From: Office [[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 3:31 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown
Dear people of St. Matthew's:
We just received word of a serious accident. Dan Brown, studying in Belize,
has fallen and hit his head on rocks. He is unconscious. Please
pray for
him. Information will be
sent as it is known.
From: etarone [[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 3:46 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]; [email protected]
Subject: Dan
Grant just called. I am
praying for Daniel, and for you. I've
sent out a
message to the high school group and asked for their prayers
too. Rachel
just phoned from Grinnell, saying she'd just read it on email, and
she's
praying as well. I hope
even in his unconsciousness he can feel us all
holding him in our prayers.
Love
Elaine
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Saturday,
February 22, 2003 9:00 AM
Subject: Medical Update
Life is precious. Life is fragile. Somehow I can't forget these
facts even briefly.
In a couple of hours I will be heading to Houston where Dan is
being flown by air ambulance from Belize City, Belize. He fell 10-15 feet, hit his head on a rock
and was underwater for 5-6 minutes. An EMT with the group dove to rescue him,
then was able to resuscitate him. It
took 3 hours to get him to the hospital by helicopter. He has had CAT scans of head and abdomen.
There is mild brain edema probably secondary to hypoxia, also lung, liver and
bladder lesions. No surgery was required. He is breathing on his own with no
mechanical support and responds to mild pain such a pin prick. He has use of
his limbs. However, he remains in deep
coma and is still in critical condition.
Please pray for us and especially for Daniel. I have no idea when I will
be back. My wife's (Lydia) cell phone number is 651-335-4735. We will be at the Herman Hospital and
Medical Center in Houston.
Mark
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 9:46 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown
Thank you one and all for your prayers. We last saw Dan at 3:30 or 4 this morning. He is still unconscious,
but he did open his eyes, weakly grasp our hand, wiggled his toes. All
seemingly in response to our voices. He
seemed to look at each one of us with recognition. We were reading The Hobbit
to him and he seemed to like it. He
fights some against the respirator, but not often enough. This morning he is to have an EEG and the
attending is to provide a care plan for his current status. We remain very cautiously optimistic. It is
a roller coaster ride as we are told one thing and then another or as we read
the optimism or pessimism of the various care givers. He is certainly in one of the best places in the world to be
receiving this care, and the EMT that was with him at the time of the accident
really had his wits about him. Should Dan survive, or even if he does not, we
must do something for Frank to show our appreciation for his skill and his
ability to use it under the most severe circumstances. Please continue to pray that Daniel have a
complete recovery; that the fun loving boy/man we allowed to go to this
tropical paradise and be that same person again.
Sarah, Dan's girlfriend (alias fiance at the hospital), Lydia and
I are staying at the Marriott Houston Medical Center, rooms 1601-1602. The phone number is 713-796-0080. Lydia's cell phone is 651-335-4735. We are trying to keep my brothers and
Lydia's family informed as we learn things and it would best for you to contact
them with questions.
Pray, Pray, Pray. It is a miracle that Daniel made it out of the
jungle alive. I believe God has more miracles in store for him.
Love to you all,
Mark Brown
From: huttar [[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 1:31 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #3)
Mark asked me to send this update on his message of this morning
(copied
below). He phoned about 2 p.m. Sunday (EST) to say that they'd
been at the
hospital about 15 minutes so far and Daniel was sitting up, off
the
respirator, looking at his parents and at Sarah, trying to talk,
and generally
giving a semblance of his old self. He'll continue to be watched closely, of
course: for example, he is soon to be given an EEG. There is still
blood in
the urine (but less than before), and other signs are good.
"We're not out of
the woods yet, but not in nearly so far as we were."
They are all grateful for your continued prayers.
Chuck Huttar (Lydia's father, in Holland, MI)
From: Robert Furniss [[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 4:58 PM
To: Christ Church
Subject: Sunday Afternoon Update on Daniel Brown
Dear Friends,
There was a voice message from Lydia on my phone after I got home
from
lunch. When Mark, Lydia
and Sarah got to the hospital at noon Daniel was
sitting up, off of the respirator, still very groggy. He smiled at them,
and tried to talk, unsuccessfully. With the kind of injury that he
sustained there is some break down of muscle cells which can lead
to kidney
failure. The doctors are
medicating against that, and encouraging lots of
fluids. In this message
Lydia briefly explained how this accident happened.
Daniel was apparently swimming and got caught in a current that
swept him
over a 10-15 foot waterfall.
Lydia asks that we keep praying.
Bob+
The Reverend Bob Furniss
Rector, Christ Church, Woodbury, MN
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 10:47 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #4)
Glory to God. Our prayers are being answered. A miracle has
happened. Our son who was dead now lives. When we arrived at his room this
morning he was sitting up watching TV and the respirator had been removed. He
smiled at us when we arrived.
We have just come from the hospital where we are hoping Daniel is
resting peacefully. He put up a fuss when we tried to leave him earlier. Was
working very hard to get out of bed and we had to restrain him. And tell his he
was being bad to try to get up when what he needed was rest and to continue to
receive fluids and meds. We think he
bought it. What a change from last night when we went to bed unsure if he would
be alive in the morning! Today he
talked and joked with us. He is hard to understand, but is improving. His
memory is a bit off as he could not remember what year it was or his age and
told us some stories of things we don't think happened, but it's a start. His blood chemistry is improving and he is
getting stronger as he showed us by flexing his biceps. He does not like being
cared for or needing to be cared for; is impatient to get going. Yet is not
quite ready to get going. He moved out
of intensive care this afternoon and into intermediate care. He ate jello,
sherbet and frozen yogurt. (Actually was fed, but he tried very hard to do it
himself.)
I need to go to sleep myself now, but I go to sleep knowing that
your prayers have raised Daniel up and will keep him on the road to recovery.
One day soon we will write the whole story, but for now we need to take one
step at a time. We hope that recovery continues fast enough to be going home in
a couple of days.
In Christ,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 11:49 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #5)
The news continues to be good. This afternoon Daniel was starting
to be his old self. His speech became much clearer and more coherent. He joked
with us. He fed himself jello and frozen yogurt (though he tended to hit his
chin more often than his mouth, but he did not want to be fed) and he worked on
a crossword puzzle with his girlfriend, Sarah.
Sensational. He had an EEG in the afternoon, but have not heard the
results yet. However, the technician who did the test indicated it was quite
good and wondered why the test had been ordered. (We hope HealthPartners
doesn't question the expense.)
However, the day was not all cheer. After the EEG, Dan went into a
deep sleep. When he awoke he was much less clear and coherent and all the
things he was remembering before the nap were forgotten. We are working hard on
rebuilding his memories. He is very
good natured about the fact that there is so much that he can't remember. He has also gotten out of bed twice and we
have had to physically restrain him a few times. At these times he seems a bit like a 2 year old disobeying.
Fortunately, he has not seriously hurt himself though he has pulled out
catheters. At this point, while they
continue to monitor his ECG, respiration, O2 sats and blood pressure, the only
tubes remaining are the IV to continue to flush CPK out of his system. (For
those of you who don't know, don't worry).
Tonight he is restrained so that he does not repeat the act.
He has strange memories. Some seem to be out-of-body types of
experiences that others who have died and rescued have spoken of. He says he
went to hell and has returned. He was taken by aliens. He was surprised and not please to realize
the he had lost his shorts. He was
quite insistent that we get him some clothes to wear, but finally gave in.
So, the physical danger is nearly passed. He will live with little
or no physical damage from this event.
There is a very good chance that he will fully recover his full mental
capacity. In fact, I would be surprised if that does not happen. But, it may
not happen quickly and he may suffer some relapses along the way. His memories
come and go. Sometimes he is in jr high or high school. Other times he is 21 (or
more often, 20). Sometimes he is right
there with us, and other times there is a distance.
Sarah has been wonderful with him. Continually replaying who he
is, where he is, why, etc. He now
understands that he was rescued. (Sometimes.) And, we had a good laugh when he
realized that a young man had given him CPR.
So, that's the update for tonight. We love him and praise God that
he is alive. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Pray that he will
fully recover. He is truly a living miracle. His story will be told.
In Christ,
Mark and Lydia
From: David Brown [[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 12:28 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #6)
Hello Everyone:
Mark asked me to send a short note to you. He stayed in the hospital
with Daniel last nite and did not have access to his laptop, or at
least
he was focused on care giving issues now that Daniel is in a
regular
room.
The doctors have indicated that the ct and eeg test results are
normal.
The labs are almost all normal or rapidly becoming so. Daniel's vital
signs are normal and he is in stable medical condition. He continues to
improve as he receives wonderful care from tremendous many people.
Progress seems slow and steady although Daniel tires and needs
rest and
continued reassurance from his loving parents and Sarah.
The prayers you have directed Daniel's way are continuing to be
central
to his recovery. God Bless
you each and everyone.
David L. Brown
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 6:49 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel
Brown (update #7)
Dear All:
Thanks to Dave for
sending "last night's" message.
We have had a difficult day. Daniel has been more dillusional than
factual. Communication with him has been difficult. The neurologists that were
here in the afternoon were very discouraging and recommended an MRI that they
felt would show brain damage that did not show up on the CAT scans. But, since then, a young 3rd year med
student who has been a bright spot here came to talk with us to answer
questions, to advocate for us and help us understand where we are going and the
time schedule, etc. Then, a head-head
neourolgist came by, tested Dan for the nth time today, asked if he wasn't
continuing to improve each day and was much more positive. He said that an MRI
was not indicated at this point and we should continue to monitor his progress.
Our current biggest concern is that his veins are shutting down since he has
been so long in bed. They cannnot get
an IV started and he is becoming dehydrated.
We got him up walking for a bit and I am preparing to help him
shower. That will hopefully help to
open up his veins. Not sure the alternative, but think I don't want to
know. Please keep praying for his
complete recovery. I will be spending
the night with him again. I am beginning to wear out as are all of us. This is
a very, very difficult time for us all. I wish we could be back home.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 12:21 PM
Subject: RE: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #8)
Dear Friends,
I am told by my legal
consultant in Des Moines (brother David) that my last message was too dark.
Now, I'm not sure that I fully appreciate my role as caregiver to y'all (I've
been down here too long), but as the news seems bright again, let me share some
recent news.
Yesterday evening Dan
seemed to do quite well. He snuggle with Sarah while they watched a movie and
that seemed to relax him. He seems less confused, though his memories are still
quite confused. He slept very well last night (better than me, for sure). I have spoken with the 4th year resident
several times this morning and he is VERY positive. Also consulted with the
therapy team a bit ago and we are starting to have a plan. His medical treatment is really over except
for an IV for fluids. Dan wants to get rid of that so is highly motivated to
drink fluids. So I think the IV will be totally gone later today. He has eaten some breakfast and a bit of lunch
though he does not have a great appetite.
First, the reports. The
second neurologist that came by yesterday was the attending. His report to Dr.
Malik (the 4th year resident) is that he believes Dan to be recovering well
from his ischemic event and prognosis is quite good. MRI is unnecessary. Dr. Malik tells me that Dan's slowness is
due to muscle fatigue, not mental acuity, and that once we rebuild the muscles
he should be in excellent condition.
The occupational therapist played "memory" with cards and some
other games and she was quite positive in her report. Dan got up, went to
bathroom and washed his hands all on his own. Then came the physical therapist
who had him walk and exercise a bunch and she also had a good report.
So, our action plan
(quite subject to change) is that Dan will move across the street to a
rehabilitation hospital where he will have much more intensive physical and
occupational therapy; (oops, the plan may just be changing; the physical
therapist just came by to say that she thinks he needs to go to a center for
brain injury patients. She made this recommendation to the doctors, so we will
see what comes of it) There is some disagreement as to whether his issues are
physical or neurologic. The original plan called for him to come home with us
on an airplane in a week to 10 days, but all this is subject to change.
What may happen is Lydia
and Sarah may go home and Nate come join me for the next stint.
So, though we are pretty
tired, I am encouraged today. I think the medical team is also quite
optimistic. Continue the prayers. God is answering them every minute.
By the way, the IV was
able to be introduced at about 6:15 this morning so that he was able to get
fluids and now I think he will be drinking enough that he will not need it for
long.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 10:18 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel
Brown (update #9)
Dear all:
I have added a few names
to the list. Hopefully, I have now added all those who requested they be added,
but Dan is not the only one a bit confused.
So, please don't take it personally if I neglected to add you earlier.
It was just too difficult to proofread the list.
Dan's condition
continues to improve. His medical conditions are pretty much thing of the past.
He is eating some food at each meal, drinking fluids, talking. Each day he is
improving and the prognosis is improving. He will be moving today or Monday to
The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) in Houston.
(http://www.tirr.org)
It now gets harder to
tell you what he is doing because he is doing so much. He is still clumsy,
often does not speak clearly and still has some fantastic stories that will be
fun to share with him when he is all better. He was playing Tetris (Game Boy)
and a Memory (card game) with the OT a bit ago and does quite well.
Fr. John Price came to
our assistance yesterday. He has offered us some room at his house for the rest of our stay in Houston and we
have accepted. So, Lydia is checking out of the hotel this morning and we will
move later on. I will be staying on,
but Lydia and maybe Sarah will be returning on Saturday. Our oldest, Nate, will then be coming down
to keep me company I think. We were
also visited yesterday by the hospital chaplain, a Seabury friend of Lydia's (I
am remembering Terry Bowers, but I may be totally off) and Pam and Anna Sneed
(Cindi Straver's sister and her daughter) were also here.
I have spent the last 3
nights with Dan, sleeping in his room, helping him to get to the bathroom when
he needs to, and getting nursing assistance when it is required. Since he is
not always in his right mind he needs to be constantly monitored and the
hospital staff on this floor is not able to do it. We will have to be prepared
to provide 24 hour monitoring once he gets home. Nate is likely to stay on to
help with that task.
Keep up the prayers.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 4:43 PM
Subject: RE: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #10)
Dear all:
Another quick release
for the day. I've added many to the
list. Wish I knew how to turn my To list into a distribution list in outlook.
Dan is doing quite well
today. He is out for a long walk/wheel chair ride with Sarah and Lydia. When he
left the room he was wanting $100 for getting better so much. Sound like
Daniel? yeah.
He will in all
likelihood be heading to TIRR on Monday. It is looking to be a wonderful
facility. The Dr. that came by today said to expect him to be there about 2
weeks and then he can probably go home to have outpatient therapy and 24 hour
monitoring at home. Good thing Nate is home to help out.
So, here is what I know
of the accident and events that have lead us to where we are today. They are
subject to some change as Jerry Enriquez, the SIT Belize program director
corrects the story with input for all of the students who were there.
Dan was in deep jungle
with 12 students, professor and guide as part of a watershed ecology portion of
his program. The students were swimming
in a river (perhaps snorkeling?) when Dan was caught in a strong current and
carried over a 10-15 foot tall waterfall. It was thought the he hit on the
granite as he fell and the he hit his head. I do not think that happened now,
but we may never know. When he got to the bottom of the fall, he was force to
the bottom of the water by the waterfall. Professor Ed Boles risked his own
life to go into the water and free Dan from the waterfall. As he surfaced,
another student, Frank Carter, jumped in to assist in removing Dan from the
river. Frank, a recently trained EMT, then administered CPR. After 6 cycles of
CPR, Dan was still not breathing and Frank was tired out, but decided to make
one more attempt. On the 7th try, 20 minutes after he was removed from the
water, Dan began to breath on his own. The job then turned to keeping his body
temp low in the tropical heat. Students put wet t-shirts on him and used other
clothing to shade him from the sun. The
rescue helicopter took nearly 90 minutes to arrive. Once they arrived, there
were still considerable difficulties to overcome as the helicopter landed on
the opposite side of the river. Medical equipment had to be carried across the
river to give Dan oxygen and IV fluids. Then, an inflatable kayak was used to
transport Dan across the river and he had to be raised by students and staff up
a granite cliff to the helicopter. He was then airlifted to the hospital in
Belize City arriving some 3 hours after the accident. (The accident occurred
about 1pm central time, Friday, Feb 21)
He was mumbling and
moving through much of this time; screaming, too, I think. He continued to
breath on his own and his condition was listed as critical, but stable. An air
ambulance was sent from Houston and Dan arrived in Houston about 3:30 pm
Saturday. Lydia, Sarah and I arrived about 4:30 pm. Before he was airlifted,
the flight crew felt that he needed respirator support and intubated him. When
we first saw him he was unconscious, unresponsive and dependent on the
respirator. At that point the most promising predictor for his life being saved
was that he still was some 36 hours after the near drowning. Most of the details of the recovery you have
already read in previous messages so I will not repeat. Also, I have not
included all the medical condition reports that we received along the way as if
I could still remember them all. But, you now have at least some of the
description of the accident, the courageous and rigorous rescue effort and the
names of my vote for the most heroic, Prof Ed Boles and student Frank Chase,
though I know that everyone who has been a part of Dan's rescue and recovery
deserves recognition and hopefully will get it. I am trying to assemble a list
of the names of all involved from start to finish to personally thank for their
efforts. To the students, they should at a minimum be recognized by their
schools and home towns as heros.
Please continue to pray.
God is listening.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 7:57 PM
Subject: RE: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #11)
Dear all:
Dan has had a pretty
good day. He is becoming himself again more and more. We did not get him into
TIRR on Friday, so must wait for Monday, but I have been told by the different
doctors that he is likely to go home as soon as next Monday or as late as 2
weeks from today. I am hoping that we will be able to go home next week; maybe
travel with Sarah which would be a great help. Lydia has gone home to be with
our precious sons who are there. Sarah will stay on until Wednesday (thanks
Sarah's parents for allowing this) and Nate is planning to come Wednesday and
return on Mar 15th with me. These plans
are highly tentative with several counter plans all dependent on how well Dan
progresses and the nature of care at TIRR.
Dan had a long walk/ride
in the wheelchair this evening. Got outside of the hospital, went by the ER
where he first entered the hospital and ate a good meal in the cafeteria. We
were visited by cousins of Lydia's father, Betty and John Kupka, Cindi
Stravers' niece, Anna, who brought us pictures Dan took in Belize including
some of the waterfall where he had his
accident (you won't believe these) and he had phone calls from a couple
of friends including Ben Blackford.
These raised his spirits quite a bit. We also received via email, a
picture of Dan's study group in Belize. He recognizes most of them.
Lots of good things. God
has done wonderful works in Dan. We are so grateful.
Thanks to the army of
volunteers who are carrying us through this event. We have learned so much
about loving care from so many of you.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 4:50 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #12)
Greetings Y'all,
I don't have a lot of
news today. Dan's appetite is improving, but his mood is not. It will be really
good when he can get back to MN to be cheered by his friends. And, to get home
will feel very good. But, there is still work to do before that. Please pray
for his speech to improve. I think his inability to communicate has put him in
this funk.
He took a 20 minute
shower on his own this morning. Then wrapped a towel around himself and came
out. Feeling much better for a while at
least.
I have attached a couple
of things to this email. These were sent by Jerry Enriquez, director of the
program in Belize. I have excerpted his email below. The two attachments are a picture of Dan's group in Belize taken
Monday after Dan came home and the other is the timetable of the accident which
is still just a draft until finalized by the professor.
And, I want to add one
other note. While we are very sorry Dan had this terrible accident, we want you
to all know that he was having a great experience in Belize. It is a beautiful
country and Dan's notebooks are full of awe and wonder at what he saw and
experienced there. I hope that he remembers most of the experience.
Here is the excerpt from
Jerry:
"Attached also is a group photo taken last Monday just before
the group went on their kayaking trip on the river. The group of eleven of
Dan's fellow students are dedicating the semester to him. The photo includes
me, far right, in the yellow shirt, the bus driver, Cas, in the red cap and the
river tour guide, Quash, with straw hat on the far left. Frank Carter is the
5th from left with glasses and the blue head wrap.
Again thanks so much for updating us.
Our love to Dan and to you and Lydia.
Regards,
Jerry
Jeremy A. Enriquez
Academic Director
SIT Study Abroad - Belize
School for International Training
P. O. Box 283
Belmopan
Belize"
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: PATRICIA OWEN [[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 9:42 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Please pray for Daniel
Brown (update #12)
Dear Mark and Lydia,
I hope your knowing that the prayers of everyone at St Matthew's
are with you day and night helps sustain you.
Lydia, it was so great to see you today. I wanted to take a minute to tell you both what I can about what
is becoming known just as "Beatrice's Prayer" because it was so
powerful, and I think is an important part of the whole story. The Saturday after Daniel's accident, the
22nd of February, about 50-60 people from St Matthew's parish were gathered
together in the undercroft to have wonderful African dinner cooked by Rosa as a
send off for me. Grant set the stage,
with a prayer for both me and Daniel. I believe we were all feeling mixed
emotions--happiness for me and my new adventure, and great sadness and worry
about Daniel. I think it all became wrapped up in our hearts as deep
appreciation for life's transitions,
and the transience of life itself.
Later, in that context, Beatrice Garabunda got up to give a prayer,
again! starting with thanks and excitement about my journey, and moving into
supplication for Daniel's life. The
part I was especially moved by were words to this effect: "God, you are
the one who made this boy so only you know best how to help him. Reach into those places that are hurt, with
your love, and heal him..." She
prayed with such conviction and simple power that I believe all our spirits
were transported with her's into the heart of God. I know I wasn't the only one who felt it, as others commented on
it too.
I know there are many hard days ahead. But maybe hearing the story
about this prayer, and knowing how deeply you are all loved and cared for will
help. Love, Pat (Owen)
Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2003 15:34:45 -0600
From: "James Jelinek" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
I do keep up with all the news that finds its way here, and
reading
between the lines in these later days, I can imagine the
discouragement
you all must feel, and the probable impatience Daniel has for
himself.
Of course I continue to keep you all in prayer. I do not know that we can
say much to help, but many of us know the anger or dismay that
comes with
the helplessness of watching a loved one suffer with no way to
help. Many
of us know the in and out of memory that comes with a loved one's
Alzheimer's. Many of us
know the rising and sinking of hope when a loved
one struggles with a stroke.
All of these seem to parallel the frustration
s you are living through--all at one time. I know that mine is not the
only heart that goes out to you.
Today I prayed for you all in the midst of St. Andrew's, Mpls,
which has
become in three plus years a Liberian congregation (at least
85%). They
always do anointing and laying on of hands at the offertory, and
when I
asked how many at the Vestry meeting on Tuesday, they said 10 to
20. Now
I know why African bishops sometimes have people help hold up
their arms
during large confirmations.
I was told that it was close to 200 today.
There was much healing power in that community and I hope some
portion of
it has flown your way.
God bless you all. +Jim
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 4:09 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #13)
Hello from Houston:
Just a short message
again today to let you know we are still here. We have been cleared to transfer
to TIRR and expect it to happen in the next hour or two. I took a tour of the
facility this afternoon (my first time out of the hospital in a week) and was
greatly impressed. It is just what Dan needs to work on his speech and some
cognitive and memory issues, but all are seeming more minor as time goes on. He
is seeming more and more like Dan which sometimes makes it difficult to know if
he is teasing or having cognitive issues. TIRR
should help sort some of this out and keep him on track. Hopefully, his
stay there will be short so that we can all return home. Sarah bought him some
clothes today because he will need to be dressed at the new facility. He looks
a lot more like Dan in flannel pants and a tee shirt than in hospital gowns.
I would like to share a
bit of an email from Pat Owen that includes the story of "Beatrice's
Prayer", but I will wait for her okay to do so. Just know that Beatrice
Garabunda, of St. Matthew's Church, delivered a very powerful prayer of healing
at a St. Matthew's dinner for Pat last Saturday night while we were in the ER
in Houston. Many of the St. Matthew's community were deeply moved by her prayer
and its healing power and have told us about it. Thank you Beatrice. It was
your prayers and the prayers of many others that brought Dan back from death
and sustained us in our most difficult of times.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
Here is an article retrieved from an internet search under Daniel
Brown
Rescue:
March 2, 2003 Vol.36, No.9
BATSUB medic team rescues student from river
The men and woman of BATSUB air-rescue: (l-r) Air trooper Adam
Allen-Winup, Capt. Justin Waugh, Dr. Katrina Ingrams, Cpl. Adrian
Attwood, and Capt. Tim Geering.
An American student's mishap on the Macal River had a happy
ending,
thanks to the courage and heroism of men and women of the British
Army
Training Support Unit in Belize (BATSUB).
The BATSUB helicopter crew performed the daring rescue when they
responded to a BDF request at 1:30 pm. for medical support for an
almost
drowned victim.
The victim was Daniel Brown, an Environmental Science student
conducting
some course work in Belize through the University of Belize Daniel
decided to take a swim in the Macal River when he was suddenly
pulled
under by a heavy undertow. His friends immediately performed a
search
and rescue, pulling Daniel from the river after he had been
submerged
for well over five minutes.
Another member of the group was a trained Emergency Medical
Technician,
and was therefore able to perform cardio pulmonary resuscitation
(CPR)
on the unconscious Daniel. Daniel responded to CPR and began
breathing
on his own. His concerned companions did not preferred not to take
any
risks and called in the BATSUB Air-Vac team.
Captains Justin Waugh and Tim Geering flew the British Army's Lynx
helicopter to the Macal River area where, without any accurate map
coordinates for the casualty, they conducted a river bank search
and
eventually found the casualty some 45 minutes after the call. Due
to the
harsh terrain the helicopter was forced to perform a hover landing
on a
jagged rock face, requiring the pilot to remain at his controls.
Dr.
Katrina Ingram climbed down the river bank and swam across the
swift-moving rapids of the river, the same area from which her
patient
had been rescued.
Reaching her patient, she provided basic medical attention, before
transporting him back across the dangerous rapids in an inflatable
raft,
while pilots Tim Geering and Justin Waugh kept a close eye on
their fuel
gauges. The mission at this point had become a desperate race
against
time and the diminishing fuel supply.
Captain Geering helped Dr. Ingram load the patient aboard the
helicopter
for medevac to the Municipal Airport in Belmopan, where a prepared
and
waiting B.E.R.T. ambulance transported the patient to Universal
Health
Services Hospital in Belize City.
Daniel Brown has since been moved by air ambulance to Houston,
Texas,
where he is recovering from a slight swelling of the brain and
inflammation of the lungs. He is expected to make a full recovery
and
when he is fit to travel, to return to Belize to continue his
course
work.
Major Dr. Katrina Ingram told the Reporter that the Air-Vac unit
is now
averaging one emergency assistance or rescue a week; although she
noted
that most are not as dramatic as this one. Hospitals can contact
her
directly, and the helicopter team can be ready for their mission
of
mercy in 25 minutes in daytime or 40 minutes at night.
The BATSUB Macal River rescue took approximately 40 minutes from
time of
arrival on the scene.
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 1:03 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #14)
To all:
The news continues to be
good. Though there are some bumps in the road, Dan continues to improve each
day and more and more he is the Daniel we know and love. I finally have escaped
the hospital tonight for the first time in over a week; Dan said it was okay
and I think it probably is. I at least feel he is safe where he is and they can
deal with any issues he might have tonight. He finally got rid of the IV that
has been a constant sore point for him. He ate quite a lot today. He does not
do well with the hospital food, but when we bring him stuff from the cafeteria
he likes and eats it. Tonight he ate more than me at supper.
He was busy today at
TIRR and will be even busier tomorrow. Still we do not know when he will be
ready to fly home where he will continue out-patient rehab for a while. Rather
than focusing on his condition which is continuing to improve I would like to
share some of what I am hearing from elsewhere. Before that, please let me pass
on the website at St. Matthew's where Ron Matross has been chronicling my
reports: http://www.stmatthewsmn.org/News/DanBrown.dsp
First, the message from
Pat Owen I include in its entirety with her permission. I found it quite
moving:
Dear Mark and Lydia,
I hope your knowing that the prayers of everyone at St Matthew's
are with you day and night helps sustain you.
Lydia, it was so great to see you today. I wanted to take a minute to tell you both what I can about what
is becoming known just as "Beatrice's Prayer" because it was so powerful,
and I think is an important part of the whole story. The Saturday after Daniel's accident, the 22nd of February, about
50-60 people from St Matthew's parish were gathered together in the undercroft
to have wonderful African dinner cooked by Rosa as a send off for me. Grant set the stage, with a prayer for both
me and Daniel. I believe we were all feeling mixed emotions--happiness for me
and my new adventure, and great sadness and worry about Daniel. I think it all
became wrapped up in our hearts as deep appreciation for life's
transitions, and the transience of life
itself. Later, in that context,
Beatrice Garabunda got up to give a prayer, again! starting with thanks and
excitement about my journey, and moving into supplication for Daniel's life. The part I was especially moved by were
words to this effect: "God, you are the one who made this boy so only you
know best how to help him. Reach into
those places that are hurt, with your love, and heal him..." She prayed with such conviction and simple
power that I believe all our spirits were transported with her's into the heart
of God. I know I wasn't the only one
who felt it, as others commented on it too.
I know there are many hard days ahead. But maybe hearing the story
about this prayer, and knowing how deeply you are all loved and cared for will
help. Love, Pat (Owen)
Secondly, I include a letter from Dan's professor Ed Boles who
risk his life for Dan. I do not have his permission for this, but I hope that
he would agree that many would benefit from reading it. I have included it as
an attachment.
Please continue to pray for Daniel. His recovery may still take
many months and may still be fraught with pitfalls that we don't yet foresee.
Your prayers have worked miracles thus far. So, don't stop. Pray that his mind will continue to improve,
his memories will be restored and his ability to learn and retain information
will return. Pray that his speech will continue to improve.
I need to sign off for the night, but wish everyone a blessed
Lent. Sorry I missed the pancake supper tonight and am not likely to attend Ash
Wedensday services tomorrow.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 12:54 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #15)
Dear Extended Family:
I feel that our family
has grown 100-fold in this ordeal. Thank you for your amazing support in our
efforts to restore Daniel to full health (catchy slogan, don't you think you
MDT employees). Your generosity has been overwhelming. Thank you. Please continue to pray.
Last night I finally did
not sleep at the hospital and Dan had a good night, sleeping restfully I am
told. A big step. Hopefully, tonight will be similar. Sarah left this morning,
taken to the airport by one of our new friends Anna Sneed, who has done so much
for us. Thank you, Anna. Then, Nate arrived this afternoon and was picked up by
another new friend, Arlene Price, who with husband John are hosts of our home
away from home. They have a beautiful home here is Houston. Thanks again.
I spoke with Daniel's
therapy team tonight and it appears we will be here into next week. Early next
week, probably Tuesday, they will have a meeting with us to discuss Dan's
needs, to educate us on our role in his care and recovery and to advise us on
where to seek assistance in the Twin Cities. It is very unclear as to when we
should/could return home. It is clear that they are looking to us to help make
that decision, but I feel that the care team needs to provide us more of an
assessment before we can decide. It does appear that it will be after Tuesday,
but perhaps as soon as Friday that we could come home.
As for Daniel's
progress, I would say he had a good day. He is dealing okay with Sarah's
departure as he did with Lydia's. He is not thrilled, but is dealing with it.
He was pretty bored today as there were several therapy cancellations or
tardiness which I am told is common for Wednesday when the doctors are doing
rounds. I feel that he is about ready to get on an airplane, but am trying to
separate my desire for him to do so, from my objective assessment of his
ability so to do. I feel that we could come home at the end of this week and it
would probably be fine, but I do not want to make that decision if his care
team is not recommending it, which they are not. Does anyone out there have any
suggestions for how one knows it is time to move to outpatient services? And,
can anyone explain why the staff seems to be looking to me to tell them when I
want to go home instead of them telling me when they think it should happen?
Please pray specifically
for Dan's speech, memory and congitive abilities to completely return soon.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Julie Payne [[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 2:24 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: greetings
Hello Mark and Lydia,
I know you probably have email overload, but I wanted to send a
quick message to you...
I am the person that you originally spoke with when the accident
occurred and I have been following Daniel's progress through Jerry in Belize.
(I am based in the home office in Brattleboro, VT) I have been very moved by
all of the messages and stories of hope and recovery. Daniel has indeed touched
many people's lives.
In that vein, I would like to introduce to you, by email, to
another person that would very much like to be in contact with you and learn
more about how Daniel is doing - Frank Carter's mother, Amy. I was talking to
her today and it seems that if she could be added to your email list, she would
benefit from these messages. She also would like to talk to you at some point
and gave me her phone number. 406-586-7080 (the Carters live in Montana) I
think that she feels isolated from what has happened and from her son and would
like to know more about how Daniel is doing.
I wish all the best to your family and thanks for allowing Jerry
and the group in Belize to hear about Daniel's progress.
Warmest regards,
Julie E. Payne
Program Coordinator for Latin American/Caribbean Studies
SIT Study Abroad
School For International Training
1-888-272-7881, ext. 3503
From: FRANK CARTER [[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 6:05 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Mark and Lydia this is Frank Carter......
I am now in Punta Gorda, the southernmost distict in Belize. I
wanted to
write and express how happy it makes me to know of Dan's health. i
have read
a majority of the emails you have sent Mr. Brown and everyone has
been
amazing to read. i especially liked the part about Dan asking,
"did a boy or
girl give me CPR!" Ha! Great to know he has such a sense of
humor. You could
have told him it was a girl, it might have responded better!
Anyway I just
wanted to drop a line and express my happiness for your entire
family. Keep
me informed. please. PS Jerry told me to write my home address for
you---it
is
Frank and Amie Carter
120 Twin Pond Lane
Bozeman, Montana
59715
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 1:07 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #16)
Dear Friends,
It is pretty late so I
will keep this very brief. Dan had a pretty good day. Many things are
improving, but he has a long way to go, and he is beginning to recognize that.
He does not describe how that makes him feel, but he is clearly a bit
discouraged. It will be good to get him home with friends. When that happens,
just to set the stage a bit, we will need to limit the number and length of
visits, so will probably need to schedule them for a while. Also, I am
envisioning that we will have games and puzzles available and ask that you
choose from among them, or bring your own to do with him when you visit (or at
least some of the time) so that you can help us with his therapy. The more of
us that do it, the more interesting it will be for him and it will help us to
share the load.
I spoke some more with
the doctors and nurses today and have set in motion the plan to bring Dan home
on Saturday, March 15. That will be almost 2 weeks at TIRR (and so far I am not
too impressed) which is enough time to get him started into therapy and to
fully regain his strength to travel. In the past couple of days he has been
much more lucid and I believe will not have cognitive difficulty with flying,
but I feel safer taking a little more time to be sure and to get the buy-in of
his care team here at TIRR. We will
probably get a day pass and possibly an overnight pass to get Dan out of TIRR
this weekend. That will help us to see where we are. I know he wants to be back
in MN (actually, sometimes he is).
Continue praying for all
of us. Lydia, Jacob and Philip come to Houston for the weekend. Then Nate will
fly back with Jacob and Philip leaving Lydia and me to care for Dan and get him
home.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 8:53 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #17)
Dear Friends,
I did not get my message
out last night because my password expired without notice. I have been able to
recover from that, but only have a few moments to get out the message. We will
leave soon to pick up Dan and take him out of the hospital for the weekend. We
plan to go to the zoo this afternoon. Lydia, Jacob and Philip arrived last
night and had a short visit with Dan before the end of visiting hours.
Dan had a good day
yesterday. His speech is getting to be pretty much normal some of the time. He
had a full day of activities and got pretty tired. He had a visitor, Anna
Sneed, who visited for about an hour and that was good. He is eating well.
During his occupational therapy session they took him outside and he had to
find his way around campus using a map. That went pretty well I think. Then he
got to lift some weights. Nate and I also helped Dan log on to his Gustavus email
where he was able to read a couple of messages. He has hundreds of SPAM
messages. But, he had a nice note from Sarah, too.
Pray that Dan's time away
from the hospital goes well and that he continues to improve in preparation for
his return home in 1 week.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 8:14 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #18)
We went to TIRR this
morning at 9 to pick up Daniel. He was still asleep so we woke him, got him to
eat, then shower and put on clean clothes. About 10:30 we left the hospital
with a wheelchair in case we needed it, and the entire Brown clan headed to the
Houston Zoo. Dan walked there which was perhaps 1/2 a mile, but wanted the
wheelchair most of the time after that. He really enjoyed the zoo. We ate lunch
there and he ate a personal pan pizza very fast. He was very much himself
today. He has been napping 2-3 times per day in the hospital so I had assumed
he would need to go back to the Price's early to nap and that we then might
have an afternoon or evening activity. But, Dan indicated he was not tired and
we did not leave the zoo until after 2. When we got back he did not want to
nap, but instead we watched a movie. He finally lay down to sleep about 7:45
and is probably down for the night.
He has been very much
himself today and at one point he asked me "what is the plan?" which
I discovered to mean for his return home. I described it to him and he
indicated that he thought it was good and he is very excited to get back to MN.
Later he talked to Sarah and my brother Dave on the phone and had good
conversations with both.
This was a very exciting
breakthrough kind of day. I'm sure there will be setbacks, but it makes it easy
to be hopeful that his recovery will be speedy. Please keep fervently praying
for Dan; your prayers are being answered.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 12:04 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #19)
Dan is back at TIRR
tonight. It was really hard to take him there. It was so good to have him with
us all the time. He really did not seem to mind going back. He knows he has
work to do and he is anxious to get himself back to normal. Nate, Jacob and
Philip have returned to MN (about 80 degrees colder than here).
Dan slept nearly 12
hours last night, making up for missed nap time. He decided we would go to
church so we went to Palmer where John Price serves on staff. The church is
located right next to the medical center so we toured the hospital after church
starting in the ER and working our way through the hospital as Dan had. We met
nurses at each stop that remembered him and were happy to see him upright
instead of prone. Dan graciously thanked them for caring for him.
Dan is becoming very
aware of his confusion and memory issues which I think is a good thing. He
knows he has healing, rest and work to do to get things back to normal. But,
today was not a good memory day. Once again he was amazed to find out he is in
Texas and he thought he had gone home to MN over the weekend. He has a great
sense of humor about it all. He is a bit frustrated, but not like a week ago
when we struggled to understand him and he would just shut down. I think his
understanding of his situation is such that he will continue to work hard until
he gets better.
So, I would ask your
prayers for improvements in his memory both short term and long term. We are
counting down the days until our return and preparing for what will be required for Dan's care.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 12:18 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #20)
Dear Friends,
Dan had another pretty
good day. His speech is improving; his coordination is improving; and he was
able to play card games, pool and basketball with us today. On the downside,
his short term memory was poor today, perhaps because he was so tired from the
strenuous weekend. He is becoming frustrated with his poor memory, but he
continues to be very positive about his progress.
We are still planning to
return home this Saturday and will likely attend the 10:30 service at St.
Matthew's. Keep Dan in your prayers. Specifically, pray for Dan's short term
memory to improve.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 11:54 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #21)
Dear Friends,
We are now at T-4 (days
til we return home). Lydia and I feel that Dan is still improving rapidly each
day. It seems to us that some of his short term memory is returning though his
is still more likely to forget than remember recent events. We have been able to play card games with him the
last couple of days and that has gone quite well. Dan had a very full day of
therapy again today so was a bit tired, but did not nap. His attentiveness is
improving.
We met with Dan's
therapy team and their report was pretty disappointing. They are working hard
to limit our expectations for his recovery. This is pretty disheartening. But,
Lydia refuses to accept what they tell us and reminds me of all the positive
signs we are seeing in his recovery. And, the medical care givers continue to
marvel at Dan's rapid recovery. It is clear that his recovery will not happen
overnight, but we still expect him to make a complete recovery and to fulfill
his life's goals. We think that Dan will recover faster at home with friends
and family around and we question a bit the value of the therapy.
We are trying to make
arrangements for Dan to begin outpatient therapy at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation
services in Minneapolis when we return. Continue to pray for his complete
recovery. Your prayers are being answered every day.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Pedro Arriaga [[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 2:17 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #21)
Mr and Mrs. Brown:
Glad to hear that Daniel is doing well. Patience and love will
make their work with him,
Pedro Arriaga MD
From: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 11:36 PM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
mark and lydia
it has been so good to hear daniel sounding so much more like his
usual
self. i know that i am not
there to see how he is truly progressing, but
it sounds encouraging on the phone. as i told lydia earlier, i have been
reading the works of bonhoeffer for theology class, and he has had
a lot
of things to say that seem to really speak to me regarding
daniel's
progress. i would like to
share part with you:
"you strive to live up to the highest demands. i've often noticed how
much depends on what sort of demands we make on ourselves. some people
are spoiled by being satisfied with mediocrity, and so perhaps get
results
more quickly; they have fewer hindrences to overcome. but i've found it
one of the most potent educative factors in our family that we
have had so
many hindrances to overcome (in connection with relevance,
clarity,
naturalness, tact, simplicity, etc.) before we could express ourselves
properly."
i truly think dan will be okay, in part because he expects as much
from
himself as we all do. he
has a lot planned for himself, and i think he
will strive to live up to his own high demands. anyway, i know it will be
a dificult path, but i still have faith that god will help make
the path
easier to tread and that it will one day come to a happy ending.
goodnight and god bless.
sarah @--}--
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 9:01 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #22)
Dear Friends,
We are now at T-2, but
who's counting. We had a good day with Dan yesterday. His therapy schedule
changed a couple of times during the day due to rounds so we had some time to
take him out of the hospital. We went to the commons on the medical campus for
lunch and then out to a Mexican restaurant with Anna Sneed for dinner. The
therapists at this point are doing assessments to prepare for his departure to
MN. We are working to get medical records transferred and have set up an
appointment with a primary care doctor at Health Partners to get a referral for
rehabilitation. Sister Kenny has also received Dan's medical records and is
preparing to receive him into their program if we can get the referral there.
TIRR is recommending Sister Kenny as the appropriate care facility. So, we are
doing all we can to facilitate the transfer.
Dan is cleared to fly
coach. I think the biggest obstacle there will be security. I have a copy of
his passport for ID, but I think we will need to request an escort for Dan
should Lydia or I be stopped for any reason.
Dan is looking forward
to going home. Most of the time he remembers that we are going home on
Saturday. We will have him discharged on Friday. Then we will have a little
time in Houston to see things. We have been invited to see the Life Flight
helipad, so we will probably do that.
It is unlikely that Dan
will have any (professional) therapy next week, so a few visits with friends
each day would be welcome. Please call before you come so that we can help to
space the visits and allow him to rest when he needs it.
Continue to pray for
improvements in his memory and for patience for his caregivers.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 9:17 AM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Cheers and Blessings from Belize
Dear Mr. Brown-My name is emily and i am one of Dans fellow
students on teh SIT
program. I am glad he is doing so well. He is an amazingly strong
person and i
am overwelmed with his recovery. WE miss him here alot and think
about him
alot. you have no idea how much the group dynamics have changed
with his
absents. I am not sure what he remebers yet or not but if you
could tell him
that Ultimate is no longer fun with out him making fun of me and
that we are
thinking about him here and missing him. I hope that you and your
family are
doing well, that you are healthy and safe.
Cheers and Blessings from Belize
Emily
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 11:53 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #23)
Dear Friends,
T-1 until we come home.
Yippee! Dan had a great day. His memory
was much improved and he was very present with us. He beat me 2 out of 3 in
billiards tonight so I am hoping that I can convince him tomorrow that it went
the other way, but I suspect this is a memory he will hang on to. One of Dan's
doctors said that this morning we was able to tell him accurately and
confidently what his plans were for the next few days and further into the
future, like returning to school to study criminal justice and sociology. His
speech therapist said he did very well in his session. And, Dan was remembering
the names of his study group in Belize today and was able to identify them in the
picture we received. That's not to say that he didn't forget lots of things,
too, but all in all this was his best day yet by far. So your prayers are being
answered in Dan. What a miracle.
I would like to ask your
prayers of thanksgiving for Dan's healing and for the tremendous outpouring of
love and care that we and Dan have received over the past 3 weeks. For his
professor who risked his life to pull Dan from the water, for Frank Carter who
restored Dan's life with CPR, for Dan's
other classmates in Belize who I am sure helped out in ways we may never know,
for the medics who transported him to Belize City and the doctors and nurses
there, especially Drs. Hidalgo and Arriaga who oversaw his care, for AIG
Assist, the insurance company who facilitated his transport to the US and who
have continued to monitor Dan's progress, for the Life Flight team, especially
Lori Ortiz, who transported Dan from Belize to Houston, for the ER and ICU
doctors and nurses, especially Dr. Parsley (who asked us about Dan just today)
and Ruthie the ICU night nurse and Dr. Singh whose quiet confidence in Dan's
recovery while he was in the ICU was very reassuring, for Ramey Blair, the med
student who helped us interact with the care team and who has a very bright
future in medicine and Dr. Malik the resident who tended to Dan throughout his
stay at Hermann Hospital, for Drs. Monir and Kothari at TIRR and nurses Martin
and Chris who provided tremendous care and encouragement, for Arlene and John
Price who have become our family here is Texas and who have taught us a great
deal about hospitality, for Anna Sneed who has also become a tremendous friend
in our time of need, visiting us, running errands for us and providing
transportation, but more importantly just coming to listen to us and finally
for all of you that have been faithfully praying for us these past 3 weeks.
There are many more people I should identify by name, so you can see even by
this list just how many people have provided for us in our time of need. Oh,
and I must also thank my boss, Walt Olson, and members of my group at Medtronic
for contributing vacation days to me to allow me to stay in Texas and focus my
attention on Daniel in his time of need. Thanks to all of you. It is impossible
that we could ever repay all you have given us, but know that if there is ever
anything you need that we can provide please ask. We will attempt to "Pay
Forward" the kindnesses you have shown us the best that we can.
Praise God for his
healing powers. Thanks be to God that Daniel lives. Please pray for our safe
travels and continue to pray for Dan's healing. We look forward to seeing you
Minnesotans quite soon.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Lyn Lawyer [[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 6:25 AM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Psalm 40
Dear Mark & Lydia,
As I was saying Morning Prayer this morning I was struck by Psalm
40 and its pertinence for Dan and the marvel of what God will do for us. Here
are the first verses of the Psalm
|
1 |
I waited
patiently upon the LORD; * |
|
2 |
He lifted me out
of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; * |
|
3 |
He put a new
song in my mouth, |
|
4 |
Happy are they
who trust in the LORD! * |
What a joy it has
been for me to read your updates every morning and then move them to our web
page so the world can pray and rejoice with you.
Last night the
Harvard club to which John belongs, had a tour of Medtronic. Dr. Glenn Nelson
is class of '59. Anyway it was delightful. I really like the space and all the
planning in the building of it. I was hoping that the thoughtfulness with which
they designed the building also played out in how they care for their
employees. I see by today's note that they have given you the space you needed
to care for Dan. Another one of my prayers answered.
God Bless You and
safe travel. We will be glad to have you all home again.
In God's abiding love & grace
Lyn Lawyer
From: John W. Price [[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 8:55 PM
To: [email protected]; Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Great having you with us
Mark, Lydia, and Daniel; et al;
We were so glad to have you with us and to assist you all in your
dilemma.
You are such gracious people, easy to help decompress at the end
of the day.
It was a delight to see
the great progress in Daniel and he's still on our
prayerlist for a full recovery.
You were so gracious in your e-mail about us. We're just so glad to be able
to help such a fine family.
and thnaks for the great dinner at Shanghai
River last night.
Ryo and I went out to the boat, I finally completed the wiring,
got the
motor to work for the first time since a bad day in December, we
went out
and had a grand sail - his first.
I look forward to seeing you in August, for Gen'l Convention. That was a
very kind offer, and I'll take you up on it. it'll be great to see the
terrific progress Daniel will have made by then.
I haven't heard from Arlene in England. We'd have heard if anything went
wrong.
Love, John
_______________________________________
The Rev. John and Arlene Price
2312 Steel St.
Houston TX 77098
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 11:58 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #24)
Dear Friends,
We are home! It has been
a great day. After a short Friday night (12 am - 6:30 am) Dan was up without a
nap until 10 pm. Showered before bed. Had a great day. He is bothered by his
memory lapses, but is able to talk about them, is conscious of them and is
prepared to work on them. All good signs, I think. Sarah and best friend, Ben,
were over this afternoon. Also, Ben's parents, Cheryl and David. Lots of
laughing, joking and reaquainting. Dan was very much himself all day. Tonight
at Philip's soccer game there was a great outpouring of love for you family and
many pledges of support. Thanks. There are some things you can help us with,
thanks for the offers. Tomorrow we return to St. Matthew's where so many have
helped us in so many ways these past 3 weeks. Thanks you St. Matthew's. It will
be a joyous reunion tomorrow. Lydia preaches at Christ Church which has also
given us much love and support. Thank you to all. Continue to pray for Daniel
to regain his short term memory and his problem solving abilities. He still has
a long road of recovery ahead of him, but we expect good things. Also, pray
that we get the referral we seek to Sister Kenny on Monday when Dan visits Dr.
Steeber at Health Partners, White Bear Lake.
Tomorrow we will begin
to put together a memory book and posters for Dan. Any of you that have photos
or interesting stories from the past 3 years, please bring or send them to
include in these memory rebuilding exercises.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Jeremy A. Enriquez [[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2003 10:57 AM
To: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Subject: Fw: Some photos
Mark,
I am forwarding two recent group photos, which I believe is
clearer than the one I had sent earlier. In the first photo, Frank Carter
(bearded with glasses) is sitting up front. You will recall it was Frank Carter
who performed CPR assisted by Aimee Tow (far left with black tank tops and off
white skirt). Besides Aimee are MC and Mona who sang numerous songs to Dan
shortly after he regained breathing from CPR. They did this to soothe him.
Immediately behind Frank on the same platform is Nicole Anderson who manned the
phone to coordinate emergency evac from site. Evan in white T-shirt and right
leg stretched out was Dan's buddy on site and was beside Dan when whe fell.
Emily in green pants also assisted with phone communications to send and
receive messages from the British helicopter, and from myself as we coordinated
evacuation from site to the hospital. All the other students were involved in
one way or another, making this group a very strong, supportive and cohesive.
We continue to have Dan in our prayers for his full recovery and
are very thankful for all the progress he has made thus far.
Regards,
Jerry
Jeremy A. Enriquez
Academic Director
SIT Study Abroad - Belize
School for International Training
P. O. Box 283
Belmopan
Belize
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 10:46 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #25)
Dear Friends and Family,
Dan continues to improve
each day. It is getting harder each day to notice his deficits. He played
"SET" today with Nate. At first they were pretty even, but by the
third game he was blowing Nate away. He played frisbee golf pretty well. And he
seems to be remembering more and more. So, praise God for his continued improvement.
We still have not secured the desired referral. I had expected to hear by
today. I will make more calls tomorrow. In the mean time we are investigating
Regions Rehab Institute which is in network. I have asked TIRR to help evaluate
Regions and identify any deficiencies in their program.
Dan received a package
of letters written by the students in Belize on Sunday after the accident.
There are some wonderful notes regarding Dan's character, his strength and his
spirit. I would like to share an excerpt from Frank Carter's letter: "A
miracle took place before my own eyes, like I was in a deep dream. Honestly, I
have never had more faith in God and Fate itself until now. I witnessed
something that, in all truthfulness, unveiled the face of God. Although I reacted
with my skills and training, I felt I was in an altered state of consciousness.
This is so hard for me to explain in words. Something of a higher power
embodied me, and I just worked with it and tried my very best to control the
entire situation." Frank goes on to say that Dan had told him of Stephen's
drowning and that was in his mind as he worked on Dan.
Many of the students
speak of a conversion experience they took away from this event. We are just so
grateful that Dan is alive and doing so well, but it seems that God has used
this near death experience to speak to many people. Glory to God. Easter will
be a whole new experience for me this year.
I should mention one
more thing. Dan's good friend Fred came over tonight and sang to us the song he
wrote for Dan. He and others recorded it as they did vigil for Dan on Saturday
night (2/22) and Dan listened to the recording a couple of times in the
hospital. It was quite wonderful.
Please continue to pray
that we get Dan into a good rehab program and that he recovers quickly enough
that he can return to school in the fall.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 11:11 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #26)
Dear Friends and Family,
Our prayers have been answered yet again. The
referral to Sister Kenny was approved and we have therapy appointments there
for next week. We are very happy that this has worked out. Thank you to all of
you who helped out in this endeavor.
I realized after my
message last night that I never had told the story of our reunion at St.
Matthew's. The people of St. Matthew's were wonderful. Thank you. We were
greeted with hugs and love from so many people. Lyn Lawyer, our deacon, spoke
of the miracle of Daniel's life being saved in her sermon. Dan was, of course,
prayed for in the prayers of the people. In addition, the many thanks that I
had shared with you in one of my messages at the end of last week were read.
And finally, Grant, our rector, welcomed Dan back to St. Matthew's just before
the peace. It was very joyous and overwhelming. Thank you St. Matthew's and
thank you all who have prayed, brought food, visited us, gave us a place to
sleep, helped us negotiate the medical care system. Thank you SIT students in
Belize who have dedicated your semester to Dan. If you have a chance one day
soon to give him a call, I am sure he would like to hear from you. And thank
you fellow employees at Medtronic. You have been so generous to give away a
vacation day for me and you have been so supportive of me in this difficult
time.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 10:23 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #27)
Dear Friends and Family,
It's been a week since I
sent the last message, so this one is long over-due. Dan has begun occupational
and speech therapy this week. They both work on cognitive and memory skills.
Dan continues to improve though it gets harder to see the improvement each day
and some days we are experiencing set-backs. He told Nate tonight that he each
morning when he wakes up he feels that he is getting better and that he expects
to get completely better. That tells you that he is quite aware of his accident
and his condition and also that he is optimistic about his progress. We share
his optimism (most of the time).
We are still making
adjustments on the therapy. We are scheduled for 2 sessions per week, but both
therapists feel that 3x/week would be better. So, we are still settling into a
pattern.
I have spoken to the Red
Cross of Bozeman, MT, (Frank Carter's home) and they were seeking approval to
use Dan's name in their application to the National Red Cross for an award for
Frank and Ed Boles and probably also Aimee who assisted Frank in the CPR. If awarded, recipients would get a
certificate signed by the President. I mentioned to her that all of the
students pitched in to assist Dan's rescue and sent her a description of the
roles that each student played. The will have to decide where to draw the line
on who was a hero.
Dan has been playing
scrabble and doing crossword puzzles. He does pretty well at them, though not
as well as before the accident. His handwriting also is not so good. Looks a
bit too much like mine. However I see improvement in his handwriting the more
he writes. He is also beginning to exercise a little bit though he has to be
pushed to do it.
Dan continues to improve,
but has a long way to go. Particularly his short-term memory is still bad.
Please continue to pray that he continue to make a full recovery, that he is
able to return to school in the fall and that his parents continue to be
patient.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 4:52 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #29)
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been quite a
while since I sent an update so I thought it about time. Dan is doing quite
well; our prayers are being answered. On Saturday we went to Gustavus (Dan's
college). He visited friends and old haunts which was both fun and therapeutic.
We attended Prairie Home Companion which was being broadcast from Gustavus on
Saturday. Afterward we attended a party in Dan's honor. It was a great day and
Dan did quite well.
On Tuesday, his speech
therapist said that he was doing very well and she is running out of things to
do with him. The physical therapist was to see him for the first time, but she
opted to interview him briefly and declared that he did not need physical
therapy. I told her he was riding a bike, running and playing soccer. She said
she couldn't play soccer and that many of her patients dream of a day when they
will ride a bike again.
He has filled out an
application to attend Century College this summer. The plan is that he will
take photography in May/June and physics for non-majors in July/August. Those
will transfer and fulfill requirements. He would then start back to Gustavus in
the fall with a somewhat reduced load. His memory continues to be a problem, but
is getting much better so we are hopeful that he will be able to complete this
academic plan which would have him graduate on time. But, we are prepared to
adjust the plan at any time that it becomes obvious that he is not ready for
the next step.
Have a joyous Easter.
Ours will be filled with memories of the miraculous recovery that Daniel has
made. Please continue to pray for us all.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2003 4:06 PM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #30)
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been a month
since I sent out the last update. A lot has happened, but progress has been
more evolutionary than revolutionary so I have not felt that need to broadcast.
However, of late there have been many inquiries and I realize that no news is
just that, so here goes.
The big news of the day
is that today Dan began a college course at Century College in White Bear Lake.
He is taking photography. By taking this we can assess his ability to participate
in college classes and he can begin to catch up to his peers at Gustavus. The
course will transfer and will fulfill a requirement for participatory arts. The
class will also give him more to do than just a couple of hours of therapy each
week.
On May 8, Dan had 8
hours of neuropsychology testing. We are still awaiting those results. He went
to the physical medicine and rehab doctor today to review those results, but
the doctor had not yet received them. The visit was somewhat of a waste, but what
he did tell Daniel is that his prognosis is excellent. Most people that have
had similar accidents might just be getting out of the hospital after 3 months
if they were ever able to leave the hospital. He says that Dan must just be
patient and that over time he will recover nearly all of his short term memory
ability.
Dan has been to visit at
Gustavus four times now. They will be done for the summer in about 2 weeks, so
he has probably made his last visit until he starts again in the fall. He has a
great time there and it will be wonderful for him to get back full time.
Dan is still not
allowed to drive. I let him drive with me in the car which has been okayed by
therapist, but they are concerned he is too easily distracted and would not do
well in heavy traffic. Since Nate returned to Michigan last week, Lydia and I
are having to provide transportation to school and therapy. Once school is out
we hope that Jacob will be able to help out.
Continue to pray for
healing for Daniel and patience for us all. Pray that Dan is successful in the
classroom so that he can continue to move toward a return to full time student
status in the fall. Thanks for your support.
Love to all,
Mark and Lydia
From: Brown, Mark [CRM]
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 8:13 AM
Subject: Please pray for Daniel Brown (update #31)
Dear Friends and Family,
I know Daniel is still
on many of your prayer lists and he should continue to be. However, lots has
happened since I last sent a message in May and I want to briefly bring you up
to date.
Daniel continued
occupational therapy through the end of July. At that time his therapist
recommended that he discontinue therapy until he was more willing to do the
exercises she assigned between visits. While his memory had greatly improved,
the therapist spoke of signs of frontal lobe injury that affected his ability
to initiate new activity and to properly prioritize activity among other
issues. She recommended that he continue to live at home, potentially taking a
course at the local community college.
The following week we
went on vacation to our cottage in Mexico, PA, where Lydia's family gathers
every year this time. Surrounded by cousins and age group peers, Daniel thrived
that week. He called his therapist a couple of times that week and again upon
our return such that only a week and a half after she recommended that he not
return to Gustavus Adolphus College, she called Lydia to say that she was
hearing more passion and commitment from Daniel than she had heard in the
several months that she had worked with him and she would not stand in the way
of his return to Gustavus.
So, for the next couple
of weeks, we began to plan for Daniel to return to Gustavus, but we required of
him a continued display of an ability to get himself up in the morning, produce
a list of necessary activities for the day, complete the list of activities,
keep notes on his activities and evaluate his performance at the end of the
day. While this seems a lot to ask of anyone, especially a 21 year old college
student, it was what we needed to see to be persuaded that he was ready to
return to college work. And, he did not do well. He seldom achieved the desired
outcome for more than a day or two at a time and needed to be coaxed and
reminded regularly. He seemed to be regressing a bit. With only about a week to
go before he needed to go to Gustavus we were still undecided and leaning
toward holding Daniel back for another semester. A long discussion with Daniel
about this lead to a renewed effort on his part and for 3-4 days in a row he
met or exceeded expectations. So, on Sunday, August 31, Daniel returned to
Gustavus and moved into an on-campus apartment with 3 roommates. He is taking
one class, a senior level sociology course, and an independent study in
sociology. He is working an hour a day at his work-study job on campus. We are
keeping closely in touch and Daniel appears to be doing well. An email from
Sarah Hanson on Friday indicated that he is doing very well and that many of
his friends have noticed improvement in the 5 days he had been on campus.
And, some of you may
wonder what has become of Sarah who has been such an important part of Daniel's
life before and since the accident. Sarah and Daniel got engaged this summer.
No date for a wedding has been set, but it will be after Daniel graduates (talk
about pressure!). Daniel hopes to complete enough credits that he can walk
through graduation in May and finish up coursework over the summer or perhaps
the next fall.
Daniel's recovery is a
miracle. He continues to defy many experts' expectations. He still has many
challenges ahead of him, but he seems prepared to take some of them on and that
is why he is back at Gustavus. Please continue to pray for Daniel's complete
recovery. Please pray for a successful semester at Gustavus. Daniel's recovery
is not complete, but even now we can see dramatic improvement in a week's time,
so we have every expectation that one day his accident will be little more than
a memory.
Thank you all for your
wonderful support and prayers through this difficult time.
Mark and Lydia