The trip!
09 June 2008
Sorry for the lack of updates but it's taken a few days to get back to UK time and sort everything out. Where do we begin! We travelled across to Florida on the 6 May 2008 to spend a couple of days in Orlando prior to the therapy. This was to allow Rose and Ruby some time to get acclimatised and over any jet lag. While we were there we visited Disney's Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom. Rose and Ruby had a fantastic time, Rose signing more than usual as she saw all the animals and characters she had only seen before on TV or in books.
We flew to Panama City on Saturday 10 May 2008. On Sunday morning we met the Water Planet (www.waterplanetusa.com) team led by Denis Richard. The team consisted of Denis, Melissa and four interns. After outlining the week ahead Rose was straight into the pool and soon happy in the company of all the staff. Late that afternoon we went out on the boat and had a trip around the bay and out to the edge of the Gulf. We caught our first sight of the dolphins in the bay which was wonderful.
Therapy proper began on Monday morning with interactive play, painting, clay & work in the pool involving WATSU, a kind of massage and manipulation therapy. After breaking for lunch we went out on the boat again. In order to get Rose used to the water we beached on a small sandbar and splashed around in the ankle deep water which Rose thought was great. Afterwards we moved on to waist deep water which Rose was a bit more cautious in. The wind was picking up so we moved out to the breakwater at the edge of the gulf to see some of the dolphins as they love to surf in the waves. This is great to see but the larger waves made Rose a bit unsure so she spent the rest of the day looking at the dolphins over Daddy's shoulder!
Tuesday and Wednesday followed the same format but included visits to a local nature reserve called Shell Island. Unfortunately the wind grew stronger over these days. The larger waves caused by this meant Rose didn't manage to get into the water with the dolphins so instead we spent more time in shallower waters where she continued therapy with the interns as well as paddling, swimming and investigating every shell, crab and fish she could find! It was great to see her so animated and eager to try and sign all the animals she saw.
On Thursday Panama City was on a hurricane watch which meant we were unable to go out in the boat. Instead we went to another indoor sea life centre where Rose was absolutely fascinated by the sharks and turtles. We tried to get her in to swim with the dolphins here but as we had not planned the day, it was all a bit of rush and consequently quite a shock for her. I think before we went, we hadn't appreciated that the dolphins are actually quite big and have a lot of teeth, so it took Rose quite a while to become accustomed to them!
That evening we attended a musical therapy session including bongo drumming, telling a musical story, laughter therapy and finding your totem animal! Despite our initial trepidation, this event really brought out the best in Rose and she was animated and laughing throughout the whole session, playing every instrument she could get her hands on.
Friday came along too quickly as it meant the end of our therapy. In the morning we visited a fresh spring water cave, it was absolutely spectacular and Rose adored looking for the fresh water fish & turtles. We enjoyed a delicious BBQ laid on by the Water Planet team. The final boat trip took us out to the edge of the gulf and some very clear water by the breakwater. There were several groups of dolphins out here and we could see them clearly as they passed us by, chasing fish and playing in the surf.
We were sad to finish our time in Panama City, everyone involved with Water Planet were fantastic, dedicated and supportive. Rose had a wonderful time and truly gained from the experience. She was more confident by the end of the week, both in the water and with groups of people. She was signing as often as she could and was more vocal, especially when she was having fun.
The final couple of days were spent back in Orlando with a visit to SeaWorld, another place that Rose and Ruby absolutely adored.
We can't thank everyone enough for helping make this trip possible. We truly believe that there is still hope for Rose and everything we achieved in our time in Florida has moved us closer towards our final goal.