Subject:  Summer is Here!
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 23:16:54 -0700
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Summertime greetings to each of you.
We are currently enjoying a more relaxed schedule, and the wonderful
weather of Southern Oregon. Jael is enjoying staying up later, which is
something she has enjoyed ever since returning home from Portland. And
the girls are all enjoying running in the sprinklers and going to the
park to play. Things have been very quiet now that everyone is done
with school.
As for Jael's progress:
Two weeks ago I met with the IEP team at Parkside elementary: Mrs.
Abbott (Jael's teacher), Mrs. Vaughan (special ed. coordinator) and Mrs.
Havnier (speech therapist). We had a lengthy conference to discuss
Jael's entry into the first grade next fall, and what we would all do to
help her to succeed. I felt that they each had Jael's best interest at
heart, and that I was being included in the decisions for what would be
best. One of the things that I am glad they will be doing for the first
two weeks (at the least) is having an aide in Jael's classroom to
observe, and help step in if need be, for any areas that Jael may become
overwhelmed in. Especially when it comes to learning a new schedule and
following the pattern of the day. The nice thing is since this is a
first grade class, the rest of the students will also need to be
learning the routine. We also discussed Jael's over-stimulation
problems, and even that she may become overtired the first few weeks,
and that she may need her day shortened. They are all willing to work
with Jael's tbi, and make adjustments if need be. The speech therapist
went over Jael's scores with us, and she is still a year behind. We
talked about how she can answer questions, but still uses basic answers,
when she should be a little more detailed. Also, if she tells a story,
it is done with more basic language skills. She also struggles with
answering questions if it is worded in a roundabout way, not a direct
question. Therefore, she will have speech twice a week at school, and
retested quarterly. We will meet whenever it is necessary to update her
IEP info., and I am welcomed to question or throw in suggestions
whenever I see anything going on that I want info. on. The group that
we are working with all seem very concerned and want the best for Jael.
Of course, that is what a mom and dad want to hear!
As for regular speech therapy, we are going to return to Medford
beginning this week. Our insurance company will cover visits once a
week between now and mid-September, and then we will begin school
speech. It is a real answer to prayer for me, as I was worried about
twice a week visits, and now it is just once a week on one of Jeff's
days off - so we can trade off. Jael hasn't seen Sharon since beginning
of May, so it will be good to get her back into therapy.
This past week was exciting for Jael. She had an abscessed tooth, and
it needed to be removed. Unfortunately she absolutely hates Novocain
shots (she almost bit our dentist), so that meant an oral surgeon, and
general anesthesia. Jeff and I were very nervous and it wasn't a pretty
site to see her with a blood pressure cuff and oxygenizer on her. So
many memories! But she was a real trooper! After about 25 minutes they
called me in to the recovery area, and there she was, smiling and trying
to sit up. We were expecting her to spend the day resting on the couch,
watching her favorite John Wayne movie, but she ate her vanilla shake
and was ready to go outside and kick her soccer ball! We laughed
thinking that she was feeling way too good, but the dental office told
us she was their best patient ever - they were right! Jael continues to
be a blessing - we do at times see repercussions from her injury, but
they are so small compared to the love and laughter she brings us every
day. We are so blessed!
Dawn

Subject: Perspective on the past year...
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999

From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone.
Wow, it doesn't seem possible, but it has now been one year since Jael's
accident. I have been full of different emotions this past week.
Laughter, joy, praise, tears and lots and lots of memories. I have been
so blessed by the thoughtfulness of so many over the past year. God has
been so good. And so now there is a verse of scripture that I hold
dearer to my heart than before
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything".

James 1:2-4

Of course, I don't feel mature or complete yet, but I know that I have
definitely grown in my knowledge of our God's sovereignty.
As I continue to give God praise for what He has done in our lives, let
me bring you up to date with Jael's continued progress.
First of all, with the CMN telethon last weekend - we had a blast! It
was a very busy Saturday, and Jael and her sisters finished their final
soccer games of the season, and then it was a quick clean up and off to
Medford. We were greeted at the station by Vicki, the RVMC pediatric
secretary, who was volunteering. It was so nice to see a familiar face
right away! We each received name tags and were ushered to the "VIP"
room, where we enjoyed meeting some of the corporate sponsors and the
girls enjoyed the coloring table. Our OT, Debbie, was there and ready
to go on the air with us. After about 1/2 hour we were greeted by some
of the tv personnel and ushered to the studio. We had a great
opportunity to watch what "live TV" is all about - I am impressed with
how quickly everything moves behind the scenes and how the hosts just go
off of their notes, but seem to go off the cuff. Jael had a blast with
Brian, our host, and was just precious. Jeff and I each had a moment to
answer a question (we are not as adept as the news anchors!), and so did
Debbie. After our interview, which lasted only about 4 minutes total
(or so it seemed), Brian asked the four oldest girls to add a comment to
"call in now". It was a great experience! After we were done, we
enjoyed dinner in the commissary, and went home tired but feeling so
complete. I really feel like it was a great way to celebrate this past
year. And the neatest thing is that they have asked us to come back
next year, to give a progress report on Jael. Definitely something I
think we will do again! Jael had a wonderful time, and reminds us each
time we see Brian on the news that he is her friend.
Other news for Jael is that she has completed PT, and will only have to
go once in August. I am so proud of her - she now skips and hops and
balances and does all the things that a 7 year old does. Janette will
check her out in August before school starts, and then that will be it
for PT. Praise the Lord!
Debbie also informed us last week that Jael is done with OT. Another
praise! It is awesome to see that Jael is now at age-appropriate
levels. Tying her shoes, braiding things, good memory skills are all
goals that Debbie set that Jael has now met. We may visit with her once
more when school is ready to start, but otherwise it looks like we will
be done there, too.
And as for speech, we are on hiatus right now. Sharon has been on
vacation, and now that she has returned we are in discussion once again
with our insurance company regarding extended coverage. It seems like
they prefer tons of paperwork, and making things difficult. But I have
peace that God is in control, and if He wants Jael's therapy to
continue, He'll provide. We are just waiting to see, but in the
meantime it gives us a break from our 2x weekly visits.
Jael was tested last week for speech therapy for school, and we will
find out this week if she qualifies for it. There is a difference
between scholastic speech and medical speech, and although the
difference may seem slight, Jael may need one or both in the fall - or
hopefully none. We also have selected Jael's teacher for the fall. Her
name is Pam Abbot, and she is a very lovely lady. She has a quiet
demeanor, and seems loving and gentle. One of the pluses to me is that
her room, of the three 1st grade classrooms, is the least visually
stimulating. Some of the rooms at the schools have "stuff" plastered
all over the walls. Not that there is something wrong with that, but
Jael needs the best environment for her situation.
We should be having a team meeting in the next week or two with the EIP
coordinator, the principal, the teacher, myself and speech therapist.
We will plan out what our goals and ideas will be for Jael's success
next year.
I am humbled and awed by God, and what He has done. All it takes is
looking through pictures from this past year, and I see His hand on
Jael's life. I thank God also for each of you, who have been faithful
to keep us in prayer. God is continuing to bless us, and continuing
even today to heal Jael.
Thank you all for being there during a most incredible year.
Dawn & family

Subject: Jael graduates Kindergarten
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 1999
Jeff Boyd theboyds@cdsnet.net

Hello from sunny Grants Pass.
We have been blessed with warm sunny weather, which means summer is on
it's way. And that means graduations, swimming, parades and all the
good stuff that comes with June.
Jael has been very busy. She was a proud member of the class of '99,
and looked stunning in her purple construction paper cap. Each member
of the class recited one of their Bible verses, and Jael did a great job
with "N" - "No man can serve two masters". She enjoyed swimming
afterwards, and has regained her beautiful golden tan from only being in
the sun for a few short hours.
After Wednesday's graduation, we enjoyed two days of relaxing, and then
it was Saturday, and time for the Boatnik parade (our city's Memorial
Day celebration). Highlights for Jael were seeing our neighbors in the
parade, seeing Jenn march with her school's DARE group, and saying hello
to Brian Morton (the KDRV anchor who is doing Jael's CMN story). While
Jael waved and shouted hello to him, the weatherman ran over to get
Brian, and he came over and spent a few minutes talking to Jael. She
was so thrilled! We really enjoyed our parade, and sitting with our
friends, and once again being thankful that we live in a small town.
As for therapy, we have not had any for the past two weeks, as with
school and such, we are just too busy. But this Friday we will return
to OT, and we should begin speech again in the next two weeks. We are
still waiting for a response from the insurance company to see if they
will continue coverage for speech throughout the summer. There seems to
be a paperwork game, but I am again leaving it all in the Lord's hands.
It sure does take the burden off of me!
Jael is reading now, and we will be doing our library reading summer
program as a family. I am excited to hear her read even more. It's
weird though, that we are at the point of almost one year anniversary
for the accident. While I am busy making plans for this summer, I am
aware at how quickly plans can change, and how I want to do things, and
yet, I feel afraid almost to make plans. Maybe it's because this is
exactly where I was a year ago, right before the accident. It's kind of
a weird feeling, and yet I know God has brought us through so much. I'm
so thankful for where I am in my walk with Him right now, but I know I
have so much further to go.
Thank you for your faithful prayers. Please pray for us this weekend,
especially Saturday night (June 5). It is our desire during the CMN
telethon to give glory to God for his hand on Jael's life. She is a
walking, talking miracle.
Also, if you are able to watch the local broadcast, Jael's timeslot has
been moved up one hour. We will be on the air Saturday night at 8:40,
channel 12 KDRV. We are so much looking forward to this.
May God continue to receive all glory and honour and praise,
Dawn

Subject: Jael celebrates #7!
Date: Thu, 20 May 1999
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello-
Yes, Jael has just celebrated her 7th birthday! A wonderful "soccer
party", with friends, a soccer cake, and a soccer game made Jael's day
very special! She continues to love the game, and has played in each of
her Saturday games with enthusiasm and determination. While she may not
be at the level of playing she was a year ago, her love of the sport
makes up for any missing skills. Jael is a joy to watch on the field!
We are nearing the end of kindergarten for Jael and Jana - they will
both graduate from Grace Christian Kindergarten next Wednesday (May
26th). I am so proud of both of them. It is just amazing to see them
not only reading and writing, but also counting money and quoting all 26
Bible verses that they have memorized. Jael's favorite days from this
past year have been pajama day, day 100 when Zero the Hero visited
school, and Store Day when she had $2.00 to spend at the "store", and
got to count out the money herself. She will do wonderful next year in
first grade. We are continuing to observe the classes at Parkside to
choose the right teacher for next year - please pray wisdom for us.
Jael's therapy is on a vacation schedule - Sharon is gone until June 7,
so we are in Medford only once a week for OT. We are looking forward to
our appearance on the Children's Miracle Network telethon. We will be
on the air Saturday, June 5 at 9:40 pm. We had a chance to preview the
filmed segment that will be promoting CMN in the next few weeks during
public service announcements and during the telethon, and it was very
well done. Our goal continues to be sharing what God has done in Jael's
life, and that He has a purpose in everything He does. Even when we
don't understand.
Thank you for your continued prayers for our family and Jael,
Dawn

Subject: Continuing updates...
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello.
I am sorry it has been a few weeks since our last update, but it seems
that I am going through a mental stress time right now. We are so busy,
that I am finding it hard to keep up on the normal routine of things.
Please just be in prayer for our family over the next six or seven weeks
- until school and soccer are over. Then maybe things will slow down,
and I will have a chance to regain my mental capacities.
As for Jael, she is continuing to do so well. She is loving soccer, and
her attitude is "it doesn't matter if we win or lose, I'm just having
fun". What a great attitude! We had a great time this last week when
we ran into Tyler and the Bacon family (he played with Jael last
spring). We hope to grab some pizza one of these Saturday's after the
kids' games. Also, we had a chance on Saturday night to visit with
Jenn's coach and his family; their son Hector suffered a tbi in Dec '94,
and they had some great input. His coma lasted 18 days, and he also
went to Legacy Emanuel for rehab. I did ask Gina (Hector's mom) when
her life got back to feeling normal, and she said once therapy was
done. So I eagerly await for the fall, for selfish reasons of course,
but sometimes I get so weary....
There are some concerns regarding continued insurance coverage for
speech therapy. The insurance company is reviewing Jael's case to see
if they will pay for visits beyond the allotted 20/per calendar year. I
am leaving it in God's hands, because even though three months ago I
would have been so upset to not have therapy for her, I have seen so
much improvement that I don't think it's as much of a necessity. But
this is also coming from the mouth of a very tired mom, so whatever God
has for us, I know He will continue to give me strength.
Thank you all for your continued love and support....
Dawn

Subject: Soccer is here!
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999
From:Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!
Yes, soccer is here once again at the Boyd household. All that is
required is a ball, shinguards, and a love of the game! Our first set
of games was this past Saturday, and it was a typical April day in
Southern Oregon - we had sunshine, wind, clouds, and even a little bit
of snow! The day was full of excitement: Jenn played on the U-12
division, which means it's a little more serious; Jana had her first
ever soccer team; and Jillian and Jael played together for the
"YellowJackets". It was wonderful to see Jael back on the field again.
She does a great job playing, although I did notice when everyone
bunches up to fight for the ball a look of confusion crosses her face a
little bit. But more than anything, her spunk and determination were
once again dominant on the field! I am looking forward to seeing each
of the girls improve as the season goes on.
Jael continues in therapy twice a week, and is continuing to work on
becoming closer to age appropriate skill levels. One of her challenges
in OT has been learning to braid - and she is doing quite well! Debbie
said this past week that Jael remembered how to do it from the week
before without any coaching. She also has a new favorite swing: it's
called a hammock swing, and she can lay on her stomach as if she is
flying through the air. Speech therapy is going well also, and Jael
continues working in her "DotBot" books, along with shapes and sizes -
it's funny how so much of this correlates with kindergarten. It will be
exciting to attend Jael's parent/teacher conference next week to see
where she's at. Mrs. Dennis says she has just leapt to the lead of the
class, and is adjusted so well!
We are blessed to see the improvements in Jael in so many ways. This
past week we attended the Parkside Elementary Carnival, and there were
approx. 200 people. It was noisy, wild and fun - and Jael was able to
handle the whole thing! I couldn't believe that the stimulation didn't
bother her at all. It is so incredible to see God's hand continuing to
heal her totally.
Although this is brief, I just wanted to let everyone know how well Jael
continues to do. She will continue soccer for the next 9 weeks, and it
is a very busy time for us. We will be sharing more as soon as we hear
more about Jael's tv appearance - we should be able to preview the
segment sometime in the next few weeks, and it will be used to promote
the CMN Telethon in May.
Our best wishes to all,
Dawn & family

Subject: Spring is here!
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello, and welcome to spring!
It seems hard to imagine, but spring is finally here! It is evident in
the flowers blooming everywhere, and short sleeves are the choice of
clothing. Also, we have visited the park three times in the past week -
definitely a sign of the times! Springtime also means soccer in our
house, so it is time to once again pull out the cleats and the balls,
and put more mileage on the van. We have been blessed with wonderful
coaches, and our schedule on Saturdays will be spread out enough that no
games will overlap. We are excited to see the girls back on the field,
and you're invited to join us if you're free to catch one of Jael's
games. She is looking forward to playing so much, and I am so thankful
to see the Lord's healing of her body. She is doing so well physically
that her PT has told us that she will see Jael once in April, once in
May, and then not again until August, right before school starts. It's
incredible to watch Jael play on the playground, and run around
surrounded by other kids, and she is so active. And so sure-footed. It
is hard not to make her sit down and not run, as I still have fears of
her tripping, and falling and hitting her head. But that is where
trusting the Lord really has to be real in my life. Oh, the things He
continues to teach me!
As for speech therapy, Jael continues with Sharon twice a week. It is
going well, as she continues on her thought process - learning
sequencing, and differences between sizes, shapes, etc. It ties in with
her kindergarten lessons, and I think both school and therapy support
one another. Jael continues to shine at kindergarten - she now has
bible verses memorized. She is doing a verse for each letter of the
alphabet, and she is now up to the letter "I". I can't believe there
are only two months of school left! We will continue speech therapy
twice a week through the end of summer, and then in the fall Jael will
be enrolled at Parkside Elementary. We will have her in an IEP, which
stands for Individualized Education Program, which just means that the
school and the staff will be aware if there are any needs Jael might
have. She will be eligible for speech therapy through the school which
means no more traveling to Medford. Our hope is that there will also be
OT for Jael through the school - we will be meeting with the principal
in April to set up Jael's program.
We are looking forward to the soccer season, but we ask for prayer - for
the Lord's protection on the girls; for strength while we add to our
already very busy life; and that God would receive the glory for His
doings in our lives! We know that the next 10 weeks will be hectic -
but if you think of us, feel free to drop us a line. We know that some
of you have still been apprehensive to call us but we enjoy hearing from
you. We feel like our life is slowly returning to normal, or as normal
as can be during soccer season! God has been so good - thank you all
for your continued prayers.
In Christ,
Dawn

Subject: 15 Minutes of Fame
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999

Hello everyone.

We hope all is well with each of you. We have been
extremely wet this week, enjoying lots of rain and longing for the sun!
All of the girls seem to have "cabin fever", but then I remember our
friends in Alaska and I stop my complaining!
I am excited to share with you Jael's happening's this past week - it
has been a busy one, but she just keeps up with it all!
On Tuesday Jael had a morning appointment with Sharon, her speech
therapist for the first time since the beginning of Dec. It was
wonderful to see Sharon, and Jael felt right at home, picking up where
she had left off. Actually, Sharon could see that there have been
improvements in Jael, and so she will be testing her over the next few
weeks. We also discussed Jael's therapy schedule and it looks like it
will be twice a week for 45 minutes per session. We had wanted to try
an hour at a time, but that won't work for Sharon's schedule, and we had
discussed 1/2 hour sessions 4 times a week, but that won't work for the
Boyd family schedule, so this looks like a happy compromise. Jael
returned on Thursday morning to see Sharon again, and enjoyed creating
two books : her book of shapes and her book of buildings. I think they
will be great additions to Jael's treasure box.
Tuesday afternoon Jael had PT, and Janette commented that again she
could see improvement from her last visit with Jael. Because of this
continued improvement Jael will now be on a once a month schedule with
Janette. Isn't that great! I am so excited to see God's hand on Jael,
and how He is continuing to heal her body!
Yes, we did have about 4 hours between the two therapies, but thanks to
my friend Teresa who picked up the oldest two from school so that Jael
and I could spend the day together in Medford. We were pretty tired
when we got home, but we enjoyed our day together.
On Friday, we returned to OT with Debbie, but everything was different
than usual. We knew that this was the day that KDRV would be taping
Jael during therapy, but didn't know what a fun time we were going to
have. The first great news was that Jeff was off on Friday and was able
to go with us. When we arrived at the Child Development Bldg. we were
met by the news anchor, Brian Morton and some of his crew, along with
Vanya who is the RVMC Foundation liaison. We had a great time visiting
with them while Jael was being filmed during therapy. Brian also
interviewed Jael and then Jeff and I had our turns in front of the
camera. You know what they say, everyone has their 15 minutes of fame.
I guess this was ours! It was kind of hard, in some ways, to share what
we went through. I mean, it went so fast! My biggest desire was to
share what God has done, but I don't think I had the chance to really
share that very often. But hopefully from the testimony we will be able
to share more during the live broadcast (that's the one in June). The
nicest thing was that they made all of us so comfortable and at ease,
especially talking about one of the hardest times of our lives. Jael
hammed it up, and loved it! She warmed right up to the camera, and
Brian, and was uninhibited of course. As for the taping at our house, it
seems that the girls are going to be taped playing soccer in the front
yard, but due to the incessant rain, we are hoping to be able to do it
this next Friday. It has been a great experience, and again, it is
exciting to see the opportunities that have opened up for us to share
what God has done. May He be the one who receives all the glory
throughout Jael's life!
We would ask for more prayer these next few weeks - I am back to Medford
three times a week until March 15, and it does take it's toll. A
special thanks to my friend Tammy for helping to fold laundry this week
(nothing like thinking a news crew is coming to your house to get you to
clean), and to those of you who have been faithful in prayer. We are
continuing to be recipients of God's grace and mercy!
With love,
Dawn

Subject: Jael's Update
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999

Hi Everyone.
Well, as you can tell by our silence over the past two weeks or so,
things have been really quiet around here. Jael has not had any therapy
for the last two Friday's, and we will be returning to Medford
tomorrow. It has been a very quiet winter, but things will be getting
back to our old schedule starting next week. Jael will be returning to
speech therapy - which is an answered prayer! Our insurance company has
approved any needed therapy between now and the end of April. They will
then review her case to see if more coverage is beneficial. We are
excited to see this taking place, knowing that Jael is going to continue
on her road to recovery.
We had a chance to see my parents last weeks, although very briefly, for
the first time since Thanksgiving. It was neat to hear my dad comment
that he could see a little of the "old" Jael coming through. I have
noticed the same thing over the past six weeks or so, but sometimes I am
worried that it is just me. The neatest thing was the day before my
parents saw her, a young man from church sent Jael a valentine, and told
his mom that he is still praying for God to restore Jael. And we are
seeing the results of his prayers. Isn't it wonderful to know we have
the opportunity to see God answer the prayers of those who are
faithful? It helps me remember to be faithful in prayer!
As for the status of Jael becoming a television star: the crew of KDRV
will be filming Jael next Friday, Feb. 26, while at OT. They will then
follow us home and tape Jael with her sisters in the afternoon. I am
trying not to stress, but those of you who know me intimately know how I
panic over a dirty house. Please keep us in prayer, that I would be
able to have things presentable enough for television. And not become
the "meanie cleanie" mom!
But more than anything, I am looking forward to this opportunity to
share what God has done in Jael's life.
Another change in our family life right now is that Jeff's schedule has
been changed. He is temporarily on day shift, with weekends off. We
have not had a schedule like this for six and a half years. I am
realizing how much I counted on him, making doctor and dentist
appointments much easier while he was home, and yet, I find that I am
able to keep things cleaned up a little easier without him home. We are
adjusting, as this has been only the first week, but I am concerned next
week when we start back to Medford 3x week. I would like to thank each
of you who have added to the TeamJael trust fund, as we now will be able
to help cover the cost of childcare for the younger girls on the days we
are in Medford. This is an added cost, which we had not counted on. We
thank you so much!
There is so much we are thankful for - each of you is a special part of
God's blessing in our lives.
Thank you-
Dawn

Subject: Recovery Update
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999
Hello.
Things here in Grants Pass are continuing to go well. Jael attended PT
last week with Jeff - he said it was a great time to see her at work.
The last time he had seen her at therapy was in Portland, so what an
incredible difference. She was skipping, balancing on the beam, kicking
soccer-style, and just doing the typical things a six year old does. (I
am sure she is very close to her age bracket). Janette has been having
Jael complete the Peabody test again, and although we don't know yet
what level she truly is at, I can see the improvements. Just this past
week Jael was out riding her bike, with her helmet on of course, and
struggling with her balance even with training wheels on. But her
perseverance amazes me! She just kept trying and trying. She will be
out there before we know it! Jael is not riding on the street, though,
she just rides on our bumpy dirt driveway. Perhaps when the weather
dries out even more, we can take her to the park to ride, and she can
ride on the smooth concrete.
There was no OT Friday, as Debbie's daughter had the flu, but Jael and I
went to Medford anyway since we already had plans for that. We went
with our friend Tonya to enjoy a girl's day out. Our first stop was
Tonya's obstetrics appointment, where we were blessed to see a little
picture of the tiny baby (looks like a girl to me), and then it was off
to the mall, lunch and Target. Jael had a great time, and enjoyed
spending a day with "the moms". Another of her highlights was seeing a
friend at the mall, Lauren, who was in Jael's preschool class. They
have kept in touch over the past two or three years, and Lauren and her
mom joined us for lunch. Jael is just growing up before our eyes.
We are continuing to pray for Jael's healing, but I have seen so much
progress and maturing in her in just the past month. I am continuously
praising God as I see Jael returning to her whole self. Thank you all
for your continued prayers. He is answering as He sees fit. It has
been a very long road, and I have learned so much about God, His grace
and mercy and His love for even just a small six year old child. I am
so thankful I am able to rely on Him for all of my needs.
Dawn

Subject: A time of humility
Date: Mon, 01 Feb 1999

Hello. Have you ever searched your heart, and tried to understand the
hand of God? I am so humbled tonight. There was a news report this
evening that a four-year old girl was hit by a car last night in Ashland
(45 minutes south of here), taken to RVMC and died of her injuries. My
heart is just broken for her parents. I don't understand God's grace
and mercy, and why He has been so good to us. Please pray for this
little girl's family. I am so humbled by what He has done. But I am
sure her parents are hurting.
It is so amazing to see where God has brought us. Jael continues to
improve. This past Friday, during OT, Jael was doing an obstacle course
- and Debbie and I could both see the improvements that Jael has made.
She was not only keeping her balance (you should see her bounce and tap
her feet while on the bouncy ball), but she was recalling each step of
the obstacle course. It was wonderful to watch! She will return to PT
tomorrow, and it will be the first time Jeff has had a chance to take
her. It will be great for him to watch her and see what she is
learning. Although he was unsure if he could find his way around there,
I told him not to worry - Jael knows her way around the hospital just
fine!
Also, I spoke with Dr. Jet today. We will not need to see her this
month, as I previously thought, but we will just continue with therapy
as things are going. She has left scheduling up to each therapist, as
they see fit, because so far everything is going so well. The
adjustments they have made so far have been fine, and we will just keep
going on our regular schedule for now.
I thank you again for your continued prayers. "O Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come
to my relief". Psalm 143:1
I hope you will join me in prayer for the family of the little girl -
that God will grant them peace and comfort now.
With a grateful heart,
Dawn

Subject: Slow but steady progress report
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999

Hello everyone!
I hope all is well for each of you. It seems like it was just
Christmas, but here it is, almost the first of February. Well, things
are going well here, although it has been pretty quiet. Last Friday,
Jael caught a stomach bug, and we stayed home from OT, but we will be
returning tomorrow. With a slower schedule, we have been busier around
the house - I have begun doing a little spring cleaning; well, maybe
more like spring redecorating. We are getting ready to paint our
bedroom, and I have been cleaning out alot of "stuff" that has
accumulated over the years. It seems that I have the desire to get
things around here in order - doing things I haven't had time to do for
so long. Even the simple things like straightening out bookshelves and
the like. But enough about the house, let me tell you about what Jael
has been doing lately....
Jael will now happily count to 100 for you, and she can tell you all 12
months of the year. Jael also loves to tell you her vowels (a,e,i,o,u
and sometimes y, in case you have forgotten). She also is showing
further improvement in her handwriting and cutting abilities - even more
than just a few weeks ago. I would say she has not only caught up with
her fellow kindergartners, but has begun to surpass many in her class.
She is maturing, which has been a wonderful thing to watch, and I have
really noticed a difference in just these past few weeks. It was
amazing to listen to her response to a computer game the other day:
when the child was supposed to cross the street, the emcee said to look
both ways first - and Jael's response was "yeah, because otherwise you
might get hit by a car". She was very matter of fact about it, and just
went right on playing. Jeff and I didn't know if we should laugh or
cry. Instead we just praised God for what He has done!
We will continue to update you as things continue on. We will be
returning to speech therapy the beginning of February (oh, no, that's
just next week!). We also will be having follow up visits with Dr.
Sibley (pediatrician) and Dr. Jet (rehab physician), and are hoping to
go to Portland Feb. 11-12 for some family time. It looks like it will
be a busy month, but I usually try not to worry til it gets here. Also,
there is another prayer request. The school year is now halfway over,
and we are beginning to pray for guidance in regards to school for the
fall. We have many options, and just want to choose to do what's right
for each girl. But if we were to choose public school for Jael in the
fall, we should register her now to have a plan to meet her needs. It
is hard, because I still miss home schooling, and yet I have seen some
bonuses to their being in public school this year. Please just pray for
us, as this is a concern/priority for us.
Again, I thank you each for your prayers and love.
Dawn

Subject: Jael returns to soccer field
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999

Hello everyone!
Well, yes, the good news is here. Jael has permission to return to
soccer this spring. We are so excited, and again see God's hand in her
recovery. How far she has come! God is so good. We still have about
six to eight weeks before practices even begin, so this will be good to
give her time to continue to improve. Jael will be either on Jana's
team in the kinder soccer league, which is very easy going - or she will
be on Jillian's team, which becomes a little more organized. Her
birthdate would put her on the U-8 bracket with Jillian, but due to her
injury we are unsure if we would be able to keep her behind another
season. Please pray that God would just direct her to the right team,
right coach, etc. She is just so excited - and she won't even have to
wear a helmet. I am so thankful that God has answered our prayers in
such an exciting way.
Another exciting aspect of Jael's recovery is that she has been chosen
by the pediatric staff at RVMC to be a part of the Children's Miracle
Network. That is a telethon held once a year to help raise funds for
the needs of the hospital to benefit children. It is a national
telethon, but all funds raised go to each local children's hospital. So
all of the funds raised in so. Oregon and northern Calif. go to RVMC,
and if you live in northern Oregon, it goes to Doernbecker's children's
hospital, etc. Anyway, Jael's story will be featured on the telethon,
and then we will be live in-studio the weekend of the telethon (June 5
and 6). I am unsure of more details, except that we will be contacted
within the next few weeks by the local ABC affiliate news station, and
they will be filming Jael, and us, and her doctor's, nurses, therapists,
etc. They then will take all of that footage and blend it into a 4
minute vignette which will be shown the weekend of the telethon. It
will only be shown locally, but we will make lot's of tapes. We don't
know which angle they will take on her story, but what a great
opportunity to share what God has done in her life! She is very
excited, and can't wait to be on t.v. We will keep you updated on our
"little star" - what an exciting experience for her!
As for therapy - last Tuesday we went to PT, and Jael worked out very
hard. Janette decided to run the Peabody test, and score Jael to see
where she is. I was so pleased to see how far Jael has come. When she
first was tested in the Peabody, she was barely able to jump, or
balance. She is now being tested for kicking a soccer ball, while
taking three steps towards it, or walking backwards, or hopping. The
only thing I saw her struggle with was hopping on her right foot for
approx. 20 ft. I don't know about you, but I would struggle with that,
too. Janette was pleased to see how well Jael is doing, and to know
that Jael did so well while in California. She is a warm, caring
therapist, and we look forward to continuing with her once every three
weeks.
Friday we returned to therapy with Debbie for OT. While Jael loves to
swing, I was amazed to see her creativity coming out during seat work.
She stamped a picture with three dinosaur stamps, and then had to make
up a story about her picture. She had a pterodactyl on the ground (he
is learning to fly, she said); a t-rex in a cave (she's laying her
eggs); and a stegosaurus by the lake (he's drinking). Her thought
process continues to heal - praise the Lord. Debbie also had Jael write
the important words from her story - fly, eggs and water. Jael's
lettering is improving all the time. We will continue to see Debbie
once a week, and continue to watch Jael's improvements.
We have missed speech therapy, but the Lord has again answered our many
prayers. Sharon informed us last week that Dr. Jet contacted ODS (our
health insurance) and wrote a wonderful letter requesting continuance of
coverage and evaluation every ten weeks for Jael's needs. We are ready
to re-start speech, and will see Sharon twice a week, but possibly an
hour at a time to fully utilize speech. In the next week or two we will
begin back to twice a week visits. Sharon had even mentioned three
times a week, but knows with our family's schedule it would be more of a
burden than a blessing. I am so thankful that this has all worked out,
and that we have doctors and nurses who are looking out for Jael's best
interests.
Again, I thank each of you who have prayed for Jael and our family. We
thank God for each of you faithful warriors who have lifted our family
in prayer over the past seven months. We wouldn't be where we are today
without it!
May God continue to touch your lives in an amazing way-
In Christ,
Dawn

Subject: Back to routine
Date: Mon 11 Jan 1999
From: jeff boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone.
Well, like everybody else, we are getting back into the swing of
things. The girls have all returned to school, there are dishes stacked
on the sink, and we return to Medford tomorrow for therapy. It seems
like 1999 is getting off to a good start.
Jael continues to surprise me. She was making cards the other day with
her sisters, and using some stickers to design her own, and she made
one for Jeff and me. She said it was because we went there (sticker of
lighthouse and beach), and brought them back these (candy stickers).
She was remembering our trip to the coast last September. I was amazed
that she had remembered that, and that she had remembered so clearly.
Again, I just see God's continued healing, and praise Him for that!
Jael will have PT tomorrow with Janette - first time since beginning of
December. I am going to ask Janette the big question - will Jael be
able to play in the spring soccer league? Sign-ups have just begun, and
we will probably need doctor's approval. When I look at her, I think
she is ready, but Jeff is a little more unsure. He also said it's more
of a Daddy worrying. And even though sign-ups are now, her games
wouldn't start until the first of April. Which gives her even more time
to become more sure-footed and confident on the field. The good news is
that she still qualifies for kinder soccer, which is a much more relaxed
atmosphere - coaches are on the field with the kids, and the field is
about 1/10 the size of a regular field. It's a very scaled down version
of the big game. I am just hoping that if she is unable to play that
she will understand.
Jael will also return to OT this Friday. She continues to improve in
her fine motor skills. Her coloring and cutting abilities are becoming
very fine tuned, and she has been doing puzzles and games the last few
weeks which are more complex than what she has done in the past. I
think she is pretty close to age appropriate now. Her balance and
rhythm are probably the areas that still need some more help.
As for speech therapy, the last update in December when I talked about
it, I was really unsure which direction to go in. Well, after returning
from our vacation, I thought of Dr. Jet, the rehab physician who had
encouraged us to go to Portland. I think she could offer some good
insight into which way would be the best to pursue speech therapy. When
I spoke with her nurse last week, she made it sound as if Dr. Jet would
be happy to contact our health insurance and be a liaison for us -
sending case notes, and requesting continued coverage, etc. So that is
where we are at right now. It looks like we will be able to start back
to speech around the end of the month, or early February. Again, I just
feel this is so important because this is still where the most delays
can be seen by Jeff and I. But it amazes me how many people still say
that can't see that she had been in an accident. Amazes me because of
God' goodness to us. We are so undeserving of His grace - but I am so
thankful!
Thank you all for your continued prayers - yes, this has been a long
road, but we have been so encouraged by your love and prayers.
In Christ,
Dawn

Subject: Happy New Year!
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999

Hello everyone!
Happy 1999! We made it home from a wonderful trip to California, where
the sun shines all the time. We had a great trip, no one got sick, and
our visits with many friends and family were the highlights of the
trip. Of course, everyone else had their own favorite things on their
lists:
Jeff - yes, he's still got it. He had the chance to surf four or five
times, and it was glassy and good. He kept up with his much younger
nephews, and had a blast! He loved seeing his family, too, and
especially his 100 year old grandma. No migraines, no virus like
vacation of 92, and a great time.
Jenn - cousins, cousins and more cousins. It was fun to visit with
California cousins, some that she hasn't seen for three years. Jenn
also had the chance to shoot a bow that is her size - Grandpa says she
has a good eye for it, and sent the bow home with her.
Jill - She loved going to the Air/Space Museum with Grandpa and Dad and
climbing Mt. Everest on the Imax Theater. The museum is down at Balboa
Park, and a real highlight of San Diego.
Jana - she loved playing with all of Grandma's barbies, and that she
could sleep in the trundle bed. Jana also loved the beach - the water
was cold, but she was not afraid of the waves.
Jeanette - Her favorite things were her little cousin Sierra (finally,
someone smaller than her), and being spoiled wherever she went! The
fact that she could run around barefoot all the time was pretty cool,
too.
Jael - well, she loved everything about our vacation - seeing everyone,
Grandma and Grandpa's garden, going to the beach, the mall, and playing
all the time. Jael did so well, she didn't appear to tire out until the
last day we were in San Diego - and we had been gone for a whole week.
I was getting tired, too. Again, I am amazed to see how God is
continuing to heal her.
And for me - just the break alone from the everyday routine was
refreshing. I loved seeing the sun, and the smell of the salty air, and
seeing our families and friends. It was a wonderful vacation. And yes,
we are back home and into the routine of things. But God has given me a
time of relaxation and rejuvenation. I am hoping to hold on to this
feeling for a few more days. But I see the calender start to fill up.
Aaaugh! Thank you all for your prayers during our travels, though. It
was truly a wonderful time! And I can't wait to get my six rolls of
film back from the developer - which means they need to go into my album
- which is another thing to keep me busy. But such is life....
Anyway, our prayer is that God is blessing already in this new year,
love The Boyds

Subject: Merry Christmas!
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998

Our wishes to you and yours for a blessed Christmas. Yes, this is a few
days early, but we are heading to California in the morning to spend the
holidays with the Boyd side of our family. The girls are excited, and
we are packed and ready to go. Thank you for your prayers for a safe
journey!

Well, things have been slow with therapy for Jael. This past Friday was
OT, and Debbie was pleased to see continued improvements for Jael,
especially with bouncing the ball and catching it. Again, this was one
of our goals to see improvement in this area. We were supposed to go
back to Medford today for OT and PT, but due to the snow/ice on the
freeway, and an accident that closed the I-5 for a few hours, we were
unable to drive down there. We now have three weeks off two weeks for
our family vacation, and then another week for vacation for our
therapists. This will be a nice break for all of us.

Please continue to pray for us - we are hoping that Jael will handle the
long trip and being away from home for so long. But most of all, we are
looking forward to being with our family and visiting with so many loved
ones.

We also want to wish you the best in the new year. God bless you each
and every one!
With love,
Jeff and Dawn and girls

Subject: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
Date: Tues, 15 Dec 1998
From: jeff boyd

Hello everyone!
It sure is beginning to look like Christmas around here. The wrapping
paper and bows are scattered, and there are cards taped on the back of
our front door. We are admiring the lights of our neighbors shining
around us. And we are humming the tunes of the season - "Silent Night",
"Winter Wonderland" and "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" seem to be
the favorites in this household. But much is quiet at the Boyd house,
as we now have three girls with the chicken pox. Yes, Jillian, Jana and
Jeanette have all broken out in the past four days with spots all over.
Jana has been hit the hardest, but is starting to show signs of
recovery. I am hoping by the end of the week to see all of them
better. We are not sure if Jael will break out or not. She had a very
mild case of the spots back when she was a toddler, but there is still a
chance that she might get them again. All in all, I am glad they all
have them at once, because that means we will be done with them! We are
going through lots of children's tylenol and benadryl right now - thank
goodness for Walmart! And so, Jael missed her therapy last Friday, as
that was the day Jana broke out, and it was difficult to find someone at
the last minute who could watch her, whose kids had already had them.
Hopefully this Friday we will be good to go, since it will be the last
session of OT for about 3 weeks. Which leads us to our Christmas break
- we will be traveling to California on the 22nd to spend the Christmas
holidays with the Boyd side of the family. We haven't been there since
October of '95, and so we are looking forward to seeing everyone. And I
am looking forward to warm weather! I have always enjoyed the seasonal
changes of southern Oregon, but for now there is just something about
the thought of 70 degrees, and the beach, and the sun! I love the smell
of the salty air, and the thought of the warm sun on my face. All of
the girls are very excited, this is the first Christmas we will have
with Jeff's family since 1989. We will also have a chance to see some
of my family while we are down there, and are really excited. Jael and
I have done a lot of shopping the past few days to make sure we have
everything we need before we go. This is probably the first year ever I
can say I am done before the 24th.
Enough about our plans, though, let me fill you in on Jael's progress.

The past two weeks have been hard, as Jael has continued to miss her
speech therapy. I only mean it's been hard because it has made me watch
her more closely to see if therapy has really benefited her, and will it
make a difference if she doesn't go? Well, I have been frustrated
feeling that she is not making the progress I would like to see (oh, ye
of little faith). Then today, Mrs. Dennis told me that Jael is doing so
well in kindergarten - she has shown so much improvement, and maturing
in class with not only her work, but her attitude and capabilities of
understanding. So, again, I am humbled because God is doing a great
work, and my eyes are taken off of Him, and onto myself. I am going to
continue trusting Him because He is at work in Jael's life, even when I
don't see it.

Jael and I also had a wonderful afternoon yesterday when we went to do
some errands. One of the bills we had to pay was a co-pay to one of the
doctors who saw Jael at the Grants Pass E/R. After paying the bill, we
saw in this doctor's office, a beautiful painting of three surgeons at
work. And standing beside the main surgeon in the painting, was Jesus,
holding the surgeon's hand - the name of the painting was "Chief of the
medical staff". I began weeping when I saw this painting, because I
knew that this doctor who had helped Jael in the very beginning trusted
Jesus to be his chief of staff. What an incredible realization - that
again, God was putting someone on Jael's team that was relying on Him.
I am so thankful! It is so incredible to see what God has done behind
the scenes that I didn't see at the time. Perhaps I wouldn't have
appreciated it as much then as I do now.

Please pray for us while we prepare for our trip - we are hoping that
Jael and the girls can handle the long drive (about 14 hours), and that
Jeff and I can, too. Also for a peaceful, restful time for our family.
And our prayer is that we would continue to trust God in the new year
for whatever He will bring our way.

May you each remember that Jesus is the reason for the season at this
most wonderful time of the year.
In Christ,
Dawn

Subject: Changes in Therapy
Date: Tues, 08 Dec 1998
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!

We hope you are all enjoying getting ready for the holidays. Doesn't it
seem like it was just summertime? This year has just flown by for us.
We are busy staying warm - we just had about 2-3 inches of snow on
Saturday, which is an every other year occurence for us. The girls
loved getting out in the cold outdoors, and catching snowflakes on their
tongues. Jeff's normal 30 minute commute turned into an hour and a
half. We are having an early snow, but it should be warming up in the
next few days. That is not always good, as it means new snow will melt
and that can mean flooding. But God has placed us in one of the most
beautiful places to live!

Well, let me share with you where we are with Jael's therapy right now.
Last Tuesday, the 1st of December, our speech therapist told us that we
had already used up our alloted 20 visits per calender year, and that we
actually have gone over by 4 visits. Our health insurance refuses to
pay for any other visits - which means no speech therapy for December,
and when we start again in January we will again only have 20 visits.
That would put our visits paid through mid-March, because we would
continue to go twice a week. I asked Sharon how much longer did she
think Jael would need speech, and she said through next summer at
least. Our OT and PT are still covered, because we have not used up all
of their visits. But it is a tough call for speech, because that
continues to be where Jael needs the most improvement. We are kind of
between a rock and a hard place right now. Each visit runs approx. $75,
and that would be $150 per week - and we are responsible for the 4
visits we went beyond coverage. This is where we need your prayers. We
are considering consulting a lawyer to see if the driver's coverage
would be willing to cover the additional therapies, but we are not sure
where this will go. One lawyer we spoke to said that Allstate never
likes to pay anything. And that is frustrating, because we are not
asking for oodles of money for pain and suffering, or even out-of-pocket
expenses - we would just like to see Jael get the best recovery she
can. Another option is therapy through the school district. I don't
know how that would work, because she is not enrolled in the school
district, but I have been told she still should qualify for it. But
since it is almost Christmas vacation, it is a hard time to pursue that
- meaning, I need to wait until after the first of the year. I feel
like I am at a standstill. One of the hardest parts is that I continue
to see Jael struggling, and not progressing as quickly as I would like
see. She made such leaps and bounds in the beginning. But now it is a
little slower progress, because it is more her personality changes and
thought processes. But I still trust God that He is able to teach me
patience in all this.

Jael is doing well in kindergarten - her seperation anxiety is almost
all gone. She is learning to read, and her writing is so improved! To
me, it looks very similar to her work from last year. She has really
been using her imagination - this week she has been playing "mommy" to
her doll, D.W., busy changing diapers, feeding, pushing the stroller.
She also has become the "police officer" of the Boyd family - telling
mom when one of her sisters does something wrong. We are trying to cure
the "tattletale" attitude, but it's hard when she's so cute! She
continues to be a blessing to us in so many ways! Jael received a
special invitation to Legacy Emanual for this Saturday to a Christmas
party for all of the patients who "spent too much time in the hospital"
this past year. We are trying to see if we can arrange going. The
neatest thing was that Jael has remembered so many of the caring staff
there, and is dying to go! We are trying to see if we can work it out,
and we will let you know.

Thank you for letting me share with you our concerns. Please continue
to pray for us, as we have been discouraged at times lately. I am
seeing the difference in Jael, but trying to keep my eyes on the Lord.
He has been teaching our whole family through all of this, and I want to
give Him the glory in all of this!
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For
what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2
Corinthians 4:18

In Christ,
Dawn

Subject: Happy Thanksgiving!
Date: Wed 02 Dec 1998 15:42:43 -0800
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone, and Happy (belated) Thanksgiving.
We hope you each had a wonderful day with loved ones, and plenty of
turkey! We enjoyed our trip to Salem to visit with my family. Jennifer
broke out with the chicken pox on Wednesday night (should we call them
the turkey pox?), but other than that, it was a quiet, peaceful trip.
Jael did very well, but was over-stimulated at dinner time Thursday
night. Of course, that was something we had thought might happen.
There were a total of 13 kids and 10 adults. We just re-adjusted dinner
seating, and had Jael move into an area by herself. We left shortly
after dinner, but it was wonderful to see my Grandparents, uncles and
aunt that we hadn't seen since Portland. I had the chance to do some
day after Thanksgiving shopping with my mom, sister, Grandma and then we
travelled home Friday night. Jael did really well even after we came
home, which I thought she may have been overly tired. But she has shown
me that she can handle the travelling better than I thought she would.
We are now gearing up for Christmas, and Jael has talked of getting our
tree, and decorating, and baking, too. It is always fun to see how
excited kids get about Christmas. It looks like we will be heading down
to Southern California for the holidays. We have seen things go so well
with our Salem trip, we are going to try a big one. It will be
wonderful to see so many friends and family - it has been over 3 years
since we were there. So we are busy getting ready, and not wanting to
lose the true meaning of Christmas.
Which brings me to why I haven't done an update all week. It's been so
hard to put into words the many things that I am thankful for. I mean,
of course, there's the obvious. I can't thank God enough for Jael still
being here. She has blessed our family so much. I know that we have
built this incredible relationship through all of this. She is this
special gift which means so much to me, I don't even know how I can put
it into words.
And then there's the other things:
The community that I live in - we are still stopped on the street by
strangers who meet us, and tell us that they have been praying for
Jael. For that, I am truly thankful.
The body of believers in Grants Pass, and around the world - they have
shown me Matthew 25, that whatever they have done for others, they have
done for Jesus. The gifts, the financial contributions, the prayers,
the cards, the meals, etc. It has been overwhelming, and for this I am
truly thankful.
Our families - for each who have given of their gifts: the support and
love, the prayers and time, both large and small will forever be
remembered. And for this I am truly thankful.
My friends - my lifeline during so much of this. Wiping my tears,
bringing me diet pepsi, reminding me that laughter is the best
medicine. For each one of you, I am truly thankful.
For Jeff - a man who showed me what it truly means to give your child to
the Lord. For him I am truly thankful.
Our girls -
Jenn: Her response at the moment of the accident - let's pray. She
showed wisdom beyond her ten years when she said "at least we know she's
saved". Praise God that she knows what's important.
Jillian: Her compassion and interest in medical happenings make me
wonder if God won't use her in the future for something like this. She
already shows mercy to others different than the rest. We all could
learn from her attitude and openness.
Jana: She reminds me each day that we need snuggle time. She noticed
yesterday that Jael's scars on her forehead are fading. She helps me to
remember what is really important, and that the dishes can wait a little
longer.
Jeanette: She did so well without Mommy - she had Grandma Boyd and Aunt
Kathy with her. For six weeks, I missed her so much. But the best part
is that she still thinks Mommy is the best.
And for that I am truly thankful.

Dawn

Subject: Very busy week makes very tired Mom
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 22:20:39 -0800
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!

Well, I am not going to make this too long, I am really tired! It seems
like we have been really busy the past 4 days or so, and I am back to
Medford tomorrow. But the good news is we then have a full week before
we have to return to therapy. A nice break!
But enough of my whining -

Things have been going well for Jael. I really want to thank those who
have been praying for Jael and her "seperation anxiety" - every day this
past week when she went to kindergarten, there was never a tear, nor a
whimper. It was much more enjoyable! She continues to show improvement
in OT, which is wonderful, and she spent Friday's session swinging and
writing in shaving cream. (A very fun/educational project). Her right
hand is dominant, which has been one of our concerns.

I am noticing that even though she is showing improvements in speech,
she still is delayed the most in this area. She will still use "baby
talk" at times. Her thought process is also delayed still - I look
forward to the time that this will be a distant memory.

Jael lost another tooth this afternoon. But it was not on purpose. It
was slightly loose, next to the one that she lost 3 weeks ago, but
Jeanette threw something at Jael, which hit her in the mouth. Whatever
it was, it knocked that tooth right out. She was bleeding everywhere,
but was very brave when Mommy grabbed a towel, wiped the blood, and just
removed that tooth from her mouth. She's still a tough cookie!

Please pray for us this week - I have been really busy the past 4 days,
and have another day or two to be busy. Plus, on Tuesday night I have
been asked to speak at our Mops (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting on
Thankfulness - kind of sharing the story of what we have gone through
these past 5 months. I am looking forward to sharing the Lord's
goodness, but it may be kind of emotional. Plus, we are going to be
leaving Wed. afternoon for Salem, so I need to get ready for that. I
would appreciate any prayers lifted heavenward for our family during
this week.

This morning at church we enjoyed our Thanksgiving Service - everyone
has a chance to praise God and give thanks for whatever God has done in
their lives the past year. I had a chance to share - and I would like
to leave a verse of scripture that seems so appropriate for this time of
year:

Psalm 105:1
"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done."

I hope that during this week you will remember to give thanks for all He
has done for you, too. We have a God who is beyond compare.

In His Name,
Dawn

Subject: resentment and realities
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 22:02:53 -0800
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>


Hello everyone!
I hope all is well with each of you. This is the time of year that we
all begin to get so busy- so thank you for taking the time to stop in
and see how Jael is doing.
This past Monday was one of those really difficult days - you see, Jael
just didn't like anything. She cried about her shoes, her clothes, her
breakfast...anything that wasn't to her liking was made known to all. I
don't know if that makes sense to you, but it's really difficult for
me! Yes, this happens every once in a while, and that's when it makes
it really rough for me. It is not what she was like before the accident
- and so Jeff and I have to learn how to "re-teach" Jael boundaries.
The morning was so tough - and Jael didn't want to go to kindergarten,
either. But we made her go, and I had Jeff take her (she doesn't whine
quite as much for him - I call it "separation anxiety attack"). Of
course, Mrs. Nelson said that she walked right in and had a great time -
luckily Jael's outlook had changed! Those are the types of days that I
can truly see repercussions from the accident - I'm happy to say that
they are still few and far between.
Tuesday went much better - we went to Mops (Mothers of Preschoolers)
meeting at church, where Jael joined some of her friends for playtime.
Once again she had a "separation anxiety attack", but calmed down after
about 5 minutes. Then I enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with
other moms. We took Jana to school right after that, and then Jael,
Jeanette and I went to Medford. Jael had PT with Janette, and worked so
hard she was sweaty when she was done. Janette said she could see
improvement from just two weeks prior. That was encouraging!! Also,
Jael had speech therapy, and tried to "whine" her way out of a few
challenging lessons, but she did well. We then finished our day with a
trip to Costco and then home. Jael did very well, considering we had an
eight hour day.
Wednesday and Thursday were pretty mellow - just staying around home,
Jael played with legos, colored alot, and played in the leaves in the
yard. She also played games on the computer, and worked with her
"thera-putty" (which actually is the same texture as silly putty, but
it's blue). She uses it for hand/finger strengthening.
On Friday we went back to Medford for speech and OT. During OT Jael
enjoyed swinging (really good for her balance), and an activity of
balance and letter recognition at the same time. She worked on her
small motor skills slightly, but Debbie sees a lot of improvement, and
discussed how we might be able to cut back on Jael's therapy after the
first of the year. I told her my concern was for Jael's motor process -
it still seems to be somewhat slow to me. In Speech Jael continued to
work on her thought processes - they enjoyed playing Candyland
together. It had been awhile since Jael has played that. The only
question Sharon had was how much should Jael use her left hand for
things such as picking up games pieces - and yet, Jael is keeping her
right hand dominant. So that will be answered later, I guess.
Our weekend has been quiet - but I have finally acknowledged/realized
that I have been resentful to God for what has happened. And I have
been taking it out on my husband and kids. So with alot of tears this
morning, I told God I was sorry. And that yes, I was angry with Him.
But I can't keep on being angry. He is in control of all of this. And
He does have great plans for Jael. I can hardly begin to imagine what
it is - after all, why would He allow us to go through this challenge
without having something super planned? And I know we talked about that
when this all first happened, but my eyes were taken off of God, and on
to my problems. (Ouch, that's my pride I have to give up).
So, here I am God, just as I am..tears and anger and resentment.
Forgive me, Lord, for my sins of pride and selfishness. Keep my eyes on
You Lord...for I am nothing without You. And I once again place Jael in
Your arms God. Take care of her, draw her closer to You. And thank
you, Lord, that I am incomplete to give her what she needs, but You are
able. And I will give You the praise in Your name, Lord Jesus. amen

Thank you again for keeping us all in your prayers. Jael is so
precious! And I know that Jesus is keeping her in the palm of His
hands.
With Love,
Dawn

Subject: Update
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 1998 23:56:17 -0800
From:Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!
We are enjoying the fall weather - we hope you are, too. This means we
have leaves to rake, and a wood stove to keep stoked, and we get to
listen to rain on the roof. Definitely a great time of year!
Things here are going well. We have been very busy, which then gives me
not enough time and energy to remember to update Jael's page. So here
is the latest happenings in our lives...
Jael continues to do well in therapy. We are keeping busy, still
traveling to Medford twice a week I have seen visible improvements in
Jael, but these past two weeks there really is nothing I can pin down
exactly. We were told that there would be times like this, and that
these times are "healing" times for her brain. I know that she is
continuing to heal, and that she is continuing to be a blessing to our
family.
Last week was Halloween, and we decided to not go to the big Harvest
Party at First Assembly church like we were going to. We were worried
that it would be too stimulating for her (it gets pretty wild, with
about 100-150 kids), so we went trick or treating down Washington Bl
here in town (it's very popular). The nicest thing was that all five
girls had a great time, and we were only out for about 45 minutes -
especially since it was lightly raining. On Monday, we celebrated
Jillian's 8th birthday and it was school as usual for all. We did have
parent/teacher conferences for Jenn and Jill, and it was great to hear
they both are adjusting so well. Jael had speech and PT on Tuesday -
she is showing great progress in PT! We went back on Friday, had speech
and OT once again our normal Friday pattern. The one area that Debbie
and I both saw improvement in during OT was when Jael had to write the
words "I can jump" on a piece of paper. Remember that one of our goals
(long-term) for Jael was to write with correct spacing and sizing?
Well, she did it! So I guess I ought to rephrase my earlier quote that
I haven't seen changes this past week. It is harder for me to notice,
perhaps, because I see her each day. It is just so incredible to see
the difference in her writing from even just a few weeks ago. And
Debbie is going to give me copies of Jael's first writing of that
phrase, and Friday's copy. I do not know if that will change our OT
schedule, but it shows that we have reached one of our goals! Or should
I say, Jael has reached it!
It has been a difficult week for me. I am once again getting
tired/burned out. But it's amazing when you just turn it over to God.
I have come in contact with a mom whose daughter at age 6 went through a
tbi very similar to Jael's. Even her rehab time was about the same, and
her daughter is now 2 years post-injury. This is excellent, as she has
offered to answer questions and offer encouragement. Although she lives
back east, thanks to modern technology (email), I am able to reach out
to someone who's been through a very similar situation. It's been a
real blessing!
Well, as for the technical side of things, for those of you who haven't
heard we have the final results from the insurance company's. It looks
like the driver's insurance has determined that this is a total accident
(which we knew), but they therefore are not paying for any of the
expenses incurred. Our auto insurance paid $30,000 PIP, and now that
that is exhausted, our health insurance is picking up the rest. Or at
least most of it. We are responsible for a small percentage of the
doctor's bills and are responsible for a $5 copay of each day's
outpatient therapy. So, for example, in August we had 8 days of therapy
(even if two therapies are scheduled on the same day), so we are
responsible for $40. That is how it will go until therapy stops. We
still do not feel worried, as God has blessed us with so many of you who
have helped us out. But sometimes when the day is stressful, and I'm at
my wit's end, and Jael is struggling for the 4th or 5th time with
something the thought comes to mind that I would like to get a lawyer
and sue for pain and suffering. At least I can understand why people
do that, and I have never known why before.
But enough of the whining. God is so good, and Jael is indeed healing
and improving. I thank you all for your remembrances and prayers. This
month is such a great time to remember all of the wonderful things we
have to be thankful for! I was thinking of making a list, and realized
how long it would be. But maybe I'll start a small one here:
1. Jael's healing and recovery
2. Jeff - for putting up with me
3. Our families who have gone above and beyond these past 5 months
4. Our web master, Uncle John and his wife, Aunt Cindy
for allowing a web page to be a blessing to us
5. The friends who have shown that Jesus' love is real!
6. The churches who have shown us so much love -
Jerome Prairie Bible Church - Grants Pass
Faith Baptist Church - Grants Pass
RanchView Baptist Church - Encinitas, CA
Shan Creek Bible Church - Grants Pass
7. Our doctors, nurses, police, fire and rescue who go beyond the
call of duty to
be a blessing to us

There are many others that I will think of during the next few weeks,
and I hope to share maybe how they are blessing our family. I don't
want to leave anyone out, but certain things stand out in my mind. I
would like to share someone special with you quickly. There is a lady I
know who has offered to take our two youngest girls every other Friday
night for dinner and play time. It is such a blessing to me, and gives
them something "special" that's just theirs. And it gives me a little
bit of a break. So thanks, Lyn! It means so much to me.
Well, I have probably rambled on long enough. Again, I thank each of
you so much. We are indeed so blessed!
Love in Christ,
Dawn

Subject: Jael loses a tooth!
Date: Thurs, 29 Oct 1998 10:42:29 -0800
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Yes, here's another update. You probably didn't expect one so soon, but
I thought you might be interested in some more of the happenings in
Jael's life. Jael has had a lose tooth (her first one) for what seems
like forever. It had gotten so loose that it was just kind of hanging
there. She was so sweet, she just didn't want to pull it, or even
wiggle it. But finally on Tuesday night she let Daddy pull it. She was
so excited, and now is the proud owner of a hole in her mouth!

The other exciting things in her life are a trip to the Pumpkin Patch
yesterday with her kindergarten class. She had so much fun, and she and
Jana got to pick pumpkins to bring home. This is a beautiful farm that
someone has out in the country (yes, within 15 minutes of our house),
and there were pigs and goats and turkeys there, too. Jael enjoyed
herself so much! The other exciting thing was when I picked her up from
kindergarten yesterday her teachers were so excited to share with me
what Jael could do. They have numbers on flashcards made of glitter,
and Jael was able to close her eyes and feel the number and she knew
what each number was! She could even have the number card behind her,
and reach behind and still tell what number it was! This is a great
indicator of how well her thought process is working! And I couldn't
believe how excited Mrs. Dennis and Mrs. Nelson were! It just means so
much to know that others are excited, too.

Jael also came to me this morning and told me that her hands aren't
shaking. "Well, maybe just a little" she said. She still has her bouts
of ataxia (tremors), but they come and go. That is probably one of the
most visible reminders for me because it is obvious to other people, but
I guess not that much. Last week was the first time Mrs. Dennis noticed
it during school. I notice it probably every other day or so. But we
continue to be thankful that Jael did not have any further physical
effects. Also, I was able to return Jael's wheelchair to the rental
company last week - and honestly Jael hadn't needed it for the past two
months. We just kept it, thinking she might find a need for it, but she
continues to improve so well, it's just time to not have it around any
more.

Last week we also visited with our police dept., and firefighters. It
was so great to go down to their stations and Jael received a special
tour at the fire station from one of the responding EMT's. I think Jael
now has a special friend there - he invited her to come back whenever
she wants. And of course, she was even allowed to sit in the driver's
seat of the big rig.

We will continue to update you, hopefully on a more frequent basis.
It's been wonderful to have so much encouragement from so many of you.
We are doing well, and praying you are, too.
With Love,
Dawn

Subject: Weekend update
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 00:05:12 -0800
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!

Well, this is supposed to be an update from this past weekend, but I see
this is already Tuesday night, so I suppose I need to make this a
mid-week update. It seems as though we are really busy, but I am sure
some of you have been wondering how Jael is doing, and how our open
house went. Well, let's go to Jael first.

For the past two weeks we have been busy with therapy, but our schedule
has been a little slower. Our PT, Janette, has been on vacation for the
past two weeks, so today was the first day she has seen Jael since the
first week of October. She was pleased with Jael's balance, and saw
improvement in hopping and running. Jael also worked today on walking
backwards on the balance beam. That is something I think I would have
trouble with! Janette wants to have Jael continue PT every other week
between now and the end of the year, and then we will re-evaluate at
that time.

We also had speech therapy today with Sharon, and saw her twice last
week. We will not see her this Friday, as she is off that day. Sharon
has now started a combined therapy time for Jael with a five year old
girl named Rachel. Although Rachel's needs for speech therapy are
because of different reasons, she and Jael can benefit being together.
This will only take place approx. every other Friday. It was difficult
the first time for Jael to share time with "her" therapist. Sharon also
shared with me last week that she would like to see Jael three times a
week. I spent the weekend talking to Jeff about this, and we prayed
about it. I wasn't sure what the best thing would be, but I knew it
would be a challenge for our family. It seems like we have fallen into
a pattern of Tuesdays and Fridays, and it is still hard to keep up on
everything at home. So how could I add another day in Medford into our
family's schedule? But most important, what is best for Jael? So today
I had the opportunity to ask Sharon if Jael's therapy going to 3/x week
would be more beneficial for her. But she told me it was more 6 of one,
half dozen of another. Which means we can stick with twice a week,
especially since Jael is also in kindergarten. And Sharon told me she
is an advocate for therapy not making the rest of the family life stand
still. So we will continue on twice a week through the end of the year,
and also re-evaluate at that time. Jael continues to work on her
thought processes and is a real blessing to us!

As for OT, we are continuing every Friday between now and the end of the
year. This past week was the first one that we missed, but only because
Debbie's daughter was sick. We will be back this week, and continue to
watch Jael. She loves to go and swing, and do mazes and puzzles. Her
rhythm is still a little off, which is something she is working on. She
also is continuing writing her letters which is enhanced in her
kindergarten class.

This past weekend we had a really special time. Saturday night we
enjoyed hosting about 50 people at our open house, and Jael loved
playing "hostess". She began to tire out about 7:45, and it appeared
she was beginning to be over-stimulated. We went home to a good night's
rest, and woke up Sunday morning to go to church. After church we went
to lunch with my parents and their 5 foster kids. (They were able to
come down Saturday afternoon for the party). After lunch we returned to
our house and the kids all went outside to play soccer. It was very
hard for Jael to keep up with the other kids, and she began to be
frustrated. She also became over-stimulated again. Her walking became
more sloppy, and she was losing her balance a little easier. By Sunday
night she was very tired, and I knew that she had had a very busy
weekend, but I didn't realize how much it affected her until Monday.
She woke up Monday and was not happy about anything. The clothes were
not right, the shoes didn't fit right, kindergarten wasn't right, etc.
It was a really rough day for her. I had a chance to talk to both of
her therapists about it today, and they both agreed that this was still
just a part of Jael that will eventually fade away. I thought back to
the county fair two months ago, and realized that Jael can handle a
little more stimulation than before, but we will continue to keep an eye
on how much stimulation she receives.

We have appreciated the notes and calls of encouragement we continue to
receive. It means so much to us, as we are still on the road to
recovery. You have blessed us all so much, and we missed seeing so many
of you this past Saturday. But remember that you are in our thoughts
and prayers, too.

If there are ever any questions you have, or areas of Jael's recovery
that I have not discussed that you are interested in, please feel free
to email, and I will answer. Sometimes we are right in the middle of
it all, and forget to share everything that's going on (plus, how much
of everything do you want to know?)
Well, it's about time to go know. Thank you again for all you have done
with your love and support,
Jeff and Dawn

Subject: You're Invited!
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 23:00:26 -0700
From:Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net

Hi Everyone!

Well, first things first...
Yes, you are all invited to join us for our "Thank You" Open House. We
really want to say thanks so much to each of you. For some it has been
the practical... meals, watching the girls, doing my laundry (yes, you
know who you are). For others it has been financially (and what a
blessing that has been!). And there have been so many gifts, not only
for Jael (she has the best stuffed animal collection I have seen), but
many of you have remembered the other girls and Jeff and I. Thank you
thank you! But the biggest thanks of all is for the continued prayer
coverage. I just can't say thanks enough. Also, we are inviting the
many people who have helped with Jael's recovery from the beginning to
now... the police and fire depts., the er staff which did an incredible
job, the many doctors and therapists, too. It is just a small way that
we can show our appreciation to each of you. So, if you're not busy...
This upcoming Saturday night, Oct. 24 at our church...
Jerome Prairie Bible church in the discipleship bldg from 6:30 to 8:00
(if you need directions, give me a call)
I know many of you who are so far away will be unable to make it, but
this is for you, too. I only wish there was a way to show you our
thanks, too.

Now, onto our lives...
Things are going well with us. I don't know if you could tell the past
few weeks, but I was discouraged and feeling sorry for myself. Pity
parties are never really that fun by yourself. But that's where I
was. And now, again I see God's healing touch on Jael, and I am so
encouraged. It's the little things I see her doing that mean so much.
This past week I was sending out invitations for a friend's baby shower,
and I needed to tri-fold sheets of paper. Jael asked if she could help,
and while I doubted that she could do it, she proved me wrong! She did
a great job and seemed to enjoy the challenge of lining up the sides of
the paper. It is an improvement of her fine motor skills, showing that
OT is paying off.
Jael also decided tonight before bed that she would give me a puppet
show. I was unsure what to expect, but this was way beyond what I
thought her skill level would be. You see, not only did she have 4
different characters for her show, but she used different voices for
each one. And each one had their own little "act". It was so sweet.
She struggled at times, but it's almost like you could see the wheels
turning in her head while she thought these things through. It was
incredible time for me to see that yes, she is improving and how
thankful I need to be.

Maybe that's why I am having an attitude adjustment from the way I felt
a few weeks ago. I think another good encouragement for me was our
pastor's message this morning. You see, I had always heard and believed
that God will never give you more than you can handle. But James
pointed out this morning that yes, God will give you more than you can
handle so that you have to rely on Him. Wow, what a concept. It made
everything that has gone on these past four months seem so much easier.
I don't have to be the perfect mom, or the person who can "handle it
all" because I can give it over to God. And I will rely on Him to help
me handle it all. And so I keep on learning....

Our love and thanks to each of you. See you Saturday night!
Love, Dawn

Subject: Jael goes to Kindergarten
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 20:12:20 -0700
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!
I hope all is well with each of you, and that you, too, are starting to
see the leaves changing colors. I am reminded once again during this
time of year that I am getting a little bit older. Must have something
to do with changing of seasons. And we once again see God bringing more
changes into our lives.....
Jael was invited to return to Grace Preschool where she had attended the
three year old and four year old classes. She is not in preschool
there, but in the kindergarten class, which is also where Jana is
enrolled. When her teacher, Debbie, approached us about having Jael go
there it wasn't that difficult of a decision to make. The many projects
that the kindergartners do are very similar to what Jael does in speech
and OT. This will just enhance Jael's re-learning and thinking skills.
And it has given me a chance to take a breather. I now have four
afternoons a week with just Jeanette, our littlest one, home with me. I
am able to focus more on the house (the housekeeper thing hasn't worked
out), and having time to actually feel like I am able to accomplish some
things. I am just making sure that I schedule therapy around school
time, and so far it hasn't been a problem. Jael's therapists have all
been very supportive of her attending kindergarten, too. Her OT,
Debbie, even pointed out that the peer pressure may be good for Jael in
a positive way because she will be seeing other kids her age (most are
within one year of her age) doing tasks and not giving up on them. I
can still see Jael get frustrated at times, but Mrs. Dennis is very
encouraging. The class just enjoyed a trip to an apple orchard and both
Jael and Jana came home with their own bag of fresh-picked apples.
Jael's stamina is improving alot, too, as we can spend a day at school,
and then drive to Medford for therapy, come home and she still has
energy. It's a real blessing to see! Her therapies also continue to go
well, and I am encouraged by the progress I see. Please continue to
pray for Jael's thought-process, as this is where I can still see the
most delays in her recovery.

As for the others in our family - last weekend Jennifer and I began to
argue over something silly (like cleaning her room - typical for a
pre-adolescent), and all of a sudden she began crying and asking why?
Why do I always have to go to Medford? Why are we always so busy? Why
did this happen? It's hard to explain to a 10 year old the sovereignty
of God, but I tried to help her know He loves us more than anything. We
had a good time crying, and holding each other. First time since the
accident. But you know, she said she felt so much better afterwards.
And we talked about this just being a time in our lives where we totally
have to trust God, because we don't have all the answers. The strangest
thing was the next night Jillian started to cry and had questions for
me, too. She hadn't been with Jenn and I, so maybe it was just finally
everything hitting at once. But her questions were of a different
sort. They were the "What if" questions. What if Jael would have
died? What would we do with our house? (It's hard to know where 7 year
olds get their questions sometimes). What if we had to stay at the
hospital longer? We cried and held each other, too. She talked of her
feeling guilty, too, because she was at the street and didn't stop Jael
from running across. Man, it's been hard for them. I'm glad they could
share their feelings with me. They have had to make alot of
adjustments, too. But God is with our family each and every day!

Last night we attended a hay ride/bonfire hosted by some of our friends,
and had a great time. Jael had a super time, but again we could tell
when she became over stimulated. There were about 8 families attending,
but that meant about 28 kids, and it became kind of crazy for a while -
you know, kids running around having a great time. But it seemed after
a while she was trying to keep up with the older ones running around,
and because she couldn't, she became frustrated. She thought she would
then kick the older kids. It was hard, but we had to explain to her a
couple of time that it was not acceptable. Kind of like back to a two
year old. She even had to sit out of the games for a while. We have to
re-teach some of those basic concepts a couple of times to have them
sink in.

I thank you for your continued prayers and support. If any of you are
going to be in the Grants Pass area on October 24 we would like to
invite you to a Thank You Open House. It's our desire just to say
thanks to the many people who have supported us these past 4 months.
>From 6:30 to 8:00 we will be having an informal get-together for our
family, friends, and the many emergency/medical teams and rehab teams
that have helped us. We are not sure of the location yet, but will post
it as soon as possible. We hope to see you to express our thanks, even
if you're able to only stop by briefly.
Our love and thanks to each of you,
Dawn

Subject: Update from the Boyds
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 17:42:01 -0700
From: Jeff Boyd theboyds@cdsnet.net

Hi everyone!
We hope all is well with each of you. We are continuing to see God's
hand in our lives, and our excited to share with you the many changes
going on here. For now, we see Jael's continued progress in so many
areas. Her physical therapy is going well; we are looking forward to
having therapy reduced to every other week. My only concern is when the
rainy weather starts, we will be unable to do "outdoor" things. But we
will improvise at best as possible. One of the games we will be doing
at home is "hopscotch", which is a good coordination/balance activity.
Jael continues to run, and jump, and now can go up and down steps with
the greatest of ease, and without holding onto the railings! It is
incredible to watch her! This is the same child that just about 6 weeks
ago was unable to step more than one at a time. I am awed at God's
goodness.
As for OT, Debbie gave us a copy of her official recommendation, which
went to Jael's primary doctor. It discussed her evaluation, and
assessment of Jael's skills and behavior. There is also the list of
short term goals and long term goals, along with an approximate duration
plan. So it looks like we will be continuing OT once a week(an hour at
a time) for the next 12 weeks. The "problem" list consists of ataxia
(tremors), significant developmental delay with fine motor skills,
decreased frustration tolerance and decreased motor planning and
right/left confusion. Our goals include short term and long term.
Short term are tying both shoes independently (we are almost there),
bounce and catch a playground ball 3x's consecutively, and motor plan 3
consecutive dance moves in a rhythmical fashion. We are hoping for
these to take place within 6 weeks. Long term goals are for Jael to be
able to copy the alphabet on lined paper using appropriate spacing and
letter height, placing 20 pennies into a square within 30 seconds one at
a time, and being able to follow right/left and spatial directions
during motor and paper writing tasks. Long term goals we hope to
achieve by 12 weeks, which puts us at Christmas time. Wouldn't it be
great to be discharged by then? Jael works hard during OT, but I still
see her frustration at things she can't do. Or doesn't want to do
because they are challenging to her. Again, this is a result from her
TBI, but we are working on ways to encourage her, and motivate her.
Debbie does a great job helping Jael get over those "I can't" moments.
I am trying to figure out something at home that will help motivate,
also.
As for speech, Jael's testing has finally been all scored. Sharon had
been very busy, but we are now ready to start our plan of helping Jael
improve her "thought process", which is where she scored the lowest on
her scholastic testing. There were areas where she scored within 6
months of her age, and she even scored above average in her story
telling capabilities, but because there were other areas which were
lower, we have decided it is best to continue with speech at an
increased pace for now. Over the next 4 weeks we will be having speech
twice a week, and then if things are going well, we will decrease to
once a week. Sharon was very helpful in deciding what curriculums will
be best for Jael's home schooling, and knowing that we will still have
to be flexible. We will be repeating most of kindergarten at first, but
Sharon feels that Jael will make leaps and bounds in her school work.
And so, we are continuing to Medford 2 to 3 times a week for the next 4
weeks, and then we will see where we go from there.
This past week Jael also had an eye exam. Everything went great, and
her vision is excellent. Another praise!
Also, Jeff and I had an excellent trip to the coast. It was a great
time of R&R, and we came home and felt relaxed and ready to continue our
busy life. We continue to adjust, and are seeing God's hand in our
lives. School is going well with Jenn and Jills. I miss them terribly,
but I know with how busy I am, I would be unable to give them any sort
of education right now. And so, God is blessing us still. I am amazed
at His goodness.
In His Name,
Dawn

Subject:  A long overdue update....
Date:  Fri, 18 Sep 1998 23:22:30 -0700
From: Jeff Boyd <theboyds@cdsnet.net>

Hello everyone!
So sorry that we have been out of touch for so long. I hadn't realized
how long until I saw the last update was 8/29. I am so sorry. Such is
the life of someone who is a slave to the electronic age. Our computer
got sick about 3 weeks ago, and today we finally got the disk needed to
re-load the modem. We also had to reload the hard drive. For those
of you unfamiliar with computer speak, that means we were unable to be
internet capable until tonight. I am just thankful that I have a
husband who understands all of this, and is able to do the technical
stuff.
Well, for our update....
September has been a very challenging month for us so far. I have
probably had the most difficult times these past few weeks since Jael's
accident. It seems like the changes that God is bringing about in our
family are really hitting home now, much more than before. I am finding
out what types of stress I handle well, and what areas I need to rely on
the Lord even more for.
I will begin with changes for Jael. For physical therapy, she is
improving rapidly. She has permission to run, and does so very well.
She is even running on our driveway, and keeps her balance. She has
permission to roller skate and ride her bike, though training wheels had
to be once again attached. She rides my excersize bike and throws a
ball with pretty good accuracy. She will toss a nerf ball into a basket
on the floor, slowly stepping further and further away, and I am amazed
at how often she will "score". As for catching a ball, we continue to
work with the 12" ball, and she is improving with that skill. Her right
side has caught up with her left side, answering a prayer for many of
us. She has wonderful strength in both hands/arms, and her right leg
and foot are almost as strong as her left. Her PT, Janette, has now
reduced Jael's sessions to once every other week, starting the first
week in Oct.
As for Occupational Therapy, Jael continues to meet with Debbie once a
week, on Fridays. She spends an hour each week working on "fine motor"
skills, which includes writing, drawing, puzzles, lacing & tying shoes,
etc. Jael enjoys most of these tasks, but if she finds them to be
challenging, she will try to get out of doing them. Then we have to
make it a game for her - two more times for Debbie's task, then Jael can
pick which one she wants to do. One of Debbie's goals is that Jael will
stay on a task for 20 minutes without becoming tired of it. Jael can
now tie her shoes with minimal coaching, which is an improvement. We
will continue at least another 4 weeks in a row, then perhaps go to
every other week.
As for speech, things have been rather slow the past few weeks. Jael
finished a multitude of tests to score her in many areas - language,
speech development, analytical, and scholastic just to name a few. The
therapist, Sharon, has just finished scoring the tests and I will be
meeting her next week to discuss where Jael is and where she needs to
be, and what is the best way to get her there. We will be going over
Jael's schoolwork last year, and what will work best for this year.
Then I will be ordering Jael's homeschooling curriculum. One of the
curious things is that speech and OT will somewhat overlap in this area
because while Jael needs to be doing schoolwork she is not quite ready
for "traditional" 1st grade curriculum yet. And so while she needs to
be writing her spelling words and such, she shouldn't yet use the
regular lined paper that would usually be used. It is too conforming
for her yet, her fine motor skills are not to that level. And so, we
use a chalkboard so she can write her letter as big as she needs to.
And we also have a "magna doodle" to use for letters and words, and her
numbers. Debbie (our OT) even suggested letting Jael write in finger
paints, or shaving cream, or Jell-O granules. Anything that will make
it fun, but not overly challenging right now. So we will be very
creative in our homeschooling with Jael this year. Our therapists will
be on our "team" for this. We have begun re-learning the sounds of the
alphabet, and much of it is just refresher. Jael is able to read our
"Bob" Books, which she had learned last year, but I think much of it is
memorized. I am excited to see what she will learn this year.
As for the older two girls, and school, well, they are now going to our
local elementary school This was one of the most difficult decisions I
have ever made. The girls have been homeschooled since Jenn was in
kindergarten, which made this a very big step for us. But for now I am
unable to give the girls the time and attention needed for
homeschooling. It is not "the best thing in the world" as some would
think, but it is a necessity at this time in our lives. As for next
year, we cannot even think that far ahead. But we are adjusting.
Please pray for Jenn and Jillian as they adapt and learn, and we
continue to press on, asking God for His continued guidance, especially
in this area.
The girls are doing well, and now we have had two weeks of school, and
are going on to week three, I see it getting easier for all of us each
day. This is just one of many changes God is bringing into our lives.
As for Jeff and I - well, we are continuing to see how this has (is)
affected our lives. I guess the hardest part was last week for me. I
am so tired at times. Not so much because I am going to Medford a few
times a week, but keeping up with everything on top of it. I have
reached the point of hiring someone to come in once or twice a week to
help with the house. It is very difficult to know that there is one or
two days a week where I don't have to go anywhere, but then spend that
whole day cleaning, laundry, and playing catch-up. And so we are
bringing some one in just for a few hours a week to help. I feel bad,
but it's either that or the girls and Jeff have to live with the meanest
mom in Grants Pass. Other changes have been the school factor, which
was so rough for me, but I am finding that getting up earlier in the
morning really has helped. Another change at home now has been the "no"
factor in my life. Before, I would readily volunteer to help out for
different ministry opportunities, but now I am unable to do those
things. I think right now I look at that as more of a blessing, and
will probably spend much more time in prayerful consideration before
jumping in when asked in the future. Time is a precious commodity,
especially when you have children.
The other challenge Jeff and I have faced recently has been the
acceptance and mourning for what has been lost. More than anything, I
don't want to sound callous to those who have lost a child. We could
never understand what that pain is like. Our loss is so less than
that. And yet, we have lost Jael in a sense. Yes, she is here with
us. But she is not the same little girl we had on June 12. There are
physical changes in her that she will overcome. Her bruises have
healed, and her scars are beginning to fade. She will walk and talk,
and many times now we have heard that you can't even tell that she had
been in an accident. But we know. Her laugh is not the same. Her
speech has a different tone. And the most difficult part is
acknowledging that this will indeed affect for the rest of her life.
There may be times when everything is smoothly sailing along, and then
an age will hit where there will be struggles and challenges that only a
TBI patient will face. It has been so difficult. But God is so good.
His hand is upon Jael's life in such a powerful way. While the
challenges are difficult, and the road looks rocky, I know that God has
already laid out his plans.
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to
prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
This verse has come to mind so many times. In the times of tears and
discouragement, and in the times of hopes and confidence. And yeah,
lately it's been the time of tears and discouragement. But I have hope
and confidence in the God of all plans.
Thank you for your continued prayers - pray for Jeff and I while we take<