Kimmie is officially awake from her coma!!!

    - NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR LOVED ONE!
    - PRAYER WORKS!
    - MIRACLES HAPPEN!

You are NOT going to believe this update!!!

I haven't been able to get to a computer for the past few days, but I have been getting phone calls from my sister, Mary each day...Kimmie is now awake and is apparently doing so well that they aren't going to move her to the intermediate rehab after all...but are sending her directly to rehab at Our Lady of Lourdes! She has surpassed every expectation the Drs. ever thought! There is too much to write in long form, so I'm simply going to put it in list form... you truly will be surprised. I guarantee it!!!

Kimmie not only follows simple commands, but complex ones and series of commands without fail! That's a miracle in and of itself...most can only follow one simple command at best!

She exercises her own arms and legs when she's alone in bed, and forces herself to use her weak right hand when pointing at things and when communicating...she holds the board with her left hand and points with her right! She's showing a great determination to get better already!

They had her sitting on the edge of the bed July 1st, trying to decide how exactly they were going to get her into a standing position (because of her weak side), when she simply grabbed ahold of the walker standing in front of her and tried to STAND UP! *laughs* She did need help, but she did it..and held her head high! :):):):)

She now sits in a chair for hours each day and her pneumonia and other lung infection are almost completely gone. She pulls her trach oxygen off whenever the nurses aren't around and then hands it to them whenever they come back in. *chuckles* She has weaned herself, for the most part, and they were supposed to remove it completely today and give her a speech/voice thingie for her trach. I haven't heard back from my sister today, so I don't know how that went.

Her right side is getting stronger by the day...her right leg is almost as good as her left...and like I said before, she's forcing herself to use her right hand now.

She has realized she is wearing a "diaper" and has repeatedly tried to tear off the tabs holding it on. They say that a lot of people like her come out without bladder control, etc...but that hers is just fine. She doesn't go a little bit all through the day as most will...she holds it til she can't anymore and her bladder overflows...the Dr. says that proves she has control...so that is another small miracle to be thankful for. :)     She will kill me for writing that...but hey...it's a reality in these situations.

She laughed for the first time (well, no sound, but a laugh, none-the-less!) - Mary was sitting by her bed, talking to her...and telling her something...and said, "Kimberly, I know I've probably told you this a million times, but I never know from day to day what you remember...and to tell you the truth, *I* can't remember from day to day what I've told you!" *laughs hard and winks at anyone who knows my sister, Mary* Mary told me I HAD to write that in here...'cause our parents will get a good laugh out of it. hehe Mary said when Kimmie laughed, Mary said "Boy, aren't WE going to make one heck of a team!?!?!?!?"

Kimmie has mouthed her numbers from 1 to 10 on her own...other than that, she hasn't tried to speak...she knows she has the trach and knows just to wait. Mary said she has carefully pulled her trach out and examined it closely ...like it intrigued her and she wanted to know how it worked. Not a thing has really seemed to faze her at all...she isn't "confused" or "scared"...just wanting to get better and probably frustrated, for sure, that she can't get her body to work right.
 
 

I've left the biggest and best for last:
...one that gives HOPE to those so desperately needing it in a time like this!
...one that shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is always hope and that love can overcome anything!
...one that I truly hope you will share with as many people as possible!
...I guarantee a chill up your spine each and every time you think of it from here on out...:):):)
 

When the Dr. finished her last assessment...when they decided to move her on to rehab due to her advanced cooperation and skills...while the entire batch of Drs./nurses/family/fiance/etc...were all standing in the room... the Dr. got done and asked Kimberly if there was anything SHE wanted to say...if there was anything that she wanted to tell us...since up 'til then she had only responded to questions and such on her writing board.

She took the board in her left hand, pointing with her weak right hand at the "sticker" that is on her board...pecked at it with her finger ...spelled out  "I  DO" ...pecked at it again insistantly, then looked up at every face in the room. This is what the sticker said:

"Believe in MIRACLES! They happen every day..."
 

If there is a dry eye reading this, you have no heart! :) I don't think anything could top that one...so I will end this update. The rest is fluff anyhow :)

Thank you to all who have sent e-mails and prayers for Kimberly!! It really does help and each one is appreciated!
Please continue praying for Kimmie's complete recovery...the Drs said it would take a miracle...our miracle is happening!!