Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday’s to you all. We hope you all are having a season of peace, compassion, and connection.

We have been enjoying the holiday season and savoring our time with each other. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the ways people have shown us compassion and generosity. We feel incredibly blessed and loved.

Michael continues to make slow but steady progress with speech. I still go with him to all of his medical appointments to assist in communication. He is able to communicate with family and friends with assistance of writing pad or speech app. He is unable to make a typical phone call unless he uses a voice activated app. Asher and Sophie read their books to him. He has speech therapy 3 days a week and this month we transitioned to another agency so he can have virtual speech sessions from home which helps with need for traveling to appointments.

We met with the cardiologist and Michael will need to have an implant placed right under the skin of his chest that tracks his heart rhythm. We also began conversation discussing the process of repairing the PFO (hole in heart that I discussed in the last post) at some point. We are discussing and praying through the risks and benefits and timing of that procedure. Also, Michael has several other diagnostic tests that need to be done in the next month so.

I have reflected this month on our journey since October 13 and there is a lot to process. I am starting to get to a place where I need and want to write more as a way to process the trauma, grief, and overwhelming gratitude that we have experienced in the last few months. As part of that process, I would love to send you a card. I have one request that would help ease my process- would you please text me your address so I can send you a card? My number is 203-448-6181.

We send you our love and gratitude and we hope you get time during this season to reflect on what brought you joy and light this year. We pray that your 2021 is full of love and wellness.

With love and warmth,

The Martinez Family