Kevin's Healing Journey: Big Bike Weekend #3

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Big Bike Weekend #3 - October 12, 2019

The last three weekends, we have been blessed with great weather in Northeast Ohio. And we know we have to take advantage of it while we can. Actually Kevin and I weren't planning to be in town this weekend. I had planned for us to visit my family in Southwest Ohio...but I changed our plans on Thursday when I wasn't feeling well. I didn't want to take my chances with a long weekend down there because we have another big weekend planned next week. By Saturday morning I was feeling fine! Thanks to my hubby and Kevin for going on a couple new bike/walk adventures so I wouldn't be sad that I missed seeing my family.

Saturday - I wanted to take Kevin on another evening bike ride since he enjoyed it so much and we could see some of the halloween lights. So we went around the corner to the local bike shop and got some lights for his bike. We decided to bike/walk with Kevin to the family friendly Halloween Extravaganza on the riverfront, about 2 miles from our house. Unfortunately, Jon was delayed getting home because the clutch cable broke in his yellow car. I'm grateful that he was able to easily pull into a parking lot not far from our house and I was able to pick him up. He was a trooper and we continued with the plan when he got home. We bundled up with hats and winter vests to stay warm outside since it would be about 50 degrees in the evening. Just as we arrived they were packing up the Halloween Extravaganza...the costume contest had already been judged, the halloween blowups were deflating, and the food trucks were pulling away...which we were planning to eat at. All the other restaurants were busy with an hour wait so we settled on the cozy bar at the hotel. They had food and some music entertainment. It was an enjoyable night. But the best part was Kevin riding his bike home in the dark under the full moon...I tell you he loves it...smiling and making happy sounds the whole way home.

Full Moon

Here's a video of Kevin on his bike ride home. It's not a great video because I didn't hold the camera correctly and I'm walking alongside him...but it captures the happy sounds and happy smile.

See the box ready to put away the blowup

Sunday - Another 4 mile bike/walk on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. We started at Lock 39 Trailhead on Rockside Road in Independence. We bike/walked north 2 miles passing West Canal Road and turning around at the Aqueduct (4.02 miles, 1 hour and 29 minutes). It was a gorgeous day!

I had to take a photo of the movie theater in the background.A couple years ago, this is the theater that Kevin first started going to see movies while they were showing old Disney movies...and now he's biking.So many good changes in this kid over the last few years.

Aqueduct

There were two of these bridges to ride over...twice.
It's hard to tell from the pictures but it was a bit of a hill up an down.

My niece was in Cincinnati today at the Out of the Darkness Fundraiser Walk in honor of her friend Becka. We dedicated our walk to her today since we couldn't be with my niece to support her and her friends and family. "I'm not givin' up, No not me, Even when nobody else believes, I'm not goin' down that easily, So don't give up on me" -Andy Grammer

2 comments:

UnknownMonday, October 14, 2019
Your story is so beautiful. We can’t wait until we can spend time with both of you again. We love to read the updates!
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Josh BakkenTuesday, October 15, 2019
Great, wonderful, amazing. We also love that song. So happy for you all and all the wonderful growth. God Bless you all.
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My Blog

This blog was created to keep our family and friends updated on Kevin's healing journey. It is also our hope that others may find this blog to give help and hope to other delayed kids.

About Kevin

They told us Kevin would never walk or talk. But with lots of prayers, hard work, and extra hands, he began walking when he was four years old and we continue to have faith and hope as we wait patiently for his speech to develop. Kevin is now eight years old. He is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy due to a brain-injury he had before birth that was caused by a stroke. In 2006, before Kevin was 2 years old, we found Glenn Doman’s book "What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child" that had answers to help children with special needs and developmental delays. We began an individualized home treatment program for Kevin immediately and have been dedicated to our program ever since. We spent three years with the Doman family at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) and now we are with Matthew and Carol Newell at The Family Hope Center (FHC). Twice a year we return to Philadelphia where Kevin receives a neurological evaluation to determine the progress he has made in the last six months. Then they provide us with an individualized, program that puts me in charge to help Kevin develop and reach his fullest potential.

Do You Know a Delayed Child?

The best recommendation we can give to another parent with a special needs or developmentally delayed child (brain-injured, brain-damaged, mentally retarded, mentally deficient, cerebral-palsied, epileptic, autistic, athetoid, hyperactive, attention deficit disordered, developmentally delayed, or down's) is to read Glenn Doman's book What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child and/or Dr. Coralee Thompson and Dr. Philip Maffetone's book Healthy Brains, Healthy Children. By simply reading these books, you will gain valuable information to help your child which will begin to unlock the potential your child has. And best of all you will learn that there are other options to helping your child that you can do yourself. We would also highly recommend attending the parent course at FHC or IAHP. To read how our journey began and the successful progress Kevin has had refer to the January 2010 blog archive.