As the school year wraps up and we look ahead to summer, we wanted to give an update on Avery’s progress over the past 9 months. His need for independence and desire to walk has significantly increased since his last intensive program at Napa! He is close to independently getting in and out of his wheelchair, using his walker at school to get around and chase his friends on the playground. At home he now ASKS for us to put on his braces and his shoes so he can stand and walk while holding onto any nearby surface. He often says, “look at me!” while standing (mostly) independently with the biggest and proudest smile on his face.

We are so excited that Avery will attend Napa’s intensive physical therapy program again this July! We are hoping to raise $2000 for this round, so we just increased the goal from last summer.

Avery will work with a physical therapist and an occupational therapist for a total of 3 hours a day for 3 consecutive weeks. Although NAPA accepts some of our insurance, there are still out of pocket costs associated with the program: initial evaluations, the 3rd session each day, co-pays per each hour of therapy, gas and missed time at work. That being said, the amount we need to pay is far less than last year which is a relief! If you are able to donate to Avery and alleviate some of the costs associated with his therapy, we would greatly appreciate it! However, and equally important, we want to keep family and friends up to date on “Bravery Avery’s” journey; we hope his story serves as a gentle reminder to show kindness and understanding toward everyone we meet, whether their disabilities are seen or unseen.

With his increased strength and motivation, we are eager to see everything Avery will achieve this summer! Thanks for reading =)