Pull Through Darryl Tait

To all our loving supporters !!!!!!!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!! We have much to be joyful and thankfulto our Lord about !!!! Sorry, once again on the long span sinceupdating you on our journey!!!   

January 5/10

This morning, I was having a conversationwith a friend back in the Eastern United States looking for an updateon Darryl. I gave him a brief update that included Darryl has been outand about for the rehab center during the holidays, figuring how to goup and down escalators, going out to movies and shopping  travelling onthe sky train. He is transferring from his bed to his wheelchairwithout a transfer board and without supervision. Car transfers arestill with assistance but as described before, it is a 6-8 inchtransfer upwards but he is constantly improving.

During the holidays, we had a very BIG SURPRISE visit from twoformer employees, Yuki and Jeffrey Lai. They were in Vancouver fromSingapore for Jeffrey's Mom's 60th Birthday!!!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY,Mrs Lai !!!!!! Thanks for that because we were the benefactors also ofyour celebration!!!!

I am just beside myself as I write to you tonight. It might take meawhile to write this email because the tears of joy just keep wellingup in me. I really don't think I can do justice to what took placetoday in Darryl's physio session!!!!! It was an ANSWER TOPRAYER............... Darryl was having physio in his room showing withease his physio therapist all he could do. He had  accomplishedeverything in half an hour but there was 20 minutes left in thesession!!!! No surprise to me!!!! So I just asked what are we going todo with the remainder of the time. I just about fell off my chair whenthe therapist said, "Let's go downstairs and measure  Darryl out forbraces." REALLY!!!! Darryl and I couldn't believe what was transpiring.Off we go and lo and behold they have a pair that fit him. "Well, let'stry them out, Darryl !!!" says the therapist. I am still in shock but Irun to Darryl's room to get the video camera. I have to record this forJamie, Curtis and Becky and all of you, so you could share in thismoment with us !!!! It was CRAZY!!!!! With braces on he was rolled overto the walking parallel bars. Darryl  grabbed the bar, one in each handand pulled himself veritcal. It was the first time he has stood up since his accident!!!!!!  THANK-YOU LORD JESUS for all you are doing in my son's life!!! He has to now work on building up his ability to maintain his blood pressure while standing!!!!! Darryl's first comment was, " Man, this is the farthest my head has been off the floor in a long time."I could barely film because I was crying for joy!!!!! OH, WE LIVE FORMOMENTS SUCH AS THESE,!!!!! God in your mercy you have answered ourprayers to be encouraged and that you truly are doing a work inDarryl's life that is beyond our comprehension!!!!! We give you all thePRAISE & GLORY!!!!

January 6th, 2010  Darryl takes his first steps in leg braces and the parallel walking bars. THANK-YOU, Lord Jesus!!!! 

January 7th, 2010  Our son, with the assistance of the RecTherapist, transfers to and tries out a hand bike. Darryl felt so GREATwith the speed of the bike picking up with every stroke he made withhis hands. His rec therapist after the initial check out in the gym andthen outside on a figure eight pathway, said "Have at 'er, Darryl." She is just getting to know Darryl and had no idea what permission shehad just given him. He was smiling from ear to ear and rounding thefirst bend of the figure eight pathway when a mischeiviousclint crossed his eyes. He departed for the paved pathway and headeddown a grass knoll right down into a mud puddle at its base!!!! Hecompleted the task with minimal amount of mud spray on his clothing buthis beaming smile was priceless!!!! 

January 10th, 2010 

First experience in the facilities swimming pool. Darryl describesthe experience as being a stick on the upper part of his body and a wetnoodle below his level of spinal cord injury. It wasn't exactly apositive experience but I am hopeful maybe with some more one on onetime with a therapist he will experience the benefits of being off hisbutt in this capacity. Janet, the rec therapist,gives TERRIFIC massages when people are floating because the pressureis off all the joints, etc.. This is extremely good for Spinal CordInjury (SCI) clients. 

January 13th, 2010

Darryl was up brace walking (supporting himself on parallelwalking bars and moving his feet, by initiating the movement withmuscles in his shoulders and his pectoral muscle in his upper chest.)It is a swing motion with his legs going forward and backwards on theparallel bar. We received our first standing HUG from our son and withtears of gratitude and joy we embracedone another. Darryl's physio therapist, Danielle, welled up intears, as well, during this treasured moment !!!! ARE WE NOT BLESSEDwith such tremendous moments as these!!!! 

January 14th, 2010 

Another urinary tract infection (UTI) which causes Darryl to takea dive physically and needs bed rest. Temps sky rocket up to 39.4degrees celsius and the doctors at GF Strong are getting ready to sendhim back to Vancouver General Hospital Emergency. Fear can take grip ofyou because most medical and nursing staff at VGH do not know muchabout how to meet the needs of Spinal cord injury patients. It is aspecialized area of medicine and because his UTI would be the reasonfor his presence there, he would not be sent to the spinal ward. Weprayed together that  we understood that God has designed our bodiesperfectly, and that running a temp means our body is killing off thebugs in it, so we ask that the high temp had completed that necessaryfunction. Now, we ask that Darryl's body temp would be reduced to givecomfort to the doctors at the rehab center, so they did not see thenecessity of sending Darryl to VGH. We understood that the doctors hadDarryl's best interest in mind and that God would give the doctors Hiswisdom in this situation.  We asked that any fear would be removed fromus at this time, in Jesus name we pray. AMEN. 

Our Lord, honoured our petition !!!!  Thank-you, for your faithfulness, Lord!!!!  I have discovered throughout our journey, that when I truly humblemyself before our Lord, and give Him the authority over ourcircumstances, He is ever present and real !!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!!!! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFULFOR!!!!! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND VISITS!!!  HOPE TO SEND SOMEPHOTOS SOON!!! 

We cannot thank-you enough for your continued prayers because theyare being answered. Darryl has put on 10lbs !!!! His pain has beenGREATLY reduced !!!! He is making GREAT progress!!! 

Prayer request at this time are:

1) That God would continue to protect & strengthen Darryl, andenable continued weight gain for him. He is at 131.5 lbs now,but a goodweight for him post injury is around 147 lbs.

2) That Darryl's pain would diminish that he can slowly be weanedoff the medication he has to take for it. (side effects of  the drugsare a concern) and give wisdom to his doctors.

3) That God would continue to guide us individully and corporately as a family members. 

Love you all lots, 

Jamie, Barb, Darryl, Becky and Curtis