Dear friends of the Yu Family,
I had a wonderful visit with Melissa at HealthBridge today. When I entered her room she broke out in a broad smile that just lit up the room and simultaneously reached over and turned off the DVD player she was using. She actually was able to say a few words, like "yes" and "no" and of course, “Mr. B” ... and even sang Happy Birthday. Though she can speak a little, it is hard for her so she prefers to answer yes or know questions by making hand/arm motions and by nodding or shaking her head. For “yes” she moves her left hand and arm up and down. For “no” she moves her left hand and arm in a sideways motion. She can also shake her head up and down for “yes” and back and forth for “no.” She has quite a bit of movement on her left side (arm and leg), but not so much on her right side. Her right arm is becoming constricted. Her elbow is bent so that her forearm is up against her bicep and her hand is curled closed. Michael took her arm and moved it down so that it rested across her stomach and unclenched her fist. We talked about all kinds of things … her family, the church and how soon it would be before she could return. She giggled when I told her I was keeping her Port Mariners photo I.D. taped to the wall in my office next to my desk so she’ll have it when she returns. When it finally came time for me to leave she genuinely looked sad, so I’m assuming she enjoys having visitors.
On Saturday, August 23, Marlene, Melodie and Mildred Yu joined me at the quarterly graduation/matriculation at Canine Companions for Independence (www.cci.org) in Oceanside. CCI provides service dogs to people with disabilities other than sight disorders. With a CCI service dog, Melissa could gain independence that she wouldn’t ordinarily enjoy. The family was excited about the prospect of getting a CCI service dog for Melissa. Melissa was especially excited about the prospect of having a dog to keep her company and sleep with her. Sunday at church Melodie proudly wore her CCI tee shirt that she got at the graduation.
Melissa said she is really looking forward to being able to eat an In-n-Out and pizza! We had quite a giggle over that.
All in all it was a positive weekend. Please continue to pray for Melissa and her family.
Paul Bogenrief
Student Volunteer Coach
Mariners Church, Irvine, CA
mrb@marinerschurch.org
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