“Country of origin: Germany. Not suitable for human consumption.” (Herkunftsland: Deutschland. Nicht zum Verzehr geeignet.”) What is your first thought when you read this? Whatever you’re sinking, my first thought was that this is a pretty biased label. And I’m not making it up!

But the real strange thing about the label was that I found it when we were buying Christmas trees!

I mean: even if you were really enthusiastic about stuff originating in Germany (many people are:), would you need a word of caution telling you not to take out a bite off that Christmas tree? Come on! – This is like the allergy warning required by the EU that salmon might contain fish!

Life would be much less fun without this stuff. But it does seem to be a bit of waste. Especially as the label was in German, and it was fixed on tree for sale in Dublin! It’s irony is lost on most buyers! And if it was meant in earnest – what about those poor buyers not speaking German? Buyers who just might chew off a nice juicy branch?!

Back to normality.

This afternoon we went to a farewell party. A good friend and supporter will be heading back to Germany later next week. Her friends, most of them from Drogheda, gathered to bid her fare thee well! Although it was a long auld drive up North, Pádraig really enjoyed the trip and the party. It was sad to see our friend getting ready to go back to the ‘Heimat’, but good to be with here today to wish her all the best! She has already planned her next visit to Ireland so in reality it won’t be very long until we’ll see her again!

Look at this: can you believe it?

I find it hard to believe – although this is now part of Pádraig’s daily exercise routine. A year ago we were concerned that he might not be able to leave the NRH for Christmas. How things have changed!

But it doesn’t stop there.

Today we went into the mountains. That part of Wicklow where neighbours complained during Ireland’s boom time about the constant noise of private helicopters flying their celebrity owners in and out of their luxury mansions. For us, today was a little bit like that, only several ‘numbers’ smaller. Instead of a helicopter, we had a drone; and instead of a mansion we met in a beautiful wooden house the owner had christened ‘the shed’.

We met a group of the most interesting, smart, and entrepreneurial scientists and business people, all interested in developing the use of drones for people with disabilities – in the first instance for Frank and Pádraig.

The meeting was the kickoff for a formal project to develop ideas into prototypes and then into, hopefully, life-changing apps for wheelchair users. The two generic ideas we were discussing and (literally) playing with were (1) personalised real-time maps for wheelchair users assisting them to find the most wheelchair-friendly way to reach their destination and (2) enabling disabled persons to take part in extreme sports such as rock-climbing or para-gliding using live virtual reality technology.

It was an absolutely fantastic day – probably the longest day Pádraig had spent in his wheelchair in a long time, but really enjoyable for him. There was even a really nice birthday party for the leading scientist thrown in!

This was “an saol”, the dreamboaters going bananas in the mountains. Pure magic.

Friends gave us a voucher to go out together, all of us. So tonight, Pat and I went out to check the place out. To have an evening (well: an hour:) out together and to see whether there’d be enough space for all of us.

It’s a really nice place. Maybe 10, 15 minutes walk from the house.

So, one evening next week, that will be our evening out. Can’t wait.

A remarkable thing happened today. Two people, far away from each other, not knowing of each other, never mind knowing each other, said, independently, that they are 100% convinced that Pádraig will be able to walk. That he had that stamina and determination to get back up on his feet and walk. They weren’t trying to be nice, they were not prompted and they had no reason to say so.

I’m telling you: nothing, nothing is impossible. There are no boundaries. Limits imposed by laws of physics don’t exist. If you want something and you try really hard, you will get there. The hurt, the occasional disappointed, the despair, even the tears you’ll encounter on the way are just part of the journey. They come and go. All the time you’ll know that in the end the Dreamboat will float and you’ll be on it steering it towards the sea. Standing behind the wheel.

Keep going. Keep moving. Leave all these obstacles by the wayside. You’ll be getting there. Nothing and nobody will stop you.

This morning, the HSE published their 2017 Service Plan. On page 32, it commits the HSE to:

…establish an innovative pilot day service aimed at supporting people with severe acquired brain injuries.

So tonight, we are celebrating that we have managed to change the hearts and minds of people who now realise that the most vulnerable amongst us have a right to live their life with dignity and respect.

Pádraig with his perseverance and determination, never taking a ‘no’ for an answer, has done what a year ago seemed to be the impossible.

Dreamboaters, ahoy! Change is coming!

Absolutely exhausted. Can’t believe what 45 minutes in a pool can take out of you! Pádraig is getting so much better, kicking his legs (well, moving them up and down), stretching his arms, keeping his head above the water line.

It was a day when Pádraig got use of the Wonder Drug – not by prescription but because of the help of his friends.

Through a symposium I attended today in the University of Limerick, I came across a number of initiatives at national and international level promoting what the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, in their publication of October 2016, called a “Prescription for a Wonder Drug“. They were referring to nothing more and nothing less than regular physical activity – at a minimum 30 minutes a day.

They say that this “wonder drug” reduces the risk of diseases and even death by a huge percentage. For example, 30% all cause mortality risk reduction, lower risk of depression, dementia, and falls… and the list goes on… for the general population. There is a separate list showing the improvement in health with regular physical activity for those with chronic conditions such as heart disease, vascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Now, if physical exercise is so important, if it can be a life saver for those who are healthy, if it can dramatically improve chronic conditions – I, admittedly being a layman and all, I would say for someone who cannot or can only hardly move themselves, for someone who cannot stand unaided, it (physical activity) is an absolute must.

If you don’t move, you die. It’s just a matter of time – if you’re ‘lucky’ it’s a matter of a few years, it could be sooner. Not affording the opportunity of regular physical exercise through trained physios to severely injured, just because they are severely injured, while being fully aware of the dramatic consequences is… what?

About a year ago, when I asked the specialists in Ireland’s National Rehabilitation Hospital, the national experts, about their recommendation for Pádraig’s ongoing therapy requirements in the community they told me that they could not make those recommendations.

Repeat – they told me that they could not make such a recommendation.

Well – the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland has a 19-page “Prescription for a Wonder Drug”: Physical Activity.

A Wonder Drug denied to Pádraig and many, many others who suffered a severe brain injury, only and exclusively because of the severity of their injury.

Here am I, the innocent lay person, thinking: the more severe the injury, the more ‘severe’ the rehabilitation programme and help required – wondering what it is I am missing here? Because –

I want this Wonder Drug for Pádraig and the other survivors of severe acquired brain injuries. Not only is he as entitled to its prescription as is anybody else, he really deserves it because of his incredible motivation and self efficacy – both established, crucial factors leading to a positive outcome and, thus, to a “return of investment” (for the accountants amongst us).

(…) What we’ve seen is an underinvestment in education. And that means that people don’t know how to think, and that’s certainly not meant to be an insult to anyone: everybody  has to be taught how to think. It’s not natural to be able to weigh evidence and to be able to, crucially, realise that you might be wrong about something. (…) I think education is becoming a national security issue now.

Sometimes it is a good idea to read the paper, I would have missed this article about Brian Cox and his quote (see above), as I was catching up with last (!) weekend papers. We get the Irish Times delivered to our house every Saturday but at times it takes a while until I find the time to read it.

Since it wasn’t cold outside, not windy, and it didn’t rain (honestly – if this sounds to you like a mild Irish summer’s evening… this is exactly what it felt like), and Pádraig and I were on our own, we decided to go into town to see the lights and hear the buzz.

It was a great walk. Since we were there, we decided to go into the GPO and check out their new visitors’ centre telling the story of the historic role the Post Office played in the Rebellion (revolution?) in 1916. And what a visit that was! For the first time ever, we went out into the courtyard of this historic building where there is a very unusual monument to remember all the children caught in the crossfire of these historic days. There is also a wall with the names of all of those who were killed in 1916 fighting for Ireland to gain her freedom (compare that to the ‘wall’ in Glasnevin cemetery!).

Tonight, we’re both exhausted, but in a good way. Just thinking that we’ll have to do a bit of training before we’ll be able to do the Camino next year…

By the time we made it out to Bull Island it was getting dark. And a bit chilly. There were hardly any people left out there walking the 2k out to Realt la Mara (Mary, Queen of the Sea). To be honest, I had not planned to walk out the whole way with Pádraig, usually we drive almost all of it and then just walk the last 100 or 200 metres out to the statue. I have no idea what made me park the car on the coast road…

But what I first thought was a stupid error on my side turned out to be the beginning of a brilliant walk and a really nice evening.

The tide was in and the wind blew the salty smell of the sea right into our faces. It literally cleared my mind and made me think of all the wonderful things we are going to do together. What came to me first was that this was like a mini training session for our walk to Santiago – almost a quarter of what I’d think could be our daily average.

We arrived back just in time for mass celebrating the Third Sunday of Advent. Usually it’s Pat who goes to that mass with Pádraig; each time I go with him, I am taken aback by the number of people who come over to say ‘hello’ to him. He really is part of the community. And, (maybe not) surprisingly, more than he had ever been before.

They had a choir there tonight and as it happens, they sang “People get ready” – not quite like Al Green sings it (watch his absolutely beautiful and super-cool shoulder movements! And the immaculately white handkerchief!) – but they did a pretty good job too, AND they displayed the lyrics on a giant screen so that even I could follow.

Which is when I thoughT: this could really be our song.

People get ready
There’s a train a-coming
You don’t need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear diesels humming
You don’t need no ticket
You just thank the Lord

And while Al doesn’t get to those lines, they did in mass:

Now there ain’t no room
For the hopeless sinner
Whom would hurt all mankind

So there’s no room for people who just hurt others. At the end I was singing in my head:

People get ready
There’s a dreamboat a-coming
…

Just changed ‘train’ to ‘dreamboat’ and the rest of the song was just fine.. I’m getting ready to get the diesel hummin’!!!

I’ll keep it short tonight, after a very busy day. All is good. Pádraig and I will be on our own tomorrow – time to take it easy. – Good night!

Today was one of our happiest day, especially for Pádraig’s sister, who, having successfully passed some of the most difficult exams I am aware of, was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. It was a brilliant achievement and a day we will remember for a long time. I am so proud of her.

Just back from the celebrations and a perfect dinner, one of those that only come along just once in a very blue moon…