Amber Brings us Joy.

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."
~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Amber continues to do a little better each day. She still has the trach, which means she can't speak yet, but she mouths a lot of things. We're getting better and better at reading lips, but praying that she remains patient with us!

On Friday, she was able to slowly lift her arm all by herself as a natural reflex to scratch an itch on her cheek. We were stunned! Natural reflexes and muscle strength are such a good sign. She also was able to lift her head off the bed slightly for a few seconds, at the nurse's request, and amazed us all with her strength and control. She continues to work with the physical therapist daily, which is certainly helping her to regain muscle control, little by little.

Although Amber cannot yet talk and still sleeps a good portion of the day, she is all "Amber" with her sweet smiles, her laughs, and her mouthed "I love yous." This is still a slow-going process and it's certainly a challenge, as you can imagine recovery is after being virtually immobile for five weeks now, but we are incredibly overjoyed with her progress and the miracle that is taking place. Our Father in Heaven has blessed her and our family beyond measure. The wonderful doctors and dedicated and loving nursing staff are so good to Amber. They love her and have been so excited to "meet" her this week. "Just wait until we bring her back, up walking and talking. You'll love her even more," we tell them.

Amber is such a strong woman, a woman of faith and dedication. We know that she is pushing herself each day to "exercise" so that she can recover and regain her strength quickly and return home to her family. Her strength and determination inspire us and bring us such joy.
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