Jumping for joy!

I am screaming!  Can you hear me screaming?  Today is the day that Mt. Vernon Rehab center evaluated Michael.  Not only did he swim, he swam the best heat of his life.  Words cannot express the joy, the pride, the love I feel for this boy right now.

The morning warm-up started with Physical Therapy.  One Occupational Therapist and one Physical Therapist.  Together they tag teamed Mike as they tried to get responses and test his strength.  He’s smiling as they pulled him to a sitting position, and as he adjusted his balance, you could see him put on the game face.  Challenging him to use brain, muscle strength and physical coordination, they asked “put your arms on your legs Mike”, “lean forward Mike”.  Placing the left leg over the right “put your sock on Mike”.  She placed his hand near the sock.  Mike took the fingers of his left hand, pinched the sock with three fingers and pulled.  The therapist asked him to let her know if it hurt when she tried to move the very stiff right leg over the left…with an audible response “uh huh”.  Her eyes opened wide as she questions “did he just say “uh huh?”  Grinning from ear to ear, we answer “yes!”

As they leave the room, the speech therapist arrives.  She raises the bed so Mike is sitting upright and offers food and drink.  She asks “Mike, would you like some applesauce?”  Mike says “uh huh”.  She feeds Mike a few spoons full and then asks if he would like a few ice chips.  One ice chip at a time, Mike chews and swallows without missing a beat.  Then she asks if he would like orange juice.  Mike nods his head yes.  As tears roll down my face, I watch as she places the drinking cup in his left hand.  She gently guides his arm toward his now opening mouth and out comes the tongue.  He guides the straw to the center and then inside his mouth and drinks orange juice from the straw like he’s done a thousand times before.

As I remember the words of the neurosurgeon early that Sunday morning “I’ll be honest with you, the chances of his survival are not good, is your son an organ donor?”  I am thrilled that I was there to witness this miracle unfolding.  Feeling the thrill of victory, Michael’s entire face was covered with sweat.  The life in his eyes undeniable.  Everyone in the room, shared that moment of raw determination and will.  God was with us all, especially Michael.

Michael did so well that they speech therapist ordered lunch and dinner for him.  He will be spoon fed, watched closely today and if all goes, he’ll be taken off the feeding tube very soon.

The moment that will be with me forever is after the therapist left, saying that I could continue feeding him if I wanted to.  Was she kidding?  Before offering Michael applesauce, ice or orange juice, I sat beside him to tell him how proud I was of him.  He looked at me and raising his left arm over his chest, pointed at the table and said “more”.  You know the seen in Oliver “more?  you want more?”…yeah, that was me.  He wanted more ice chips and I couldn’t get them fast enough.  I was falling all over myself.

Tears still flowing, I know that my words cannot convey the emotion in my heart.  My son, my prince, is born.  There it is…he is born.

Insurance permitting, Mt. Vernon here we come.