4 years ago on March 1st, 2009 a young boy was run over by a motor boat while kayaking on American Lake. He suffered major head trauma, amongst other injuries. We got to meet DK and his parents while we were suffering our own issues with our son Ryan up at Mary Bridge in Tacoma. (Ryan has fully recovered and wrestled in his first tournament this past weekend.)

This is an update on his progress.


MARCH 1 ST 2013 12am
Posted Mar 2, 2013 3:19am
Today DK showed off how far he has come since his accident four years ago today. I have several different squeeze toys that I use as TV remotes. I use dog toys as they are very easy for him to squeeze and make a sound. Today I gave him the empty water bottle wrapped in a cloth Wiener dog. He has to make it creak, and then the nurse or I will turn on the TV after school. He wasn't trying very hard so I started teasing him, “Ah come on show off how much you can do after 4 years.” He grinned and squeezed the bottle as hard as he could. He is having another acceleration of recovery. He is able to move his left hand and arm more than ever. The first time it was just being able to move his fingers independently. Now he is able to grasp at things and squeeze items. He can also move his left arm farther down his trunk. He was showing me at school how he can grab the toys hanging from the PVC frame his Physical Therapist built. He made it so DK’s wheelchair can roll under it. The frame has 2 levels, one lower so that I was able to hang the basketball hoop his Grandma got him. He is helped in tossing the basketball. I will make one for him this summer.

I get wonderful reports each day from school. He is much more involved than his first year. His teachers love working with him. They keep busy trying to find new materials and ways to keep his interest high. He is currently in a general population gym class. They were playing badminton last week. The nurse and his teacher both told me how the students have embraced DK being there. It must be a workout pushing DK around the court and helping him hit the shuttlecock at the same time. Next week they will be playing Pickle Ball. I will make sure to visit the class to video tape him.

Since last time I posted I have had one CNA quit after working only a month. I spent 2 weeks training her. She quit because she was afraid to stay alone at night. She must have forgotten the part where I hired her to take care of him at night while I was at work. It might have confused her since I was at home every time she worked because I didn't trust her yet to take care of DK by herself. She never did get through the Nurse Delegation training completely. I did not trust that she knew what she was doing giving him his meds. I would wake up early to give them myself. So it was good she quit before I would have let her go.

I now have 2 new CNA s who are doing very well. Both of them were easy to train about the basic things. One CNA though I have been making practice on the weekend getting him ready as if he is going to school. She was struggling getting him showered, dressed and in his wheelchair on time for school. She teased DK the last time to not give her a hard time as she would not beat the clock, so he grinned and open his mouth a little more so she could brush his teeth. The other morning she called me into his room to ask for help putting on braces. She was frustrated that she could not get them on properly and Velcro them. I stifled a laugh as I dryly told her those were his new elbow braces. DK he didn't even try to kept from laughing. She had a good laugh at herself too.
So we just keep plugging along, making it all work out. Just don’t ask me about the house.
love, Gail


If you think you have obstacles in your life, compare them to the issues DK will have for the rest of his life. Kind of makes the issues my familiy deals with seem pretty insignificant.

+1

Thanks Dog.

I have it good. No doubt about it. Thanks for the reminder.

Best wishes to DK and his family.

Godspeed to DK !

Thanks for sharing. Nice "reality" check! Wish him the best!

Just simple gratitude for what I have at this moment, one would think would be enough.

But the ever-present voice saying, "More, Better, Different!" is hard to silence.

I never forget to thank God for the blessings I have.

I'm glad to hear DK is making a great recovery!...I won't forget to thank God for those blessings also.

Thanks Andy.

That is a good reminder of how fragile all this really is. Best wishes for DK.

Good news

Kids are precious

Got an update from DK's mom today. It has been a bit over 5 years since the accident on American Lake.

MARCH 9TH 2014 1:25 pm

Posted 2 days ago


Spring is near! We have rainy and sunny days sometimes separated only by a few blocks, everyone is getting over the upper respiratory infection going around and March 1st has passed. DK is 5 years past his accident. He too got that nasty lung infection, but was able to stay out of the hospital. He will be on the Tobramycin inhalant for 28 days; off for 28 then back on again for 28 days. Lucky, lucky to have insurance that will pay the $3,700.00 for each round. It is the only way to clear his lungs of the pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. He was very sick; he had to go to the ER, but we only stayed 7 hours. He had to spend the next couple of weeks on oxygen and home from school.

We knew he was feeling much better when he started being ornery. He refused to keep his Trach mask on for his treatment and I had to tie his Left hand to the bed rail with a bandanna. He laughed; thinking it was funny and a game. Another time he was making mad faces at me and many hand gestures. I was running through the 20 Questions, trying to guess what he wanted. When he folded his left ear over a light went on. I asked him, “Do you want me to read your book to you?” Bingo, his eyes lit up! I am reading him The Book of Time; it is about a boy who time travels. It is his favorite genre. Leif, his night CNA just finishing reading DK The Clan of the Bear Cave. I am trying to get the day CNA to read him song lyrics or poetry, as she is not interested in reading books.

School is going a little better. We just learned Friday that the Para teacher Barb he likes finally got the word she was hired. A screwy system is used for the teachers’ contracts. They wait a long time to find out if they have the job that they have been working anyway for months. I will ask her if she is willing to sit down with me to discuss what will work best for DK in the rest of the year. He has gained so much more dexterity in his Left hand and fingers in this last year. This morning he kept closing the DVD player lid each time I opened it to put a movie in the player. He loves using his new movements to interfere with whatever someone is trying to do. I made a deal with him this morning; if he left his Trach, alone I would get the DVD player out for him to watch a movie during the treatment. I am really hoping I can get him interested in a touch screen program with big letters to work on communication.

Sincerely Shamrocked, Gail

Count your blessings daily...tomorrow may never come

Reality check. Thanks Dogfish. Good luck,


SZ