For this update, let's journey back to where it all began. It was this time of year in 2012 when, after a month-long stay in the NICU, Josie was finally able to come home. Despite the long road ahead filled with unanswered questions, it was the news we had been waiting for: our baby could go home!

We are immensely grateful to the nurses and doctors at Cohen's, as well as the staff at the Ronald McDonald House, for their compassionate care during what felt like an eternity. We learned how to feed Josie via an NG tube and the responsibilities that came with changing it—not exactly what most first-time parents expect, but this was our new reality. Sleepless nights became our norm, driven by Josie’s feeding schedule and the worries that accompany caring for a newborn, especially one with such unique needs. Countless appointments with specialists on both Long Island and in New York City followed, each filled with tests aimed at uncovering the answers we sought.

And then there was Superstorm Sandy—a storm that shut down Long Island for a week, flooding communities, leaving homes without power, and schools empty. Miraculously, our house was the only one on the block with power, allowing us to keep Josie's only source of nutrition—jars upon jars of fresh and frozen breastmilk—safe.

In the months that followed, Josie began her many therapeutic appointments. For the first two to three years, she received in-home physical, occupational, feeding, and speech therapy before enrolling in her second home for the next decade: The Hagedorn Little Village School. There, her therapies continued both at home and in various offices.

At the age of 2, a new form of physical therapy entered her life: Hippotherapy at Horseability on the campus of SUNY Old Westbury. This became a cherished therapy for her until she turned 13, and we are forever thankful to her therapist, Paula, for the love and dedication she showed Josie.

Unfortunately, after her second fall in four years just a couple of weeks ago, we made the heartbreaking decision to discontinue hippotherapy, as we no longer felt it was a safe option for her.

Throughout the years, Josie has explored various therapies. She tried ice skating, interviewed with Chris from Special Books by Special Kids, and wore a Therasuit—nicknamed the "Supersuit"—at Keep Moving Forward, a practice she continues as we seek safer therapies. However, it was her experience with Hydroworx, an underwater treadmill providing non-weight bearing intervention, that truly sparked a dream. In the water, Josie discovered a newfound sense of empowerment.

We cannot thank Amanda and the therapists at Keep Moving Forward enough for pushing Josie beyond her limits and introducing her to what we believe will be the essential therapy to elevate her to the next level, bringing more smiles and joy into her life.