At last, Isobel’s incredible walking legs make their début on Vimeo.
See the excited little jig she does at the end of the film?
If you were moved by this clip, just imagine how I felt when I saw it happen, right in front of my eyes. While actively encouraging Isobel to keep going, inwardly I was thinking, “OMG OMG OMG OMG she is really doing this!!” For sheer thrills, nothing else compares.
Once she’s mastered the walking motions, I imagine the next step is for Isobel to work out how to distribute the centre of gravity in her upper body properly, so that she can learn to walk independently.
Naturally, to expect fast results would be unrealistic. Just because Isobel has progressed this far in rehab doesn’t mean we can pinpoint the exact age at which she will walk. After all, she has practised standing for well over a year, and she’s still not quite doing that independently either.
(That said, her determination to stand whatever the circumstances – be it placing her in the Triton chair, on my lap or lying her on her back – is obvious. Upon doing so, by her wide grin I can tell that she loves the challenge she’s setting me, the cheeky little minx.)
Even since Isobel amazed us with her first steps in Chesham three weeks ago, I am seeing an increasing clarity in her movements, exaggerated though they may be. It reflects her growing confidence while she familiarizes herself with the connections her brain must make with various parts of her body so to co-ordinate more efficiently.
Stay tuned. You never know what Isobel will surprise us with next.
