Many of you (out there :)) have emailed asking about Riah!! Thank you!
She is doing SO great! She had a huge year physically and emotionally. She is a strong and persistent little girl. She has such a nurturer’s heart and so much compassion. She has had to endure so much with her botox and casting, therapy twice a week and many braces on her arm and her leg…She does not complain. She is so amazing.
Currently, Riah looks like she just had a sprained ankle, or recovering from an injury…mostly people just ask me if she broke her ankle…THAT’S how ‘normal’ she is walking, running, jumping, using her left arm!! She is getting so strong and her ability to use her left arm and hand is growing by the day. She is in therapy twice a week and we are seeing HUGE leaps in her abilities and strength. It is difficult in our family schedule (mostly due to the hour commute either way) but it has been worth every minute! She is super motivated and works so hard. Her occupational therapy is FUN and effectively strengthening her core, her left arm and getting her aware of how to use her hand more and more. Her physical therapy is hard work too, often using only her left leg to do certain activities and a great deal of core strengthening as well! We are so thrilled at how far she has come. While in Korea, her therapists said they’d hope her left arm would at least be able to be a ‘helper’ hand to stabilize and assist a bit…I see her doing so much more already. She can now take lids off of pens, put on her own sandals, get herself dressed (lower half of her body!) and she can almost ride her trike all on her own!! God has done miraculous things in her body and in her spirit.
Riah is becoming so confident and fun now too. She no longer clings to Dave or I, but will run and tackle any park we visit…At VBS this week, she danced and sang with all the big kids–front row!! She even went to bed with a baby-sitter this past week. She feels secure. I do too! I love this little girl…God has given us a picture of His Grace.
Thank you all for so faithfully praying for her…and for all of us.