Here are two videos of Pádraig. Both absolutely spectacular. Think back or read the first year of this blog as a reminder and compare.

Even last year, when we tried to walk with Pádraig in Pforzheim, he (or was it us?) needed four people to do what we did this year with just two of us: I supported Pádraig from the back, and a lead therapist helped him to move his feet forward.

 

Pádraig has been using his arm, hands and fingers purposefully before. But today, he found a different purpose. He checked out the controls for a remote control car his therapist here in Garding gave him (just the remote, not the car:).

As we watched him using the controls, we thought that there are wheelchairs, not just toy cars, that can be controlled by joy sticks.

This week, our last week in Tating, Pádraig has a full diary. Dentist in Meldorf, assistive technology in Kiel, ‘swinging seat’ specialist in Büsum, as well as two hours of occupational therapy.

We’ll also have a meeting with builders who will adapt the place while we are away to make it easier for Pádraig to move between the rooms and to use the bathroom.

While all of this is happening, we are in the process of starting a partnership with one of Germany’s biggest and oldest charities supporting sick, disabled and socially disadvantaged persons, bethel.de.

Exciting times! Absolutely!