Tuesday, August 10, 2010

And that is Ella Mae...

Just a couple weeks ago, Ella had her annual check-up over at Children's Hospital.  It is a full schedule of tests, questions, evaluations, more tests and it basically adds up to a lot of people asking a lot of questions and a lot of people poking & proding.

And this goes on for 3 days in a row.

Some kids would end up in a heap of tears, either embarrassed or tired or exhausted.
But Ella was incredible. She continues to amaze us with her engaging personality which seems to thrive in these kind of situations.

At the end of day two we were meeting with her main doctor, Dr. Walker (pictured below) to talk about everything from diet to braces, from shunt function to bathroom stuff, and so on. A new resident was sitting in on our session so she could learn from Dr. Walker. As he reviewed Ella's latest appointments and reports on the computer, the resident tried some small talk with Ella.

Resident: "So how old are you?"
Ella: "I just turned 5. And I got to ride a horse for my birthday!"
R: "Wow! What was the horse's name?"
E: "Freed, it was a girl horse and it was Mr. Grette's horse and he only lets really special people ride her."
R: "Free?"
E: "No, Freed. F-R-E-E-D" (with much emphasis on the D).
R: "Oh, I see."
Dr. Walker with a huge smile on his face: "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Ella Mae McPherson. If you can't get it right, SHE will set you straight."
Dr. Walker and aforementioned resident...

We all got a great chuckle as the resident realized what a sharp little lady she was chatting with! :o)

Ella did a wonderful job of being patient, flexible and sweet...which is just what we thought she'd do. Overall, her reports were encouraging. No big surprises and for that we are thankful.
We will continue to stay the course we are on...with some increases in medication and a few adjustments to diet & schedule.
Dr. Ojeman, Pediatric Neurosurgeon. Because of this man and the surgery he performed on Ella when she was only 14 hours old...she is able to walk. Ella loves him.
Demonstrating her walker skills for the physical therapist...
Hanging with grandma between appointments...

Once again, we were overwhelmed by the grace of the Lord in our lives. We are so thankful for Ella Mae...her life, her joy, her personality, her challenges, her smile and the numerous gifts the Lord has given her. And as we were surrounded by countless other families with similar and often, heartbreaking stories, we were thankful beyond words for the gift of our daughter.

Our beautiful gift of God...our Ella Mae.