Cash's Journey : Episode 8: The First Step – A Tiny Twitch, A Giant Leap of Hope

He Was My Baby Now

I still remember my kids’ first steps like it was yesterday—those wobbly little Frankenstein toddles, arms flailing and my heart in my throat. Now, years later, here I was again… except this time, it wasn’t my child—it was my sweet, stubborn, four-legged boy, Cashie.

He had become my baby in every way. I was carrying him from room to room, bathing him, cleaning up after him, and managing a stockpile of men’s incontinence pads and Velcro belly bands that would rival any new mom’s diaper stash. The only difference? My baby had four legs, fur, and a very passionate dislike for squirrels.

Crash, Bang, Crawl!

By now, Cashie was crawling all over the house—his own quirky version of a soldier in training. Our sunken kitchen step was his Everest. He’d shimmy to the edge, give a determined wiggle, and then hurl himself down with a thud, his back half flopping behind like a determined little mop. Crash! Bang! Cashie was coming through—and nothing was safe in his path.

His front end was getting strong—really strong. He could bulldoze through the backyard like a tiny, fuzzy tank. Grass, toys, flower beds, unsuspecting children—Cashie didn’t discriminate. I’d turn around and he’d be gone—under the tree, under the deck, once even in the laundry room. But the step back into the kitchen? That one still had him beat. He’d lie there looking pitiful until one of us carried him back up, tail twitching, like the prince he clearly thought he was.

Spa Days and Doggie Magic

We were knee-deep in therapy—three sessions a week, every week. Underwater treadmill (yes, it’s a thing!), laser therapy, massage… Honestly, Cashie was getting more spa treatments than I’ve had in a decade. And then, like a whisper through the grapevine, I heard about something new…

Cranial sacral therapy.

It sounded like wizardry, something between Reiki and Hogwarts. Apparently, it helped with spinal fluid flow and balancing the nervous system. At that point, I was open to anything. I would’ve stood barefoot under a full moon chanting spells if someone told me it might help him walk.

So I booked the appointment—with the only vet in Calgary who specialized in it.

Dr. Laura and the “Nothing Happened” Session

We arrived at the clinic, Cashie snuggled in my arms, both of us radiating a mix of hope and skepticism. I laid down on the floor with him while we waited—partly for his anxiety, mostly for mine.

Then in walked Dr. Laura, a walking beam of sunshine with the calmest energy I’ve ever felt. She sat beside us, gently repositioned Cash, placed her hands on him… and that was it.

No machines. No lasers. No chanting. Just her hands.

For 45 minutes, we talked. I told her our whole story—how we found him, the ICU chaos, the incontinence pads, the dragging, the crawling… all of it. And the entire time, she had her hands on him, still, silent, like she was listening with her fingers.

Then she smiled and said, “Okay, we’re done!”

Wait—what?! That was it?

I smiled (because I’m Canadian and we thank people even when we’re confused) and walked out thinking I’d just paid $120 for the most expensive dog nap in history.

A Tiny Twitch That Changed Everything

The next day, we were back at physio. Caroline, our miracle-working therapist, had Cashie up on the table, and I was gently holding him steady like always. She worked, we chatted, everything was as usual—until suddenly…

He moved his back leg.

All by himself.

Just the tiniest twitch—but it was him. He. Moved. His. Leg.

Caroline and I froze. We stared. And then we squealed. I cried. Cashie blinked at us like we were overreacting. But we knew better.

This was his first real step. Not just a reflex. Not just hope. A movement. A signal from his little body that it still had more to give.

I don’t know if it was the cranial sacral therapy, the laser treatments, or the thousand little prayers I whispered while brushing his fur. Maybe it was all of it. Maybe it was love.

Whatever it was—Dr. Laura was officially staying in the rotation. Jedi mind tricks or not.

Because that tiny movement? That changed everything.