Love the NACD!

Today we had Luke's in person evaluation with the NACD. This is the group that gives us the home therapy program we are doing with Luke. I just love them! The last time they saw Luke was in January, and they were amazed at the progress he has made. They want him to be part of an Intense Oral Motor Program they have. They said he is definitely ready for it, and it should help get him to coordinate his sounds with the movement of his mouth to produce speech!!! They also want us to work up to where he is spending at least four hours a day on his belly. She put him on his belly while we were talking for about half an hour. Now, he has been doing some rolling, of course the head lifting, but I could not believe how much he was doing for her! He was really digging his fingers into the carpet trying to move. She is very excited for him to get the stem cells, and wants to re-evaluate three weeks after that to see if any more changes need to be made to his program. I felt very good after their visit...then it was off to Luke's acupuncture appointment. I have to say, he loves this! Thanks so much for your continued prayers of healing and restoration. Believe!

Here is something my friend Kelli emailed me that I loved:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
What are you hoping for in your life today? The Bible says that faith gives substance to the things you hope for. Notice this verse starts by saying, “Now faith…” It’s not “later” faith or “one day” faith. We have to believe that God is working behind the scenes right now. Faith is simply believing that God is a good and faithful God—that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Can you believe that God wants to move in your life, today? Do you believe He can provide for your need, today? Do you believe He can heal your relationships, today? Do you believe He can give you that promotion, today? Whatever you are hoping for, open your heart and expect that God is working on your behalf. Stand strong and declare that victory is already yours. As you face each day with faith and expectancy, you’ll increase in strength and see God’s hand in every area of your life!

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! I know we did. The thing that is most amazing to me...is when I think back on where Luke was last Easter. At that time, he had been in a coma for over a month, and was doing nothing! This year he was fully aware the Easter Bunny was coming, is making sounds, moving lots, eating, and on and on and on. I think at the rate he is going next year he will be running around hunting for Easter eggs!

I have some very exciting news to report ...we are officially scheduled to go to Mexico for Stem Cell Therapy on April 22nd. I am very excited about the potential this brings. Stem Cell therapy has been in the news a lot lately. Just last night, there was a story on Fox 10 about using it in horses and dogs. A few weeks ago there was a great story on the Today show and NBC Nightly News. Check out this link to see the amazing power in cord blood cells... www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23572206/. I emailed this dr to see if would be possible for her to do the therapy using the umbilical cord blood cells from my nephew, which my sister, is ready to deliver any day now. Currently in the US, they are only doing it if I had kept Luke's cord blood. So that is my plug for you...if you are pregnant, save your child's cord blood!! I figured it out and it costs about $5,000 to collect and store it until your child is 18...trust me when you are in a situation like ours, that would be the best money you ever spent. If you never use it, I think you can say that is the best money you ever "wasted."

This is from a book I am reading: Today we may be unable to see the final outcome of the beautiful plan that God has hidden "in the shadow of his hand" (Isa. 49:2.) It may be concealed for a very long time, but our faith may rest in the assurance that God is still seated on His throne. Because of this assurance, we can calmly wait the time when we will say, "All things {have} worked together for good" (Rom. 8:28.) God is never in a hurry. He spends years preparing those He plans to greatly use, and never thinks of the days of preparations as being too long or boring.

Please continue to pray for healing and restoration in Luke. Please pray for great results from these Stem Cells. Thanks so much for continuing to follow the progress of Our Gladiator. Believe!

This is Luke's New Dawn!

Mark your calendars that today, March 18, 2008, is Luke's New Dawn! Today he had a visit from two AMAZING women...Sonja and Sonya (thanks to Dawnie and Justin once again for sharing Luke's story with them.) They have come to do their amazing massage and energy work on Luke before...but today was different. I left to take Lynsey to dance, and came home to find everyone (but Luke) in tears. Luke was happily laughing and "talking aka making sounds" away. I wasn't quite sure what to think, and thought maybe something was wrong. Sonja then explained the divine experience that had happened while I was gone. I hope I get this right, but just know that something AMAZING happened today, and anyone that saw Luke after knows exactly what I mean (yes, I do have witnesses, my aunt and dad.) Sonja said she felt like she needed to petition the Lord to take away all of the pain and suffering Luke has had since he was hurt. What she described next is something words can not do justice, but she felt the presence of angels coming down to take away all of Luke's suffering and to heal him. When we ask Luke if he saw the angels, he tells us yes! I know there are some that are reading who think I am off the rocker on this one, and maybe this happened for you...we HAVE to BELIEVE that he is being healed because he is! She said the message was that he will be better and his life will have global impact. I told her he already has had such an impact on so many people, based on the emails and letters I get. The ironic thing in all of this, is right after his aneurysm surgery, the voice inside my head was telling me...something big is about to happen. Now throughout this entire journey, I have learned that nine times out of ten that voice inside my head is right! I can't even explain how different he was after this experience...making all kinds of sounds and just go giggly. I was almost nervous he was just going to get up and go, and then what would I do? I think it is quite coincendental that all of this is happening the week of Easter, the week that He is Risen for all of us! So this Easter, thank Him for everything he has done in Luke's life and for EVERYTHING He is about do...continue to pray for healing and restoration. I have a feeling the second chapter in The Miracle of the Gladiator is just beginning! Believe!
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matt. 4:11

Sis!

This week Lynsey has been on Spring Break. She has been so good with Luke all week! She has been his teacher and physical therapist, she loves helping him! She even told me the other day she wants to be a physical therapist when she gets older. Luke continues to show little improvments. He seems to be making different sounds. Also, yesterday he did so good sitting up for the physical therapist. We are really going to work hard on that this next week. The other PT also gave us a stander to use this week for Luke. We'll see how he does. Thanks for the continued prayers for restoration and healing. Believe!

What a difference a year makes!

WOW!!! Amazing what a difference a year (and a TON of prayers) makes! The one picture was taken on March 10th of last year, when Luke was at the Copa fighting hard. We were past the point where the odds seemed to be a little more in Luke's favor. I wanted to take a picture of Luke so one day he could see just how far he has come. The other picture I took today, and comparing the two I thank God so much for how far Luke has come!!

He is doing so good since being home. It took him about 2 weeks to become himself after the tonsils came out. He had the brain surgery on Thursday, and by Saturday was back to himself. Go figure! He is just so responsive lately...smiling, giggling, just being happy!

Please continue the prayers for continued healing and restoration! Thanks so much for continuing to check the updates.

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation. Psalm 79:13 NLT

Surgery Update

Just wanted to let everyone know, the surgery went fine today. They did end up putting in a stent, which should hold the coils in place this time. I did just talk to Mike, and he said Luke was getting sick from the anesthesia. Please pray for the anti-nausea medicine to kick in! Thanks so much for your prayers today!

A Time to Rejoice!

One year ago today our lives changed in an instant. Today I am not going to be sad for what we lost that day, but I am going to rejoice in the fact that Luke is still with us. I am going to celebrate the survivor and fighter that he is! The kid amazes me more and more every day as I watch him fight his way back. I am going to celebrate and thank God for all of the miracles and milestones we have seen this last year! There are so many things I have learned along this journey, and I must say I think this year has gone by the fastest of any year prior! Amazing, you would think it would be opposite. I really can't believe a year ago we were in a hospital watching our son fight for his life, a year later, we find ourselves once again watching him fight another battle. He is a fighter...and in the end this Gladiator is going to WIN!!! I want to thank all of you once again for all of your love, support, and most importantly prayers, and for walking this journey with us...we would not want to do it alone. I know some of those amazing men and women that responded to the 911 call a year ago from Rural Metro, MCSO, and AirEvac read this, so thanks to you for doing what you do! Thanks to my dad who breathed life into Luke until the emergency workers arrived. Thanks to the wonderful doctors, nurses, respitory therapists, social worker, everyone at Maricopa Medical Center who fought with everything they had to save Luke on the night he arrived and many nights after, I know some of you read here also. I mean, how do you ever thank someone for saving your child's life, just know not a day goes by that I do not thank God for sending the right people to Luke when he needed them.

So many of you always ask me what you can do...please never stop praying for Luke! Pray for restoration and continued healing, and also for guidance to Mike and I as to the paths we should persue for Luke. Also, for Lynsey who wants Luke better so badly. Some other things you can do...take a CPR class, Luke would not have survived if he had not been given CPR until the EMT's arrived, donate blood, Luke needed seven units and many more in the days thereafter. I am so thankful to the people who donated to save his life! Don't sweat the small stuff, be thankful for the sound of your kids fighting, I would give anything for my kids to be able to fight now, I would gladly clean up the mud Luke used to track in. Lastly, live and celebrate being alive and healthy today, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

This is from my devotional the other night: When the fire in your life is the hottest, stand still for "later on....it produces a harvest." (Heb. 12:11) of blessings. Then we will be able to say with Job, "When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10) Thanks so much once again for everything you do...keep those prayers coming! Always BELIEVE because our hope is not in vain, and in His timing our Gladiator will be going strong once again!!!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Surgery this Thursday...

Looks like March 6th is a day for us to be in the hospital. I called to schedule the aneurysm surgery for Luke. They said it wasn't urgent, but I told her we wanted it done in the next few weeks. Well...just so happened they had a cancellation for this Thursday at 7:30 am, so Luke will have more coils put in then. At first, I told her no, we would wait for the appt in 3 weeks, but the more I thought about it, I figured there was a reason there was an opening so soon, plus I had already asked everyone to pray for Luke that day, so for sure he would be covered in prayer for his surgery.

We met with the eye dr yesterday. He wants to hold off on the eye surgery for now, but did give us the okay to tape his eye open. My aunt was here working with him today, and he seems to like his eye taped open. Other than, trying to rip the tape off every now and then. The picture shows him with his eye taped open sitting at his "desk."

Remember...lots of prayers for Luke on Thursday, for a successful surgery, continued healing and restoration! Believe!