Walking Spirit

Thanksgiving is always a reflective day for me, in which I look back on the past and count my blessings.  Nine years ago, though I had awakened from the medically-induced coma and was communicating on some level, I wasn't truly conscious of this day.  A year later it was with mixed feelings, a tempest of emotions that included tremendous loss, depression, and still some buried anger that I looked through the darkness and gave Thanks for those who had supported me through that first painful year, my family, and the beautiful moments that made me happy that I still had each new day.

Now, on this day I have so much more to give Thanks for.  It has been a tremendous year, full of rich and heart felt moments with loved ones and changes that have both offered and (in some cases) forced a motivating hope that I had stopped perceiving long ago.  Thanks to my wonderful community I have been given the opportunity to use advanced prosthetics that open the door for a whole new level of mobility.  Beyond that, I have learned this year that I can hope for continued advances in prosthetics, and thus my own mobility, far beyond where I am today. 

On this day I give Thanks for all of my loved ones, for each beautiful day of the past year and for all the fantastic moments yet to come.  I even give Thanks for the health problems that have motivated me to change my personal health conditions.  Finally, I give Thanks for all who have helped and continue to help me raise the money (through sharing news of my goal, donating, and inspiring donations from others) for my new prosthetics, physical therapy, and other medical expenses tied to this change in my life.  Though I still need to raise an additional $18,000 to ensure I have the Power Knees and all of the related expenses covered, the tapestry of my life has already been forever altered through their support!



I give Thanks for:  Melissa & Thor Miller, Jim & Jennie & Anna Goodman, Emily Augustyniak, Jennifer Baker, Peter & Rebecca Noot, Frank Crowe, Carole Commons, Andy Carlson, Don Altemeyer, Shelia Hyatt, Kathy Lause, Laura Houlette, Amy Murray, Mark Fields, Stacey Craig, Dan & Donna Archibald, Brad & Jamie Dameron, Rae Wallis, David & Dot Owen, Jennifer Rozens, MaryBeth Ingram, Dennis Liberatore, Carl Braunlich, Debra Lein, Jack & Julia Wickes, Mary Crouse, Shulamite Wan, Lisa Delaney, Laurel Sorensen, Cindy Williams, Mark Nardo & Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, Randy Domeck, Katie Marlowe, Bryan Norrod, Sue Hirschman, Elizabeth Bowman, Wendy Kiefel, John & Suzy Roberts, Erin Longwell, Albert Guay, Sari Snyder, Cindee & Jim Fisher, James Michaels, Joseph (Mick) La Lopa, Rebecca Zirnheld, Harry & Lilla Kuper, Charity Rosandich, Diane Wilson, Derek Delp, Arlene Brooks, Ray Heilman, Ginny & William Patrick, Chad & Michelle Hayward, Michele Knoderer, Joanne Doroshow, Patty Gotway, Roberta & Bill Warriner, Jim & Della Hinds, Keith & Helen Olson, Lori Bradburn, Jenni Mansell, Ryan Stewart-Muery, Laura Bonko, Mauricio de Gortari, Andrew & Elizabeth Whittaker, Julie & Jeff Eggert, Emily Bedwell, Linda McClain, Kristen & Brandon Cook, Christina Nelson, Mary Sidener, Erin Peschel, Beau Reneer, Cathy & David Simpson, Al & Charlotte Galloway, George & Jean Waden, Linda Hempel, Marcia Lurie, Jonathon Day, Rob & Kelly Hatfield, Jennifer Harper, Michael Galligan, Angharad O'Brien on behalf of Mary & Gerry O'Brien, Jonel Thaller, Tina Ruth, Judy & Loren Zimmerman, Traci Ashcraft, Sylvia Gingrich, Jennifer & Scott Williams, Audelisa Dimos, Dan Waugh, Jessica Neff, Angharad O'Brien with her husband Jake and their children Harlan and Mallory, Carol Frohlich, Brad Polo, Kelly Clements, Jennifer (Elliott) Estes, Ray Smith, Jace Hodson, Mark Henry, Pamela Gilbert, travis Wilson, Benton Tempas, A Nonymous, Alice Hodge, Lillian Goodman, Cheryl Carlson, Sharon & Brad Kent, Amy Bird, Laura Pitts, Jim & Mary McDonald, Bonnie Benshoof, Mark Hatfield, Cindy Martin, Micahel Guerriero, Bruce Livingstone, Nancy Belser, Merna & John Ruby, Phillip & Millie Lewis, Lisa McClanahan, Tracy Wiseman, Rob & Suzanne Aaron, Jane Williams, Katie & Mike Sliter, Dennis Johnston, Barb & Bob Sczesniak, Keri Erickson, India Anderson, Bruce Harris, Kimberley Meyerholtz, Stuart Hyatt, James & Miki Hamstra, Christy Vopelak, Nathan Ferreira, Marlene Burle, Frankie Crowe, Joe Popolo, Nancy Dowling, Courtney Colles, Jim Stroh, the Tumminello family, Jessica White, Kate Shoup, Peter & Daphne Chen, Lydia Shaw, Thomas & Gladys Smith, Alice Shoemaker, Erik Smith, Sheri Caveda, Alli Fetter-Harrott, Jennifer Truex, Ted & Johanna Maple, Polly Points, Ashley & Mujtaba Al-Qudaihi, Leanne Lafuze, Janet Cloe, Elsa Massonneau, Lowell LaBaw, Linda Mansfield, Albert Frohlich, Judy Townsend, Denise Rogers, Steve & Lourdene & Molly Schutte, Mark Foglesong, Michael Perkins, Preeti Sugathan, Linda Hempl, Dawn Duquaine, Sylvia Gingrich, Anita Simmons, Kathryn E. Meredith, Suzanne & Jon Gray, Don & Sue Childers, Sheila Pluckebaum, Abigail Frantz, Troy Barker & Tim Rankin, Melissa Rainous and family in honor of Sylvia Gingrich, Pat Thorlton, Fran Kandrac, Molly Garau, Patrick Brady, Janice Swartz, Jack & Karen Kay Leonard, Mary Klee, Beth Bonham, Jeff Rose, Gayla Pitts, Wendy Walker, Elizabeth Bowman, Douglas Bates, David and Carole Wills, David Palmer, David Eli, Tammy Mertzman, Drew Carlson, Eddie Hall, Kelly Bentley, Joyce Bennett Parrish, Sarah Tempas, Leo LaGrotte, Seth Little, Robert Morse, Ann Kelly, Eva Baguma, Crystal Davis Black, Laurel Sorensen, Jennifer McCreadie, Donald & Susan Foley, Bill & Sarah Burke, the Hume family, Fritz, Mark Bisch, Joe Feinberg, Kathy Berg, Amy Aldridge, Bill & Phyllis Groth, Mary Niccolini, Rob Wile, Jane Stephenson, Brian & Laura Petraits, Carol Madison, Jo Ann & Nick Hatfield, James & Shirley Marshall, James & Mary McDonald, Daniel Wathen, Bob & Rita Schilling, Brandy Dickerson, Dan & Donna Archibald, Betty Danner, Carolyn & Bruce Armacost, Ann Mackey, the Fox family, Kim & Joe Starlin, Ron & Julie Berry, Jennifer Phelps, Sharon Speichert, Sharon Desautels Prisco, Pam Connerly, Amy Moeder, Cindy & Scott Shaw, Lori & Shelby Curtsinger, Duncan & Jacob, Patricia Hines, Troy Campbell, Rachel S., Joan McCormick, Virginia Hughes, Saundra Lange, Judy Flowers, George Van Horn, Bill Appenzeller, Kevin Fischer, Andy Leffler, Shannon Hendricks, Paul Cunningham, Kevin & Mary Beth Clarke, Kathleen Waggoner, Harold Crosskno, Mickey Huffman, Marilyn Strawbridge, Max & Jeannene Inglert, Judy Eggert, Barry & Jill Irons, Sandy Kurker, Lemberis, Anonymous, Elizabeth Bowman, Cathie Perolman, Rene Patton, Kellie Commons, Linda Hempel, Gabrielle Balkan, Mary Nicolini, The Armacost Family, Geoffrey Hennig, Dan Penfound, Barb & David Greenburg, Tami Marcus, Teri & Ivan, Anne Schollenberger, Aubaine Woods, Sarah James Slater, Christy Mattingly, The Perrin Family, Lisa Schubert Nowling, Tamara Leech, Lois Calkins, Tricia Robinson, Timothy Fischer & The Indiana Lions Eye Bank, Roosevelt & Tavetta Patterson, Doshia & John Stewart, Ellen & Scott Rogers, Rita Vinci, Sandy Colles-Forbes, Megen Gaylord, Chris Barr, John Lawlor, Andrea Vrobel, Angela Carbone, NUMC Amazing Grace Sunday School Class, Robert & Lisa Warriner, Monica Griffin, Virginia Melin, Jason Spicer, Linda Hempel, Ruth Shaw, David & Nancy Lamm, Sylvia Gingrich, Steve & Challen Powers, D.O.R.K.S (Doing for Others Random Kind Stuff group donation via Jeff & Julie Eggert), Sandy & Albert Payne, Linda Hempel, Maureen Cornelius, Kelly Nelson, Jim & Linda Miller, Patricia Gotway, Pamela Gilbert, Mom & Dad (Patty & Robb Warriner), Colin Fogarty, Elizabeth Bowman, Frederick Shorter, Laurel Keller, Cody Byrns, Mary Klee, Joseph Lalopa,