In last month’s newsletter, we were excited to report that Jake had crawled about 12-15 feet. This was the furthest distance he had ever crawled. This month, we’re even more thrilled to inform you that he is crawling too far to measure or even keep up with. We can officially say that Jake can crawl, anywhere he wants to, on any surface. See for yourself in this short video clip!

This is a HUGE milestone. Jake crawling was never a given. We never knew if he would. Nobody could tell us if he'd ever be able to. Jake’s been able to steady himself on his hands and knees for 2 years, but he never really seemed to know what to do once in the position until recently. There is no way to prove that Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment is the sole reason for this advancement, but we are attributing a fair amount of credit to HBOT. We plan to resume HBOT therapy on September 7th, which will be the start of his 5th month. As Jake’s father, I know that that no matter what therapy helps him, it’s his mother that deserves the vast majority of the credit. Jake has attended well over 500 various therapy sessions in his short life. His Mom is the continuous, driving force that makes him excel.

Jake started school on August 24th and is now in the First Grade. Many of you know that Jake has never been able to consistently and reliably chew food. We’ve pureed all of his meals for the past 6 years. Mom typically packs his lunch, ground up and ready to go. This year, his teacher has suggested that we start introducing school lunches in order for him to experience chewing a variety of different textures. Sometimes we need assistance to push Jake to achieve new things as we get so consumed by his care and his therapies. So far, this is working out wonderfully! It’s great to have him in such a fantastic school where people really care about him and are willing to take the extra steps necessary for Jake to achieve the next level.

But wait there's more! Jake has now learned how to stand up in his bed. While this is great and a new development, it also brings new challenges. The bed we built years ago is going to require more reinforcement in order to endure his growth.

Again, we’d like to give special thanks to all of the generous people who made donations in memory of John Stalker, a close friend and family member who recently passed away.