For Rachel

One of the blessings of having a child with a disability is the many friends that you make along the way. Some of those are friends we see every Tuesday afternoon at therapy. We had the option after we moved in September to switch over to a therapy center just up the street from us. Instead, we choose to make the 30-minute drive every week to see our favorite therapists.

Rachel, our occupational therapist, was the winner of my camera, and I got to hand deliver it to her today. I was so happy to find out that the camera will be used at the therapy center to document the progress of the children she treats.

I am particularly fond of Rachel because she shares my love for orphans as well as my love for kids with disabilities. I especially like her because, sometimes when Ava surprises us both with some new accomplishment, I look over at Rachel through my watery eyes, and I see her eyes tearing up too. I know she shares my sense of pride in every one of Ava's accomplishments.

One of the most meaningful blog comments was left by Rachel a couple of weeks ago after I posted the video of Ava singing to her baby doll:

I am blessed to see your Ava every week. So many changes that we can document on paper and submit to the insurance company to prove that they should keep paying for therapy....but what I like most of all is what we see in the video...to know love, to express love - now that is a skill that the insurance companies don't care about, but it is what her new life is filled abundantly with.
Rachel

Thanks again Rachel for what you do day after day to help Ava and kids like her. You are truly gifted in what you do and I am so thankful for you (and the others too, of course, but I know they won't reading this!)