Declan's #46 Dog Tag

I had wanted to retrieve this Travel Bug in a cache located in the Sydney Harbour Bridge area of Sydney Australia having visited as many parts of the World before then. Feb 2010 - We've since been to Sydney, so I'd like the travel bug to travel far and wide please. It is just a Travel Bug and there were no attachments to the TB dogtag. Thanks for finding the TB and even more thanks for moving it along. Keep it moving and enjoy finding it.

My son, Declan, is now 21, Autistic and has severe language and communications difficulties with very challenging behaviour. Declan has no speech and can only understand about 30 words and responds with either a shake of the head or signs 'please'. His needs are too complex for us as his parents to have him living with us and reluctantly in September 2009, Declan moved into a special home with specialist staff that can care for him 24 hours a day. He is 3 hours away from us, and his carers want to observe him for 6 weeks before we can visit him again. His mother and I have never spent more than a few days from him in our lives and we were suffering real guilt issues as well as missing him terribly. We can't live with him and we can't live without him. I am new to Geocaching, but Declan and I used to spend long hours walking in forests and trails and driving through the countryside as a distraction for him when he got frustrated and upset, which was a daily occurence. Had Declan been an ordinary boy, I would like to think that this was a passion that we could have explored and done together as father and son. Please help my travel bug on its journey? If not for me, then for Declan. Thanks Steve

17th February 2010 - Thanks to all the people who've found the travel bug and have posted kind notes here, Declan is doing really well at his new home, he is making some progress in overcoming his anxiety difficulties. He has since had a few weekends with us at home, many good times together. My wife and I are getting used to our new found freedom, the guilt issues have left us and all of us are having much more fulfilling lives.

4th October 2010, We are thrilled that this travel bug has now covered 3800 km and many,many thanks to those kind people who have taken the time and trouble to move this travelbug and write kind notes of encouragement to us. Declan continues to exhibit less and less anxiety and we have had many happy times together recently. Long may it continue.

18th February 2011. Thanks to all the kind natured folks who have moved Declan's TB around the US and Canada and have passed on kind messages of support. Declan is doing quite well, it was a pleasure to have had him stay with us for the week but the weather here was too cold, wet and wild for us to do some outdoor persuits together. Declan continues to make some progress - his bouts of self harming are still occuring due to his frustration and reflux although our lives as parents are greatly improved and he has many good days at his 'college' too. He still swims like a fish and loves playing in the water and I still miss him greatly on a daily basis.

25 September 2011 Declan continues to make good progress at his college, his bouts of self-harming continue, but they have made great progress with easing his reflux condition, he now eats practically everything that he is offered and his weight is back to where it was when he first went there over two years ago. Thanks for moving on this trackable and for the kind words that people post. My wife and I enjoy the fact that others get fun out of finding his travel bug and moving it on. Thank you. The #46 is because Declan's elder brother and I ride sports motor bikes (Triumph Daytona 955i and Ducati 600SS) and are big fans of Valentino Rossi in MotoGP #46 aka The Doctor.

19 August 2013 Thank you to everyone who has asked about Declan, he continues to do well at his college and we get to see him on a home visit every 5-6 weeks. I hadn't realised it was so long since I updated this site and we are glad that the travel bug has moved further west so that others may enjoy finding it. It would be nice if it went further south so that others could find it all year round.... <smile>