Our own Uncle Jimbo and Evan Pertile playing at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, TN. RE: Evan Pertile - A Future Soldier You Should Know RE: Spiritual Warfare Needed - Evan Pertile RE: Some Spiritual and Caring Bridge Warfare Needed RE: Evan Pertile - SYSK Follow Up RE: Evan Pertile - Returned to Duty RE: Evan Pertile - Future Soldier and SYSK Follow UpYesterday was Evan Pertile's SEVENTH birthday! While we're a day late, we'll just celebrate it even more today. Thanks to all of you who've supported Evan! Dear Evan's Army, Happy Birthday to Evan today!!! Our sweet boy is seven! His day so far has been great. He had breakfast in bed with his brothers, opened some presents and then went to Sunday School. He is back at church for a chili cook-off with Tia and her family and then later a super-fun birthday party at a giant bounce house extravaganza! The boys asked me why I was sad this morning because I was tearful. I told them they were tears of JOY! because this year Evan is home where he belongs. Last year his birthday in Memphis was so different. My Dad and Rebecca drove to Memphis with William, Jonathan, Christina, Ethan, and Molly (the dog!) but there really is no place like home. Evan returned two weeks ago to St. Jude for his 6 month check-up. Praise God his scans were clear! I feel like we have a couple months of breathing time until he has to go back again in April. He will be there for the better part of a week. We are on a cyclical pattern here. Huge anxiety in the weeks leading up to the return and then 2 months of relief after he returns home. The first semester of first grade was very challenging for Evan. Not only had he missed almost all of kindergarten and was behind, we found out there were some learning issues going on as well. Thankfully, since returning in January, things have really improved. Heathwood has been SUPER in helping accommodate Evan and he is getting extra support every day. No more tears and frustration now! He is smiling again and happy to be a Highlander once again. Evan has overcome speech apraxia (an expressive language disorder he was diagnosed with at age 18 months), medulloblastoma, and now he has learning issues. All I know is that God must have an unbelievable plan for our boy because just one of those issues should be all a little boy should have to deal with. Evan recently went through some extensive testing and has a very high intelligence. That, combined with his incredible perseverance, will balance the scales. He truly is ARMY STRONG!!!! We are also proud of Evan's generosity. Instead of receiving gifts at his birthday party today, he requested that his friends bring food donations for Harvest Hope to help feed the hungry in Columbia. Evan likes to pay it forward too! I truly don't know if we could have made it through the past 14 months with out the prayers and support of so many, known and unknown. Words will never be able to express our gratitude. We love you all!!! Love, Rachel
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Posted
Feb 01 2010, 03:34 AM
by
BLACKFIVE