ANDREW DAVIS BENEFIT

Andrew has now been officially in his new home for a day! They transferred Andrew yesterday to Rancho Los Amigos, which is his new rehabilitation center. All of his doctors and nurses came to say goodbye to him at Cedars Sinai. They all told him to come back when he was walking again. Andrew was transported by ambulance to the rehabilitation center. My Mom rode with him in the ambulance, while my Dad drove the car and followed behind.

When they arrived at Rancheros Los Amigos, they were greeted right away by several doctors and nurses who would be working with Andrew. Everyone was very friendly and made my parents feel very welcome. Andrew, on the other hand, had a tear in his eye and seemed quite sad. My parents figured he probably thought he was going home since everyone at the hospital had said goodbye to him.

They provided Andrew with a very nice room, which he will share with a roommate starting tomorrow. Rancho Los Amigos also provides a hotel room for family to stay in for just $10 a night. My parents are taking advantage of this right now. My Mom described it as their new home away from their other home away from their real home. There is a two person limit, so when Jen, Mya, and I go out to visit – we will probably be getting a hotel room for part of our stay and then visiting the studio apartment for the other. They are just glad that this is an option for them when they want to stay close to Andrew.

Andrew got his first shower in almost two months! They wheeled him in and cleaned him up. I bet that probably felt great to him! The nurse handed him a washcloth and he knew to wash his face with it. They also require that he wear regular clothes, so my parents did a little shopping. He is now wearing pajama pants and t-shirts. They bought him a pair of shoes, but he is so picky (about his shoes) my parents think he doesn’t like them. They are going to ask his roommates to bring some of his own things over when they visit next.

Andrew was visited by all three of his new therapists today. He had PT, OT, and Speech. When I called tonight, Andrew was already asleep and worn out from the day.

My parents are very impressed with the new rehabilitation center. It was recommended by all of the doctors and nurses at Cedars Sinai. Mom said it was very similar to a campus. It had people of all ages. There was even a courtyard that they could wheel him out into. This is where they said he could be visited by Mya (his 9 month old niece). We are very excited about his new location. As of right now, his rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos will last 20 days. It is an intensive program where he receives four hours of therapy. After 20 days, they will reevaluate him again.

Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes! We love you all!