating as we go along with all the details. My husband did say that we have some volunteers from PISD to help, I only know one so far is the wonderful Rod Sutton, I will list the others names on the " New Room Miracle Team" as I find out.
If you can help in any way please contact me.
Linda Rosas

New Room Miracle Team

  • Justin Sharum

  • Rod Sutton

  • Joey Vestal

  • South Houston Fire Dept. Capt. Daniel Olivo

  • Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale

  • Dawne Sweet

  • Barry Boggs

  • Vernon Bussell

  • Heylie Bussell

Please be patient while Courtney's song, "Miracles Happen", loads...It's worth the wait!