I Am Thanking God Today (Everyday)

Good evening everyone. I was up most of the night researching on this laptop to help Mike get continued therapy somewhere. We had been told that no one would take him unless he had insurance. I just couldn't picture Mike not doing any therapies for 30 to 90 days. He has come so far in such a short period of time I didn't want him to regress back. So at 5 am this morning a found the place I thought would be the best. I had heard of it through Kernan Rehab and was told how good they were especially with traumatic brain injury patients. Well they didn't open until 8:30 am. So I just watched the clock and the news on TV. Then I looked at all I wrote down. See it is part of Christiana Care Systems. They have several offices through out this area. I was looking at the one off of highway 40 at Glasgow Springside Plaza. It is an Outpatient Physical Therapy Plus. Not knowing if this clinic would even take Mike with his type of injury, this was the one that stood out at me. Then I had a thought. I would call the Christiana Hospital information operator and she would be able to tell me if a was barking up the wrong tree. It was around 7 am now. Again I have never met such nice people. She told me that yes this was the one and could connect me right now to their receptionist. They were there but didn't open until 8:30am. The receptionist was just as nice and concerned also about Mike having to wait until the insurance came through. She knew exactly what he needed and explained to me how they do their 3 hour evaluation and give him the best of everything. They also will refer him to other doctors for any of his needs. I was ecstatic and so over come with joy. They are seeing him Monday Oct. 23rd. Can you believe it?!?!?!?! Oh there was an awful lot of praying and thanking God going on. So now Mike will be going three days a week, three hours per day to Outpatient Physical Therapy Plus. It is close to his home and if ya'll only knew how happy I am right now. It is just so amazing how everything happens and how she just knew everything that Mike will need. They are a Godsend. So of course I called Rochelle. I knew she was up, then my mother, and then my sister, and then Mike. He cried with joy. The receptionist name is Emily and she faxed me the order for Mike's doctor to sign Thursday. I just knew we were still going to be in this race for recovery.

Now we have got to get this Extreme Home Makeover to go through. I also really feel in my heart it will happen too. We're finally over 1000. I have left a couple of comments on Tim Woolley's Forum for people that had some questions about printing a petition out and for fund concerns for the Breeders Cup White Horse Award. Here I have copied and pasted exactly what this award stands for and what the statue means.

Artic White, a rare white thoroughbred stallion, is the symbol for RTCA's White Horse Award. Jesus will return to earth on a white horse, leading Christians on other white horses. Rev. 19:11-14. (Amazing that Mike wants to be a testimonial)
RTCA's White Horse Award is given annually to a racing related horse person judged to have performed the most heroic act on behalf of human or horse. It is presented at the White Horse Heroes Luncheon, held at the host track of the Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, two days before the year-end series of championship events.

The White Horse Fellowship, which elects the winner, is composed of individual and corporation partners who rank among the industry's best-known leaders. They value the contribution our unheralded workers make to the racing industry and are concerned citizens and proactive residents of racing's global backstretch village.

Each believes in the RTCA's mission to provide for their spiritual, emotional, physical, social and educational needs and have decided to take a leadership roll in not only honoring those workers, but providing direct assistance.

The White Horse Award winner receives a $5,000 cash prize, a limited-edition, white bronze statue by noted sculptress Lisa Perry and other donated gifts and prizes. The three runners-up receive $1,000 each and the final four nominees earn an all-expense paid trip to the Breeders Cup races.

The winner of the White Horse Award, presented to a horse related worker judged to have performed the most heroic act in behalf of human or horse, will be named at the White Horse Heroes Luncheon on Thursday November 2 at Churchill Downs Triple Crown Room, two days before the track hosts the $20 million Breeders Cup World Championships.

Is this Mike or what? I don't know who actually nominated him for this award but it appears to me that they sure did pick the right person. A sponser called this evening and the airline and hotel reservations are made. Mike, Rochelle and Gracie will be going if the neurologist okays the flight and trip which I think he will. If he can fly in a helicopter with a brain injury I am sure he can fly in a pressurized plane.

I came in on the visit that Mike was having with Alex, Michelle, and Alan. They were literally having a ball. Mike has this medium size kids ball that we throw to him to catch and they were all throwing it in a circle to eachother. Michelle and I starting talking and she got bonged in the head a couple of times. They are all so nice and generous. Michelle and Alan gave Mike a goody bag of mens toliet articles. That is like shaving gel, soap, deodorant, and a wash sponge. Michelle said to continue pampering him. Alex gave Mike a bobble head jockey of (oh lord I forgot) somebody Rose. Ya'll don't kill me now. Remember I'm a nurse by trade and don't know that much about horses. Hey I looked it up. Jeremy Rose is the famous jockey on the bobble head. But anyways it turned out to be a great visit for Mike. Earlier that morning Peter Alexander and Sandy also stopped in to visit with Mike. That was all he could talk about on the phone when I had called him earlier.

Nancy will be for sure flying in Friday night. She is driving from her home in South Carolina to Raleigh , NC to catch a flight here. I am go glad. We are going to fix up Mike's office in his home and help Rochelle with anything we can. Nancy is going to be riding back with me so I don't have to drive to North Carolina by myself. Do I have a good sister or what? Then I'll take her to her car in Raleigh which is only about 45 minutes from Fayetteville.

Like I said before, we are going to continue with the blog, Extreme Home Makeover, and Fund Raisers. So you haven't heard the last of us yet. The Barbaro Effect continues. We believe!!

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA
WE BELIEVE IN THE FANS OF BARBARO