Josh Holt Will Walk Again!

Lead Me (Acoustic - with lyrics) by Sanctus Real

2010-08-18T21:58:00.004-04:00

This is a great song. This is for all you married men and great advice for Josh as he contemplates marriage. This is dedicated to the men in my life...Eric, Caleb, Josh, Isaiah and Vic. Love you guys with all my heart. This is for you...

2010-08-15T00:54:00.000-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS!

Lisa's Graduation from Western Michigan University (8-13-10)

She is now a Physician's Assistant!

2010-02-10T23:23:00.004-05:00

ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Last Friday, February 5th, Josh proposed to Lisa...and Lisa said "YES!" I will keep you posted on details as they arise. I'm assuming the big day will be sometime next year. I am one EXCITED mom! They are so perfect for each other!!!

For wedding details and the story of how they

met and how Josh proposed click on the link:
Josh and Lisa

2010-01-24T21:50:00.004-05:00

Newspaper Article of Josh's
Adventures in North Dakota

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

2009-09-26T16:03:00.004-04:00

Elk Hunting in North Dakota

Elk Creek Ranch

Rhame, ND

September 17 - 24, 2009

Josh and his elk.

Ken and Verna Berens with Josh.

The Berens took Josh out to N. Dakota to hunt.

Ken and Verna are in the back. Our ANGELS!!!

N. Dakota where the elk are plentiful.

The Lodge

What a wonderful week!

Now it is time to rest.

Thank you Ken and Verna for taking Josh to North Dakota for a hunt of a lifetime. Also a huge thank you to Craig and Bobbie Egeland for opening your hearts and ranch to Josh and the Berens. For those that don't know, people pay huge bucks to hunt at this ranch and the Egelands allowed one disabled youth to hunt for FREE. And you know who that lucky youth was. There are GREAT people still left on this earth and we are truly privileged to have met them.

You are our heros and ANGELS!!!

2008-11-17T18:56:00.003-05:00

Hunting news again!

Josh got an 11-point buck on opening day! He's in his glory again.

Also wanted to let everyone know that he HAS A JOB!!!! He is a saleman for Centennial Wireless. If you need a cell phone and phone plan, he's your man! He and one of his friends (who has Centennial experience) are opening their own store on the NE side of Grand Rapids. This is exciting. We were so worried that Josh wouldn't be able to get a job. He has tired and has been turned down. He can still fit in his physical therapy 3 days a week for 3 hours each of those days. That makes it hard to get a job too, but this is the perfect solution.

He is talking about moving out and getting his own apartment. My Joshy is growing up! Can't call him that any more. He's a grown young man and he wants to set out on his own.

As most of you know, he has a girlfriend too. Things are going very well in that department and we think she is a sweetheart. They have been seeing each other for about a year now. The two make a pretty nice pair. I'm not biased or anything!

2008-06-02T17:38:00.007-04:00

Pictures of the River Bank Run

Grand Rapids, MI (5-10-08)

Josh finished the 15K hand-cycle race in 1 hour and 28 minutes. Nice job! He came in 15th out of 18 racers. Not bad for his first race. Even though there were only 18 participants in the hand-cycle division, there were over 2000 people participating in the whole event, which included 25K and 10K runners, 5K walkers, 15K hand-cyclists, and a wheelchair division (special racing chair). It is a big event in Grand Rapids each May.

Keep going...

2008-05-24T18:15:00.005-04:00

Fifth Third River Bank Run
Grand Rapids, MI
May 10, 2008

Josh participated in the 15K hand-cycle race. He finished 15th out of 18. That is great, since that was his first time competing. He finished in 1 hour and 28 mins. If you want to see some pictures you may click on the link below. Great job Josh!

http://www.backprint.com/view_user_event.asp?PID=bp%18yG&EVENTID=37335&PWD=&BIB=7860

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, JOSH!!!

2008-02-01T17:59:00.001-05:00

PERSEVERANCE and BLESSINGS!

On Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 Josh and I shared our life-story of perseverance with the students at Cross Creek Charter Academy where I work. We gladly accepted the invitation to speak last November, but as the date grew closer we started to wonder why we had agreed to speak to a group of over 700 people. Josh and I would rather be a part of the audience than be the main event.

Perseverance was the Moral Focus word of the month at Cross Creek and we knew we could share how we persevered through Josh's paralysis, his emotions, and how it effected the family. We started out by painting a picture of Josh's very active life before the accident. Then I related the details of the accident, hospital and Mary Fee Bed Rehabilitation hospital stays, and the difficult circumstances when Josh couldn't go home to a house that needed to be modified for him. We both shared how we persevered through all of that.

I could not believe the overwhelming responses. Several parents came up to me and said that our story has inspired their children. Their children couldn't stop talking about Josh that evening. I think they were excited about Josh's basketball skills (dribbling and spinning the ball on his finger). Even teachers were inspired as well. Now I know why God had us say "yes" last November to speak at this assembly. When you learn something, I feel that we are obligated to share it, especially when it can help others. And sometimes we have to come out of our comfort zone to do it.

I am also amazed at how our everyday "do-what-needed-to-be-done" actions turned out to be so inspiring. We took things one day at a time and did what needed to be done that day. We just wanted to make it through the ordeal. We didn't want to be destroyed by it. That's just a matter of survival, I guess. But I also didn't want Satan to win. He would have loved to see us fail. We failed many days, and even months at a time, but we got back up and kept going. We got back up because we didn't like it down there. We knew we had to get back on track and beat this thing.

Josh's determination to walk is awesome! He loved to be active before the accident and now, that love has kept him going. He knows he needs to keep busy with the things he likes so he doesn't get depressed about it all. Josh loved staying physically fit before and that desire is now helping him work hard toward his goal of walking. He has physical therapy three times a week for three hours each. Since he loves working out, this schedule seems like FUN to him. I don't think I would feel the same desire to work that hard. Josh is young and full of energy. Josh is just doing what he needs to do to get back to a "normal" life and it just surprises us that people are inspired by that. We just feel that everyone would do the same, so what is the big deal! But I guess it must be a big deal.

I truly feel that God is using this bad situation for so much good. God gets all the credit for our perseverance and for the guts it took to talk to a gym-full of students, teachers, and parents. I KNOW I couldn't have done that on my own! It turned out to be a powerful message and God wanted it heard.

Praise God from whom all bessings flow!

Sue

2007-12-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

More Therapy Videos

Josh is walking with both leg braces unlocked at the knee. He just
started doing this about a week ago. This is GREAT progress for him.

See Josh up close as he walks with both leg braces unlocked at the knee.

Josh working his leg muscles while doing "stand-ups". I think the
arms are getting quite a workout too. Buff!

More leg-muscle work in the gym.

2007-11-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

More Hunting

Josh went to Hamilton to go hunting with the Berens this past week. He left right after therapy on Wednesday and came home late Saturday night. I think he is the luckiest beginning hunter because he got a doe on opening day (Thursday) and then got a buck on Saturday afternoon. Plus he got a doe and a buck at Legends Ranch over Labor Day Weekend, and he got a small buck during a handicapped hunting weekend in October. I bet you can guess what is filling up our freezer this fall!

Josh is in his glory. He LOVES hunting. He has shot squirrels and pheasants as well. He will be heading back out to Hamilton again this coming Wednesday and will probably stay until the weekend. We will miss Josh for Thanksgiving, but it brings me extreme joy to see him so happy and moving on with his life. Besides his wonderful physical therapy, this is the best kind of therapy for his spirit. Josh is a different person (in a VERY GOOD way) since he has filled his life with hunting and the Berens. They are the most wonderful people you could ever meet. They just love Josh and find so much joy in seeing him happy. And they all get to go hunting together!!!

Clarks in Saginaw

We finally got to meet the Clarks. I have been cooresponding with Mrs. Clark (Charee) for several weeks now. Her son (Chad) was in a motorcycle accident in July this year and he is struggling with being paralyzed. I could hear the hurt and despair in Charee's CarePage postings and I knew we had to meet and share our experiences with them and give them some hope. We have also found out over the past 3 1/2 years that you have to know people in order to find out what is available for people in wheelchairs and their families. Now we can share what we have found and pass it on, like others have done for us.

The Clarks were going to be sharing their testimony at their church today, so Josh and I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet them. We have tried to get together for a few weeks, but it just hadn't worked out, so we surprised them today at their church. They ended up inviting us to their home to share dinner together before we headed back home. Since Charee and I have been emailing back and forth, it felt like visiting a good friend when we finally met today. They had lots of questions for Josh and he was in his element sharing what he had experienced and learned over the last 3 years.

These are exciting times now since we are at a point where we can help someone else out that is just starting out on the same road we have already traveled. I think this is the beginning of a great friendship between our two families. As Chad and Josh get to know each other better, I think great things are going to happen for both of them.

The two boys have so much in common. They both love the outdoors and hunting. They both are adventuresome and stubborn, hate to read and dislike school. They are a perfect match - two peas in a pod! I think Josh will love hanging out at their house because they have lots of land around them where the two boys could roam around in. Chad also has a collection of hunting guns that Josh took an interest in. Chad hunted before his accident but hasn't been hunting yet because he is still getting his strength back and also learning how to deal with his paralysis. I'm sure he can teach Josh some things about hunting; and even though Josh has just started hunting this fall, he can show Chad the little tricks he has learned about hunting in a wheelchair.

What a wonderful week we have had. Josh went hunting, plus we got to meet the Clarks. What more could you ask for? Well, we could ask for healed bodies, but we will settle for this right now. God will take care of the healings. He's pretty good at that. :)

Sue

2007-10-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

Stem Cell Procedures

Quite a few people that go to Josh's physical therapy are also involved with stem cell procedures. All of the procedures take the stem cells from the patient's own body. The bad part is that these procedures are not done in the United States. I can't wait for them to be done here. Then hopefully they won't cost so much.

Each person has seen significant results from these procedures. If you go to Portugal you can have stem cells taken from inside your nose (close to the brain) and then surgically placed on the spine at the injury site. If you go to Russia, you can have stem cells taken from your bone marrow and then injected into the spine at the site of injury. You must go back for more injections every 3 months or so. That's not very convenient.

This past Saturday a family went to Russia for another injection. They took copies of Josh's MRIs of his spine on CDs. The doctor will let us know if Josh can benefit from their procedure. I'm sure he will be a perfect candidate. The money situation scares me big-time. It costs A LOT of $$$$.

Sue

Legends Ranch Slide Show

2007-09-08T02:42:00.001-04:00

2007-09-02T22:31:00.000-04:00

Legends Ranch
Bitely, MI
August 30 - September 2, 2007

The pictures will tell you everything about "THE HUNT".

Got an 8-point buck the first night! Don't we look proud!
Josh, Dad, and Ken (Josh's sponsor)

Got the doe the second night.

Front: Josh & his deer

Back (L to R): Dad, Ken (sponsor), and Gary (Josh's guide).
**The guide does more than hang out with Josh in the

deer blind, he also guts, skins, and cuts the deer up.

Thank you, Gary!

A little advertisement for Cabela's.
Josh won a trophy for "On Target Marksman".
He shot each deer right where they told him to
hit them. Way to go, Josh!

Photo-Op time!

Josh, his guide, and other campers.

The rest of the campers with their "catch".

Caleb and Josh (in respective uniforms).

Caleb is home on leave for a few days

before he is deployed again in October.

Well, that should sum it all up nicely.

Both Dad and son came home with stories

to tell and spirits refreshed.

Mom likes that!

P.S. Verna brought Isaiah and I up for the Sunday breakfast and church service. I got a little taste of what their weekend was like. They had a hard time convincing me that they were "roughing it" since they had a talented cook on staff, enjoyed all the ice-cream shakes, coffee, and hot chocolate they wanted, slept in comfortable beds in a beautiful lodge, and the list goes on. They said they had to start their days extremely early, so that made it "rough".

Thank you Outdoors Without Limits for

sponsoring Josh to go to Legends Ranch this year.

What a wonderful opportunity for Josh.

I'm sure he made his Grandpa Stricker proud.

I just wish he could have been here to see Josh's catch.

A special thanks to Ken & Verna, who took an extra

interest in Josh. Ken made sure Josh got lots of shooting

practice in, allowed Josh to hang out with the family,

and has invited Josh to do some more hunting with

him this fall/winter. I think Josh has a new huntin'

buddy. And I know we all have some wonderful

new friends (we would have never met, otherwise).

We have an awesome God!

2007-07-14T15:51:00.000-04:00

A Hunting We Will Go!

Josh will be going on a hunt this August. A group called "Outdoors Without Limits" (formerly known as Wheelin' Sportsmen) has sponsored Josh to go on a hunt. They do this every year and this is Josh's lucky year. One family from the group has taken Josh under their wing. The husband (Ken) takes Josh out for shooting practice and then feeds him. You can't ask for more than that!!! This couple truly has a heart for people. They live about 40 minutes away, but they come and pick Josh up and take him back to where they live to do the shooting practice and then bring him home. I have offered to drive one direction, but they won't hear of it.

Today, Ken picked up Josh to hang out at a shooting tournament and then will take Josh back out to his place for a steak dinner with his family. Josh is just loving all this. Since Josh started shooting guns, he has bought a BB gun. I didn't even know Josh liked hunting and shooting guns.

I am so thankful for this couple and the "Outdoors Without Limits" group. They are making a huge difference for disabled young people. Josh has some really "down" moments in his life since the accident, but it's people like these that take the wounded spirit and lovingly lead it back to a healthy outlook. I hope that made sense? I am truly thankful for these people. Somehow the love from others can get through to a teenager's mind and heart where a parent can't.

We will let you know how the hunt went in a September update. By the way, they require a parent to come along, so Eric will get to go too. A little father-son bonding!

2007-07-14T15:13:00.000-04:00

More Videos!

Josh is crawling forward across the gym. He actually crawled down the ramp to the gym and then across it.

Then he crawled backwards the whole way back. He can crawl much faster backwards, as you can see!

Josh is working on his leg muscles on a sliding board. I am amazed at what he can do now. He is receiving a lot of help from the therapist, but eventually he will do more and more on his own.

Josh walking on the track with his leg braces and walker. His knees are in the locked position. You have probably noticed that Josh is not wearing the support device around his middle anymore. He rarely needs it.

Josh is walking with his leg braces and the parallel bars.

2007-05-26T00:26:00.000-04:00

More Videos

Josh walking on treadmill while suspended.

Standing and bending knees, all without leg braces.
This should get those muscles working again.

Standing...bending at knee and coming back up, all without the
use of leg braces. More strengthening of the leg muscles.

Walking on knees at the parallel bars. This works the leg muscles.

Walking backwards on knees at parallel bars.

Working the leg muscles with the use of weights and the support
of the therapist.

More leg-muscle work using weights. Concentrate on those
muscles Josh!

2007-04-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

Lot's of Good Stuff Going On!

I got to see Josh in therapy yesterday, which was a real treat since I hadn't been up there in a looooong time. I have to get more pictures and video of his new workouts. He is doing more with his legs while on the exercise machines. Last time I went they were only working on his upper body to get that area BUFF! Now they are actually concentrating on his abs and leg muscles. YES! They even had him suspended over a treadmill while two therapist positioned his legs in a walking motion. Oh, this is getting GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will get some pictures and video to show you the proof. He is sitll working on crawling and walking with leg braces. It is a slooooow process, but it is paying off. I don't know how soon I will be able to get up to Josh's theapy again, but when I do...I will be packing a camera!

2006-11-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

Nothing New

I guess we haven't updated in quite awhile. There isn't anything new. Josh is still going faithfully to therapy in Rockford. He has developed a pressure sore and has a few other spots that are not due to pressure.

Josh is not one to turn down a challenge...so now he holds many records at the Rockford SCI Recovery location. He has crawled all the way around the track, he has "walked" the fastest around the track, and holds the record for the most revolutions per hour on the Giger (kind of like an upside down bike). After setting that record he ended up having some sores on his heels and behind his knees due to friction against his shoes and against wraps used to hold his legs in place. He has visited a Wound Clinic to address these issues. We go again next week for a follow-up.

Josh has appeared in the October issue of the Grand Rapids Family Magazine. It was a very nice article about the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association. They included a picture of Josh in therapy on the Giger machine. We have a celebrity in the family!

Life is still full of ups and downs. Just being a teenager has a lot to do with this roller coaster ride. I am hoping those hormones settle and the "attitude" matures soon. I am starting to see glimpes of that happening... even though very slight.

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. We do have a lot to be thankful for.

Sue

2006-08-29T22:52:00.000-04:00

Still Going Great!

Josh has been going pretty faithfully to therapy this summer. He is making great progress. He has been continuing to work hard on his walking with the leg braces and walker. He starts out walking with the legs straight, then one knee in unlocked so that it will bend at the appropriate times. It will support Josh by staying straight when his weight is over it properly. That has been the toughest part for Josh. He has to get the "feel" of the proper weight shift on the leg that is "unlocked" so that it will support him. Just in the last week or so they have unlocked both legs at the same time for a short period. By the time he finishes up with that his arms and hands (gripping the handles of walker) are so tired from supporting his whole body. On Monday he did a super job crawling. He went a long distance in a short amount of time.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) opened this branch at Champion Sports in Rockford last December. Josh started there in February. Josh was one of their first clients. They started out with just a few therapists and equipment, and have now grown tremendously in both areas. Josh is using new pieces of equipment all the time. And the people are coming from all over the country. Some have come from Florida and several from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The word is getting out! This is THE PLACE to come for the "cutting-edge" therapy for those with spinal cord injuries. Even people of notoriety (from this area) have come for therapy.

Several have traveled outside the US for stem cell surgery and many of the patients have been in the newspaper or on TV because of the great public interest in their progress. Some made the news because they were able to "walk" across the platform to get their school diplomas. Josh will be in the Grand Rapids Magazine (local magazine) soon. A reporter for the magazine came to one of Josh's basketball practices and wanted to do an article about disabled sports players. They may have interviewed others on the team, but they talked quite a bit with Josh and I and even came to Josh's therapy to take pictures. We'll let you know when it comes out.

School starts soon. Please pray that Josh will buckle down and GET IT DONE! He is not into academics and he has a few extra credits to make up in order to graduate next Spring.

2006-06-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Here is Josh with his new braces. Right now he is walking in the "locked-knee" mode. The next video shows him with one knee unlocked.

This is a taste of what is to come. It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but Josh is ready for it.

2006-06-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Here is what we've been waiting for. Here is Josh in his NEW leg braces. It will take some time to get used to the knees bending and not supporting his weight. Right now they have one leg straight and one that bends. He is a little frustrated right now since it demands more concentration to position the leg and foot properly to get the knee mechanism to do its job. He'll get it with a little time.

Once he gets this down, he will be able to spend more time up out of his chair so he doesn't have to deal with skin break-down. Not a pretty sight!

2006-06-29T20:09:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

This contraption takes a person from a sitting position to a standing position and then allows them to move their legs. This was the first time that Josh tried it. He will most likely be using many more times.

Sorry about the crick in your neck. I will make sure my camera is positioned correctly so you don't end up having to see a chiropractor!

2006-06-29T03:33:00.000-04:00

Video of Therapy...
At Last

I did my research and found a way to put video of Josh's therapy on this site. Yippy!!! Now you can see him in action!

Josh has been working very hard and is progressing very well. Josh has kept up his weight training after his accident and that has been a great asset. He is able to do more than the others that don't have his upper-body strength.

Today he got to use his new leg-braces. They bend at the knee automatically just when they should bend during normal walking. Josh was so proud of the fact they he was able to use the braces in this automatic setting on the first day after getting the braces. I guess the others have all had to use the "straight-legged" position for about a month before using them in the bending mode. He walked at least half way around the track with those braces, which is around 280 feet. What an exciting day.

I plan on watching Josh on Friday and if I don't forget to take the camera, I will get some video of Josh in his new braces. I can't wait!

Sue

2006-06-29T02:40:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

This is called a Giger Pro. It works Josh's legs to help create new nerve pathways to the brain to get Josh walking again.

2006-06-29T00:56:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Sorry this is side-ways. I will have to remember to take my videos in "landscape" mode so it will apprear correctly.

If you cock your head to one side you will see how BUFF Josh is!

2006-06-28T20:07:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Josh does exercises on the equipment in the gym part of the Champion Sports facility.

2006-06-28T18:59:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling forward up the ramp. He was able to crawl backwards first. So, this is quite an accomplishment to go forward UP a ramp. Yes, we see you Josh! Nice job! Keep it up!!!!!

2006-06-28T17:36:00.000-04:00

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling on his own backwards up a ramp during physical therapy. This is the easiest way for him to crawl so he can do it quickly.

2006-06-24T23:18:00.000-04:00

Chrysler 300M Special

2006-06-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

THERAPY AT CHAMPION SPORTS

Josh is doing a great job at crawling. At first he could only crawl backwards. Then he started crawling backwards faster. Now he is crawling forward. For some reason they all can crawl backwards before forwards. Go figure!

They do their crawling on a ramp, so they are either crawling up the incline or down it. Josh wears a brace around his middle (to support his trunk), knee pads, and fleece shoe coverings to make his shoes slide easier. The fleeces have U of M logos on them. I asked the therapist what if a patient was a die-hard State fan; they may not want to wear the rival booties? I guess the therapist is a State fan, but the patients just have to wear what is there. The bootie maker must be a U of M fan. Josh likes U of M, so there is no problem here.

Josh also works out on the machines in the sports complex. He lifts weights and works on his abs every week. On Wednesdays he is in the pool. This past Wed. I came early and saw him in the pool. He was hanging onto a flotation device and was moving his legs back and forth. It is so much easier to move in the water. He then swam around the pool. The first time a therapist took him into the pool (last year), I was very nervous. She let go of Josh and let him figure things out for himself. She even kept her distance so Josh could work things out himself. Being a good loving mom that I am, I would have held onto him so that he wouldn't drown. But he didn't. I guess the therapist knew what she was doing.

Whew!
That one's done!

Our digital camera takes short video clips and if I can figure out how to upload those to this site, then you can see Josh is ACTION!

Until then, tootles.

Sue

2006-06-14T23:20:00.000-04:00

THE CAR !!!
It's a Chrysler 300M Special!!!

Josh has admired this car for about 3-4 years now. It was owned by some friends at our church and Josh and the owner would joke around how it would be Josh's some day. Well, about a week ago, it became reality.

Josh has decked it out with a new cool (fluorescent blue lights) stereo system and a huge speaker in the trunk. Oh yeah! You can hear the beat in the house even with the windows shut! Oh, the things that make teenagers happy! Now we have to get hand-controls put in and get the driver's license and he is good to go.

We will have to get a picture for you real soon. It's a real nice looking car.

Sue

2006-06-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

NEW LEG BRACES
On Friday, June 2nd, Josh had molds made of his legs in order to have the special braces made. He should be getting them very soon. These braces will help him to practice walking in a more normal way. They have special mechanisms at the knee so that they unlock when the knee normally would bend when walking. Since therapy started in February, he has been using straight-legged braces that stay locked at the knee.

During therapy Josh works on crawling, walking with the assistance of leg braces and a walker, weight-training, balance exercises on a mat or ball, therapy in the pool, and therapy with various other machines that work his leg muscles in hopes new nerve pathways will develop where the old ones were damaged.

Sorry I haven't updated this in awhile. Life happens!

Sue

2006-04-18T23:02:00.000-04:00

PISTONS GAME

Tomorrow (Wed.) Eric, Josh, Kristi, and a couple friends are going to a Pistons Game in Auburn Hills at The Palace. They are all pretty excited! They will be getting back very late tomorrow night. What a great memory this will make.

Therapy is going very well. Josh is still working on the same things. It will take lots and lots of repeated exercising of the muscles to make progress. The day WILL come when Josh will walk again!!!

Josh did have a painful mishap at therapy yesterday. He accidentally dropped a weight on his pinky finger. OUCH!!! It split the skin and it really bled. Right after he left therapy we stopped at the pharmacy next door to pick up butterfly bandaids and a splint to protect it from getting bumped. It seems to be doing much better today. It still hurts, but it looks better.

Sue

2006-04-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

PRAYER

Just to keep things real...our family could really use prayer right now. We have four teenagers with modern-day teenage problems. There is a spiritual war going on in this world and the battleground is smack dab in the middle of our family. Pray that Eric and I will have the Godly wisdom to bring peace and maturity in our kids' hearts. Pray that our kids will see past themselves to become a positive contribution to this spiritually war-torn world.

Thank you,
Sue

2006-02-20T17:21:00.000-05:00

THERAPY AT CHAMPION SPORTS IN ROCKFORD, MI

Josh started therapy at Champion Sports a couple weeks ago. It is a branch of the therapy at the Rehab. Institute of Michigan over in Detroit. We have already seen great progress.

Eric went with Josh to therapy today. I got a really excited call while I was at work today. Eric just couldn't wait to tell me that Josh "walked" 310 feet with only one rest.

"Walked" means he wore special leg braces and used a walker to "walk" the 310 feet. The leg braces have a special (and very expensive) mechanism that allows the knee to lock and unlock so he can walk in a normal fashion. I asked Eric if he thought Josh was really doing the work or if the braces were. He said it looked like Josh was using his own muscles to make his legs move.

Josh's old leg braces stayed locked at the knee until he was ready to sit down, which meant he "walked" stiff-legged. He would have to swing both his legs forward as he used his upper body strength to lift himself up. It was very exhausting. Josh was extremely frustrated with the old ones since they didn't allow him to "walk" in a normal fashion. He saw them as useless and hardly ever used them, even though it was a small step toward "walking" and allowed him to be up in a standing position.

The old braces are very heavy and cumbersome. The new ones are light and should be a lot easier to move. I don't know how they can expect paralyzed people to move their legs with HEAVY braces on them. Sounds a little ridiculous to me, but I guess they had to start somewhere. I am so glad for all this new technology... and right when we need it!

We now need to purchase Josh's own pair of these special leg braces. They are really expensive. We are in the process of getting them approved by Josh's physiatrist (rehab. doctor) and then need approval from our insurance. The braces cost a little over $13,000. Told you they were expensive, but very necessary for this therapy to work. Please pray that they will be approved by the physiatrist and the insurance. They have been very generous already, but we need them to "come through" for the equipment needed for the therapy.

Just had to tell you the good news. We were so ready for some good news.
We'll keep you posted,
Sue

2006-01-29T20:15:00.000-05:00

LOCAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
THIS WEEKEND

The Grand Rapids local tournament is this coming weekend on Saturday and Sunday. If you want to see Josh play, this is your chance. I don't know his exact schedule yet, but I do know that the games start at 3:00 pm on Saturday. They usually start earlier in the day, but due to a mistake the school made they have to start later in the day. Here are the details:

Place: Byron Center High School (corner of Burlingame and 84th St.)
Time: Saturday starting at 3:00 PM, (Josh plays at 4:35 pm and 7:45 pm). On Sunday it starts at 9:00 am. (Josh plays at 10:45 am)

We hope to see you there. It should be very interesting since Josh is playing like a pro now!

2006-01-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Basketball

Josh had games in Wisconsin last weekend. They won two out of three games and ended up qualifying for Nationals. Nationals are in March and they are in Texas. Eric and I didn't go to the games since we had other committments last weekend, but we heard all about it when Josh got home. He scored around 30 points all weekend and made about half of them just in one game. He is really getting the hang of coordinating dribbling, pushing wheelchair, shooting from a sitting position, and balancing in the chair since he has very little trunk (ab) control. I guess it all came together last weekend and we weren't there to see it. We can all see it the first weekend in February when we have home games at Byron Center High School. I hope everyone can make it.

2005-12-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF MICHIGAN (RIM)
The day has finally arrived!

Josh and I (Sue) went to Detroit today for an evaluation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). Josh IS a candidate for their type of therapy. Their therapy is the next step after traditional therapy (which gets you efficient with the condition you are in. In Josh's case, Mary Free Bed got Josh efficient in a wheelchair). But now it is time for that next step - WALKING!!!

This therapy allows the therapist to work Josh's leg muscles so that new nerve pathways are created where the old ones have ceased to work. They call this "reorganizing" nerve pathways. Our bodies, brains, and nervous systems are quite amazing. They are capable of much more than anyone thought and these doctors and therapist are taking advantage of the body's untapped resources to help people to regain lost functions. This will not be a quick fix. This type of therapy takes lots of hard continuous work. Traditional therapy sessions are about 45-60 minutes long, two or three times a week. This therapy is three hours long, three to five times a week. It takes a major commitment. We will have to work something out with his school since he would have to go during school hours. Most likely he will have therapy in the afternoons (1-4 pm). And as I have mentioned before, the Institute has recently opened a branch in Rockford (just 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids) which provides a much closer facility for us to access.

Josh most likely won't start until January or later. He is on the waiting list. As soon as they hire more therapists, they will be able to get these patients off the waiting list and into therapy!

2005-12-22T20:19:00.000-05:00

Josh wasn't shy and asked if he could try out this piece of equipment. It suspends Josh so that his legs don't have to support him. Then the therapist helped him move his legs in a "normal" walking fashion which would help reorganize his nerve pathways. In a regular therapy session Josh would be wearing leg braces. Josh has leg braces and a walker that he has used in therapy, but RIM has more hi-tech leg braces that actually "unlock" the knees when you would normally bend your knee during normal walking. Josh's braces stay locked at the knee until he is ready to sit down. We need a pair of those "expensive" hi-tech braces. They would be a better fit for "normal" walking. That has been Josh's goal from the beginning. He feels like someone is finally listening to him and letting him do the kind of therapy that he wants.

2005-12-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

A therapist helping Josh.

2005-12-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

A therapist helping to move Josh's leg as he tries to "walk".

2005-12-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

Our medical case manager is trying out the Glider. It takes you from a sitting position up to a standing position. It allows you to move your legs in a normal walking pattern while the "knee holders" keep the knees from collapsing. I don't know all the correct technical terms, as you can see.

2005-12-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

The glider in the standing position. In this position your hands can push back and forth and your legs will move with it. This also helps to reorganize those nerve pathways.

2005-12-22T20:01:00.000-05:00

This nifty machine will get Josh's muscles moving to help reorganize nerve pathways to get him walking again. The patient lays on his back and then reaches hands and feet up. The feet are strapped onto the pedals. As the hands pedal, the feet move as well. Interesting!

2005-12-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

This piece of equipment suspends the paralyzed person and allows a therapist to help them simulate walking to get the legs moving in a normal fashion. Doing this over a period of time can help reorganize the nerve pathways and help the person to walk again.

2005-12-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

We met with Dr. Hinderer and Brian Sheridan (shown here with Josh). Another piece of equipment (behind) that Josh will most likely be using for therapy.

2005-12-22T19:34:00.000-05:00

The "Total Gym" is one piece of equipment Josh will probably be using during therapy.

2005-12-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

Basketball
Josh had basketball games in Fort Wayne, Indiana this past weekend. The Jr. Pacers won two and lost one game. I saw great improvement in Josh's playing. He was getting into position quicker and started getting the hang of dribbling and pushing his wheelchair all at the same time. That is quite a task! He was playing a much more aggressive game than before. He is really enjoying being on the Jr. Pacers Varsity basketball team. It keeps him busy and physically active.

2005-12-11T14:07:00.000-05:00

RIM Evaluation
Josh's evaluation will take place at the Rehab Institute of MI in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005. He will go through the evaluation to see if he is eligible, which he most likely is, and then they will devise a plan of therapy for him. Once that is done our physiatrist will look over the plan and give her approval (or disapproval) on all or some of it. Then once therapy starts, it will take place in Rockford. It most likely won't start until after the first of the year. We'll keep you posted!

Sue

2005-12-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

GOOD NEWS
We saw Josh's Physiatrist (rehab Dr.) today and she gave permission for Josh to try the therapy that the Rehab Institute of MI has to offer. The evaluation will have to take place in Detroit, but he should be able to have his therapy sessions in their new branch in Rockford. Now we just have to send in the application and set up a 3-hour evaluation appointment and then we are on our way. We are so excited. This kind of therapy has been our goal since the beginning. It is finally going to happen. The therapists will work Josh's muscles that are paralyzed so that new nerve pathways will be made to replace the ones that were damaged. It makes so much sense.

We thank everyone who has prayed for this with us. The power of prayer is so awesome!!! We didn't know for sure what our doctor would say today since she has always said "no" when we have repeatedly asked for this therapy. So, I know your prayers made the difference.

From a very excited Holt household tonight, we say thank you for being there for us (in many different ways) through all of this. We covet your prayers and friendship.

Susan Holt

2005-11-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

NEW THERAPY
We are hoping to get permission from Josh's doctor to start some new therapy. We meet with the doctor December 1st. The Rehab Institute of Michigan (RIM) is located in the Detroit area, but will be opening another branch here in the Grand Rapids area soon. This therapy trains paralyzed people to walk again. They work the leg muscles so that new nerve pathways are created to get messages back up through the spinal cord and to the brain. We have been asking the doctor from the very beginning to try this kind of therapy, but she hasn't given the okay yet. After reviewing Josh's biofeedback results we are hoping she will see that this therapy could help strengthen the muscles that were detected during biofeedback. We are very impressed with the results people are getting at the Institute. Josh has to get the chance to see if it will work for him.

2005-09-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

BIOFEEDBACK
9-19-05
Josh had his last session with the biofeedback today. They were trying to get a baseline of the different muscle groups in his legs and back. Today's session was especially exciting. They tested areas up an down Josh's back. Since that is the closest places to the area of spinal nerve loss, they had the most activity. He now has to work on strengthening his lower back muscles and then work his way down his legs. It will be a lot of HARD work!!! Now we need to get the exercise equipment in his exercise room and he can get started.

Josh will most likely go back in 6-12 months to see if there is improvement. It would be so nice if we could have the biofeedback equipment at home to see the improvement, but that would be too costly. It would be nice though.

Now let the hard work begin! Josh can do it!!!

Sue

2005-09-02T23:46:00.000-04:00

MORE BIOFEEDBACK

Josh went for more biofeedback today. Instead of trying to flex his muscles while sitting, he stood up with his leg braces and walker. He did even better than the last time. We set up three more sessions and will set up more because he is doing so well. Josh has been doing exercises to strengthen his upper body and working his abs. There has been much atrophy in the ab and hip areas, but his abs are beginning to get some tone back. The hips need a lot more work though. We were so encouraged after today's session. Excitement is in the air!!!

Sue

2005-08-24T19:05:00.000-04:00

BIO-FEEDBACK (8-24-05)

Josh had his bio-feedback session today. They hooked electrodes to different parts of his hips and legs and asked him to move those muscles under the electrodes. The computer would show whether or not he was moving those muscles and how much. We are excited about the results. He was able to show movement in his hips and a little in his upper legs. Nothing moved as they worked further down towards his feet. That is normal since muscle movement nearest the spinal cord would come back first.

We go back next Friday so they can see if there is better movement when he stands using his leg braces and walker. Josh is going to start doing some suggested exercises to build up more strength and muscle movement in the hip area. He has to start working on the areas that show some movement.

Today was very exciting and we are hoping and praying that things will only progress forward.

Sue

2005-08-21T15:52:00.000-04:00

CHECK OUT THESE SITES

Here are some other sites to check out. These people are among the first in the world to have this special stem cell surgery (using their own stem cells from in their nose). They are also among the first to take part in a very intensive therapy program in Detroit, MI that has shown great promise for paralyzed people. You can see for yourself how it has helped these people. Also, here is the site for the Rehab Institute of Michigan (RIM) so you can keep updated on the cutting-edge research.

Sam Wassink: www.prayers4sam.blogspot.com
Eric Chase: www.ericchase22.blogspot.com
Jason Feasal: www.feaz81.com
RIM: www.rimrehab.org

2005-08-19T16:21:00.000-04:00

This is the Holt family. Our oldest is in the Navy. Pretty impressive uniform, Caleb. The family photo was taken about 4 months after Josh's injury (Fall 2004)

2005-08-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

Josh Holt 2003

2005-08-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

Hi...we are here to find as much information as possible about spinal cord injuries and how to get free of paralysis. We would love to hear your success stories and we will keep you posted of any solutions we find. We are on a quest!
Thank you,
Susan Holt