21 year old Alivia is the youngest of 5 children. She was planning to return to college in the fall working toward her major in drama and acting. She loves horseback riding and has been doing so since the age of 11.
She has her own horses and recently began barrel racing among other equestrian events. She enjoys attending rodeos with her family as well.
In July she was involved in a car accident that has left her paralyzed from her shoulders down. She currently has a tracheostomy and recently was able to come off of the ventilator. We were contacted by the case manager at the hospital in her home state of Mississippi about transporting her to Houston for rehab. Her mom Kathy has been by her side since her accident and will be traveling with her.
We arrive in Mississippi to sunshine and heat and head to the hospital. As we enter Alivia’s room we quickly see how anxious she is. The nurses and respiratory therapist along with her mom are reminding her to stay calm and focus on her breathing. She is a stunningly beautiful girl with gorgeous thick dark hair. Her fingernails and toenails are neatly manicured and polished. Pink is her favorite color her mom tells us. We carefully place her onto the cot and reassure her that we will be right next to her the entire flight.
After a prayer we all board Nellie. It was quite warm on the plane as we wait our turn to take-off. In reality it was only a few minutes but for Alivia it seemed much longer. I used handful of papers to fan her in an effort to keep her cool.
We continue to reassure she is safe as we begin our ascent. Her flight time will be fairly short right at 1 hour which for her is a huge praise. As we fly her mom asks how she was doing since she is unable to see her from where she is sitting. In a very short time they are both lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of Nellie’s engines. Kathy was exhausted and I think the sleep, although only an hour, was something she really needed.
We arrived in Houston to even hotter and more humid weather with the temperature around 103 degrees. Our ride to TIRR Memorial rehab facility was very short. This particular facility is number 2 in the nation for patients with the type of injuries that Alivia has.
They have some amazing results and often times patients must wait several months to get in. This is a huge blessing that Alivia is able to take advantage of their treatments with her accident being only less than 1 month ago.
As we walk through the halls there are many pictures of the successes that have come through here. We pass the large physical therapy room and it is full of patients and therapists all working diligently. The patients here have had many different types of injuries and it is truly an inspiration to see how far they have come. Watching everyone encourage one another is heartwarming.
We are greeted by several staff as we place Alivia in the bed of her new temporary room. Kathy has no idea how long they will be here but she is very thankful and willing to stay as long as it takes. They are hopeful for positive results and getting her here early is even better. We pray for Alivia, Kathy and the staff as they take over her care, we say our goodbyes to allow them to begin taking advantage of this opportunity.
Please keep this young lady in your prayers along with her family I know they would really appreciate it.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:10-11
HE DIED FOR US SO THAT, WHETHER WE ARE AWAKE OR ASLEEP, WE MAY LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM. THEREFORE ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP, JUST AS IN FACT YOU ARE DOING.
Thank you to Hal, Chris and Ryan for sharing this mission with me.
Many Blessings
