1900 - Circa, My Great-Great Grandfather Dr. P.G. Cornish Sr. A page from the book "The Bronco Bill Gang".

The Four Horsemen 1908 - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dr. P.G. Cornish Senior in the picture below was my Great-Great Grandfather.

1900 - Circa Great-Great Grandfather Senator George Coffin & Great Uncle Dr. P.G. Cornish

My Great-Great Grandfather Senator George Coffin & Great Uncle Dr. P.G. Cornish Circa 1900

244 Walter Albuquerque, New Mexico

India's 1st Time Holding Her New Sister

Very happy India.

India Rocking Out to Metallica May 3, 2012

Like Daddy, Like Daughter....

India Jammin' to David Byrne June 5, 2010

Innie Jammin' to David Byrne

Diva

It's not easy for a Diva to get ready in the morning.

Love at First Sight

This is the very first time India met her brother.

The Great Weenie Wiggle of 2013

 So I hear howling laughter coming from the dining room.  I go to see what's causing all the commotion to find that my son  discarded every stitch of clothing, had figured out how to get up on the table and positioned himself right in front of his sister as she ate dinner.

India could not stop laughing, tears flowing down her cheeks. She ended up with her face in her plate as her body quivered causing everybody else in the room to start giggling like children.

I'm not sure what my daughter found funnier, her brother having the balls (no pun intended) to get up on the dining room table or that he didn't realize meat and potatoes (no pun intended) weren't for dinner.

Pure Joy

It's the pure joy that most can't see.

A wonderful day at the Cabin helping Daddy water the flowers, Cabin, rocks, bugs, birds, Chipmunks, dog, tree, Daddy and of course herself.

Very tiring job that ended with a nice nap in the forrest under the sun.

Life is good.

My Beautiful Hungarian

This photo was a life changing event for India, Marion and myself.

I had just separated from my former wife. The impact of what had happened to India was becoming clear and India was failing at an alarming rate.

The recession, among other things, had wiped me out financially. Until the year of this photo, I had paid out of pocket up to $30,000.00 per month for India’s interventions; I have a high school education only. I was now cash poor, had no substantial training to help India. It was my former wife that was trained extensively and supposed to have been responsible for using the daily interventions with India in the event we faced financial hardship; this did not happen. It was my job to do all I could to come up with the money to cover the professionals in San Diego, San Francisco, Tucson, Albuquerque, El Paso, Pontiac Michigan, Ontario Canada, New Jersey, Boston and Hungary.

So after I left my former wife and leading up to this photo, I found myself in a position of having to protect my children and in particular India whose little body was deteriorating as a result of her mother’s brutal neglect. To say I was stunned and confused would be the understatement of my life.

My ex-wife and I had previously been hiring specialists out of Hungary who are trained in something called “Conductive Education”. Of the million dollars plus that was spent on India, nothing came close to the results of “Conductive Education” which cost a fraction of the other interventions that showed little to no results other than decimating our bank accounts. We hired and flew in at least a dozen of these amazing “Conductive Educators” from Eastern Europe to work with India and other children. But one stood out in ways I can’t articulate.

This person was Viktoria Szolnoki. She and India quickly became best friends. My former wife insisted on Vikki being the only "Conductive Educator" to work with India and we flew her from Europe many times to help our child. Vikki, until India’s mothers’ actions, inactions, blocking of interventions and change of philosophy, took my child to the point of standing, walking, feeding herself and doing things most professionals said were impossible. Vikki was amazing and in very high demand. We booked her as often as possible in-between her sessions in England, Canada, Ireland, Hungary and other U.S. States.

So not long before this photo, India was in a desperate state and her future looking very bad. I tracked Viktoria down in a town called Fareham, England, just outside Portsmouth and about 2 hours from London. I updated her on the situation and she agreed to try to train me via MSN video as best she could with the basics. But the damage to India was too much and the video sessions couldn't give my child what she needed to just relieve the pain.

I realized something drastic had t be done. I swallowed my pride, called Viktoria, told her I was broke, I couldn't afford to pay her, I could however arrange payments and would borrow the money to cover her air ticket. I apologized as I asked her if she would be willing to come for a short time during the Christmas holiday which was only weeks away and help India; we were desperate. Victoria’s response was nice as she said she'd call me back. I took this to mean “no” and as we hung up, found myself slumped on the floor sobbing uncontrollably at the realization of our situation.

I was awoken an hour later from the very same spot I'd called Viktoria. I'd fallen asleep on the floor from exhaustion, the phone still in my hand. Viktoria called me back from England and her response brings tears to my eyes to this day.

As Viktoria told me that she’d be arriving several days later, I found myself doing all I could to not break down again while I was on the phone with her; this time with pure and profoundly deep relief. Viktoria had purchased a ticket from her own funds. I didn’t know until later that it cost her $5,000.00 US Dollars coach because of last minute holiday booking. Viktoria told me not to worry about paying her and that she’d stay for a month.

This is the photo of literally the minute my children came into the house and realized Vikki had arrived. This “love” session went on for over 30 minutes. The relief and excitement was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. India, with her one good arm, held onto Vikki so tight, that she left dark bruising on Vikki’s skin. India’s exact words when she saw Vikki, after doing a double take, looking at me for confirmation that what she was seeing was in fact real, was “Dikki – oooohhhhhh Dikki” (Verbal - Vikki oh Vikki", with the most amazing sigh of relief as she began to sob, tears flowing down India’s cheeks as she giggled with excitement.

Vikki has been put through absolute hell from every direction and in ways that I can’t bring myself to write about. This includes horrific actions from my own family, ex-wife and friends that have left us in a constant state of fear and disbelief; all from the moment Vikki arrived to help my child.

Vikki is still here and still enduring the unimaginable from those very same people and more. Yet every single day, she puts her wings over all the children, myself included, to protect us from the incomprehensible that we have yet to understand. She does this for no other reason than she loves us.

Vikki doesn’t have to be here yet here she remains. And the beauty of this incredible woman isn't limited to her. Vikki’s family makes regular trips across the world to help, at their expense while my own family doesn't so much as call after a single and horrifying seizure where India is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance while her lips turn blue from lack of oxygen. Not to mention a “how is India doing” email or call after one of India’s many surgeries.

So I knew the minute India said “Dikki – oooohhhhhh Dikki” that I’d been blessed with something some call an Angel, or Miracle but I now prefer to call my wife and mother of all my children.

In closing, if you’re wondering why Marion is left out of this story, it’s intentional. Marion’s story of this same timeframe deserves equal attention and will take several chapters if not a book. I put ink to paper as often as I can but these are very hard events to write about.

This is my beautiful wife Viktoria

This is our beautiful son Nikki

This is our beautiful daughter Abbie

This is our beautiful daughter India

This is our beautiful daughter Marion

This is a very upset Vikki when her new husband farts in the car as he is driving and locks the windows shut.

Yellow Yuck

Brother just puked yellow "yuck" on his chest without missing a frame of Mickey Mouse Club House. 

India could not believe it.

Presence of an Angel

This is an emotional photo for me to post. 

I’ve spent the past 14 years trying to help and protect my oldest daughter India who is helpless. We’ve been taken advantage of by charlatans masquerading as caring interventionists. And found ourselves in the confusing position of shielding India from terribly destructive family members who’ve acted with complete disregard for her wellbeing.

I’m one of the few fathers in the state of New Mexico who has been awarded full custody and there was a very good reason it came to be.

This picture brings tears to my eyes every time I see it because my child has been through hell. Yet this little girl who at times sobs while I hold her because of absolute frustration with a body that won’t cooperate as she watches her peers dance and play, is also blessed every now and then with the presence of an angel.

This photo is of India and an angel “Sherri”. This amazing woman, who was an aid for the school system, paid not enough money to live on, stood up and protected my child as if she were her own. Despite the school admonishing, pressuring and even placing an undeserved and spiteful letter of reprimand in Sherri’s record, continued to shine and show her integrity. She looked out for my child regardless of the impact on herself.

To tell you this is rare would be the understatement of the century.

This is a photo I took of Sherri and India during India’s last year in Las Cruces. They didn’t know I was taking photos – this is their relationship. 

Beautiful Love Part 1

I've watched my oldest daughter go through the unimaginable. Recently I was put through another intense situation with my child that I wasn't prepared for.

I went to pick my oldest daughter up from school a bit early on her last day. I arrived knowing she had a crush on a boy who is equally disabled. My 14 year old daughter sometimes blushes when she talks about this boy. She’s known him since they were young and he’s one of the first names she mentions in the morning as we prepare her for school as she looks for confirmation that she gets to see him each day.

I was pleased this “boyfriend” India always talks about made her happy. I fostered the romance but assumed it was just a “crush” from a distance. I didn't fully understand the bond until India’s last day of school and it almost brought me to my knees.

As I walked into my child's classroom, I found her wheelchair that she can maneuver positioned next to her boyfriends. They were holding each other and clearly enjoying every moment; it was beautiful beyond words.

The joy of knowing my child had been given the opportunity to feel the happiness at 14 of having a boyfriend, the butterflies, the excitement; this love is a gift that most never experience. Especially considering both of these kids are trapped in broken and painful bodies yet have found happiness in each other.

Here is a photo from this day, nothing more need to be said and I’ll sleep a bit better every night to the day I die as the world has become a bit brighter for all of us.

(Not long after I'd posted this story, I was driving through the mountains with my daughter India. We were listening to music, enjoying the scenery and having a great time. 

Cellular service is very patchy where we were at 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains so the phone coming to life is rare; which I enjoy.

So when I heard my phone buzz it caught my attention. I pulled over to take a look and was taken aback by what I saw.  There were hundreds of responses to this post; they were beautiful.  

While my daughter was sitting next to me as I read the heartfelt responses to my post, a song came on the radio and the timing of it was indescribable.

I began to cry like I've not cried in a long time.  These were very bitter sweet tears. But of course my Angel asks me with a big grin on her face "why Daddy 'uhhh' (her word for cry)". Then she started laughing which of course made me start laughing.  So there we were in God's country, laughing like loons and enjoying that incredible day.

"Fall is here, hear the yell 
back to school, ring the bell 
brand new shoes, walking blues 
climb the fence, book and pens 
I can tell that we are gonna be friends 
I can tell that we are gonna be friends 

Walk with me, India B.
through the park, by the tree 
we will rest upon the ground 
and look at all the bugs we've found 
safely walk to school without a sound 
safely walk to school without a sound 

Here we are, no one else 
we walked to school all by ourselves 
there's dirt on our uniforms 
from chasing all the ants and worms 
we clean up and now it's time to learn 
we clean up and now its time to learn 

numbers, letters, learn to spell 
nouns, and books, and show and tell 
playtime we will throw the ball 
back to class, through the hall 
teacher marks our height against the wall 
teacher marks our height against the wall 

and we don't notice any time pass 
we don't notice anything 
we sit side by side in every class 
teacher thinks that I sound funny 
but she likes the way you sing 

tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed 
when silly thoughts go through my head 
about the bugs and alphabet 
and when I wake tomorrow I'll bet 
that you and I will walk together again 
I can tell that we 
are going to be friends 

yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends. 

... Jack White - The White Stripes