More good news!

On Tuesday we had our follow up visit with our orthopedic physician, Dr. Maples, who was extremely pleased with Donovan's progress and that he is doing very well. It is a response we are getting use to as friends and family see Donovan for the first time walking with his walker. Just like when he was two years old and using a walker, he motors around like nobodies business. Dr. Maples said that other than physical therapy, Donovan will not need any other procedures or casting for at least a year! Yeah!

Last night Emma had 7 girls for a sleep over birthday party, so the boys went into Rockford for ice cream and to walk around. I offered Donovan his wheel chair as it was the end of a day and he already had physical therapy and play time with his recreational therapist. But he would have none of it. He wanted his walker and we proceeded to from the car, to the ice cream shop, to the Rockford Dam and then back again. He keeps a good pace as we were with a dad his two sons that are friends with Carl and Donovan.

At the end of the night as I was putting Donovan back in the truck, I asked him if he had fun with his best friend Nicholas, and with a little bit of a sad voice no. Nicolas, Joseph and Carl didn't play with him. I asked him if he was just sad because he couldn't run around and climb as fast as the other boys, he said yes. So I said to him, well, if you keep working hard and practicing with his walker and his doctors (he calls his PT's doctors), someday he will be able to run and jump just like his friends.

His sad look changed immediately to his normal, joyous and most precious Donovan smile and with big hand and arm gestures, he said, "Yes and I'll go zoom, zoom zoom really fast and beat them"!

When Carl, Joseph and his best friend Nicholas returned from the bathroom, he called them to his door of the truck (he was in his car seat) and happily and proudly showed them his favorite animal, Froggy (who goes with Donovan everywhere), telling him all about Froggy and that he had fun with them.

That's our Donovan, Happy and Determined!