08.25.03 Chelsie has started her first full week of classes, and Dad just can't stay away. He went to help her download some plugins for her computer, so she could start working on her Math homework. Then they were off to the school cafeteria with Dad in tow for dinner. They waited in a huge line to get to the hamburger/hot dog part of the line. Chelsie loads her tray and trots off to the drink line, and then Dad hears lots of noise. She dropped her entire tray full of food! But a very nice young lady got up from her table to help Chelsie pick it all up Then, of course, they have to get back into a much longer line to get another tray of food for her. She just smiled the whole time. What's a spilled tray of food compared to everything she has had to endure the last 10 months? Then back to the dorm to work on her computer some more. She is taking 13 hours of classes. It may be too much for her to start with, but Mom and Dad think she will be able to do it with lots of her hard work and the people at UCA. They have been so very helpful. Many thanks to Mss Crystal Hill, the director of Disability Support Sevrices at UCA . She has really taken great care to see that Chelsie has all the help and support at school she needs.
08.17.03-08.24.03 Chelsie packed and moved into the Dorm at UCA today August 17. This was a great day for her to get to start college. She is in Baridon Hall, Room 101, which is a coed dorm. Her dorm room is a suite which includes 2 private bedrooms, a private bath, and a living room. She has two suite mates, Autumn and Jennife, and then Chelsie has a bedroom to herself. Mom and Dad are very proud to say Chelsie has two very nice girls for suite mates. Pics of them in their room will be posted soon. And to everyone's surprise, the 3 girls are the only girls on the first floor of the dorm. Then Monday-Wednesday, Chelsie had all kinds of things to do to learn about college life and where everything was on campus. On Thursday, classes started, and Mom spent all of Thursday and Friday helping Chel find her classes and getting a routine started for her. This is a very big change for her and all of her family, but she is working at it just as hard as she has towardeverything since her accident.
Her address at UCA for letters/packages is:
Chelsie McManus
UCA Box 5504
201 Donaghey Ave
Conway, AR 72035
Summer Update: Chelsie's Summer. Sunday, June 1st was a very good beginning to Chelsie's Summer because it was the day for the annual Arkansas Children's Hospital Telethon. Her day started by going to the hospital to watch her story be aired on TV and a live interview done by Anne Jansen of Chan 11. She really enjoyed the day by meeting everyone involved in the Telethon and helping raise money for all the kids. Check back at a later time for some pictures from the Telethon to be posted on the Telethon link.
Then on Monday, June 2 ,she started out patient therapy almost every day of the week, which for the entire summer. She had OT twice a week from Allied Therapy. Her PT was from them also, which included swimming and working out in the gym twice a week. Wednesday evenings Chelsie participated in a special type of terapy; she did what is called hippotherapy. Yes she rode horses to help in her balance! Check out this link to learn more about it and check back for pictures of this kind of therapy. She will continue this therapy for a while because it seems to be really helping her balance. Also twice a week she was tutored in English by Mrs. Buchanan to get her ready for English in college. Mr. Kloske also worked with her on her college Algebra several times a week trying to get her ready for Algebra at UCA. Her speech therapy was taught by Callie Schafer, and we don't know who had more fun at speech--Chelsie or Ms. Callie! Continued trips to the Lonoke Community Center for her to work out with Mom and Dad completed her out patient therapies for the summer. Where has the summer gone? For now its time for her to pack for college. Check back later for pictures of her summer fun.
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