Fletcher Updates

Hey everyone,
It's been almost 4 weeks since our last update. We are excited to say Fletcher is doing well. He is going to class everyday and enjoying it. He is also having speech, occupational, and physical therapy several times a week. Fletcher is getting smarter and stronger with each passing day! He is giving kisses, trying to clap his hands and says mommy and daddy in sign language! Fletcher is smiling all the time. He loves to be talked to and he loves touching faces! He is also holding his head up on his on for a limited time, but none the less it's a victory for him! He, of course has a tough road ahead of him, but he is such a trooper. All of the people who work with him are falling in love with him. Most of the staff are getting over their fear of "taking care of Fletcher"!

This week Fletcher had 2 doctors appointments (clinics). They packed him and all his gear and his entourage (which includes me, a Respitory Therapist (RT) and a driver (EMT). We were quite a site to behold. Imagine Fletcher in a car seat on a stretcher loaded down with a ventilator, canisters of oxygen, a suction machine and much more, wheeling into a doctor's office! It's really a big deal to take him to an appointment and he had TWO this week! You might remember Fletcher's right eye hasn't opened completely since birth, we have made several attempts to get him to the doctor but, he would always end up in the hospital. Well, Wednesday we FINALLY made it to the eye doctor at Dean McGee. Dr. Hildebrand looked at Fletcher's eye and doesn't want to do any surgery until he is more stable, but he said Fletcher's eye is developing normally! Fletcher and the word normal used in the same sentence! This morning Fletcher had an outpatient procedure and they placed tubes in his ears and he had a hearing test called an ABR. Well the test showed that Fletcher's hearing is fine!! He has two appointments next week, Monday he will have a CT Scan of his head. Since he's been in bed for so long the shape of his head is looking a little funky. They will look at it to make sure it's okay. Then on Thursday he will have a routine appointment with a pediatric dermatologist.

We all are doing well. Kayleigh is so looking forward to being out of school, she is also playing softball. We all are enjoying going to the ball park when it's not raining! Maddie has been pretty sick this week with strep throat. Today has been one of her better days. Craig is working hard and staying busy with our kids. I am spending 3-5 hours a day at The Center with Fletcher and the afternoons and evenings with the girls. Craig spends several hours a night with Fletcher. We can't go one day with out seeing him and getting a 'Fletcher fix'! It has been a pretty big adjustment, trying to make our situation as 'normal' as possible. It seems to be working out okay. The Lord has been so good to us and has placed some amazing people in our lives who are helping us with the girls or bringing us meals and of course we know you all are praying.

We hope this update finds you all doing well. Thanks for your faithfulness to always pray!

Much love,
Craig & Denise

I have attached a couple of picture of Fletcher on his way to school, in his class and of Easter, unfortunately we weren't able to have all three of of our kids together on Easter, due to the ban at The Center Maddie was not able to go into Fletcher's unit.