New update from Todd

Dear Friends and Family:

Too many days have passed since I last reported on Preston’s progress. For that I apologize. I know many of you have been anxiously waiting to hear more about how Preston is fairing. Thank you for caring so much.

I have been away from Preston since May 10. I returned home to join his siblings who were on their own for more than a week. I’m so proud of how well they did. They accepted the responsibility of taking care of themselves with uncanny maturity and continued to get up, have breakfast together and get themselves to school, early morning seminary, music lessons, art classes, wrestling practice, mutual and even the temple at 0-dark-30 on Tuesday mornings, plus do the laundry and clean the house. They are remarkable kids. Of course there was a drama or two, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved with cell phones and texting.

Steph stayed with Preston until Skyler’s wedding on May 24. By the way it was a great day and we are so happy to have Heather join our family. She has been such a tremendous help through this experience and we love her dearly… (And we still like Skyler a lot too.) As I said, the wedding was lovely and even though Skyler’s best man lay in a hospital bed some 650 miles away, they had a very touching conversation just moments before the ceremony.

All of this to say that it’s a wonderful challenge blending our old world with the new world to which we were abruptly introduced a few weeks ago. But with the help and prayers offered by so many friends and family and the daily blessings we receive as a result, we are managing… Surely there will be lots more blending required in the days and weeks ahead.

Sorry to go on about things that do not pertain directly to Preston, but when something like this happens there are so many unsung heroes. Skyler, Heather, Anikah, Stacy and Eddie fit that category, as do many neighbors, friends and other family members. Thanks for indulging me.

So. Maybe you’d like to hear a little about Preston.

He remains at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, despite the fact that our insurance company has tried their best to have him transferred, long before he was ready. It makes reason stare, but they seemed intent on forcing our hand. We have maintained that any decision regarding Preston is to be made with Preston’s best interest in mind, not what some nimble-minded caseworker thinks from inside her 8 x 8 cubicle-sized universe. (My apologies to competent caseworkers of the world.)

I digress… again. Sorry… again

Preston has made great strides in rehab. Learning and relearning skills he will need to thrive on wheels in a largely bipedal world. Some of the accomplishments include:

Rolling over properly
Sitting up on his own
Balancing in a sitting position
Putting on his own shoes
Dressing himself
Transferring to and from a variety of surfaces
Flirting with the therapists and nurses
Mastering proper technique in weight training
Showering
Performing personal care procedures
The list goes on… the list of things yet to be learned may be even longer; but he perseveres.

He maintains the hope of getting back on his feet. But he is coming to understand that before he accomplishes that, he must first master the world of paraplegia. He must learn a thousand details that allow him to live independently in a wheelchair. But perhaps the most difficult battlefield is concealed, inside his heart and in his mind. He must accept where he is in his abilities today, while not allowing that to suggest he is forfeiting recovery. It is a precarious balance to maintain. Precarious indeed. But he is smart. He is strong. He is courageous. I know he can succeed.

Warm wishes and many thanks to all of you.

PS. There is so much more to share. But I hate to make these updates so long. I promise to write more often. “yeah right” I can hear my little sister say.