Despite being Catholic, Maria Probus still maintains a connection to her Asian heritage. Friend and Religious Minister Kenji Kawaguchi performs the "Mahihakri-no-waza" which is a spiritual purification ceremony. Maria tries to perform the prayer once a day, six days a week. Maria and her boyfriend Frankie Spears moved into a one-story house Maria bought one month ago. After packing her belongings from her room in her grandmother's house, Frankie takes her back down to the first floor. Maria has worked as the payroll manager at Tradewinds Transit Inc. in Bardstown, Ky., for over a year. On her second day back at work, Maria tries to maneuver her old chair away from the desk so that she can wheel up to it. Maria's Dodge Intrepid needs to be modified to allow her to drive using only her hands. Scott Bennett, a vocational rehabilitational counselor, goes over the forms that need to be filled out for Maria to receive the funds to cover the modification costs. Maria receives a warm welcome from her dog Bootsie after being away for a night at her grandmothers on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2004. While packing up her belongings to move from her grandmother's house to her new one, they come across an x-ray of Maria's back.
After standing in place for 30 minutes, Fumi Probus massages Maria's legs. She tries to stand for 30 minutes every day to maintain the bone density in her legs, reduce leg spasms and help blood circulation. Maria does this by using "stall bars" that her boyfriend Frankie built for her after seeing one at a rehabilitational hospital.After packing up her belongings to move from her grandmother's house to her new one, Frankie and Maria pause for a quiet moment before going to their home.
