Much has changed since the last CaringBridge update, and the Kings are beyond grateful for your support as they navigate their new normal. Through the grace of God, they have been supported in ways many families are not. People continue to generously give their time, resources, finances, encouragement, prayer, and more. While they hope and pray to see an end to this on this side of heaven, they continue to covet your support on this unimaginable journey.

Tyler continues to improve in ways the Kings were told were impossible. In February, they switched Tyler’s place of therapy, which has allowed him to make even more progress. Tyler has been doing 3-4 days a week of Speech, OT, and PT. In addition to his weekly therapies, Abby’s close friend Andrea, who is an OT, comes to their house every other week to get in extra OT practice. His therapists and Andrea have been a blessing to the entire King family. Tyler’s dad, Tyler’s sister, and Abby’s dad have been such a gift by taking Tyler to and from all of his appointments. Without their consistent help, Tyler would not be able to attend his therapies at the frequency he currently does. The King’s continue to be extremely grateful for their unwavering support. 

In conjunction with his other therapies, Tyler started Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy treatments. The Kings had to rally all the troops to get Tyler to and from sessions while Abby worked. With the help of Tyler’s dad and sister, Tyler’s aunt Roberta and uncle Scott, and Abby’s dad, they were able to get Tyler to the Hyperbaric center everyday for 3 months. The progress he made was worth every logistical complication, late night, and early morning. As a result of the chamber, Tyler got more leg movement, more words and he even got some movement in his right arm! He felt the hyperbaric treatments created the right foundation to continue his progress. Most importantly, Tyler is certain that hyperbaric treatment allowed him to start taking his body back!

Outside of therapy, Tyler continues to gain his independence back and work his mind and body. He has an adaptive recumbent bike that allows him to go on bike rides in the neighborhood. This has given Tyler an immense amount of freedom. His dad takes him to the trails at Percy Warner park which gives Tyler a sense of living again. 

While this journey continues to be long, here are some highlights from the past few months that have been huge checkpoints in the King’s ability to move forward:

June

• Tyler finished 60 hyperbaric chamber sessions which allowed him to make significant physical and mental progress 
• Abby’s sister Sam organized an amazing fundraising event where the Kings and their family got to see your support in action! 
• • Tyler and the entire King family were blown away by everyone who came out and stepped up. Tyler could not believe all the support he has and it really inspired him to keep fighting!
  • The Kings and Sam sincerely thank you from the bottom of their hearts. Attached is a video recapping the event (courtesy of Megan Krueger). 

July

• The King family attended Hope Heals Camp where they got to meet families walking through similar journeys. 
• Tyler got a new speech therapist that has been instrumental in his progress and ability to communicate 

August

• Abby’s parents moved to Tennessee!
• Tyler got his bike which has given him the taste of freedom he needed to keep pushing along this journey.
• Abby’s sister Sam came to visit Nashville several times and was Abby’s right hand lady for all things organizing, cleaning, paperwork, and more!

 September

• Tyler got a new virtual speech device that has given him independence and autonomy when practicing speech

October

• Tyler’s dad  took Tyler to a one week intensive at Apex Brain Center where he did numerous therapies including laser, eye therapy, neurofeedback and many others.  Tyler enjoyed working with a functional neurologist and saw noticeable gains. Tyler would like to go back every year. 
• Abby went on her first work trip where she left Tyler and the boys alone. Abby could not have done this without the support of her parents to hold down the house while she was gone!
• The Kings and Abby’s parents went to Disney world and Miami. This was their first trip following the accident. The King boys had a blast! 

November

• Tyler was able to continue implementing tools learned at the Apex brain intensive and saw direct results in his mobility and language skills

December

• Abby’s sister, Annie, and her husband Dawson moved to Tennessee offering even more fun and support!

Many people have asked questions around Tyler’s progress and what the future holds. While the future is not up to us, here are some questions we can help answer today:

Can Tyler Walk?

Yes, Tyler is slowly walking with a cane around the house however, for long distances and rough terrain Tyler needs his wheelchair. He mostly uses his wheelchair when attending the kids soccer games that offer handicap access. The Kings have grieved the ability to seemingly “up and go” as they now have to be intentional with each outing they take. He still does not have feeling on his right side so walking is tough but Tyler does not let that stop him.

How does Tyler communicate if he cannot speak?

Tyler’s words are starting to come back and he communicates in short, one to five word sentences. He has always been very impactful with his words and that is even more true today. He is expressive and fully engaged. Tyler also has a screen reader on his phone that reads him texts and messages. He can respond in emojis and sometimes a word or two. He LOVES hearing from people and wants to know how you are doing. He likes talking about all the things he did before like sports, the kids, investing, etc. Tyler can comprehend conversations and contribute to them just as impactfully as the rest of us! He is still fully himself and can laugh and joke like before.  

How do logistics work?

With Abby working full-time, being a full-time caregiver, and being a full-time mom, logistics can be challenging. Tyler’s dad and sister take Tyler to therapy while Abby works. Additionally, Tyler does a few days a week of speech via Telehealth to help ease all the driving. Tyler is able to use the computer and can independently work with his speech therapist. Abby takes Tyler to many doctor appointments and manages his schedule. Abby’s parents help with the boys, especially when they have soccer games at the same time in different places and different appointments that pop up while she is at work. Abby’s dad is also always willing to take Tyler to and from therapy and appointments as needed. 

Have they caught the people who did this?

While there has been progress in the case, our focus remains on Tyler and the King’s healing. We are continuing to pray for justice so that no one else has to walk through what the Kings are walking through. 

 How can we help?

While the King’s have begun to find their new rhythm, there are still basic things on the day to day that can feel like a lot to manage:

⁃ Skiing! Tyler has expressed a lot of interest in adaptive skiing. This logistically seems very difficult but if anyone knows of organizations that help facilitate this Tyler would be thrilled. Allowing Tyler to participate in his hobbies are what give him the drive and independence needed to keep him motivated on this journey. 

⁃ Lawn mower help. Tyler can and wants to mow and Abby could use the help. Abby has called many manufacturers and all controls are on the right side. Tyler needs a riding lawn mower that has a left sided handle and can be adapted to his physical needs. 

- A trailer and hitch for Abby’s car so they can transport Tyler’s bike. This would allow Tyler to get a change of scenery and go for rides with family members. 

⁃ Organization help. Following the home remodels due to the storm and accessibility needs, Abby has struggled to find the time to make their home functional. 

⁃ Uber & Instacart gift cards. Due to Abby’s packed schedule and specific dietary restrictions (celiac disease), cooking has become an increasingly difficult task. The Kings primarily order meals through Uber Eats and Instacart. These gift cards would help ease some of the financial burden this has created on a daily basis. 

⁃ Donations towards the numerous home therapies needed for recovery (hyperbaric chamber, vibration plate, eye therapies, speech devices, etc). Tyler has seen huge success following these home therapies however the cost of these items and other recommended therapies is not covered by insurance. 

⁃ Prayers & words of encouragement. Since the day of the accident your prayers have been a big part of what has allowed Tyler to make the progress he has today. Tyler is a walking miracle and we believe God is not done working on Tyler’s story. Your prayers are being answered and we are seeing miracles happen. In addition, your prayers have also been a great source of inspiration, motivation, and continued perseverance for the Kings. 

What specifics can we pray for?

-Healing in Tyler’s left eye. Tyler’s loss of eyesight has continued to affect his quality of life. 

-That Tyler would gain sensation on the right side of his body and that his right arm would be functional. The functioning of his arm would open up many doors of autonomy for Tyler. 

-Words! The words are starting to come and we are praying he gets more and more of his language abilities back. 

-Financial provision. Many of the therapies that Tyler is responding to are not covered by insurance. This, the loss of income, the compiling medical bills, and many other factors have continued to take a significant toll on the King family. Tyler has expressed many times that he would like to go to an aphasia intensive to continue the growth in his language center. These intensives are around $30,00-$50,000 for a 6 week program. (He wants to go once a year). 

-Continued motivation for Tyler. The work he is doing is absolutely grueling and he is not giving up! Each day, Tyler is putting all of his effort into healing and it is exhausting for him. Tyler, more than anyone, wants his life back. The Kings continue to pray that Tyler will be encouraged to keep going each day.

-Approval of Social Security Disability. Abby applied a year ago and Tyler still has not been assigned a case manager. She was told this could take another year. They need his disability to be approved in order to stay on COBRA. Navigating this situation has taken an immense amount of Abby's time and energy, and approval of SSDI would allow Tyler to have adequate health coverage. 

-Encouragement and prayers for the King boys. They continue to be deeply affected by the accident. While their spirits seem high on a day-to-day basis, they have struggled with grieving parts of their relationship with their dad. Today, Knox said “I haven’t felt Christmas spirit since dad’s accident.” 

 No words can measure the level of gratitude we wish to express to all who have supported us. Big and small support, it means the world. We long to hug, write to, and hang out with each and every one of you. We pray blessings and favor upon you all and can’t thank you enough for walking on this journey with us, even if from a distance.

With love and prayers, the Strachan family