Five Brown Kids

 Tyrone flew out to check in on Derick.  Bored but getting by and needs surgery on his hands. 

Derick is now moved from rehab to a group medical home where he has a bedroom in a house in the community with 24 hour care to keep up with him. I showed up to help him move his old things in to make his room his own and to let the caretakers know that Derick is loved and deserves top notch care.  A few supplies to set up his closet. Hannah's family had lots going on and I got to go to a Ultimate Frisbee game for Isaiah and Clare and a play for Sebastian.  Lunch with Derick at the park next door.  Birthday celebrations for Sebastian and a hike on a bluff with Hannah and Isaiah. I visited with Derick four days in a row for a few hours each day.  Fun to reminisce about good old days.  He said, "remember when you picked me up from the Hardy's house".  Of course...I was planning on two days and here I am ten years later.  Some days chatty and other days kind of quiet and subdued.  Wrapped up watching Jake's band play at a bar and Hannah getting hit on...

 Tyrone went out to visit Derick and check in.  Derick turned 26 and Hannah took him cookie cake (his favorite).  Derick's mom headed out for her second visit.  Thank you to everyone for making those funds available! I don't have any good updates.  He's in a transitional rehab probably until March. Learning as many skills for self care as possible.  Not sure about next steps after that... we have meetings with facility social workers and disability insurance next week. 

I got Derick's mom and dad out to see him. Thanks for donating to the fund ! Derick is in rehab at the Mayo Clinic still. Learning how to maximize the arm strength and some finger movement that he has. Next week he will move to a transitional rehab in Minneapolis.  I'm so grateful for the social workers and business offices of the Mayo Clinic, they are always in contact with me, and have helped make all the paperwork and plans so seamless. And Hannah is an absolute star keeping up with him. Derick's dad was so relieved to find that his son was receiving exceptionally good care. Signing his own name.

This is just such heartbreaking news.  Early in the morning of Nov 13 I started getting texts from my little sister Hannah that Derick had been injured and was at the hospital waiting for surgery. He fell down some steps and crushed his C6 vertebrae and called 911 when he couldn't feel his legs. He went to the local hospital and then was life flighted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He had surgery all day Wednesday.  Taye was super worried and drove all night Wednesday night to be there when Derick woke up from the post surgery drugs Thursday morning. He was so happy to see him.  I flew out Friday and Taye picked me up from the airport and then we went to the hospital.  Derick has good arm movement but chest down has no feeling/paralyzed.  I stayed for a week, sitting next to him in the hospital room, dealing with a thousand medical providors and slowly watching him come back to life. By the time I left he was working hard in physical therapy and starting t...

Taye had a short break between semesters of nursing school and has been a little homesick and wanted to come home.  So Tyrone bought Taye and Derick tickets to fly home for the week and they were so excited for a vacation!  Taye brought little gifts for everyone.  The first evening we went to the pool, ate pizza, swam a bit, tossed some football and then sat around and talked and caught up and teased until it was time to go.  So much fun to have everyone together again and see how much they enjoy each other.  Trying to make this picture happen was shocking to me... how on earth did I ever keep five kids moving along in the right direction.  I can't even think about how crazy it all must have been.  Sunday eve we had a BBQ and birthday cake for Taye at the Browns House - then we watched my  annual family video .  One of my favorite nights of the year when everyone sits on the couch together and remembers all the highlights from the last year!...