August 1-18, 2007

It has been some time since I have written and there is much to tell. Aaron continues to thrive and has been extremely healthy and in great spirits. He is alert and focused, he is eating soft foods daily and he is enjoying his time with his teacher, Andrea, very much.

Andrea comes 4 days a week from 12:30 to 3:00 and works with him continuously. She does many things with him such as, reading, art projects and command following. She does a lot with visual and tries to have him distinguish between different objects. Aaron cannot vocalize but he can use his eyes or his right hand to point.

Andrea will be leaving on the 14th of August and it will be a sad day for Aaron. We will miss her terribly but before she goes they will be taking a trip on the 13th of August to Roosevelt Park. It will be a special day for both of them to have this time together and create wonderful memories.

A lot has been happening at the center because of the airing of the new procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation. It has been used on Parkinson’s patients but now it has been tried on a Traumatic Brain Injury Patient. The news is worldwide and there has been a lot in the media. People are calling from all over the world to tell their stories.

The center has been taking a long hard look at the patients there to determine if anyone qualifies. The criteria is very stringent and the guidelines must be met in order to be eligible.
We do not know what the future holds for Aaron but we pray everyday for that one miracle for Aaron.

Friday, August 10th... I went away again for the weekend. I was invited to Lanoka Harbor to spend some time with Andrea. It was wonderful, the weather on Friday was a downpour but Saturday and Sunday were gorgeous. We did fun things, laughed a lot and I ate clams on a ½ shell raw. They were quite good and I had some wine spritzer. We went to the boardwalk on Saturday night to see a concert and Sunday we went to church and I went to Andrea’s bible study group. It was a blessed weekend and I got to let go for a little while and enjoy the time. I told Andrea it was the greatest gift she could ever give me.

One of the nicest things for me was the time you got to spend with your sister. She came Saturday afternoon and spent so much time with you and enjoyed it so much. She said you smiled a lot and were alert and focused the entire afternoon. I was so happy to hear that she enjoyed her time with you so much.

Monday August, 13th... and today is your big day at the park. Andrea will be coming by 10:30 and you will be leaving at 11:00. The park is not far and the weather is beautiful. You will be fishing and feeding the geese and taking a nature walk. Andrea said you ended up on the tennis courts, too bad we did not think to send your racket. I asked Andrea to take a lot of pictures so that you and her can share special memories together.

Tuesday, August 14th... today my heart is very heavy because it is time for Andrea to move on. She has made so many sacrifices to be with you this summer. She worked so hard and never once complained, she was always there and very committed not only to her job but to you especially. Her compassion and her commitment never went unnoticed. You were so attentive to her when she read to you and would acknowledge with a squeeze of the hand and your smile. She will be missed! Thank you Andrea!

Today I had 3 interviews for a new job in my department. It will be a promotion if I should get it. There were 10 processors that applied and we will find out the week of August 27th.

The rest of this week you have been so calm, alert and focused. I am so proud of you Aaron, you continue to fight very hard and your smile says it all.