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Good evening,

I'm well past due for another update so here we go!!

First off on the stem cell research front there have been a slew of new and promising discoveries and here are just a few that caught my interest:

Adult Stem Cells Activated In Mammalian Brain

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Could Be Basis Of Nonsurgical Treatment For Spinal-cord Injuries

Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed In Their Natural Environment

Understanding How Neurons Communicate May Help Treat Brain Disorders

I am still very convinced the use of stem cells will eventually revolutionize the practice of medicine as we know it today. It's only a matter of time.

Tori's summer as well as ours seems to be going by very quickly but all of us have been enjoying it. Tori is spending as much time as possible outside on our deck primarily in the afternoon when there is shade. She has a great view of the mountains and of all the other activities going on in the backyard.

Tori's PT and ST sessions with Cari, Meredyth and now Christi continue each and every week. Tori has remained healthy with basically no illnesses now for many months. Her height is now estimated at 5'9" or 5'10" and her weight has been steady around 125lbs. She is certainly much harder to move around now so we are investigating means to help with that issue. Presently her muscle tone is quite high as her quarterly botox and phenol injections are two weeks away. So she is a bit uncomfortable at times and frequently gets her hand and arm in and around her mouth and over her head as well when she is agitated. We will just have deal with this phase for another two weeks until the injections are completed.

Hello again,

Today marks three years since Tori's injury and it seemed to have much less prominence in our thoughts as the previous two anniversaries. Having it not fall on Father's Day also helps keep that day celebratory as it certainly should be and it surely was this year.

Tori has been through a lot over the past three years and has certainly made progress in her recovery. It has been painfully slow and we have encountered numerous challenges but we continue to try and move her forward as best we can. Keeping her as healthy and comfortable as possible remain as top priorities as well and we have been blessed this past year as Tori has not had a serious illness. Again, we remain committed to caring and helping Tori in every way we can and we will never stop trying.

I described trying times for Maria and I in my last update primarily due to the fact that Tori should have and would have been thoroughly enthralled with life having her high school graduation, college preparation and basic entry into adulthood in full swing. It would have been truly exciting times for our entire family as well.

Hello again everyone it's been way too long since my last entry...

Tori is doing well and there are no issues with her to report. Her daily routine continues with various therapies throughout the week and it is finally getting warm enough to bring her outside again. She is spending more and more time now outdoors on our deck. We will also begin getting her out and about more on shopping trips and excursions to movies and the like. Tori still loves the summer just as she always has!!

The past couple of months have certainly been more challenging and difficult for Maria and I in relation to Tori. Seeing and sharing with all of her friends who are graduating from high school, from their various dance teams and seeing them carefully planning their entries into adulthood makes us realize just how much Tori, and all of us, have lost in this life... The college offers also continue to arrive during the week but I don't have the courage to respond that Tori will not be attending. I just can't. It seems lately the emotional ups and downs are in their vicious cycle often and all we are trying to do is remain as steady and as focused as we possibly can without dwelling too long at either end. All we can do is attempt to manage the loss, pain and sorrow that is always present and always will be.

Good afternoon,

Tori’s health and overall demeanor remain well and her daily routine of home health care and therapy sessions continues. She is now fairly consistent in her whistle blowing and Meredyth has been working with Tori to make her exhale more forcefully for increased loudness of the whistle. This may prove meaningful in the future because it could possibly lead to a form of communication where Tori would rely on a whistle to garner our attention. Whether she has the cognitive ability to achieve this action remains in question but we have to keep trying for any consistent communication medium to truly know. All of us want to believe in Tori and hopefully there will come a day when she will prove to us what she truly knows and can do.

Cari did some more range testing on Tori’s joints and limbs and recorded her best measurements post the China trip in January of 2007. The continuous PT sessions and efforts are working and it would be wonderful to get her the levels achieved during her 32 day stay in China where she received 2 hours of PT and acupuncture each day. Definitely progress on this front!!

Jake continues to visit Tori for three days a week and does various activities with her. I’ll provide a more detailed description of those in the next update but most are classroom centered whether it is French, comparison activities in math and English and Tori’s favorite fashion.

Our local newspaper had another article on Tori and her progress. Here is the link:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/259878/17/