Live Long and Prosper...

Here are some pictures, graphic images and cartoons from around the net -- plus my own 2 cents worth of comments. Click on any image to see the full sized version.

Where is Your Money Going?

The Walton Family Foundation is just one of the billionaire's clubs currently funding the destruction of public education.

This is for the millions of public school teachers who shop at Walmart...just so you know where your money goes...


When Billionaires Become Educational Experts

Current reforms are allowing certain individuals with neither scholarly nor practical expertise in education to exert significant influence over educational policy for communities and children other than their own...

Who’s involved? Who are they connected to?

John Walton: ...assisted in the creation of the right-wing advocacy group Alliance for School Choice.

Carrie Walton Penner: Penner, who graduated from a private boarding school and attended two elite universities, sits on the boards of the KIPP Foundation (to which the Walton Family Foundation recently gave $25 million) and the California Charter Schools Association...

Greg Penner: Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner’s husband, is on the National Board of Directors for Teach for America, and is a director of the Charter Growth Fund, a “non-profit venture capital fund” investing charter in schools.

Alice Walton

Walton is a registered voter in Texas. She registered in the state in June 2008...

...Alice Walton was the top individual contributor to winning state legislative candidates in the 2010 elections that put [Wisconsin] Republicans in control of the state government. Under the first budget passed by Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-majority legislature, funding for public schools was cut by $800 million over two years, while funding for programs that funnel public money to private schools increased by $17 million over two years.

Marchers denounce Walton Family Foundation for undermining Chicago's public school system

The Walton family, the richest family in America and heirs to the Walmart fortune, have given millions of dollars to initiatives which strip money from public schools, including nearly half a million dollars in support of Chicago Public Schools’ proposed school closures. Meanwhile, in 2012, the family spent $3.8 million—more money than they spent in any other city—opening new charter schools. The vast majority of the schools closing in Chicago serve low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, leaving many of these areas without neighborhood schools.

Art, Music and PE

The overuse of testing has squeezed the arts and physical education out of many school programs. Here's a great comment.



Do More With Less

It's not just budget cuts -- it's time cuts as well. Teachers are required to spend more and more of their time "teaching to the test" which reduces time spent on other things like read aloud, free silent reading time, history, civics and government, science, current events...

Teachers are being told what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, then being punished because students aren't successful...



Where is Accountability for Policy-Makers

Legislators and politicians, who have never set foot (or allowed their children to set foot) in a public school make the rules and then blame schools for not performing miracles. Think about the statistical impossibility of No Child Left Behind's requirement that, by 2014, 100% of students will be proficient on achievement tests. They make it harder and harder for public schools to operate, and for public school teachers to teach and then punish the schools for not doing more with less.

Where's the accountability on our politicians and policy makers? Why aren't they held accountable for the enormous level of child poverty in America?




Get Inside Someone Else's Brain

...on the value of reading and books...

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." — Marilyn Jager Adams

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." — Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." — Walt Disney





Don't Give Up

All who envision a more just, progressive and fair society cannot ignore the battle for our nation’s educational future. Principals fighting for better schools, teachers fighting for better classrooms, students fighting for greater opportunities, parents fighting for a future worthy of their child’s promise: their fight is our fight. We must all join in.

Pickens County, South Carolina -- home of Clemson University and birthplace of Shoeless Joe Jackson -- was the scene of a trial which brought closure to a story I began following nearly two years ago.


In July 2011 I posted a story, which I had been following on 365Project.org, about a young woman who had been in a car accident. My purpose in exploring the story, Kimberly's Story, and it's follow up, Lessons Learned: Kimberly's Story...continued, was to highlight the personal strength and perseverance shown by Kim...as well as the support she received from her family.

I didn't write anything in the two previous posts about the person who had caused the accident. Her trial -- for the accident which occurred in May, 2011 -- ended a few days ago at the Pickens County Courthouse in South Carolina

Beverly, Kim's mother, wrote the following after the trial.

It took almost two years, but it's finally over.

At approximately noon today, Christina...was found guilty of having been impaired by methamphetamines when her 1986 Nisson pick-up collided head on with Kim and Matt's car. A normal meth range when used as a prescribed drug is .02 to .05. [Christina's] blood test showed .29!! It was really hard to refute that evidence, although they tried.

She was sentenced to 30 years (10 each for Kim, Matt and Hayden) to be served concurrently. She was immediately removed by an officer and taken to the Pickens County Jail to await transfer to a facility Columbia, SC from where she we will be placed in one of the women's correctional facilities somewhere in the state. We can find out where later.

Kimberly left the court room one very happy girl to put this behind her. She was the first to testify this morning and held up beautifully!.

When Kimberly left the court house, the trial of the person who caused her injuries was over, but the story is not over. She is still recovering from injuries and related complications which some thought would end her life. Kim's trial is not over yet, but she's still working hard to return her life to normal. These pictures...


....with her new bike...

...helping in her son's classroom...


...and working at her new part-time job...provide proof that she hasn't given up.

Kimberly and her family represent a powerful life lesson, urging us all not to give up when we're faced with seemingly overwhelming obstacles. They have shown that with support and hard work a family can overcome great adversity and emerge stronger.

There is another life which was affected by this story, though...the life of the woman who caused the accident. We don't know what caused her to take a large dose of methamphetamine on that day, or for that matter to start with drugs in the first place. We don't know why she drove her vehicle -- which became a dangerous weapon -- while under the influence of that drug.

We do know, however, that she can learn a lesson from the family whose lives were changed by her mistake.

This morning, Diane Ravitch posted Make the Best of It?,

Carol Burris has valiantly rallied her fellow principals in New York to oppose the state’s test-based evaluation system created in response to Race to the Top. Carol is principal of an exemplary high school in Rockville Center, New York. Some readers responded to her latest post by saying, “look, it’s over. They won. Live with it. Make the best of it.” I hear this all the time: Stop fighting. The train is leaving the station. Resistance is futile. Carol answers here:

I will continue to put my energies into bringing this awful system down even as I seek to protect my teachers from it as best I can. There is nothing that the creators of this system would like more than for us to ‘make the best of it’. The ‘make of the best of it argument’ was what inspired MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. I am so glad that King wrote that remarkable letter and did not take the advice to slow down and make the best of segregation.

I sometimes feel like giving up...and have said so on this blog, at least once. The "reformers" have the money and the power on their side. We have the numbers and research on our side, but the truth is, money runs the country. Nevertheless, when I read what Ravitch, Burris, and several of the commenters wrote, I realized that it's our obligation to keep trying...no matter what the odds. Hey, I'm a Cubs fan...I'm used to "not giving up in the face of adversity."

Here is the comment I added to the conversation...

I get discouraged a lot easier than I used to, but I know it’s important to keep fighting. I got into teaching because 1) I believed in public education, 2) I believed I had something to offer children, and 3) I wanted to be the kind of teacher who I needed (but didn’t always have) when I was a student. Since I have retired I have been volunteering in a local elementary school for one-on-one tutoring and I still believe in what I’m doing…for the same three reasons.

In addition, however, I try to encourage my former colleagues working in the school at which I volunteer. I blog about public education policy (though vent is probably a more accurate word). I also run blogs/web sites for two active local teacher unions, two local retired teacher organizations, and a local community group made up mostly of parents and retired teachers.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but, in my opinion, we can’t give up. As long as we know that our children…and usually our neediest children…are being hurt by current education policies we can’t be quiet. We owe it to them, our grandchildren, ourselves and our nation to do what we can to fight against the privatization and/or destruction of public education.

If we believe that every child deserves a free, appropriate public education…
if we believe that a free, adequately supported public education system is important to a free society…
if we believe that we are capable, as a nation, of providing our children with such an educational system…
then we are obligated to do whatever we can to see that it’s restored, and sustained.

I do it by working with a few students, reaching a few readers, helping out former colleagues and supporting organizations who are working towards the same goals.

If we really believe that public education is important, we can’t give up.

Diane Ravitch posted a letter she received from David Berliner. He included a quote that Noam Chomsky sent him.

If you do nothing, nothing will happen.
If you do something, chances are nothing will happen.
But if you do something you can at least look at yourself in the mirror.

We may not be successful against people like Bill Gates, Michelle Rhee, Tony Bennett or Arne Duncan, but we must keep trying.

May, 2011

There was an automobile accident last May in which a young woman, Kim, was injured. She was hospitalized with serious and life threatening injuries. Her mother, Beverly, shared Kim's story in snippets and photos on a web site for photographers -- 365Project.org. I first shared this last July (Click HERE to read it).

Beverly's comments reflected the fear of a parent whose child is in danger...

"Third surgery in two weeks, this time for a tracheotomy in her throat rather than through her mouth. Still unresponsive. Three parts of her brain have been affected by the strokes."

"...her neurologist felt that she should be given only two more weeks to respond before she should be taken off her feeding tube."

"...neurosurgeon is worried about her eyesight and the entire left side of her body as that still doesn't appear to be making any kind of progress with either."

Later comments reflected the hope of a parent whose child is working hard to recover.

"...my motto has always been 'It ain't over til it's over,'"

"Can you see me smiling from where you are...I haven't felt this positive in two months!"

"Where there's life, there's hope."

"My child never fails to amaze me. This young woman, who was virtually given up on by some doctors less than two months ago, is nearing the date when she will be coming home to her family and friends..."

Facing Challenges

When I posted about this in July there were still significant problems which needed attention...and for the last 6 months, while the rest of us have been going about our ordinary day to day lives, Kim has been working hard at healing. Here are some recent entries...pictures from Project365 and comments.

November 23 Determination

Kim is progressing well, now doing 7 hours of rehab a week -- physical, occupational and speech...still struggling with her left arm and her index finger on her right hand, but she certainly is showing improvement. They have localized her visual problem. It is called "left neglect" and it has been impairing her comprehension when she reads. Imagine a book page with a line down the middle and you were only reading the words to the right of that line...

The index finger problem affects lots of things, from being able to dress herself and putting on socks to writing. Her left arm and hand are being worked on and she can now raise it to almost shoulder height by herself, but the fingers and actual arm control are still a problem.

This is not a great photo, but I just noticed the poster on the wall and thought it very fitting so posted it anyway.

I disagree. It's a great photo...emphasis on determination.

November 24 Thanksgiving

I am thankful for roses in late November...thankful I have a home, family and enough to eat, but most of all I am thankful that Kim was at our dinner table this holiday. It's been a long and arduous seven months.

And some good can come from even the most difficult experiences...

November 26 Changes to ER policy

Due to Kim's case, Greenville Memorial Hospital has changed it's procedure for admitting trauma patients. They will now all have scans of their carotid arteries to detect any damage. Hopefully this can prevent something like this happening to someone in the future. Although airbags can save lives, they can also cause serious damage.

December 12 Update on Kim

...her newest "trick" -- being able to raise her left arm, place it on a table and rest her chin on it. They are doubling-down on working on her left arm and it is paying off.

She is still struggling with the fingers on her right hand and her speech, but both do show signs of improvement with each passing week.

She will be spending the days this week and next at "the farm" with her son Hayden. Her husband leaves them lunch each day so neither of them have to worry about anything other than resting and relaxing (I understand 3rd grade is difficult according to Hayden).

Having taught third grade for many years I can relate to Hayden's feeling about its difficulty. Perseverance helps with that, too.

Notice, also, the small improvements...arm movements, vision, speech...slow, but steady improvement.

January 3 2012 - New Beginnings

Today is a very, very special day. Kim is officially moved back to her home...

Today is the first day she will be spending completely by herself from the time her husband went to work until he comes home this afternoon.

Her hard work has payed off for her. There's still plenty to go, but this is a proud day for me as she has come so far since this spring.

January 4 The Balance Board

Kim at physical therapy on Monday. I'll bet this is harder to do than it looks.

Her husband reports that when he came home from work yesterday she had loaded and run the dishwasher, cleaned all the countertops and made the kitchen shine.

Her father bought her fresh blueberries today as she wants to try to make blueberry muffins tomorrow. She is certainly finding entertaining things for herself while she is alone all day.

Children and the Development of Courage, Perseverance and Resilience

So, why have I taken the time to blog about Kim and her family? This is an education blog. My entries, with very few exceptions. have focused on my own career and on the things I believe need to change in Federal, State, and even local public education policy. Where does Kim fit in with this?

As educators we try to help our students grow, not just academically, but emotionally and personally. The most important moments in a student's school life are generally not when he or she gets an A in a course or on a test. Just like in "real life" the most important moments in school come when children are challenged. Developing a positive response to those challenges is more important than any test or grade.

The ability to face challenges is perhaps the most important skill we learn in life. Developing the courage to face obstacles can mean the difference between a successful life and an unsuccessful one. Courage is not the absence of fear...it doesn't mean you're not afraid. Courage means you face what life offers you despite the fear which threatens to immobilize you.

Facing challenges is a common theme in children's literature...finding the strength and courage to face life's challenges appears in book after book...The Little Prince...Stone Fox...Maniac Magee...Summer of the Swans...Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (I could continue for pages and still be accused of leaving out excellent examples). Facing challenges as a theme is common because life presents us with challenges every day...and we gain inspiration from reading about people who overcome those challenges.

Developing the courage to face life's challenges begins in childhood...it begins when someone stands up to a bully on the playground...or when someone overcomes the fear of speaking in class or making a mistake. Still more difficult challenges are placed on children each day...surviving a divorce or the death of a parent...facing serious illness or injury...going hungry or homeless...being alone. Those are the bases for developing the courage to face life. That is where perseverance, determination, and resilience are built.

Kim's Story

Kim's story is one such story of perseverance, determination, and courage. It's not unlike the stories told in literature...and in the daily news...of people overcoming life's difficulties. It's important to her family because it's her story, but it's important to the rest of us because of the example it represents.

Three generations are brought together in this story. The mother is challenged with a threat to her child. Beverly knows that her daughter needs her support and help. The daughter struggles to overcome the challenges she faces. Kim works hard to heal, not just for herself, but for her family as well. The grandchild is challenged with the knowledge that his parents are vulnerable...mortal. More important, however, is the lesson Hayden learns as he sees the adults in his life working together without giving up. His parents and grandparents (not to mention the wider community of friends and relatives) support him...while he learns the lesson of perseverance.

In this way, the ability to meet life's challenges is passed from parent, to child, to grandchild. Each of them, in turn, shares that experience with others -- friends, family, coworkers, classmates -- and by doing so, everyone grows. Sharing the experience inspires the rest of us...


The last photo I posted in July was one of Kim's hand in her son's...as much a comfort to her as it was to him. Today's last photo, is chronologically out of order, but its message is the one I'd like to leave you with. Here is the family...each holding the others for support and strength, getting stronger every day, ready to continue the process of recovery together.

...and one last comment from Beverly...

December 24 Christmas Eve 2011

My beautiful little family...

If you know me, you know that baseball is a passion of mine.

Since early in the 19th century baseball has mirrored American history. During the Civil War, after spending the day shooting at the enemy, soldiers would play ball in the evenings...rank didn't matter...officers played alongside enlisted men.

Nearly 100 years later, Major League Baseball became one of the first modern national institutions to break the color barrier and include black players. In the late 40s and early 50s black players from the Negro Leagues joined the previously all-white major leagues. Players like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays integrated the Major Leagues in a precursor to the Civil RIghts movement of the 60s.

But like any business, baseball has had its ups and downs...from the moral high point of Jackie Robinson entering the game...to the low point of the steroid scandals of the last two decades.

Players, too, have ranged from hero to goat. Players like Robinson, Hank Aaron and Cal Ripken Jr., are symbols of persistence and courage, while those like Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson and Pete Rose exhibit the moral failings to which humans can fall. Baseball is a human sport and has been painted with the brushstroke of humanity for good or ill.

In the last week, two of the positive role models in major league baseball have appeared in the sports news -- one who brought honor to himself after achieving a feat accomplished by only 7 other players in the sport's history and one who was honored for his achievements just months after his death.

Jim Thome Joins the 600 Club

Yesterday, Jim Thome, a 40 year old power hitter for the Minnesota Twins, became only the 8th major league player in history to reach a career total of 600 home runs.

Thome has achieved this over a 20 year career without fanfare, steroids or publicity. He did it with hard work and good, solid skills day after day, year after year. The short video of his comments after he achieved this milestone show a man who is humbled to be in the same class as players like Mays and Aaron.

How important is this? The game in which he hit home run number 600 (as well as number 599 earlier in the game) was played in Detroit. When Thome hit home run number 600 the game came to a halt and tens of thousands of Tiger fans rose in a standing ovation to this opposing team's player to honor his accomplishment.

You can see the post game interview with Thome here.

Ron Santo 1940-2010

Ron Santo, the late broadcaster/cheerleader for the Chicago Cubs and former All-Star Cub 3rd baseman, was honored with a statue outside of Wrigley Field. Santo's story was one of courage and hard work. He played his entire career with type one diabetes.

An ESPN Chicago obituary on December 5, 2010 read

Santo was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 18. But he kept it from the team until he made his first All-Star Game in 1963, and fans didn't know about his diabetes for years after that.

Melissa Isaacson, in her December 11, 2010 column, Saying Goodbye, wrote,

Santo was lauded for bringing awareness as well as millions of dollars to research for Juvenile Diabetes. But his countless private pep talks with people affected by the disease resonated just as deeply. 

Santo was a diabetic, a double-amputee and a cancer patient, a symbol of courage for working at all, much less in a job that required the physical stamina of a major league broadcaster, and among those he inspired was the man was who presided over his funeral service, Holy Name's Monsignor Daniel Mayall, a fellow diabetic. 

"One of my heroes," said Mayall, "while I was learning to live with the disease. … Ron was the voice of the Cubs but he was also the face of hope. … Ron was the poster boy of hope."

Jeff Santo said, "He was giving a lesson on how to play third base, and he said this: 'When the ball is hit, you should always be moving forward on the ball. Never stay back on the ball and let the ball play you. You play the ball.' That's how he lived his life. He never stayed back on the ball."

Every challenge, all the adversity that came his way, he charged it like he was making a play at third base, grabbing it with his bare hand and firing it to first base.

Here's a video of the unveiling...with comments from former teammates, his fellow broadcaster, and family members.

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while might have discovered a small link on the right side to the 365project.org. 365project.org is a web site where you can post a picture a day for a year. The description on the home page reads:

The 365 project is a photography project where you document a year of your life by taking a daily photo. We want to help you build a picture of the little day to day things that make your life so special and unique. Everyone can take part and join in! All you need is a camera.

The 365 Project has members from all over the world...professional photographers, amateurs, parents, kids...people who discuss frames, lenses, f-stops...and people who just point and shoot. It's a nice community...supportive and interesting.

A few weeks ago I discovered a 365 member, Beverly, who was telling the story of her daughter's automobile accident...and inspiring recovery which still continues.

1st May 2011. The Aftermath
Late Saturday afternoon, my beautiful daughter, grandson and son-in-law were in a head-on collision. A woman just swerved right over the yellow line. My daughter has a broken ankle and had surgery this a.m. There will be an additional surgery on it in two weeks or so when the swelling has gone down...

Things were difficult for the next few days. Beverly's daughter, Kim, was not doing well.

4th May 2011. Black as My Mood
My daughter was taken into emergency surgery this morning for what was found to be a perforated small intestine, the result of the impact of the crash Saturday night. This explains why she hasn't eaten and has had such pain in her stomach area. They repaired that and all looked good for about two hours when she had a stroke or seizure -- they don't know what. She is now back in ICU and is considered stable for now... 

UPDATE MAY 12. Third surgery in two weeks, this time for a tracheotomy in her throat rather than through her mouth. Still unresponsive. Three parts of her brain have been affected by the strokes. She breathes on her own, her heart beats on it's own. This is strictly a baby steps/time-will-tell situation. Thank you all for your prayers. Please keep them coming. We are living in a never-ending nightmare.

365 Project is set up to post one picture a day, but with trips to visit Kim, Beverly posted intermittently for the next few weeks. As a parent it's easy to find empathy here. We've all had those fears that something awful might happen to one of our children.

With the comment to her next photo, Beverly showed the overwhelming nature of this sort of event...we are consumed with the problem and it's as if nothing else in the world matters. And it's true. As a parent nothing else does matter when your child is hurt.

16th May 2011 View From the ICU Waiting Room
My world is very small these days. Greenville Memorial Hospital and home.

Kimberly has been moved to a regular room on the neurological floor, taking what looks to me to be the same equipment and monitors she had in ICU -- feeding tube, trach, heart monitor, etc. She is still unresponsive. They will be doing surgery this week to do the final repair to her ankle as they need to get her prepared for therapy, which will start whether or not she is responsive.

I can manage to get small amounts of food down on occasion -- just enough to keep on keeping on. I can actually get some sleep at night and don't have to listen to my heart pounding away in my chest. It appears the human body will finally adjust and it takes about three weeks.

Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us. Please continue to do so. Your thoughts and wishes are greatly appreciated.

Difficult for the parent as well...no question about it. Finally, things start to improve.

The following entries may seem to go fast, but I'm sure that the hours and days passed very slowly when it was happening.

29th May 2011 A Little Sunshine
There was a slight improvement since yesterday. Kimberly opens her eyes...

In an email to me Beverly wrote an additional detail which increased her fear at this time and made the whole situation even more terrifying and stressful.

...there was a time just a week or so before we sent her to Charlotte for rehab that her neurologist felt that she should be given only two more weeks to respond before she should be taken off her feeding tube.

The entries which followed this for the next few days must have been difficult to write, but Beverly remained positive.

6th June 2011 A Little More Sunshine
Her second neurosurgeon is worried about her eyesight and the entire left side of her body as that still doesn't appear to be making any kind of progress with either. But my motto has always been "It ain't over til it's over," so we'll wait and see about that.

On June 9th Kim was moved to the rehabilitation center. This, in itself was good news...the neurologist who had "given only two more weeks" was wise to wait. Things were getting better.

11th June 2011 Daisy Bouquet
Kim has now been at Carolina Rehab for 36 hours. They have removed the oxygen which she has never really needed but they kept it there "just in case." They are going to leave the trach for the same reason and will be capping it soon.

16th June 2011 Carolinas Rehab
Can you see me smiling from where you are?

We visited Kim for the first time since she was taken to North Carolina for rehab. The difference in her is astounding! Amazing what six days of dedicated work will make....I haven't felt this positive in two months! Thanks again all of you for your prayers. The effect is miraculous.

19th June 2011 A Father's Day Visit
We drove up to Charlotte again today to see Kim. There were slight improvements again since we were last there on Thursday. They are no longer propping her head with pillows in her chair, but rather she is using the regular head rest at a slight angle. This is probably much cooler for her. She rotates her neck by herself now and is using her right arm more freely than just a few days ago.

I think this is about the time I read her first posting...then I went back and read the rest and have followed the story since then.

23rd June 2011 Kim's Bed
I just heard from my son-in-law, Matt, that he has completed his visit with Kimberly today. He said there have been remarkable changes since his visit 5 days ago. Can't wait until he's off the road so I can "grill" him on all that he saw today...

27th June 2011 Good News Monday
My son-in-law Matt just called to tell me how Kim's test went this morning. She passed with flying colors, better than they expected. So today she will be started on some real food.

30th June 2011 THE BEST DAY EVER!!!
We took the trip...to see Kimberly. . .She has vision...She can speak limited words!! We were about at the half-way point up the highway this morning when her nurse called to not only tell us that Kim spoke, but put her on the phone and we heard "hello"...She is now eating pureed foods...She could not get enough of looking at and holding hands with her son...I'm probably forgetting a lot of things, but...We are just so happy for now it's hard to get our thoughts straight. 

5th July 2011 Tuesday With Kim
...so much to report...it was delightful out on their patio garden where we sat with her for an hour...We made her really laugh with a story from Hayden's visit to our home yesterday...We then took her to her second speech session of the day. They are strengthening her "wind" by having her blow bubbles...Then it was lunch time. I fed her today -- green beans, yams, mystery meat (which she liked much better than the turkey the other day), and pineapple, all pureed of course. She probably would have licked the plate if she could have gotten it to her face...Rest well, Kim. There's still lots of hard work ahead.

11th July 2011 A Little More Progress
Today I learned that Kim is now eating solid food -- soft, but REAL food. These tiny baby steps are adding up. Keep up the good work Kim!

That's good progress...things are getting better and the entire family can focus on getting Kimberly well and home again. There are surely going to be many more days of hard work as she recovers, but it's clear that hard work is not a problem. Hard work gives hope...hope inspires hard work. The two go hand in hand. Beverly wrote to me,

[I] hope that it would go as a warning to people to fight for their loved ones

Maybe the doctor who said that he would give her two weeks was not being as negative as it seemed. He knew, perhaps from experience, that a certain time must pass before an accurate diagnosis can be made. Perhaps he just didn't know at that point. Beverly's point, however, is clear. Don't give up.

We proved him wrong. Where there's life, there's hope.

Her point was also not lost on her daughter. It's apparent that Kimberly was raised not to give up. If you read through the comments from her mother (link below) you'll learn that this young woman is determined to return to her family. She will recover...with the help of her medical team, her family and her own courage and determination.

This photo was posted on July 15. Beverly gets to end this blog entry with a comment on her photo.

15th July 2011 A Glorious Friday!
My child never fails to amaze me. This young woman, who was virtually given up on by some doctors less than two months ago, is nearing the date when she will be coming home to her family and friends...Her left leg is becoming increasingly stronger, but of course that broken ankle is holding her back. Her left arm is getting stronger also....Her diet now is real food which she eats with great enjoyment...Yes, it was a wonderful day indeed. This is her clasping her son's hand.

(To read the full story go to Beverly's 365 page...here's a link to her May 1st photo, where the story begins. Just keep clicking NEXT for the next picture.)