Claire Wiegand's Story: 2021 - 2022

Claire had a good year. Aside from contracting a mild case of COVID-19 from a housemate during the holidays, she has thrived in her group home with her housemates. Her weight is stable and she is healthy and happy. We have gotten over much of the guilt of placing her in a home because she is well-cared for.

Her only health issue is that she has developed some swelling in her feet. Edema is a known symptom of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome so that may be the cause, but we haven't ruled out medication yet. Fortunately, it doesn't bother her and hasn't caused any issues.

	Claire got to have some summer fun in our little inflatable pool. (August 2021)
	She played a couple of rounds of "Go Away - Come Back" with Mom, which always makes her smile. (August 2021)
	Claire was back at her ENT doctor's office for a follow-up appointment to get her ears cleaned out again. (September 2021)
	Mom took this opportunity to get a close-up shot of her beautiful hazel eyes. (September 2021)
	After an overnight visit, we returned Claire to her group home wearing her jack-o-lantern shirt for Halloween. (October 2021)
	Claire spent Thanksgiving with her housemates at her group home, but came to visit us a few days later. (November 2021)
	The next morning, we took her in for an eye exam since her group home requires an eye exam every two years. It's pretty tricky to truly check her vision, but the doctor said her eyes look healthy, so that's nice. (November 2021)
	Claire's house manager sent us pictures of her and her housemates enjoying Christmas morning. Her group home was in lockdown because some of the residents (Claire included) came down with COVID-19, but they all recovered quickly. Claire had received brand-new Christmas pajamas so she could look as festive as her housemates did. (December 2021)
	A few days after Christmas, it was safe enough to visit Claire again. We brought her a brand new floor rug for her room and it looks great. (December 2021)
	She had received a Christmas teddy bear from the house manager. (December 2021)
	The next day, we took Claire to her doctor for her annual physical and to get her guardianship report signed as we have to do every two years. She alternated between walking around the exam room and cuddling on Mom's lap while we waited. (December 2021)
	Claire went in for a follow-up head MRI to compare against the one taken last year. It showed that the neurofibromatosis type 2 tumors in her head had not grown since her last MRI in June 2021, which was fantastic news. (January 2022)
	At her appointment with her ENT/NF2 specialist, we went over her results while Claire waited patiently. (January 2022)
	After a sleepover at Gram Gram and Grandpa's house, Grandpa picked up Aunt Claire for a visit. Her niece and nephews were excited to see her and all wanted to help hold her drink for her. (January 2022)
	Claire's dad, Greg, took a picture of Claire and his dog Luka while she was visiting him for the weekend. This will be added to the frames in Claire's room of the people and animals who love her. (February 2022)
	Claire always enjoys a dip in the swim spa, but this was the first time we turned on the swim jets for her. She loved it! (February 2022)
	When we were dogsitting our granddog Jack, he got to spend some time hoping that Claire would drop some of her food when she was visiting too. (March 2022)
	We hosted a family gathering with Tom's mom and brother, Jill's family, plus Claire and her dad, so we got a family photo of our little three-parent/guardian family. (April 2022)
	We attended PMSF family conference session online, and at the end of the session, they showed a video created from videos sent in by Phelan-McDermid families. The theme was joy, and our Claire was represented with a sweet video of her being giggly at bedtime when she was younger. (April 2022)
	Another overnight visit, another splash in the swim spa for Claire. (April 2022)
	We picked up Claire for a day of medical appointments. First, a trip to the dentist for a cleaning and checkup. (May 2022)
	Next, she had a visit to the doctor to have the swelling in her feet (lymphedema) checked. (May 2022)
	Tom gave Claire a hug when dropping her off at her house after an overnight visit. (May 2022)
	Claire started her birthday out right at her group home with pancakes, strawberries, a balloon, a tiara, and a cute new top. She celebrated with her family on two separate weekend trips home. (July 2022)

2022 and beyond

Check Claire's page for more photos, and click here to see photos from the times she participated in Special Olympics when she was younger.

Claire's story is updated once per year, usually in late July.