Colleen's Message to Forrest 11/16/13

Colleen has brightened your journey in many ways, Forrest. And now as a CCI puppy raiser she has given to you the most generous and loving gift possible, your Forever Pal, Toliver.

We hope many of your friends and followers will be able to join us on Tuesday, November 19th for a CCI reception at the Middleburg Community Center to visit with these extraordinary people and dogs and to learn more about this life changing organization. Check out their web site at CCI.org.  The invitation to the CCI reception follows Colleen's message to Forrest:

With boundless gratitude to Colleen, CCI, and Toliver,

Mum

Forrest & Toliver: A Letter from your Puppy Raiser

Dear Forrest,

  What an amazing weekend I have had.  I feel on top of the world and my heart is full to the brim.  This was definitely one of the best weekends of my lifetime.  Throughout the last eight years of raising puppies for CCI, I have often dreamed of standing at that podium and giving the puppy raiser graduation speech and then handing my dog over to a graduate.  NEVER could I have imagined that those feelings of pride would be multiplied by one hundred.  Handing my dog over to a complete stranger is one thing, but handing him over to someone so special, who I have known and watched grow up for the last sixteen years is a memory that will be with me forever.

  As Toliver’s puppy raiser (8 weeks-18 months) it is hard to visualize what the experience will be when you see your dog again after so long; I turned him back in to CCI at eighteen months and he stayed there another six months in Advanced Training.  We wonder after only two weeks how well the dogs will have bonded to their graduate?  What we observed with sweet Tollie and you made us speechless.  Our worries of his happiness, safety, and appropriate placement evaporated after watching the two of you interact.

   I thoroughly enjoyed our day with you.  Probably my most favorite memory of the graduation day was when I gave you the book I had made of Toliver’s puppyhood and you absorbed yourself in it.  You took so much time looking at that book and taking in every single picture…..reading each caption out loud and laughing.  You showed the trainers the book and pointed out your favorite photos.  The time you took pouring over this book meant the world to me…… there is no question that you would love him as we have.

   My other special memory was when you had Toliver bring me the white carnation and place it in my lap.  As mum said and I have always believed “life comes full circle”. When Richard and I had CCI pup in training, Halle, bring your mum flowers when you were in the GA rehab hospital in those first months, it was in our deepest prayers that we hoped we would see you as vibrant and full of health as we witnessed this weekend.  You and Toliver returned that same small act of kindness to us and I reveled at how far you have come!

   I also spoke with the trainers throughout the matching process and was continually amazed at their assessment of you and your needs.  They could not have been more accurate in their match for you and what Toliver could offer you.  I have always had the deepest respect for the CCI trainers and watching you and Tollie together only anchored my faith in this wonderful organization that I love so much.

   Before graduation, you expressed to me that you were worried that you were “taking my dog away from me”.  You are such a sweet and sensitive man; just like the dog you were matched with!   Forrest, I want you to know that Richard and I watched the two of you walk out the hotel lobby…. you had a smile on your face and Toliver walked briskly by your side with his tail happily wagging from side to side as he looked up at you.  I had an incredible peace wash over me.  I felt like a proud parent and knew my little furry man was happy.  No one deserves a special friend more than you do.  I turned to Richard and we both had huge smiles and tears of joy in our eyes.  You two were meant to be together and we wouldn’t have it any other way.  Having the opportunity to be a part of your journey as a team, will fill our hearts each and every day.

All Our Love,

Colleen and Richard

CCI Graduation - after Colleen, Richard and
Co- Puppy Raiser Karen officially handed Forrest Toliver's leash

Adventures of Forrest and Toliver

Toliver reassures Forrest while waiting for his recheck at Johns Hopkins.  Dr Rigamonti pronounced Forrest's progress "incredible!"

Toliver and Forrest go to Dr Gallegos to have a dental check up (Forrest not Toliver!) 

Forrest introduces Toliver to Mr. and Mrs. Bowers at Hill School's Lions Pride Reception.

We are truly blessed every day by Toliver's joyful companionship!

-Team 44

Toliver Joins Team 44 11/8/13

Our family and Forrest's journey have been blessed again.

 It was such a thrill to share the last two weeks at CCI training camp with Forrest. This was the longest time Forrest has been away from home in three years, that wasn't in a hospital! The days were jammed full of fascinating lectures, intense training sessions, and challenging practice sessions. The first time Forrest got to work with Toliver was late in the second day. Forrest's commands were muffled and monotone. Toliver melted onto the floor and refused to budge. Somehow the clairvoyant and talented CCI instructors saw something connect between the two of them. They told me later that Toliver is such a smart sensitive dog... he thrives on lots of enthusiasm and encouragement. They knew Forrest's story and saw in Forrest his potential and determination to succeed. 10 days later, Forrest was able to motivate and encourage Toliver through a complex series of behaviors and a challenging  obstacle course, off leash using only verbal commands! Their performance took my breath away.  And thus their incredible relationship.. based on clear communication, trust, and respect was forged. There is still much for them to learn about each other and about life together, but theirs is already a magical, heart warming friendship. 

And speaking of magic, wait until you hear the story of their match from Toliver's CCI puppy raiser....stay tuned. 

With love and gratitude for our fellow graduates and all of the incredible people and dogs that make up the CCI family.  

Mum

The Continuing Journey - 10/20/13 Update

It has been a while since we have checked in with you and like usual, Team Forrest has been busy!  Forrest is continuing to attend Kettle Run High School for US History and he is doing great in the class.  He is showing signs of improved memory and retention as well as increased initiative in class participation and interactions.  He has been making almost weekly trips to his surgeon in Washington DC for injections into his scalp expanders, which he says, “really sucks and hurts a lot”! His scalp wounds and “noggin” are closely monitored and treated daily by his nurses and parents.  Last weekend, Forrest had the opportunity to participate in a community event during the Middleburg Film Festival.  Forrest and other individuals from “A Place to Be” performed various musical offerings in two locations amidst the activity of a busy Middleburg autumn afternoon.  It was exciting to be a part of this inaugural event!

Forrest and part of his team (Mum, Tami and Nurses Laura and Dawn) are currently in Long Island, New York at Canine Companions for Independence.   For the next two weeks, Rae (Mum) and Forrest will be participating in training for Forrest to receive a skilled companion dog.  If all goes well and Forrest passes the training, at the end of the two weeks here, he will return home to BrightWood with his very own assistance dog!  The training is intensive, 9:00-5:00 every day, listening, learning, interacting, practicing and taking quizzes.  Forrest is attentive, volunteers to demonstrate or practice tasks and is working on improving his voice volume and clarity while giving commands.  If that was not enough, he also spends his evenings doing school work with Tami to stay on top of his class.  We are so thankful for the incredible Fauquier County School staff that helped make this trip a possibility, despite the challenge of keeping up with the rapid pace of the US History course. 

Monday was the first day of training here at CCI, and Forrest has already shown sparks of his growing independence.  He is taking initiative in participation and is making his way around the CCI facility with the confidence of pre-injury Forrest.  He is staying in a dorm hall with his team and has been keeping track of his own room key each day.  We see signs of independence at home, but it is amazing to watch him here, in a place unfamiliar to him.  He got up from the table at dinner last night, scraped his plate, rinsed it and asked me where the dishwasher was.  Then he wandered into the pantry seeking “dessert”.  Despite all of these amazing steps of independence, Forrest continues to require 24/7 care – there is someone with him at all times day and night, just like at home.

Sometimes I think we must seem strange for marveling at and celebrating little things like keeping track of a room key or scraping a plate clean, but then I remember where Forrest was a year ago, and I want to marvel and celebrate even more.  One year ago, Forrest was not talking.  He was not walking independently.  His arms and legs were tight with tone and it took stretching and extreme effort just for him to complete a simple task.  He was 100% fed through a stomach tube.  Travel was a major undertaking – motion sickness was frequent and long trips were made on a gurney.  His smiles and facial expressions were limited and he rarely laughed out loud or made vocal sounds.  Every moment of his day required major assistance of nurses and others, from getting dressed, repositioning himself in bed, to brushing his teeth, communicating and everything in between.  What a difference a year makes!   We are looking forward to see what great things are next for Forrest and are excited at the prospect of a new canine Team Forrest member!

Thank you all for never giving up the faith in Forrest and for supporting him every step of his recovery!

With gratitude,

Tami and Team Forrest  

"Life is Better With a Dog"
Forrest in his dorm room at CCI

Homework time with Tami

Back to Mercersburg Again 10/20/13

Hey it's Forrest. Yesterday my mom and I visited Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania where I went to school my freshman sophomore and part of my junior year. It was great to see my best friends there again. They all looked happy to see me. It was great to see and talk to some of my teachers and coaches again. It made me feel like I still belonged there. Take a look at some of these photos.  One of your buddies, Forrest Allen

THANK YOU FROM FORREST 10/11/13

Hello this is Forrest. How are all of you guys doing today?  I would really like to thank all of those who came to see The Same Sky Project.  It is great when I am on stage and to look out into the crowd and see friendly and familiar faces.  Thanks to all of you for coming and supporting me and the rest of the cast.  I would also like to thank Tom Sweitzer and Kim Tapper, the directors and leaders of A Place to Be for making this show happen.

There is one more show - tomorrow (October 12th) at noon at McLean Bible Church.  I hope you can come and see it.

Here are some pictures from yesterday's show at my old high school, Highland.

Coach Leake from Highland gave me this sweatshirt before the show!

It was good to see one of my nurses, Karen, at the show.

Getting ready to go on stage for the show.  Thanks Nurse Laura for keeping me safe back stage last night!

Nick Weeden's parents
came to see the show.

With Mr Sweitzer and James (a Highland student) and the poster Highland made to welcome me and the cast.

Me giving Miss Tapper a birthday hug after the performance.

Surrounded by almost all of my friends
that came to see last nights show! 

We All Live Under the Same Sky

Hey 44, its Tami.  I am so excited to write the blog to you today!  We had a long and very busy week here at Team Forrest last week.  You had a quiz and a test at school, a lot of homework, physical therapy, speech therapy, a guitar lesson and two play practices...and that is only through Thursday!  Friday was the big day - the opening night of The Same Sky Project.  We shared about the project in the last entry on your blog and invited friends and family to come see the show...and they did!  At each of the three shows this past weekend, you had many supporters and fans there to cheer you and the other performers on. 

I have been lucky enough to be backstage for all three shows and find myself in awe every time.  I watch as you all prepare for your scenes, some dance nervously, some wait quietly and excitedly while others double check their lines or go through their motions off stage, but then I watch as you and your co-stars take the stage with mountains of confidence and pride as you share your stories with us of what life is like living with unique challenges.  And you, Forrest, I watch as you frequently check your script, read your cues, watch others on stage with attentiveness and patiently wait for your turn.  During the show on Saturday night, I was standing in the wings with your Music Therapist, Tom Sweitzer, as you took the stage for your special dance, monologue and song.  We watched, listened, and fought back tears as you did every part of the dance, clearly spoke every word, and sang every note.  I do not know if I have ever been more proud of you than in that moment.  Someone in our community said to me today, "That Forrest, he sure is a miracle."  How true, Forrest.  You are a miracle and we are all so blessed to know you and watch you grow every day.

For those of you that have not had a chance to see Same Sky, or would like to see it again, you are in luck!  This talented group of performers has two more performances this week - Thursday evening at 7pm at Highland School in Warrenton and Saturday at noon at McLean Bible Church.  Please spread the word to everyone and anyone in this area.  This is a show no one should miss!!!

Below are a couple of pictures from Same Sky and here is a link to a video of the cast - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nlxxRIp41s

The Same Sky Project cast

Just a few of the many friends that came to see a show this weekend!