SamBeller.org

Thursday, May 04, 2000

Sam's Recovery Continues

Dearest Sam’s Fan Club,

Sam continues to recover well. He still has the 3 “holes” on the lower part of the incision. Every day, the nurses change the sterile dressing covering them. They are still quite alarming to look at - just weird to see open spots in the skin. However, we see more and more new tissue growing and less infection. The antibiotics have really helped to speed the healing. Sam just requires Tylenol a few times each day for comfort. Mostly, he hates the dressing change because the tape ripping off is just no fun!

We still have nurses at the house 8AM-6PM and 11PM-7AM. We pray that this will continue for some time to come until Sam is able to sleep through the night well and his incision is completely healed. It sure is nice to have extra help with Sam’s care duties - so that we have more time for the fun stuff with Sam.

Life is moving along for all of us. Simone turned 6 months and is sitting up! Jacob is potty-training (playing “sink the cheerios” in the toilet). And Tevah lost her first tooth. Many milestones are being achieved around the Beller household. And Sam is no different.

Homebound school has started for Sam. He really enjoys the books and art projects he gets to do with his teacher, Linda Rindler, from Richardson ISD. We hope to get him in his walker tomorrow with his physical therapist. It has straps that go around his trunk, a strap between his legs and arm supports. Then he can initiate small steps. We have to help him follow through with the steps. However, when he’s on concrete or tile, he can even propel himself around a little bit - he loves it!!

A sweet boy from church, Benjamin Weaver, has taken it upon himself to be Sam’s friend. He’s a year older than Sam. Tami, his mom, brought Benjamin over Tuesday after school. We hope that Tuesday afternoons will be for Benjamin and Sam for some time to come. Benjamin brought over his soccer trophy and team picture, a book to read to Sam and an Adventures in Odyssey video. Sam was really happy to have a friend his age over. Benjamin read to him for a long time and when he had to go home, Sam cried. Sam misses his friends at school so much. I think he’s more lonely than we know. Benjamin is really filling a need Sam has for friends - sweet!

Whether it’s on Earth or in Heaven, one day, when Sam is completely healed, he will be talking to all of us and saying, “You know when I was real sick and couldn’t even sit up on my own or speak? Thank you so much for being my friend. Thank you for care for me. Thank you for reading me books. Thank you for playing with me.” I can just hear the humble and sweet spirit that Sam will have as a man some day. This time of disabilities is only temporary. Tevah always reminds us about when Sam is healed. She’s always talking about doing things with him in the future - “When Sam is healed, this and when Sam is healed, that.” And he will be some day.

Thanks much to everyone’s love and prayers,
Kelly & David and the gang