WHOW!!

Dear All,

A tremendous breakthrough for Bobby (and for us)!! Bobby first said "Mom" to my mom a few days ago (which was quite a feat as he didn't have a talking valve at the time). Yesterday his Speech Therapist (Kaylee) popped on the talking valve and he started making sounds. Kaylee asked him his name and ... he said "Booobby". And then she asked him to point to his sister and he quickly pointed at me and ... he said "Faaaith." The excitement and relief on his face was absolutely incredible. After not speaking for 9 months, the words are a bit sticky and he's just getting used to moving his mouth again, but we could all definitely tell what he was saying (and he filled in the gaps with hand signals). It was a momentous day for everyone and there are hardly words...

This has been and continues to be an extraordinary journey and our gratitude for your collective support is beyond the power of words...Please know that all of you have been instrumental in carrying Bobby and our family through. And look where we are..

With love and thanks always,

Faith

Dear Everyone,

…Bobby's making great progress--gentle, steady and fluid. He's spending a significant part of his day in a chair with therapies throughout and is also getting lots of important rest. It's clear he's building strength and endurance and is in need of a great deal of sleep ... When he's fully awake, he's really beginning to communicate what he wants through hand signals and he's working on his voice and putting words together … he's really making progress putting everything together!

**One thing that has become clear in the past week is that Bobby tires very quickly with visitors and often “checks out” when people stop by. … everyone is in agreement that the amount of visits needs to be toned down for the time being … but if you're in town and want to stop by briefly (usually about 10 minutes) then please call and we can … let you know if Bobby is feeling up for it. Again, our numbers are:

Anne: 307-899-1586
Bob: 307-899-0040
Faith: 303-883-6734

Again, thank you all so much for everything!

All the very best to all of you,

Faith

GREAT NEWS!! GO BOBBY!!

Hi Everybody:

....Short update but much love to all!! Bobby is being discharged this coming Friday from Craig! Of course, I am panicked but also excited as this means the beginning of the road home. After a rigorous search for handicapped living, we found a little house on S. Lincoln in Denver near Platte Park .... kind of trendy which Bobby will like .... the kind of place where you want to look and act younger to fit in.

....There's a great deck with a ramp for Bobby. We can wheelchair him right downtown to the village of S. Pearl. Just writing to you about this makes me feel better.

....Jim is coming down this week to help get all the hospital type furniture up and running and the Encore sale provided curtains and blankets. Faith and I will hit Target for the rest and empty our apartments a bit. We have an agency to provide nursing care and therapy!

OK. That's all except to say how much I miss you all and have appreciated all the support. I can feel the vibes and so can Bobby who is a trooper and his serious rehab attitude is bringing him around. Trach surgery last week to close up the hole should enable talking soon. Sounds! Otherwise, he has powerful ways of communicating.

....Faith and I went to Charlottesville, VA, last week with National Geographic to do a slide show of Bobby's Baltistan portfolio for the "LOOK 3" Film Festival. Very moving!!!

Love, Anne (Bobby's Mother)

This is excellent news!!

Great news, for sure. I don't know Bobby, but a friend of mine, Jeremy, went through something similar in Ohio a few years ago. He was a young and talented climber. One day when leaving the gym parking lot in his car, he was broadsided at high speed. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent a long time in the hospital in a coma. Eventually, they released him, though he was unable to walk -- so we built a big, bad ass wheelchair ramp to his house. The whole community turned out to help and we even held a fundraiser comp to raise money towards his long recovery. It was certainly one of those moments when the climbing community felt like a big family. I wish Bobby, and his friends and family, the best of luck.
Justin