Julie had an incredible week. I’ve included more details on her progress here and for those just checking in, prayer requests are at the bottom.

During one of her assessments, her speech therapist asked her to say "Hi", and she did! Then the therapist asked her if her name is Mary, and she said "no!" Thank you for your prayers in this area as she’s making progress with her speech and this is first word after 21 weeks of being silent.

Other areas:

And the answer is: Julie answered many questions with the appropriate verbal response this week. Her voice does not have any volume, so she basically whispers her replies. She answered one question with a two word response saying "I‘m done."

More ice cream please: Julie ate almost two ounces of chocolate ice cream, without any problems swallowing. She remembers to show her mouth after each bite to the therapists so they can give her more after ascertaining that it was safely swallowed.

One step for Julie: She was put into a gait trainer, which holds her in a harness over the ground in a walking position, and she used her legs to move around. She was not bearing full weight, and it helps her with balance, but she took probably 40 steps with it.

Got mail? A family friend read her a two-page letter and when I paused to give her a break half-way through and asked if she wanted me to continue, she said "yes."

Please pray for:

Health: Please pray she continues to stay healthy and that Julie can straighten up her neck. She has been bent over looking down this whole time so neck needs strengthening.

Insurance coverage: Please pray that her insurance coverage will continue.

Lastly, thank you for being a part of the prayer family in Julie Grace's life. This is a long road and Julie will need each and every one of you to stay on her team and pray for a complete recovery. She needs lots of encouragement as she realizes all that she faces in her recovery, and you can help by being her cheerleaders.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you and God bless!

Sandy