The Lift

Waverly had a very difficult time with the bus this week. She has had a lot of trouble with the stairs and walking down the bus aisle. I think part of it is that it takes her awhile to learn a new routine, so she gets a bit confused. However, her feet just don't seem to be working. She is crossing them as she stands and is then unable to uncross them and move forward. She is also fatiguing quite easily. On Wednesday morning she fell while trying to walk to her seat. The aide on the bus is very nice, but is simply not strong enough to handle Waverly's size.

That afternoon after another rough descent of the bus stairs, I realized we had to start using her wheelchair and the bus lift. I emailed Wavey's teacher and called transportation. Thankfully her bus was already equipped with a lift, so the transition was easy. Thursday morning, we loaded her up and in chair and off she went.

This was not an easy decision, but I knew we had to make the change to keep her safe. She loves being in her chair and this way I don't worry about another fall on the bus. Plus, I spoke with her teacher about not using the chair while she is at school. I don't want her to all of a sudden be seen as immobile. She can continue to walk and move about the classroom as before. The wheelchair is simply for transportation to/from school.

I am not sure if the changes to her mobility are a blip or an actual long term change. It wasn't easy to transition to the wheelchair and lift, but I knew this day was coming. Waverly is still a very happy little girl, with lots of love and giggles for everyone she meets.