Dear family and friends,

We have recently had Antonia’s blood tested in order to make sure there were no infections before we took our next step with the stem cell treatment. The doctor discovered she had yeast in her system, and so Antonia has had to be taking this nasty swish and swallow medicine to take care of it. We will soon be taking another blood test and speaking with the doctor about out next step in the process. We do ask that you pray that God would give us wisdom in this.

I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that Antonia’s mood has made some overall improvements. It is the kind of thing you don’t really notice until she gets upset and then you remember how much more often it used to occur—and what a blessing that is.

I have also noticed that in general her sleeping is much better. She will almost always sleep until about 6am, and then she begins to stir, but then I turn on the radio and she is content for a while longer.

Another encouraging improvement that we have noticed is an increase in her articulation. Antonia has been able to say “s”, “k”, “d”, and other tough letters that were impossible for her to articulate not that long ago. Because of this, one of the blessings that we haven’t always noticed is that we don’t need to translate for people as often as we used to. Whenever Antonia gains some independence, it is always a welcomed blessing.

Last week Antonia went to the University of Washington for some physical fitness and was riding on an exercise bike with handles that go back and forth for the arms, and she rode it for thirty-five minutes. This was a very significant amount of time that surprised us and the physical therapists. She seems to always do things that encourage us, or suprise us, which cause us to thank God for her progress.

Blessings,
Dean