The Miracle

My friend Kim and my cousin Steve have finally arrived for our trek around the Annapurna Circuit! Our 128 mile journey begins tomorrow morning and will take us across the Thorong La Pass at nearly 18,000 feet!

In the meantime, Kim and Steve have been volunteering with me at Bal Mandir. At the behest of my Aunt Joanne, Steve brought with him a baby walker for Akriti. This is no everyday baby walker as it is a red sports car equipped with all the fixings! That way, Akriti will not only have greater assistance learning to walk, but her hands have lots of gadgets to play with and even the sounds can tempt her diminished hearing!

The didis and the therapist were overwhelmed with thanks and were thrilled!

When we placed her in the walker, she began to laugh, then thought to cry due to all of the new sensations ... and then ... the miracle happened! Akriti joyously transformed into a bouncing, walking little girl who, amongst gut wrenching laughter, put her hands on the steering wheel and beeped the horn over and over again! She played so hard that she actually began to fall asleep at the wheel! By far, this is most joyful day that I have had here!

Joanne and Steve are such in inspiration and their efforts here have had a truly profound effect! As all things take time to come together, Akriti's therapist agreed to work for us and take care of Akriti three hours per day, six days per week. He will provide her with a more nutritious diet and take her to physical therapy once a week. He believes that Akriti will be walking in about six months! What fantastic news! He is also taking her to a doctors appointment this Friday to gain a better grasp of her vision and hearing impairments! All of this news and the arrival of Steve with a baby walker on the same day was overwhelming! I could never have asked for more!

I hope you like the photo of Steve and Akriti and also the video, compliments of Steve!