So Very Grateful!!

It's been over a week since we dropped Donovan off at Bay Cliff.  I cannot wait to see him, hear his stories, see his progress, hug him!

We've spoken with camp staff a few times and hear he is doing great, working hard and making friends.  We're anxiously awaiting photos to be posted on Bay Cliff on Facebook.  They are very careful about what is publicly shared since they are a health camp.

As we wait and keep faith that Donovan is having an amazing and positive experience, I want to take a minute to thank the organizations that have been a part of this journey.

Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital-  Wow, how to express it...Dr Forness and your team; we will be forever grateful for the incredible work you have done to give Donovan an amazing new gait!  We only expected enough changes to help him increase efficiency as he walks and avoid future hip issues.  What we quickly saw though as he began to walk again was a beautiful new gait!  He's got a long way to go towards full strength and changing those old habits but we are so excited for the potential!
 
Thank you to the whole team at the hospital, Donovan's nurses, the aides, administration for driving excellence in health care and comfort!  All of you played a role in making this most difficult part of the journey as comfortable as possible and free of post op complications.  Your care was compassionate, exceptional, gave us confidence in Donovan's recovery and prepared us for the next steps.

Mary Free Bed... What an amazing team you are!  Your expertise in therapy and rehabilitation gave Donovan the absolute best start at this next phase.  Through moments of discomfort, resistance and frustration, you pushed and supported Donovan to do the hard work, to keep him progressing and not allow plateaus in progress to win.  You taught us (again!) to trust that Donovan can do more, should do more, and can be as active and enjoy just about anything in life that he chooses to!  Dr. Rush, we so appreciate your tenacity to solve problems and your advocacy to keep the intensive therapies when our insurance company resisted.  Some of you were new to us, some of you got to work with Donovan during his last stay.  We are forever grateful for all of your care!


I also have to say a very heartfelt word of appreciation to all of you that shared a parallel journey at Mary Free Bed.  I can't express enough how humbled we were that you shared your personal stories, how blessed we felt for the moments of support and the moments when our support was needed.  The stories and strength within the many families can't be easily explained but please know you remain in our thoughts, our prayers, and we hope to stay in touch.



Family Hope Foundation... a fairly young but very effective foundation started to facilitate information sharing and support to families with special needs children.  The FHF has done an amazing job of being a conduit of what's happening, what resources are available, links to the many great providers throughout West Michigan, and providing scholarships to families for therapies not covered by insurance... 61 scholarships were distributed this round!.  We will forever be grateful for the scholarship we have received to help towards Donovan's stay at Bay Cliff.  The average cost for a camper at Bay Cliff's Summer Therapy Camp is $5,000.  The camp itself offsets some of this through it's own fundraising but it was still an expensive proposition for us, particularly in this year of many costs associated with the surgery, the hospital stays, the eating away from home and the traveling between home and the hospital.  This grant allows Donovan to take the next step in this long journey of intensive therapies.  It is helping him to re-energize in a new and exciting setting, where he is making new friends facing similar challenges and celebrations, and with a staff that brings expertise, enthusiasm and compassion.  This is giving him the best shot at stabilizing the gains the surgery brought, strengthening his spirit and independence, and giving him a peer group to grow with that face challenges just as his but won't be defined by them. be defined by them.

Emma and Carl... Wow, you have risen to the occasion!  I don't know how we have been so blessed but we have!  You both have done an amazing job of growing up fast, of working together and with Dad and me to be responsible, to support Donovan, and to take care of yourselves during this time.  We are so proud of you and grateful for you!