Tuesday, January 8, 2013

New Years Greetings from BrightWood

    44 welcomes all to the New Year!  He continues to amaze through improved walking and talking and has been enjoying time with his friends this holiday season.  Since New Years Eve, many visitors have dropped by and Forrest has spent time in the ManCave playing Wii, playing paintball with targets outside near a bonfire, visiting with a crowd at Common Grounds, playing Pong and beating all opponents!  These visits have provided Forrest with a welcome relief from the long, hard road to recovery.  He has been enjoying improving his voice through Music Therapy and continues to work hard in home school and his various skill building activities that he works on daily.  Forrest will miss his friends tremendously when they go back to school, but it has been great for them to see him make these major improvements.  We hope everyone will stay in touch via Skype and FaceTime to continue to share in these amazing improvements.
     Forrest continues to work hard on his medical treatments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, speech therapy and swallowing.  He will go see various specialists in January and February to hopefully reduce medications and improve swallowing and vertigo as well as work to improve his gait.  He is becoming more mobile with his wheelchair and has made improvements on coordinating his arms and legs when maneuvering his chair and is moving himself around better and better each day.
"Water" pong therapy with Matt and Nick
What you see below is a collection of pictures starring 44, his friends and Team 44 starting 2013.  Stay tuned for a couple of YouTube video links of Forrest....coming soon in a day or two! 

You rock Forrest! Make it the best year ever!

- Dad and Team 44
Meg and Charlotte visit
Paintball with Shayna, Gio, Peter, Pops and David
Alix and Clancey visit
Fly fishing with Shayna, Gio, Marcia (and Sundance)
Wii Bowling with Gio, Shayna and David



Bad Boys for Life...with Gio, Peter, Austin and David

6 comments:

  1. Celebrating you and your accomplishments.....and so thankful for such good friends too. 2013 will be great!

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  2. Hey Forrest! So great to read about your accomplishments. You look stronger and love that smile. It was so great to hear your voice yesterday, it made my week! You have such wonderful, loyal friends, and I know they are big part of your recovery. So to all of your friends, thank you for all of your time, and effort and energy towards Forest's recovery. It is an amazing team. Keep up the hard work Forrest, love Aunt Tricia

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  3. Dear Forrest,

    What an awesome morning I have had catching up on all these wonderful blog posts!!!!

    When Meg and Charlotte came home after their visit with you, they described all your incredible accomplishments to Jim and me. We were tearful to learn of the MANY skills you have fought to regain in the last several months.

    For me, the greatest was your ability to speak. I prayed so hard that your beloved mum would hear your voice by Christmas and you and God made it happen! Best. Present. Ever.

    I would like to say a word to your friends. If you were in front of me, I would give each of you a hug. The love have and the time that you make for your buddy Forrest as you cheer his recovery is HUGE. You are earning jewels in your crowns, dear ones. I am honored to see your faces in the pictures above and to read your names. I am confident that Forrest will return the devotion and the time you have given to him to each of you one day. I am also confident that he will ask you to switch out that water for beer (pong) at some point in the near future. :)

    Forrest, keep working hard, dear boy! It is paying off! We are so darn proud of you and your extraordinary effort. But, most of all, your smiling face, your positive attitude, your constant cheerfulness are an inspiration to me and the very definition of perseverance.

    We love you dearly,
    Shannon and Jim

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  4. PS - 2013....lucky 13 (our family loves this number!) is going to be YOUR year, Forrest. I feel it in my bones and ask for it to be so in my prayers. As your beloved father said, YOU ROCK!

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  5. Hope 2013 is a blessed year for you Forrest and Team 44! You guys are amazing!!!

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  6. FORREST AND AUSTIN - THAT WAS A VERY EXCITING CHRISTMAS MORNING ALL THOSE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU BOTH RAN TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING ON THE FRONT DRIVEWAY!!. SO GLAD I WAS THERE AND HAVE THAT MEMORY TO STORE AWAY. IT REALLY WAS FUN TO LISTEN TO YOUR SHOUTS FROM YOU TWO. I AM SO PROUD OF THE REPORTS ABOUT YOUR DOING SO WELL AND KNOWING YOU IT WON'T STOP. KEEP ON AMAZING US ALL THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL YEAR. GOD BLESS.

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