On July 9th, Travis began a summer
speech program at Baylor.
This is an awesome program
and we were SO very thankful
that Travis was able to go!!!!!!!!!!!
As is usually the case,
we made it quite the family affair
for his first day:)
Even Holly, his aid, joined us:)
What would Trav's first day
new at something be without
the STORM?!? ;)
So many, MANY people began
praying that very first day for Travis
and how he would do in this
speech program. God truly
answered prayers for us...
starting that day.
For Trav's attitude towards Baylor
and going, for his personal speech
therapist, for getting him back and forth
and so on......God is GOOD!
All of the people at Baylor are so kind
and encouraging and professional.
Travis needed a boost like this!!!
We were BEYOND blessed by his
speech therapist, Alecia! She was
AWESOME!!!!!!!!! She knew her
stuff and she and Travis hit it off.
God knew we would need an
amazing therapist to get us going!!!
As I've said before, it takes
a village to make all of this happen.
Our family is certainly a village:)
I felt like quite a bit of my summer
was spent driving down to Baylor
and going to speech with Travis.
SO.WELL.WORTH.IT!!!!!!!!!!
AWESOME superman shirt
from Kim Jackson...
one of the angels we've met along the way!
Travis attended speech Monday through
Thursday from 2:45 to 4:00.
Speech involves SO MUCH more than
just words. It is an intricate system
involving the brain, the tongue, the voice,
breathing, all the muscles of the face, &
even more that I don't have the knowledge
to explain. Learning to speak and swallow
again is HARD, PAINFUL work.
Nobody would ever want to and nobody
should ever have to learn to talk or
swallow again. It's a LONG, difficult,
and slow process with no guarantees.
Travis is looking at YEARS:(
for these things. Looking at years is
much better than looking at NEVER
though! And never is what so many
doctors have told us. Baylor is
hopeful and excited about his future!!!
They are the first place to give us
REAL hope regarding talking/eating!!!!!!!!!
Hard to believe but they even
had to work on Trav's smile......
it's a million dollar one without a doubt,
but he needs all those facial muscles
pulling together for him to
talk and eat again!
The tongue is a muscle and it must
be worked out. At the first of this
program, he could not stick his tongue out
like this and hold it. Now he can!!!!!!!!!!
Somedays he would sleep on the way home...
I can't even imagine how hard
all of this is for him ~
physically, mentally, and emotionally :(
I feel like it takes every bit out of me
and I'm not the one in his shoes.
Travis gives his therapies 110%
if not more. It's quite a sight to see...
just how hard he works without
complaining. I am absolutely
ashamed at myself and how I deal
with some matters in my life...
such trivial matters that are nothing.
God uses Travis to teach me MUCH.
From what I hear and see,
I'm certainly not the only one who feels this way!
Part of the time was spent in group
therapy. OF COURSE Trav's group
fell in love with him! Your heart can't
help but break to see this handsome
young man have to struggle so very
much and then to realize he also
can't talk or eat. And then you just
fall in love with him because of his
personality, his charm, his charisma...
he was a big hit there!
The other part of the time is spent
in one-on-one therapy.
Which involves a lot of painful,
monotonous work.
I thoroughly enjoyed attending these
sessions with him. So amazing to
witness how much progress he made
in this one four week period.
If anyone can prove all those doctors
wrong, it is THIS Superman right here...
Travis is making quite a few sounds.
We are working very diligently on
his vowel sounds. He tries SOOOOO
hard it makes me want to cry!
All of the exercises at Baylor
were focused on helping his drool
issue, making sounds, swallowing
and using his iPad as a better means
of communication. I loved it on the
very second visit, the therapist was
asking about his speaking feature on
his iPad and trying to add things to it.
Travis simply spelled out,
"I just want to learn to speak!"
Forget the iPad, this kid
wants to TALK and EAT!!!!!!!!!!
Travis will begin the fall session
of Baylor Speech on August 27th.
We are praying BOLDLY again for this!
During this break, La Tante
has served as his daily speech "coach"...
(I've asked him to call me Dr. Pierce,
but he won't! ha ha!). He simply
repeats sounds to me that we have
cards for and then we use the
depressor like Alecia did at Baylor.
We also do some of the breating
exercises. Of course it's not much,
but it's something;) He is always
VERY quick to remind me to come
and gets on me if I am late!!!
THANKFULLY, he has a speech
therapist who comes two days a
week. She is another ANGEL
on earth truly sent to bless our lives.
Insurance has cut out on her:(,
but she says she is continuing
to come just because she cares,
wants this so bad for Travis and
because he's her favorite patient!
It was Dr. Angela Linam who
actually got Travis into the Baylor
Program. She is AMAZING.
Angela, Jeannette, and Kim
are truly God-sent.
Using their expertise and their
compassion to help us.
It.Blows.me.Away.
God has brought along all kinds of
people to us during this journey.
My family is so much better off for
all of the people we have met and been
truly blessed by. I'm pretty sure
that in Trav's case, for these people,
it's a 50/50 deal. He is quite the
blessing himself. This is Mrs. Murphy.
She is a GEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This beautiful 86 year old woman's
husband (also so kind!) was in
group therapy with Travis.
She was a RIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She and Travis hit it off!!!
Their banter during group therapy
made everyone laugh and smile:)
On the last day, she poured her
heart out to Travis and me.
I cry thinking about how
sweet these two are/were.
She was so happy when I handed
her a Pray for Travis bracelet.
I have no doubt we have a new
prayer warrior on our team:)
Alecia most definitely has an
incredible future ahead of her!
She was so wonderful....
Lynna, Michelle, Grandmother, PaPa,
Hunter, Holly.....we all made getting
Travis to and from speech happen!
And we ALL loved it:)
Truly a SUPERman!
I could not be more proud of my nephew.
There are so many facets to Trav's story...
the speech thing is merely one because
it shows us to not take ANYTHING for
granted such as being able to communicate
verbally with one another and to be able
to EAT and enjoy food which occupies
SO much of our daily lives. It's Trav's
story because of HIS hard work and
dedication. It's a story about so many
people helping us, encouraging us, praying
for us. I could go on and on!!!!!
But most of all,
it's about GOD and how He chose
to save Trav's life for a reason.
In many ways, I think the real
story in all of this has not even begun yet.
Certain friends and strangers have
been such constants during the last
two years and one month.
My dear friend Jennifer sent me this
to show Travis that if God can
create all of this, then he can
certainly continue to heal Travis!
TRUE DAT!!!!!!
My precious Chloe Bo allllll the way
in Perth, Australia, praying for
Travis at her church. Is this not
amazing?!? At the bottom of this
precious picture it says "we pray that
Travis will talk and eat".
How sweet must her little
prayers to God be?!?
From Mrs. Murphy
all the way to sweet angel Chloe
and everyone in between,
we are so BLESSED
and so GRATEFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!
A sweet friend shared this verse
with me and I shared it with many
on the first day of speech in July.
I have prayed it over and over and
will continue to do so as Travis
begins the fall semester.
"Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of
your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what
God's will is - His good,
pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2
