Long Awaited Update on Baby Micah!

Hello, dear friends and family –

Again, it has been months since our last update. THANK YOU to all of you who keep asking for a Micah update and who continue to pray regularly for our precious grandson.

Micah is now 22 months old. He continues to be healthy overall – he still has had only a few minor colds and a flu bug – but nothing serious. His personality has really begun to show – he is a very happy and content little boy. I think one of his most favorite things is having his feet touched! He loves his feet to be kissed, tickled, rubbed, sucked on or whatever means you can think of to touch them! He gets very excited and it is a joy to see!

In April, I took Chris, Stephanie and Micah back to the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia (IAHP.org) for Micah’s six month assessment.

At the previous visit to the Institutes six months ago, Micah’s vision was measured to be that of a 5 ½ month old. Amazing considering he had been blind! At this visit, his vision had improved significantly (I believe it was found to be that of a 9 ½ month old. The staff at the Institutes were very impressed (and maybe even a little surprised) at Micah’s overall neurological improvements.

If you remember, Micah had been put on a reading program right after the visit in October 2007 as soon as it was determined that he could see. Stephanie would introduce 50 new words each week which were written in large, black letters on 11” x 11” cards. She would show them and read them to Micah several times a day between all of his other therapies. At the end of the week, those words would be retired and another 50 words would be introduced for the following week. Also, Micah was being given “phrases”. Stephanie would write random phrases on 6” x 22” cards and introduce several phrases a week to Micah in addition to his 50 new words. The Institutes asked Stephanie to bring all of the tools she was using with Micah to our visit in April. Then they randomly pulled out phrases to show Micah. Most of the phrases they chose had been “retired” from Micah’s program months ago because he had already learned them. An example of how they tested him goes like this. Holding up a randomly selected phrase card to Micah, the tester read, “Daddy is sleeping.”. Then holding up another randomly selected card, “The cat is thirsty”. Then holding both cards up, side by side, “Micah, which one do you do when you are tired?” Micah immediately looked at “Daddy is sleeping”. Now, I know this doesn’t seem like much, and it is a 50-50 chance that Micah will look at the correct answer. However, after repeatedly doing this for MANY cards, Micah looked immediately at the correct answer EVERY SINGLE TIME! The doctor said that not only is Micah learning words and phrases, he is taking in his environment and learning from conversations around him because no one has ever specifically taught him that “when you are tired, you go to sleep” for example.

We are excited about this progress in Micah’s neurological program. While he isn’t communicating well, you can just look in his eyes and know that so much is going on.

After repeated testing in many areas, they gave Micah a report card of being at 17 months in “average” neurological age – and he was only 19 months at the time of the visit. This assessment takes into account his intellectual, physiological, communicative and physical abilities. He is extremely high in his intellectual abilities (they say at about 6 years old in word knowledge and reading!), but his physical abilities are still extremely poor. He is not moving his legs on his own yet, he still does not have very purposeful movement and use of his arms and hands. He IS eating food completely by mouth and takes his fluid in by a dropper. Previously he had been being fed by mouth most of the time but sometimes needed to be fed through his feeding tube. He was not able to take in fluids by mouth before. Now, however, he is taking in both food and liquids by mouth. It is a slower process but he really enjoys eating!

At the end of the assessment in Philadelphia, the goals were set for the next 6 months. In these next months, one of the main focuses will be on increasing his respiratory function (which will increase oxygen flow throughout his body and brain), This will help his eating, his brain function, his vision and hopefully his mobility and physical growth. We have had a custom made, automatic respiratory vest made in Germany which Micah will wear all night as he sleeps and five hours during the day. This will help to teach him to take deeper breaths which will help all areas of his body and brain function.

Another area of focus will be Micah’s balance. An “anti-gravity” device has been made where Micah will wear a body-suit that has mountain climbing clips attached to it. He is then attached to the clips of the device and is bounced and turned every which way (using surgical tubing). He is hung upright, upside down, like superman flying and also on his back. All of the turning and bouncing is good for his balance and visual coordination, and so many other things I cannot remember. He really loved this activity when he tried it out!

Also, Micah will be spending more time on the floor on a crawling track. He is put at one end and encouraged to get to the other end. Much of the time he enjoys it, and other times he just gets mad. Since his legs and feet are not moving on their own, he uses his arms and crawls like a little soldier. It is challenging for him to do but he is getting better all the time.

Just this week, when I was with Stephanie and Micah, Stephanie showed me Micah’s “new thing”. Lying on his back, Stephanie holds down Micah’s arms over his head. Then she tells him to “Go!”. Then, on cue, Micah lifts both legs completely up at a 45 degree angle! Stephanie can do this over and over and Micah repeats his leg lifts on command! He is not bending his knees but rather using his abs and thighs to lift his legs straight up! I will send a photo soon when I take one of him doing this. It’s hilarious AND absolutely miraculous!!!!!

Micah is still doing the masking and patterning (moving his arms and legs in a crawling motion). We are so thankful for the many volunteers that come twice a day, every day to help with his patterning. Stephanie has recently sent out a desperate plea for more volunteers as many of her volunteers are not available during the summer months. If you are interested in helping even for just one hour a week or one hour a month, please let me know. It is very easy to do and you get to spend time with the precious monkey!

Micah continues to be the joy of our lives. I cannot imagine NOT having our precious little man. I don’t get to see him as much as I want (only about twice a week), but I am looking forward to this summer and having him visit with us while his mommy gets away for a weekends here and there.

Something strong is rising up in me and stirring me to press in to praying for Micah even more. Chris and I have recently taken Micah to be prayed for by our pastor Mike Hudgins and many of the staff at the Vineyard Community Church in Laguna Niguel. I would like to take him to Florida soon where there seems to be an anointing of healing going on there in Lakeland. We have seen much healing in our church and we already know of the miracle healings that the Lord has done in Micah. I ask that you would join me in praying and believing for even more miracles in Micah in the days, weeks and months to come.

I will be updating in a month with new photos and new firsts for Micah that are coming soon!

To God be the glory – for all He has done!!!!

With a heart filled with gratitude,

Grandma Teri