Gabe update – For every crushing set back of Gabe’s recovery there always seems to be a moment that follows after that is so uplifting, it erases the tears and heartache that preceded it. Kari and I had been on a 1 year quest to find a “fix” that would help restore Gabe’s voice to its original state before the accident. We made many phone calls to experts and tracked down any lead that could potentially help him. Countless nights and hours on the internet researching and emailing sites that specialize in speech. Our search led us to a clinic in Lancaster where a team of experts evaluated Gabe to see if surgery could help. A team of 7 plus ran him through the tests to come up with a solution. One by one they came in and all said the same thing. Reading his chart they were dumbfounded to see a young man sitting in a chair, alert and able to speak at all (testimony to the amazing work done by his speech therapist at Hershey, Miss Suzanne Lynnch). One doctor was smiling and staring at me. He told me that he was there at Hershey during Gabe’s stay in PICU. I immediately remembered who he was. He explained to the team that Gabe was in such a critical state that the belief was he would never walk or talk again. He was amazed to see him and elated to get the opportunity to witness his recovery. We were told that after the eval. the team would comprise a letter informing us of their findings/recommendations. Gabe said in excitement, “Dad! Just think after today I might be “normal” again!” I told him he was better than normal and that this may or may not be the solution. The day finally arrived, Kari handed me the large envelope and simply said, “It came”, we looked at each other and paused in anticipation before opening it. You could hear our hearts beating aloud; I let out a sigh and pulled out the letter. The findings were like a punch to the gut, a year in the making with a force so powerful that made me sick to my stomach. It stated that the recommendation was that no further action should be taken, no surgery was recommended. Gabe had suffered irreparable damage to the nerves in his face; which help aid in speech and facial movements. My head dropped to my chest as if a weight was tied around my neck, unable to lift it for what seemed like hours. Gabe entered the room with a big grin, “Well what does it say dad!” Fighting back the tears I said, “Buddy, it says your fine just the way you are”. He knew what I meant and said, “Its ok dad, at least I can talk and people can understand me.” Deep down we knew what the findings would be, but we held out for hope…hope came in the form of something else. We were also told that Gabe would most likely never regain the movement of his right arm and hand. A couple of weeks ago we all went bowling with friends. We have a short video showing Gabe using a 10lb ball. He bowled 2 full games without his right arm ever giving out. This video helped erase the memory of reading that letter, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and the look on his face at the end is priceless. God bless.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 15:21:53 +0000
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