Greetings friends of Miranda. We know it’s been awhile since we were able to post an update, so wanted to put something up for those following her journey. There have been many praises for Miranda over the past few weeks, and for those, we have been eternally grateful! Miranda’s memory has improved dramatically since her stay at the acute rehab facility. Miranda is able to remember most of what has been discussed day-to-day and is able to engage in real time conversations (bridging both past information and current information). This is huge!!! Miranda still struggles with some time orientation factors, and other minor pieces related to memory, but the improvements significantly outweigh those additional pieces!

Miranda has also created personal goals for herself and has been working with friends/visitors to accomplish those. Most often, Miranda is able to pull herself up and balance, with minimal assistance. This has allowed Miranda to be transferred easily to other locations (such as her wheelchair, the toilet, or a vehicle). Due to this, we’ve had more opportunities where friends/family are able to provide transports to places in the community, including church services, doctor appointments and general outings. This is good for all those involved!!

Additionally, Miranda has been given the opportunity to receive therapy through NeuroHope, in Indianapolis. NeuroHope is a highly recommended outpatient therapy center that provides intensive therapy directly related to brain injuries. It has been a long journey to get to this point and has required months of navigating insurance, benefits, and healthcare systems to be able to have Miranda engage with this service. We thank those friends and family members who have tirelessly engaged in those conversations/action steps to make this possible. This is NO SMALL feat!! Because of those efforts, Miranda has her PT evaluation, at NeuroHope, this coming Friday (10/18)!! We couldn’t be more excited!

Overall, we have been thrilled by some of the recent improvements and praise God for the growth we have seen. With these movements of growth, though, come new needs and requests for prayers for both Miranda and the family. We have listed some of those requests below. Please join us in lifting these requests for Miranda and the family, as we continue to walk this difficult journey, day-by-day.

• NeuroHope: As we all know, therapy is desperately needed for Miranda. Therapy, however, is also determined/CONTINUED based on Miranda’s ability to fully engage in the therapy. Miranda has not had any formal therapy for close to a month, now, and still tires very easily! Additionally, NeuroHope is close to an hour from Miranda, creating additional travel fatigue that often impacts Miranda’s energy levels. Much thought has been put into attempting to create the best scenario for Miranda’s needs. We still don’t know how she will respond to the therapy, though. PLEASE, pray for Miranda’s motivation, energy levels and engagement as she enters this therapy. Please, also pray for those family/friends who help Miranda engage in this therapy. In all honesty, it is very easy to lose hope with the needed therapies, based on how difficult it is for Miranda to engage at times. As encouraging as this possibility is, it still brings along a number of fears/questions based on past experiences. We appreciate your prayers for our mindsets, as well, as we continue to remain positive, in spite of past experiences.
• Miranda and the family’s emotional well being: With new growth in memory and mobility, come new recognitions of loss/grief for all those involved. Even though new hope can spring forth, so can the reality of where the family is compared to before the brain injury. This weight is heavy and real!! Please keep the entire family (Miranda, Joel, Olivia and Nolan, as well as immediate/extended family involved) in your prayers as they navigate the day-to-day, the loss, the unknowns and even possible new hopes. No grief is easy, but this journey creates additional dilemmas being balanced out between what is lost, what is here, and what is to come, while still having to make critical decisions each and every day. This is heavy and hard!!
• Miranda’s health: Although Miranda’s health has improved much since her last hospitalization, she has still faced some UTI’s and other medical needs. There is much work being done to help Miranda stay healthy and find the best diet and routine to help with these matters. Please pray for clear guidance and overall health, as Miranda and her support network face these questions and work to create optimal opportunities for health and growth. Additionally, as we move into flu/covid season, please continue to pray for Miranda to stay healthy. Having one of those illnesses could create significant difficulties for Miranda, with unknown impacts.

Thank you, immensely, for your prayers for Miranda, the family, and all that is involved in this journey!!