Michael and Family

Written by : Manuela Braun

Dear Barbara,

I hope you have enjoyed the holidays and new year festivities to the full.

After an arduous few weeks everything is running smoothly again. Michael took quite a while (from mid-November) to recover from his illness. Weakened by his serious infection he was assailed by colds and flu and it has taken a lot of time to discover that he has again reacted very well to the dolphin therapy.

Here follows the most important changes:

Michael always needed strong stimuli to sense himself and his reactions were very slow. Since the therapy Michael has a substantially better sensibility regarding his body – this we noticed especially: using the potty – he now knows what to do when he sits on it (before it happened just now and then because he just needed to pass water at that time, now he can do it consciously) – mind you this only applies to when he needs to pee, the rest still remains to be learnt.

at mealtimes – if there is a little mash on his lip, cheek or on his chin then he immediately wipes it off – previously he never took any notice. He does the same when a speck of porridge or some similar small thing drops on his arm – he grasps at it without hesitation.

Michael’s sense of balance had very much improved after the first dolphin therapy in 2007. This time it has improved even more, which Evelin, his hippo therapist, could only confirm. Now he can sit on a normal chair on his own, he can stand for a longer period without support, holding a hand he can walk quite confidently and on very courageous days he can take a few steps on his own and he is naturally very proud of that.

When riding, sitting normally in the saddle has become much too boring – he sits looking back, he sits side-saddle and can always regain his position should he slip out of place.

Despite all these great successes there is a long way to go for us and especially for Michael.

Michael starts school this coming Autumn so we will not be able to visit you this year. However we have planned a further dolphin therapy for September 2010 and we will bring another family with us. Could we make a reservation for the time 5th. – 19th. September 2010? One for our Michael and one for Pia Pleiner.

So, now I would like to thank you once again, and the whole team (especially Suna) for all your help and support. Without your assistance with the hospital and everything else we would have despaired. Thank you also for Michael’s affectionate therapy treatment when he wasn’t feeling well.

I hope you have a quiet Winter so that you can rest and recuperate and wish you lots of luck and happiness for the coming year.

Manuela Bernhard and Michael

For dolphin therapy related questions you can contact Family Bernhard via email: