I Think I Can, I Think I Can--I KNOW I Can!!

When Elly first came to us two months ago with a deformed leg and a prior surgery, she could get around pretty easily with her walker. After an assessment by our physical therapy team, they discovered that her legs were still pretty weak. It is believed that, with much exercise and strengthening of those leg muscles, she could walk!! Imagine how exciting that would be to a child who has never walked! We've seen her tears when she was unable to run and play like our other older girls. Things like this breaks our hearts as I'm sure you can imagine.

However, being equipped with the knowledge of what our physical therapy team told us, we ALL have a hope and dream to see this come to pass in her life!! So when they asked us to help by doing some extra therapy at home, we gladly said yes, we'll do it :) I have to tell you that Elly is sooo motivated by the hope that she can walk--she wants to exercise!!

Monday through Friday she attends physical therapy sessions at New Day. In the evenings, she also does strengthening exercises at home. That is on top of the extra walking she does. We also started her using the stairs. When she first began two months ago, she could only go up one flight by holding to the railing--but it was a flight of stairs on her own!! Gradually, we added in one more step at a time. Now she can do two flights.

Shortly after beginning her physical therapy sessions, she started trying to stand on her own without the aid of her walker or anything else. In the beginning it was one or two short seconds. She'd say "Look,I can stand!" She'd try often and over time, she has been able to stand for longer periods of time. Now she is able to stand for about 5 seconds and balance herself.

She's even beginning to take some "first steps!" We couldn't be happier or more proud of her accomplishments! We intend to do our very best to see this girl's dream (and ours for her!) of walking come true!