ANDREW DAVIS BENEFIT

Well, Jen and I are going home tonight from CA. We were supposed to leave this morning and our flight got cancelled for mechanical difficulties. We are now leaving at 11:30 p.m. tonight and arriving home to Fort Wayne around 8:00 a.m. So far, it’s been a pretty interesting adventure at the airport with Mya. She’s doing a good job though. Only eight more hours of waiting to go! Sorry I didn’t update again sooner. Jen, Mya, and I stayed in a hotel the last two nights and there was no Internet connection available. The Internet at Rancho Los Amigos is very slow and sometimes doesn’t even connect at all. That is why my parents haven’t been able to get on the website to send their love. They read it daily when we were staying at the studio apartment and loved reading your words of encouragement and support.

Okay, so an update: Andrew is doing awesome! He has a long way to go, but has made so many improvements since Jen and I were there. Andrew started talking Sunday. Dad and I were staying with Andrew, while Mom, Jen, and Mya grabbed lunch, and asked him if he wanted to go back to his room (from the courtyard). He cleared his throat and said “um.” We encouraged him to try again and told him we could understand him and to take his time. “He cleared his throat again and said “Um, no.” We were so excited…my Dad even cried. We were so proud of him. Andrew is now starting to use his words occasionally. Jen and I heard him count to ten and say his name with his speech therapist. He even said “Jennifer” when the speech therapist asked who she was Jennifer or Elizabeth. He definitely knew! Over the past two days, we heard him say “alright” and “okay.” He said those two words to our Aunt Becky when she was talking to him on the phone Sunday. Yesterday when we called Grandma, he said “Hi!” Andrew’s speech is starting to come back slowly. It’s hard to believe and when he does speak – it fits the discussion perfectly. One word at a time is better than no words at all!

Andrew has also started eating regular food. Yesterday was his first day eating. He can eat soft foods. Andrew had macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pudding, green beans, pureed chicken, rice, and custard for lunch and dinner. He is doing very well using his left hand to eat on his own. He is so hungry for real food – he scarfs it down and my parents have to tell him to slow down constantly. Who can blame him!? He hasn’t eaten any real food in 63 days! Hopefully soon, they will sew up his stomach tube. He’s doing well with his trache too. They are hoping to move to the red plug this week and sew up his throat as well. They are waiting to make sure he can swallow everything properly before they sew up this trache, because they don’t want anything to go wrong and have to perform another tracheotomy.

Andrew has been using his right leg more in therapy. They are having him walk down the hall, on a treadmill, and even up a set of stairs this week! They are working him hard, but he is making lots of improvements. Hopefully things will keep going strong!

Jen and I are very sad to be leaving CA. It was so hard saying goodbye to Andrew and our parents. We had a great time hanging out and I know my parents enjoyed seeing their 10 month old granddaughter! She brings smiles to all who see her! As of right now, Aunt Chris and Aunt Becky are planning on going out Dec. 12th and then Jen, Mya, and I are probably going to go out again during Christmas vacation. Please continue to pray for Andrew and my parents as they continue through this stressful journey.

**P.S. I took some more picture of Andrew on our last night with him. I have added them to his album. My mom got a picture of him eating his “first meal,” but I didn’t get a copy…hopefully I can walk her through out to attach it to me in an email. Enjoy the new pictures!