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Mat emailed me and said he would meet me at Craig Hospital. in Denver, Co on Sunday Nov 19th. He said he was looking forward to spending the day with Stephen and thanked me for asking him, and how much it meant to him. He said he is truly honored!

I hadn't told anyone until the Friday before, when I emailed Stephen's family and said, I had a surprise visitor for him. When I told them it was Mat, they were overjoyed to say the least! Martin, Stephen's brother said: "Stephen will be over the moon"!

Boy, was he right. When Eve & I into there oom with Mat, I honestly thought Stephen was going to come out of his chair, with the biggest eyes, and look of disbelief, He said, OH MY GOD!!! No way!!!! Mat gave Stephen a hug and they both shared their respect for each other and what it meant to have this time together.

We took Mat for a quick tour around the hospital to see where Stephen does some of his therapy. One room that was particularly important for me to share with him was the FES Bikes. (Functional Electrical Stimulation) Stephen explained how the FES bike works & the benefits it has in his recovery.( one has just been ordered for Stephen to have when he returns home to California in the next 10 days.)

FES involves a specially-designed recumbent bicycle system that uses computer-controlled electrodes placed on a patient's legs to stimulate the leg muscles in specific patterns. Using this technology, a paralyzed person, despite the fact that he is unable to voluntarily control his leg muscles, can rotate the bicycle pedals. This activity provided the basic benefits of a physical exercise -- building muscle mass and bone density, reducing spasticity -- and a cardiovascular workout.

Stephen introduced Mat to a few of the friends he and Melissa has made since his stay at Craig. Corey & his brother Clint (seen above) spent some time with us walking around the grounds of the Hospital. Stephen & Mat shared many stories, some being all the injuries & surgeries they have had (Mat is at 22 I think he said). But we got to hear of many of Mat's travels and amazing experiences of sky diving and his true passion for being a enthusiast of adventure. He is truly a gifted and talented man with a heart a big as some of the mountain tops he jumps off of. Thank you for making this such a memorable day for all of us!

After Mat left, he sent me a text that read, "Stephen is my Freaking Hero" You are a great person. Thanks for all the good you do. See you again soon, Love Mat! " - the feeling is mutual!

Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed making this a special day for both Stephen & Mat. 

Kimarie

PS. For more photos and complete updates & current events, go to www.myspace.com/murraystrong. I will also share photos of stephen with Melissa, Seth & Mason, who unfortunately wasn't able to be there until Monday. But I had the best time with the boys. We had some special visitors on Saturday as well, looking forward to sharing all the news with you.

~ Much Love

Kimarie