Goodbye, Ohio!

Thursday Will said good-by to the therapists in Rehab. They were all sorry to see him go, knowing they would miss the big-brother guy with the cheery grin, and famous spit-rag toss. Safety issues were always foremost.

The physical therapists were glad they were able to release him from such restraints as the gait belt and the retraining belt. They were going to miss his impulsive moves with the basket-ball and the baseball bat, which kept them all guessing, but in the end they felt he was beyond need of further physical therapy.

The occupational therapist had seen him advance from tipsy lunges for the bathroom door to complete composure in walking. She would miss his high fives and higher cognitive skills on the computer, and piano, and his sudden spurts of energy when he was winning "Go Fish."

The nurses were going to miss Mr. Hodini and his escapes out of the restraining belt, and his frequent miss-uses of the Call Button. His fellow rehab patients would miss the entertainment he and his fan club provided in the dining hall.

There was never a dull moment with Will as he dived for the thickened cranberry juice and terrified his speech therapist as he chugged it down, took too big of gulps of sprite, or held everyone in suspense as to his ability to handle that whole half a tuna sandwich he just stuffed in his mouth. Miraculously Will went from not being able to eat at all, to being able to handle a mouth full of sandwich and a whole lot more. The therapists had to have been proud of the changes that had taken place in the three short weeks he spent under their watchful tutelage.

At one o’clock Bishop Sonksen and his wife came and whisked Sarah, Will, and Mom out of the hospital and into their waiting cars and it was off to the airport. The day was relatively warm and sunny, and the trip happily uneventful. The Sonksens saw us to the security check and, with Sarah in charge, we managed to make it safely onto the Delta flight bound for Salt Lake City and home, without any major incidents. On the flight Mom watched as Will ordered a drink of apple juice and very slowly and carefully took sip after sip without choking once. It would have made Amy, his speech therapist proud.

The reunion at the airport was a joyful one. Wally, Becca, Nate and Jess were there to wrap their arms around us and welcome us back into the heart of the family. It was good to be home. It was good to be looking forward to sleeping in our own beds, and it was good to see that the Relief Society Sisters had provided a meal to come home to. Cafeteria food had been terrific during our stay at Riverside, but the smells and tastes of good old home cooking were something we were definitely ready for.

As we think about the many doctors, nurses, therapists, techs, friends and relatives who have come forward to say and do things that were so helpful to us during our stay in Ohio, we wish to leave you with this poem about friendship.


They are our friends whose presence comforts us,
Whose expectations are not limited
By narrowness of heart, nor by disgust.
With them no anguish is prohibited
From being shared, nor do they care to bring
To bare by force of will their views on life.
Their words shed light without intrusive means.
All their conclusions come without a knife,
For they are kind. In patience they defer
To time, well knowing that with passing days
And abstinence of light, we shall prefer
Pure conscience and the wisdom of true ways.
They are a rod which does not bend, but guides,
A stay of constancy through ebbing tides.

The constancy with which so many have all been there for us has been truly humbling. We have been comforted and strengthened by their non-judgmental attitude which has shown great sensitivity and kindness to us. As they have helped us shoulder our burdens and go forward with faith, we want you to see yourselves as we saw you, with your arms around Will, lifting him up.