A "walking" miracle...

My dad is officially a "walking" miracle. This morning when I went up to see him, he wasn't in speech therapy where I thought he would be and he wasn't in occupational therapy which was another place I thought he might be....so I went to find my mom and as we walked up and put the food in the room and got ready to go find a nurse to find out where my dad was, we turned a corner and found that his physical therapist had pulled him for some extra therapy and had him walking.  When we walked into the gym he said, "Let's show them, go ahead and walk to her."  He then told my mom to back up and my dad walked across the room to us - all by himself - no assistance - they were only there to catch him if he needed it.  He is still weak, and this is not something he is cleared to do all the time, only something that he can do with the therapist, for now!  It was an amazing sight to see. He also was practicing walking up and down stairs and then even got to go outside to an obstacle course that allows him to practice walking on different terrains. He walked across gravel and sand and a board walk before walking over a hill.  The therapist and therapy aide were with him and he did require help going up the hill.  His progress and growth has been phenomenal!  Doctors said he would probably never talk or walk normally again, that if he did it would probably be about a year or more.  In one months time, he is walking and trying his best to speak more and more each day, he is eating on his own and relearning his everyday tasks like brushing his teeth and getting dressed and washing his hands.  I guess it goes to show the power of prayer and that the doctors don't have the final say in his healing.  I am grateful that they saved his life, but the long term loss and troubles they said he would experience is based on statistics and we don't serve a God that plans a life for us based on what everybody else has done. It was nice to talk with his therapist some today, (well my mom was doing the talking, I was just listening) he was telling us that it says a lot about our family and his progress is partially due to our commitment and love to him and the fact that somebody has always been with him since he has been at Brooks. He also said he wished more patients had my dads mentality! Then a little later when we were walking outside my mom was telling my dad, during a moment of frustration, that God has a plan for him and that he isn't finished with him.  About that time the therapist said, "You know that's really what it is all about, people like to give us credit, but it is God who has the plan, we are just the instruments that he uses for this part of his plan."  To know that people like this are working with my dad everyday, and truly believing in him, is really an amazing feeling, that no words can adequately define.  Every time I leave Brooks, it makes me want to spend more time there, I just wonder if it would be possible for me to work at a place like that, helping people all day.....it sounds like the dream job.

This is also note worthy - it was sweet to see my mom and dad eating breakfast together and while eating my dad just randomly said to my mom, "You beautiful."  I love the love they have for each other and how they never give up on one another.

Check out these videos of my dad- our "walking" miracle!  I love my dad so much!