Going the Extra Mile Before Coming Home

Adam Came Home Yesterday!!!!!!!! Hurray!!!… It is so nice to have him home.

However, before coming home we had to accomplish some of the normal house keeping items at the hospital prior to leaving…. paperwork, discharge instructions, etc..

Cari the speech therapist, one of the “above the mile makers” in Adam’s life came by on her day off to spend some time with him…. during this visit I found out that Cari is training for a Triathlon…WOW. .. She had to accomplish her morning workout and other normal Saturday activities prior to coming to the hospital… her triathlon race is next week.

Another one of Cari’s “out of the box” ideas for Adam was to have him work with his snakes…she wanted to have several of Adam’s snakes brought to the hospital and use them for his speech therapy. Prior to Adam’s surgery he knew everything about his snakes; he knows them inside and out. He could tell you where they were from, how big they would get, what they ate, when they slept and just about everything else you would possibly want to know.. or maybe not want to know about them…. so the logic was this; By working with his snakes, those that he was familiar with, might help him with his word associations and bring about those needed connections; connecting the new neural highways in his relearning brain.

Cindy worked it out a few days prior with Cari to bring two of his snakes in and have us all meet down stairs in the outside resting area…. just off the main lobby of the Disney Pavilion.  It all worked out, Cindy was there with the snakes, Cari and Adam were there in the wheel chair and the show began.

Adam was happy to see some of his pets, but was lacking a little energy and the ability to focus.. you could see him trying… trying to push through this, all the while keeping a smile on his face.  His words and memory were not as good as we had hoped to achieve… but it is all a step in the right direction.  Adam is getting better everyday and will someday reach a new height. He will speak, he will drive, he will share his testimony of the Savior to many people in many places.  As much as I would love to have it all right now, I realize this is not how the Lord works.  In my tutoring, I have learned that the Lord does not teach from cliff notes.  His work of molding men will take time, pressure and patience:  The ingredients needed to refine the impurities out of our mortal sojourn.

Cari was a real champion… she does not like snakes… but was willing to go the extra mile for our Adam. She looked at them, she got close to them and finally she held them… one at a time.  You could see the anxiety  in her face, but she braved through it for the love and concern of a young man… our Adam.  I am going to include a few pictures of this encounter.

I want to thank Cari for all her love, support and inspiration… for our Adam.  I think it is worthy to note an insight that she shared with us.  As I had mentioned in a previous post, Cari was awakened in the middle of the night with an inspiring idea to help Adam with his speech therapy…the use of a cell phone to make a call.  Cari continued to received ideas (inspiration) to help Adam; These would arrive at various times and places.. but often in the middle of the night.  One of the inspiring moment that spoke to me is when Cindy recounted some of Cari’s comments about receiving these inspirations.

After reading this blog and realizing how many people were praying and fasting for Adam, she stated something to the following: “how could I not receive ideas and inspiration with so many people praying for him.” 

Cari, Thank you for going the extra mile and listening to the ideas in the middle of the night to help our son.  Thank you for everything.. Good luck on the race next weekend… we will continue run our race here.