Standing Tall & Feeling The Breeze

There are moments in life that may seem small to some, but to us, this week was massive.

Eira's physiotherapy progressed to using a standing board, meaning Eira got the opportunity to 'stand' on her own two feet for the first time in almost 8 weeks. She doesn't understand it herself, but this one definitely one giant leap for Eira Lewis. With her shoes on, and the support of Victoria the physiotherapist, it was time to go vertical. As it was her first time, Vic did not expect Eira to be able to tolerate the 80 degree angle that they aim for on this occasion, but it was something that would be worked towards. Eira had other ideas, and was as comfortable as ever, 'standing' tall and weight-bearing on her own two feet. As parents, this was magical to see. Eira was comfortable in that position for over 10 minutes, again, longer than expected.

Eventually, she'll aim to spend up to an hour at a time 'standing up' in order to ensure her ankles, knees and other things continue to develop correctly. By the end of the week, the plan is for us to be competent in assisting Eira in using the standing frame without the need for a physiotherapist present meaning she can use it whenever we feel necessary.

We also got the opportunity to venture slightly further afield over the last few days before the weather changed. Situated next to the hospital is Heath Park, offering a calm area for walking, exactly what Eira needed )and probably wanted).

She wasn't able to tell us directly, but from the way she was acting, we were pretty sure she was over the moon to have the wind in her face again, being outdoors was where Eira loved to be, and that certainly doesn't seem to have changed.

Recovery is not a straight and easy path, and there will be days, and weeks where things will be difficult, but this week, Eira 'stood' tall. Eira felt the wind.