Sunday 3 January 2021

In occupational therapy Nathaniel is learning how to put on tefillin. He is really motivated to be more proficient at it. Since the attack which caused him to lose control of his right arm and hand, he has become a lefty so he is putting them on his right arm and hand.

It has been a hard time with friends not being able to visit because of corona. Last week some friends visited and it clearly boosted Nathaniel’s spirits.

Nathaniel is relearning how to swallow. This action may seem trivial, but without swallowing, there is no eating (just feeding tube) or talking, yet lots of drooling. So, we are trying all sorts of tricks and therapies to get him to swallow automatically as well as on command. On Thursday a close friend from the army came and Nathaniel made a facial expression which seems to say, “What’s going on, where have you been?" I hadn't seen that expression before. However, after a bit he seemed relaxed and happy to hang out with his friend.

On Shabbat his good friend came to visit. As soon as the friend walked into the apartment, Nathaniel smiled and didn't stop for a while. He was really happy. It is one of the few times I have seen him show emotion. With the corona vaccine being administered and hopes of the pandemic being behind us, we looks forward to a return to regular visits from friends since these visits clearly lift Nathaniel’s spirits.