New Addresses
December 19, 2008
Greetings from the Malogne House:
Today is Mariah’s first full outpatient day. We have a room together across campus from the main hospital at Walter Reed, where she spent most of the past week. Yesterday was a bit grueling, as Mariah went through her initial intake and discharge process. There was a little bit of paperwork, and a lot of transporting between buildings and waiting for things to move forward. The happy ending was the comfort of a private room to sleep in (oh, except for having her brother in the other bed probably snoring loudly!). Well, atleast we have moved on from nurse stations, nightly check-ins, and the hospital atmosphere. This was really a huge step, and Mariah’s courage and fortitude are really showing here.
We got up in our own room at 7am today and after getting washed up, headed down to the first floor cafeteria for a breakfast of raisin bran, cheese eggs, home fries, and Saved By the Bell on the big screen T.V. As for me, I am trying to get ok with this whole secretary aspect of my job. I am organizing her appointments and outings so as not to miss any. Hmmm…there is nothing comfortable about responsibilities. That’s cool, though. There will be great fortitude exuding from little brother, as well, through this process. Thank you all for calling me up, or e-mailing to check in with when and how to get in touch with Mariah.
We have more intake processing to go through today, as well as her initial check-ins with her outpatient doctors over the next five days or so, but things are running quite smooth. I gotta tell everyone, this morning, while typing on the Apple computer in our room, that it really seems like yesterday that Mariah was first here at Walter Reed, almost entirely immobile with feeding tubes, machines to keep the blood flow up in her legs, and no vocal capability. From her bed today, while I read from my Bible in my own, she said out loud, “Clay, I’d like to go brush my teeth and wash my face before breakfast.”
After we ate and returned to the room, I guided Mariah from bed to bathroom with her walker, which is our method of transfer between the two, for regular practice with walking while in the room. Of course, miracles included, the reality is that this road has been so long (six months now) and will continue for quite some time. Please please keep on praying, keep calling me for visits, think of Mariah during the holidays and let us know your thoughts, and if you want to do something good for Mariah do not be afraid to do it. None of us know the best way to help, and thats ok. Do it anyway, it works. We love you all.
Here is our physical address (BTW- this is for mailing stuff, NOT for random drop-ins from my miscreant musician friends looking for a fill-in sax player):
6900 Georgia Avenue., NW Bldg 20 (room #265)
Washington DC, NW 20307
If anyone plans on sending any packages to Mariah (um… or Clay!) for Christmas, please send to this address, in nearby Bethesda where Mariah will get them for Christmas. Thank you:
4425 Chestnut Street
Bethesda MD 20814
Love and Light, Clay
Mariah's Reemergence 
Dear kids :
Probably you will not have the slightest idea on who I am. I met in the year 1965, long time ago…, a marvelous family called Steinwinter. They gave me during a whole wonderful year all their love and patience. From that unforgettable day of July, I started to call them (Mom, Dad, brothers and sister ). Specially on that year I learned to have a brother ( Mark ), by the way an authentic one-offs. Thirty years latter I had the chance to return to visit your country again and this time I also met a very young and cute girl and his younger brother. That was at Washington DC, and of course I’m talking of you Mariah and Clay.
We enjoyed a couple of days together with my family and yours, and sure nobody suspected what life was reserving for each one of us.
Mom ( my Mom…., Lois ) always caught me up with her letters, and since some years ago mails, and in that way I was a little bit closer to all of you.
Now, thanks to your blog, it was able for me to have news about your unbelievable progress. Mariah, did you ever suspected that so far as 10.000 miles down to the south, there are at least five persons to whom you cares ?
And I think that this is the point. We are never alone and we don’t really know how much we influence on other persons. The outstanding example you are setting on all members of your family, friends, colleagues, and on five Argentinians, and the happiness we have when you conquer a new challenge, bind you to keep pushing and pushing every day no matters your willing. That is life, Mariah. From the day Mark wrote from Perú telling me about your accident, I always was willing on writing you. My English never was good and now is worst. But now, outside the room of the hospital you are prepared to stand it.
And for Clay, let me tell you that I wish for my boys ( I have three ) that they would be capable of doing for anyone of their brothers half of what you are doing for your sister.
Your Dad, must be proud of that….and also I am.
Your unknown “uncle” ( How about that )
Pete