Well Hello Everybody, 

It’s been a long year with lots of positive progress throughout.  Overall, Matt’s biggest improvement has been physical.  He has become incredibly strong in the past year.  The left side of his body has really begun to connect and been included in much more of the thereapy with volitional movement and control being the key focus.  The right side of Matthews body has become so strong and with the improvement of strength and hopefully with the control of his left side, Spencer and I are going after, our longer range goal is to get Matt to push through with his legs and core to help get himself up standing. 

Matt, on occasion, gets very vocal.  Lisa says it’s like he connects with his voice and tries to communicate but still can’t.  Lisa has said when it happens, she’s goes after it trying to help him get a word or two out, and she says he tries, repeating the same sounds over and over again sometimes for 30 minutes or so.  He’s been in the pool this past summer and did real well with that and we were making progress until the weather cooled off and we had to stop. 

When I talk to Matt and explain to him what I’m doing for the day or what the goal is in a particular activity, he definitely understands and becomes much more focused and involved, it’s amazing how much he gets.  Spencer and Lisa see the same thing.  He amazes us.  He truly understands where he is and what’s going on when it’s explained to him clearly.  That’s the one thing that I see frustrates him, no one else gets it.  People still just walk up to him, say hey Matt, look away and ignore him.  I can see it frustrates him every time that happens and he just tunes out.  It’s really frustrating for us to watch.  Nobody puts themselves in his position.  When you do and you take the time to speak to him and look into his eyes, he does understand and will work to achieve what is asked of him.  The only people that get it are a small circle of people that work with him at home and therapist that work with him.

Matt has had a few setbacks, we’ve identified those when they come up and turned those around with adjustments.  With all the improved strength and body involvement comes much more work to keep up with.  It’s an ever increasing menu of improvement and more repetitive therapy to get more improvement.  Like a good friend of mine says, it’s keeping all the plates spinning so we don’t loose one, that’s the trick, or in Matt’s case, that’s the work and time involvement.  I’m working full time now besides keeping up with the business.  Lisa’s going after Matt all day, everyday.  Lisa’s mom Joan, helps out when she can.  I have built more equipment to help out and am still rigging up more to use in our in home therapy, including a computer for Lisa and Matt to work with all to keep the process moving forward.  Lisa and Matt are up and down the hill from Ramona to La Mesa and down to San Diego every week 3 - 4 times.  That travel time to new places for therapy is likely to increase this coming year periodically as opportunities arise.  The idea of the two of them along with everyone else we know and love traveling up and down the same old dangerous roads really bothers the both of us.  With all the tragedies on those roads over all the years of living up here and with Matt in my face day after day when I get home, it just doesn’t make any sense to live up here.  Therefore one of my goals for the future is to get relocated down the hill making access to therapies and work closer and safer. 

Brittney is doing well along with Lindsey.  We are very proud of the both of them.  Both moving along in their individual careers.  We lost Max this year, our 11 year old mini Schnauzer.  That was a bummer.  Lisa really had a hard time with that.  Max was her other little boy.

Well, Happy New Year to all, hope the Holidays were good to everyone.  Remember the natural law that says, whatever you put into something, you will get it out.  Gods blessing to all.

Mario

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