Matthew and his family would like to offer a very special thanks to the Wofford family for their very special and generous support!  The children, Michael and Morgan Wofford, participated in an annual neighborhood yard sale in Carlsbad, California.  Michael and Morgan normally get to keep the money raised in their individual sale as fun money.  This year they decided they were going to unselfishly contribute all the proceeds in that sale and the sale of food sold that they eagerly prepared for people participating in the neighborhood yard sale to their friend Matthew to help pay for his continuing therapy.  They raised a very substantial amount of money with their hard work and organized dedication.  From what we understand they came up with this idea all on there own.  What an amazing gift.  What a testament to the wonderful parents of Michael and Morgan, Don and Robin Wofford.  They have been there for us from the beginning and are still there.  They realize what a long journey this is going to be, years of therapy.  One moment has affected the lives of so many, and it has brought out the true individual character of many beautiful people.  Many that continue to support in the good deeds, thoughts and prayers for Matthew and our family.  All this positive energy helps all, keeping the faith and bring smiles that we pass along to Matt.  He feels the kindness and the love as we do which is what it takes to get through these days.  It’s almost been a year now and it’s hard to smile some mornings when we get up, but then we go in to see Matt and there he is, wide eyed and ready to go, sometimes with a grin on his face when we tell him “good morning Matt, we love you”.  That kind of a morning is nice.  When he’s happy, we’re happy.  That’s what it is, as he improves and does something new, our spirits improve just like that.  We are all healing together with Matt, one day at a time.  Thank You All for Your Love and Support!

Mario, Lisa, Matthew, Brittney and Lindsey, Joan and Jerry

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It’s been a while, I apologize for that but we’ve been busy.  Matt has come a ways since the last post.  Spencer has been physically pushing Matt and he has us on the same program and it’s working with amazing results!  Lisa and I have Matt standing in the standing frame and pulling all the supports and forcing him to balance and hold his head and upper body up on his own.  We’ve had to challenge him to the point where he has gotten pissed but when you add that bit of emotion to it, man he does all that we’re asking and more with so much strength.  It’s hard to see him get mad, we never had that kind of relationship, but when he does what he does and with the strength and intent like he does we immediately praise him, tell him we love him and tell him to look at what he’s doing.  We tell him we’re helping him to help himself.  He does calm down after we talk to him  but it does give him an edge for a while.  Spencer has been getting him to stand on his own with minimal or at times no support at all!  We do have to help him balance  but we can feel him adjusting  to pick it up on his own.  Spencer has been getting Matt to stand supporting himself with his legs and arms as he’s leaning out onto a bench about 3 feet in front of him.  He definitely has the strength and control once you help him into position.  He still hasn’t said a word but we think he’s working on that pretty hard to.  After working him like we do when we get him seated or lying down for a break sometimes he just starts complaining like he’s trying to tell us something, that was hard or it hurt or maybe stop.  Don’t know but we keep telling him if you want us to stop just say so and we will.  Tonight he was amazing when we had him sitting up, complete head control without no support or hesitation then when we stood him up I asked him to put his arm out on my shoulder and push me straight out to help support himself, this is something we had  to push him to do until he got mad a couple of nights ago, but tonight I asked him to do it and he put his arm right out and pushed back hard just asking him the first time and held it there!  It’s been a very interesting and challenging few weeks but he is getting it.  Matt is also not in the full on hospital bed now.  We finally had that taken and replaced with a much smaller twin bed without the airframe.  It’s quiet for one and we are now transfering him out of bed without the hoist to get him more invloved in pushing himself up with his legs which is also part of the process in getting him strong enough to push through to stand on his own.

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