RONALD MCDONALD WALK INFORMATION

THE WALK STARTS FROM THE ROGER WILLIAMS PARK
TEMPLE TO MUSIC

THE WALK STARTS AT 9AM ACCORDING TO RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
YOU WILL WANT TO ARRIVE CLOSE BY 8:30 IN ORDER TO FIND A PARKING SPOT AND GET TO OUR STAGING AREA (SEE BELOW)

WALKS IN THE PAST HAVE PROVEN THAT THE PARKING SITUATION THERE IS DIFFICULT AND TRAFFIC BACKS UP SIGNIFICANTLY

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS:
ARRIVE EARLY (duh!)
ENTER THROUGH THE BROAD STREET OR PARK AVENUE PARK ENTRANCES RATHER THAN THE ELMWOOD AVENUE MAIN ENTRANCES

CONSIDER PARKING AT PARK VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
PARK AVENUE, CRANSTON (KEEP IN MIND IT'S A BIT OF A WALK TO THE START LINE)



PARKING AT THE PARK:
ZOO PARKING LOTS ARE VERY LARGE
'CASINO' PARKING LOT (NEAR ELMWOOD AVENUE ENTRANCE)


CONSIDER CAR POOLING!!!

THERE WILL BE MANY SIGNS DIRECTING YOU TO THE START LINE OF THE WALK. LOOK FOR THE TEAM COURTNEY SIGNS TO LOCATE OUR TEAM.

PLEASE COME TO OUR 'STAGING AREA' TO PICK UP YOUR T SHIRT.
WE HAVE MADE 55 SHIRTS - ENOUGH FOR ALL WALKERS WHO REGISTERED THROUGH YESTERDAY.

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS
SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Update

The mass on Thursday was beautiful. We want to thank Fr. Kenney and Mrs. Donahue-Lynch from LaSalle. We will be thinking about 'save the princess' for some time to come!

Thank you also to the amazing voices of the Pilgrim High School Accepella Choir and Women's Choir. There were over a dozen kids who took time out of their week, on their own to share their talents with us.

To date there are 40 people that we know of registered for the Ronald Mcdonald walk-a-thon.
If you registered and did not indicate that you would be walking with TEAM COURTNEY please contact The Providence Ronald McDonald House and ask that they add your name to the team list. 274-4447

Otherwise we have t-shirts for everyone identified as walking with TEAM COURTNEY.
We will have a table set up (look for the TEAM COURTNEY PINK SIGNS) with beverages and refreshments. Looking forward to seeing you all there for the 8:30 start!

For the past few weeks, I've been going to St. Joes, and Elite. At the gym,the other day I ran on the treadmill and my Mom and I were so proud. Yesterday, I rode my bike for the first time. It was so exciting, and my Dad got it on video. On Easter Sunday, the mass was beautiful. Lately, I do basically everything on my own. I make my bed, all personal needs, I do the dishes, and laundry. I almost do everything I used to do. The walkathon, I think everyone who can go, should go and do it. A lot of people tell me that I look, and sound like "the old Courtney". I am pretty proud of myself, and where I came from after everything that happened to me.

RONALD MCDONALD WALK MAY 3RD

THANKS TO AUNTIE MOE FOR SETTING UP TEAM COURTNEY
YOU CAN JOIN TEAM COURTNEY BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK

REMEMBER TO POST A COMMENT OR SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR T-SHIRT SIZE!

YOU CAN ALSO DONATE ONLINE AT WWW.FIRSTGIVING.COM/DIANEHOLLINGWORTH



http://www.firstgiving.com/process/teamarea/default.asp

Easter Happiness

Thank you to Fr. Ron Brassard for offering this morning's 11:30 mass in thanksgiving for Courtney's miraculous healing. It was a beautiful mass and we enjoyed seeing many of our friends and family.

The Immaculate Conception parish family prayed for Courtney throughout these past 5 months.

We are aware that many churches and faith/school communities of various denominations have been praying for Courtney. If you would like to tell us about yours please post a comment so that we can offer our thanks and add your community to our prayer list for continued faithfulness.

While reflecting on the past 5 months during Easter mass I remembered reading in the Bible and hearing the prayers of so many who came to pray over Courtney "let God be exaulted through a miracle." Today's readings offered those same words and God has truly been exaulted as we know that the power of prayer and God's miraculous love has brought Courtney back to us!!

Walk with Courtney's Team Sunday May 3rd

Below is the online registration link for the walkathon:



http://www.providenceronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/walk_registration09.html



OR you can use the printable registration form for the walkathon:



http://www.providenceronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/images/walk09/walkregistrationsheetweb.pdf





If you plan to walk please also post a comment and tell us who you are and the shirt sizes of all walkers. We will supply Courtney's Team shirts for everyone who walks.

Upcoming "Events"

The Ronald McDonald House was our home away from home while Courtney was at RIH.

To honor their hospitality and Courtney's miraculous recovery we are organizing
TEAM COURTNEY for the Annual Ronald McDonald House Walkathon
The walk takes place Sunday May 3rd

You can register to walk on Courtney's team online or by posting a comment here. We will supply all walkers with Courtney T-shirts (pink of course!)

If you can't walk but would like to donate go to : www.firstgiving.com/dianehollingworth

More information will be posted soon but don't delay - SIGN UP NOW!

Also, there will be a Mass of Thanksgiving for Courtney's healing at LaSalle Academy in Providence on Thursday April 23rd 7pm. Fr. Al Kenney will celebrate the mass. We look forward to seeing many many people there to help thank God for his grace.

Mom's Update

Courtney is working very hard to improve in all areas. She works 6 days a week doing Math and Reading to improve visual processing skills and comprehension of detail.

Courtney does all kinds of Math and is now reading articles about political science (her previous major at school).

Physical therapy has also advanced and soon we will post pictures of the challenging exercises Courtney is doing during therapy.

In addition to scheduling her day Courtney organizes her school work, and everything she needs for the day. This is great progress and shows Courtney's executive functions are improving.

Testing shows that Courtney is at appropriate grade level in many areas and has given us good information on what she can focus on as she works to get back to school.

Courtney has always been a very hard worker and she remains so today. We have to remind her about the severity of her injury and how far she has come. We remind her to rest and not push herself to hard.

We pray for God's grace, patience and faith as Courtney continues to improve.

Two weeks ago we went to see the firefighters and emt.s in narragansett. In the afternoon, we went to lunch with Brendan Doyle and his mom and Brendan is a state trooper. Brendan saw me in Rhode Island hospital, and it was very difficult for him to see me like that. At lunch, we talked about how we both already thought we were all better and hated going to therapy and things that are similar to that. We both said to our Moms, "I'm not stupid". Brendan knows pretty much exactly what I went through, and it makes sense to relate to someone who understands how I feel. During this week and last week I go to St. Josephs in Providence for speech and OT. OT primarily focuses on things that have to do with my left hand such as sqeezing things and also some things to do with math. But as far as living skills, I had those down at Braintree, and as soon as I got home. Speech focuses on organizational skills, school work such as math like long division, and note taking. PT in warwick is awesome. I'm working on my endurance, my balance, and my tone. By the end of the first day he told me that I could go to the gym where my Mom and I used to go. Today he told me that it was my best day.

Mile 20

Since the first day after Courtney's accident caregivers have been telling us "it's a marathon", "pace yourself." Pacing ourselves didn't occur to us in those early days when her future was so unclear. It started to sink in while she was at Braintree. Now we are at about Mile 20 - the long slow climb. Courtney wants her old life back NOW! She has little tolerance for therapy and has a hard time seeing that anything is different from before her accident.
When others see Courtney they also have a hard time recognizing that she is anything but completely her old self. She looks great, is walking, talking, etc. But there is alot of work ahead for Courtney on her road to complete recovery.
She works daily at math and reading exercises that at one time would have been child's play. This work takes about 3-4 hours each day. She works hard to build up her endurance physically. Courtney has speech therapy 3 times a week, occupational therapy 2 times and physical therapy 2-3 times a week. In between she works out at the gym - 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the eliptical, and 10 minutes with weights. It is a very tiring 30 minute routine for her.
All the while Courtney asks the questions any normal person would ask: why did this happen to me? It doesn't make sense. My life is confusing. Additionally Courtney is working through severe anxiety (very normal post brain injury) and occasional sadness (also normal).
She is anxious about the people she loves dying or being injured in a car accident and she's anxious for herself. As Courtney recently said "I live my life in fear."
For Craig, myself, Katy and Claudia this is also the long, slow part of the marathon. We feel helpless at times to ease Courtney's fears. We all have our own fears. And like Courtney we wish everything was better right now.
We don't know how long the final 6 miles will take. We believe that Courtney will complete this marathon and return fully to live her life. Courtney's compassion, love for others and determination has inspired us all.
Recently Fr. Brassard spoke these words in a homily that remind us about Courtney:
"Every once in a while a genuinely good and loving individual, whose pain would be more than any mothers' heart could bear, comes along and reminds us of the words of the prophet Hosea: "It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice." We are left to reflect on our own hearts and how the mercy of God is to be played out in the actions of our lives."
And so, we pray for the strength, compassion, wisdom and mercy to pursue the finish line, along with the patience and trust in God that no matter how long the last 6 miles we will all endure!

Hollingworth Time Machine

Saturday evening Craig and I ventured out for the first time since November 15th. We were celebrating St. Patrick's Day at our dear friends, Maureen and Fran's home. I was anxious on the drive knowing that Courtney was also in a car that night with her sister Claudia. We got past the first 30 minutes of anxiousness and enjoyed time with friends (not in a hospital waiting room). That night we received a beautiful and heartfelt gift. Maureen had printed the entire blog, including comments, on colored paper. Each page is protected and in a three ring binder. We were moved to tears at this beautiful gesture of friendship.

Merry Christmas! Yesterday, March 22nd was Christmas for our family. We borrowed a tree from Auntie Linda which was a conversation piece and a decoration. Family and close friends came to celebrate this wonderful event. It was our first party since Courtney's homecoming and a truly blessed experience to once again have our home filled with laughter and happiness.
Santa surprised Courtney by leaving a couple of things under the tree. A purple IPod to replace one she lost in the accident and a journal. As always Courtney was very grateful.
Although I said this is not a gift event I was ignored! Courtney was showered with gifts and she said "Mommy, I have a lot of presents under the tree. I don't know why." Well, Courtney you've once again brought out the best in people as we were thrilled to be able to give and in return received the gift of your happy face.
I have a large family and so there were over 50 people. Courtney did a great job with the noise, the people, the hugs and kisses and more hugs and kisses, etc. She still generally requires a quiet environment with low stimulation so her ability to enjoy herself yesterday was an accomplishment in itself.
Now it's time to put away the St. Patrick's Day and Christmas decorations - Spring has arrived and Easter is almost here!

Mass of Thanksgiving for the Miracle of Courtney's Recovery

There will be a special mass of thanksgiving to celebrate Courtney's recovery and pray for continued and complete healing.

A very special friend Carol gave us bracelets with the inscription "I am grateful" - YES we are!
Along with the bracelet was the story of someone visiting the rooms in heaven - the rooms were filled with angels working on the requests sent up via prayer to heaven. There was one room that was nearly empty - the 'thank you' room. We hope to fill that room on April 23rd with thanks to God for Courtney's miraculous healing.

We hope to see you all there - those whom we know and meet new friends who have followed Courtney's story and prayed along with us, who are friends in spirit and hope.
All demominations are welcome!

Thursday, April 23rd at 7pm LaSalle Academy.

Specific location, directions, etc. will be posted prior to.

Please post a comment (which can be anonymous) if you are planning to come and the # of people attending so that we can plan accordingly.
Thank you!

Mom's Update

So much has happened in the past week.
We visited the firefighters at the Narrangansett Pier Station. Courtney made cupcakes and met some of the firefighters and EMTs who responded to the scene that evening. They showed us the Rescue truck in which Courtney was transported and the jaws of life and other equipment used to extricate Courtney from her car. We took Courtney's picture with the crew and thanked them profusely for saving Courtney's life.
We had lunch with Trooper Brendan Doyle and his Mom. Brendan and Courtney talked about their recoveries and commiserated about therapy. It was great to talk with someone who understands what we are going through.
I went back to work on Monday. It was quite a transition for everyone. Courtney stayed with friends and did a great job with schoolwork.
Courtney's attention to school work has increased dramatically. From 10 minutes 5 weeks ago- to 30 minutes then 1 hour and a huge jump to 4 hours! Courtney now does 4 hours of schoolwork straight through. She is reviewing some basic math concepts, other visual spacial concepts that are challenging, reading and comprehension exercises.
This past week has demonstrated to us that while Courtney has made enormous strides there's a long way to go. This part of the recovery is similar to the long uphill climb at mile 20 of the Boston marathon. It's time to dig in, remind ourselves of how far we have come and try not to focus on the long 6 miles ahead to cross the finish line.
Courtney has her challenges and we all have ours as we remind ourselves that while we've been blessed with courtney's amazing recovery, her personality is in tact, and she clearly will make a full recovery, there's alot of stuff to work through in the process.
As I explained to courtney: Imagine if I took everything out of your closet and bureau, dumped it on the floor and told you to find one single sock. Sometimes the sock is at the top of the pile, sometimes in the middle and sometimes at the bottom. We never know where the information Courtney is searching for is at the top, middle or bottom of the pile. But we know she must search for it. It's a confusing, frustrating and sometimes discouraging process.
As always, Courtney's determination is inspiring us all to stay strong, pray for strength and love one another along our way.

Joy exceeding all expectations

While Courtney was asleep I often prayed that God would touch her heart so that she would never be angry or bitter about the accident. I prayed that her heart would be filled with the love of Jesus so that she could know that faithful prayers answered by God had saved her life. Just as our prayers for healing continue to be answered so has that prayer beyond my wildest imagination. And while this may sound corny, experiencing Courtney's joyful 'rebirth' has been for me, like a glimpse into heaven. The peace that surpasses all peace and joy that overflows is what we have been blessed to experience with Courtney.

This past month at home with Courtney (along with being at her side every day during her hospitalization) is the greatest gift I've received next to her life being saved. Watching her "ooh and aahhh" over things we take for granted - strawberries, gelato, flowers, balloons, cotton candy, lava lamps, Providence Place, the ocean, boats, orange juice, the list goes on. Listening to her intently say "ooooohhh I looove ....." and then "Mommy, I know this might sound silly, but do you think I could have ...?" Unashamedly I admit to saying yes to everything!

Most touching has been her expressions of love toward the people in her life who have always been important to Courtney and especially to those who were by her side throughout her hospital stay.

So while not every moment is joyful, and to be sure there are still many struggles, I wanted to take this time to say again how very grateful our entire family is that I was able to spend this last month at home with Courtney. It has truly been a gift. Today we begin a new chapter in Courtney's recovery. While I am at work Courtey will continue her own important work of cognitive therapy, school work and physical therapy. The plan from now until late August is still being formulated but is becoming a little clearer each day. Courtney and I will continue to keep everyone updated about her progress (and struggles) during this time. She is very determined to be back in the classroom by September and I have no doubt that is exactly where she will be!
Thank God!!!!

One month home anniversary!

Today is the best day ever, I've been home for a month! And I've had sleepovers, I went shopping and I finally went to the house I used to live in to go to a welcome back courtney party, the only reason I went there is because my teeth are normal. I went to my friend's houses and had a ton of fun. We toured sargent and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Except that some people were there that are not as advanced as me. Some are in wheelchairs and cannot speak but when I go there I won't be in groups with them because they need to be one-on-one with a therapist. The director of the program saw me when I was asleep in Braintree, and she could not believe how much better I was. And she said if I could survive all of that and get out of Braintree, then I can do the same thing at sargent. I'll pray for those young adults at sargent who need to be as well as they once were. And tomorrow, we're going to the Narragansett fire station and some of the police who came to the scene to bring them cupcakes which I'm baking. And for late lunch we'll go with Trooper Doyle who is back to his job, but at one time he also had a brain injury. Today I went to Elite Physical Therapy, and he told me that whenever I am not there I can go to the gym down here and ride the bike for ten minutes the gyn is in Peace Dale that my mom and I joined. I have been waiting to go to the gym in so long, and finally I can! So I hope that you continue to pray for those young adults at sargent who really need your help. Thank you.

Mom's Update

I'm sorry it's been so long since our last update. It is certainly not because of lack of news to share. Courtney has been busy with school work reviewing multiplication, division, word problems, etc. She's reading articles and completing reading comprehension exercises as well as vocabulary work.
Most impressive is that Courtney pulled out her German and Italian workbooks and flashcards. As she reviewed German Courtney read aloud (in English) a paragraph she had written in German! She translated it right there on the spot!!! It was amazing - she had only taken German this fall for about 10 weeks. Later Courtney reviewed her Italian flash cards and was able to recall dozens of Italian phrases.
Equally exciting was the moment (after the school work was done) when Courtney tried on some of her high heel shoes. She walked gingerly around the house with a big smile on her face. Whenever Courtney gets excited about something her reaction always begins with "oooohhhh!" There was a very big oooohhh as she walked around in lovely black and gold heels.
Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions for getting help in tutoring. We are working through the details to ensure that Courtney has adequate therapy and specialized tutoring until she is in a full time day treatment program.
In the meantime we had a great weekend with lots of visitors and we attended a beautiful concert that Courtney can tell you about when she writes on the blog tomorrow.

I finally got my teeth fixed!

On Tuesday, I got my teeth fixed. And I wasn't expecting it, I thought they would just clean my teeth and make an appointment for next week, but they actually did it. And I said thank you so much to the dentist and to the dental assistant, and the whole time my mom said they looked beautiful. On Easter Sunday at 11:30 mass, Father Ron at our church Immaculate Conception is going to offer the mass in Thanksgiving for my healing. I am very honored and every day I thank the Lord for saving my life and helping me to heal. And soon, Father Kenney from La Salle will say a mass in Thanksgiving for my healing. We will let everyone know soon when it is. So I have been doing my work inside of my books from the Learning Center in Cranston. I got pre- Algebra, vocab, geometry, and reading comprehension, and a book from Time that asks me questions. And at the library I got Gossip Girls, and my mom does math questions, and she grades all of my work. Today, I got an A off of three pages. I think that my Mom is the best Mommy I could ever ask for.

Please help if you can....

As we have not heard back from Sargent about a start date and haven't received a response we are going to Plan B and think that some of you may be able to help us.

Currently we have physical therapy lined up for Courtney that will allow her to get back to where she was for endurance and fitness.

We have a referral to a speech therapist but are awaiting info about which insurance plans they take.

Our overall plan includes the following:

Neuropsychologist for ongoing testing

Educational consultant - to help assess Courtney's needs and assist in writing an educational plan that will eventually include an IEP.

Physical Therapist - all set for now.

Speech Therapist - still interested in getting referrals.

TUTOR/caregiver - This is perhaps the most important role. We are thinking that a recent college graduate with a degree in education who may not have a full time teaching position would be interested in spending the next 3-5 months working with Courtney. Duties would be:
Assist Courtney with school work, organizational skills, note taking, etc.
Drive Courtney to and from appointments with physical, speech therapy
Assist with daily planning and keeping Courtney on task to complete each day's plan.

This person needs to have an excellent driving record (:( :) AH!)
teaching experience
pleasant but not overly sweet personality
not a pushover

Please leave a comment with your contact information if you know someone who fits the above description and thank you!!!!

Mom's Update

Courtney's therapy at home is going to new levels. We are playing scrabble almost every day and Courtney is spelling words like tangerine, mandarin and Gettysburg! Courtney is reading more and more - she is looking forward to a trip to the library tomorrow.

She continues to review more complicated math and is doing very well with various visual spacial exercises.

Courtney's speech has also improved dramatically in the past 2 weeks. Many people have told her that they can understand everything she is saying, even over the phone, or when she's speaking quickly. Occassionally the wrong word comes out or words come out scrambled. Courtney has a great sense of humor about this and will follow it up with laughter and a "duh duh dah!".

Now that Blue Cross has cleared funding for Sargent Rehabilitation we are anxiously awaiting a start date for Courtney. She is definitely ready to take on the academic challenges and work necessary to get her back to school. Courtney is also looking forward to out patient physical therapy that will get her back on gym equipment like eliptical, treadmill, weights, etc.



We will be having a mass of thanksgiving later in March to thank God for Courtney's miraculous healing. The date, place and time will be posted on the blog and we hope those of you who have followed Courtney's story will join us.

Mom's Update

Courtney continues to work hard at recovery. While in-home therapy is being reduced and we are waiting for her to start Sargent Courtney is reviewing some old favorites. Multiplication tables, state capitals, U.S. government and American History facts and vocabulary are among topics we are reviewing. These reviews will help Courtney recall what she has learned in the past. Today we will have Courtney's violin tuned and she'll start playing her violin. Music is always wonderful therapy and playing the violin offers unique challenges for the left arm and hand.

Courtney is certain that she will return to URI in the Fall and I have no doubt she is right! As her recovery continues and for people seeing and speaking with Courtney for the first time since the accident it's good to remember that TBI recovery of this magnitude is like growing up again fast forward. That means Courtney started again as a new born and is now progressing through years of cognitive, behavioral and emotional development. Like the rest of her recovery Courtney is moving through these 'years' at an even faster pace than we expected.

During our visit to Paychex yesterday Courtney and I were able to thank many people for their prayers and support. It has been a wonderful gift for me to be able to stay with Courtney each day since the accident. This has been possible thanks to the generosity of my co-workers who have donated their own precious vacation time. I will never be able to express what this time has meant to me and how grateful I am.

In the next couple of weeks we will visit RIH TICU and Narragansett Fire Dept to say thanks to those who saved Courtney's life.

after my first week at home

Thank you to everyone I have met or have not met for praying for me. Yesterday at ash wednesday mass I got the biggest cross on my forehead. Probably because the lady saw my scars and my teeth and she asked me if I would "will you repent and be healed" and I said yes and she smiled at me. And on ash wednesday the nurse discharged me because she doesn"t need to be here any more. Everyday my recovery continues and I keep getting better and better. And today we went to Paychex where my mom is the manager and every one was so happy to see me. So thank you for all of your prayers for me getting better and I am better now. And I was at Braintree hospital in a group called CIMT and I was crying because there were new ambulances coming in and at church I told the priest to pray for them just like I did that day after the group was over I went to my room with my mom and we said the hail Mary and the Our Father and I also said dear God, make these people as well as you made me.

my first week at home!

I did occupational therapy on twice a week. And physical therapy I passed the test she said I can do everything so she can"t see me again. I visited with family and friends. And I went shopping. And I felt so normal for one time since November. and yesterday I went to Christ the King at URI and the priest saw me in the hospital and he told me I am a walking miracle. And tonight I answered the home phone and the lady said is "is this Courtney's sister?" and I said "no this is Courtney!" and she said "Courtney! oh my god" probably because she thought I was still in the hospital and she brought me to Rhode Island hospital. And tomorrow I am writing letters saying "I am glad and rejoycing for you saving my life" to everyone to the hospital in Rhode Island hospital and to Dr katz and to the nurses and therapists at Braintree. And today I said to my Mommy i am glad and rejoycing for God saving my life. My Mommy tells me everyday that she is the happiest Mother in the world.

Mom's Update

Our first glorious week at home has been extremely busy which is why I haven't posted as often. Between unpacking 3 months of living at hospitals, working around the refinishing of the basement and getting Courtney settled in the week has flown by.
Each day has been an amazing gift of gratitude and joy. Courtney is full of gratitude for all the prayers she has received and continues to be appreciative of the simple joys in life.
We've had many visitors throughout the week as well as getting out of the house so that Courtney could do some shopping.
Nursing, physical, and occupational therapy have all been here to assess Courtney and begin in-home therapy. Courtney did so well with physical therapy that it was determined she is to high level for this service! As she told her friends "the physical therapist said she never wants to see me again!"
Each night Courtney reads to me to improve her speech and she's doing great. One of her favorites is a joke book that her friend Catherine gave to her. Often she's laughing hysterically before she gets to the punch line. Courtney continues to improve the flexibility in her elbow and wrist on her own - in just a week she's made remarkeable progress.

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”


by Marianne Williamson

Parting words from UB

On Sunday, three months to the day of Courtney's horrific accident, I drove down to my sister's house to visit. For the first time in more than three months, Courtney said "Hi" to me. Her greeting was music for the soul!

The night of the accident when Uncle Kevin called me, I didn't know if Courtney would be alive when I arrived at the hospital. Too often we hear and read of young people dying in car accidents. Recently, three young men died on Elmwood Avenue in Cranston, a mere 100 yards or so from my place of employment. (one of the survivors, a young lady, has been mentioned in the comments section of this blog by her teacher).

As I have tried to stress to Beth's kids a number of times - especially John who is driving now - many young people think that bad things happen to other people. Intellectually, they know its' possible they could get hurt and/or die but psychologically they think otherwise. It's part of being young. As adults, we know it's our job to remind "our" children that these things can, in fact, happen to them.

Recently, there have been numerous car break-ins in my neighborhood. I witnessed one from a few hundred yards away the other night but I couldn't catch up with the two thieves with my truck. After speaking to a young policeman from the site of the break-in he thanked me for calling. I responded by saying, no, "thank YOU". He's the one putting his life on the line everyday.

I had that same feeling after Courtney thanked me for visiting. Thank me?? NO! Thank you, Courtney. Thank you for being so brave in such a frightening situation. Thank you for being strong willed and determined in the face of your monumental struggle. Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for setting such an inspiring example for all of us who have been so deeply touched by your awesome spirit. Thank you for coming back to us.

It's my belief that we have all been given a gift of these past three months and there's more to come. In my eyes, the gift isn't limited to Courtney's recovery alone. The gift includes the remarkable human circle of support and love extended by so many people who never even knew Courtney before her accident and so many of our friends and extended family. Many of those stories have been recorded on this blog. Countless others have not. The fact is, we'll never know the full extent of love and prayers directed toward Courtney and her family (and my family). In a sense, the phenomenon is similar to the one depicted in the movie, Pay it Forward. (watch it if you haven't)

Finally, (I'm imagining a huge sigh of relief) though I'd like to keep writing into the summer in order to harass those Yankee fans, Craig and Ed, I'm going to bow out so the star of the show can keep us informed on how she's doing. On behalf of all my siblings who didn't write, thank you so much for loving and caring for Courtney, Katy, Claudia, Craig and Diane.

Long overdue blog

Obviously the past 4 days have been very hectic. Sunday morning we woke up early enough to eat breakfast and go to church in Cranston at Immaculate Conception (our old parish). Courtney insisted that we go to church there so that she could thank Fr. Ron and/or Fr. Kenney for praying for her. The parish community has been very supportive of Courtney and our family. We are so indebted to them and so many others for their prayers.

Courtney sang for the first time during mass and remembered most of the prayers proving once again that her memory is working well! She was pleased to thank so many people for their prayers and also let Fr. Kenney know that there are new patients at Braintree that need prayers.

Monday was busy with trying to begin working through 3 months of living out of hospitals, trunks and Uncle Kevin's. There was SO SO SO much to sift through! The work continued throughout the day but Courtney did not miss out on therapy. Each day Courtney walks, works with play dough for her left hand, reads out loud for speech and generally pushes herself a little bit further each day. Today Courtney made rice krispee treats mixing and reaching with her left hand. We play with the WII balance but it is taking some getting used to and Mom is NOT coordinated enough to be a good example!

Courtney has been touched by the gifts and cards that have come to welcome her home. Most important of all is the fact that Katy and Claudia found Courtney's cell phone! Glory Alleluia! Courtney immediately started texting and calling friends and so the cell phone has been buzzing ever since!!!!

In the days ahead Courtney will have in home therapy through Care New England VNA. She will visit Sargent to check it out next week. We will have Courtney's violin tuned so that she can play it (also good therapy in many ways)!

We will be having many celebrations in the weeks and months ahead including a Mass of Thanksgiving for Courtney's healing. Information will be posted and we know that many will come to join us in thanking God for this miracle.

Courtney will post tomorrow morning with more info on her days at home so far and the days ahead.

Going Home Day and First Night

Courtney started the day off celebrating her departure from Braintree eating cake with the staff. It was a beautiful cake and delicious. Everyone was crying, except Courtney! She said "good bye 204 B FOREVER!" and "I will never be a patient again!"

We made the 1 1/2 hour drive quite easily and Courtney remembered cities, towns, people and many random facts along the way. At home she had lunch and then a nap. After the nap Courtney watched TV and relaxed for the rest of the day.

It was a joyous day as Craig said better than any birthday, any Christmas, any holiday anyone ever had. Courtney made the decision not to have a delayed Christmas. Instead she opted to give (the only gifts we bought last year) Katy and Claudia their Christmas presents last night. We bought them together at Marshalls on employee day and Courtney had picked them all out. The girls were thrilled with everything Courtney had selected for them and Courtney was thrilled to give those gifts along with the stuffed Lobster and Elephant from Build A Bear.

Throughout the past 1 1/2 days Courtney has said 'thank you so much' to everyone. ALL the staff, Doctors, nurses, aids, secretaries, housekeeping all received a very sincere 'thank you so much' from Courtney. It was heartfelt. She has thanked Craig and I dozens of times for praying for her and 'for everything.' When Courtney was still in TICU I started praying that God would give her a grateful heart. That she would never be angry or bitter about the accident. I could never have imagined the gift of having Courtney's heart SO filled with gratefulness, love, happiness, peace and joy. I could never have imagined that so early on she would recognize that "God made me better."
As awful as the terrible days were (and I could never have imagined how awful they were before they happened) - these past 2 weeks have been far more joyous. And I could never have imagined the joy, happiness and gratitude that would fill our hearts. We are so grateful and so overwhelmed by joy.
Thank you to the countless people who supported and prayed for us all along the way.

Busy Final Day

Courtney's last day of therapy at Braintree was packed with work including OT with the robotic arm, PT during which Courtney made huge gains on the balance test jumping 13 points and group therapies for hand and speech. The day of therapy ended with a group trip to the mall. Most of the patients went into the pet store but Courtney was interested in the Build A Bear store next door (of course!). Courtney quickly selected a stuffed lobster for Katy and an elephant for Courtney then she selected shoes for each of them! Nothing for herself.
Then onto the food court to Planet Smoothie and she grabbed a slice of veggie pizza for dinner.

Upon arriving back we packed Courtney's belongings - enough to fill a car! She has not even seen the enormous box of cards we brought home a month ago or the huge box of Christmas cards but she is anxious to read them all. Courtney had many tearful good byes with people that work the night shift (they did the crying!). One after another they told her how they would miss her and how amazingly she'd done.

Tomorrow is going home day and Craig and I will arrive early for breakfast, getting Courtney ready. Then we will have cake and coffee with the staff to celebrate. Courtney has selected a white cake with raspberry filling and white frosting decorated with white chocolate sea shells. The cake is from Konditor Meister (a name that makes her laugh each time I say it).

Mom's Post Continued

When Courtney was typing her post she stopped herself before typing "pray for me" and said "no, I'm better." I told her it was okay to ask for prayers. Courtney asked me to pray to God with her. We prayed for the patient she saw coming in today. We said the Our Father and Hail Mary. Then Courtney said "I prayed. Dear God, I pray with my whole heart that you help the person. Hello, it's Courtney" What a beautiful prayer.

Mom's Post

Courtney's days are packed with lots of therapy as she is also participating in group therapies. She is doing current events group, disarthria group (to help her speak louder), thinking skills group, hand group, and constraint induced movement group (that focuses on using the left arm).
Today Courtney met with Dr. Brown and a representative from the company that manufactures the pump holding the Baclofin. Of course Dr. Brown was thrilled with Courtney's progress and how much better her left ankle, right leg and even left elbow and wrist are doing. Courtney is already wondering when the pump will come out. Hopefully after a few months the Baclofin can be discontinued completely and sometime thereafter, when Doctors are certain she doesn't need it, the pump will be removed.
There's just one more day of therapy left and Courtney will be heading home. When someone asked me this morning "what time are you leaving Friday?" Courtney answered before I had a chance "in the morning!" She is very anxious. Courtney plans to sit on the couch with Daddy and watch TV (she said "I don't care" when asked what they will watch) and of course have lunch. The weekend menu has already been planned.
As you can see from the posting by Courtney she was very upset to see a new patient being brought to the hospital. She has thought about little else since then and cries about it. She told me about it immediately after and said "I'll pray to God. You pray too. I'll call Daddy, and Katy and Claudia and tell them." Courtney has always been a caring person who truly feels other people's pain. The accident has not changed that and she is obviously aware of much more than she can express.

Courtney's Post

I am praying for (a patient that was with an) EMT that passed me..(please pray for them too) and pray for me. thank you for praying for them.

i am at home on friday.

Mom's Update

One of the assessment tools is the GOAT - Galveston Orientation Assessment. I mentioned that Courtney went from getting a score of 15/100 to a score of 90/100. Apparently when a patient gets a passing score on the GOAT three days in a row they are considered post-confusional.
Courtney got her 3rd passing score today on the GOAT. That means that she went from the minimally conscious state into the confusional state and passed into post-confusional in just over 2 weeks. It is completely 'unheard of' according to everyone here. They are completely stunned and thrilled. Of course this means that Courtney is truly ready to move on to the next phase of her recovery and so her discharge date has been moved up - one week - to this Friday!!!!
Friday the 13th! Courtney will be going home 8 weeks after arriving here at Braintree hospital and just 1 day shy of the 3 month mark following her accident.

We believe that the prayers and support Courtney has received during these past months have brought this miraculous recovery. God has blessed us beyond measure with wonderful family, friends, doctors, nurses and many other caretakers.

Although we are ecstatic about Courtney's homecoming we know that she still has a way to go before she her recovery is complete. We will continue to update you via this blog and Courtney will provide her own updates in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime we are SO SO grateful to God and all of you!!!!

Mom's Update

A few things I forgot from previous days:
Yesterday during Courtney's outing to Friday's a brawl broke out! Mid-day, a family restaurant - apprently excitement follows the Hollingworth's everywhere.
Courtney has told me "Mommy every day I wake up for you."

Courtney was very pleased to hear that both Fr. Kenney and Fr Ron mentioned her at church and that so many people are following her progress and praying for her. When prompted Courtney quickly remembered how to finish the prayer-ending they spoke daily at LaSalle. She is hearing each and every day how amazing her recovery is and what a miracle she is. It has provided some insight for her into how far she has come.

Today Courtney and I went to Target. It's a big store and while we didn't walk the whole store we covered enough ground to wear Courtney out. She had alot of visitors today and a wonderful dinner from Panera including some favorites.

Tomorrow begins a busy week of therapy and work for Courtney as she continues to improve her memory and cognitive skills. In the meantime Courtney is changing the day and date on the white board and crossing off the days on the calendar until she goes home. We are saying daily prayers of thanks for every WOW moment - and there have been lots of them.

Mom's Update

As I've mentioned in previous blog Courtney's personality is very much intact. I've been wanting to write about this for sometime but Courtney's had me on the go and she's not resting much during the day.
Here are some moments that show her true personality through and through:
"I'm better. I'm going home on February 20" she said to Marie on the phone
Therapists ask "Courtney do you want to do one more..., you don't have to if you don't want to"
"Yes" Courtney will always say "I'll do it." or
"Do you want to try this new therapy? It's okay if you don't want to" Courtney always says "I'll do it."

"I WANT my cell phone"

One night Courtney's nurses aid was sitting in the chair next to Courtney's bed and she was holding her head in her hand. Courtney asked "Are you tired?" - The nurses aid told me about this the next day and said "I love her - she's a good girl."

We talked to Courtney about going to church when she comes home "Christ the King (on the URI campus)! Yes, I remember!"

Courtney is loving EVERYTHING. "I love this chicken" "I love this restaurant" "I love Emma, Jill, Carey" and other friends and family. "I love those flowers" "I love my glasses."
As though we weren't appreciative enough of this miracle Courtney has shown us how to be appreciative of every single thing we touch, smell, eat and experience.

"I'm so scared that something this bad will happen to someone I love."

We were going to Marshall's today and so I asked Courtney if she'd like to look at the pants.
"Yes she said, I'll get some for Katy." I said no not Katy. "Okay then Claudia." No not Claudia
"okay, Emma then?" No Courtney for you. It's so like Courtney to be thinking of other people.

Courtney getting "kicked out" (just a joke) of Reality Orientation Group because she was laughing hysterically at the older men who wouldn't stop talking.

An OT that hadn't worked with Courtney much said "I thought we might try to make things a little more difficult by having Courtney pick out her own clothes and get them out of the closet."
I said - oh she's already doing that! Courtney said "Moving on!"

Yes and moving on is what Courtney continues to do. Dr. Katz exclaimed last night "The fastest recovery I've ever seen, at least one of the fastest, but I think it's the fastest." (among patients with severe TBI)

12 weeks after the accident we did not expect to be preparing to bring Courtney home. When we arrived here we were told 3-6 months. That was 7 weeks ago!

Mom's Update

It's been an incredible week of rejoicing as we listen to Courtney remember so many many things, places, people and random facts! The best part about this week is the incredible number of times Courtney has looked at us and said "I love you Mommy" or "I love you Daddy." Then she'll ask "Does Daddy know how much I love him?" Oh yes, Courtney and you can't imagine how much we love you.
Our joy is immeasurable at seeing Courtney's recovery surpass levels that Doctors expected. Each area that they warned us would be problematic has turned out not to be so. Today we learned that Courtney's hearing is perfect! Perfect!!! after the ear bone was broken causing nerve damage. Memory, speech, concentration, walking, talking and most importantly personality are all recovering. At this point Courtney needs to still has lots of work on speech, memory, concentration, balance and coordination. Over the coming months Courtney will work on all of those things and relearning (in fast forward)everything she's learned over the 12+ years of school.
Courtney had her feeding tube removed today!!!! Yeah - the last tube. The only foreign object left now is the baclofin pump and that will remain in place for sometime. Tomorrow and Sunday both bring field trips for Courtney. We will (maybe) do some shopping and definitely lunch again. Saturday is TGI Fridays. Sunday is TBD.

Courtney's Update

i am eat eating at bertuccis. i ate pizza and salad. i went with mommy inher midnight acura blue. we went with alissa and kathleen.

Mom's Update

Courtney had great days both yesterday and today. She has figured out the times that Craig and I come to stay with her. Courtney reminds me often throughout the day that she is expecting me by 8am! This morning Courtney told me that if I wasn't here by 8:04 she would "freak out." I assured that she would be fine if I didn't arrive at exactly 8am.
We've been talking alot about friends and family and when they would be visiting. Courtney did great on the treadmill both days walking more than 1000 feet at a good pace. She also did very well with OT and used the Robotic arm computer game. This piece of equipment allows Courtney to stretch her left wrist and elbow while playing video games.
Among many other amazing things Courtney has remembered in the past 24 hours was phone numbers of friends from high school! She also talked to friends and family on the phone alot in the past 2 days. One of the most memorable conversations were with Uncle Kevin, Kristen and Cory who were all brought to tears hearing Courtney's voice.
Courtney had a field trip out of the hospital today that she will tell everyone about. When she got into my car Courtney said "I love this car!" I asked Courtney "have a new found appreciation for life don't you?" and she answered seriously "yes."
Courtney made the largest score improvements on one of the coma recovery tests today. the GOAT is administered every few days. Three days ago Courtney scored 15/100 - today she scored 90/100! HUGE HUGE!!!! The largest score improvement anyone here has ever seen.

Courtney's First Update

i love you. how are you today? i am fine.

Mom's Update - Computer trouble delayed posting

Courtney had another outstanding and busy day today. She mixed, baked and frosted funfetti cupcakes and walked 837 feet on the Autoambulator treadmill. Courtney also called many of her friends and ate very very well. I made cinnamon buns for breakfast and brought fresh canteloupe and strawberries that Courtney ate throughout the day. She ate grill cheese and pnut butter crackers at lunch then fish and corn niblets at dinner. Courtney wasn't that impressed with the fish and corn (it really wasn't that bad) but a bit dry so we walked to the kitchen and added butter to make it more palitable. During both lunch and dinner Courtney showed that she is quickly catching on

Mom's Update

Courtney's awareness progressed further today as she became aware of time away from Mom and Dad. Last night as I was getting ready to leave she started saying 'please don't leave.' Because part of this recovery is a bit like growing up again but fast forward I anticipated separation anxiety. I assured Courtney I would be back in the morning. When I arrived in the morning Courtney was standing in the hallway and the entire nursing staff informed me that she had been sitting by the elevator eagerly waiting my arrival and insisting on calling me!

Throughout the day Courtney asked for cell phone #s of everyone from me and Craig to Aunties, friends, parents of friends. She would hold up her finger, tell me to wait 'just a sec' walk to the bureau, grab the dry erase board and marker, bring them to me and say, 'what about XXX's cell phone?' and I would write it down for her. She thought of so many people we ran out of room and had to write them all on 2 separate pieces of paper.

Courtney asked 'where's my phone?' I promised her I would find it in the pile of things I put in safe keeping and get it to her ASAP! She asked later in the day "how do I reach you tonight?" - just like that! unbelievable!!!

After weeks of Daddy receiving the brunt of her frustrations she finally did a 180 and asked me "where's Daddy- I want to call him." Then she grilled him about when he would be arriving to visit and insisted that he stay after I left this evening. She gave many hugs and kisses - and he deserves so many more - at least one for every pinch and slap he got during the agitated phase!

Also, and very very importantly Courtney ate well today. After a slow start she ate canteloupe, half of a Mc D's cheeseburger, 1/2 order of small fries for lunch. Later she drank 3/4 a small vanilla shake and when her stomach was full she looked at me and said "I really don't think I should eat any more right now." Just before 5pm Courtney said "I'm hungry. I need to eat again." (we have been telling Courtney 'you need to eat again today') She ate turkey, mashed potatos and gravy. It took 1 hour and 10 minutes and it must have been iced cold but she ate nearly the entire dinner. I asked Courtney if eating was exhausting. She answered "it's like when I wake up and just before I go to sleep" - long answer for absolutey!!!

Finally, we got the word that Courtney will indeed be going home Friday, February 20th as long as insurance approves 3 more weeks. We believe they will. Courtney will have 2-3 weeks transition with in-home therapy and then will begin a day program at Sargent Rehabilitation Center. Sadly there are 16 participants in the 18-25 year old group currently enrolled in their program. This program will take Courtney all the way through to a return to school.

Meanwhile friends and family are all pitching in to help us get the house ready for Courtney and like all the other support we've received we are so very humbled and grateful.

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

Courtney started the morning off asking to call Emma, her friend, on the phone. I dialed my cell phone and got Emma on the phone. They spoke for a few minutes, Emma letting Courtney know about her plans for the day while Courtney mainly listened. It was another amazing Courtney moment as her speech therapist Kathleen happened to be in the room durin the call and said most people can't talk on the phone for a long time after a head injury.
Later as Katy, Claudia and Courtney were doing valentine crafts Courtney read a card from a high school friend. She started crying saying "I wish I didn't have to read this card." We all knew what she meant. Then the questions started and for about an hour Courtney asked questions about the accident showing (true Courtney) more concern about others than herself.
Why did the accident happen?
What about the people in the other car?
What happened at the hospital in Rhode Island?
Why do you say I was really sick there?
How did you find out about the accident?
Then she asked Claudia and Katy how did they find out.
What about the Lawsons?
The Abergers?
Aunts, Uncles, friends, one after another she named the people in her life and wanted to know
"Who called who?"
We described that night to Courtney and who (so many many people) sat with us through that night and who came to the hospital to sit with us and pray for Courtney day after day after day. Craig told her "you are our miracle."
We told her about the "Please Pray for Courtney" signs and the Facebook Page. Katy and Claudia explained that hundreds of kids have logged onto Courtney's Get Well Page and written on her Facebook. Courtney asked "whose wall? yours?"~!!!!! Amazing question and terminology! No, the girls told her, "they wrote on your facebook page."
"Why wasn't I told about this before?" Courtney asked!
What were we thinking????
The girls logged onto Facebook to show Courtney. As she sat in front of the computer Courtney reached out and started navigating around the Facebook page!!! Then she attempted to log onto Facebook remembering an old password - unbelievable - we sat there amazed at her once again.
Of course there were lots of tears all around as we recalled that night and the questions Courtney asked were so thoughtful. She also asked lots of questions about her memory and the things she can't remember. Courtney wanted to know "why is Emma different now?"
WOW - what a revelation and how scary to think that you have a memory of someone from years before and then they walk in your hospital room looking 2, 3, 5 (?) years older than the image in your mind. It was the most astounding conversation.
After all that Courtney was emotionally and physically exhausted but she managed to drink an entire McDonald's vanilla milkshake and eat a half a piece of pizza. Hopefully she will eat more food tonight and tomorrow will be a bigger calorie day for Amazing Courtney!

Mom's Update

Courtney laughed again today just at the reminder of her conversation with Catherine. After breakfast I asked Courtney "is there anything I can get you?" She said "Emma." I told Courtney Emma was home but later in the morning Emma came to visit. Courtney was very happy! Courtney ate french fries today thanks to Auntie Debbie. She's eating grapes and canteloupe for breakfast but not enough food throughout the day.
As Courtney continues to get better she is staying awake for longer and longer. She's also doing alot of walking - lots and lots of walking! Today Courtney wanted me to bring her on the stairs but I said "oh no!" that's a job for the therapists AND Mom! The only stairs I'm walking on alone with Courtney are the carpeted stairs at home!
As Courtney's speech gets better she is making her wants and needs known more and more. Today she asked to take a bath tub instead of shower. That's something that will have to wait until you get home Courtney. We love all the progress that's being made and will start the countdown to coming home tomorrow - February 1st.

Courtney's Laughing

Courtney had a great visit with her friend Catherine today and laughed for the first time since the accident. It was a wonderful sound to hear. Catherine was telling stories from their overnight trips to Alton Jones Camp and how they tortured the poor boys on the trip! With each reminder of teasing Courtney laughed and smiled broader and brighter.
This was at the end of a great day of therapy and being awake most of the day. We showed pictures of our house to Courtney as her memory is of living in Cranston. She wanted to know why she didn't recognize our house and I explained it was because we just moved there in June. We will show Courtney pictures of our home every day so that she will feel comfortable when she comes home. As we were discussing coming home I told Courtney "you'll be coming home in 3 weeks" and she said "or maybe 2?" Maybe! We'll see but more likely 3 - around the 20th. We are still working on getting Courtney to eat. She only had about 200 calories yesterday. We are trying to offer and give her anything and everything!

Mom's Update

Courtney's morning was once again packed with activity. Courtney went from task to task in the shower this morning with very little prompting. She is even bending over to pull on socks and shoes (something she's not really supposed to do because of the baclofin pump).
She did a lot of reading today and is working on orientation to place, date and time. Some days are better than others. Because Courtney's oldest memories will return first she often says that she lives in Cranston rather than in South Kingstown where we moved in June. We are going to bring pictures of the new house and the rooms, especially her bedroom, so that she can recall those memories.
Today Courtney asked me "do you still have meetings?" I said "are you asking me if I am going to work?" she nodded yes. I explained that I have not been to work and am staying with Courtney until she gets better. Then Courtney said "it's a good thing I didn't get hurt worse."
HA! The therapist and I couldn't believe it. At this point Courtney can't begin to imagine how hurt she was but I did tell her that she was very very sick and asleep for a long time that is why we get so excited about her walking and eating, etc.
Because Courtney's morning was filled with therapy she was somewhat overwhelmed and at one point crying she said "it's all to much." It certainly is to much for anyone of us to comprehend what our little Courtney has fought her way back from but we are so proud of her.
While she didn't eat alot today she is trying food a little bit at a time. After trying several things this afternoon Courtney threw up her hands and shook her head showing frustration at not enjoying anything. This is a good sign that she is at least willing to try so we will keep praying that every day she will be more interested in eating and food will start to taste good.

Tuesday and Wednesday update

Yesterday Courtney worked very hard all morning walking, talking and reading. She walked with the LiteGait which is a machine that rolls along while Courtney is strapped in by a harness. It helps with weight bearing so that Courtney can walk further. It is not comfortable and walking can be painful because of muscles that were tight for so long and 8 weeks in bed. During Courtney's walk on the LiteGait she was crying and saying "it's not fair" and "why?" We all agreed with Courtney that it's not fair but unfortunately I don't have an answer as to why.
I do know that Courtney's miraculous recovery is due to the prayers of many faithful and God's mercy.
Today Courtney told me "I don't deserve this" - she's right no one deserves this. But I told Courtney that she is a fighter and that she has come a long long way and will get better. This afternoon I said "Courtney, you're amazing, do you know that?" She nodded yes! Courtney walked further today than ever and did the stairs with great skill. She is showering and dressing with almost no help at all. Courtney is also reading which will, in the long run, help her speech. After showering we visited the "kitchen" in the rehab gym which is used to help retrain patients in day to day tasks. Courtney put utensils away in the proper compartment with no instruction. She then went on to put cans of coke, milk cartons and juice cups away with like items in the fridge. She did both these tasks with only one instruction "put them away." That shows remarkeable organization and sequencing skills this early in recovery.
Later Courtney and I were making Valentines hearts. Courtney took different colored hearts and layered them without any prompting from me. That shows creativity. Another part of the brain working properly.
The last big hurdle before leaving Braintree is still eating. I have been praying that she will start eating. Please pray with us that Courtney will begin eating and wanting to eat regularly so that she can have her feeding tube removed. Thank you!

"It really is miraculous"

"It really is miraculous." Those were the exact words the Neurology Physician's Assistant used today to describe Courtney's progress. Of course I had to agree with her. She made this observation as she watched Courtney walk back from the shower, unassisted. She's quickly turning into a hall roamer. This afternoon Courtney got out of bed and headed for the door. I asked her "where are you going?" she answered "next door." The nurses in the hallway let her know she wasn't allowed in other patients' rooms and so we walked up and down the hall.

Later Dr. Williams (internal med) came by to check on Courtney. "How's your walking?" he asked. She responded by getting up and walking out the door - actions speak louder than words! He was quite impressed. Tomorrow Courtney's team will meet again to re-write her goals and establish a plan leading up to discharge.

We still face hurdles, not the least of which is eating, and Courtney is being quite stubborn about this. Her team and I talk more now about behavoir problems and working through Courtney's stubborn streak. That same stubborn determination is what has helped her recovery and since there's no playing games with Courtney I have started to tell her there are certain things about which she can not be stubborn.

Courtney did a little reading today. She read from the scrapbook Nora made about Courtney Bears and she read the title of the book "I love you more." Tomorrow she'll read the book to Maureen, a speech therapist. Courtney also answered many of the same annoying questions she answers every day such as 'what month is it?' 'where are you now?', etc. These are reality orienting questions but they drive Courtney crazy because she takes them as an insult to her intelligence. Speech therapists are constantly forced to apologize for the silly questions but insist they must ask them anyway!

from UB

It's so great to see and to learn of Courtney's amazing progress. She keeps going and going and going,,,. It might be unseemly to make money off this terrible situation but I'd like to buy some Courtney stock! Tons of it. In fact, this could be the answer to our economic troubles. My advice would be BUY, BUY, BUY!!!!
Not to be negative but Courtney won't pass my test till she can dodge hockey pucks fired at her by Uncle Bill from 20' feet away! That's how I learned evasive manuevers at a young age. We all played dodgeball in grammar school but that was nothing! Of course, Courtney would need full pads and an opportunity to return the favor.
If you've seen the movie "Dodgeball" you know what I mean. "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." And so, if you can dodge a hard, black, rubber, half frozen hockey puck traveling at 95 miles per hour, in limited lighting conditions, in the middle of winter, then you can dodge a ball and just about anything else coming your way save for a federal search warrant but that's another story.
We all long for the day when Courtney can go home to rest and continue to heal in familiar surrroundings. I also look forward to making my famous thai/mex/italo/chinese/rushkie/greek/franco/japanese seafood, spaghetti, pad thai, crepes, taco, sushi, feta cheese, pupu platter, vodka casserole for Courtney!

Believe me when I tell you, this dish is a real killer! (stomach pumps available)

All my love to Courtney and her family! Semper Fi

Moving along

Courtney's day was highlighted by a walk without any help - completely unassisted! Then Courtney wandered over to the stairwell door and and Meline and Alex asked her if she'd like to do the stairs. Courtney answered yes and rather than doing the practice steps like all the other patients she did a full fight of steps up and down! Next Courtney wanted to get on the elevator - okay up 1 floor - then back on the stairs and down 2 flights of stairs. The energizer Courtney!!!

For Mom the best part of the day was seeing Courtney eat real food. She had a couple of bites of Mrs. Lawson's pancakes and then nothing at lunch. Finally at dinner she ate a quarter piece of wheat bread and a few bites of elbow macaroni. Yahoo!!!! I can not tell Courtney enough times - you must eat so that the doctor can remove your feeding tube.

Everything we talk about with Courtney now is about going home. Eat so you can go home. Walk alone so you can go home. Do your best in each therapy so you can go home. We know she understands and we pray every day all day for her continued remarkeable recovery so that we can bring her home.

Mom's Update

Courtney had a painful day today as her left arm was very sore and she had general aches and pains magnified by a hyperalert nervous system as she continues to wake up. Courtney also had emotional pain today as she was definitely struck with the magnitude of her current deficits. It was clear to Courtney today that she is walking, talking, writing and doing everything different and always needing help. She shed many tears today over this and we comforted her as best we could. Despite all her own pain Courtney managed to make us laugh - on purpose - with funny Courtney faces. At one point Craig said "is Daddy silly sometimes?" and Courtney made a funny face and shook her head no - everyone broke out in hysterics.
Today was a big eating day for Courtney as she passed the test to move on to ground and soft foods like pancakes and pasta. It was not an easy test and Courtney challenged Kathleen, the speech therapist by saying "you don't have the right to tell a person what to eat." We were all shocked and impressed by this obvious sign of personal independence, dignity and high level thought. Kathleen respectfully explained to Courtney why she has to make sure that Courtney can safely eat certain foods. Courtney was satisfied with the answer and continued on to pass the test!
Other than some walking today was a day of well deserved rest for Courtney. Imagine in the past two weeks she started and has greatly improved: walking, talking, eating, and independent personal care. These milestones and her diligence in improving at each have the entire staff amazed and delighted. We are so grateful for this progress. When Courtney made her sisters, friends and Mom and Dad laugh only one thought entered my mind: 'thank you God' and I repeated it over and over and over in my head while happy tears ran down my face.

Mom's Update

Today was a ride on the Courtney coaster. The day started on a funny note with Courtney making typical funny Courtney faces and showing typical Courtney impatience with certain adults. It was so true Courtney it made me laugh until she smiled along.
Courtney is starting to remember important things like the day, date, year, etc. Therapists use a box of commonly used items and ask Courtney to name them. For a 19 year old girl, a pipe and hammer are not exactly commonly used items. I suggested that we try things Courtney is more familiar with. I pulled out my makeup bag and Courtney went on to name :
makeup case; lipgloss; mascara (not an easy word to say). Then I showed Courtney my phone and asked what it was. Courtney said "work phone" - 100% correct not just any cell phone but my work cell phone. I asked Courtney to tell the speech therapist what kind of cell phone she has -"blackberry"she said - right again!
Courtney's voice is getting stronger and louder. Unfortunately we are not skipping the agitated phase when people use inappropriate language and physical aggression. I can't write what Courtney said but rest assured that she said it with much conviction and sent along the universal sign for a have a nice day!
While I make jokes about this it is truly upsetting to see Courtney act so out of character. While Jillian and Cary were visiting today Courtney had one of those upsetting moments. Her friends acted admirably in staying as calm as possible in a very emotional moment. Courtney would be very proud of them. The rest of the visit was calm and quiet. We are hopeful that this unpleasant phase of waking up ends quickly!
We ended the day on a high note with many warm and gentle hugs and Courtney enjoying 2 rocketpop popsicles. After having the 1st popsicle I told Courtney to use her voice so I could make sure that none of it went into her lungs. She said "like, I want another one?" Okay I said, but just 1 more. Courtney said "or 2?" No I said "1 more and that's it." She savored both popsicles. After 9 weeks of tubes and scopes and more tubes and trach tubes in her throat drinking cold water, cold apple juice and finally frozen pops is a truly enjoyable experience for Courtney. It's wonderful to see her enjoy something and as she does -she nods her head 'yes', 'yes', 'yes' ...that's sooo gooood!!!! We love you Courtney - it's good to see you coming back to us!

from UB

I saw Courtney Sunday and was very impressed with her progess. She continues to live up to the nickname I assigned her, "The Energizer Courtney". It was so encouraging to witness the speed and ease in which Courtney can now sit up in bed and how much more aware she is of her surroundings.
Since Courtney "woke", even in the limited sense that we see, as I have left her at the end of every visit, I have told her, "Bye Courtney, I'll see you soon." So far, Courtney has not responded to me in any discernable manner other than to look at me. That's good enough for me given her condition and the fact that I only see her once a week now and she may have trouble remembering me.
As a step-parent, I have learned that one the most difficult challenges of parenthood is achieving balance. The readers who are parents are more familiar with this issue than I. A child misbehaves and we may struggle with the penalty for such behavior. Is it too much or not enough? As they grow older - when should we press for info and when should we back off ? How much rope should we give them and when do we let go of the rope? I've found that this struggle can also be painful.

This point has been driven home to me while visiting Courtney over the course of these past few months. Day after day, Diane and Craig deal with this formidable challenge made all the more difficult and painful as Courtney's condition continues to change on a weekly basis. At times they may struggle with when they should back off and when they should intervene in Courtney's care, or when they should give Courtney room as they support and coax her back to her old self. Given the intensity of their love for their daughter, this must be extremely difficult and extremely painful.
God continue to bless them and hold them during this monumental struggle.

Mom's Update

Courtney's trip to BMC and back was quick and mostly uneventful. The only point of interest was the traffic and misguided driver who thought he could 'cut' through the city and instead gave us the grand tour of Beantown!
The trip was very tiring for Courtney and so between the traveling and exhaustion it cut her therapy time down. She did very well with speech today and was talking to her OT and PT. We saw the stubborn Courtney we know and love today. Maureen, from speech, came in this morning. Courtney wrote on the dry erase board "leave me alone". Maureen asked "why do you want me to leave you alone?" Courtney wrote 'because I want to be left alone" (da da duh)! I asked Courtney if she remembered why she is at Braintree -she wrote "because of Mom." So I explained again about the accident and head injury and said that Maureen was there to help her get better. She nodded and looked at Maureen and said "I'm sorry." Maureen said 'you don't have to be sorry, but what are you sorry about?" Courtney answered "for being bossy."
Tomorrow or the next day Courtney will be walking the practice stairs in the gym. Her walking is very good now and Alissa has been practicing with me so that Courtney and I can walk alone. This weekend she will practice with Craig so he'll know how to walk along with Courtney too.

Mom's Update

Today was a slow day for Courtney as she started the morning off with an upset stomach. It seems to be due to the fact that they were trying to feed her to much. Courtney was getting 'food' -glucerna through her tube every 3 hours from 6am - 12 midnight. Along with us trying to get her to eat regular food it was all to much. Courtney didn't eat much at all today as a result but did drink juice and more water.
We all know how gross hospital food smells. Courtney is sniffing everything before she eats it. As soon as she smells it she pushes it aside and won't eat it. Then the smell of the hospital food was in the air and she wouldn't even eat yogurt or ice cream. This along with her finnicky (?) appetite is going to make eating a challenge.
I have let Courtney know how important it is for her to eat regular food so she can get better and come home. Tomorrow I will bring homemade scrambled eggs, Quaker oatmeal and yogurt smoothies. Wish me luck!
Courtney was speaking alot today and said "Daddy" for the first time. It made Craig soooo happy. I asked her "what's Daddy's first name?" she said "honey" (that's what I call him)!
When I asked her what his friends call him she said "Craig". Courtney wrote on the dry erase board again today. In clear letters she wrote "Courtney Eva Hollingworth" - "Courtney wants to know what else" (...she was doing before the accident i.e., school & work). She also wrote "obama" "the yogurt" "URI" "Emma".
Courtney played tic tac toe and answered alot of questions accurately today. Speech therapy is going to be mainly focused on repeating much basic information so that Courtney can retrain her brain to remember and reality orientation. Day, time, place, etc.
Courtney is now walking with assistance from only one person and we did some walking -just the 2 of us. Despite not feeling well Courtney once again showed her strong work ethic and determination by participating in almost all therapy sessions. Tomorrow we will travel to BMC for a follow up with Dr. Brown's office but so far the pump looks great.

Mom's Update

Courtney did alot more walking today and practically walking on her own! She used the auto ambulator today - a special treadmill with a harness that helps people maintain proper posture while assisting with weight bearing. Courtney tends to walk with better posture without the harness machines as she quickly realizes she can sit down and yet walk at the same time!

Courtney also talked alot more today and the motivation for this was water -just plain old water. Because it is a thin liquid and staff here has been concerned that Courtney would aspirate she hasn't been allowed to drink water although she'll frequently grab the cup of ice chips and tip the cup back to get whatever water she can!

Kathleen brought a lunch tray in with mashed potatos, carrots, chicken parm all pureed. All that Courtney wanted was the water. Kathleen asked to hear Courtney's voice before she would give her the water and Courtney asked 'like yes?'. Kathleen said "yes like the word yes". After that Courtney gave the answer to everyone question ever asked at Braintree before it was even asked! She said "Courtney - Hollingworth - URI - 19 yrs old - Katy - Claudia -yes - no"
It was quite funny to hear her talk so much and be so motivated by a simple pleasure like ice cold water.

It's hard to describe how hard Courtney is working to do the multitude of things she's doing. The processing required to eat, walk, wash, dress, answer questions, count and generally stay awake through therapy is all exhausting. Courtney will often hold up her index finger and then point to her mouth - her non verbal way of saying 'give me a minute to get the words out.'

The JFK was conducted again today and Courtney scored a 19. We know that she can get a score of 23 and be done with JFK it's just a matter of hitting all the right buttons at the right time! Regardless everyone here continues to be amazed at her progress and we pray to God that it keeps on going.

Monday's update late

Lots of talking and walking yesterday.

Courtney was eating vanilla ice cream in the morning and we were talking about other foods Courtney might want to eat. She said 'maybe next time you could just order ***(unclear word). I asked 'pizza?' headshake no. 'chinese food?' headshake no. Then she began frantically looking around so I asked 'do you want to write it down?' Headshake yes. Courtney then wrote something that looked like the word 'chocolate' so I asked 'do you mean next time I could just bring chocolate ice cream?' - vigorous headshake yes!

Later when she was walking and she looked a bit pale Alissa asked her if she was feeling dizzy. Courtney shook her head yes. We brought Courtney into a therapy room so that Alissa could take her blood pressure. As Alissa was taking Courtney's blood pressure she looked up at us and said 'not now before when I was in the shower'.

Courtney communicated this morning that she would be watching the innauguration at noon.

There's still alot of work to be done on speech, cognition and eating. Although Courtney is speaking in sentences she's not always verbalizing. These are the things she'll be working on in the coming days and weeks.

Funny Faces

Those who know Courtney knows that she loves to make people laugh. Her personality began showing through yesterday with her working hard to smile - using every facial muscle she could make work.

Today as I wheeled her chair to a mirror I said "look at beautiful you" she did this funny smile with her eye brows raised. Several other times during the day she made funny faces that made us laugh and then repeated them.

It's a gift to know that her personality remains basically the same and we can't wait to hear her laughing.

Mom's Update

Courtney did some great walking today and went even longer than yesterday. Her posture gets stronger every day and her steps get faster too!

The challenge now is keeping Courtney down. She is constantly sitting up at the edge of the bed and wanting to stand and walk. In her state of confusion she doesn't realize that she can't walk alone yet. This afternoon she directed nurse Dottie to stand on one side of her and me on the other - positioning us like the therapists who walk with Courtney!

Courtney's also trying to speak more but still in a whisper - I reminded her today that I'm 'half deaf' and so now when she speaks to me she grabs my ear and pulls me in closer.

She seems to have gotten over the haircut thing and her appetite was back today. Just before noon Courtney told me she was hungry! What a great thing to hear - I ran and got some yogurt to give her. She also had vanilla ice cream today - not the best 2 things for a lactose intollerant kid but the choices are limited for soft foods.

Courtney will start eating more regular meals this week to see how much of her caloric needs she can get through regular eating.

Courtney's progress is so amazing that every day I tell her how amazing she is. The staff here are all sooooo excited about how well Courtney is doing. To think that it was one week ago that she started walking and now she is walking with very little assistance, becoming independent with dressing, eating and talking. We are so tremendously grateful for Courtney's amazing progress, her strong will to recover and her hard work each day to make that happen.

Mom's Update

After many people over the last several days have been commenting on Courtney's haircut and now that she has found her voice she managed to ask me if I had her hair cut? I told her yes and she pushed me! I asked her if she was mad at me for having her hair cut and she nodded her head. I explained the circumstance (tangles, matted mess, blah blah blah) but she was undeterred. Courtney then said something to her sisters - they asked her if she was upset about it - she nodded yes. Then while sitting with Uncle Kevin she spoke some incoherent words among which was one clear word 'haircut'. He asked, "are you upset about the haircut?" She nodded yes. Again, later in the day she brought it up to me again, finally after I showed her the mirror a couple of times and promised never to have her haircut again she dropped the subject. So much for attention span issues!

Courtney had a relaxing day with many visitors all of which she handled well. During her one therapy session Courtney walked up the hallway 200 feet and then back down another 200 feet. She was quite energetic without a full schedule of therapy and so we spent the day with her pulling herself along the handrails up and down the hallway. Early this evening she decided it was a good time to get out of bed herself. Courtney doesn't have any difficulties sitting on the edge of the bed - straight up - without assistance! Walking is another issue but she's not quite aware that she can't just get up and go. The coming days will certainly bring new and exciting challenges.

I've no doubt that no one is going to keep Courtney down and by next weekend she will be walking the halls unassisted and letting everyone have a piece of her mind! Look out Braintree!

from Uncle Brian

Uncle Brian has been on Hiatus. I don't really know what hiatus means but I like saying it. (go ahead, give it a try). It also makes me feel smart when I use it. I asked my neighbor if a hiatus was a vacation to Haiti. For a brief moment I thought he was going to strike me. He told me to stay away from his kids.
Just this morning I was telling my parole officer (just kidding!) what a remarkable story this is. From the moment of impact on that terrible day to this wonderful day, there has been a tremendous human effort aimed at willing and praying Courtney back to full health while also supporting her family. More proof of that,,,,
I went to Walmart today to pick up a tea kettle ($8.78 if you need one and it's the CUTEST little thing!). Of course, I was driving one of the "Please Pray for Courtney" mobiles with the big sign on the back window. As I returned to my truck, I noticed a small card pinned under the wiper blade. The card was approximately 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" inches and there was an image of the Virgin Mary on one side. As I flipped the card over, I could see someone had written a note. It reads as follows, "We prayed for you, Courtney. God bless."
One last thing. I'm not convinced that Courtney's first words were what her mom reported. Not that I don't trust Diane it's just she could have misheard. I'm quite sure Courtney's first words would have been, "Where's Uncle Brian?"
But that's just me.

Love you all, UB

Courtney's first words

"I have to go to the bathroom" - yup. Never in a million years could any of us have guessed that her first words would be an entire sentence. I'm not surprised that her first words had such meaning and purpose!

Courtney's voice is a whisper and so Melane, her OT and I were leaning in close trying to understand what she was saying and we realized it at the same time. We looked at each other and said "I have to go to the bathroom!" You can imagine the rest of the story and yes it was a success. Two amazing milestones in a 3 minute span!!!!

Next Courtney was in bed and I asked her if she wanted me to snuggle with her -she shook her head 'yes'. As I laid next to her she said "I love you" - I asked her if that's what she said and she shook her head yes.

Katy came in and then left the room. Courtney said some words I couldn't understand among which was "Katy". I explained that Katy left the room to eat her lunch. Then I asked Courtney if she was worried about Katy. She again shook her head 'yes'. I told her not to worry that Katy was doing just fine. She stared right into my eyes as I spoke these words.

Then she said "Claudia" and I told her that Claudia was at school but would see her tonight.

After that Courtney drifted off to sleep.

Amen! Alleluia!!! Thanks be to God - one of the happiest days of our lives!!!!!!!!!!

Courtney's communicating

When I arrived this morning I asked Courtney if she wanted to wear a particular sweater. She shook her head no. She hasn't really been shaking yes or no consistently up until today.
But each answer she's giving is deliberate and her response is clear.

Courtney is also trying to speak! It is coming out in incoherent whispers but this is a huge step.

One concern about brain injury recovery is the length of time a patient can attend to a task. This afternoon Courtney played with velcro tennis balls for 15 minutes - throwing them at a velcro target and hitting dozens of bull eyes! She did this sitting up but did take 2 breaks to lie down while continue to extend her hand for the ball!

Mom's Update

Courtney had Botox treatment today in her left arm. As with many other break through treatments in TBI Braintree and Dr. Katz studied the effects of Botox on muscle spasticity some years ago. It has been found to greatly improve spasticity when used in targeted areas.

While the baclofin pump has made a tremendous difference most of the benefits are realized in the lower body. Courtney has significant spasticity in her left wrist, elbow and bicep that could have caused long term damage. The benefits of Botox will last about 3-4 months.

Although we haven't heard Courtney speak a word today I did hear her voice loud and clear when the first injection went into her arm and she cried out in pain. She made several other attempts during the day to vocalize and/or mouth words and began (once again) shaking her head - mostly no.

As I was helping Courtney off with her vest today her arm got stuck. She took her right hand pulled the vest off her left arm worked it around her back and pulled it off her right arm in a flash! I think she's tiring of having her spastic mother help her get dressed! She's also pulling on shirts and pants doing most of the work herself.

We finished out the day with courtney watching one of her favorite shows King of Queens.

A day at Braintree

Alot of people have asked me what my day is like so I thought I'd share a typical day with Courtney at Braintree.

I usually arrive between 7:30 and 8 depending on traffic. Along with the one to one nurses's aid I help Courtney with her morning bath. Every other day we wash her hair. I help Courtney get dressed -lately she is helping more and more.

Courtney has at least 6 1/2 hour sessions of therapy each day. There 2 - 1/2 hour sessions of pt, ot and speech each. PT sessions are for stretching, standing and/or walking, bed mobility and assessing the tone of Courtney's muscles which have improved greatly since the baclofin pump was implanted just one week ago.

OT sessions are almost always joint PT sessions so that Courtney's entire body is worked. For instance, while in the standing lift the other day therapists played with a balloon with Courtney to get her using her left arm more. They work on getting Courtney to follow commands as well.

Speech therapy sessions focus on cognition as well trying to get Courtney to follow those simple commands I've written about - picking out yes or no from paper cards. These are the exercises that Courtney seems to hate the most. She will often grab the card, crumble it and throw it on the floor! The speech sessions that are her favorite are the ones where she gets to eat!

While 3 hours may not seem like much it is a great deal of activity for Courtney. In between sessions nurses administer medications, check Courtney's incisions or assess her skin integrity and make sure that all of her vital signs are good.

During therapy I sometimes just sit in the corner and watch. Other times I will stand next to or in front of Courtney and speak softly to her to calm her down. Sometimes I'm just a 2nd or 3rd pair of hands to move equipment more quickly so as not to tire or frustrate Courtney.
Of course I'm always encouraging Courtney, telling her she's doing a great job.
I'm very pleased to say that Courtney is developing trust in her regular therapists - Alissa, Melane and Kathleen. It's comforting to see her trust them knowing how vulnerable she must feel.

In between therapy if Courtney is in the wheel chair we walk around the hospital upstairs, downstairs, in the lobby. When it's not to cold we'll go outside for a few minutes. She'll feed herself ice chips (the only thing she's allowed to eat without speech - although that's changing soon). When Courtney's in bed between therapy I encourage her to sleep. Sometimes I'll lay down with her to calm her and other times I sit in a comfy chair in the corner and the two of us nap.

By 4pm Courtney is exhausted and usually takes a cat nap until Craig arrives. Then she'll stay awake for about an 1 1/2 hours playing catch with him or just sitting quietly. By 6pm she's pretty much done for the day and ready for a long night's sleep. I help her get ready for bed and usually leave around 7pm.

Each day brings amazing new things that Courtney does. Each day is a true gift. It's a gift from God that we have Courtney with us and a gift from Paychex that they are supporting me through this leave of absence. We are truly truly blessed to have so much support from employers, friends, family and all the wonderful people here at Braintree.

By the time I arrive at "Uncle Kevin's" house in West Roxbury I'm exhausted! We've also been blessed with wonderful caring family and Kevin almost always cooks dinner for us. I'm sure we'd be eating crackers and peanut butter otherwise! Thank you Uncle Kevin!

Mom's Update

We had trouble maintaining our internet connection. Here is yesterday's post:

Part of the recovery process and moving out of the minimally conscious stage is when patients can use objects in the proper way. Such as a brush. Courtney has been brushing her hair for a while but today when she put the back side of the brush to her head she turned it over to use the 'teeth'. This was excellent.



She also used a toothbrush the right way. Courtney picked her name off a magnetic letter board 3 times today. We put the words yes, no and Courtney. Each time we moved Courtney into a new position and each time she found her name on the board.



She has not cooperated with a simple yes no exercise - often crumbling the papers and throwing them to the floor. Some of the therapists felt it was to simple and though she could follow the commands she was frustrated. We are going to try more complex words to help Courtney express herself and see if she can follow other commands. Courtney will respond to commands like 'scooch up in the chair' or 'put your leg in the pants' or pull your shirt sleeve off. This is why we think she could, if she wanted to, respond to much more simple commands like 'make a fist'.



Tonight when Craig came in to visit he had his gloves in his hand. Courtney took the gloves from him and put them on her hands. Imagine that they are very bulky on her small hands and yet she was able to put the second glove on and pull it tight around her wrist