Christmas Day

Merry Christmas!

Ashley achieved a significant milestone in the last week. On Wednesday the technology folks at RIC tested Ashley for response to yes/no questions using a button. The button is rigged to her wheelchair and placed so Ashley can hit it by raising her left arm for a ‘Yes’ answer. Upon pressing the switch an attached speaker actually says ‘Yes’. She was quite accurate on Wednesday after they set it up. By Sunday we had relatives on the speakerphone asking Ashley questions. She was 100% during those calls. Her psychologist asked her a range of questions on Monday and was quite impressed by her response.

Now when Ashley is tired, or simply on in the mood, she will not respond, but what is so encouraging is how accurate she is. Our prayers are that this is the first step in a return to full communication skills.

On Saturday Ashley did a first since becoming ill. She went to a movie. This wasn’t just a video being shown at RIC. Courtesy of the nearly 50 degree weather Chicago had on Saturday we ventured out and went to a movie theater a few blocks away. We saw “P.S. I Love You”. Ashley showed appropriate responses by laughing at funny parts and crying at the sad parts. It had to be liberating to her knowing that she can start to do some ‘normal’ everyday things.

Another major step is an increase in Ashley’s eating exercises. For the first time Ashley went to the lunch room on her floor and the speech therapist had a plate of pureed foods for Ashley to sample. All this week Ashley will be cutting back on her tube feed lunches to increase her appetite for these exercises. It is still an exercise and not a meal substitution. While Ashley is taking and swallowing thickened liquids and pureed foods there is still a lot of muscle coordination that needs to re-develop before she will be able to eat enough at a single setting to represent a full meal.

We are now targeting the middle of January for Ashley to come home. We have a lot of action items to address and Ashley’s physical health must remain stable so we can bring her home. She is anxious to come home.

Our family was together on Christmas day. Thanks to all the prayers and support we have received we can say we had a blessed Christmas. We sincerely hope that all of you feel the presence of Christ in your lives.