Bright, Funny, Thoughtful Nathan
You give ability. You
give mobility. You give hope and a sense
of achievement. Thanks seems not enough to say for what you give.
And yet, genuine and heartfelt thanks is just what Nathan
and his family, and we, at The Red Thread Promise, want to express.
Nathan and his Mom Talk with TRTP on a Hot Day in June
Your generous donations are going to put Nathan on a walking
path, for the first time since November 2014.
It’s been a long, hard road for this young man, who was
diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma at age three. His treatment included
chemotherapy, radiation, and two bone marrow (stem cell) transplants. While
recovering from the second transplant, he developed a brain infection
(toxoplasmosis) due to his weakened immune system. Among the complications that arose was hemiparesis
(weakness) on his right side.
Walking with the uneven gait that resulted from weakness
eventually caused his right hip joint to become partially dislocated. Following
surgery to correct this condition, Nathan spent eight weeks in a body cast, and
several months in a wheelchair.
Today he’s regaining strength, using a walker and even
getting around on his own a little.
Nathan, Carefully Considering his Answer to "What do you like best about school?"
For the past two years, Nathan has been coming to McKenna
Farms for physical therapy and is responding well. Recently he started aquatic therapy and loves
it! The next step of his treatment will be hippotherapy, as soon as his
strength returns and the hardware in his hip, part of last November’s surgery,
is removed.
Your gifts ensure that Nathan’s muscles and supporting
tissue and nerve fibers will continue to work together each week until he can
leave his walker behind, and safely mount his hippotherapy horse.
Thank you for your generous hearts.
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