Update: Wednesday 3/28

The past couple days have flown by! Forrest is already hard at work. Yesterday was a true testament to his pure determination and unconquerable strength. In the morning, Forrest opened his mouth while brushing his teeth without any assistance (which is HUGE!)! Some mornings his mouth is closed tightly and requires assistance opening. Getting all his muscles to cooperate and follow his brain's commands has been months in the making, but yesterday he was successful! As if this huge accomplishment wasn't enough for one day, Forrest reminded everyone he was the ultimate champion by successfully sitting up for 20 minutes with the help of his Occupational Therapist and his Physical Therapist. Not to do anything halfway, twice Forrest triumphantly lifted his head! With every one's cheers filling our tiny room, Forrest sat tall, proud, and determined, just five days post-surgery.

This week Forrest and Team 44 have been reminded of the sheer power of friendship. The touching messages, supportive comments, and fun visits we've received in the past week have given us all the strength we needed to keep going. Forrest's spirits were lifted this week by visits from his friend Keith and his mother. You could see how engaged and present Forrest was while Keith told stories of driving 4-wheelers and showed pictures of them in the eight grade.

Forrest is fighting on. He is gaining more control of his hands. Several times this week, Forrest overcame the round the clock tone he fights and held his iPad to look at pictures, watch video clips, and listen to music. He especially enjoyed watching all the video messages on his group Facebook! Every day we work on strengthening Forrest's fine and gross motor skills in fun and exciting ways. While trying to play tic-tac-toe yesterday, Forrest had an incredible moment. He got this look of fierce determination in his eyes and began plotting his first move. As Forrest began to move his pen to the board, he did something amazing. He overcame his contracted muscles and moved his entire arm to position the pen to make his mark in the lower left square! Working with Forrest and watching him constantly fight against his tight muscles is more than inspirational. As difficult as it is to watch him struggle, it's so fun to have a student like Forrest who never gives up and is always willing to try. It's this amazing courage and persistence that I know Forrest will bring to his rehabilitation at NRH.

We are hoping to transfer back to NRH sometime tomorrow. Rae has been in constant communication with both institutions, and is waiting for the official green light. We will update with any new information we receive.

With appreciation and admiration for all who help Team 44,

Maylin

Forrest sitting up for the first time since surgery.

Forrest making his mark while playing tic-tac-toe.

Forrest and Keith share a laugh while watching funny videos.

Judy and Pat from the Medical Team stop by to check in on Forrest.