After surviving major cranial surgeries, pneumonia and serious infections, Christina is now at JFK Johnson Hartwyck Rehabilitation Center in Edison, NJ. Although her progress with therapists and doctors will not be described here, Christina is gradually taking command over her body and mind. Her condition is improving in slow increments with generally positive results. She responds clearly to her friends and family as well as her dedicated medical and therapeutic caregivers. There is excessive muscular stiffness or “tone” in her limbs, but Christina sits in her wheelchair six to eight hours a day. Foot plaster casts are being replaced with other devices to protect her feet and leg posture by countering “foot drop,” the tendency for tendons to shorten which in turn lessens the ability of the muscular area of the leg and foot necessary to walk. In physical therapy there are hopeful but inconsistent signs of improvement especially with sitting and sitting balance. She is trying to roll over, to bend, to stretch, to turn sideways and to rest on hands and knees. Her right arm and hand are beginning to move more, and she can now grasp an object in her right hand.

Christina is considered to be partially conscious although her eyes are open and tracking, her head movements include nodding “yes” and “no,” and she can now smile! On September 29, a small brain seizure occurred. A variety of preventive drugs are being administered. Sometimes the therapeutic drugs make Christina drowsy, but she is aware of her environment. Her eyes are “localizing” to the sound of voices, music and videotapes most of the time. She plays her piano largely with the left index finger but has tried to use all the fingers of her left hand. She responds to rhythm and pitch. Sometimes she begins at C below scale, progresses key by key to middle C and then continues in succession to the end of the keyboard. She may choose to go back down the scale. Christina loves hearing and seeing familiar Broadway musicals (a favorite tune is “Singing in the Rain”) and classical music (especially “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Cenerentola”). Her vocal cords are intact. The mouth seems to be forming a few words, but no sound has emerged. The intonation of her own voice has been witnessed occasionally during coughs and gasps. Beyond the regular speech therapy, a private music therapist is working with Christina once a week. The response is enthusiastic but tempered by Christina’s degrees of energy or fatigue. Psychological study of cognition related to music comprehension is one of the research areas under investigation.

Over the months, comprehension of art and form from books as well as objects has been apparent. Christina enjoys familiar artists such as Monet and Christo. (She had hoped to help erect “The Gates” project by Christo and Jean Claude scheduled for February 6, 2005, throughout Central Park.) Finger-painting has been the direct outlet. Christina mixes colors with her left index finger, and it is evident that she has color preferences when given the choice. She also tries to “fill the canvas” to each corner. Early attempts at drawing with the left hand have been less successful because the finger guiding a pencil unfortunately recoils when paper is touched. Results are better when a felt tip marker is used.

More recently, the first signs of hunger are returning. (Christina receives food and water by a tube inserted directly in the stomach.) When a deli pasta and Coca Cola were brought to her nose, Christina’s eyes widened, her mouth opened and her lips and tongue moved. The next morning, guided by her speech therapist, she swallowed applesauce for the first time. At Halloween she tasted cupcake icing and whipped cream!

Day visits within the region are under consideration. In early September, accompanied by Beth, the recreation therapist, Christina and her mother took a short trip to the local mall where they went shopping at the Gap! Christina happily experienced riding in a small Medi-Vac bus in her wheelchair and stayed awake during the entire trip.

We will continue to report her progress and plans for the Christina Fund Benefit, the latter scheduled for the anniversary of her accident in early February, 2005.

Please feel free to contact us by visiting the contact page. The Porter family appreciates all concern felt through the community and would like to thank you for taking the time to visit this page.