A Joyful Celebration!

We made our longest journey yet as a family of four to Milton-Freewater, Oregon, the weekend of March 13th. Six hours in the car each way was definitely worth it. We were able to attend the Welcome Home party for Ernie’s uncle, Nels Hadden. He had returned home from being in the hospital for over a year after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the chest down. He spent a few months in ICU in Portland before moving to Craig Hospital in Denver. Craig Hospital specializes in rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries. (It’s the hospital where Christopher Reeve went for his rehabilitation.) At Craig Hospital, Nels and his family received help in adjusting to his paralysis, and learned how to provide for his medical care. Toward the end of his stay at Craig, Nels was able to start physical therapy and gain some movement and control in his upper arms!

Nels was injured when he was hit by a car while he was assisting a motorist who had lost control on the ice and flipped her car. As he was setting out flares to warn other motorists, he was struck by a car that lost control on the same patch of ice that caused the original accident. Helping others is part of who Nels is, and despite his injuries, he says that he would do it all over again.

We left at 7:00 on Saturday morning and headed toward Milton-Freewater. We made it to the party at 1:30pm. We made a few pit stops for bathroom breaks and snacks. We were nervous about potty problems for Sophia because we knew there would be long stretches without places to stop to use the bathroom. I am happy to report that we had absolutely no trouble!

After the party, and time spent with the Haddens at their new, wheelchair-accessible home in Walla Walla, we checked in at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. It was Katy’s first hotel stay, and she did great. Of course, it helps that she was exhausted! Sophia was excited to stay in a hotel – she got to help Ernie get ice and buy a soda from the vending machine. Her favorite part was pushing the buttons in the elevator. (Thankfully, it was only four stories so we didn’t have an “Elf” incident.)

We had a great trip and were so glad to celebrate with the Haddens. Welcome Home, Nels!