School, International Day of Acceptance, and James Was in Colorado

  • Post category:School / Therapy
  • Reading time:2 mins read

Welcome to 2020, about a month late. Hope everyone’s year is going well so far. We have no complaints here…well, except for maybe the cold. I guess I really shouldn’t complain because I still remember how cold January was last year. That was brutal! Not much happened in the past month so this will be a relatively short post.

 

School

Ever since his spinal fusion, James hadn’t been turning his head as much during physical therapy. That changed a few weeks ago. We’re not sure what happened, but the therapist got him to turn his head like he used to prior to the surgery. In the videos below, you can see that he is better at turning his head to the left than he is to the right, but hopefully with some continuous work he’ll be able to turn both ways equally.

 

Turning his head to the left:

 

Turning his head to the right:

 

Last week they had another spirit week.

 

Monday: College Spirit Day

A classroom scene shows two people together. James sits in a wheelchair wearing a blue shirt that reads “I am Elmhurst.” Beside him, his nurse kneels on the floor wearing a dark blue “Elmhurst College Bluejays” sweatshirt and holds James' hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a lamp, and a window with daylight coming through. A poster on the cabinet lists words such as “Scholars,” “Historians,” “Explorers,” “Detectives,” “Creators,” “Thinkers,” and “Important.” The moment feels calm, connected, and supportive.
College Spirit Day

 

Tuesday: Orange Day

Three people are in a classroom. In the center, James stands in his stander with a tray attached, wearing sunglasses and an orange shirt. His teacher and nurse stand close on either side, both in orange or reddish‑orange tops, smiling and holding James' hands. Behind them is a window with blinds, colorful paper lanterns, and classroom decorations, including a paper apple with the word “learn.” The moment feels cheerful, connected, and inclusive.
Orange Day

 

Wednesday: Work Out Day

Two people are in a classroom. James sits in a wheelchair wearing a black jacket with red accents. Beside him, his nurse kneels on the floor wearing a black top with a “Christ Community Students” logo and blue pants, holding James' hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets, a window with blinds, and educational posters, including one that says “Mistakes are proof you are trying” and another listing roles like authors, leaders, scholars, explorers, detectives, creators, thinkers, and important. The moment feels calm, supportive, and connected.
Work Out Day

 

Thursday: Neon / Tie Dye Day

Two people are in a classroom. James sits in a wheelchair wearing a bright green “TEAM JAMES” shirt with a cartoon monkey on the front. Beside him, his nurse kneels on the floor wearing the same matching shirt and holds his hand. Behind them are wooden cabinets, educational posters, and classroom supplies. One poster reads “THINK before you speak,” and another says “mistakes are proof you are trying.” The moment feels connected, encouraging, and team‑oriented.
Neon / Tie Dye Day

 

Friday: The Color Red

James sits in his wheelchair at home. He is wearing a red long‑sleeve shirt with blue graphics, blue jeans, and red shoes. The wheelchair has a black seat, padded supports, and a red frame. The background shows a carpeted floor, a small table with decorative items, and a hallway leading further into the home. The moment feels casual and domestic, highlighting everyday mobility and comfort.
The Color Red Day

 

 

International Day of Acceptance

January 20th has been designated as the International Day of Acceptance. Every year we try to put our sign out in front of our house, but sometimes the ground is just too frozen. This was unfortunately one of those years. Here is a picture of James with the sign that we took in 2016.

 

James lies on a cushioned surface covered with a patterned sheet, holding two signs that read “#DayOfAcceptance January 20th” and “January 20 DayOfAcceptance.com,” the latter featuring the 3E Love heart design that incorporates a wheelchair symbol. A stuffed monkey rests nearby. The scene highlights disability acceptance and inclusion through a calm, supportive moment.

 

 

James Was in Colorado

Someone sent us a message on Facebook in early January letting us know that they were in a clinic in Pueblo, Colorado and James “Say Hello” post was on the information display in the waiting room:

 

A wall‑mounted television displays a digital slide with a light green background. The top reads “Let’s Get Social!” On the left side of the screen is an image of a computer monitor showing a social‑media‑style page. On the right is a green poster featuring James in a wheelchair, along with the words “SAY HELLO.” Social media icons appear in the upper corner. The scene looks like an indoor space where the screen is being used to share an inclusion‑focused message.
At a clinic in Pueblo, Colorado

 

How freaking cool is that? Makes me where else it has shown up and if we should be charging a small fee for displaying it in public. I am kidding about that last part. We’re glad James’ message is getting out there and making a positive impact. Seriously, though, if you have a Facebook account and see it somewhere, can you snap a pic, send it to us through Facebook Messenger, and let us know where you saw it? I may make a special blog post with all of the places it has been seen.