Cannabis Heals Genevieve and Her Love Heals Us

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Genevieve teaches us all that every day is a gift:

We live in a chaotic world where often it’s hard to find beauty – but that doesn’t hold true when your world includes Genevieve on a daily basis. She’s so much more than a cannabis compassion patient that became my daughter – she’s a ray of light. Such a strong blast of energy comes from her that anyone crossing her path with a heart can’t help but soak some in. As cannabinoid medicine advances her life by the day – she advances ours even more. She was featured in a High Times article just days ago that told the world about how she, on her own, decided I was going to be her daddy. Of course her mom and I were dating and had become serious – but ultimately it was Genevieve who let her mom know “Daddy” by pointing to photo’s of me while also referring to Homer Simpson on her iPad. She loves the Simpsons and is engaged in her multitudes of devices daily nowadays – but back then, 3 years ago, her using one all the time was a huge step. Every day she lets me know how important I am by strolling through the house to my office just to peer in “Is everything okay” is the look she gives – a quick glance to check on Daddy. Although the following article was a good overview – there’s so much more to the story.

Genevieve’s Journey: How Cannabis Helped Save a Life and Create a Family

Today Genevieve did something we’ve never seen before. While Mom was out on a journey on Amtrak to help our nephew Gabe out in getting his senior photos, Uncle Jimmy came as he usually does with a slurpee from 7-11. Many know that Genevieve loves those as we take strolls to that store on video and share them on social media quite often. There’s nothing more fun than watching Genevieve go through the store and get her favorite drink. The joy she shows is beyond incredible – so let’s watch!

She went beyond her usual slurping of the slurpee today and did something that was mind boggling. For her to remove the top off the drink isn’t easy as her manual dexterity is still building, her fine motor skills are as well lacking but getting better by the week. She actually took off the top of her Slurpee today and then grabbed water as I had put it in the freezer for her to keep due to her having a home therapist here at the time. When I went in to check on Genbug -low and behold she’d done something that most people would think is no big deal – but to us? What she did was huge. So many people think that kids like her are unable to think much on their own – that they lack the ability to have creative thought. Genevieve figured out today that she can add water to her favorite drink and make it last longer! Of course – many will think “Why is this guy typing about such a mundane task.” Well, it’s far from that in the world of severe autism, to see this type of advanced thinking coming from a child who was considered ‘non verbal’ until after cannabis oil calmed her brain from seizures and woke it from a pharmaceutical trance she’d been in… and spoke. But, hey, the label still stands although we hear from her daily quite often! So for her to go this far and create her drink the way she wanted it by using cognition that’s advanced so far over the past 3 years is a big thing. It shows us that the oils are working for her. I had to grab my phone and take a photo as to me – this is celebration time!

Everyday, Genevieve reminds us how precious life is. She teaches us to celebrate such simple things and to find joy and happiness not in material items but in a funny part of a video. Entertainment doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg in Genevieve’s world – it can be the same video in 3 different languages on 3 devices at once and she’s cracking up for hours. It can be Jazz music playing in the background while Coloring and having another iPad on her favorite Sponge Bob video. She smiles at us and laughs over the easiest of things – her favorite things in the world are so easy to provide – except one thing. The Carousel… hence the Carousel Challenge. For a child that loves the world so much she’s willing to keep on smiling, keep on laughing, and keep on trying regardless of whatever obstacles she faces. If there’s anyone in this world that inspires me the very most, if I had to pick just one person over my entire lifetime, it’s Genevieve. Of course I’m biased one would think – but I have had quite a few inspirational people in my life. But there’s no comparison to a child that want’s so little in a world filled with people who need so much – she takes the cake as far as inspiration and motivation goes!

One reason we’re going to keep on pushing the Carousel Challenge is the mere fact that Genevieve is providing the world with love, education, and so much more in her own way. If she wasn’t here to motivate it’s highly likely that so much work put into patient and consumer education, public education, and healthcare education in regards to cannabis simply wouldn’t happen. She deserves to have what she calls “My ride” back in Santa Barbara. It was so sad to watch her look into the empty building at Chase Palm Park where the carousel once was when we had to bring her there and show her it’s gone. Regardless of how many times we show her the carousel is gone or tell her the horses have moved and are sleeping – she wants to go. Many that follow her have read about how she’ll wake up in a dream telling us she wants to go now… verbally! She points to the door, points to different carousel horses in her room “I go.. I go my ride” “Daddy.. my ride.. we go” To me, for a child that gives the world so much it’s heartbreaking to watch the world respond back with “We’re busy” so her mom and I have reached out to the world of Instagram and are reaching out to the Stars – literally.

Genevieve heals us with her love. When I state us – I don’t mean our little family or just a few people around here – I’m talking about the world that absorbs her presence. From people who cross our path to the entire cannabis and CBD industries and movement that see her smiling face in social media posts, video’s and more. Her eyes, her soft way of moving and gentle princes like looks – all of it is so filled with love and care for others. Living in Santa Barbara can be difficult at times, it’s not the costs that are sky-high as we find ways to survive, but the glares of people who don’t understand severe autism or wonder why she’s wearing gloves. She’s so full of love and simply undeserving of anything but that in return. So as we venture down the lane of recovery with cannabinoid medicine and continue to tout the powers of the plant – we’ll also be talking it up about how Santa Barbara needs a new Carousel – and have created a route to get one here and even more in other areas that need them. Genevieve’s Carousel Challenge is much more than a way to raise funds for disabled kids to ride for free – it’s a way to get her ride back in town! We want to be fair and create the non-profit so it can fund the same for others. So, we’re calling on the world that loves Genevieve to take a second look at her request. Yes, it will cost likely a cool million dollars to put a nice carousel at the zoo – but she’s asking for that – she’s asking that you take a ride and post your photos on social media, share them with us using the #CarouselChallenge hashtag – and while you’re at it please share the challenge website so those that can fund such a project will. Well, to be quite frank – I’m asking for her! Some have shared old photo’s on carousels which is also way cool! She’s got a Facebook page and an Instagram – @carouselchallenge – so please follow and send the love back to Genevieve she’s sending out to you every day. She makes every moment worth living and life so much easier – when many think it would be hard. Don’t get me wrong, life with severe autism and epilepsy has it’s many challenges – but we’re happy. She’s happy.