Travis at Baylor Speech

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