Declarations of Independence

"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" Compared to last summer and early fall, Amy and I get the feeling that things with Tim are moving along more slowly now. However, as I gather my thoughts I can see that there is still quite a bit happening in his life and it's all good. One thing that has changed is our time with Tim. He's making a concerted effort to become independent, starting with spending longer periods of time in Boston. He has used taxis and the T to visit friends and take care of some business needs. He is using his iPhone and email to make arrangements for various appointments and medications. One thing he isn't doing is cooking, still relying on the plethora of delivery options in Chahlestown (at 19, that makes sense!). He is quite comfortable with his situation, and the one remaining piece of the puzzle is transportation, his adapted van, and that hit a snag since I last wrote. He was all set to take his driving test, but the instructors would not allow it as the horn didn't work. Very frustrating, and because the dealer is in Hartford, the repair work is difficult to coordinate, but the van is now in the shop and we hope to take care of this last item shortly.

Recreationally, Tim has found couple of new things to keep him busy. After reading that Wii - a wireless video game in three dimensions www.wii.com - was being used for physical therapy and recreation for wheelchair bound folks, Tim decided that would be a good use for the Butters Fund. Tim can work on his arm movement, and have fun at the same time, "playing" tennis and bowling. It's very cool. One day, Amy headed out to Boston with cousin Ben and took both of them to Mt. Sunapee in NH for a day of skiing. Yes. Sunapee is home to the New England Handicap Ski Association http://www.nehsa.org/ and they have a great program. Tim caught on to the special equipment (a sled like device) quickly and enjoyed feeling the wind in his face for the first time in a long time. A bonus was the several hours he got to spend with Ben that day. From a conversation I had with him last night, it seems that he will be attempting to use the hotel pool sometime soon. Of course, the Sox are back in town, and Tim is making plans to get over for a game sometime soon. He says that standing room only tickets are a particularly good value, because he already has a seat!

Socially, Tim has met with Dr. Kantrowitz a couple of times in Pittsfield and has enjoyed reading two books he recommended, written by Nobel Prize winner Gerald Edelman, and focused on the workings of the brain.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&q=Gerald+Edelman&sa=X&oi=print&ct=more-books-link&cad=author-navigational
He has also been spending time with his former Spaulding floor mate, Dr. Kim, who is recovering well as an outpatient. Thank God he has developed relationships with people like that. Amy's and my contribution to his cultural and intellectual growth was a trip down the street to see Micah Stone and his band perform at the Card Lake Inn. http://www.micahstone.com/ The website is designed and maintained by Micah's brother, who is also paralyzed, hurting himself the same way Tim did. David was at the show, and Tim spent some time talking with him. Tim also saw his friend Travis there and they were able to catch up. When Amy is in Boston, she will sometimes take Tim up to a rehab facility in Cambridge, where his friend Sarah is living and recovering. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa continue to visit on Thursdays and Uncle John keeps in touch and gets together with Tim regularly. Brigitte visits occasionally as well and back in the Berkshires, friends Matt and Tyler have stopped by.

Therapeutically, there is also good news. Since my last posting, Tim is feeling stronger and has taken his first walks outside, going down the Charles with his walker, a therapist by his side and has stood at the railing to feed the fish. Arm and body strength continue to improve and he can now pull himself up into an "on all fours" position, from laying on his stomach.

And now, drum roll please, Tim has taken another huge leap. On Friday and Saturday, he walked with the aid of crutches - the kind that strap to his forearms. He is pumped! The first day he went 80 feet and then doubled that the next. Spring is in the air - warm weather and long sunny days are ahead. A perfect time to be in Boston. A perfect time to heal.

That Girl!

Jancy's having a great time in Ghana, we're learning in bits and pieces. When she headed over, she told us that she'd like us to "let her be" for awhile, so we're obliging. She's bought a cell phone, which has proven to be a very affordable way for her to keep in touch. Most of her minutes have gone to Tim and he's enjoyed those calls. Between occasional calls home, our Google News Alerts and a great documentary we've developed a pretty good picture of her life in Berekum - near the border with Ivory Coast www.touringghana.com/facts.asp

Ghana is a beautiful place, it's hot, filled with friendly people and it's a third world country. Jancy's family is very friendly and they are fairly well off, with the only TV in the village. Her "mother" is a school teacher and her "father" is a construction technician; she now has four brothers (including Timothy) and sisters. Jancy wears a uniform to school, which she loves and her Berkshires education has prepared her well - she is not required to take math and science because she has already covered the material. She is enjoying economics, history and local cultural studies including drumming and dance lessons. With the time saved by reducing her schedule, she has been volunteering at both the local hospital and at the newly opened orphanage (she attended to grand opening of the new facility).

Living conditions are quite different than here, as you might guess. The power grid is quite unreliable, with frequent outages. In fact, there was a little bit of national embarrassment when the lights went out at a big soccer match that was being held in a new stadium (I learned that through Google News Alerts - I doubt that Jancy or her host family were embarrassed). There is no indoor plumbing and a shower involves a bucket. Food is bought daily and drinking water is purchased as well. Jancy has a bicycle which she uses to get around when going farther than walking distance. She has been putting up with reactions to mosquitoes and high temperatures. It takes time to learn who her "real" friends are, because of the assumption that all Americans are rich - many ask to be taken home with her.

There are other western students living near her - young women from Alaska, Michigan, Denmark and Australia. AFS has organized trips to Accra, the capital, for the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament and the Mole National Park where elephants are a major sight. As I write this post, Jancy is travelling around the country on her own, with a few of these friends. Again, we get just a little info but she is covering it all. They are using the public transportation of buses (called "tro-tros") & staying in affordable, safe hotels. Apparently lots of pictures have been taken, and we are looking forward to seeing them when she returns in late June.

The documentary I mentioned above is called Emmanuel's Gift, recommended to us by Henry Hagenah - http://www.emmanuelsgift.com/ . Sven carries it at West Stockbridge Video. A tremendous story that connects with both of our children, and we'd enjoy hearing your comments.