Monday through Sunday, May 7th through 13th

Good evening,

Happy Mother's Day everyone!! Especially to all of the mom's out there of course :-) Tori and the rest of us had a nice and relaxing Mother's Day and we ended up going to the Macaroni Grill for dinner with Grandpa and Grandma Schmanski, Todd and Laurie and kids and Guy. It was enjoyable and Tori ended up having bread pieces dipped in vinegar and oil, masked potatoes, some pasta and a little ice tea as well. Still very, very small amounts mind you but at least she is sharing in the eating experience with the rest of us and all of us feel just that much better when she is participating. She was very calm, aware and attentive throughout the long dinner.

Meredyth and Tori had two ST sessions this week and Tori was very active in them once again. Meredyth was using various Star Wars flash cards and was asking Tori numerous about the characters and the movies themselves. Tori was correctly selecting the answers by looking at the correct card. She also seems to be blowing the whistle more consistently when asked and is much more comfortable placing her lips around it so she can blow it. As soon as she masters blowing we'll try the straw again. Still no word on the new PT sessions so we are trying to stretch her ourselves as we can. I'll have to call this week and see what the delay is in getting them approved...

Tori's surgery to replace her baclofen pump line and place the catheter higher on her spine will happen sometime on Wednesday. We are currently unsure if we are spending the night at the PCMC or not and it will probably depend on when she actually goes in for the surgery. Then on July 10th she will have the tendon release surgery completed on both of her ankles at the Shriner's Hospital in SLC.

We had a visit this week from 3 year old Samuel and his mother Teresa Jewkes who are in town during the week for about a month as Samuel is trying some new rehabilitation. Samuel had a near drowning exactly one month after Tori and both of them spent the next many months in the PCMC. We became good friends with Teresa and Tom and have remained in contact. Samuel and family are doing well and Teresa remarked how well Tori looked since the last time she saw her in person. That was probably 15 months ago or so. Samuel has a carepage at http://www.carepages.com. Search for Samuel Jewkes and I believe you will need to create an account. Teresa will be launching another web site for him shortly.

We were all deeply saddened and shocked earlier this week when we learned of the unfortunate passing of Chelsea Franklin of Syracuse, Utah. Chelsea was a wonderful girl who was just slightly older than Tori and sustained a TBI in a snowmobiling accident over a year ago. She loved her friends greatly and she loved to dance just as Tori did and in many ways they were kindred spirits. Maria and Tori actually met Chelsea and her mother Wendy for the first time at their last visit to the PCMC in SLC where Chelsea was being scheduled for a baclofen pump trial. I found out this week through Wendy that Chelsea passed away suddenly and unexpectedly just a few days later. I followed Chelsea's incredible progress throughout her recovery and her strength and determination was truly inspiring to me as was her family's will to help her in any way possible. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this time.

Thank you all,

The Schmanski Family