Friday Evening, July 27th

Music is the soul of Allie and today her soul has been reborn as she rediscovered her voice and the love of music that helps her breathe.

After saying she will never go to college because she could no longer sing (and tearing my heart apart in the process) the day turned into one of the best days ever - a true defining moment and breakthrough in her healing process bringing Allie to a new level of recovery - one we had been quietly hoping for and one that will propel her back to being our Allie.

After this mornings blog things were really going well and the whole family was together just having fun being together - really no meanness just having a good time. Matt is so good with Allie, they are such good friends and he handles her so well. I am truly proud to say that he is my son. He is one of the nicest, kindest, soft spoken people I have ever known. He has a great sense of humor but more importantly a gentle spirituality which allows him to transcend the hospital setting and allows him to just be pure love for his sister. He reads alot on Zen and follows what he reads - he is calm, gentle breeze in the storm of trauma.

We had a GREAT lunch together in the rec room with a few other patients and just laughed the whole time until it was off to another therapy session for Allie. During her occupational therapy sessions the last two days Allie and Shannon worked on writing thank you notes and we were all totally blown away by the way she writes now and puts together thoughs and sentences. As good as you or I would. The Lord is good to us - Thak You. All she had to go by were the addresses on the envelopes and she put together the names and the appropriate thanks ie: family member vs. friend. It will be impossible for everyone to get a personalized thank you but I am hoping that in the end - if possible - each of you will be thanked correctly.

While Allie was in therapy Nancy, Matt and I ran out into town to ahve lunch at a new Indian Restaurant - Good. On the way back Allie's voice coach and earth angel (Ginger) called to let us know she was with Allie so we decided to let them be alone for a visit. Allie loves and respects Ginger and visa versa - Ginger knows how to get Allie going and they had the best visit. Ginger was so excited - Allie told her it hurt her to sing so Ginger just told her to hum the songs which she did and eventually started to sing - LOUD. Allie was so excited when we got back.

Well after a quick shower (#4 of the day) we were off to go see Hairspay, a movie Allie adores. She had seen the origional with Ricky Lake and has also seen it on Broadway. This was going to go one of two ways but since everyday is a great day for a breakthrough - this was going to be one. On the way to the movies Allie asked to listen to Matt's IPOD something she had not shown any interest in and once she put the earplus in that was it - the heavens opened up and her soul was rekindled - without saying a word we knew Allie was now walking on high ground and her true healing was happening MUSIC - what Allie lives for was once again flowing through her viens. Out of nowhere she was singing and knowing all of the words to the songs and the names of the artists and not just one song -every song and she was asking us, do you want to hear me sing this one and on and on all the way to the movies. Nancy and I just sat in the front seat looking at each, thanking God, crying and sayig yes, yes, yes, please sing another one to which she happily did.

Inside the movie it happened again. Allie sat through the whole movie paying attention and singing along quietly to every song in the movie. She knew the lines - she knew the songs and she had the feeling. It was great to see that at the end of the movie, Allie was crying. She is very sensative to things that are good and she was so happy that in the end the lead girl got to dance on tv, got the boy of her dreams and that black people were able to intergrate with white on tv. I loved to see her emotion.

After the movie we went to the Ronald M cDonald house to get Allie her Ipod. Yahoo, she wants her music. We had a great dinner there and are now back at the rehab. Nancy went back to the house because she wanted to ride out the high without running the risk of Allie getting tired and snapping at her. God Bless her - she deserves to ride this high for a long, long time as do we all - yes you all included.

I could write all night about emotions and healing but Allie wants me to go watch her sing in the Millie video so I am off to be with her. Today makes it all well. God said he would never leave us or foresake us and we held firm to that and alway will.

God bless you all
Allie's Dad

WE LOVE YOU GUYS - TOMORROW WE TRY BREVARD!