As we approach the close of 2007, it is again my pleasure to report Ross Dillon's wonderful progress and to provide you with a brief accounting of his rehabilitation expenses and the giving that makes it possible. Ross's family writes:

“Ross's improvement has accelerated. He now rolls easily from stomach to back and back again. He sits by himself on the therapy mat, on the toilet, and on a kitchen chair. The biggest change is that Ross now pulls himself from sitting to standing. We placed the standing pole close to the therapy mat. Ross reaches out to retrieve a gummy bear from the pole, and then as he stands at the pole he reaches to grab more gummies that are attached higher on the pole. Ross is excited by the standing and even more excited to be walking up to fifteen feet with a caregiver supporting him and cueing Ross's left foot. Walking has become the only way Ross moves from bed to chair or chair to mat. We are no longer using the lift because it would keep Ross from improving.

After years of Left Side Neglect (being unaware of the left side of his body), Ross is now using his left hand to stack cones and push food on his spoon (held in the right hand). He is also able to voluntarily lift his left foot. As Ross has become aware of his left side, he is also aware that, in his words, “My left arm doesn't work.” “I have a broken left back and a broken left foot.” This is a positive step. In therapy, he will say, “I can't do it.” Then, with the persistence of the therapy team, he does it; for example, feeding himself gummy bears with his left hand as the therapist cues him. Ross's grin of satisfaction when he realizes he did it is very moving.

Ross crawled while lying on his skateboard the other day, and for the first time he moved his right leg and arm on his own to travel across the therapy room and back, tracking gummy bears of course. Today, during his therapy session, he walked across the therapy room four times with the occupational therapist and the caregiver supporting him. During the fourth lap, he repeatedly lifted his left foot high and forward, just as he does the right one. This is the very first time he has ever done this.

Ross daily drives his wonderful power wheel chair around outside, and also stands in the chair and reaches for, you guessed it, gummy bears. He is perfecting his skill in kickball and even sets up the ball with the first kick, and then kicks it where he wants it to go. After many tries over the last year, Ross can now hold a glass and sip the water until it is finished. Keeping control so it doesn't spill, lifting the glass with the correct angle, and controlling the water going into his mouth took a long time to master. Ross has also started to push the control buttons to raise the head of his hospital bed, another step toward independence. Ross is counting to eleven. He is also arranging Uno cards in both ascending and descending order. He quickly mastered the first game we introduced of matching cards of the same color. “This is easy,” he said.

Finally, Ross is starting to play his guitar. He strums the strings with the fingers of his right hand (a good occupational therapy activity) and sings, “My name is Ross Dillon, R O S S, Ross Dillon.” This whimsical performance is, yet again, pure Ross. Soon after Ross's catastrophic injury, a dear friend prayed with us and asked God to preserve and restore Ross's spirit and personality. We are delighted to tell you now, five and one-half years later, we do see Ross's wonderful personality showing through. Ross, who almost always had a smile on his face, loved his home and family, and had a wonderful sense of humor, is here. He faces many daily challenges, but he is frequently happy, laughs many times during the day, and is a fund of ridiculous pronouncements in the middle of a difficult therapy session. For example, “I want everyone in this room to know that I am the king of placecountry-regionAmerica and I want everyone but me to leave.”

Ross has also become more self aware. Recovering brain injury patients have short tempers and Ross is no exception. Twice he has said after blowing up, “Why did I do that?” He asks more questions, makes more requests, and has begun to chatter about what he wants to do, and the reasons. “I am broken. Give me an apple. It will fix this instantly. Give me plenty of food and it will heal everything.”

Ross's doctors and therapists are impressed with his progress. He currently sees a chiropractic neurologist weekly, the medical neurologist quarterly, an endocrinologist biannually, a neuron-surgeon annually (to monitor his shunt), a physical therapist two or three times a week, a speech therapist once a week, and an occupational therapist twice a week.

Ross's family continues to consult with other families who are taking care of brain injured loved ones at home, especially on matters of nutrition and supplements. Betsy frequently receives notes from parents who have read Ross's website, saying that Ross is giving them hope that their own loved ones can also improve. For example, Betsy has been corresponding with a mother whose son is chronically anemic. The mother wondered what nutritional strategies might help. Betsy directed her to a nutrition book and explained how she had applied that information to Ross's nutritional regimen.

Ross is making wonderful progress in balance, movement, coordination, cognition, and speech. He still has a long and challenging rehabilitation ahead, during which he will continue to be dependent on his family, caregivers and the support of generous donors like you. As always, the financial situation is tight. The 2004 rehabilitation budget was $128,000, the 2005 budget was $123,000 and the 2006 budget was $130,032. This year's budget is $147,815, with SSI providing $12,312. Ross's ongoing, net non-reimbursed rehabilitation expenses for 2007 are $135,503. The breakdown follows:

Income:

SDI and SSI $ 12,312

Expenses:

Accounting $ 950

Caregivers $ 95,830

Cleaning Services $ 1,644

Clothing $ 275

Medical/Dental

not covered $ 2,129

by Insurance

Equipment $ 3,707 (included $727 for bathroom bidet)

Extra Utilities $ 583

Food $ 5,685

Research $ 193

Supplements $ 6,162

Supplies $ 2,002

Therapy $ 24,170

Therapy Room $ 3,937

Transportation $ 548

$ 147,815

It is difficult to estimate expenses. One reason is that caregivers and therapists are sometimes unavailable to work with Ross. In the past, Betsy has taken the shift when a caregiver was unavailable. However, as Ross improves and is doing standing transfers and walking, he requires big strong caregivers to support him as he moves from bed to chair, from chair to toilet, etc. Because Betsy is unable to safely support Ross in transfers, it is very difficult for her to take care of Ross for a whole shift on her own. Betsy is still planning and preparing Ross's meals, driving him to all of his appointments, researching the changing field of nutritional therapy, coordinating medication changes and testing with his doctors, assisting in all therapy sessions, and responding to Ross's increasing need for in-home stimulation. Increasingly, as Ross improves, the job of managing his rehabilitation is becoming more complex and demanding.

In the first part of the year, the Dillons created a therapy room for Ross in their garage. They did all the work themselves, with the exception of hiring a carpet layer to install donated carpet and purchasing a heating and cooling unit to make the room useable year- round. There is room for the therapy table, a standing pole, a rehabilitation library, all of Ross's therapy equipment, and floor space for crawling and walking practice.

The Dillon family also received a wonderful gift through local homebuilders. This couple has been following Ross's progress and wanted to do more. The Dillons said that Ross needed an placeCityADA bathroom, and these folks organized the project with all supplies and labor donated. The Dillons, after consulting with the occupational therapist, wanted a bidet feature on the toilet. This device, called a Washlet, was not covered, so the Dillons spent $727 to purchase it.

Total giving through October 31 is $77,640, plus the income from SDI and SSI. The above figure includes a $20,000 one time donation from the mother of a cyclist who was killed while on a training ride. Ross's Epic Hill Climb in June (a cycling event to honor and support Ross) raised $2,000, which is also included in the above figure. The Dillon family needs to receive $57,863 before the end of the year to meet Ross's rehabilitation needs for 2007. We are hoping you will again generously help to cover the gap and enable Ross to continue his journey back. Contributions are tax-deductible in partnership with WaterStone Support Foundation.

You can make a tax-deductible contribution for Ross's rehabilitation by sending a check made payable to WaterStone (please write Go Home Foundation #7528 on the memo line of your check). For your convenience, we've enclosed a SASE with the appropriate form. WaterStone Support Foundation will send you a receipt for your charitable gift. You can also call WaterStone with any questions you have or to make a credit card donation (719-447-4620; calling hours timeMinute30Hour88:30-4:30, M-F, Mountain Time). If you are considering other ways to contribute, such as direct withdrawal from your bank, gifts of appreciated assets, or donations in kind, call WaterStone directly and they will walk you through the process. They are very friendly and helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:

The Go Home Foundation is a Ministry Charity Project of WaterStone Support Foundation, Inc., TID# 84-1430063. WaterStone is qualified under stocktickerIRS code sections 501© and 509(a)(3) with the primary purpose of serving as trustee/administrator of charitable trusts. All contributions are irrevocable gifts under the direction and control of the WaterStone Board of Directors, but will be restricted for the general purposes of the Ministry Charity Project.