Mulholland, Rifton, Pony...OH MY!

So our little boy isn't so little anymore and he is outgrowing much of his equipment that we have purchased in the last couple of years. We were attempting to see if there was a different piece of equipment that might work better for Daniel, give him more freedom to get around and interact with family and friends then the walker we have currently - The Pony size 0.

Our first attempt, the Mulholland. While the Mulholland is a neat piece of equipment, we tried Daniel in it and he did OK in it, but .....it just didn't seem to give him the support he needed, and it rolled so well that it sometimes went quicker than his little feet could handle. But he did indeed have fun trying it out. So unfortunately it didn't work well for Daniel, but it seems to be working good for Hannah over on The Younes Blog.

Next we had the Rifton Pacer. Again, another sturdy piece of equipment and gives a lot of support and can be changed to give very little support. We've had this one for a while, but again...I guess I'm kind of picky when it comes to gait trainers...I like for Daniel to be able to get up close to things and grab at items. With the frame built the way it is, Daniel wasn't able to do this too much. It works great outside, and keeps from tipping' if Daniel is half on the sidewalk and half on the grass. Still, when he goes to school in a couple months, I want him to be able to get up close to the work tables, and up close to his friends. Again, don't get me wrong, it did what it needed to do, but I wanted something more streamlined. So we will not be getting the Rifton Pacer in a larger size.

Now...it is with much sadness and reluctance that we have to pass one Daniel's beloved yellow Snugseat Pony Walker. (boo hoo hoo) This walker has been our godsend for the last year. This piece of equipment, is Daniel's legs...he can run, hop and walk. He can pull things out of the pantry, pull open cupboard doors, slide down the ramp to the family room. Because of a resent growth spurt, he is way too tall for it. It isn't doing what it needs to do. So frantically after his therapist said it could no longer be adjusted higher, we began our search. Daniel can't go without a walker, its his Independence. It would be like telling someone who walks that they can no longer walker or move, they could no longer explore their world. We weren't going to let that happen! So, until we get insurance approval (which could take at least 4 months...AT LEAST!) we have located one that we will use until we can get one with insurance. My only complaint about the Pony...the next size only comes in Fushia! Daniel and fushia...just doesn't seem right!

So farewell little yellow Pony...I hope you bring someone else as much joy as you have brought to Daniel and his family.

We haven't tried this one yet, but I would love to be able to try out the Leckey Discovery gait trainer. If anyone has tried this out or knows anything about it please let me know!