Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Merry Christmas 2008






From the Hoffman Family to Yours, it matters not how you celebrate it,
or how you say it, We Wish Everyone the Best that Life has at the end
of 2008....

We want to Thank Everyone who continues on this journey with Joshua
as he continues to heal and work towards the new Path his life's
journey now takes.

The news I wanted to wait on telling is out of the bag early...LOL Oh
well; sometimes it just be that way! It is that he is moving his arms
in towards his chest, nothing that they consider functional yet, but
he can pull Heather in towards him for a Hug now.

I sit here and think how different this end of the year letter is
compared to where we were at last year. Our family is so very grateful
for the miracles that continue to happen for Joshua. We listened to
what the doctors said we could not change, but we never gave up hope.
We continue searching for new advances in the medical field. We've
seen Michigan pass the bill to start Stem Cell research in our state
finally!

Last year Joshua had just come back down from ICU, his father had yet
again changed his mind and informed us the day before Christmas he was
going to force Joshua to go to Texas. And our spirits were so low.
But none of us let it take away the spirit of the season we just
enjoyed each others company, the love of both Heathers and Joshua's
family as we gathered around Joshua in his room. We had the love and
support from so many around the world, we did not allow anything
negative to enter that room on Christmas Morning. It was filled with
love, laughter and encouraging Joshua he would make it home.

I look at those photos today and see he was so weak, but he did not
give up his battle. At times it was because of words from his men who
would talk to him via the phone held up to his ear, that gave him what
he needed when Heather and I had not the right words to help him
through a moment in time. I am forever Thankful for those Marines who
stood by him. I am thankful for so many things that helped make that
year and a half journey a bit easier to bare, such as an unexpected
gift of a Mutant Ninja Turtle sent to him...LOL... that brought a
laugh out of Joshua. So much kindness shown to the three of us along
the way.

This year we again have so much to celebrate;

He is Home,
He is slowly starting to eat,
He had a beer finally! YUCK...LOL
He moved his arms.
He has put on weight and does not look like a skeleton any longer.
He is learning to use his wheel chair with the sip and puff now.
He is able to handle his teeth being repaired now.
His home will be ready for them to move in to next month.
He won his Freedom in court!
While he still continues to bounce back and forth to the ICU from time
to time, and
give us a scare. He continues to battle his way back to health and is
determined to
lead a life of his own choosing...Go Joshua!
He has been home to celebrate Family Reunions, Birthdays, Weddings,
see the birth of new babies.
He has gone to watch the Lions play a game...LOL...hey you still root
for your home team even when it is a bad year!
The normal things that happen in every family.

While He still has long battles to fight, I keep praying he will be
able to speak more than a word whispered here and there one day. I
pray that he will one day not need that Trachea Tube and one day it
will come out. That his thoracic diaphragm and his left lung will
become strong again. These are just a couple of the things I continue
to pray for him.

I give Thanks for all that he is able to do that we were told would
never happen. He communicates his wishes, he rolls his eyes in typical
Joshua fashion when he thinks something is stupid....LOL....he retains
his sense of humor. I give Thanks for his warrior heart beating within
him. The courage of which he faces each day of his life and the life
lessons he continues to teach all of us who know and love him. I am
proud of him, I stand in awe of his courage. When so many might give
up, he continues to fight. I have watched him struggle through pain
that makes a woman's labor pain seem like a mosquito bite and keep
struggling to get to other side of it. I've watched him throw temper
tantrums out of frustration of not getting his thoughts across to me
as quickly as he wanted, but instead of giving up. He'd just take a
few moments to breathe it out and think of a new way to get those
thoughts and words out to me. (By the way Joshua, Question is not
spelled Qirth!...LOL...he'll understand that one) To have to struggle
with Dyslexia and have something like this happen, makes me stand even
more in awe of his never give up attitude to communicate his words to
the world.

That is the biggest thing I think I am grateful for this at the end of
2008. It is that Joshua despite the struggles he still continues to
have, is able to experience the NORMAL things that all of us
experience every day and take for granted; Life at home with family
and friends.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah,
Season Greetings...

Mama Hoffman