In Memory of Cassandra Yazzie-Hotchkiss

12/22/09

I wanted to give everyone an update from Denver.  The best news is that Dante was discharged on Friday.  He returned home with his grandparents on Saturday.  They arrived home to many gifts and a good amount of snow.  As with Amada I am happy to see him recovering so well but sad to see him go home without us.  We miss him he is such a strong little boy who, like his brother and Mom, lights up the room with his great smile.  Roger and Terry are such great grandparents to him and this tragedy has brought us all much closer.  We are all working on a plan to ensure that his Mom’s wishes for him will be carried out in the best possible ways.                           Amada is continuing to get better as well she got to spend several days with her friends at school before the break.  Gramma and Grampa are having a good go of it trying to keep up with her.  With the physical stuff healing very well she is moving on to the real work of grieving.  It is difficult to explain the relationship her and Cas had.  They pushed one another to grow and both respected that ability the other had to do that.  Cas  was a Mentor to Amada in the truest sense of the word.  She inspired her to be all the good things that she was born to be and I have no doubt that Cas is the foundation for the strong native woman Amada will become.

Noah, David and I are preparing for our Christmas here in Denver.  We find ourselves surrounded by new friends and old friends who amaze us with their generous spirits.  My sister Rachel is back up here helping in her special way.  She has been such a rock for us her sincerity and humor are a unique gift.  Noah adores her ( she has even taught him how to cheat at uno).   Noah continues to improve.  He is facing the situation with true courage.  He recently corrected the doctors diagnosis by telling them “  Really I have a 50/50 chance of recovering”  to which the doctors looked quite concerned and asked him how he came to that conclusion?  Noah said “ Either I’ll walk or I won’t  that’s 50/50”

His physical therapy is pretty intense and takes up most of the day.  He is working hard  to learn how to  independently do everything he did before.  He is an inspiration to everyone who is working with him and I have never been prouder of my son!

David and Noah are also good support for each other.  They have been having epic wii battles.  Whoa…  while I was just sitting here Noah got mad and frustrated while dressing and moved both his legs and both his feet.  I got his physical therapist and he was moving both legs and feet on cue.  Please let’s keep the prayers strong for my boy!!!!!!!

I miss Cas so much.  I am trying my best to live the life she wanted me to live and take care of the vision she had for each of our children and for the youth in general.  She is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Thanks to my friend Ashley we got to go behind the scenes at the Denver zoo on Thursday.  In October Cas and I and the Kids had all gone there as a family and had a great time.  So it was a little hard on both of us to go back there.  But as it got dark and they put on their amazing  Christmas light display.  We rode around and it was heavenly( I am using that word literally)  It’s hard to explain but we all felt Cas’  presence and it is always a peaceful feeling.

We continue to be blown away by the love and support shown for our family,  from the staff and admin at Childrens to the Durango Community and the kids’ schools,  we are honored and humbled by the grace we are living under.

Thank you all from the depth of our being,

Jason, Alicia, David, Noah, Amada and dante

Family sweat day