Hey Everyone!
I know I haven’t written a post in awhile but I was extremely busy these past couple of months. During that time, I made significant improvements which I want to highlight for you!
My first year in community college is complete! I balanced 16 units a semester while continuing therapy at Project Walk and at Taylor-Kevin Isaacs’ facility while maintaining Dean’s List status for both semesters. In addition, I was accepted into the University of Southern California (USC) as a transfer student. If this wasn’t enough good news, I also learned that I received a full scholarship thanks to Swim with Mike. I will begin at USC on August 22. I know that as a begin my new life at USC I will continue to focus on my ultimate goal of walking again.
I also was maid of honor at Kristel’s wedding. Since her engagement to Serge in October 2009, I had the goal of walking down the aisle unassisted and standing by side as her maid of honor. I have focused on this goal and May 29, 2011, it was accomplished! (You will see some footage in the video attached at the end of this post.) It felt so amazing to not only stand proudly with my sister on the biggest day of her life, but to walk down and know that I have almost reached my ultimate goal. I walked assisted with my AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthotics) braces and a walker. If you recall, last year, I was only able to walk with my trainer Jillienne locking out my knees. Now, with the AFOs, I can walk with the walker and lock out my knees independently.
These past months have been filled with amazing progress. One of the most impressive is my endurance and strength. I am now able to walk about 200 feet without taking a break. Before, it was on average 75-100 feet. Also, I have been trying to walk with the AFO braces but without a walker! Instead of using a walker, I would be holding on to my Jillienne’s forearms. This has been very difficult because it creates less stability. I began by taking about 5 steps and then would fall down. Now, I can take about 15 consecutive steps before resting. I am inching closer to walking again, without a walker, without braces, and without any trainers assisting me.
In addition, I have completed my driving classes using a modified car with hand-control gears. I will hopefully be getting my driver’s license by the end of summer. Thanks to the Travis-Roy Foundation, I was sponsored through a grant to pay for the hand control modifications to our car. I can’t wait to drive myself around. It is one step closer towards my effort to be more independent.
Unfortunately, as I have mentioned in the past post, I have had to cut back significantly on my therapy hours. Instead of attendance 3 times a week at Project Walk, it has been to 2 times a week. I am almost to the point of reaching my goal of walking again, completely independent. In order to do so, I need your help. I need your help so that I may continue moving forward.
To see my latest improvements, click here.
Please note, that both means of donating, NTAF and Our Lady of Mount Lebanon, go directly to a medical fund set-up specifically for therapy. Those funds are only released when administrators from NTAF and Our Lady of Mount Lebanon pay my therapists directly.
To donate please visit, www.HelpJenWalkAgain.com and click on the Donate tab.
Thank you!
God bless and Love always,
Jen Bou Lahoud
