Look What I Can Do!

AS OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON - THE MENGES REACHED THEIR GOAL AND ARE FULLY FUNDED AND RENEE AND ALAN RECEIVED $500.00 IN THEIR GRANT ACCOUNT!!!  

I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR ALL YOU DO!!  

Because of your generosity.....

HERE THEY ARE... The pictures you have been waiting for!!

Eating with the Wrex...

 LOOK AT THAT LIFT!!!

HOLDING IT UP WITH EASE!!

HAPPY BOY!

"Aaron can do it all by myself!"

FYI - Aaron's fingers don't bend, he doesn't have the ability to grip and his fingers have very little strength in them. He also isn't able to rotate his wrist which means he is unable to scoop the food and bring the food to his mouth in one easy motion. Because of these issues, we have had to reject all the handicapped adaptive forks that were given to us.  The ONLY thing that has worked for him is what he is holding in his hand. 

It is makeshift and annoying but it works.   We found the forks at a yard sale!  The stoppers we created out of some tubing given to us at Shriners.  Having the stoppers on both sides of his fingers means he can keep his fingers from sliding off the fork.  The stopper closest to the fork provides him the ability to push the fork into the food without his fingers sliding down the fork.  The stopper on the back provides him the ability to pull the fork out of his mouth without his fingers sliding off the fork.  It is makeshift but it works.  The stoppers allow him to adjust the fork to do the motions required for eating- scooping/spearing the food and bringing it to his mouth.  Adjusting the fork takes the LONGEST time for him because he has a hard time moving his fingers into the correct position needed to lift the fork. Wearing the WREX means that Aaron can then lift his arm up and eat in a more normal and natural manner.  He still struggles to get the fork to his mouth because of his limited elbow range but he does much better with the WREX than without!  If we forget to get the WREX when we sit down to eat - Aaron will go get it! 

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P.S..... FOR ALL YOU AARON FANS.... Last night was monumental for our little son and Aaron is beside himself  with joy!!  His Mom is bursting to share.  But I don't have pictures yet and I cannot share this major feat without pictures so you are just going to have to wait and see what Aaron the Great can do!!