Kevin's Healing Journey: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Walking the Plank

This is Kevin's 42 foot long walking track that we are now using to help correct his left foot from turning in. Our goal is one mile. We lovingly refer to it as "walking the plank".

Aye Matey! YO HO HO!

Jon made the walking track in 7 - 6 foot sections. This is so that we can move it to the side to have floor space while Kevin and I crawl and creep laps around the house. And on Sundays, our day of rest - Amen!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Walking Anniversary

It's February 26 - Kevin's Walking Anniversary! Four years ago, Kevin began walking a distance of 6 feet. Which was three days after completing one mile, which was 100 laps on our 30 foot Overhead Ladder. All of Kevin's hard work paid off and he began walking. This will always be a day for this proud Mama to celebrate with her special special boy!

"How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways."

Kevin's New Baby Cousin

Watch Out Captain Hook!

We took advantage of the Polar Bear half price admission to the Cleveland Zoo on MLK day, with the temperature outside below 32 degrees.

Kevin loves the Rainforest, where the temperature is just right.

We have never seen the crocodile this close before

Watch Out Captain Hook!

Sled Riding

I took Kevin sled riding at the "big" hill by myself for his first time this year. Getting him up the hill wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I wouldn't say he had fun. I think he was getting snow-spray in his face on the way down. But we did stay out for 30 minutes and went down the hill 6 times...which is longer than it took to get dressed. The next time we went, Jon was able to go with us and I remembered to try the snow goggles on him, so he had no skin exposed. And he enjoyed himself much more. I also realized that I was the one causing all the snow-spray when I rode in the sled with my foot out to stop and steer us. He even went down the hill a few times all by himself.

Playing with Christmas Toys

It's Thomas The Train!

And Jingle is a good dog!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Bubble Lady at the Library

Proof, that Kevin does live in a bubble

Christmas 2012

Christmas with the Golembiewski's

Our Christmas

Christmas with the Hudak's

PS - Jon was sick!

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.