Matthew's 2008 Journey
Tuesday 12-30-2008
Today Matthew went to see Dr. Crowl and his prosthetic technician, Mr. Shane. Apparently Matthew has already grown about an inch and is already in need of a new stem for his robot leg. Mr. Shane has also ordered some new sockets for his leg to hopefully do away with that reoccurring rash. Matthew did great at re-hab today as most of it was spent outside going up and down hills and stepping up stairs.
Friday 12-26-2008
Matthew had a fantastic day! His rash on his leg has really cleared up. Today Matthew worked on stretching and doing one leg dips. He spent the rest of his time enjoying his Christmas presents.
Thursday 12-25-2008
Christmas day is finally here as Santa made his rounds last night. Matthew was so excited all day long. After opening his presents he ate a breakfast style brunch with Papa Dean, Grandma, Aunt Mandy and Mr. Aaron. It was really yummy! Matthew and his sister played and played until they were so tired they wanted nap time on their own! After waking up off we headed to Ms. Dee's house for some more yummy food and present openings. Ms. Casey's little baby Morgan just loves spending time with Matt and Sam. It is so awesome to watch Matthew be so gentle when playing with her. After a full day of excitement Matthew had no problem falling asleep once his head hit the pillow. We were extremely fortunate this year as there were plenty of presents, thanks to many people and most importantly Matthew. I could not help but think to myself what would it have been like if God would have called my little boy home on August 1st. It sure puts a different spin on what’s important during this time of the year such as family, friends and loving them as hard as you can because you just never know if it will be the last time you see them.
Tuesday 12-23-2008
Two more days till Christmas! Matthew is really getting excited. I hung up both of "Santa's Keys" on the front door today. I have told Matthew that Santa can either come down the chimney or use his "secret key" to come in a deliver the presents. Today at rehab Matthew took it easy and worked on core strength without his leg on due to the rash. I sure hope we can get this rash under control so he won't lose momentum!
Monday 12-22-2008
Matthew and his little sister are out of school this week, so Matthew started the day off with spending time with Grandma Doris. Matthew said they had loads of fun and really liked the automatic Christmas tree which goes up and down. Later in the day Matthew went to physical therapy and did very well. His leg still has a rash on it and it seems to be drying out which is a good thing. Matthew will need to take it easy the next few days.
Sunday 12-21-2008
Matthew had a good day today. He spent the afternoon with family and friends. His great grandma was so excited to see him. Matthew loves to spend time with people and just loves to take pictures with the camera.
Friday 12-19-2008
Today was Matthew's Christmas party at school. He had so much fun playing with his friends and eating snacks. It was also his sister party so Matthew being the socialite that he is had to drop in and crash that party also. His leg looked a lot better this morning when he woke up. After applying another round of the spray (which he still didn't like) it seemed to be much less red and irritated.
Thursday 12-18-2008
Wow today was a busy day for Matthew. First he went to school for a few hours then he went shopping for gifts for his daycare teachers. After lunch Matthew went to see Ms. Traci, his therapist, and worked on drawing his emotions. After that Matthew had physical therapy. He did so well today! He is learning how to squat and jumps like a frog. It was extremely encouraging to see him jump. He also ran the fastest speed on the treadmill to date, 3.1 miles per hour! He has so much willpower to push forward even when he’s tired. Matthew also was given some type of anti-bacterial spray for the rash on his leg. He does not like it as it burns when I apply it to the rash.
Monday 12-15-2008
Today was Matthew and Samantha’s school Christmas play. Matthew was dressed as a clean faced Santa and Samantha played a reindeer. Other than Matthew fallen twice on stage (yikes) he did a fantastic job! I was so proud of him and Samantha. Samantha has developed quite a set of lungs btw. Matthew and I have been working on the "Meet the Parents movie" I'm watching you move. If you have ever seen the movie this is what Robert De Niro does to Ben Stiller when they pull up to the light and he knows that Ben has spray painted another cat. So in the middle of the play Matthew sees me and does the I'm watching you move, it was extremely comical so of course I had to do it back. He has so much personality and it so awesome watching him grow!
Friday 12-12-2008
Matthew had a fabulous day today. He went to school for a few hours then went to see his friends at the SECU in Garner. Little did he know that they had a bunch of presents for him and his sister, Sammie. After explaining to him how people had been so giving to us, he asked could he share his toys with others. I told him that was the Christmas spirit and off we went to pick out a few toys to give away. After Matthew picked them out we returned to his daycare and he put the toys in the "Toys for Tots box". He is such a loving and sharing human being. After speaking with one of Matthew's teachers we have decided that they will focus on his recognition skills, since that is the only place where he seems to be behind due to missing several months of school. It was really relieving to hear that she felt he was on par in all the other areas. With that being said Matthew and Sammie spent the rest of the night playing board games and doing flash cards in front of the fire sipping on chocolate milk with the family.
Thursday 12-11-2008
Matthew had a great day today. He stayed at school till after nap time for the first time. Matthew seems to be adjusting well to the whole school routine. Matthew worked extra hard today at re-hab. I am so proud of his dedication and hard work. (He’s definitely a Baldwin) He is trying to learn how to skip but still has a ways to go! Btw thanks to everyone who has shown support to Matthew over the last few months. We have officially broken 50,000 site views!!!!!!
Saturday 12-06-2008
Today Matthew had a lot of fun. He played with his flash cards, board games and puzzles. He is trying to play catch up on learning things since he was out of pre-school for over four months. Matthew did well today walking on his robot leg. He went out to eat for lunch and met with some of his friends. Afterwards he did some shopping, walking for the majority of the time. His little leg looked really good once we took the robot leg off.
Friday 12-05-2008
Today Matthew helped Daddy hang some Christmas lights outside. He is really getting excited about Christmas. He just loves the whole theme that comes with the holiday.
Thursday 12-04-2008
Matthew had a wonderful day! He had a great time at school and then went to re-hab. It has been a week since his last re-hab appointment so he was a little rusty. He tried several advance movements and did really good. After riding around the town little at Christmas lights he settled in and finished the night with cookies and milk.
November 2008 Journey
Thursday 11-27-2008
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Matthew! Matthew had a great day visiting friends and family. Not to mention he stuff himself on some turkey, mashed potatoes and pie! Matthew is such a Daddy's boy and loves to watch football on T.V.
Wednesday 11-26-2008
Today Matthew had a great time at school. He colored and sang with his friends. After leaving around lunch time Matthew went to visit some of Dad's work friends and Grandma. Today was water day at therapy and he had so much fun. He is really learning to use his little leg when he swims. I am so proud of how hard he tries and how much he has accomplished in such little time.
Monday 11-24-2008
Today was Matthew's first day back to school! He was sooo excited. I'm not quite sure who was more excited Matthew or all of his classmates. They mobbed him with hugs and greetings like he was a rockstar. He loved showing everyone his new leg. Matthew stayed at school until noon until he had to head to rehab where he worked very hard on the treadmill (check out the video on the left). After rehab Matthew and Daddy headed down to Greenville to see his prosthesis technician, Shane, who was very surprised and happy to see Matthew walking, already. Shane was pleased with the progress and fit of the prosthesis and sent Matthew off with some good advice on how to prevent rashes and new shrinkers for his little leg.
Sunday 11-23-2008
Matthew is really getting excited about tomorrow. He will return to school as a student for the first time since losing his leg. Even though it will only be for a few hours, I'm sure it will do him good mentally. I can't wait to see the smile on his face.
Saturday 11-22-2008
Matthew's leg looks a lot better today. Today Matthew and his little sister, Sammie, decorated the Christmas tree. They had so much fun hanging up the ornaments. After running some mid evening errands he spent the afternoon drinking hot chocolate by the fire place playing board games.
Friday 11-21-2008
Today Matthew's re-hab was cancelled due to the rash on his leg. We are going to try some different techniques and let the leg air out over the weekend. He still did his stretching, sit-ups, push-ups and flash cards. Matthew has almost mastered writing his own name.
Tuesday 11-18-2008
Matthew’s re-hab took a huge step forward today. Today he worked on climbing up and down two flights of stairs. He was so impressive that Ms. Anna walked behind him as he climbed them on his own. He also ran for the first time in the suspension harness. He really enjoyed running. His ability to overcome this loss and his positive attitude are just incredible. God must have big plans for him in the future. His rash on his leg has come back though so there will be no therapy tomorrow.
Sunday 11-16-2008
Matthew had a fun day today. After picking him up, he baked lasagna and cookies for our family and friends. Matthew and Sammie played their new favorite game "Chutes and Ladders" while learning how to recognize and indentify numbers. He has to work extra hard since he has missed almost four months of school. After removing his prosthesis this afternoon I noticed a small rash area on the back of his little leg. Looks like he will be out of commission for a few days while the rash heals.
Friday 11-14-2008
Matthew was on point today at re-hab. He had his listening ears on and tried real hard. He worked on side to side movements, walking backwards and bending over picking up blocks. I am so proud of his effort and determination. He has the best attitude and the brightest smile in the whole world.
Monday 11-10-2008
Well today we got to finally show Ms. Nazaly and Ms. Anna our little secret. Matt did a good job of playing it off. First he used his walker to make his way into re-hab. Then when Ms. Nazaly came out to get him he pushed away from his walker and walked all the way to her. She was so excited for the little man. Matthew walked for the remainder of therapy and did very well. He walked up and down three steps several times and played catch with Ms. Nazaly and Ms. Anna. I am so thankful for their help and dedication to Matthew.
Saturday 11-08-2008
Family, friends and supporters: he is doing it! Matthew is walking on his own. It all came together TODAY - less than 2 weeks with his prosthesis- and he no longer wanted or needed his walker, he just took off walking on his own. Such a change from yesterday when I was so happy to see him take 10 steps on his own. We went to play minature golf and we started the first hole with his walker. After his first putt he took off after his ball and never looked back...he made it through the entire 18 holes without even a thought of his walker. To see him walking and playing with his sister without assistance brought tears to my eyes. I know he still has a lot of hard work ahead of him, but today was a huge accomplishment for Matthew. Check out the videos to see the miracle for yourself.
Friday 11-07-2008
Matthew had a great day today. First of all Matthew went to visit some family members. Then at therapy Matthew walked ten steps by himself. It was so incredible that I wanted to cry. It was like watching my son’s first steps all over again. He tried so hard and listened so well that I let him splurge on a big milkshake! He spent the rest of his afternoon with family and friends.
Wednesday 11-05-2008
Matthew was back on track today with the right attitude and determination at therapy. (Or maybe he was just super excited to do water therapy) Either way he did really well - and he had a great time! (Check out the video) Matthew also went back to Greenville this afternoon to have Shane, his prosthesis technician, adjust his knee joint. It's back to walking therapy tomorrow.
Monday 11-03-2008
Not sure if it was the rainy weather or just a poor night’s sleep, but today’s therapy was a wash. Matthew was just not motivated to push himself very hard. We are going to break up the routine on Wednesday and try some water therapy. His robot leg also needs some tweaking to the knee joint. The knee joint appears to be breaking too easily.
Sunday 11-02-2008
Matthew is doing great today. He was up bright and early and ready to roll. Today Matthew played candy land, put together four puzzles and learned with his mouse flash cards. I am so proud of him as he continues to display such a positive attitude regarding the whole situation. I can't wait to see him walk without any assistance.
Friday 10-31-2008
Matthew is so excited today because it's Halloween and he is Batman! He started the day as Batman in his daycare Halloween parade. He then went to therapy and worked on locking and breaking his new knee joint as well as side-to-side motion. Check out videos of Matthew at therapy. Afterwards, Matthew visited Daddy's work and passed out Halloween candy to everyone. Matthew ended the night by going trick or treating around the neighborhood and then scaring the trick or treaters as they came up to the house.
October 2008 Journey
Thursday 10-30-2008
This is day 3 of Matthew's rehabilitation with his prosthetic leg and each day he gets better at balancing, stepping and walking. Today he learned how to move side to side while holding on to parallel bars. The smile on his face is incredible and hopeful when he accomplishes a new movement.
Monday 10-27-2008
Matthew begins a new "walk" of life today - he officially has a prosthetic leg. His robot leg is red with Spiderman print. He was very excited and wanted to make sure that Daddy thought his new leg was cool - which of course it's the coolest leg in the whole world. He was able to take steps while holding on to the bars. I am so proud of Matthew he is a true superhero.
Monday 10-20-2008
Only one more week until Matthew gets his prosthetic leg. He continues to make progress getting around with his walker, but he is ready to walk again on his own. Since he lost his leg, Matthew's mobility has significantly declined and he has become accustom to playing video games and watching movies most of the time. He has been out of daycare for over two months now, and I don't want him to be too far behind the rest of his class when it is time to return, so Matthew spent the day learning the alphabet, recogninizing letters and numbers, and putting together puzzles. He did very well and had a lot of fun too!
Thursday 10-16-2008
Today was a very fun day for Matthew. He and his sister went to the State Fair! They both had such a great time riding the roller coasters, playing games, checking out the farm animals and eating! Matthew also got to meet a lot of Daddy's police friends. He did a great job getting around in his wheel chair, fortunately he will have his robot leg soon and won't have to rely on a wheel chair to get around.
Tuesday 10-14-2008
Today was so exciting for Matthew! His "robot leg" was fit to size and he took his first "official" steps. It was very hard for Matthew to balance his core while trying to move his leg but he did it and was so happy. One of his two physical therapist, Nazaly, made the trip down and helped with Matt's first few steps. I was so glad she took the initiative to come familiarize herself with his new "robot leg". Matt is so resillent and I am so proud of him. Matt also picked out which spiderman pattern that we are going to have Shane install on his new leg.
Sunday 10-12-2008
Matthew is getting around so well - he is learning new ways each day to be independent and do things on his own. Matthew visited the pumpkin patch today. He got to take a train ride, a hay ride and pick out his pumpkin. He had such a great time. It's so great to see him smile and laugh. He has endured more these past two months than most people do in their entire lives.
Saturday 10-11-2008
Considering the terrible tragedy that Matthew has indured he is making such great progress each day. He was in such great spirits today - especially when he got to see his Papa Dean and Grandma!
Thursday 10-09-2008
Matthew had physical therapy today. He is doing so well that his therapists have scaled back his therapy to once a week - assuming that he will continue his stretches and exercise at home until he gets his robot leg at which time he will do daily therapy to learn how to walk again.
Wednesday 10-01-2008
Matthew stood on his robot leg for the first time today! It was a very emotional moment. Matthew was excited, confused and nervous about the prosthetic. Unfortunately he has gotten quite used to not having a leg for past two months. It's obvious that it's going to take some time for him to come accustom to his robot leg. But like everything else Matthew has overcome, I know that he will do great with the prosthesis. Having said that It was great to see him able to stand with both "legs", it's been exactly two months to the day since he was able to do this on his own. Matthew will go back on October 14 for another fitting - hopefully the final adjustment! His robot leg should be ready in late October and starting prosthetic rehab in November!
September 2008 Journey
Sunday 09-28-2008
Whoa boy, Matthew and Samantha were so worn out they slept in late this morning. Today Matthew and Sammie went for a stroll around the neighborhood, worked on total body stretching, coloring and flash cards. Matthew was so excited when he saw himself on T.V. I had to play it over and over again. Matthew wants to thank everyone for all of the email's of encouragement. He loves for me to read them to him.
Saturday 09-27-2008
Today was such an amazing day for Matthew - a day that he will never forget. He had such a wonderful time at the fund-raiser! Thank you so much to everyone that participated in such an important day for Matthew. Matthew has not stopped talking about what a great time he had and how much he loved meeting and hanging out with Spider-man, Boba Fett, The Hulk, She-Hulk, Batman, Wool E Bull, family and friends! We are so grateful to everyone who helped out and made this such a great day for Matthew!
Friday 09-26-2008
Matthew had a great day today. He is so excited about the tomorrow's event. He can't wait see all of his friends and talk about the robot leg that he will be getting very soon!
Wednesday 09-24-2008
Today Matthew was in great spirits - as usual. He has really mastered his walker, he has no trouble keeping up. He is so incredibly strong. Nothing is going to hold him back.
Tuesday 09-23-2008
Matthew was in a great mood today. His leg has completely healed from the infection. He did so well in physical therapy today and is ramping up for his prosthetic!
Thursday 09-18-2008
Matthew and sister Samantha spent the day with daddy. They had so much fun at the park. Matthew is getting around really well. Nothing holds him back, it's really amazing how he does not sit around and wait for things, he gets up and around for him self - which is a good because he could easily take advantage of the situation! I'm so proud of him and Samantha.
Tuesday 09-16-2008
Matthew did fantastic at physical therapy. He continues to make such great strides. He was able to balance on his leg for over a minute. He really is daddy's hero.
Monday 09-15-2008
Matthew woke and got right to his stretching and leg exercises. His little leg is getting so strong and he is doing so well. Matthew got to have lunch with his buddy Charlie and then went and visited his friend Kerry at work. Later this afternoon Matthew had an appointment in Greenville with his prosthetic technician, Shane, who was really impressed with Matthew's progression. October 1 is the date that Matthew will go back and stand on his first prosthesis!
Sunday 09-14-2008
The infection in Matthew's incision is nearly all gone! Matthew and his lil sis Sammie went swimming at Uncle Mark's pool. Matthew is such a great swimmer and loves to help his sister learn how to swim. Afterwards family and friends gathered for a big cookout at home.
Saturday 09-13-2008
After sleeping in from so much fun the night before, Matthew got to go meet characters from some of his favorite movies - Star Wars - in Durham. Matthew had so much fun impressing Princess Leah and the storm troopers with his wheelchair moves. Matthew ended the day meeting the great ladies from the Carolina Roller Girls!
Friday 09-12-2008
Matthew had a great day. The infection on his leg looks so much better. Matthew got to meet a lot of nice people at the sheriff's department. Matthew spent the afternoon at the park - he loves swinging and riding on the merry-go-round. Matthew ended the day having dinner with new friends (and maybe a couple new girlfriends - Shannon and Emily). Many thanks to Blair and Matt for dinner and all the support!
Tuesday 09-09-2008
Today at rehab, Matthew did really well. He completed an obstacle course, played soccer and the shell game. He continues to make such great progress on every level.
Monday 09-08-2008
Today Matthew spent the day with Daddy hanging, running errands and visiting friends. Afterwards Matthew went to the park, where he walked around on his walker, laid out on the picnic blanket, learned that acorns are not peanuts and that squirrels like to eat them.
Sunday 09-07-2008
Matthew woke up this morning and the infection in his incision looked so much better. He did a great job "leaving it alone" last night in bed. Matthew was so excited when Papa Dean and Grandma stopped over for a surprise visit. He spent most of the day taking it easy at home while his infection healed. The day ended with a stroll around the neighborhood and kisses from Lola and Diego.
Saturday 09-06-2008
It was a rainy start to the weekend when Hanna came to town, so Matthew hung out at home for most of the day and worked on his alphabet flash cards and played games. The infected area on Matthew's leg was very irritated and ended up popping - which the doctors were not too concerned about because it means the infection is coming out of the wound rather than festering under the skin. Despite the appearance of the infection he continues to move about and is happy as can be.
Friday 09-05-2008
Today Matthew had an appointment at Pitt Memorial with his rehabilitation doctor and his prosthetic specialist. The doctor was pleased with Matthew's recovery, however, he was concerned about the redness that Matt had recently developed around the incision. Afterwards Matthew met with Shane, his prosthetic technician, who by the way, also wears a right leg prosthesis. He began by taking a 3-D image of Matthew's leg from which they will make the initial mold for his prosthesis. Later on, Matthew went to his pediatrician and was prescribed antibiotics for the infection that has developed in his incision.
Thursday 09-04-2008
Matthew had a really good day at physical therapy. We noticed that he has developed some redness around the incision. Fortunately we are headed to Pitt Memorial where the doctors can examine it. Despite that, Matthew and Daddy went swimming and had a great time. He continues to make great progress learning how to swim, despite some time away from swimming and only one leg to kick with, he was able to swim all the way across the pool on his own. He is truly an amazing little guy and he continues to impress everyone each and every day.
August 2008 Journey
Sunday 08-31-2008
Matthew is doing so amazing. Today he and Samantha went swimming. They had so much fun splashing around and playing in the water. The pool was a great opportunity for him to work on his balance and keep his leg muscle stretch.
Saturday 08-30-2008
Today Matt, Sammie and Daddy went to visit Casey and little Miss Morgan who is just learning how to walk. Matthew was so kind and gentle, showing the baby how to walk using his walker. Matt had a great night, he spent it with Papa Dean and Grandma.
Friday 08-29-2008
Today Matt went to lunch with all of Daddy's work friends. Matt really enjoyed the all you can eat chips and salsa! Matt and his sister Samantha played together and then watched Cinderella in the movie room before they had a great night of sleep.
Thursday 08-28-2008
Wow, was Matthew ever impressive at rehab today - he balanced him self on one leg for 14 seconds! He got a lot of good work in today with his physical therapist. Since he did so well he came home and schooled his Daddy in his favorite video game. After dinner, Matt took Lola for a stroll around the neighborhood.
Monday 08-25-2008
Matthew had a fantastic day today. This has been his best day at physical therapy to date! Matthew was able to balance on his leg for nearly 10 seconds with out holding on to anything. His ability to balance has greatly improved. His spirits were untouchable today. He makes me so proud to call him my son.
Sunday 08-24-2008
Matthew and his father would like to thank everyone for coming out to Locked and Loaded in Garner and showing such support and love. He had such a great time meeting people and giving “high fives.” Matthew and his Dad wrapped up the evening with a stroll and roll around the neighborhood where they met lots of nice people and dogs.
Friday 08-22-2008
Matthew was wonderful today. He played all morning with his little sis and dad. Using his walker he made his way around the house, out to lunch and to the store. Matthew continues to impress everyone with his determination to get around on his own. Good work little man!
Thursday 08-21-2008
Matthew returned to physical therapy today. He was pretty tired and not as motivated as he was on Monday. He spent the evening with family and friends having a pizza party showing off his skills on his walker.
Wednesday 08-20-2008
Today was a big day for Matthew. He headed down to Pitt Memorial for appointments with his surgeon and the prosthetic technician. The surgeon was very pleased with the healing of the incision - so much so that they opted to remove the sutures. The prosthetic technician was also very pleased with the rate that Matthew is recovering from the surgery and recommended that Matt return in early September to have the mold made for his prosthesis!
Monday 08-18-2008
Matthew is doing fabulous today. He relies very little on his wheelchair and gets around most of the time using his walker. At physical therapy, Matt continues to impress his Dad and the therapist with his strength and determination.
Sunday 08-17-2008
Matthew woke up this morning and used his walker to walk all the way down the driveway to pick up the newspaper. Today was the benefit bike wash for Matthew at Locked and Loaded in Garner. So many amazing people came out to support him. He had such a great time meeting people and showing off his moves in his wheelchair. He was so exhausted from all the fun, that he fell asleep in car on the ride home. After naptime, Matthew and his Dad went to the movies to see the brand new animated Star Wars movie. Matthew gave it two thumbs up.
Saturday 08-16-2008
Matthew had a very active day today. His day began with a stroll around the neighborhood in his wheelchair, to the fire station and then to McDonald's for breakfast. Later on, Papa Dean and Grandma came over to hang out with Matthew. The day ended with one more stroll around the neighborhood with Matthew and his canine buddy's Lola and Diego.
Friday 08-15-2008
Today Matthew and Daddy visited family and friends. Matthew had a great time racing down the hallways in Daddy's office. Matthew is improving daily and he is sleeping through the night, but still wakes up in the morning a little bit sore.
Thursday 08-14-2008
Matthew did fantastic at rehab. His instructor was very impressed with his effort and attitude today. Afterwards, Matthew visited his Aunt Mandi and then spent the evening playing with his little sister Samantha.
Tuesday 08-12-2008
Although Matthew continues to improve daily, he has been having troubling sleeping through the night. His sutures are very itchy and painful. His spirits were lifted when his sister, Sammie P got home from daycare and they were reunited at home for the first time since the accident!
Monday 08-11-2008
Matthew started outpatient rehab today to strengthen his leg and keep his muscles and ligaments stretched out. He also got to go and see all of his friends at daycare! Matthew is doing really well and is being so strong, he is such a brave boy.
Saturday 08-09-2008
Today was awesome! The doctors have decided to release Matthew for a few weeks while his leg continues to heal. He will undergo outpatient leg strengthening therapy until his leg is ready to go forward with the walking recovery portion. Matthew is so excited to go home and can't wait to sleep in his own bed!
Friday 08-08-2008
Matthew had a great day with family and friends. Doctors are so impressed with his recovery from the surgery that he could be temporarily discharged from the hospital while his leg continues to heal and shape - which is necessary before any prosthetic therapy can begin. Matthew has also received his protective “boot” cover to go over his leg in case he falls while walking with his walker Matthew spent the day walking in his walker and riding around in his wheelchair and had his first meal off campus.
Thursday 08-07-2008
Matthew had a great day today. He walked with his walker from his room to the playroom twice. He also took at stab at hopping up a flight of steps and was successful!
Wednesday 08-06-2008
Matthew's leg is healing with no sign of infection. He continues to strengthen his upper body by using his walker. He was able to walk down the hall all the way to the playroom.
Tuesday 08-05-2008
Today Matthew started physical therapy. He took his first steps with a walker, although it is hard work he is doing really well.
Monday 08-04-2008
Matthew is completely off morphine and is now taking just Tylenol for pain relief. His progress is truly a miracle as he continues to impress everyone during his recovery.
Sunday 08-03-2008
Matthew is in great spirits. Today he learned how to get around in his wheelchair. Within about 20 minutes he has mastered maneuvering the chair and is beating his Dad in wheelchair races around the hospital.
Saturday 08-02-2008
Matthew is recovering from his surgery. He is already sitting up in his bed, watching movies, coloring and eating.
Friday 08-01-2008
Matthew underwent emergency surgery at Pitt Memorial Hospital. Doctors amputated his right leg just above the knee.