Andy recently contacted United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) and they asked him if there was anything we needed. Andy thought about it and said, "Well, we do have a walker on loan from Early Intervention, but it's actually too big for him." The woman Andy talked to told him she would try to find a walker we could use.
A few weeks later and we have a Gait Trainer in our house called a Gator. It's awesome and Elijah loves it.
When Andy picked up the Gator he asked how long we could have it. "Can we keep it until he grows out of it?" he asked. The lady said it was ours to keep. Talk about a blessing! I don't know how much a walker such as this one costs exactly, but it would be quite expensive to purchase. We will, of course, be donating it back so someone else will be able to use it. We don't doubt that Elijah will be able to walk independently, but our OT and PT thought this walker would be nice even after he is able to walk because long distances might be difficult for him. Our OT mentioned how nice this walker is – she said, "It's like a Cadillac when all Elijah needs is a Volkswagen." It's nice and we're happy to have it! We sure are blessed!
Here is a video of Elijah in action. Look how happy the little guy is. I think he's saying, "Finally! I can run!"
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5 comments:
Hurray! Walk Elijah, RUN! Daddy better those tools handy to repair the molding and such that you are surely about to blow off the walls with your speed and ability! Ann
UCP is wonderful...
Go Elijah Go... Burn rubber baby...
Lisa, I am so happy you found my blog, because now I have found yours back! That Elijah is just delicious. And, I literally had tears in my eyes when I saw this video because it reminds me so much of how Max was when we first got him a trainer (we had one called The Pony, it was bright yellow and that's all I remember). Elijah looks like he's having the time of his life! FYI, we ended covering up any pointy parts of Max's trainer with moleskin (yes, Dr. Scholl's Moleskin) to prevent scuff marks on furniture/the walls, it helps!
Elijah and Max have similarities (besides the fact that Max was also a chubster at his age): Max was also deprived of oxgyen at birth, and both sides of his brain were also affected.
Looking forward to connecting more with you. Enjoy the excitement of Elijah on a roll!!!
Ann- I think Andy is going to have his work cut out for him!
Rich- Thanks for finding us and commenting on our blog! We also think UCP is great and couldn't belive how fast they got a walker to us. Now it's looking like we won't be needing it for long. :) We had no idea!
Ellen- Thanks for finding us back! I truly enjoy your blog so much. Max is an inspiration. Thanks for the tips for the walker! That was so nice. I don't know how much he'll be using the walker now because he's WALKING on his own! Crazy, I don't think anyone had any idea it would happen this fast! Thanks again. :)
I am so glad to have found your blog. I am currently a graduate OT student. :)
What a blessing to get this walker! This retail at about $1000! So happy for you guys!
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