Almost 15 weeks after her stroke, Mary Elizabeth is finally ready to come home.

Our good friend Gary will be arriving tomorrow afternoon and will travel back to New York with us on Friday morning. Although Mary Elizabeth is well enough to travel, she still needs a lot of help transferring from wheelchair to airplane seat and back again, so Gary generously volunteered to help. You may recall that Gary helped us in December when he came out to London to fetch Charlotte and escort her home. He is a true friend.

Gary and I will spend time with the physios tomorrow afternoon learning the ropes and practising with Mary Elizabeth, so when the time comes, we’ll know what we’re doing and can be more of a help than a hindrance. We have a lot of loose ends to tie up, and there are still some arrangements to be made, so the next few days will be a whirlwind.

When we arrive in New York, we’ll be met at the airport by an ambulance, which will take Mary Elizabeth directly to New York Presbyterian hospital where she will resume her recovery. We’re not sure how long it will take for a full recovery, but have faith that she will recover fully.

Our odyssey of fear and despair has gradually turned into a journey of hope and faith. And while it’s far from being over, this experience has taught us so much about grace and gratitude, and about trust – in each other, our friends, the amazing caregivers and doctors at the hospital, and in God – because what has happened to us is truly a miracle.

It’s miraculous certainly because we went from the worst possible prognosis to a recovery that’s stunned even the doctors, but miraculous as well because in the midst of uncertainty, we found certainty; in the midst of fear, we found comfort; and where there was loneliness and despair, we found love, fellowship and hope. This is the amazing part of the story, which still overwhelms us.

So keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to come home, and as Mary Elizabeth continues to make progress, this time in the company of our friends and family. And think of us on Saturday when Mary Elizabeth and I are reunited with our children. I don’t expect that there will be a dry eye around.

I’ll keep you posted – now and after we move back to the states. As ever, thank you for all your support, warm thoughts and prayers and for giving us the hope and courage to keep going.