The epilogue to Paige's winter journey has launched her spring return to school.

On March 11, Paige took her Math exam under Judy's supervision at the Greenwich Library, finishing her four winter exams. She left the next day to visit her grandparents in Florida and to banish her institutional pallor.

Paige missed not going to spring training with her Lacrosse team, and she moderated her Florida activities as requested by her doctors. She still managed to get her father away from work long enough for a daily dunking in the Atlantic, sometimes at night when the water was calmer but the turtles and sharks were more likely to be around.

Paige returned to Connecticut in time to get clearance from her neurosurgeon to go back to Kent, and on Monday, March 30, she returned to school. As she approached the town of Kent, Paige began to shake with excitement, and by the time that the school appeared to the west, she was nearly breathless.

Paige had somehow negotiated with her doctor to do drills with the team, even though she could not play. However, her very mature friends, their trainer, and her own good judgment convinced her to be prudent and manage the team instead.

On April 3, the swim team banquet was joyfully filled with both earnest and humorous awards, Lily's emotional video tribute, a very imminently expectant head coach, and a happy send-off to the well-loved seniors. Paige's teammates honored her by electing her a team co-captain.

Paige warned her parents not to expect her to leave Kent for a moment before graduation, but on Easter weekend, she surprised her family by coming home long enough to see visiting family from Virginia and attend Easter Sunday service in the church where she was in Sunday school and pageants as a little angel. The minister and congregation gave her a heartfelt welcome.

On April 20, Paige's neuropsychologists offered their preliminary findings from the tests conducted in March. They reported on progress in areas that were likely affected by the injuries and confirmed that healing the brain takes at least 9-12 months.

We are so happy that Paige is back at her beloved school with her great teachers, role models and friends. We hope that this report concludes an incredibly intense phase of Paige's recovery.

This miraculous journey could not have gone so well without all of your love and support. We are very grateful for the comments from so many of you and for all of you who followed Paige's progress every day. Thank you.

Paige had a week full of great strides. She was discharged from all of her outpatient therapies at Burke on Wednesday. She worked hard all week with intensive tutoring in History, Latin and Math under the considerate care of Ellen, Sarah and Judy.

Paige completed her exams in History, Latin and English. She attended the New Englands for swimming at Hotchkiss and cheered on her wonderful teammates and saw off her senior friends. She replaced her worn and torn old Barbour that was cut off of her in the emergency room with one that is much too fresh and crinkly and is in need of some hard wearing.

Paige felt ready to see the only two photographs of her from her time in the intensive care unit. The first one, with the five tubes down her throat, her bruised eye and cheek, and blood still in her hair was frightening, but she wanted a sense of what her friends and family had seen. The second shot showing her at rest after the breathing tubes were removed and before the feeding tube was inserted was remarkably peaceful.

With her remaining energy, Paige worked hard this week on retraining her father on domestic matters while her mother was out of town on a well needed restorative trip. Despite all the strength that Paige has shown in all aspects of her recovery, this training effort was a complete failure.

Paige is back with even more energy and appetite for life...and food.

The week in review was eclipsed by an xray on Wednesday and a call on Friday from Paige's neurosurgeon. He confirmed, to Paige's great joy, that her big plastic cervical collar could finally come off.

This moment of emancipation was exciting. Paige's friends had signed every square centimeter of the white plastic shell, and the collar did help her posture. She had, however, been shocked at how many people stare openly at a person with a disability. Paige was ready to shed the shell, and she ripped it off immediately.

The collar's removal came with loads of health warnings, but Paige is far more comfortable and for the first time in six weeks she can sleep on her side. Now her visible injury is reduced to the peaked nob from the cracked clavicle. Ironically, the peak makes wearing a shoulder belt in the car painful.

Two days of neuropsychological testing should yield results some time in April. By then, we hope that Paige will have recovered right past any weaknesses that the tests may turn up.

Ryan's last hockey game this Saturday in Wallingford brought on a bit of nostalgia, but his team played an exciting game. Kent defeated the Wild Boars of Choate.

Many people who have followed Paige's recovery are shocked to see her walking around, let alone without her neck brace. Paige is almost caught up in her academic subjects and should finish her physical and speech therapy this week.

We thank you again for your prayers and support.

As Paige settled in to a busy schedule, we let the posts rest, but we forgot to tell anyone.  A week has now passed with good progress, and Paige has remained remarkably active with therapy, tutoring, and doctors' appointments.

On Thursday, Paige was up very early for the drive to her first school day at Kent.  She was thrilled to be back at school, and she was greeted with enthusiasm by many members of the community.

That evening, Paige met the neurosurgeon who treated her at Stamford Hospital. She did not remember him, but he clearly remembered her. He reviewed with her the images taken of her injuries when she arrived at the hospital. They show in detail her numerous fractures and the many areas of her brain injury. He also recalled for her some of the moments in her fiery recovery and the support that surrounded her while she was not conscious.

The good news is that she should continue to recover with time, and that she could be out of her neck collar within a week.

On Saturday, Paige again returned to Kent for a day. She made an emotional appearance before her swim team when she thanked her coaches for pushing her to pursue the superb conditioning that may well have helped save her life.  

We will post weekly updates on Paige's progress for the time being. Thank you again for all your love and support, faith and prayers. 

Paige had a full check-up from her regular general practitioner who has known her for years.  She followed Paige's progress during her recovery and was glad to see her. Tutoring continued, and Paige is catching up. Her eyes are doing better. 

Today, Paige reflected on her wonderful visit to Kent and edited yesterday's post to add energy to her father's rather flat account of the day. Several friends visited from Kent, allowing Paige to have more extended time in smaller groups.

One month has passed since her injury, and Paige continues to recover. As she settles into a routine, the posts will be brief. 

Paige is working towards returning for a first day of classes on Thursday. She hopes to fit in as many days as she can between now and the spring break, so that she can be a full time residential student by the end of March.

Paige was thrilled to be making her first trip to Kent since her injury. As we approached the town of Kent, she repeated at least twenty times how she was sooo excited.

We reviewed the warning signs that would alert Paige to too much stimulation: blurring vision, headache, increased emotions, decreased concentration, fatigue, personality change, interruption in memory, and shaking. Paige knew that she should withdraw if she felt any of these symptoms coming on.

Paige was mobbed in her dorm. Some of her friends were on the verge of tears when they saw her. If Paige said she had to go to the bathroom, someone would offer to go with her.

She walked over to see Ryan's last home hockey game, watched them play for awhile, then retreated to the warming room where her friends from Case Dorm were preparing for the breast cancer fundraiser at that evening's varsity hockey game against Trinity Pawling. 

Ryan's team won their game, and Paige hugged her sweaty and fatigued friends as they came off the ice. The entire team had sent her cards and flowers. She went to Case Dorm and was mobbed again, then returned to Middle Dorm for some more time with the girls before dinner in the school dining room. Two cups of tea made her more than hyper.

By evening, the hockey rink was full of pink balloons and decorations for breast cancer awareness. The Kent varsity hockey players wore pink jerseys (and one even taped his stick with pink tape), the spectators wore pink and had their cheeks marked with pink ribbons and the players' numbers, and the girls from Case sold baked goods and commemorative T-shirts.

The stands were packed. Paige moved constantly throughout the bleachers. She did not stop roaming. Teachers wanted to hug her. Her headmaster said she made his day. Friends would swoop in for a bear hug, then see the neck brace and handle her gently.

With five minutes remaining Paige figured it would take a long time to say her goodbyes. She went to the far end of bleachers and found her friends. 

The Kent hockey team played an exciting game and was victorious in pink. Paige was at rink-side as they came off the ice, congratulating every player. Saying her goodbyes, she was seen dancing and wiggling.

Paige did not stop talking on the way home, planning her return to Kent and saying how seeing everyone made her month. Her mother had baked her famous mac and cheese and left it out for a late dinner. Paige had no appetite because she had eaten half the bake sale. 

The Kent community has been so supportive of Paige and her family, from the visits on her first day in the intensive care unit just four weeks ago, to today's joyful homecoming. We marvel at the graciousness and maturity of the students, and at the warmth and concern from the faculty, staff and administration. While it may be something in the water, we think it comes from compassionate leadership and good, strong values reinforced in a beautiful setting.