Hunter has participated in many therapies over the past years.  Some we have researched.  Some we have found by chance.  We have learned that doing anything to better Hunter's life is far greater than not doing a thing.  Of course this is true for anyone in life.   We have listed what we consider to be Hunter's breakthroughs to success.  You won't see us use big words, we only claim to know what the therapies have done for our son.  We are not suggesting any therapy over another.  What is available at a certain time in Hunter's life is what we call Hunter's recipe.  Hunter's recipe changes and as long as we see him continue to succeed we keep doing what we can for him.  Here are our favorites and they are in a random order.

Hunter has had break throughs in his abilities.  To a stranger, Hunter still looks like he has a long road ahead of him.  To those who know him, Hunter has made great gains.  This past summer we visited our old Church in Dallas.  One of the members exclaimed, 'I never thought I would see the day that Hunter walked into Round Grove Church!'  Four months later and Hunter is doing even better.  Hunter's neurologist who has seen Hunter for the past four years said in May, 2009, 'If you keep this up I will become a beleiver' (Hunter had been walking in to the office in his walker.  That day Hunter sat next to me in a chair)  At Hunter's November appointment, I am going to have him walk into the building and his office with no walker.  In June we went back and saw the Conductors at A Child Can Do All Things.  They were shocked at Hunter performing the simplest of tasks now by himself.  I love seeing God's work in my son.  Thank you for all the prayers.

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

  Recovery for Hunter started once Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) was introduced to his body in 2000.  When you breath oxygen in a chamber you recive 2000 times the oxygen in a compressed chamber vs. one breath of room air that we normally breath.  This means that the oxygen is very tiny and the oxygen travels in the plasma instead of the red blood cells.  The plasma filled with tiny oxygen goes deeper into the brain and is able to create new blood vessels where oxygen wasn't able to get before.  Results can be seen immediately upto four to six month later.  A question that is often debated about HBOT is if the changes stay.  Because Hunter is continually challenged to improve his skills he hasn't lost a new function.  Tone will return however but not to the extent it was before the treatment.  Hunter began to sit at seven and half years old after 100 HBOT hours.  He practices this daily and still can sit today at 12 years old.

  Compare these pictures:

  

  The first picture was taken in November of 1999.  Children with Cerebral palsy think they have one arm and one leg.  Both arms and legs are in the same position.  The eyes are crossed and mouth is open to hold his head up.  The toes are pointed and the feet are crossed.  The hands are fisted with thumbs pointing downward.  This was Hunter's normal positioning before HBOT.

  The second picture taken November 2000 is clearly different then the first picture.  The difference is 61 hours of HBOT.  Hunter's legs and arms are in different positions.  His face is relaxed.  His feet are not pointed and hands are relaxed.  His brother is able to hold him in a sitting position.

June 2000 - 35 hours at McDonagh Medical Center in Gladstone, Missouri

August 2000 - 26 hours at McDonagh Medical Center in Gladstone, Missouri

July 2002 - 26 hours at McDonagh Medical Center in Gladstone, Missouri

June 2005 - 20 hours at South Coast Hyperbaric in Webster, Texas

October 2005 - 20 hours at South Coast Hyperbaric in Webster, Texas

July 2006 - 20 hour at South Coast Hyperbaric  in Webster, Texas

January 2007 - 23 hour at South Coast Hyperbaric in Webster, Texas

August 2007 - 40 hours at Miracle Mountain in Crestin, North Carolina

April 2008 - 40 hours at Miracle Mountain in Crestin, North Carolina

July 2009 - 40 hours at Hyperbaric Centers of Texas in Richardson, Texas

• McDonagh Medical Center
• Miracle Mountain
• Hyperbaric Centers of Texas

• TheraSuit

TheraSuit is based off the problems the cosmonauts have when they return to Earth after an extended time in space.  The Russian space program developed a way for the cosmonauts to relearn to walk on Earth.  They found that this worked for the CP children as well.  This therapy is now available in the United States.

Hunter began in February 2007 with an intensive three week physical therapy program.  Soon afterwards he wanted to sit beside us when we watch TV instead of on our laps.  What makes this amazing is he was able to communicate this desire.  When the intensive program ended we were so excited about Hunter's progress that we began the weekly program. 

The women at the First United Methodist Church of Appleton, Minnesota had a spagetti dinner that bought Hunter a Universal Excercise Unit for our home.  Now during we can enhance the therapy twice a week more while at home.  Working at Craft Fairs raised the rest of the money needed for weights, ropes, bungie cords, etc.

Hunter has completed nine intensive three week physical therapy programs.  He works at these camps 3 hours a day, five days a week for three weeks.  Hunter can now:

	sit with a stronger upper body,
	walk with assistance longer than he was able before,
	when one leg is lifted the other no longer copies,
	he can hold his body in a crawling position,
	as the tone is broken in the legs the arms are also changing,
	almost stand - he can balance his body for a very short time (few seconds)
	he now participates when asked to play bowling, tennis, etc.

• Pediatrics Plus Therapy

• Conductive Education

  Hunter began Conductive Education a few months prior to turning two years old.  The Conductor was the first person in Hunter's life that told us she could make a difference.  She said she could make Hunter's life 60% better.  Conductive Education is a therapy based in Buda-Pest Hungary.  They only study cerebral palsy and brain injured children.  They combine a physical, occupational, and speech therapist with a teacher.  They call her a Conductor.  Wow, what a program!  Hunter participated in a year long class at the age of two and has participated in five camps.

  Conductive Education taught me that Hunter was to learn how to get around the world as others do.  They did not want to handicap Hunter into a world that made life easier for him which in reality would make the world always different.  Though Conductive Education, Hunter began to be potty trained and was taken off the bottle.   We learned to teach Hunter once.  They told us to think about what we wanted Hunter to be doing when he is 12 years old and start that goal today. I keep that in my mind all the time and that is why I make him walk, go to the toilet, eat at the table, etc.  We were blessed to met up with the original conductor.  Hunter had a summer camp with her agian in 2009.  Now we are working on goals for Hunter as we want him to be when he turns twenty.

   

• A Child Can Do All Things

• Hippo Therapy

Hunter began riding horse when he was two years old.  When we first rode at Equine Angels, Hunter rode the legendary Ol' Blue.  Hunter was so tiny he had to lay down on the horse.  The problem was Hunter cried when on his stomach so for over a year he rode horse mostly on his back.  We were unsure if Hunter was enjoying himself but we pushed on.

In 2002, Hunter had grown and matured so he was able to sit on Phil with a back rider.  With out a back rider Hunter would cry.   Phil was a retired horse who was very skinny - perfect for Hunter's tight legs. His improvements gave hope that the wait was worth it.  Hunter's favorite was telling Phil what to do.  He could say 'go' and 'whoa'.

In August 2003, We noticed that Hunter's toes moved.  He could actually move his walker.  By September he was able to move his walker a small distance.  To time and measure Hunter, I started him by his parakeets and encouraged him to walk to his Dad's office.  I helped Hunter go around the corner but I didn't move him forward.  Hunter's journey of 30 feet took him two hours.  We were so very proud until three weeks later when on a Friday after riding Phil the same distance took him 15 minutes.  We cried.

We found Special Cheers in October 2005.  Hunter has been riding Buddy the one eyed horse.  Hunter now rides buddy by himself.  Well, without a back rider that is.  When Hunter walks he has a large gait.  We call these large steps his Buddy steps.

Currently, Hunter is riding a horse named Gizmo.  In October 2007, Hunter began riding Gizmo backwards and his sensory issues (crying and screaming) in the car became less.  Hunter still rides Gizmo backwards and now sits in the back seat of the car and doesn't peep.

• Special Cheers Home
• Equine Angels Therapeutic Riding Center 

• Gymnastics

  Hunter started gymnastics in September 2003.  We just happened to come across a flyer.  This was the first sport that specialized in special children that we had found.  The first four months were spent in our home teaching Hunter basics.  Coach Denise brought her husband and four adults helped and maneuvered Hunter's body to feel proper movement of forward and backward somersaults, ring routine, bar routine, etc.  For several months it took all our strength to help Hunter.  By the Spring, Coach Denise could assist Hunter solo with minimal assistance from Mom.

  Hunter currently does gymnastics at Olympic Gymnastic Force.  A gym for regular kids that has an occupation therapist.  Hunter gets to watch kids do gymnastics right and he copies.  Hunter can know hang from the rings with straight arms. 

  Unfortunately the gymed closed down and Hunter doesn't participate in gymnastics.

  • Special Needs Gymnastic

• Baseball

  Hunter began playing base ball when he turned eight.  If you can imagine a 40 pound fish wearing a baseball uniform, then you can picture the wiggly kid that can hardly wait to get out of his car seat and into a walker to play ball.  Hunter has been watching his older brothers play sports for eight years.  In 2005 Hunter ran the bases in an outdoor walker.  Hunter could bat the ball off a t-stand unless if Dad helps him then he bats coach pitch.  Hunter also started throwing a ball overhand (assisted).  When Hunter got his trophy he couldn't stop looking at it.  We kept telling him that it was still there.  Hunter wouldn't let go of his trophy when he took it to school for show and tell.

  Now after four seasons, Hunter can bat from the coach even if mom helps him.  He walks to all four bases.  Last year he would take six to seven steps and he had to be carried to the next base.  We just hoped not to be lapped by a girl.  2009 season saw Hunter run all four bases and no one passed us.  Hunter slides into home plate even if no ball is coming our way.

  • Katy Challenger Baseball

• Vision

  Hunter was born early and light reaching his premature retina damaged his eyes, (ROP)  he also has pale pink optic nerves which is called optic nerve atrophy.  Hunter has symptoms of cortical blindness however doesn't have that diagnosis.

  Hunter did have eyes that were called sunset eyes.  Severely brain injured people's eyes will look like they are a sun setting on the horizon.  HBOT corrected the sun set eyes. 

  Hunter had eyes would shake called Nystagmus.  Dr. Peter Jaillet used eye lights, and ran water in his left ear stopped the eyes shaking.

  Hunter had strabismus.  HBOT, and Dr. Jailett  started the process of straightening his eyes.  HBOT and AIT, a listening therapy, finalized the straighten of his eyes.   The importance of Hunter's eyes lies in him being able to balance.  Now that Hunter's eyes have straightened we are beginning to see upward walking and sitting.

  After the age of five years old, there is no change in the optic nerve.  If the color isn't bright pink then it never will be.  Hunter has had three million Human Umbilicle Cord Stem Cells that may change the color.  What this means is Hunter's eyes function.  The optic nerve takes what is seen to the brain to process what was seen.  As long as the nerve is pale it is questionable to what he sees.  Pray that the stem cells found his optic nerve.  Crazy, but the other night, Hunter gazed at me and held his eyes on my face.  His brothers think his eyes are working because he then preceded to laugh.  That can't be right.

• Eye lights

• Human Umbilicle Cord Stem Cells

• December 2008, Hunter received 1.5 million Stem Cells via IV drip.  The first thing we noticed was Hunter no longer through his head back.  Our understanding is the first three weeks the stem cells ffloat through the blood stream looking for a place that has low oxygen or that is swollen.  You don't want to pay for stem cells to fix a bug bite, a paper cut, or a tooth that in coming in.  Any injury that the body has sends a signal to the person's bone marrow stem cells to come and fix the damage.  Ever wonder how your body repairs a cut?  Your bone marrow stem cells can become what ever needs to be repaird.  You pray that the brain injury is sending out a signal to get the newly introduced stem cell to be attracted to the damaged area.  The fourth week the cells have decided what to be and are actively changing into the new cell or replacing a damaged cell.  The fifth week on the new cells multiple.  You begin seeing results around the second to the third week.

• March 2009, Hunter received an additional 1.5 million stem cells.  (90 days later, Hunter did 40 hours of HBOT to grow more stem cells)

• The results of the stem cells are miraculous.  In February I washed 27 shirts in a week.  Hunter was a messy eater.  Now I wash seven shirts a week.  In January, Hunter stood at TheraSuit Camp and participated but did not show enjoyment.  In May he actually tried.  In September he walked with ease in a walker that did little support, he crawled in his crawler across the room, He held the crawling postion, he threw the bowling ball, he bends at the knee and then stands up, etc.  Hunter had screamed in the car for eleven and one half years.  One day in August, he just stopped crying, was able to sit in the back seat of the car and able to tolerate the strap over his shoulder.  He is looking at objects. He is using six buttons on his computer to ask for food, puzzles, bathroom, root beer floats, crayons, toys, etc.  He has become bossy.  Hunter would slide off the sofa and could not be left alone.  Now he can sit on the sofa independant for a half an hour.

• Hunter is now having fun.  He has changed so much in personality and abilities that I really don't remember how difficult he was a year ago.  I do know that we now have fun.  He laughs at jokes, participates in family activities, and enjoys his days. No great big break throughs but he sure is improved!!!

• Steenblock Research Institute

• AIT

• Hunter did the first listening therapy AIT in December 2005.  We saw a immediate side effect of the eyes moving together.  Since then he has had a total of four AIT sessions.  Every year Hunter's traveling in the car improved.  His balance improved.  His cognitive skills increased.

• Special Cheers