2nd intensive & Stander update!

This update is a little late, apologies for that - We have been going a mile a minute and time is just passing us so quickly! However, we have been so encouraged and excited for all the progress that Jeremiah has been making! they're small advancements, but no less progression! We were able to do a 2 week intensive (2 hours per day) with Dallas DMI! It was nice to see a different intensive style as well as different exercises and techniques used. Thankfully, this clinic is located in Richardson and about a 10 minute drive from our house. 

 

To be completely honest, I think Jeremiah was not the biggest fan of the exercises/intensity, he cried for 80-90% of the sessions and was just a wet mess (sweat, tears, drool, snot and all!) at the end of it. The therapist did say that this is expected and he is still making progress and increasing his endurance through the therapy. It was still hard for my mama heart though 😔 We are just so proud of how far Jeremiah has come. I was reminded yesterday in our last session - He was using his hands to catch himself during sitting transitions, and I was emotional thinking about how he didn't use his hands at all until he was about 5 months old. I did notice some improvements that I will share: 

 

1. He definitely feels stronger, and has more endurance to do therapies. Previously when we would pick him up from strollers or any type of recline seat he was extra heavy because he tended to throw his head back. Now, he consistently tucks his chin in while we pick him up, and overall his base/core feels more solid. He has been such a champ even at home while trying to do the exercises that we had learned in the DMI sessions. 

 

2. he can sit!! independently!! for short amounts of time, but his sitting posture and endurance has improved sooo much! Dallas DMI has a robust instagram account (check them out!) and she posted some before and afters (that we also shared on our own social medias) and it was such a difference in such a short amount of time! His back was straight and he was sitting high with his chest held high which is such an amazing thing to see as a mom. 🥹 He was even able to hold a toy while independently sitting! - in his last intensive, he made all these great strides and was able to do the skills after the intensive, and with the passing months, the skills were just strengthened and he can perform them longer! So hopefully that is the case with this intensive as well! 

 

3. He is crawling SO MUCH better, pivoting, and army crawling mostly, but he looks like a natural! he has not yet crawled on his hands and knees, but he has been able to hold that position (quadruped) for so much longer. This is one of the main exercises that we work with him at home. He has been trying to lean forward and get out of everything - his stroller, car seat, high chair, etc! His standing/getting into standing has also improved! - I will detail the standing situation later in this post 😅 

 

4. After the intensive, we can definitely see the difference in how he is figuring out the transitions and moving from position to position! We already know that Jeremiah is a smart fella, but sometimes (like everyone, even adults) you need a different approach to learning things at times. It has been so exciting to see how Jeremiah is connecting the dots and figuring things out. He is so curious and his personality is showing so much, he wants to do things independently so bad and you can see it in his actions and his determination. 

 

Overall, we are so thankful for the progress he has made so far, and are just constantly reminded of how the little things matter, and how the little practices turn into big life-changing impact. 

 

We are also reminded of how God provides and answers prayers! Long story alert... A couple weeks ago, we were told by Jeremiah's PT that the request for a stander has been denied by our insurance. A stander is a mobility/training device similar to a gait trainer, walker, or wheelchair. It keeps the person in it in a standing position so they are able to build endurance standing in it safely. We requested a stander after the PT at his first intensive (in January) recommended we reach out to our regular PT for it, since it may take a while for it to be processed, fitted, etc. We waited and waited. Then in the beginning of May we found out it was denied, and that they cannot really appeal the decision, and that the insurance would not cover it. Leaving us with the option of buying it out of pocket, or trying to find it from a family that has outgrown it. A stander, the one we were requesting from the insurance was about $5,000+ new, and $2,000 used. When I was told this, I went on to Facebook and posted in the disability groups (I'm apart of a few). Expecting a few responses and possible leads, but not expecting too much. That very day, we were flooded with responses from so many people with truly the kindest hearts - disability parents are truly the most deeply caring people on earth. Some people offering to help us appeal the decision by speaking to our insurance, some telling us that they saw a post a few weeks ago unsure if the stander had been claimed, some offering to lend us their secondary stander, and just so many people who reached out to help us. Thankfully, a kind stranger posted a comment stating that she was trying to re-home her Zing stander that her son didn’t use/need anymore as they received a sit to stand stander. As a side note, the Zing stander is like the Ferrari of standers, the nicest/most reputable stander availible and the ones that are used at his PT clinic. We sent each other direct messages, and I was able to pick up the stander in Bedford the next day. I could cry thinking about how perfectly aligned the situation was and how incredible of a gift this was for us. There were 2 other families that were suppose to pick it up before us, but they ended up not following through with it. Her only request was that we gift it to another family after we are done using it as she had received it for free from another family. When I received the stander, it was in near excellent condition and was evidently very well taken care of. We use this stander multiple times a week, almost everyday and Jeremiah seems to tolerate it well and is standing for longer and longer amounts of time since getting it. Although, this is a small example of how God has provided for us, I wanted to share it as when I think of each person who reads these updates and who have kept up with our story as an answered prayer and how God has provided and blessed us with so much through the care and love of others. With that - we want to say THANK YOU. <3 Keep us in your prayers, and make sure to follow for more updates!