Ivan Jr. was born in the early hours of 02August 1997 at Guy's hospital in London and was given the all clear. Ivan Jr. being our first child was a wonderful addition to the family. 22 months on and we were to receive the shock of our lives.

While on holidays in the United States of America June 1999, Ivan  jr's. mum noticed he looked dazed and was unsteady on his feet one evening. Initial fears were, Ivan had been hurt while he was outside playing with his cousins and their friends?

His aunt who had been supervising the kids outside confirmed there were no incidents outside. This prompted him been rushed to the hospital as it was very unlike Ivan Jr., who normally was full of energy and was always running about the place. 

On arrival at emergency, the first thing the Doctor told my wife was that he wanted to do a CT scan of Ivan Jr's. head, now this demand came as a surprise as my wife was not expecting a scan, thinking it might just be fatigue. The next question was more like one we were used to hearing from friends and family, so it was not much of an unusual question, she had thought. "Question; has your Doctor never mentioned concerns, regarding Ivan Jr.'s head size in comparison to his age.? That for his age his head was rather large, my wife answered no, as it had never being mentioned by any Doctor. Only friends and family would joke that he had a big head and we would reply that big heads run in the family. 

Anyhow the scan revealed that our son was born with a congenital abnormality. In his case Dandy-Walker Syndrome.

Ivan Jr. was flown back home to the UK. He had to undergo an operation three days (5th August 1999) after his second birthday. Five months on he was diagnosed as Autistic.

Today, Ivan Jr. after spending 8 glorious years has graduated from Tuke School. We would like to thank Heidi Tully and everyone at Tuke School. Most expecially Robert Pearce and his team for the last 3 years of Ivan's time at Tuke school. Meeting his needs and challenging behaviour even when it escalated in the last year and half of his time at Tuke.   

We would like to thank everyone at  (Cherry Garden School, UK) for their care, support and above all LOVE shown to Ivan Jr. in his younger years before Tuke School and the love and support to us his family throughout Ivan Jr.'s time there. God bless you all.

Ivan Jr. and everyone around him, at home, are continually working with Ivan Jr. Peculiar Care Homes provides daily support and we hope and pray they will be the care company to provide the daily care when Ivan goes into supported living. We have been truly blessed to have them on board in the last year and half. 

Ivan's journey 2008. 

Ivan also started having epileptic fits after his surgery and was on medication to control his fits. Thank God he has not had a seizure in over 8 years and has been taken off the medication. In November 2008, Ivan Jr was very ill for a few weeks, and was in and out of hospital as the Doctors could not find anything wrong with him. The scans he had done did not show any problems wrong with his shunt.

After about three weeks of Ivan being ill, and not wanting to move around, his neurosurgeon decided to do a procedure called a Lumbar Puncture. A lumbar puncture is a medical procedure where a sample of fluid is taken from inside the spine for testing. Anyway, the test revealed a build-up of spinal fluid in Ivan’s Spine. Ivan had an operation to insert a lumbar-peritoneal shunt, which is a type of cerebral shunt. His VP shunt inserted in 1999 stopped working, and caused a build-up of fluid in his spine, but the Neurosurgeon has said it is safer to leave the first VP shunt in place as it causes no harm to Ivan. 

Ivan's journey since 2016.

Ivan Jr. is now 21 years old, at age 19 we were presented with a new challenge as  a family, Ivan was to move on in his life from home. We prayed to God that the best choice and provision would be made for him and that God's will be done.

Currently we are very blessed to have a care company that has made the journey thus far a very plesant and happy one. Perculiar Care Homes

We thank all involved. God bless.

We are going all the way with God.

Ivan Ibuno Snr.