More Therapy Videos




Josh is walking with both leg braces unlocked at the knee. He just
started doing this about a week ago. This is GREAT progress for him.



See Josh up close as he walks with both leg braces unlocked at the knee.



Josh working his leg muscles while doing "stand-ups". I think the
arms are getting quite a workout too. Buff!



More leg-muscle work in the gym.

More Hunting

Josh went to Hamilton to go hunting with the Berens this past week. He left right after therapy on Wednesday and came home late Saturday night. I think he is the luckiest beginning hunter because he got a doe on opening day (Thursday) and then got a buck on Saturday afternoon. Plus he got a doe and a buck at Legends Ranch over Labor Day Weekend, and he got a small buck during a handicapped hunting weekend in October. I bet you can guess what is filling up our freezer this fall!

Josh is in his glory. He LOVES hunting. He has shot squirrels and pheasants as well. He will be heading back out to Hamilton again this coming Wednesday and will probably stay until the weekend. We will miss Josh for Thanksgiving, but it brings me extreme joy to see him so happy and moving on with his life. Besides his wonderful physical therapy, this is the best kind of therapy for his spirit. Josh is a different person (in a VERY GOOD way) since he has filled his life with hunting and the Berens. They are the most wonderful people you could ever meet. They just love Josh and find so much joy in seeing him happy. And they all get to go hunting together!!!

Clarks in Saginaw

We finally got to meet the Clarks. I have been cooresponding with Mrs. Clark (Charee) for several weeks now. Her son (Chad) was in a motorcycle accident in July this year and he is struggling with being paralyzed. I could hear the hurt and despair in Charee's CarePage postings and I knew we had to meet and share our experiences with them and give them some hope. We have also found out over the past 3 1/2 years that you have to know people in order to find out what is available for people in wheelchairs and their families. Now we can share what we have found and pass it on, like others have done for us.

The Clarks were going to be sharing their testimony at their church today, so Josh and I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet them. We have tried to get together for a few weeks, but it just hadn't worked out, so we surprised them today at their church. They ended up inviting us to their home to share dinner together before we headed back home. Since Charee and I have been emailing back and forth, it felt like visiting a good friend when we finally met today. They had lots of questions for Josh and he was in his element sharing what he had experienced and learned over the last 3 years.

These are exciting times now since we are at a point where we can help someone else out that is just starting out on the same road we have already traveled. I think this is the beginning of a great friendship between our two families. As Chad and Josh get to know each other better, I think great things are going to happen for both of them.

The two boys have so much in common. They both love the outdoors and hunting. They both are adventuresome and stubborn, hate to read and dislike school. They are a perfect match - two peas in a pod! I think Josh will love hanging out at their house because they have lots of land around them where the two boys could roam around in. Chad also has a collection of hunting guns that Josh took an interest in. Chad hunted before his accident but hasn't been hunting yet because he is still getting his strength back and also learning how to deal with his paralysis. I'm sure he can teach Josh some things about hunting; and even though Josh has just started hunting this fall, he can show Chad the little tricks he has learned about hunting in a wheelchair.

What a wonderful week we have had. Josh went hunting, plus we got to meet the Clarks. What more could you ask for? Well, we could ask for healed bodies, but we will settle for this right now. God will take care of the healings. He's pretty good at that. :)

Sue

Stem Cell Procedures

Quite a few people that go to Josh's physical therapy are also involved with stem cell procedures. All of the procedures take the stem cells from the patient's own body. The bad part is that these procedures are not done in the United States. I can't wait for them to be done here. Then hopefully they won't cost so much.

Each person has seen significant results from these procedures. If you go to Portugal you can have stem cells taken from inside your nose (close to the brain) and then surgically placed on the spine at the injury site. If you go to Russia, you can have stem cells taken from your bone marrow and then injected into the spine at the site of injury. You must go back for more injections every 3 months or so. That's not very convenient.

This past Saturday a family went to Russia for another injection. They took copies of Josh's MRIs of his spine on CDs. The doctor will let us know if Josh can benefit from their procedure. I'm sure he will be a perfect candidate. The money situation scares me big-time. It costs A LOT of $$$$.

Sue

Legends Ranch Slide Show

Legends Ranch
Bitely, MI
August 30 - September 2, 2007


The pictures will tell you everything about "THE HUNT".



Got an 8-point buck the first night! Don't we look proud!
Josh, Dad, and Ken (Josh's sponsor)





Got the doe the second night.

Front: Josh & his deer

Back (L to R): Dad, Ken (sponsor), and Gary (Josh's guide).
**The guide does more than hang out with Josh in the

deer blind, he also guts, skins, and cuts the deer up.

Thank you, Gary!





A little advertisement for Cabela's.
Josh won a trophy for "On Target Marksman".
He shot each deer right where they told him to
hit them. Way to go, Josh!



Photo-Op time!

Josh, his guide, and other campers.

The rest of the campers with their "catch".

Caleb and Josh (in respective uniforms).

Caleb is home on leave for a few days

before he is deployed again in October.

Well, that should sum it all up nicely.

Both Dad and son came home with stories

to tell and spirits refreshed.

Mom likes that!

P.S. Verna brought Isaiah and I up for the Sunday breakfast and church service. I got a little taste of what their weekend was like. They had a hard time convincing me that they were "roughing it" since they had a talented cook on staff, enjoyed all the ice-cream shakes, coffee, and hot chocolate they wanted, slept in comfortable beds in a beautiful lodge, and the list goes on. They said they had to start their days extremely early, so that made it "rough".

Thank you Outdoors Without Limits for

sponsoring Josh to go to Legends Ranch this year.

What a wonderful opportunity for Josh.

I'm sure he made his Grandpa Stricker proud.

I just wish he could have been here to see Josh's catch.

A special thanks to Ken & Verna, who took an extra

interest in Josh. Ken made sure Josh got lots of shooting

practice in, allowed Josh to hang out with the family,

and has invited Josh to do some more hunting with

him this fall/winter. I think Josh has a new huntin'

buddy. And I know we all have some wonderful

new friends (we would have never met, otherwise).

We have an awesome God!

A Hunting We Will Go!

Josh will be going on a hunt this August. A group called "Outdoors Without Limits" (formerly known as Wheelin' Sportsmen) has sponsored Josh to go on a hunt. They do this every year and this is Josh's lucky year. One family from the group has taken Josh under their wing. The husband (Ken) takes Josh out for shooting practice and then feeds him. You can't ask for more than that!!! This couple truly has a heart for people. They live about 40 minutes away, but they come and pick Josh up and take him back to where they live to do the shooting practice and then bring him home. I have offered to drive one direction, but they won't hear of it.

Today, Ken picked up Josh to hang out at a shooting tournament and then will take Josh back out to his place for a steak dinner with his family. Josh is just loving all this. Since Josh started shooting guns, he has bought a BB gun. I didn't even know Josh liked hunting and shooting guns.

I am so thankful for this couple and the "Outdoors Without Limits" group. They are making a huge difference for disabled young people. Josh has some really "down" moments in his life since the accident, but it's people like these that take the wounded spirit and lovingly lead it back to a healthy outlook. I hope that made sense? I am truly thankful for these people. Somehow the love from others can get through to a teenager's mind and heart where a parent can't.

We will let you know how the hunt went in a September update. By the way, they require a parent to come along, so Eric will get to go too. A little father-son bonding!

More Videos!

Josh is crawling forward across the gym. He actually crawled down the ramp to the gym and then across it.

Then he crawled backwards the whole way back. He can crawl much faster backwards, as you can see!

Josh is working on his leg muscles on a sliding board. I am amazed at what he can do now. He is receiving a lot of help from the therapist, but eventually he will do more and more on his own.

Josh walking on the track with his leg braces and walker. His knees are in the locked position. You have probably noticed that Josh is not wearing the support device around his middle anymore. He rarely needs it.

Josh is walking with his leg braces and the parallel bars.

More Videos



Josh walking on treadmill while suspended.



Standing and bending knees, all without leg braces.
This should get those muscles working again.



Standing...bending at knee and coming back up, all without the
use of leg braces. More strengthening of the leg muscles.



Walking on knees at the parallel bars. This works the leg muscles.



Walking backwards on knees at parallel bars.



Working the leg muscles with the use of weights and the support
of the therapist.



More leg-muscle work using weights. Concentrate on those
muscles Josh!

Lot's of Good Stuff Going On!

I got to see Josh in therapy yesterday, which was a real treat since I hadn't been up there in a looooong time. I have to get more pictures and video of his new workouts. He is doing more with his legs while on the exercise machines. Last time I went they were only working on his upper body to get that area BUFF! Now they are actually concentrating on his abs and leg muscles. YES! They even had him suspended over a treadmill while two therapist positioned his legs in a walking motion. Oh, this is getting GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will get some pictures and video to show you the proof. He is sitll working on crawling and walking with leg braces. It is a slooooow process, but it is paying off. I don't know how soon I will be able to get up to Josh's theapy again, but when I do...I will be packing a camera!

Nothing New

I guess we haven't updated in quite awhile. There isn't anything new. Josh is still going faithfully to therapy in Rockford. He has developed a pressure sore and has a few other spots that are not due to pressure.

Josh is not one to turn down a challenge...so now he holds many records at the Rockford SCI Recovery location. He has crawled all the way around the track, he has "walked" the fastest around the track, and holds the record for the most revolutions per hour on the Giger (kind of like an upside down bike). After setting that record he ended up having some sores on his heels and behind his knees due to friction against his shoes and against wraps used to hold his legs in place. He has visited a Wound Clinic to address these issues. We go again next week for a follow-up.

Josh has appeared in the October issue of the Grand Rapids Family Magazine. It was a very nice article about the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association. They included a picture of Josh in therapy on the Giger machine. We have a celebrity in the family!

Life is still full of ups and downs. Just being a teenager has a lot to do with this roller coaster ride. I am hoping those hormones settle and the "attitude" matures soon. I am starting to see glimpes of that happening... even though very slight.

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. We do have a lot to be thankful for.

Sue

Still Going Great!

Josh has been going pretty faithfully to therapy this summer. He is making great progress. He has been continuing to work hard on his walking with the leg braces and walker. He starts out walking with the legs straight, then one knee in unlocked so that it will bend at the appropriate times. It will support Josh by staying straight when his weight is over it properly. That has been the toughest part for Josh. He has to get the "feel" of the proper weight shift on the leg that is "unlocked" so that it will support him. Just in the last week or so they have unlocked both legs at the same time for a short period. By the time he finishes up with that his arms and hands (gripping the handles of walker) are so tired from supporting his whole body. On Monday he did a super job crawling. He went a long distance in a short amount of time.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) opened this branch at Champion Sports in Rockford last December. Josh started there in February. Josh was one of their first clients. They started out with just a few therapists and equipment, and have now grown tremendously in both areas. Josh is using new pieces of equipment all the time. And the people are coming from all over the country. Some have come from Florida and several from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The word is getting out! This is THE PLACE to come for the "cutting-edge" therapy for those with spinal cord injuries. Even people of notoriety (from this area) have come for therapy.

Several have traveled outside the US for stem cell surgery and many of the patients have been in the newspaper or on TV because of the great public interest in their progress. Some made the news because they were able to "walk" across the platform to get their school diplomas. Josh will be in the Grand Rapids Magazine (local magazine) soon. A reporter for the magazine came to one of Josh's basketball practices and wanted to do an article about disabled sports players. They may have interviewed others on the team, but they talked quite a bit with Josh and I and even came to Josh's therapy to take pictures. We'll let you know when it comes out.

School starts soon. Please pray that Josh will buckle down and GET IT DONE! He is not into academics and he has a few extra credits to make up in order to graduate next Spring.

Physical Therapy

Here is Josh with his new braces. Right now he is walking in the "locked-knee" mode. The next video shows him with one knee unlocked.

This is a taste of what is to come. It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but Josh is ready for it.

Physical Therapy

Here is what we've been waiting for. Here is Josh in his NEW leg braces. It will take some time to get used to the knees bending and not supporting his weight. Right now they have one leg straight and one that bends. He is a little frustrated right now since it demands more concentration to position the leg and foot properly to get the knee mechanism to do its job. He'll get it with a little time.

Once he gets this down, he will be able to spend more time up out of his chair so he doesn't have to deal with skin break-down. Not a pretty sight!

Physical Therapy

This contraption takes a person from a sitting position to a standing position and then allows them to move their legs. This was the first time that Josh tried it. He will most likely be using many more times.

Sorry about the crick in your neck. I will make sure my camera is positioned correctly so you don't end up having to see a chiropractor!

Video of Therapy...
At Last

I did my research and found a way to put video of Josh's therapy on this site. Yippy!!! Now you can see him in action!

Josh has been working very hard and is progressing very well. Josh has kept up his weight training after his accident and that has been a great asset. He is able to do more than the others that don't have his upper-body strength.

Today he got to use his new leg-braces. They bend at the knee automatically just when they should bend during normal walking. Josh was so proud of the fact they he was able to use the braces in this automatic setting on the first day after getting the braces. I guess the others have all had to use the "straight-legged" position for about a month before using them in the bending mode. He walked at least half way around the track with those braces, which is around 280 feet. What an exciting day.

I plan on watching Josh on Friday and if I don't forget to take the camera, I will get some video of Josh in his new braces. I can't wait!

Sue

Physical Therapy

This is called a Giger Pro. It works Josh's legs to help create new nerve pathways to the brain to get Josh walking again.

Physical Therapy

Sorry this is side-ways. I will have to remember to take my videos in "landscape" mode so it will apprear correctly.

If you cock your head to one side you will see how BUFF Josh is!

Physical Therapy

Josh does exercises on the equipment in the gym part of the Champion Sports facility.

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling forward up the ramp. He was able to crawl backwards first. So, this is quite an accomplishment to go forward UP a ramp. Yes, we see you Josh! Nice job! Keep it up!!!!!

Physical Therapy

Josh is crawling on his own backwards up a ramp during physical therapy. This is the easiest way for him to crawl so he can do it quickly.