Update on Anu Trombino 12-29-04

December 30, 2004

Christmas has come and gone and now we await the beginning of a New Year. The

holiday went well for our family under the circumstances. Thank goodness for

six children who kept all of us focused on the joy and fun of Christmas.

and Mark took Priya to the hospital to visit Anu for a little while, and I think

it really brightened her day. It was wonderful of the staff to bend the rules.

The biggest change in Anu since our last update is with her communication. She

is much more able to make her needs known to us and to the nurses. We use a

combination of commonly used words (bed up/down, turn, tired, thirsty, pain, TV,

music, etc.) and a spelling chart for other things she wants to say or ask. She

is amazingly quick with the system, much faster than the rest of us. The first

full sentence she spelled out was " I am in good spirits. " She requested the

portable DVD player which was a Christmas gift and some of her Indian movies, so

that is helping to pass the time. It is wonderful to see and feel the heart and

spirit of our precious Anu.

Her medical status remains stable, with a few minor complications coming up

occasionally. The transfer to Barrow should take place in the next day or two.

She is ready to go, but they need to have an ICU bed available and that seems to

change every hour. It is hard to wait, since we are anxious to get that process

started. It will take some time for a complete assessment of her spinal cord

injury and to develop a treatment plan.

We are taking turns spending time at the hospital, with a lot of help from my

sister in the last few days. Anu's father will return in about a week; he is a

great source of comfort and strength for Anu.

As we prayed in church on Christmas Eve, we gave thanks for the gift of Anu's

life and for so many people around the country and the world who are also

praying for her continued healing. Another update will be sent after she has

been at Barrow for a few days and we have some idea of what the next steps will

be.

Again, our deepest appreciation for all the love and support.

Betsy

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