Ella was taken out of her cast this past Thursday from her broken foot. Her leg atrophied a bit while the cast was on and we'll have to get her back into using it as she did before the break occurred. We are in the midst of obtaining new AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthotics) as she has outgrown her current ones. In the meantime, we are extra gentle with her as we transfer her from place to place.
As for our handicapped accessible van, the door on the ramp side is still non-functional. We took it to Superior Van and Mobility in South Bend, IN to have it fixed. After diagnosing the problem they informed us that we need to first take it to Honda to fix the issue---then we'll have to bring it back to Superior for the final touches that are required. In the meantime, the other automatic door doesn't work either unless you manually open it. So that's what we do. We use Ella's manual wheelchair (The Zippie) and place her in the third row seat and place the Zippie in the wheelchair spot. This isn't ideal for Ella as she has a hard time sitting upright when we stop and turn...so we drive a bit more slowly these days.
Ella has been thriving in Young Naperville Singers as she has just completed her second rehearsal. She is making progress using her voice as she tools around the house singing and humming. We have noticed that her voice is stronger and more in tune and key. She is making friends quickly at rehearsal and really enjoys the whole experience.
Next week, Ella will have her dose of Spinraza. It's a process that takes almost the whole day to complete; from getting her downtown, Chicago...finding parking, getting her checked in and completing the pre-surgical analysis, to the procedure itself, recovery, and of course, a special lunch at the hospital...then we return to Naperville from Chicago. We have, however, noticed an increase in her strength and stamina...so we are very grateful for the treatment.
Ella is now in 4th Grade. She does her homework everyday on her own and seems to enjoy the math and writing the most. She is reading everyday and is working on reading novels. She has made wonderful friends at school with kids her age and even kids a grade or two younger. She has a lot of play dates these days and is spreading her social wings.
Lindsay now has her prosthetic foot and is wearing it more and more as she gets used to it. She's finally walking!
It's hard to believe we have a 7th grader (Ava) and 5th Grader (Henry) and a 4th Grader (Ella) in the house. They get along a lot of the time but they certainly have their moments with one another. We feel it's a good thing that summer break has ended and we're getting in the routine of school. As we move from the lazy days of summer to the filled schedules of Fall we are reminded that we are fortunate to have the love and support of so many people on so many levels.
As for our handicapped accessible van, the door on the ramp side is still non-functional. We took it to Superior Van and Mobility in South Bend, IN to have it fixed. After diagnosing the problem they informed us that we need to first take it to Honda to fix the issue---then we'll have to bring it back to Superior for the final touches that are required. In the meantime, the other automatic door doesn't work either unless you manually open it. So that's what we do. We use Ella's manual wheelchair (The Zippie) and place her in the third row seat and place the Zippie in the wheelchair spot. This isn't ideal for Ella as she has a hard time sitting upright when we stop and turn...so we drive a bit more slowly these days.
Ella has been thriving in Young Naperville Singers as she has just completed her second rehearsal. She is making progress using her voice as she tools around the house singing and humming. We have noticed that her voice is stronger and more in tune and key. She is making friends quickly at rehearsal and really enjoys the whole experience.
Next week, Ella will have her dose of Spinraza. It's a process that takes almost the whole day to complete; from getting her downtown, Chicago...finding parking, getting her checked in and completing the pre-surgical analysis, to the procedure itself, recovery, and of course, a special lunch at the hospital...then we return to Naperville from Chicago. We have, however, noticed an increase in her strength and stamina...so we are very grateful for the treatment.
Ella is now in 4th Grade. She does her homework everyday on her own and seems to enjoy the math and writing the most. She is reading everyday and is working on reading novels. She has made wonderful friends at school with kids her age and even kids a grade or two younger. She has a lot of play dates these days and is spreading her social wings.
Lindsay now has her prosthetic foot and is wearing it more and more as she gets used to it. She's finally walking!
It's hard to believe we have a 7th grader (Ava) and 5th Grader (Henry) and a 4th Grader (Ella) in the house. They get along a lot of the time but they certainly have their moments with one another. We feel it's a good thing that summer break has ended and we're getting in the routine of school. As we move from the lazy days of summer to the filled schedules of Fall we are reminded that we are fortunate to have the love and support of so many people on so many levels.
