Videos of Sam walking and crawling

Merry Christmas! I guess it is time for an update! Sam has been working hard at his rehab over the summer, fall, and winter. He continues to be in excellent shape. The videos below show some of the progress Sam has made over the summer. The video of him crawling was taken at the end of a long climb up the handicap ramp from the gym floor. The one walking shows him with his special knee joints unlocked. That allows him to have a more "normal" gait to his walk. We were very proud of Sam when he decided to use his braces and "walk" for his 8th grade graduation this spring.

Sam started High School at Grand Rapids Christian and that seems to be going well. In some recent testing, he has had some very cool progress. He now has deep pressure sensation down to his hip flexors. He can't feel a pinprick on his skin, but if you put pressure on his hips, he can feel that deeper inside. His ability to tell what position his leg is in or which way his foot is pointing(after someone moves it) has also improved dramatically. He also continues to improve in his trunk and ab control.

Sam just got measured today for something called Wearable Therapy. He will get some underarmour type shirt and shorts that have special electronic stimulation connections inside. This will allow him to stimulate his muscles, build them up, and greatly increase his circulation while at home. Better muscle mass and circulation are important ingredients in both future health and in making the most of future improvements as some of his nerves continue to slowly connect.

We continue to value your prayers for him. He is amazing and continues to positively impact those around him. He also helps us keep our own trials in perspective.

We've put up some videos of Sam practicing both walking and crawling. His progress is looking awesome. And yes, he is almost 6 feet tall now!

Click here to see the videos.