Dear family and friends:
I apologize this has taken a while, but I wanted to thank you for praying for us on our trip to Florida in November. We had a great trip, Antonia traveled well, and we all had a wonderful time. Antonia was flooded with people and a barrage of stimulation, yet she almost never felt overwhelmed. She was articulate in her speech, robust in her humor and a joy to be around.
I want to ask you to pray for Antonia in the upcoming weeks. We have booked a flight and an appointment with the doctor in California for implantation of her own and umbilical cord stem cells. We will be there for five days of pre-therapy and come home on the sixth day. We leave the 6th of January and return on the 12th.
On the improvement front, we have been noticing an advancements in Antonia's awareness of herself. She has often asked how she looks, and is concerned that she not look funny. She also wants to be doing something more often. She has often asked me, "Dean, what am I going to do today?" Or she will say, "Can I do something?" For this we are thankful.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support, it has meant so much to us.
Blessings on you all,
Dean
Monday, October 29, 2007
Dear Family and Friends:
Wow... It has been three years since the accident on October 25th. It is hard to believe that it has been three years, yet in some ways it seems so much longer. Yet, whether long or short, God's grace has been sufficient for us, and I don't say that as some pietistic jibber jabber--I really mean it.
There have been some exciting things to report over the last month. Recently I went to the pool with Antonia and was completely shocked. Her mom stood about ten feet away while Antonia held on to the edge of the pool, then her mom said, "OK, swim to me Antonia." To my surprise Antonia fell forward with her face in the water and began kicking and stroking her right arm forward. I could hardly believe my eyes, there was my completely dependent wife, who can't do anything on her own, swimming all by herself! After about eight strokes she was at her mom and then she needed to be rolled over in order to catch her breath. What an encouraging day that was.
Another first has been the adventures in the hallway. A railing was firmly secured to the side of the wall down our long hallway, and with a brace on Antonia's left leg she has been able to practice trying to walk. It is always a delight to see her trying to get up and take hold of life and push forward. What an encouragement to us all when she says, "I want to do it one more time."
It is also a joy for us every time Antonia hears one of the kids play a familiar tune on the piano. If Azaleah or Isaiah even plays Three Blind Mice, and Antonia hears from the bedroom, she almost comes out of her skin with hoots and howlers of excitement. You would almost think she saw Bach himself rise from the dead playing her favorite piece. This brings a smile to all our faces.
From November 5th to the 16th we will be in Florida for our ten year anniversary. Please pray for our travels and the breakup of routine for Antonia. This could be stressful for Antonia, but we pray it is nothing but pure delight. We will be going with the children and Antonia's mom, Mary, as well.
Thanks you all for your continued support and prayers throughout our journey, we couldn't do it without you all.
Love,
Dean and family
Wow... It has been three years since the accident on October 25th. It is hard to believe that it has been three years, yet in some ways it seems so much longer. Yet, whether long or short, God's grace has been sufficient for us, and I don't say that as some pietistic jibber jabber--I really mean it.
There have been some exciting things to report over the last month. Recently I went to the pool with Antonia and was completely shocked. Her mom stood about ten feet away while Antonia held on to the edge of the pool, then her mom said, "OK, swim to me Antonia." To my surprise Antonia fell forward with her face in the water and began kicking and stroking her right arm forward. I could hardly believe my eyes, there was my completely dependent wife, who can't do anything on her own, swimming all by herself! After about eight strokes she was at her mom and then she needed to be rolled over in order to catch her breath. What an encouraging day that was.
Another first has been the adventures in the hallway. A railing was firmly secured to the side of the wall down our long hallway, and with a brace on Antonia's left leg she has been able to practice trying to walk. It is always a delight to see her trying to get up and take hold of life and push forward. What an encouragement to us all when she says, "I want to do it one more time."
It is also a joy for us every time Antonia hears one of the kids play a familiar tune on the piano. If Azaleah or Isaiah even plays Three Blind Mice, and Antonia hears from the bedroom, she almost comes out of her skin with hoots and howlers of excitement. You would almost think she saw Bach himself rise from the dead playing her favorite piece. This brings a smile to all our faces.
From November 5th to the 16th we will be in Florida for our ten year anniversary. Please pray for our travels and the breakup of routine for Antonia. This could be stressful for Antonia, but we pray it is nothing but pure delight. We will be going with the children and Antonia's mom, Mary, as well.
Thanks you all for your continued support and prayers throughout our journey, we couldn't do it without you all.
Love,
Dean and family
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
Life is a journey--full of many twists and turns. We constantly watch Antonia make progress, however it is kind like watching a child make progress-the parents never notice it as much as the visiting relatives. We are always grateful and humbled when those visiting relatives and friends see what we often have a hard time seeing becauase of close and continuous contact with her. Recently we have had some friends and famiy see Antonia and remind us of how much better she is communicating and interacting, and that was encouraging.
Antonia regularly listens to sermons and scripture on various listening devices (walkman, radio, stereo, computer, etc.). It is always encouraging that the Word of God preached, read or sung is what gives her the most comfort in this life. If her memory worked better, she would surely have the Scriptures memorized by now. Whenever she is agitated, scared or feeling pity, all I have to do is direct her attention to the Word, and off herself, and she is quickly comforted. Just as God said, "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me."
Antonia stands up in a standing frame every day for about 30 minutes. This really stimulates the body and mind and is helpful for her overall well-being. She doesn't always like it, but then again, none of us like to do what doesn't feel good.
She has been doing really well at the pool also. She walks in the pool with her mom, and has even been able to lock and wieght her left leg (which is mostly paralyzed), recently. It greatly helps that she is much lighter in the water, however, she hasn't been able to do that before.
We do appreciate your prayers and support, and ask that you continue to remember Antonia and the family and we press forward in her recovery.
Blessings,
Dean
Life is a journey--full of many twists and turns. We constantly watch Antonia make progress, however it is kind like watching a child make progress-the parents never notice it as much as the visiting relatives. We are always grateful and humbled when those visiting relatives and friends see what we often have a hard time seeing becauase of close and continuous contact with her. Recently we have had some friends and famiy see Antonia and remind us of how much better she is communicating and interacting, and that was encouraging.
Antonia regularly listens to sermons and scripture on various listening devices (walkman, radio, stereo, computer, etc.). It is always encouraging that the Word of God preached, read or sung is what gives her the most comfort in this life. If her memory worked better, she would surely have the Scriptures memorized by now. Whenever she is agitated, scared or feeling pity, all I have to do is direct her attention to the Word, and off herself, and she is quickly comforted. Just as God said, "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me."
Antonia stands up in a standing frame every day for about 30 minutes. This really stimulates the body and mind and is helpful for her overall well-being. She doesn't always like it, but then again, none of us like to do what doesn't feel good.
She has been doing really well at the pool also. She walks in the pool with her mom, and has even been able to lock and wieght her left leg (which is mostly paralyzed), recently. It greatly helps that she is much lighter in the water, however, she hasn't been able to do that before.
We do appreciate your prayers and support, and ask that you continue to remember Antonia and the family and we press forward in her recovery.
Blessings,
Dean
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Dear family and friends,
We have recently had Antonia’s blood tested in order to make sure there were no infections before we took our next step with the stem cell treatment. The doctor discovered she had yeast in her system, and so Antonia has had to be taking this nasty swish and swallow medicine to take care of it. We will soon be taking another blood test and speaking with the doctor about out next step in the process. We do ask that you pray that God would give us wisdom in this.
I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that Antonia’s mood has made some overall improvements. It is the kind of thing you don’t really notice until she gets upset and then you remember how much more often it used to occur—and what a blessing that is.
I have also noticed that in general her sleeping is much better. She will almost always sleep until about 6am, and then she begins to stir, but then I turn on the radio and she is content for a while longer.
Another encouraging improvement that we have noticed is an increase in her articulation. Antonia has been able to say “s”, “k”, “d”, and other tough letters that were impossible for her to articulate not that long ago. Because of this, one of the blessings that we haven’t always noticed is that we don’t need to translate for people as often as we used to. Whenever Antonia gains some independence, it is always a welcomed blessing.
Last week Antonia went to the University of Washington for some physical fitness and was riding on an exercise bike with handles that go back and forth for the arms, and she rode it for thirty-five minutes. This was a very significant amount of time that surprised us and the physical therapists. She seems to always do things that encourage us, or suprise us, which cause us to thank God for her progress.
Blessings,
Dean
We have recently had Antonia’s blood tested in order to make sure there were no infections before we took our next step with the stem cell treatment. The doctor discovered she had yeast in her system, and so Antonia has had to be taking this nasty swish and swallow medicine to take care of it. We will soon be taking another blood test and speaking with the doctor about out next step in the process. We do ask that you pray that God would give us wisdom in this.
I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that Antonia’s mood has made some overall improvements. It is the kind of thing you don’t really notice until she gets upset and then you remember how much more often it used to occur—and what a blessing that is.
I have also noticed that in general her sleeping is much better. She will almost always sleep until about 6am, and then she begins to stir, but then I turn on the radio and she is content for a while longer.
Another encouraging improvement that we have noticed is an increase in her articulation. Antonia has been able to say “s”, “k”, “d”, and other tough letters that were impossible for her to articulate not that long ago. Because of this, one of the blessings that we haven’t always noticed is that we don’t need to translate for people as often as we used to. Whenever Antonia gains some independence, it is always a welcomed blessing.
Last week Antonia went to the University of Washington for some physical fitness and was riding on an exercise bike with handles that go back and forth for the arms, and she rode it for thirty-five minutes. This was a very significant amount of time that surprised us and the physical therapists. She seems to always do things that encourage us, or suprise us, which cause us to thank God for her progress.
Blessings,
Dean
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Dear family and friends,
June was the month of adventures. At the beginning of the month we went up to Canada for my niece's wedding. It took us three days to travel up, and Antonia traveled incredibly well. It was a great time to be with family and to change Antonia's context--she always enjoys being with those she loves.
On the way back home, a week later, it was just Antonia and myself (the children stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in Canada). I was a little nervous seeing that I wouldn't be able to attend to her very well when I was driving, but God is good, and she traveled home as good, if not better, than on the way up.
Once we arrived home we had a day to get repacked and then traveled down to Wallowa County, Oregon for Zac and Catlin Hostetter's wedding. Once again Antonia traveled marvelously and our time was delightful.
It has been so good to see her mood begin to stabilize more and more over time. We don't always realize how good it is until she has a bad day and it reminds us of how bad it was before.
Since our last post we have been researching and looking into stem cell transplants. What we have been discovering has been quite fascinating. God has given us stem cells, which we produce in our own bodies, to rebuild the cells in our bodies--this is why healing takes place. What can happen in Antonia's case is that both the actual cell repair, and the encouraging of new cell growth, can take place in the brain. This certainly is not a guaranteed fix, or some "miracle" procedure, but there is repairing that takes place and often some good results follow the procedure.
What the doctors will do is take some of her own stem cells from her bone marrow, and some umbilical stem cells (not embryonic) from a stem cell bank, and then inject them into the brain through a catheter. When this happens the newly introduced stem cells will go where they can to begin repairing damage. (The way I am describing this is somewhat simplistic, and makes it sound like the brain will be fixed, but the scale of the procedure is so microscopic and the repairs so minute that the improvements can be anywhere from barely seen to fairly dramatic.) If it works well, we will continue to pursue this kind of treatment.
As you might expect, we need your prayers both for wisdom, on our part and the doctors, and for the procedure itself. It is not a high risk procedure, but we would most certainly covet your prayers that it would be affective, and that God would provide for us financially in order to pursue treatments of this kind.
We do praise our God, because, for reasons that only belong to him, we have been blessed with open doors and insight into some amazing treatments that are going on in the world, plus he has placed us in a period of time when there has been some significant ground gained medically in helping cases like Antonia's.
We praise our God for you all and thank you for your prayers.
Grace and Peace to you,
Dean
June was the month of adventures. At the beginning of the month we went up to Canada for my niece's wedding. It took us three days to travel up, and Antonia traveled incredibly well. It was a great time to be with family and to change Antonia's context--she always enjoys being with those she loves.
On the way back home, a week later, it was just Antonia and myself (the children stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in Canada). I was a little nervous seeing that I wouldn't be able to attend to her very well when I was driving, but God is good, and she traveled home as good, if not better, than on the way up.
Once we arrived home we had a day to get repacked and then traveled down to Wallowa County, Oregon for Zac and Catlin Hostetter's wedding. Once again Antonia traveled marvelously and our time was delightful.
It has been so good to see her mood begin to stabilize more and more over time. We don't always realize how good it is until she has a bad day and it reminds us of how bad it was before.
Since our last post we have been researching and looking into stem cell transplants. What we have been discovering has been quite fascinating. God has given us stem cells, which we produce in our own bodies, to rebuild the cells in our bodies--this is why healing takes place. What can happen in Antonia's case is that both the actual cell repair, and the encouraging of new cell growth, can take place in the brain. This certainly is not a guaranteed fix, or some "miracle" procedure, but there is repairing that takes place and often some good results follow the procedure.
What the doctors will do is take some of her own stem cells from her bone marrow, and some umbilical stem cells (not embryonic) from a stem cell bank, and then inject them into the brain through a catheter. When this happens the newly introduced stem cells will go where they can to begin repairing damage. (The way I am describing this is somewhat simplistic, and makes it sound like the brain will be fixed, but the scale of the procedure is so microscopic and the repairs so minute that the improvements can be anywhere from barely seen to fairly dramatic.) If it works well, we will continue to pursue this kind of treatment.
As you might expect, we need your prayers both for wisdom, on our part and the doctors, and for the procedure itself. It is not a high risk procedure, but we would most certainly covet your prayers that it would be affective, and that God would provide for us financially in order to pursue treatments of this kind.
We do praise our God, because, for reasons that only belong to him, we have been blessed with open doors and insight into some amazing treatments that are going on in the world, plus he has placed us in a period of time when there has been some significant ground gained medically in helping cases like Antonia's.
We praise our God for you all and thank you for your prayers.
Grace and Peace to you,
Dean
Monday, June 11, 2007
May, 2007
May, 2007. We continue to praise the Lord for being kind and gracious to us in regard to Antonia. She continues to make small but noticeable gains in various areas, which are always joyfully welcomed. Antonia has recently had a prosthesis made for her mouth in order to lift her soft palate and help her speak better. We were very hopeful that this would help her enunciate much better, but the results have been more subtle than dramatic. The doctor said she probably needs to have it built up a little more, but the speech therapist thinks it is ok and that she needs to build up her diaphragm strength—I think she needs both. With regard to Antonia’s speech, this is an area we could use some more prayer. If Antonia could speak a little more clearly and quickly it would then take some frustration away she experiences and it would make easier for us to help her with her needs. Antonia has also had some oxygen treatment in a hyperbaric chamber recently. She has had seven sessions, between 40 min to 1hr. each session. This was intended to help get oxygen into the small capillaries in her brain, and thus rejuvenate some cells that were alive but in a stupor state because there are receiving minimal oxygen. It was the kind of situation that help out to us more promise that it delivered, and caused us to question whether we should continue to pursue it. Because of the questions we had we decide o discontinue using it and look at other options. A great friend and help from the church designed and built Antonia a standing frame. We are trying to put her in it everyday for around twenty five minutes a day, and are seeking to extend that so she can stand for 25 minutes several times a day. This is an important aspect to her recovery, as she uses various muscles she hasn't used in some time, and stretches the tendon in her left foot, which was shortening due to her lack of standing. Something quite amusing happens one day while she was in the standing frame, Antonia was holding on to the frame, looking out the window and wobbling all around when she quipped, "I feel like one of those bobble-head dolls." The most Recent development has been some interesting discoveries of what is happening with stem cells (no need to worry they are not fetal/embryonic stem cells). We have spoken with a Dr. in California, and have done some research on the internet, about some new stem cell therapies that use a person’s own stem cells from their bone marrow. They extract bone marrow from the patient, begin manipulating the cells toward—in Antonia’s case—a neuro cell and then inject it back into her close to the area of need. The cells then go in and repair the damaged cells they can get access to. This doesn’t mean everything gets fixed, but it does repair cells that are accessible through the blood stream. This is also a very expensive procedure, so please pray regarding this procedure as it is very costly. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying and your monetary giving. We are forever grateful! Blessings, Dean and Family
February 2007
February 2007.
We are rejoicing in God’s goodness! These past couple of months we have continued to see little improvements in Antonia’s everyday activities. We are most thankful for the advancements in her speech. We are able to understand her better all the time, and she is even able to sing audibly now. One evening when Dean arrived home from the office she sang, “You are so beautiful, to me...” (It is truly amazing to witness these moments). She has also recently prayed with the kids at bedtime and they were able to understand her without any need of clarification—this was a real blessing to all. We also just heard that she was approved for the prosthesis for her mouth (Which we talked about in the previous update), and will be going for a fitting on February 28th. This should further enhance her speech and make sharper clarity a reality.
Kim continues to work with Antonia twice a week helping her gain greater strength, and she is teaching her some basic cooking skills. Last week Antonia chopped and tore some veggies up for soup. This is such an accomplishment for her as she really wants to help out. One day Shirley was washing down the cupboards and Antonia wanted to help, so she gave her a cloth and Antonia wore the cloth out scrubbing on the side of the cupboard (Her true personality shines through in these tasks).
Mary took Antonia back to the university and she was approved for more therapy. They could not believe how far she has come since they had last seen her. She has had two sessions thus far, and with the help of a nurse has taken steps in parallel bars with a brace on her left leg. When she was asked if she had enough, Antonia turned to the therapist and asked, “Why, are you tired?” One of the nurses, after seeing her progress, commented by saying, “This is going to be a good year for Antonia.”
Antonia continues to tell everyone she meets about the lord. She asks almost every stranger she talks to if they know Christ, and then proceeds to tell them that he died for them. This usually causes a funny and awkward moment as we usually have to translate for her and watch the victim squirm.
Antonia’s outbursts have also diminished greatly. She is sleeping better at night, and more aware of where she is. Please continue to pray for her short term memory and that God would grant complete restoration.
Blessings on you all,
Dean & family
We are rejoicing in God’s goodness! These past couple of months we have continued to see little improvements in Antonia’s everyday activities. We are most thankful for the advancements in her speech. We are able to understand her better all the time, and she is even able to sing audibly now. One evening when Dean arrived home from the office she sang, “You are so beautiful, to me...” (It is truly amazing to witness these moments). She has also recently prayed with the kids at bedtime and they were able to understand her without any need of clarification—this was a real blessing to all. We also just heard that she was approved for the prosthesis for her mouth (Which we talked about in the previous update), and will be going for a fitting on February 28th. This should further enhance her speech and make sharper clarity a reality.
Kim continues to work with Antonia twice a week helping her gain greater strength, and she is teaching her some basic cooking skills. Last week Antonia chopped and tore some veggies up for soup. This is such an accomplishment for her as she really wants to help out. One day Shirley was washing down the cupboards and Antonia wanted to help, so she gave her a cloth and Antonia wore the cloth out scrubbing on the side of the cupboard (Her true personality shines through in these tasks).
Mary took Antonia back to the university and she was approved for more therapy. They could not believe how far she has come since they had last seen her. She has had two sessions thus far, and with the help of a nurse has taken steps in parallel bars with a brace on her left leg. When she was asked if she had enough, Antonia turned to the therapist and asked, “Why, are you tired?” One of the nurses, after seeing her progress, commented by saying, “This is going to be a good year for Antonia.”
Antonia continues to tell everyone she meets about the lord. She asks almost every stranger she talks to if they know Christ, and then proceeds to tell them that he died for them. This usually causes a funny and awkward moment as we usually have to translate for her and watch the victim squirm.
Antonia’s outbursts have also diminished greatly. She is sleeping better at night, and more aware of where she is. Please continue to pray for her short term memory and that God would grant complete restoration.
Blessings on you all,
Dean & family
January 2007 & a Poem from Dean's mom Shirly.
January, 2007
Greeting‘s from the Hellekson household! We trust each one of you had a very merry Christmas and are delighting in a New Year.
We apologize that there has not been an update for awhile, and want you to know that we still are very needful of your prayers support.
There has been a tremendous amount to be thankful for. Antonia has had a wonderful Christmas; her mood was delightful, her strength increasing and her speech clearer. We also continue to see improvements in her short short-term memory
In November Dean took Antonia to the University to see if she would be a candidate for a prosthesis which would fit in her mouth and lift her soft palate. This would allow more air into her lung’s and would help her to speak louder and clearer. This will greatly increase her speech. We are waiting to hear back from the doctor regarding this.
We made a trip to Moscow in November with Antonia (it was her first trip back there since the accident). She kept on asking if she could go to Bucers a couple of week prior to our going and she was so excited when we arrived. When we pulled up to Bucers she said, “Hey, I know that place. It’s Bucers.” Pat Greenfield had arranged a open house, and if Antonia didn’t remember who the people were visually, she did as soon as they spoke to her and told her their name.
Kim Hatcher comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for physiotherapy and said she has noticed great improvement since she started with Antonia in September. Just the other day Kim had her chop up veggies to make a salad, and put them in a bowl (We considered this as a very special salad and enjoyed it with our dinner). We have noticed a great improvement in Antonia’s strength since Kim has been working with her. Thank you so much Kim for all your cheerful and effective labors. Kim has been so kind to volunteer her services to Antonia—what a gem!
Another thing we have been doing lately is call Dean almost daily at his office and have Antonia talk to him, this is always a joy to Dean and gives encouragement to both of them. Antonia usually says to Dean after a few short pleasantries, “Come home NOW!”
Antonia surprised Dean the other day when he came home. We asked Dean to stand in front of her wheel chair; she grabbed him by the waist and stood up. Everyone was very teary eyed!
We want to thank each and everyone for you prayer support, your sacrificial giving, and you’re extreme kindness shown to our family over the past two year’s—we cannot express our gratitude enough.
Please continue to pray with us that God would continue to be kind to us, and grant Antonia complete healing. Our prayer would be that she would regain more consciousness of her surroundings, increased use of her left side and further advancement of her short term memory. God is so good and he blesses us every day with small miracles which we are grateful.
Here is a poem Dean’s mom has recently written, reflecting back over the last two years on the events which have transpired.
Reflections
Two years have past since that fateful day,
When hopes and dreams were swept away.
Our beloved Antonia took a fall,
It changed the course of life for all!
When I look back through many tears,
I realize how God helped us face our fears!
Antonia, you had defied the odds,
And with God’s help surprised us all!
The things they said you’d never do,
God proved them wrong, it’s just not true!
You’re blessed to have a family that cares
That helps so much and willingly shares.
We love you Antonia with all of our heart,
Keep fighting the fight, this is just the start.
Love,
Mom
God’s blessing on you all,
Dean (and family)
(We hope to have new pictures out with this update)
Greeting‘s from the Hellekson household! We trust each one of you had a very merry Christmas and are delighting in a New Year.
We apologize that there has not been an update for awhile, and want you to know that we still are very needful of your prayers support.
There has been a tremendous amount to be thankful for. Antonia has had a wonderful Christmas; her mood was delightful, her strength increasing and her speech clearer. We also continue to see improvements in her short short-term memory
In November Dean took Antonia to the University to see if she would be a candidate for a prosthesis which would fit in her mouth and lift her soft palate. This would allow more air into her lung’s and would help her to speak louder and clearer. This will greatly increase her speech. We are waiting to hear back from the doctor regarding this.
We made a trip to Moscow in November with Antonia (it was her first trip back there since the accident). She kept on asking if she could go to Bucers a couple of week prior to our going and she was so excited when we arrived. When we pulled up to Bucers she said, “Hey, I know that place. It’s Bucers.” Pat Greenfield had arranged a open house, and if Antonia didn’t remember who the people were visually, she did as soon as they spoke to her and told her their name.
Kim Hatcher comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for physiotherapy and said she has noticed great improvement since she started with Antonia in September. Just the other day Kim had her chop up veggies to make a salad, and put them in a bowl (We considered this as a very special salad and enjoyed it with our dinner). We have noticed a great improvement in Antonia’s strength since Kim has been working with her. Thank you so much Kim for all your cheerful and effective labors. Kim has been so kind to volunteer her services to Antonia—what a gem!
Another thing we have been doing lately is call Dean almost daily at his office and have Antonia talk to him, this is always a joy to Dean and gives encouragement to both of them. Antonia usually says to Dean after a few short pleasantries, “Come home NOW!”
Antonia surprised Dean the other day when he came home. We asked Dean to stand in front of her wheel chair; she grabbed him by the waist and stood up. Everyone was very teary eyed!
We want to thank each and everyone for you prayer support, your sacrificial giving, and you’re extreme kindness shown to our family over the past two year’s—we cannot express our gratitude enough.
Please continue to pray with us that God would continue to be kind to us, and grant Antonia complete healing. Our prayer would be that she would regain more consciousness of her surroundings, increased use of her left side and further advancement of her short term memory. God is so good and he blesses us every day with small miracles which we are grateful.
Here is a poem Dean’s mom has recently written, reflecting back over the last two years on the events which have transpired.
Reflections
Two years have past since that fateful day,
When hopes and dreams were swept away.
Our beloved Antonia took a fall,
It changed the course of life for all!
When I look back through many tears,
I realize how God helped us face our fears!
Antonia, you had defied the odds,
And with God’s help surprised us all!
The things they said you’d never do,
God proved them wrong, it’s just not true!
You’re blessed to have a family that cares
That helps so much and willingly shares.
We love you Antonia with all of our heart,
Keep fighting the fight, this is just the start.
Love,
Mom
God’s blessing on you all,
Dean (and family)
(We hope to have new pictures out with this update)
Posts from 2006
September 30, 2006
Dear friends and family,
I am sorry that updates are fewer and farther between as of late; there are many factors that have contributed to the delay. Letting more time pass sense the last update has allowed to look back over the past 2 months and see, once again, we have much to thank God for.
Probably the most exciting and amazing answer to prayer is that Antonia now has a woman who comes to their home 2 times a week to do therapy with her. Her name is Kim and she is the wife of the pastor of one of their sister churches. She is a kind and helpful lady whom the family likes very much. She has graciously volunteered her time and energy to help Antonia with her therapy. In addition to this, Mary, has resumed taking her to the pool 2 days a week for some aqua-therapy. They stopped going during the summer due to the large number of children and high noise level at the pool. Antonia is also still getting speech therapy 2 times a week.
Some of the other areas of improvement include: small improvements in her short term memory, fewer emotional outbursts than usual, better emotional stability, sleeping better, talking clearer, standing more, and better control of her saliva.
We thank God for any and all improvements but continue to pray that He will fully restore her in His perfect timing. For those of you who get to talk to or be with Antonia, you know that God has already done so much. She is very aware of everything that is going on, has lots to say, and loves to laugh and be involved in the lives of her family. However, Please continue to pray for her and for all those caring for her.
The following is from Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (1Kings 18:43) /September 28. I found it to be an encouraging reminder to persevere in prayer, whoever and whatever we are praying for or about.
"Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are earnest in a matter which concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but, "Go again". We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait FOR as well as UPON the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation; deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as as prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us; his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire."
Thank you once again for your continued prayers, love and support.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends and Family,
In the past month and a half they have been thankful to see noticeable improvement in Antonia's short term memory. They do believe that the increased medications explained in the last update are probably a contributing factor to this improvement. We give God the glory for any and all improvements, as we know that God often works through the means he has created. They have noticed her remembering more things lately, although she still experiences confusion and frustration. They continue to see Antonia gaining physical strength and have also noticed more movement in her left leg upon command. She has started receiving speech therapy again and they can see small improvements in this area as well.
A week or so ago, they (Dean, Antonia, Mary, Shirley and the children, Azaleah and Isaiah) all traveled a few hours to Lake Chelan for a family camp the church put on. It was filled with, swimming, jet skiing, eating, fellowshipping and few talks. They stayed at the beautiful home of the parents of one of the church members who so graciously open their home to share the beauty and tranquility of the lake with others. They even put Antonia in the water and she enjoyed riding on a sit in tube pulled behind a Sea-Do and swimming in the lake. Although they thought it might be a little like camping, Dean and Antonia and Mary and Shirley were given rooms that would have rivaled any found at a 5-star Hilton.
They continue to press on and do everything they can to help Antonia's improvement. It is difficult in many ways because taking care of her is such a full time job and although other things may be done to aid in her rehabilitation, there is just not enough hours in a day to do it all. Please pray that God would sustain them in their strength, health and their perseverance. Please pray that many opportunities for additional therapy and any means to aid in Antonia's rehabilitation would be made known to them. It seems that there are many programs out there to help people in her situation, but they are not always easily found; you have to "dig" for them. This takes a lot of time and extra time is very limited. Also, please continue to pray for improved short-term memory, peace and joy.
We would like to again thank all of you who continue to inquire about Antonia's progress. Thank you for caring, for asking, for checking the website for updates, and for your support monetarily.
Most importantly, thank you for continuing to pray to our gracious and merciful Father for her complete recovery.
Love,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 23rd, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Please forgive the tardiness of this update. I am writing from the home of Dean and Antonia and have been here visiting for the past 7 days now. My last visit here was almost one year ago, and I can tell you firsthand that she has definitely improved. I am amazed at how well you can communicate with her in person. One year ago when I was here she was unable to speak at all and only communicated by shaking her head for yes or no and making various facial expressions. Now, she can speak to you and communicate how she is feeling, ask questions, and even sing songs. I am amazed at how she has resumed her motherly training of Azaleah and Isaiah by listening to all they say, watching everything they do and chastising them if they forget to say please or thank you, or if they disobey. And she is a constant example to the kids in trying to always say please and thank you herself when she asks for something or when you do something for her. She is very much aware of all that is going on and gives her input in many situations. Her speech is still very labored and unclear in many ways, but when you can listen and read her lips, you can almost always figure out what she is saying. And, if you can’t, she will then either spell the word or use sign language to communicate. With speech therapy she will learn how to articulate each letter to be more understandable. I believe they are trying to arrange this therapy now that she is showing a marked improvement in this area.
As far as physical improvements, she is now able to do many things like: help with dressing, putting right arm around your shoulder to help with standing and getting in/out of her wheelchair, swimming with right arm and leg, etc. She continues to get stronger due to the daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Her short term memory has shown definite improvement. For example, we took her to see a new doctor on Monday, and on Tuesday we asked her if she remembered his name, and she did. She is also remembering the punch line for new jokes that we tell her. The Neurological chiropractor that has been treating her recommended telling her jokes as that will trigger the area of her brain that needs stimulation. Her current regime of medicines seems to be working quite well and she has fewer outbursts of fear and anger than before.
I mentioned that we took her to a new doctor on Monday in Portland, Oregon. He is a Naturopathic doctor. He increased some of the natural supplements that she was taking and also suggested that she take one of them under her tongue to increase the amount that actually goes into her bloodstream. This supplement is supposed to help build and replenish cells, and he felt that with the increased dosage that we should see an improvement within 3 months if, in fact, it will help at all. They are also giving her large doses of Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil). This works in two ways – reduces the inflammation that comes from oxygen deprivation and provides the building blocks to support new neural growth. This is the same thing that was given to the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster who had suffered heart, kidney and liver failure in addition to brain failure. He returned home less than four months after the mining disaster.
So far, my visit has been very encouraging. It has been so great to sit and talk with my sister, to hear her being a part of her children’s training and to see her so clearly understand all that is going on and all the improvements she has made. However, I do acknowledge that she still has quite a long way to go. She still says quite often things like, “Where are we?”, “I am so confused”, “I am so afraid” and “I am so frustrated”.
She still cannot use her left side at all, and because of the calcification in her right elbow, which prevents her closing it all the way, she cannot do many things like feed herself, brush her teeth, etc. Also, her right arm is very shaky, and this prevents her from doing those things as well. She seems to be okay as long as she is not alone, as long as she sees someone familiar that can answer her questions and reassure her of where she is and what’s going on.
Some of the most urgent prayer needs are:
strength and perseverance for Mary and Dean The girl who has been helping with Antonia’s daily exercises and also with house cleaning is no longer working for them, as of this week. Please pray that God would help them to find the right person or agency to provide that very much needed help God would continue to heal her brain and restore her left side and her short term memory.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who have continued to pray for and support this family throughout the past year and a half. I am always encouraged by the words of one of Antonia’s favorite hymns:
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain.
In gratitude and love,
Gina (Antonia’s sister)
P.S., check back for recent photos.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 15th, 2006
Dear friends and family,
It is hard to believe that a year and 5 months has past since Antonia's accident. We have watched God do many amazing things from raising her up from the coma to eating solid foods to starting to talk and much more. Words cannot express the love and gratitude we have for all of you who have continued to pray for her and for our family throughout this time.
We are still seeking a solution for appropriate and effective medications for Antonia. She still suffers from much confusion, anger, sleeplessness, and disorientation due to her brain injury. There are several different medications that can help with these symptoms but finding a suitable one and administering the correct dosage has proven to be quite a challenge. We continue to try different things and have seen some temporary improvements. Ultimately, we need to find the particular one that she will respond to favorably and continue to do so. Please pray that Father would give her more stable moods, and if it is through the medications that it would happen soon, so Antonia would be more peaceful, content and aware. Please pray that He would sustain us as we seek to care for her needs and teach us daily to trust and wait on Him.
We have seen some small improvements with her short term memory particularly in the realm of jokes. The neurological chiropractor that has been treating her from the beginning has recommended telling her jokes and asking her later if she remembers the punch line and she has. Also, she is remembering other small things that she wouldn't have remembered a few months ago.
We recently purchased a brace for her left leg (as she still does not have use of this side of her body) and with it in place she held onto the side of her bed and stood for several minutes. With help and future therapy, it is our prayer that she will gain greater balance and learn how to pivot her left hip and leg in such a way as to begin to walk with the brace on. Please continue to pray that God will heal the area of her brain that will restore the use of her left side.
Another area of progress is that her feeding/peg tube has been removed (actually she removed it herself by pulling it out). It was providentially good timing because she was at the point where she could manage taking everything that is necessary by mouth. We still have to feed her because her right arm (the only one she has use of) still is calcified at the elbow and cannot be bent enough to reach her mouth. Again, we are still considering doing the surgery to possibly have this corrected, but with her unstable moods it could actually set us further back if she did not tolerate all therapy that would need to be done.
Blessings on you all,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 15th, 2006
Dear family and friends,
There is not a lot of news to report regarding recent progress Antonia has made, but we continue to thank God for all He has done and to pray that He will restore her completely in His perfect timing.
Antonia’s mood continues to be one of much distress, confusion and fear which is due to the type of brain injury she has. Prior to December she was on an anti-seizure medication called Depicote, which worked well to stabilize her mood, but was causing significant hair loss. Since then the doctor has tried a couple of different medications as an attempt to stabilize her mood, but none of them seemed to be have much of a positive affect. That is until recently when we started testing a new one on a very minimal dose, which appears to be having a positive affect. This medicine issue is very important to have cleared up, as her therapy is not effective when she is in this state of fear, confusion and anger. However, having said that, she does continue to gain strength and they certainly do enjoy many moments of joy and laughter.
Antonia still has significant problems with her short term memory, yet there has been some incremental improvements with it. She does have a fairly good memory of her life before the accident, but next to none in regard to events that have just taken place. In some ways this may be a blessing as she doesn't really have the ability to remember how long she has been in this condition. But, in other ways, it is very distressing to her as she doesn't remember where she is, what she has done, or what happened to her. It is exhausting in many ways for those taking care of her on a regular basis because she asks many of the same questions day after day.
The surgery on her elbow is something they are still praying about doing. But, at this point, until they can stabilize her mood more there is really no sense in doing the surgery, because in order for the surgery to be effective she will have to be ready for serious rehabilitative therapy. In her current state of mind she does not seem able to consistently and positively focus on her therapy. And, once the operation is done, she will HAVE to be able to do her therapy effectively in order for it to benefit her. So, until they can get her moods stabilized a bit more, the surgery is on the back burner.
Please pray that God would restore her short term memory and heal the area of her brain that regulates her moods. These are two big areas of desperately needed prayer. Please also pray for Dean and Mary as they continue to provide the majority of her care. Pray that God will sustain them and keep them from becoming weary and/or discouraged.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.
Waiting and trusting in the Lord,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 11th, 2006 (New Photos Below)
I want to take this time to personally thank you all for everything you have done for Antonia and the family during this past 15 months. All of your prayers, concern, support and gifts have been tremendously used to bless our family, and we know that we would not have been so well upheld apart from them. God has heard the cries of his people, and he has used you all to be a ministry of Christ to us. We appreciate that you would not allow us to stumble or fall, but upheld us in prayer, encouraged us with your thoughtfulness and helped us with your gracious gifts.
The many monetary gifts we have received from you all have been greatly appreciated, as we have been able to provide Antonia with more than most in her condition would have the privilege of experiencing. We have been able to purchase equipment like: a hoyer lift, an inversion table, a bed, mattress, rails, special shoes, pedals and many other little things that contribute to her well being and steady improvements. Probably one the greatest things we have been able to do with your generous gifts is hire a therapist that works with her for at least four hours a day. This has been a blessing that is hard to put a value on. Without daily therapy at this point Antonia would most likely begin to plateau and see only the occasional improvement, but at it is, we are seeing many “little” improvements almost daily. We are seeing her sit longer on the side of the bed without assistance; we are seeing her stand longer with some assistance; we are seeing her speak better—when she takes her time; we are seeing her become more aware of her surroundings and we seeing her swallow better all the time.
For all these things we give abundant thanks to our God who has done this, and we give a hearty thanks to you all who have prayed to our God and supported us in ways that never cease to amaze us.
In reference to some new happenings, it looks like we inclined towards pursuing the surgery on Antonia’s right elbow, we will probably have her feeding tube removed soon, as she is no longer in need of it, we will begin soon to work on her urinary incontinence, which we are beginning to see good signs of improvement with, and we are looking at purchasing a lift that will enable her to practice walking in a protected manner.
For those of you who are interested in how the children are doing, here is a brief on them. Azaleah and Isaiah both are a complete joy and source of light to our home. They love life, play hard and sleep well. They are good with their mom as well. They play with her, snuggle with her and sit on her lap often—these are activities mama delights in and we appreciate seeing. God is good, and in his faithfulness, he is sustaining the children well.
With much thanks,
Dean and family
Dear friends and family,
I am sorry that updates are fewer and farther between as of late; there are many factors that have contributed to the delay. Letting more time pass sense the last update has allowed to look back over the past 2 months and see, once again, we have much to thank God for.
Probably the most exciting and amazing answer to prayer is that Antonia now has a woman who comes to their home 2 times a week to do therapy with her. Her name is Kim and she is the wife of the pastor of one of their sister churches. She is a kind and helpful lady whom the family likes very much. She has graciously volunteered her time and energy to help Antonia with her therapy. In addition to this, Mary, has resumed taking her to the pool 2 days a week for some aqua-therapy. They stopped going during the summer due to the large number of children and high noise level at the pool. Antonia is also still getting speech therapy 2 times a week.
Some of the other areas of improvement include: small improvements in her short term memory, fewer emotional outbursts than usual, better emotional stability, sleeping better, talking clearer, standing more, and better control of her saliva.
We thank God for any and all improvements but continue to pray that He will fully restore her in His perfect timing. For those of you who get to talk to or be with Antonia, you know that God has already done so much. She is very aware of everything that is going on, has lots to say, and loves to laugh and be involved in the lives of her family. However, Please continue to pray for her and for all those caring for her.
The following is from Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (1Kings 18:43) /September 28. I found it to be an encouraging reminder to persevere in prayer, whoever and whatever we are praying for or about.
"Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are earnest in a matter which concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but, "Go again". We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait FOR as well as UPON the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation; deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise as as prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of like passions with us; his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire."
Thank you once again for your continued prayers, love and support.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends and Family,
In the past month and a half they have been thankful to see noticeable improvement in Antonia's short term memory. They do believe that the increased medications explained in the last update are probably a contributing factor to this improvement. We give God the glory for any and all improvements, as we know that God often works through the means he has created. They have noticed her remembering more things lately, although she still experiences confusion and frustration. They continue to see Antonia gaining physical strength and have also noticed more movement in her left leg upon command. She has started receiving speech therapy again and they can see small improvements in this area as well.
A week or so ago, they (Dean, Antonia, Mary, Shirley and the children, Azaleah and Isaiah) all traveled a few hours to Lake Chelan for a family camp the church put on. It was filled with, swimming, jet skiing, eating, fellowshipping and few talks. They stayed at the beautiful home of the parents of one of the church members who so graciously open their home to share the beauty and tranquility of the lake with others. They even put Antonia in the water and she enjoyed riding on a sit in tube pulled behind a Sea-Do and swimming in the lake. Although they thought it might be a little like camping, Dean and Antonia and Mary and Shirley were given rooms that would have rivaled any found at a 5-star Hilton.
They continue to press on and do everything they can to help Antonia's improvement. It is difficult in many ways because taking care of her is such a full time job and although other things may be done to aid in her rehabilitation, there is just not enough hours in a day to do it all. Please pray that God would sustain them in their strength, health and their perseverance. Please pray that many opportunities for additional therapy and any means to aid in Antonia's rehabilitation would be made known to them. It seems that there are many programs out there to help people in her situation, but they are not always easily found; you have to "dig" for them. This takes a lot of time and extra time is very limited. Also, please continue to pray for improved short-term memory, peace and joy.
We would like to again thank all of you who continue to inquire about Antonia's progress. Thank you for caring, for asking, for checking the website for updates, and for your support monetarily.
Most importantly, thank you for continuing to pray to our gracious and merciful Father for her complete recovery.
Love,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 23rd, 2006
Dear friends and family,
Please forgive the tardiness of this update. I am writing from the home of Dean and Antonia and have been here visiting for the past 7 days now. My last visit here was almost one year ago, and I can tell you firsthand that she has definitely improved. I am amazed at how well you can communicate with her in person. One year ago when I was here she was unable to speak at all and only communicated by shaking her head for yes or no and making various facial expressions. Now, she can speak to you and communicate how she is feeling, ask questions, and even sing songs. I am amazed at how she has resumed her motherly training of Azaleah and Isaiah by listening to all they say, watching everything they do and chastising them if they forget to say please or thank you, or if they disobey. And she is a constant example to the kids in trying to always say please and thank you herself when she asks for something or when you do something for her. She is very much aware of all that is going on and gives her input in many situations. Her speech is still very labored and unclear in many ways, but when you can listen and read her lips, you can almost always figure out what she is saying. And, if you can’t, she will then either spell the word or use sign language to communicate. With speech therapy she will learn how to articulate each letter to be more understandable. I believe they are trying to arrange this therapy now that she is showing a marked improvement in this area.
As far as physical improvements, she is now able to do many things like: help with dressing, putting right arm around your shoulder to help with standing and getting in/out of her wheelchair, swimming with right arm and leg, etc. She continues to get stronger due to the daily stretching and strengthening exercises. Her short term memory has shown definite improvement. For example, we took her to see a new doctor on Monday, and on Tuesday we asked her if she remembered his name, and she did. She is also remembering the punch line for new jokes that we tell her. The Neurological chiropractor that has been treating her recommended telling her jokes as that will trigger the area of her brain that needs stimulation. Her current regime of medicines seems to be working quite well and she has fewer outbursts of fear and anger than before.
I mentioned that we took her to a new doctor on Monday in Portland, Oregon. He is a Naturopathic doctor. He increased some of the natural supplements that she was taking and also suggested that she take one of them under her tongue to increase the amount that actually goes into her bloodstream. This supplement is supposed to help build and replenish cells, and he felt that with the increased dosage that we should see an improvement within 3 months if, in fact, it will help at all. They are also giving her large doses of Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil). This works in two ways – reduces the inflammation that comes from oxygen deprivation and provides the building blocks to support new neural growth. This is the same thing that was given to the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster who had suffered heart, kidney and liver failure in addition to brain failure. He returned home less than four months after the mining disaster.
So far, my visit has been very encouraging. It has been so great to sit and talk with my sister, to hear her being a part of her children’s training and to see her so clearly understand all that is going on and all the improvements she has made. However, I do acknowledge that she still has quite a long way to go. She still says quite often things like, “Where are we?”, “I am so confused”, “I am so afraid” and “I am so frustrated”.
She still cannot use her left side at all, and because of the calcification in her right elbow, which prevents her closing it all the way, she cannot do many things like feed herself, brush her teeth, etc. Also, her right arm is very shaky, and this prevents her from doing those things as well. She seems to be okay as long as she is not alone, as long as she sees someone familiar that can answer her questions and reassure her of where she is and what’s going on.
Some of the most urgent prayer needs are:
strength and perseverance for Mary and Dean The girl who has been helping with Antonia’s daily exercises and also with house cleaning is no longer working for them, as of this week. Please pray that God would help them to find the right person or agency to provide that very much needed help God would continue to heal her brain and restore her left side and her short term memory.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who have continued to pray for and support this family throughout the past year and a half. I am always encouraged by the words of one of Antonia’s favorite hymns:
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain.
In gratitude and love,
Gina (Antonia’s sister)
P.S., check back for recent photos.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 15th, 2006
Dear friends and family,
It is hard to believe that a year and 5 months has past since Antonia's accident. We have watched God do many amazing things from raising her up from the coma to eating solid foods to starting to talk and much more. Words cannot express the love and gratitude we have for all of you who have continued to pray for her and for our family throughout this time.
We are still seeking a solution for appropriate and effective medications for Antonia. She still suffers from much confusion, anger, sleeplessness, and disorientation due to her brain injury. There are several different medications that can help with these symptoms but finding a suitable one and administering the correct dosage has proven to be quite a challenge. We continue to try different things and have seen some temporary improvements. Ultimately, we need to find the particular one that she will respond to favorably and continue to do so. Please pray that Father would give her more stable moods, and if it is through the medications that it would happen soon, so Antonia would be more peaceful, content and aware. Please pray that He would sustain us as we seek to care for her needs and teach us daily to trust and wait on Him.
We have seen some small improvements with her short term memory particularly in the realm of jokes. The neurological chiropractor that has been treating her from the beginning has recommended telling her jokes and asking her later if she remembers the punch line and she has. Also, she is remembering other small things that she wouldn't have remembered a few months ago.
We recently purchased a brace for her left leg (as she still does not have use of this side of her body) and with it in place she held onto the side of her bed and stood for several minutes. With help and future therapy, it is our prayer that she will gain greater balance and learn how to pivot her left hip and leg in such a way as to begin to walk with the brace on. Please continue to pray that God will heal the area of her brain that will restore the use of her left side.
Another area of progress is that her feeding/peg tube has been removed (actually she removed it herself by pulling it out). It was providentially good timing because she was at the point where she could manage taking everything that is necessary by mouth. We still have to feed her because her right arm (the only one she has use of) still is calcified at the elbow and cannot be bent enough to reach her mouth. Again, we are still considering doing the surgery to possibly have this corrected, but with her unstable moods it could actually set us further back if she did not tolerate all therapy that would need to be done.
Blessings on you all,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 15th, 2006
Dear family and friends,
There is not a lot of news to report regarding recent progress Antonia has made, but we continue to thank God for all He has done and to pray that He will restore her completely in His perfect timing.
Antonia’s mood continues to be one of much distress, confusion and fear which is due to the type of brain injury she has. Prior to December she was on an anti-seizure medication called Depicote, which worked well to stabilize her mood, but was causing significant hair loss. Since then the doctor has tried a couple of different medications as an attempt to stabilize her mood, but none of them seemed to be have much of a positive affect. That is until recently when we started testing a new one on a very minimal dose, which appears to be having a positive affect. This medicine issue is very important to have cleared up, as her therapy is not effective when she is in this state of fear, confusion and anger. However, having said that, she does continue to gain strength and they certainly do enjoy many moments of joy and laughter.
Antonia still has significant problems with her short term memory, yet there has been some incremental improvements with it. She does have a fairly good memory of her life before the accident, but next to none in regard to events that have just taken place. In some ways this may be a blessing as she doesn't really have the ability to remember how long she has been in this condition. But, in other ways, it is very distressing to her as she doesn't remember where she is, what she has done, or what happened to her. It is exhausting in many ways for those taking care of her on a regular basis because she asks many of the same questions day after day.
The surgery on her elbow is something they are still praying about doing. But, at this point, until they can stabilize her mood more there is really no sense in doing the surgery, because in order for the surgery to be effective she will have to be ready for serious rehabilitative therapy. In her current state of mind she does not seem able to consistently and positively focus on her therapy. And, once the operation is done, she will HAVE to be able to do her therapy effectively in order for it to benefit her. So, until they can get her moods stabilized a bit more, the surgery is on the back burner.
Please pray that God would restore her short term memory and heal the area of her brain that regulates her moods. These are two big areas of desperately needed prayer. Please also pray for Dean and Mary as they continue to provide the majority of her care. Pray that God will sustain them and keep them from becoming weary and/or discouraged.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.
Waiting and trusting in the Lord,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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January 11th, 2006 (New Photos Below)
I want to take this time to personally thank you all for everything you have done for Antonia and the family during this past 15 months. All of your prayers, concern, support and gifts have been tremendously used to bless our family, and we know that we would not have been so well upheld apart from them. God has heard the cries of his people, and he has used you all to be a ministry of Christ to us. We appreciate that you would not allow us to stumble or fall, but upheld us in prayer, encouraged us with your thoughtfulness and helped us with your gracious gifts.
The many monetary gifts we have received from you all have been greatly appreciated, as we have been able to provide Antonia with more than most in her condition would have the privilege of experiencing. We have been able to purchase equipment like: a hoyer lift, an inversion table, a bed, mattress, rails, special shoes, pedals and many other little things that contribute to her well being and steady improvements. Probably one the greatest things we have been able to do with your generous gifts is hire a therapist that works with her for at least four hours a day. This has been a blessing that is hard to put a value on. Without daily therapy at this point Antonia would most likely begin to plateau and see only the occasional improvement, but at it is, we are seeing many “little” improvements almost daily. We are seeing her sit longer on the side of the bed without assistance; we are seeing her stand longer with some assistance; we are seeing her speak better—when she takes her time; we are seeing her become more aware of her surroundings and we seeing her swallow better all the time.
For all these things we give abundant thanks to our God who has done this, and we give a hearty thanks to you all who have prayed to our God and supported us in ways that never cease to amaze us.
In reference to some new happenings, it looks like we inclined towards pursuing the surgery on Antonia’s right elbow, we will probably have her feeding tube removed soon, as she is no longer in need of it, we will begin soon to work on her urinary incontinence, which we are beginning to see good signs of improvement with, and we are looking at purchasing a lift that will enable her to practice walking in a protected manner.
For those of you who are interested in how the children are doing, here is a brief on them. Azaleah and Isaiah both are a complete joy and source of light to our home. They love life, play hard and sleep well. They are good with their mom as well. They play with her, snuggle with her and sit on her lap often—these are activities mama delights in and we appreciate seeing. God is good, and in his faithfulness, he is sustaining the children well.
With much thanks,
Dean and family
Posts from 2005
December 8th 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
This update comes to you asking for your continued prayer. As time goes by, I know that prayer can wane. Antonia still has much need for prayer as well as Dean and the whole family. Antonia's progress right now is slow. The main area of needed prayer is regarding the surgery needed to correct the calcification in her elbow. Last Monday, November 28th, Dean and Antonia met with the surgeon to consult about the needed surgery. The meeting was somewhat disappointing. The surgeon explained to Dean that the surgery is very involved and that the risks associated with it may possibly outweigh the benefits or what she may gain. I (Gina) was very misunderstood about the cause of the calcification and also about the required treatment. I was under the impression that it was a somewhat simple procedure whereby they would do a laser surgery to break up the calcification and that she would then regain use of that arm. I also thought that the calcification was from Antonia being in the coma. Neither of these are true or correct. I am not sure how or why I thought this, but I tell it to you now for the reason of clearing up anyone else's possible misunderstanding or in case I have misled anyone.
Well, with that said, let me clear up even further. Apparently this calcification is a direct result of the traumatic brain injury. They (the doctors) can not explain the direct connection between the calcification and the brain injury or how or why exactly it happens but they do see it quite often in brain injury patients. The surgery to attempt to correct it is quite long (4-5 hours) and is very complicated. They have to work around the major nerve that runs through your arm and that controls all motor skills in her hands (i.e. grabbing, pinching, squeezing, writing, etc.). There is the possibility of her losing the ability to do some of the things she can do now with that hand if the surgery does not go well. How the doctor explained it to Dean was that they really need to weigh the risks vs. the benefits. Even if they can successfully remove the calcification without damaging the nerve, there is a 10% chance that it will grow back. Dean is asking for your fervent prayers for him for wisdom and discernment as to whether or not to go ahead with the surgery.
As you know, Antonia still does not have any use of the left side of her body. It is possible that it is not God's will that it will ever be healed. If that is so, her right hand abilities are all she will have and Dean is not sure whether to risk her losing all that she may ever have. Please pray that God would show him clearly what is the right thing to do. Certainly we know that God can heal her through this means (the surgery) if it is His will. Please pray for Dean as he waits on the Lord's direction.
Also, Antonia's therapy benefits will be exhausted very soon (within the month). This means that they will no longer pay for her to go for therapy as an outpatient. It will now be Dean's full responsibility to schedule and pay for all therapy. Antonia has reached a plateau in her current therapy and really needs to be worked more aggressively and regularly. Dean would like to set up a gym in their home with the medical equipment needed to provided therapy for her at home. He is also considering hiring someone full time to assist him and Mary in doing the required therapy. How this will work is they will consult with Antonia's current physical therapist as to what exercises to do, provide the therapy at home and chart her progress. The p.t. will see her about 1 time a month in order to see if she is ready to move on to new or different exercises.
Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the people at the companies we are trying to work with to acquire the needed equipment. For those in the family who are trying to think of a gift for Christmas, a monetary gift to help with buying this equipment might be an idea.
I know this is a really busy time of year and we really appreciate all your continued prayers and support.
May you all have a very blessed Christmas as we remember the incarnation, and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ came to recreate the world and bring hope to those with brain injuries.
Much love and peace to you,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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10/28/05
Dear family and friends,
It has now been one year since Antonia's accident. God has been so good and so faithful in healing her thus far. Although she still has a long road ahead of her, we are confident that God is working in her and in all of us for His good purposes. We are currently in the process of putting together a specific list of past prayers and God's direct answers during this past year. However, because this may take a few days we wanted to let you know of some recent progress that she has made.
Antonia is now coming off the last of the medications that she was on. She seems to be doing much better as far as her disposition and not being so groggy since she has been off the other meds. However, the outcome of her coming off this final med is still unsure. Overall, we believe it was a wise decision and feel it will be and is to her benefit. Another area of progress these past few weeks has been her ability to let us know when she needs to use the bathroom. She has been doing that quite well and is now using a bedpan pretty regularly. Her articulation (the ability to speak and be understood) continues to improve. However, her lack of short term memory is still an issue that needs much prayer. Also, she has been regularly having some pain in her left leg and we are not sure if it is from not moving or possibly from nerves that are now responding that were not previously. The in home therapy will be ending soon and we will have to take her out to therapy (approximately 20 min. south). Please pray that the details of this would go well. We are currently trying to get some exercise equipment for her at our home so that she can do her therapy daily, and not just when she goes out. We are excited to report that we have had one company, Stamina Products, respond very generously by offering to donate a recumbent bike for her.
In closing, we would once again like to thank all of you who continue to pray for and support Antonia and her family. Also, following is a poem that Dean's mother wrote commemorating the one year "anniversary" of Antonia's accident.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
MEMORIES
It’s been a year, since we first shed those tears, when our world was changed and we faced our worst fears!
Oct.25-2004, would be engraved in our hearts forever more.
It was a phone call from a loving son,
for urgent prayer to his mom.
The news that no one wants to hear!
My heart is heavy and full of fear!
Antonia has fallen from a horse,
and hit her head full force.
Mom, please pray!
The request when out across the miles,
people began praying in fervent style.As Antonia lies in a coma state,
mere mortal men tell us her fate...
The news not good her recovery sinking,
But what they didn't know is that we serve the King!
Our Father in heaven taught us to pray,
when our spirit was weak and we don’t know what to say. He taught us to trust in good days and bad,
and to call to him when life’s really sad.
He showed us how family could pull together,
to give, love and support which space could not sever.
God has been good, been faithful and true,
in showing his miracles as only he could do!
Every day is a blessing, we have seen God's hand,
as he walks with the family and teaches Antonia to stand.
God gives the strength to face each day,
to look to his son and hear him say,
“My grace is sufficient for you today”
Antonia we love you and we continue to pray that that God will heal you completely, and maybe today is that day!
Love,
Mom
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Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:28 PM
Dear Friends and Family,
Just a quick update to thank you once again for praying for Antonia. God is faithful and has once again shown His mercy and love to us in answering yet another prayer.
In our last update we had asked for prayer for wisdom for Dean and the medical team in regards to Antonia's medications. About a week ago, Dean and Mary decided to take her off 2 of the medications she had been put on at the University of Washington. As noted in the last update, we had been feeling that perhaps they were doing more harm than good. She often seemed drowsy and possibly overmedicated. The doctors had said that it would just take time to get into her system. However, she continued to seem worse instead of better. Since she has been off the meds, there has been a significant change in her attitude and disposition. As a matter of fact, they noticed the change almost immediately. Her worst day OFF the medications has been better than her BEST day ON the medications. As a result of this more positive attitude and disposition, she has been doing better in all other areas - eating, sleeping, therapy, communicating, etc.
It has also been mentioned by one of her therapists that she is almost, if not completely, past the level in her recovery that has been so characterized by anger. This has been a specific area of prayer for many months and we are so thankful to God for this.
Thanking our God,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Sat 9/10/05 10:30 AM
Dear family and friends,
Hello to all and thank you for your prayers and concern as we continue on this long and difficult road. Antonia continues to make progress although we have a few set backs to report during this past week. She completed her therapy at the University of Washington on Saturday, September 3rd, and came home. However, on Sunday evening they had to take her to the emergency room because she had been vomiting all day. They kept her in the hospital and ran a number of tests to determine what was the cause of the nausea and vomiting. It was finally determined that it appeared to be a reaction to one of the medications that she was taking. She remained in the hospital until Thursday, September 8th.
She continues to have a wide range of unstable emotions such as anger, distress, confusion, etc. And, her short term memory is still very minimal. This makes so many things difficult for her and for those around her. You can comfort her one minute with prayer, words of encouragement, etc., but a few minutes later she does not remember those words and asks the same questions or expresses the same distressed spirit. There is also much uncertainty on the part of the medical team treating her as to what medications will benefit her. At times it even seems that she is perhaps over medicated because of her drowsiness, yet the doctors say this is only temporary until the medication gets into her system.
Please pray that God would make it clear to Dean and to the medical team involved as too what course to take regarding her medications, for wisdom and understanding as to what is best for her in this area of her recovery. But, perhaps most of all, let us plead with God to give her His peace, His joy and His strength. Please pray that God would give much grace to Dean and to Mary as they care for her at home once again.
On a more positive note, she does have good days where she is happy and motivated to work hard. She did make a lot of progress during her time at the University. She learned how to wash her face, brush her teeth, etc with the help of an extension, as she is still unable to bend her one useful arm all the way. She is supposed to be going in for the surgery on her elbow to fix the calcification. After this is done, she will be able to do so much more. Please pray that this would be scheduled soon and that it will go well. She is eating all regular food now and her feeding tube is only being used to give her extra fluids. She is trying to speak a lot more now and although it is labored and quite distorted at times, those that are around her all the time can communicate with her pretty well.
Here is a brief summary of the above prayer requests:
1 - Wisdom for Dean & doctors regarding her medications
2 - Increase in short term memory
3 - God's peace, joy and strength for Antonia
4 - Grace for Dean & Mary in caring for her and the children
5 - Timely & successful surgery for her elbow calcification
Thank you all so much who faithfully go to God on her behalf. May God bless you all as you seek His face.
Psalm 34:1-22
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 4:46 PM
Dear family and friends,
Well, it has been a little over 3 weeks now since Antonia was admitted to the University of Washington's Neuro Rehab Center. The first week to10 days were discouraging and difficult as she was very distressed much of the time and didn’t seem to be going forwards, but backwards. The first week they tried altering her medications in an attempt to improve the storming of her emotions, which were all over the map. During this time she didn't seem to make much progress or have the will or motivation to really try hard. We were a bit concerned that they would not take this all into consideration as they spoke of discharging her much earlier than any of us expected. However, after the first week and a half her emotions improved and she began making steady progress in all areas. And recently she has had a number of very good days where she has been amazing the therapists (that is because God is hearing the prayers of his people).
Dean was told yesterday at the weekly meeting that they have decided to extend her therapy for another 2 weeks. They are very encouraged and excited about her progress, particularly the last several days. Here is a brief overview of their most recent progress report:
- Slight movements in left arm involving biceps, triceps and forearm. (This is wonderful as it appears there is some integrity on her left side)
- left leg moving more (up until now she has not really had any movement or use of her left side)
- She can roll over, shift herself in bed
- She can sit up on the side of bed supporting herself for over 1 minute
- She can be transferred now from wheelchair to bed and vice versa with only one person to help her. (She does most of the standing motion herself with minimal support or help.)
- Her ability to care for herself is improving...she is helping get dressed, wash face (with extension... as she still cannot bend her arm very far)
-her eating has improved. She is now eating solid foods except sharp or hard things like pretzels, etc. She can drink and uses a straw as well. She really likes ice cream!!!! But then again, who doesn't?!?!?
- Her speech is improving both in quality and in quantity; she is using her lips and tongue better and mixing gestures with verbal communication.
-Her short term memory is improving a little, she remembers the names of a couple of her current therapists and she usually remembers what happened to her.
-Her neck is a lot stronger and she is holding her head up for over an hour at a time now
For all of this we greatly rejoice and praise our God. Isn’t he good?
There are two specific areas of prayer that we would greatly appreciate if you could give special attention to them. Please pray that God would give her His peace—she is very distressed in her soul at times. She will often cry out that she doesn’t want to die, and say that she feels like she is in hell. She needs God’s comfort and an understanding that he is her only hope. Part of the problem is her memory—she can be comforted with the truth about who God is and what he has done, but two minutes later she forgets that you even had the conversation. This leads to the second prayer request—her memory. Pray that God would heal her short-term and some long-term memory.
Thanks to all of you who have sent such encouraging and heartfelt letters to her. I started reading them to her this week and Dean said that she seemed calmer as I read it to her and even responded by trying to repeat something I read in the letter about this trial in her life. She repeated "trial", "trial". If anybody else would like to send her a note you can send it to me at greg7gina@comcast.net. I plan on calling her each day and reading one letter to her, and then later on I will put them all together in a keepsake book for her. Any pictures I will send to Dean to show to her.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for my sister and her family.
Rejoicing in God's great faithfulness,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 3:53 PM
Hello everyone,As you know, Antonia, is now at the University of Washington receiving aggresive physical, occupational and speech therapy. I desire greatly to be there with her to encourage her in this difficult time but it cannot be so. I am putting together a sort-of book with notes of encouragement to send to her in the hopes that it will lift her spirits and encourage her to fight hard!!! If anyone would like to send something to include in this book (it can be a personal note, letter, scripture verses, an encouraging or funny story, special memories, photos, etc - anything you feel would encourage her) - you may send it to me at: greg7gina@comcast.net or Gina Gardner 8400 Copperpenny Terr, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Her success at this center depends greatly on her attitude and her will to fight. However, it is most important that we continue to pray for God to give her healing, strength and a thankful heart. Thank you all for the many ways you have shown your love and kindness to my dear sister and her family during these past 10 months. In Christ Alone, http://www.helpantonia.org/Gina John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
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Dear friends and family,
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever....Psalm 136
On Tuesday, July 26th, Antonia was admitted into the University of Washington's Neuro Rehab Center. She is now receiving extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy several hours a day. They push her as much as she can handle six days a week. She will be living at this center for at approximately 4 weeks, possibly longer. Dean would once again like to thank everyone who has prayed so diligently. God continues to be faithful in answering each of our prayers in His own perfect timing.
Antonia continues to get stronger. She is in a standing table almost every day. She can now support herself in a sitting up position on the side of the bed for about 1 minute. She is able to hold up and control her head much better also. She is eating more puréed food and requires almost zero tube feeding, and is even chewing some foods. It shouldn't be too long until the feeding tube can be removed.
Antonia continues to exhibit anger at times and a distressed spirit. We have been told that this is a normal phase or level in her recovery. Please pray that this phase would pass quickly; we long to see glimpses of the Antonia that we know and love...her smile, her joy, her thankfulness. Pray that God would give her joy, peace, comfort and contentment. Please also pray that her quality and articulation of speech will improve. She is attempting to speak more but it is difficult to understand and therefore limits her ability to communicate and adds to her frustration.
Your prayers mean a lot to us. We know God is hearing and answering them in ways that prove his timing and results are much better than ours. As you pray, remember that our God is able to do more than we can think or imagine, and has not once proven himself unfaithful.
With sincere thanks,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Friday, July 15, 2005 2:24 PM
Dear family and friends,
Well, once again we have much to thank God for and to report to you all. Antonia is making more progress each month. She has now said two full sentences...they are... "What did I do?" and "I don't want to die." We would perhaps wish that she said something more encouraging, but it is good to hear her speaking and know that she is able. It also gives insight and opportunity to communicate with her about how she is feeling and dealing with her current situation. Being able to speak some and communicate how she feels seems to make her happy.
She continues to do well with eating soft foods and is even able to chew some things. It is possible that soon she will be able to eat enough to sustain herself without the feeding tube and it may be able to be removed. She continues to get stronger with the consistent therapy she has been getting. They are having her stand up with the help of a special walker and she is able to put all her weight on her right leg for several minutes at a time. She is still not able to purposely use her left leg, but it is getting stronger with the physical therapy.
Her doctor and therapists agree that she is strong enough to handle aggressive therapy at this time and they are trying to get her admitted into the University of Washington's Neuro-Rehab center for treatment. She would live there for 4 to 8 weeks or more depending upon her progress. At this point they are waiting for Medicaid to agree to pay for this therapy. Please pray that this process would go through smoothly. It seems that she is at a good point in her rehabilitation to begin this type of therapy. They may also be able to begin to determine what to do about the calcification in her right elbow. It prohibits her from bending her right arm to her mouth or face, as a result, it prevents her from doing useful things with the only arm she has control over. Please pray also that they would deal with this issue promptly. It would help greatly with her level of independent activities as she would be able to begin to try to feed herself, comb her hair, brush her teeth, etc. if she had full use of that arm. Please also pray that her fine motor skills would begin to improve, as it would help her perform tasks.
Thank you once again for your continued concern for her progress and your many prayers.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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June 28th 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, its time again for another update. Thanks be to God that we do have many things to update. Antonia has again made more progress in the past two weeks. She took a swallow test at the hospital about a week ago and she did well. She is now able to eat (by mouth) some soft foods like soups, applesauce, pureed fruits, pudding, yogurt, etc. She is doing very well with this and is enjoying it immensely (as you can imagine). She also has said five things: hi, yes, no, help and I love you. Her speech is still quite unclear and labored, but you can make out what she is saying—most of the time. She continues with her therapy several days a week and is getting physically stronger. She still does not have use of the left side of her body, but the therapists have been doing some resistance exercises with her that they believe will strengthen that side by counter resistance. She has actually moved her left leg, but usually only when resistance is put on the right side.
The physical therapist who has been working with her is trying to get her into the University of Washington's physical therapy program and this may involve her actually living at the facility for 4-8 weeks and receiving approximately 5 hours a day of therapy. Please pray that the details of this would work out. The therapists working with her believes she is ready and that she would profit greatly from such therapy.
She continues to have many "bad days" where she is frustrated and has outbursts of anger. Please pray for much grace and peace for her as she seems to get sad, frustrated and angry for various reasons. This is fairly common with brain injuries, as the emotional system becomes somewhat unstabilized. Please also pray for Dean and Mary (Antonia's mom) as they persevere in caring for her needs as well as the children.
In God's providence, a young woman from their church was in need of a job and wanted to work alongside them and help with Antonia, the children and the household needs. She is an answer to prayer as they were having a difficult time getting someone from the home health company who would actually show up and do what they needed her to do. Once again we see God's awesome hand in even the smaller details.
One last thing to update which happened just this past Saturday...Antonia got a hold of and pulled out the feeding tube in her stomach. They covered it with gauze and took her to the hospital. She wasn't in any real danger and it didn't seem to have hurt her, but not a good thing none the less. She seemed to think it funny when they spoke of what she did. She definitely has a different sense of humor than usual these days.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks again to all of you who continue to pray.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
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June 10, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Once again I apologize for the infrequency of the updates. However, there is much to update you with, so I assure you, it will be worth the wait. On May 23rd, Antonia came home from the rehab center she had been living at. The first two weeks were extremely difficult and exhausting as we were not completely prepared. They do not send you home with all the information and supplies that you need, so much of the first week was just getting organized, ordering needed medical supplies, setting up therapy appointments, and working out even some of the smaller details like where to put everything when we got it. Antonia wasn’t on any kind of set schedule at Arden as far as sleeping at night. They would come in and tend to her every 2 hours around the clock so she had no nighttime sleep patterns. This was difficult for Dean during the first week as he found himself quite sleep deprived. You don’t really realize how much is involved in caring for someone at home until they are there and you’re faced with all situations at once. In spite of this, God proves Himself faithful and His timing is perfect. Many extra hands were available during this time and so many people worked together to make it all possible. Dean wishes to sincerely thank everyone who has helped by their prayers, helping hands, monetary contributions, love and support—none of this would have been possible without you. We continue to covet your prayers as there is still a very long road ahead.
Well, as far as an update on Antonia’s progress, we have much to report. She has had many good days and many bad days since she has been home. The good days are really good and the bad ones are pretty bad. She continues to have outbursts of anger quite frequently. There is no apparent pattern or specific thing that triggers them, but from asking her questions we have somewhat figured out that she is extremely frustrated and restless in her “locked-in” state. What I mean by this is the fact that she is completely aware and understands all that people say and do around her but she is unable to move (except her right hand, leg and her head) or able to speak. We understand how frustrating this must be and try to encourage her with all that she is able to do. In addition to the frustration, Dean has spoken to doctors about these “outbursts” and has been told that they are quite common with brain injuries where there is a deficit in the upper right brain.
The list of things she can now do is very long and extremely encouraging and we are seeing new things all the time. Here are some of the latest accomplishments:
1) She can write with chalk on a chalkboard pretty much anything you ask her to (although she is unable to move her hand over after each letter, so unless you move the chalkboard the letters are on top of each other). She also has trouble keeping the chalk in her grip and drops it frequently, but when she forms the letters they are very obvious. We have also written words on the board and asked her if she can show us what they are. For example, number words, from one to five that she can show on her right hand, wave, kiss and blink. From this we know she can read, write and spell. I have even asked her things like, “What are the names of your sister’s children?” And she wrote their names.
2) She can blow bubbles with the kids. This is a good speech and breathing exercise and she really enjoys it. Some days she answered no to all the things we would ask her if she wanted to do, but she always said yes to bubbles (I guess there are some things we never outgrow).
3) She is holding up her head for approximately a minute now, and this is increasing all the time.
4) She can unbuckle the seatbelt on her wheelchair. This isn’t very safe, but she is amused by her accomplishment and our reaction to it.
5) She can actually turn the right wheel of her wheelchair even with her limited use of her right arm. She has gone several feet by doing this and is particularly inspired to do it when getting to Dean is her goal.
6) She is reaching up with her right arm and grabbing things about 1-2 feet above her. Her right arm is getting very strong, although she still has the issue of the calcification in the elbow, which prevents her from bending it in all the way. She can only bend it about 30-40%.
7) We tried to teach her number hand signals for different sentences like, Thank You., How are you?, Please get Dean for me., and, I am glad to see you. She is doing pretty well with these when you quiz her, but doesn’t seem to be doing them without being prompted (except for the one to get Dean for her). She’s got that one down pat.
8) Just yesterday while Dean and the kids were saying good night to Antonia, Azaleah (their 7yr old daughter) did something she wasn’t supposed to and upset Antonia, and in response Antonia mustered out a deep and well enunciated, “No!” Dean almost fell off the bed when he heard it. This is the most incredible and exciting news in a while, as it is the first time she has ever vocalized a word.
Physical, occupational and speech therapists are now coming to the house several times a week to work with Antonia and teach Dean and Mary (Antonia’s mother who is living with them) what therapy they can do with her several times a day. She seems to be ready for aggressive therapy and usually welcomes the challenge to do something new. The therapists have said more than once that the more frequent therapy she gets the faster they feel she will grow stronger and recover. We are doing as much as we can in addition to what the therapists do with her, but there is still much time for more.
Thank you again for your continued love, support and prayers. Please pray that Dean and Mary will quickly find a suitable nursing assistant to help with Antonia’s daily care and other household needs. Please continue to pray that Dean and Mary would have God’s grace and strength to physically endure. I was only there for 3 weeks and I came home extremely exhausted and with a real sense of what is involved in caring for someone with Antonia’s needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was a great joy to be there with her and see all that she is able to do, but there is no denying the physical stamina needed. In addition to caring for Antonia there is still the regular daily needs of caring for the children, grocery shopping, housecleaning, laundry, as well as Dean’s need for time to study and prepare for his sermon. There does not seem to be enough hours in a day to accomplish all that you want to. I am sure you all can relate to this.
With much love and gratitude,
Gina (on Dean’s behalf)
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From: Gina, on behalf of DeanSent: Tuesday, May 9, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Dean wishes to apologize for the length of time since the last update hasbeen posted. He has been extremely busy with packing, moving, and preparingthe new house in order to bring Antonia home hopefully very soon. In aneffort to communicate updates more frequently I, (Antonia's sister, Gina)will attempt to help him with this. Much has happened since the last updateso here is a summary to get you all up-to-date:
A man in Dean's church was selling his home and it is wheelchair accessible.All the details of acquiring this finally went through and they moved intothe house 4/30. Many family and friends helped with the move and somenecessary remodeling to make the home moreuseful for their specific needs. Antonia knows about the house and Dean waseven able to take her there to see it.
Antonia continued to do well with having her trachea capped off each day andso they removed it completely on March 27th. She also continues to smileand respond to commands and daily therapy. She has been having someproblems with calcification in her right elbow and they are trying toresolve this. She also continues with her therapy including sitting up andstanding in the standing table while being strapped in. They have also been
able to take her out of the rehab center for therapy at the neurological chiropractor's office.They tried to start feeding her with canned meal replacements placed intoher feeding tube instead of the slow drip feedings she previously had. Shedid not handle this very well so they resumed the previous method. Whenthey tried again a few weeks later she seemed to handle it much better andhas been, for some time now, doing well with this method of nourishment. Shehas actually gained about 10-11 lbs. since she has been hospitalized. Herability to tolerate this method of nourishment will be helpful in caring forher at home. The speech therapists have also begun putting apple sauce onher lips. She seems to like this very much. The next step will be to try and start her on some pureed foods. The concern is that she still isn't fully able to
control her ability to swallow, and that she could choke. She is very aware of all that is going onand can respond in so many ways. She can answer by shaking her head yes andno. Her facial expressions tell a lot about how she feels (happy, sad,angry, excited, tired, etc). They have asked her things like basic mathquestions and she answers by a show of fingers.
They are hoping to begin making the necessary arrangements (bed, wheelchair,etc) to bring Antonia home in the next couple of weeks. She is still unableto move the left side of her body and has very limited movement on the right side.
She also is unable to speak or eat via her mouth.Please pray that God would continue to heal her and bring her to completeand full recovery. Please pray that all the details in bringing her homewould go smoothly and that God would continue to give Dean much comfort andwisdom in all the necessary decisions. Thank you all for your continuedprayers.
Sincerely, Gina, on behalf of Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 12:50 PM
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, yet another week passes and I have plenty to give thanks for. I am connecting in an intimate way with Antonia more and more all the time. I often feel like she is fully awake and alert right beside me, but she has laryngitis and can’t speak. I can tell inside jokes, and she gets them. I can make the same old quirky statements I used to, and she smirks. I can talk about memories we have together, and she smiles. I am a blessed man, because God has given my wife back to me with a sound mind.
I think it is probably important to communicate to you all that Antonia has not been considered in a comma for some time now. As soon as she began making conscious actions she was technically out of comma. The comma scale is put together in such a way that a person receives points for certain things they do; the best score one can get is 15, and the worst score one can get, if there heart is beating and they are breathing, is a 3; 8 and below is considered comma. Antonia was a 4 for three months, but now she is most likely somewhere in the teens. I am not exactly certain as to her number (they haven’t retested her), but from what one doctor said from observation, she is certainly not considered in a comma any longer.
As you know from the last update, we have been having communication issues with the doctor at Arden. I have been working on getting the chiropractic neurologist in to see Antonia, but it looks like we might have to take her to his office once a week. We have recently had a physiatrist see Antonia, and this has been good because he is a medical doctor who approaches patients from a rehab perspective. They are more holistic in the sense that they seek to put together a plan combining medicine and therapy. They are often more open to having someone like a chiropractic neurologist treat her as long as they understand the procedures and are convinced it won’t put the patient in any harm. We are thankful for this change and pray that he will be more open with us and more aggressive, consistent, and directed with Antonia’s therapy. Antonia also receives occupational, physical and speech therapy 5-6 days a week at Arden, which the physiatrist will also begin to coordinate.
We will be posting a few new pictures including one of her sitting up and holding herself up, and another of her first time standing(with help, of course). So, look for those soon on this website.
Antonia also now moves her head up and down to answer yes and side to side to answer no. It makes it so much easier to communicate. We do not know how long she has been able to do this, but seeing as I didn’t ask her, there is no way to tell. You never know, maybe she was wondering why we didn't ask her to move her head instead of lifting her finger, but as you can gather by now, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to rehab therapy. Anyway, this makes communication much easier in many ways.
A week or so ago, when we were out in the courtyard at Arden with Antonia, we let her taste some lemonade… and she liked it. Mary (Antonia's mother) let her taste some apple. She would scrape a slice of apple with a knife and the juice and pulp would collect on one edge, then she would place it on Antonia’s lip—Antonia really enjoyed it. Azaleah (our 6 yr old daughter) put a piece of apple up to Antonia’s lip and said, “Try some apple Mama.” To all of our surprise, she actually took a bite!! This kind of freaked us out because we thought she might choke on it. Thankfully she opened her mouth when we asked her to, and we were able to remove it.
Some of Antonia’s therapy includes things like: lifting weights, writing O's, sitting up, standing, moving legs, etc. Her legs seem to be getting stronger and she can move her right leg quite well. Please pray that God would begin the healing in her left side, as well as help her to speak (She is still unable to do very much, if anything, on the left side). We have been capping off her trach regularly now and she has still has not been able to say much of anything. Also, please pray for the financing on the house to go through, it is quite the laborious process because our unique set of circumstances.
Thanking our God,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Monday, March 07, 2005 9:13 PM
Dear family and friends,
We continue to see the encouraging signs of previous progress but no new or really significant changes this week. Antonia continues to smile and respond in various ways to her family and friends around her. She even thought it was pretty funny when I was joking around with a syringe and accidentally squirted her in the face with water.
Mary, Antonia's mother, was cutting Antonia's nails when I arrived one day. I sat on the end of the bed and Mary told Antonia that she was almost done, and that she would get up so I could sit with her as soon as she was finished. Not willing to wait, Antonia pulled her hand away from her mother and waved to me as if to say to her mom, "Stop cutting my nails, I want to hold my husband's hand—and I can’t wait."
The personnel at Arden continue with her therapy and have had her in a sitting position holding on to the tray table to stabilize herself. We received a new trach cap (the other was mistakenly thrown away), but it was the wrong one. We decided that instead of waiting for the right cap we would alter the one given us to make it work. We cut off a finger from a rubber glove and put it over the end of the trach. It seems to be functioning fairly well. With our new invention, we have again begun regularly capping off the trach for about 30 minutes at a time. We pray that this will be the beginning of being able to remove the trach all together. This will also allow her to vocalize more even though she didn’t make any sounds this week.
We are quite frustrated with the lack of communication between the doctor and ourselves. He has only seen Antonia once or twice for five minutes and then charged us an exorbitant amount. In addition to this, he has told the neurological chiropractor, who had been treating Antonia, that he is no longer allowed to treat her. I believe he thinks anything to do with chiropractic is equivalent to witchcraft. The staff at Arden are not talking completely straight with us, so we are in the process of finding out what we need to do in order to get the chiropractic neurologist in to treat Antonia. We will have our attending physician changed if that will remedy the situation, but at this point we are not sure it will. Please pray that God would open the door for the chiropractor to resume treatment. It has been several weeks since he has been able to see her, and we have seen the most progress with his treatment.
We currently have a purchase agreement on the house we were looking at, and if all goes well, we should be closing in April or May. One of the obstacles to my closing the deal is in receiving financing, which is contingent upon obtaining a permanent residency status (I’m a Canadian for you who are wondering). I need to show proof that my status in the States is secure. My current visa expires in June and must be reissued before I can get the financing. Please pray that my immigration issues would be resolved quickly, as it is always difficult dealing with bureaucratic entanglements.
Blessings,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 2/26/05 11:10 AM
Dear family and friends,
This week has had its ups and downs like the rest. The rehab center that Antonia is in has increased the amount of physical, occupational and respiratory therapy. This is encouraging, as we want to be doing all that is possible for her recovery/rehabilitation. One of the things they did this week was to put a pen in her hand and ask her to make Xs and/or Os. She did pretty well with the Os, but the Xs were not quite as legible. This is yet another encouraging sign that God is performing miracles in my wife, giving us more than we deserve.
Also this week the occupational therapist put her in a sitting position in her bed with a tray table in front of her and asked her to try to hold herself up. She was able to do so. She did, of course, still have on her neck brace as her neck muscles are not strong enough to hold up her head.
A kind of humorous thing happened this week. After a month or so of our knowing that Antonia is able to see, we finally remembered that she is nearly blind without her glasses. Ooops! Once again I show my brilliance. Her contacts were removed when she was originally admitted to the hospital back in October and no one thought to put her glasses on once we were aware she was able to see.
The cap to her trach was unintentionally thrown away and until the respiratory therapist comes again we are not able to move forward with weaning her from the trach. This area of recovery/rehab is going quite slowly and we hope to get a more regular routine for this process.
I am in the midst of trying to buy a home that will be suitable for Antonia and our needs. Pray that God would make the transition and preparations go smoothly and quickly.
Please continue to pray for more of these shocking miracles; and more specifically that God would start to activate her left side. Currently there is little to no movement on her left side. We don’t know at this point what will be temporary or permanent.
You can also pray for strength, endurance and organization as Antonia’s mom and I try to manage the home with all its responsibilities (which Antonia managed so brilliantly).
God is good,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 2/12/05 7:26 PM
Antonia has been having the usual off and on days. There are days when she does not move much at all, and then there are days when she is more active. When she is more active, we see those various encouraging things that we have already reported (moving to commands, smiling, etc.).
I am afraid that because I only report the positive, everyone reading these updates will think that Antonia is up and walking. Even though I get pretty excited about all her improvements, it is a roller coaster ride with ups and downs every day. We do have days where we think everything has gone in remission, and with a couple of these in a row, it can be somewhat discouraging. The improvements are continual if we look at them from a distanced perspective; however, on any given day it may seem as if she is regressing.
Thankfully Antonia appears to be over her bronchitis so we can resume trying to cap off her trach. This will be an attempt to get to the place where we can remove it completely, so that bringing her home becomes more feasible.
We are always thankful when we can get her to smile We know that she still has a sense of humor because when we joke with her, we can usually get at least a grin from her (and let me tell you, when she grins, it lights up the room—we all go home happy that day).
I can’t express to you all how amazed and how thankful I am for all your prayers.
May God bless you all,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 1/29/05 12:56 PM
Thank you all for your prayers; it looks like Antonia’s bronchitis is on its way out. She has also regained strength and shown some more wonderful signs of improvement. On Wednesday, January 26, Antonia’s mom (Mary), Azaleah, Isaiah, and I were sitting around Antonia’s bed, and Mary asked her to smile. To our surprise, a big smile immediately came across Antonia’s face. This caused us all to burst out laughing and the more we laughed, the more she smiled; the more she smiled, the more we laughed.
On Thursday afternoon when I was alone with Antonia, I looked at her and said, “Hi, Beautiful.” And she once again smiled at me. That made my day!
Continue to pray that Antonia would have sustained strength; she tires quickly, and needs plenty of rest. She will be good one day, but then wiped out for three days after that. We also need to be careful not to over stimulate her. We see progress and we want it to come every day at the same rate. Patience is important for all of us right now.
God is faithful,
Dean Hellekson
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Fri 1/21/05 8:57 PM
On Sunday, January 16, the respiratory therapist had visited Antonia in order to start the process of capping her trach—so they can eventually remove it. While he covered the trach with his finger, he asked Antonia to say a vowel. She took a deep breath and then said, “Ah.” Wow, what a shocker to all of us. She even repeated it for her father twice more that day.
Other than this event on Sunday, it was a fairly uneventful week besides a slight setback on Thursday. Antonia came down with bronchitis, and as a result, she is having difficulty with congestion and coughing. At one point she had to go back on oxygen because all the congestion would not allow her to take a full breath, resulting in her oxygen saturation levels being low. She no longer needs the oxygen, and the nurses started her on an antibiotic, which we hope removes the bronchitis quickly. They also x-rayed her lungs on Thursday to check for pneumonia, and all was clear (Thank the Lord!).
The respiratory therapist wanted us to cap her trach three times a day for thirty minutes to see if we could wean her off, and eventually remove the trach. While she was capped, we were supposed to ask her if she could vocalize. However, due to her congestion, this did not go well, so we are letting her rest and recover before we try again. Please pray that God will her of the bronchitis and that the trach will be able to be removed.
Thank you all for your prayers and support,
Dean Hellekson
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Fri 1/14/05 8:57 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Update on Antonia:
This Thursday we had a magnificent and encouraging day with Antonia. Doug and Nancy Wilson, of Christ Church, Moscow came and blessed us with a wonderful visit, ministering Christ to us as they spoke words of comfort to Antonia. While they were speaking with Antonia, tears trickled down her right cheek. (I have never before seen her tear so much and it be so connected to a specific event.) I know she was truly affected by their comforting and encouraging words. God is good!
Following the Wilson’s visit, I had the most delightful time sitting by Antonia’s side talking with her about all that has happened from the time of her accident until now - at the recommendation of Nancy. (That’s how bright I am; it had never even crossed my mind to talk to Antonia about where she is and how she came to be there). As she lay there listening to the story, she was continually squeezing my hand - I felt like we were really connecting.
I also asked Antonia several times to squeeze and release my hand; she did every time! And whenever I tried to remove my hand from hers, she didn’t seem to want to let me go. At one point, as my hand lay under hers, she began to stroke the back of my hand with her thumb ever so slowly, as if to show affection. It was amazing, I felt as if she were going to come fully conscious at any moment. I was truly excited and my heart was glad.
Just as I was about to send out this update, we witnessed more encouraging activity in Antonia to share with you. Today (Jan. 14) Dr. Burns, the chiropractic neurologist, ran some tests on Antonia. When he asked her to raise her right shoulder, she did! When he asked her to flex her right arm, she did! When he asked her to wiggle her right toes, she did! When he asked her to move her right knee, she did! She even slightly tracked with her eyes. In addition to all of this already exciting news, she was able to respond to questions by blinking her eyes, once for yes and twice for no. Wow! God never ceases to amaze us.
Thank you all so much for your petitions, and I ask that you continue at the throne and ask for more undeserved kindness toward us.
May the God of Heaven richly bless you all,
Dean Hellekson
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 1/8/05 1:13 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Here is an update from Dean:
I apologize for not giving a recent update, but life was hectic during the Christmas holidays. Furthermore, there hasn't been a lot of significant change, but today we had a very encouraging thing happen: On command, Antonia squeezed and released her right hand five times. This is significant because it is her first definite volitional action. This action was confirmed by a chiropractic neurologist who is volunteering his time to treat Antonia. He uses various means of stimulating specific areas of the brain precisely targeting the areas that have been injured. He has visited her about four times now. We are grateful & blessed to have this doctor's help.
In addition to today's responses, Antonia has also been more alert this last week. She has had her eyes open for hours on end, and has shown more awareness on her face.
We are rejoicing and thanking God for all these little miracles from His hand. He is so good, and has been faithful in the details. His grace has been sufficient to sustain us through all of this.
The children have been doing as well as could be expected. They see their mama on a regular basis. Azaleah and Isaiah love to talk to her and tell her things when her eyes are open.
I thank you all so much for your prayers and all the monetary gifts you have given. We have been deeply impacted and blessed by all your kindness.
Continue to seek the Throne of Grace that we might find grace and help in our time of need. Continue to pray that God would keep performing these small miracles, and bring Antonia back to full health. Pray that God would give us wisdom, strength and courage to continually manage the details of life.
Abundantly Thankful,
Dean Hellekson
Dear Friends and Family,
This update comes to you asking for your continued prayer. As time goes by, I know that prayer can wane. Antonia still has much need for prayer as well as Dean and the whole family. Antonia's progress right now is slow. The main area of needed prayer is regarding the surgery needed to correct the calcification in her elbow. Last Monday, November 28th, Dean and Antonia met with the surgeon to consult about the needed surgery. The meeting was somewhat disappointing. The surgeon explained to Dean that the surgery is very involved and that the risks associated with it may possibly outweigh the benefits or what she may gain. I (Gina) was very misunderstood about the cause of the calcification and also about the required treatment. I was under the impression that it was a somewhat simple procedure whereby they would do a laser surgery to break up the calcification and that she would then regain use of that arm. I also thought that the calcification was from Antonia being in the coma. Neither of these are true or correct. I am not sure how or why I thought this, but I tell it to you now for the reason of clearing up anyone else's possible misunderstanding or in case I have misled anyone.
Well, with that said, let me clear up even further. Apparently this calcification is a direct result of the traumatic brain injury. They (the doctors) can not explain the direct connection between the calcification and the brain injury or how or why exactly it happens but they do see it quite often in brain injury patients. The surgery to attempt to correct it is quite long (4-5 hours) and is very complicated. They have to work around the major nerve that runs through your arm and that controls all motor skills in her hands (i.e. grabbing, pinching, squeezing, writing, etc.). There is the possibility of her losing the ability to do some of the things she can do now with that hand if the surgery does not go well. How the doctor explained it to Dean was that they really need to weigh the risks vs. the benefits. Even if they can successfully remove the calcification without damaging the nerve, there is a 10% chance that it will grow back. Dean is asking for your fervent prayers for him for wisdom and discernment as to whether or not to go ahead with the surgery.
As you know, Antonia still does not have any use of the left side of her body. It is possible that it is not God's will that it will ever be healed. If that is so, her right hand abilities are all she will have and Dean is not sure whether to risk her losing all that she may ever have. Please pray that God would show him clearly what is the right thing to do. Certainly we know that God can heal her through this means (the surgery) if it is His will. Please pray for Dean as he waits on the Lord's direction.
Also, Antonia's therapy benefits will be exhausted very soon (within the month). This means that they will no longer pay for her to go for therapy as an outpatient. It will now be Dean's full responsibility to schedule and pay for all therapy. Antonia has reached a plateau in her current therapy and really needs to be worked more aggressively and regularly. Dean would like to set up a gym in their home with the medical equipment needed to provided therapy for her at home. He is also considering hiring someone full time to assist him and Mary in doing the required therapy. How this will work is they will consult with Antonia's current physical therapist as to what exercises to do, provide the therapy at home and chart her progress. The p.t. will see her about 1 time a month in order to see if she is ready to move on to new or different exercises.
Please pray that God will work in the hearts of the people at the companies we are trying to work with to acquire the needed equipment. For those in the family who are trying to think of a gift for Christmas, a monetary gift to help with buying this equipment might be an idea.
I know this is a really busy time of year and we really appreciate all your continued prayers and support.
May you all have a very blessed Christmas as we remember the incarnation, and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ came to recreate the world and bring hope to those with brain injuries.
Much love and peace to you,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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10/28/05
Dear family and friends,
It has now been one year since Antonia's accident. God has been so good and so faithful in healing her thus far. Although she still has a long road ahead of her, we are confident that God is working in her and in all of us for His good purposes. We are currently in the process of putting together a specific list of past prayers and God's direct answers during this past year. However, because this may take a few days we wanted to let you know of some recent progress that she has made.
Antonia is now coming off the last of the medications that she was on. She seems to be doing much better as far as her disposition and not being so groggy since she has been off the other meds. However, the outcome of her coming off this final med is still unsure. Overall, we believe it was a wise decision and feel it will be and is to her benefit. Another area of progress these past few weeks has been her ability to let us know when she needs to use the bathroom. She has been doing that quite well and is now using a bedpan pretty regularly. Her articulation (the ability to speak and be understood) continues to improve. However, her lack of short term memory is still an issue that needs much prayer. Also, she has been regularly having some pain in her left leg and we are not sure if it is from not moving or possibly from nerves that are now responding that were not previously. The in home therapy will be ending soon and we will have to take her out to therapy (approximately 20 min. south). Please pray that the details of this would go well. We are currently trying to get some exercise equipment for her at our home so that she can do her therapy daily, and not just when she goes out. We are excited to report that we have had one company, Stamina Products, respond very generously by offering to donate a recumbent bike for her.
In closing, we would once again like to thank all of you who continue to pray for and support Antonia and her family. Also, following is a poem that Dean's mother wrote commemorating the one year "anniversary" of Antonia's accident.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
MEMORIES
It’s been a year, since we first shed those tears, when our world was changed and we faced our worst fears!
Oct.25-2004, would be engraved in our hearts forever more.
It was a phone call from a loving son,
for urgent prayer to his mom.
The news that no one wants to hear!
My heart is heavy and full of fear!
Antonia has fallen from a horse,
and hit her head full force.
Mom, please pray!
The request when out across the miles,
people began praying in fervent style.As Antonia lies in a coma state,
mere mortal men tell us her fate...
The news not good her recovery sinking,
But what they didn't know is that we serve the King!
Our Father in heaven taught us to pray,
when our spirit was weak and we don’t know what to say. He taught us to trust in good days and bad,
and to call to him when life’s really sad.
He showed us how family could pull together,
to give, love and support which space could not sever.
God has been good, been faithful and true,
in showing his miracles as only he could do!
Every day is a blessing, we have seen God's hand,
as he walks with the family and teaches Antonia to stand.
God gives the strength to face each day,
to look to his son and hear him say,
“My grace is sufficient for you today”
Antonia we love you and we continue to pray that that God will heal you completely, and maybe today is that day!
Love,
Mom
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Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:28 PM
Dear Friends and Family,
Just a quick update to thank you once again for praying for Antonia. God is faithful and has once again shown His mercy and love to us in answering yet another prayer.
In our last update we had asked for prayer for wisdom for Dean and the medical team in regards to Antonia's medications. About a week ago, Dean and Mary decided to take her off 2 of the medications she had been put on at the University of Washington. As noted in the last update, we had been feeling that perhaps they were doing more harm than good. She often seemed drowsy and possibly overmedicated. The doctors had said that it would just take time to get into her system. However, she continued to seem worse instead of better. Since she has been off the meds, there has been a significant change in her attitude and disposition. As a matter of fact, they noticed the change almost immediately. Her worst day OFF the medications has been better than her BEST day ON the medications. As a result of this more positive attitude and disposition, she has been doing better in all other areas - eating, sleeping, therapy, communicating, etc.
It has also been mentioned by one of her therapists that she is almost, if not completely, past the level in her recovery that has been so characterized by anger. This has been a specific area of prayer for many months and we are so thankful to God for this.
Thanking our God,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Sat 9/10/05 10:30 AM
Dear family and friends,
Hello to all and thank you for your prayers and concern as we continue on this long and difficult road. Antonia continues to make progress although we have a few set backs to report during this past week. She completed her therapy at the University of Washington on Saturday, September 3rd, and came home. However, on Sunday evening they had to take her to the emergency room because she had been vomiting all day. They kept her in the hospital and ran a number of tests to determine what was the cause of the nausea and vomiting. It was finally determined that it appeared to be a reaction to one of the medications that she was taking. She remained in the hospital until Thursday, September 8th.
She continues to have a wide range of unstable emotions such as anger, distress, confusion, etc. And, her short term memory is still very minimal. This makes so many things difficult for her and for those around her. You can comfort her one minute with prayer, words of encouragement, etc., but a few minutes later she does not remember those words and asks the same questions or expresses the same distressed spirit. There is also much uncertainty on the part of the medical team treating her as to what medications will benefit her. At times it even seems that she is perhaps over medicated because of her drowsiness, yet the doctors say this is only temporary until the medication gets into her system.
Please pray that God would make it clear to Dean and to the medical team involved as too what course to take regarding her medications, for wisdom and understanding as to what is best for her in this area of her recovery. But, perhaps most of all, let us plead with God to give her His peace, His joy and His strength. Please pray that God would give much grace to Dean and to Mary as they care for her at home once again.
On a more positive note, she does have good days where she is happy and motivated to work hard. She did make a lot of progress during her time at the University. She learned how to wash her face, brush her teeth, etc with the help of an extension, as she is still unable to bend her one useful arm all the way. She is supposed to be going in for the surgery on her elbow to fix the calcification. After this is done, she will be able to do so much more. Please pray that this would be scheduled soon and that it will go well. She is eating all regular food now and her feeding tube is only being used to give her extra fluids. She is trying to speak a lot more now and although it is labored and quite distorted at times, those that are around her all the time can communicate with her pretty well.
Here is a brief summary of the above prayer requests:
1 - Wisdom for Dean & doctors regarding her medications
2 - Increase in short term memory
3 - God's peace, joy and strength for Antonia
4 - Grace for Dean & Mary in caring for her and the children
5 - Timely & successful surgery for her elbow calcification
Thank you all so much who faithfully go to God on her behalf. May God bless you all as you seek His face.
Psalm 34:1-22
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 4:46 PM
Dear family and friends,
Well, it has been a little over 3 weeks now since Antonia was admitted to the University of Washington's Neuro Rehab Center. The first week to10 days were discouraging and difficult as she was very distressed much of the time and didn’t seem to be going forwards, but backwards. The first week they tried altering her medications in an attempt to improve the storming of her emotions, which were all over the map. During this time she didn't seem to make much progress or have the will or motivation to really try hard. We were a bit concerned that they would not take this all into consideration as they spoke of discharging her much earlier than any of us expected. However, after the first week and a half her emotions improved and she began making steady progress in all areas. And recently she has had a number of very good days where she has been amazing the therapists (that is because God is hearing the prayers of his people).
Dean was told yesterday at the weekly meeting that they have decided to extend her therapy for another 2 weeks. They are very encouraged and excited about her progress, particularly the last several days. Here is a brief overview of their most recent progress report:
- Slight movements in left arm involving biceps, triceps and forearm. (This is wonderful as it appears there is some integrity on her left side)
- left leg moving more (up until now she has not really had any movement or use of her left side)
- She can roll over, shift herself in bed
- She can sit up on the side of bed supporting herself for over 1 minute
- She can be transferred now from wheelchair to bed and vice versa with only one person to help her. (She does most of the standing motion herself with minimal support or help.)
- Her ability to care for herself is improving...she is helping get dressed, wash face (with extension... as she still cannot bend her arm very far)
-her eating has improved. She is now eating solid foods except sharp or hard things like pretzels, etc. She can drink and uses a straw as well. She really likes ice cream!!!! But then again, who doesn't?!?!?
- Her speech is improving both in quality and in quantity; she is using her lips and tongue better and mixing gestures with verbal communication.
-Her short term memory is improving a little, she remembers the names of a couple of her current therapists and she usually remembers what happened to her.
-Her neck is a lot stronger and she is holding her head up for over an hour at a time now
For all of this we greatly rejoice and praise our God. Isn’t he good?
There are two specific areas of prayer that we would greatly appreciate if you could give special attention to them. Please pray that God would give her His peace—she is very distressed in her soul at times. She will often cry out that she doesn’t want to die, and say that she feels like she is in hell. She needs God’s comfort and an understanding that he is her only hope. Part of the problem is her memory—she can be comforted with the truth about who God is and what he has done, but two minutes later she forgets that you even had the conversation. This leads to the second prayer request—her memory. Pray that God would heal her short-term and some long-term memory.
Thanks to all of you who have sent such encouraging and heartfelt letters to her. I started reading them to her this week and Dean said that she seemed calmer as I read it to her and even responded by trying to repeat something I read in the letter about this trial in her life. She repeated "trial", "trial". If anybody else would like to send her a note you can send it to me at greg7gina@comcast.net. I plan on calling her each day and reading one letter to her, and then later on I will put them all together in a keepsake book for her. Any pictures I will send to Dean to show to her.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for my sister and her family.
Rejoicing in God's great faithfulness,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 3:53 PM
Hello everyone,As you know, Antonia, is now at the University of Washington receiving aggresive physical, occupational and speech therapy. I desire greatly to be there with her to encourage her in this difficult time but it cannot be so. I am putting together a sort-of book with notes of encouragement to send to her in the hopes that it will lift her spirits and encourage her to fight hard!!! If anyone would like to send something to include in this book (it can be a personal note, letter, scripture verses, an encouraging or funny story, special memories, photos, etc - anything you feel would encourage her) - you may send it to me at: greg7gina@comcast.net or Gina Gardner 8400 Copperpenny Terr, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Her success at this center depends greatly on her attitude and her will to fight. However, it is most important that we continue to pray for God to give her healing, strength and a thankful heart. Thank you all for the many ways you have shown your love and kindness to my dear sister and her family during these past 10 months. In Christ Alone, http://www.helpantonia.org/Gina John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
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Dear friends and family,
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever....Psalm 136
On Tuesday, July 26th, Antonia was admitted into the University of Washington's Neuro Rehab Center. She is now receiving extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy several hours a day. They push her as much as she can handle six days a week. She will be living at this center for at approximately 4 weeks, possibly longer. Dean would once again like to thank everyone who has prayed so diligently. God continues to be faithful in answering each of our prayers in His own perfect timing.
Antonia continues to get stronger. She is in a standing table almost every day. She can now support herself in a sitting up position on the side of the bed for about 1 minute. She is able to hold up and control her head much better also. She is eating more puréed food and requires almost zero tube feeding, and is even chewing some foods. It shouldn't be too long until the feeding tube can be removed.
Antonia continues to exhibit anger at times and a distressed spirit. We have been told that this is a normal phase or level in her recovery. Please pray that this phase would pass quickly; we long to see glimpses of the Antonia that we know and love...her smile, her joy, her thankfulness. Pray that God would give her joy, peace, comfort and contentment. Please also pray that her quality and articulation of speech will improve. She is attempting to speak more but it is difficult to understand and therefore limits her ability to communicate and adds to her frustration.
Your prayers mean a lot to us. We know God is hearing and answering them in ways that prove his timing and results are much better than ours. As you pray, remember that our God is able to do more than we can think or imagine, and has not once proven himself unfaithful.
With sincere thanks,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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Friday, July 15, 2005 2:24 PM
Dear family and friends,
Well, once again we have much to thank God for and to report to you all. Antonia is making more progress each month. She has now said two full sentences...they are... "What did I do?" and "I don't want to die." We would perhaps wish that she said something more encouraging, but it is good to hear her speaking and know that she is able. It also gives insight and opportunity to communicate with her about how she is feeling and dealing with her current situation. Being able to speak some and communicate how she feels seems to make her happy.
She continues to do well with eating soft foods and is even able to chew some things. It is possible that soon she will be able to eat enough to sustain herself without the feeding tube and it may be able to be removed. She continues to get stronger with the consistent therapy she has been getting. They are having her stand up with the help of a special walker and she is able to put all her weight on her right leg for several minutes at a time. She is still not able to purposely use her left leg, but it is getting stronger with the physical therapy.
Her doctor and therapists agree that she is strong enough to handle aggressive therapy at this time and they are trying to get her admitted into the University of Washington's Neuro-Rehab center for treatment. She would live there for 4 to 8 weeks or more depending upon her progress. At this point they are waiting for Medicaid to agree to pay for this therapy. Please pray that this process would go through smoothly. It seems that she is at a good point in her rehabilitation to begin this type of therapy. They may also be able to begin to determine what to do about the calcification in her right elbow. It prohibits her from bending her right arm to her mouth or face, as a result, it prevents her from doing useful things with the only arm she has control over. Please pray also that they would deal with this issue promptly. It would help greatly with her level of independent activities as she would be able to begin to try to feed herself, comb her hair, brush her teeth, etc. if she had full use of that arm. Please also pray that her fine motor skills would begin to improve, as it would help her perform tasks.
Thank you once again for your continued concern for her progress and your many prayers.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
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June 28th 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, its time again for another update. Thanks be to God that we do have many things to update. Antonia has again made more progress in the past two weeks. She took a swallow test at the hospital about a week ago and she did well. She is now able to eat (by mouth) some soft foods like soups, applesauce, pureed fruits, pudding, yogurt, etc. She is doing very well with this and is enjoying it immensely (as you can imagine). She also has said five things: hi, yes, no, help and I love you. Her speech is still quite unclear and labored, but you can make out what she is saying—most of the time. She continues with her therapy several days a week and is getting physically stronger. She still does not have use of the left side of her body, but the therapists have been doing some resistance exercises with her that they believe will strengthen that side by counter resistance. She has actually moved her left leg, but usually only when resistance is put on the right side.
The physical therapist who has been working with her is trying to get her into the University of Washington's physical therapy program and this may involve her actually living at the facility for 4-8 weeks and receiving approximately 5 hours a day of therapy. Please pray that the details of this would work out. The therapists working with her believes she is ready and that she would profit greatly from such therapy.
She continues to have many "bad days" where she is frustrated and has outbursts of anger. Please pray for much grace and peace for her as she seems to get sad, frustrated and angry for various reasons. This is fairly common with brain injuries, as the emotional system becomes somewhat unstabilized. Please also pray for Dean and Mary (Antonia's mom) as they persevere in caring for her needs as well as the children.
In God's providence, a young woman from their church was in need of a job and wanted to work alongside them and help with Antonia, the children and the household needs. She is an answer to prayer as they were having a difficult time getting someone from the home health company who would actually show up and do what they needed her to do. Once again we see God's awesome hand in even the smaller details.
One last thing to update which happened just this past Saturday...Antonia got a hold of and pulled out the feeding tube in her stomach. They covered it with gauze and took her to the hospital. She wasn't in any real danger and it didn't seem to have hurt her, but not a good thing none the less. She seemed to think it funny when they spoke of what she did. She definitely has a different sense of humor than usual these days.
Well, that's all for now. Thanks again to all of you who continue to pray.
Sincerely,
Gina (on behalf of Dean)
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
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June 10, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Once again I apologize for the infrequency of the updates. However, there is much to update you with, so I assure you, it will be worth the wait. On May 23rd, Antonia came home from the rehab center she had been living at. The first two weeks were extremely difficult and exhausting as we were not completely prepared. They do not send you home with all the information and supplies that you need, so much of the first week was just getting organized, ordering needed medical supplies, setting up therapy appointments, and working out even some of the smaller details like where to put everything when we got it. Antonia wasn’t on any kind of set schedule at Arden as far as sleeping at night. They would come in and tend to her every 2 hours around the clock so she had no nighttime sleep patterns. This was difficult for Dean during the first week as he found himself quite sleep deprived. You don’t really realize how much is involved in caring for someone at home until they are there and you’re faced with all situations at once. In spite of this, God proves Himself faithful and His timing is perfect. Many extra hands were available during this time and so many people worked together to make it all possible. Dean wishes to sincerely thank everyone who has helped by their prayers, helping hands, monetary contributions, love and support—none of this would have been possible without you. We continue to covet your prayers as there is still a very long road ahead.
Well, as far as an update on Antonia’s progress, we have much to report. She has had many good days and many bad days since she has been home. The good days are really good and the bad ones are pretty bad. She continues to have outbursts of anger quite frequently. There is no apparent pattern or specific thing that triggers them, but from asking her questions we have somewhat figured out that she is extremely frustrated and restless in her “locked-in” state. What I mean by this is the fact that she is completely aware and understands all that people say and do around her but she is unable to move (except her right hand, leg and her head) or able to speak. We understand how frustrating this must be and try to encourage her with all that she is able to do. In addition to the frustration, Dean has spoken to doctors about these “outbursts” and has been told that they are quite common with brain injuries where there is a deficit in the upper right brain.
The list of things she can now do is very long and extremely encouraging and we are seeing new things all the time. Here are some of the latest accomplishments:
1) She can write with chalk on a chalkboard pretty much anything you ask her to (although she is unable to move her hand over after each letter, so unless you move the chalkboard the letters are on top of each other). She also has trouble keeping the chalk in her grip and drops it frequently, but when she forms the letters they are very obvious. We have also written words on the board and asked her if she can show us what they are. For example, number words, from one to five that she can show on her right hand, wave, kiss and blink. From this we know she can read, write and spell. I have even asked her things like, “What are the names of your sister’s children?” And she wrote their names.
2) She can blow bubbles with the kids. This is a good speech and breathing exercise and she really enjoys it. Some days she answered no to all the things we would ask her if she wanted to do, but she always said yes to bubbles (I guess there are some things we never outgrow).
3) She is holding up her head for approximately a minute now, and this is increasing all the time.
4) She can unbuckle the seatbelt on her wheelchair. This isn’t very safe, but she is amused by her accomplishment and our reaction to it.
5) She can actually turn the right wheel of her wheelchair even with her limited use of her right arm. She has gone several feet by doing this and is particularly inspired to do it when getting to Dean is her goal.
6) She is reaching up with her right arm and grabbing things about 1-2 feet above her. Her right arm is getting very strong, although she still has the issue of the calcification in the elbow, which prevents her from bending it in all the way. She can only bend it about 30-40%.
7) We tried to teach her number hand signals for different sentences like, Thank You., How are you?, Please get Dean for me., and, I am glad to see you. She is doing pretty well with these when you quiz her, but doesn’t seem to be doing them without being prompted (except for the one to get Dean for her). She’s got that one down pat.
8) Just yesterday while Dean and the kids were saying good night to Antonia, Azaleah (their 7yr old daughter) did something she wasn’t supposed to and upset Antonia, and in response Antonia mustered out a deep and well enunciated, “No!” Dean almost fell off the bed when he heard it. This is the most incredible and exciting news in a while, as it is the first time she has ever vocalized a word.
Physical, occupational and speech therapists are now coming to the house several times a week to work with Antonia and teach Dean and Mary (Antonia’s mother who is living with them) what therapy they can do with her several times a day. She seems to be ready for aggressive therapy and usually welcomes the challenge to do something new. The therapists have said more than once that the more frequent therapy she gets the faster they feel she will grow stronger and recover. We are doing as much as we can in addition to what the therapists do with her, but there is still much time for more.
Thank you again for your continued love, support and prayers. Please pray that Dean and Mary will quickly find a suitable nursing assistant to help with Antonia’s daily care and other household needs. Please continue to pray that Dean and Mary would have God’s grace and strength to physically endure. I was only there for 3 weeks and I came home extremely exhausted and with a real sense of what is involved in caring for someone with Antonia’s needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was a great joy to be there with her and see all that she is able to do, but there is no denying the physical stamina needed. In addition to caring for Antonia there is still the regular daily needs of caring for the children, grocery shopping, housecleaning, laundry, as well as Dean’s need for time to study and prepare for his sermon. There does not seem to be enough hours in a day to accomplish all that you want to. I am sure you all can relate to this.
With much love and gratitude,
Gina (on Dean’s behalf)
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From: Gina, on behalf of DeanSent: Tuesday, May 9, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
Dean wishes to apologize for the length of time since the last update hasbeen posted. He has been extremely busy with packing, moving, and preparingthe new house in order to bring Antonia home hopefully very soon. In aneffort to communicate updates more frequently I, (Antonia's sister, Gina)will attempt to help him with this. Much has happened since the last updateso here is a summary to get you all up-to-date:
A man in Dean's church was selling his home and it is wheelchair accessible.All the details of acquiring this finally went through and they moved intothe house 4/30. Many family and friends helped with the move and somenecessary remodeling to make the home moreuseful for their specific needs. Antonia knows about the house and Dean waseven able to take her there to see it.
Antonia continued to do well with having her trachea capped off each day andso they removed it completely on March 27th. She also continues to smileand respond to commands and daily therapy. She has been having someproblems with calcification in her right elbow and they are trying toresolve this. She also continues with her therapy including sitting up andstanding in the standing table while being strapped in. They have also been
able to take her out of the rehab center for therapy at the neurological chiropractor's office.They tried to start feeding her with canned meal replacements placed intoher feeding tube instead of the slow drip feedings she previously had. Shedid not handle this very well so they resumed the previous method. Whenthey tried again a few weeks later she seemed to handle it much better andhas been, for some time now, doing well with this method of nourishment. Shehas actually gained about 10-11 lbs. since she has been hospitalized. Herability to tolerate this method of nourishment will be helpful in caring forher at home. The speech therapists have also begun putting apple sauce onher lips. She seems to like this very much. The next step will be to try and start her on some pureed foods. The concern is that she still isn't fully able to
control her ability to swallow, and that she could choke. She is very aware of all that is going onand can respond in so many ways. She can answer by shaking her head yes andno. Her facial expressions tell a lot about how she feels (happy, sad,angry, excited, tired, etc). They have asked her things like basic mathquestions and she answers by a show of fingers.
They are hoping to begin making the necessary arrangements (bed, wheelchair,etc) to bring Antonia home in the next couple of weeks. She is still unableto move the left side of her body and has very limited movement on the right side.
She also is unable to speak or eat via her mouth.Please pray that God would continue to heal her and bring her to completeand full recovery. Please pray that all the details in bringing her homewould go smoothly and that God would continue to give Dean much comfort andwisdom in all the necessary decisions. Thank you all for your continuedprayers.
Sincerely, Gina, on behalf of Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 12:50 PM
Dear Family and Friends,
Well, yet another week passes and I have plenty to give thanks for. I am connecting in an intimate way with Antonia more and more all the time. I often feel like she is fully awake and alert right beside me, but she has laryngitis and can’t speak. I can tell inside jokes, and she gets them. I can make the same old quirky statements I used to, and she smirks. I can talk about memories we have together, and she smiles. I am a blessed man, because God has given my wife back to me with a sound mind.
I think it is probably important to communicate to you all that Antonia has not been considered in a comma for some time now. As soon as she began making conscious actions she was technically out of comma. The comma scale is put together in such a way that a person receives points for certain things they do; the best score one can get is 15, and the worst score one can get, if there heart is beating and they are breathing, is a 3; 8 and below is considered comma. Antonia was a 4 for three months, but now she is most likely somewhere in the teens. I am not exactly certain as to her number (they haven’t retested her), but from what one doctor said from observation, she is certainly not considered in a comma any longer.
As you know from the last update, we have been having communication issues with the doctor at Arden. I have been working on getting the chiropractic neurologist in to see Antonia, but it looks like we might have to take her to his office once a week. We have recently had a physiatrist see Antonia, and this has been good because he is a medical doctor who approaches patients from a rehab perspective. They are more holistic in the sense that they seek to put together a plan combining medicine and therapy. They are often more open to having someone like a chiropractic neurologist treat her as long as they understand the procedures and are convinced it won’t put the patient in any harm. We are thankful for this change and pray that he will be more open with us and more aggressive, consistent, and directed with Antonia’s therapy. Antonia also receives occupational, physical and speech therapy 5-6 days a week at Arden, which the physiatrist will also begin to coordinate.
We will be posting a few new pictures including one of her sitting up and holding herself up, and another of her first time standing(with help, of course). So, look for those soon on this website.
Antonia also now moves her head up and down to answer yes and side to side to answer no. It makes it so much easier to communicate. We do not know how long she has been able to do this, but seeing as I didn’t ask her, there is no way to tell. You never know, maybe she was wondering why we didn't ask her to move her head instead of lifting her finger, but as you can gather by now, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to rehab therapy. Anyway, this makes communication much easier in many ways.
A week or so ago, when we were out in the courtyard at Arden with Antonia, we let her taste some lemonade… and she liked it. Mary (Antonia's mother) let her taste some apple. She would scrape a slice of apple with a knife and the juice and pulp would collect on one edge, then she would place it on Antonia’s lip—Antonia really enjoyed it. Azaleah (our 6 yr old daughter) put a piece of apple up to Antonia’s lip and said, “Try some apple Mama.” To all of our surprise, she actually took a bite!! This kind of freaked us out because we thought she might choke on it. Thankfully she opened her mouth when we asked her to, and we were able to remove it.
Some of Antonia’s therapy includes things like: lifting weights, writing O's, sitting up, standing, moving legs, etc. Her legs seem to be getting stronger and she can move her right leg quite well. Please pray that God would begin the healing in her left side, as well as help her to speak (She is still unable to do very much, if anything, on the left side). We have been capping off her trach regularly now and she has still has not been able to say much of anything. Also, please pray for the financing on the house to go through, it is quite the laborious process because our unique set of circumstances.
Thanking our God,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Monday, March 07, 2005 9:13 PM
Dear family and friends,
We continue to see the encouraging signs of previous progress but no new or really significant changes this week. Antonia continues to smile and respond in various ways to her family and friends around her. She even thought it was pretty funny when I was joking around with a syringe and accidentally squirted her in the face with water.
Mary, Antonia's mother, was cutting Antonia's nails when I arrived one day. I sat on the end of the bed and Mary told Antonia that she was almost done, and that she would get up so I could sit with her as soon as she was finished. Not willing to wait, Antonia pulled her hand away from her mother and waved to me as if to say to her mom, "Stop cutting my nails, I want to hold my husband's hand—and I can’t wait."
The personnel at Arden continue with her therapy and have had her in a sitting position holding on to the tray table to stabilize herself. We received a new trach cap (the other was mistakenly thrown away), but it was the wrong one. We decided that instead of waiting for the right cap we would alter the one given us to make it work. We cut off a finger from a rubber glove and put it over the end of the trach. It seems to be functioning fairly well. With our new invention, we have again begun regularly capping off the trach for about 30 minutes at a time. We pray that this will be the beginning of being able to remove the trach all together. This will also allow her to vocalize more even though she didn’t make any sounds this week.
We are quite frustrated with the lack of communication between the doctor and ourselves. He has only seen Antonia once or twice for five minutes and then charged us an exorbitant amount. In addition to this, he has told the neurological chiropractor, who had been treating Antonia, that he is no longer allowed to treat her. I believe he thinks anything to do with chiropractic is equivalent to witchcraft. The staff at Arden are not talking completely straight with us, so we are in the process of finding out what we need to do in order to get the chiropractic neurologist in to treat Antonia. We will have our attending physician changed if that will remedy the situation, but at this point we are not sure it will. Please pray that God would open the door for the chiropractor to resume treatment. It has been several weeks since he has been able to see her, and we have seen the most progress with his treatment.
We currently have a purchase agreement on the house we were looking at, and if all goes well, we should be closing in April or May. One of the obstacles to my closing the deal is in receiving financing, which is contingent upon obtaining a permanent residency status (I’m a Canadian for you who are wondering). I need to show proof that my status in the States is secure. My current visa expires in June and must be reissued before I can get the financing. Please pray that my immigration issues would be resolved quickly, as it is always difficult dealing with bureaucratic entanglements.
Blessings,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 2/26/05 11:10 AM
Dear family and friends,
This week has had its ups and downs like the rest. The rehab center that Antonia is in has increased the amount of physical, occupational and respiratory therapy. This is encouraging, as we want to be doing all that is possible for her recovery/rehabilitation. One of the things they did this week was to put a pen in her hand and ask her to make Xs and/or Os. She did pretty well with the Os, but the Xs were not quite as legible. This is yet another encouraging sign that God is performing miracles in my wife, giving us more than we deserve.
Also this week the occupational therapist put her in a sitting position in her bed with a tray table in front of her and asked her to try to hold herself up. She was able to do so. She did, of course, still have on her neck brace as her neck muscles are not strong enough to hold up her head.
A kind of humorous thing happened this week. After a month or so of our knowing that Antonia is able to see, we finally remembered that she is nearly blind without her glasses. Ooops! Once again I show my brilliance. Her contacts were removed when she was originally admitted to the hospital back in October and no one thought to put her glasses on once we were aware she was able to see.
The cap to her trach was unintentionally thrown away and until the respiratory therapist comes again we are not able to move forward with weaning her from the trach. This area of recovery/rehab is going quite slowly and we hope to get a more regular routine for this process.
I am in the midst of trying to buy a home that will be suitable for Antonia and our needs. Pray that God would make the transition and preparations go smoothly and quickly.
Please continue to pray for more of these shocking miracles; and more specifically that God would start to activate her left side. Currently there is little to no movement on her left side. We don’t know at this point what will be temporary or permanent.
You can also pray for strength, endurance and organization as Antonia’s mom and I try to manage the home with all its responsibilities (which Antonia managed so brilliantly).
God is good,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 2/12/05 7:26 PM
Antonia has been having the usual off and on days. There are days when she does not move much at all, and then there are days when she is more active. When she is more active, we see those various encouraging things that we have already reported (moving to commands, smiling, etc.).
I am afraid that because I only report the positive, everyone reading these updates will think that Antonia is up and walking. Even though I get pretty excited about all her improvements, it is a roller coaster ride with ups and downs every day. We do have days where we think everything has gone in remission, and with a couple of these in a row, it can be somewhat discouraging. The improvements are continual if we look at them from a distanced perspective; however, on any given day it may seem as if she is regressing.
Thankfully Antonia appears to be over her bronchitis so we can resume trying to cap off her trach. This will be an attempt to get to the place where we can remove it completely, so that bringing her home becomes more feasible.
We are always thankful when we can get her to smile We know that she still has a sense of humor because when we joke with her, we can usually get at least a grin from her (and let me tell you, when she grins, it lights up the room—we all go home happy that day).
I can’t express to you all how amazed and how thankful I am for all your prayers.
May God bless you all,
Dean
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 1/29/05 12:56 PM
Thank you all for your prayers; it looks like Antonia’s bronchitis is on its way out. She has also regained strength and shown some more wonderful signs of improvement. On Wednesday, January 26, Antonia’s mom (Mary), Azaleah, Isaiah, and I were sitting around Antonia’s bed, and Mary asked her to smile. To our surprise, a big smile immediately came across Antonia’s face. This caused us all to burst out laughing and the more we laughed, the more she smiled; the more she smiled, the more we laughed.
On Thursday afternoon when I was alone with Antonia, I looked at her and said, “Hi, Beautiful.” And she once again smiled at me. That made my day!
Continue to pray that Antonia would have sustained strength; she tires quickly, and needs plenty of rest. She will be good one day, but then wiped out for three days after that. We also need to be careful not to over stimulate her. We see progress and we want it to come every day at the same rate. Patience is important for all of us right now.
God is faithful,
Dean Hellekson
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Fri 1/21/05 8:57 PM
On Sunday, January 16, the respiratory therapist had visited Antonia in order to start the process of capping her trach—so they can eventually remove it. While he covered the trach with his finger, he asked Antonia to say a vowel. She took a deep breath and then said, “Ah.” Wow, what a shocker to all of us. She even repeated it for her father twice more that day.
Other than this event on Sunday, it was a fairly uneventful week besides a slight setback on Thursday. Antonia came down with bronchitis, and as a result, she is having difficulty with congestion and coughing. At one point she had to go back on oxygen because all the congestion would not allow her to take a full breath, resulting in her oxygen saturation levels being low. She no longer needs the oxygen, and the nurses started her on an antibiotic, which we hope removes the bronchitis quickly. They also x-rayed her lungs on Thursday to check for pneumonia, and all was clear (Thank the Lord!).
The respiratory therapist wanted us to cap her trach three times a day for thirty minutes to see if we could wean her off, and eventually remove the trach. While she was capped, we were supposed to ask her if she could vocalize. However, due to her congestion, this did not go well, so we are letting her rest and recover before we try again. Please pray that God will her of the bronchitis and that the trach will be able to be removed.
Thank you all for your prayers and support,
Dean Hellekson
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From: Dean HelleksonSent: Fri 1/14/05 8:57 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Update on Antonia:
This Thursday we had a magnificent and encouraging day with Antonia. Doug and Nancy Wilson, of Christ Church, Moscow came and blessed us with a wonderful visit, ministering Christ to us as they spoke words of comfort to Antonia. While they were speaking with Antonia, tears trickled down her right cheek. (I have never before seen her tear so much and it be so connected to a specific event.) I know she was truly affected by their comforting and encouraging words. God is good!
Following the Wilson’s visit, I had the most delightful time sitting by Antonia’s side talking with her about all that has happened from the time of her accident until now - at the recommendation of Nancy. (That’s how bright I am; it had never even crossed my mind to talk to Antonia about where she is and how she came to be there). As she lay there listening to the story, she was continually squeezing my hand - I felt like we were really connecting.
I also asked Antonia several times to squeeze and release my hand; she did every time! And whenever I tried to remove my hand from hers, she didn’t seem to want to let me go. At one point, as my hand lay under hers, she began to stroke the back of my hand with her thumb ever so slowly, as if to show affection. It was amazing, I felt as if she were going to come fully conscious at any moment. I was truly excited and my heart was glad.
Just as I was about to send out this update, we witnessed more encouraging activity in Antonia to share with you. Today (Jan. 14) Dr. Burns, the chiropractic neurologist, ran some tests on Antonia. When he asked her to raise her right shoulder, she did! When he asked her to flex her right arm, she did! When he asked her to wiggle her right toes, she did! When he asked her to move her right knee, she did! She even slightly tracked with her eyes. In addition to all of this already exciting news, she was able to respond to questions by blinking her eyes, once for yes and twice for no. Wow! God never ceases to amaze us.
Thank you all so much for your petitions, and I ask that you continue at the throne and ask for more undeserved kindness toward us.
May the God of Heaven richly bless you all,
Dean Hellekson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dean HelleksonSent: Sat 1/8/05 1:13 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Here is an update from Dean:
I apologize for not giving a recent update, but life was hectic during the Christmas holidays. Furthermore, there hasn't been a lot of significant change, but today we had a very encouraging thing happen: On command, Antonia squeezed and released her right hand five times. This is significant because it is her first definite volitional action. This action was confirmed by a chiropractic neurologist who is volunteering his time to treat Antonia. He uses various means of stimulating specific areas of the brain precisely targeting the areas that have been injured. He has visited her about four times now. We are grateful & blessed to have this doctor's help.
In addition to today's responses, Antonia has also been more alert this last week. She has had her eyes open for hours on end, and has shown more awareness on her face.
We are rejoicing and thanking God for all these little miracles from His hand. He is so good, and has been faithful in the details. His grace has been sufficient to sustain us through all of this.
The children have been doing as well as could be expected. They see their mama on a regular basis. Azaleah and Isaiah love to talk to her and tell her things when her eyes are open.
I thank you all so much for your prayers and all the monetary gifts you have given. We have been deeply impacted and blessed by all your kindness.
Continue to seek the Throne of Grace that we might find grace and help in our time of need. Continue to pray that God would keep performing these small miracles, and bring Antonia back to full health. Pray that God would give us wisdom, strength and courage to continually manage the details of life.
Abundantly Thankful,
Dean Hellekson
Posts from 2004
From: Dean Hellekson
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 1:02 PMSubject: Antonia Update
This is an update on Antonia.
Antonia has been doing fairly well at the rehabilitation center. There has been improvement with her left eye, the last couple of days we have seen a continual shrinking of her pupil. We have also seen her left arm and head relax from being in a continual state of flexion. Her head was continually turned towards the left, and her arm was in a pulled up position, but now both are relaxed and will stay in a neutral position. These are small but encouraging signs that God is doing some healing in her body.
We are so thankful that you all have labored in prayer for my precious wife. Please continue to seek the throne of grace with me, and beseech the Father for a miracle.
Also, continue to pray that the Lord would open up the appropriate doors for us to bring Antonia home.
Thankful, Dean Hellekson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 2:58 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Antonia was released from the hospital today (Tuesday DEC.7th). She is being moved to A rehabilitation and healthcare center (Address and facility name removed). She is stable and there wasn't anything further that the hospital could do to help her. This facility is about 10 miles from Dean and Antonia's home. Please pray that the care facility will take good care of Antonia. Dean will try and bring her home as soon as possible. He is looking at different living options and may have to move to have a place that will work for Antonia's care.
Dean did a great job with the message last Sunday, he spoke out of Psalm 34. Please continue to pray for Dean, Antonia and the children. We are still hopeful and trusting that God will heal Antonia.
http://helpantonia.org/
God BlessSteve Brown
Christ Covenant Church
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Friday, December 03, 2004 8:46 AMSubject: Antonia update
Antonia is doing better and is out of ICU. Her lungs are clear and her other vitals are stable. She is not able to get enough air into her lungs when they close off the trach. The doctors said that they won't be able to remove the trach because when they do Antonia is not able to breath through her mouth. They are looking for a facility for Antonia to go to until Dean can make arrangements to bring her home. There are very few facilities that will take coma patients with a trach. Dean and Antonia's home is to small to effectively care for Antonia so he will have to find another house before he can bring her home.
Some specific prayer items:Complete healing for AntoniaA facility for Antonia close to homeThat they would be able to remove the trachFinancial issues resolvedContinued strength and grace for Dean
Also this Sunday will the first time that Dean will be back in the pulpit since the accident and he knows it will be difficult, so please pray that he will have the strength to deliver the message that God has given him.
Thanks to all for your prayer and support of Dean and Antonia. http://helpantonia.org/God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
__________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 5:36 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Greetings:Today the doctor capped Antonia's tracheotomy to see if she could swallow and breath on her own. This happened a few hours ago and she has handled it pretty well. They won't remove the tracheotomy until she is able to breath on her own for a couple of days. Her care would be much easier without the tracheotomy. The right side of her body is more relaxed than the left side and the doctors said it would be a good sign if her left side would also relax. Her right pupil has started to react to light but her left one is still fixed. An indicator that her brain is healing would be her ability to react to a command. This could be a command to squeeze your hand or move her toes. Dean is overwhelmed by the love and support you have all shown. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and also pray for Dean, he is exhausted and needs your prayer for strength and wisdom.
God BlessSteve Brown Christ Covenant Church
__________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 10:10 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Greetings
Antonia's pneumonia has improved and her lungs are clearing out. A couple of things that you could pray for are that God would provide a way for Dean to care for Antonia at home. This would be a huge undertaking but this is what he really desires for his wife. He wants her around the children and be a part of the home. Her care would be much easier if they could remove the tracheotomy, this is a possibility if she is able to swallow and clear her throat on her own. If you could pray that Dean's insurance would help with the cost of home care. Most companies won't do this. He will also need a hospital bed and other equipment, but I will let you know as we find out what her needs will be. There is still no sign of improvement in relationship to the injury to the brain, but we are continuing to pray that God will heal Antonia and return her to us all. Dean wanted me to thank you all for your prayer and support.
http://helpantonia.org/
God Bless
Steve Brown
__________________________________
From: Elizabeth KirkmanSent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 12:22 PMSubject: Psalms for Antonia
Hello All!
I figured I'd save time with one general email, so for those of you for whom this is a repeat, please forgive, but read on for details you may have missed...
Most of you receiving this email already know Antonia, but some of you do not. If this is new to you, go to: http://helpantonia.org/ to learn about Antonia Helleckson and her wonderful family. Those who know her, know that she looooves singing the Psalms! As I've been studying this thing called "coma recovery therapy" and discovered music as a vital part of it, that little light bulb went off, and this idea was born. We are putting together a CD of Antonia's favorite psalms, by many of her favorite people, and hopefully many more! A wonderful and very busy guy named Joel Brown from Mars Hill Church is also very generous and willing to record us! Our goal is to get this done fast so we can have these Psalms blaring through her headphones A.S.A.P. !!!!
Practice will be on Sunday nights at the Kirkmans House, and dinner (or at least some sort of food) will be provided. This will not be a long term commitments on Sunday nights. It all deps on how many we can round up and how quickly we can prepare.
Please let me know what part you sing, and don't worry if you can't read music...we will be recording individual part tapes as soon as we can. I hope you can all make it!!! We would LOVE to have you! Please pass the word on and hopefully we'll end up with a good sized group!
And of course, please keep Antonia and her family in your prayers. We know that the God who "knit her together in her mother's womb" is perfectly able to easily "re-knit" anything that He created in the first place! He is a God of miracles, and He is working mightily in the midst of this. And so we wait, and pray....and sing! And Antonia would love the thought of that!!!
God Bless you all. Hope to see you soon!
Please respond as soon as you can.
Thankyou!
~Liz Kirkman
home~(425)776-8094
cell~(425)213-4135
e_kirkman@msn.com
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 5:41 PMSubject: Update on Antonia
I just spoke with Dean and he asked that we would pray for an infection that Antonia has in her lungs. It is pneumonia and they are treating it with antibiotics. If they get this under control she can be moved out of the critical care unit to a regular room. Dean'd mom arrived from Canada today and plans on staying with Dean and the kids for the next few months to help out. Antonia is still in a coma and there is no improvement as far as the injury to the brain Please continue to pray for her healing. I have included a link for more info on Antonia.
http://helpantonia.org/
God Bless
Steve Brown
206-999-7571
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 10:44 Subject: Antonia Update
Friends and Family:
Yesterday they performed a tracheotomy on Antonia to replace the breathing tube. Today they have inserted a feeding tube directly into her abdomen. They also have been able to reduce the amount of oxygen that they have been administering to her. The doctors have said that this is an indication that she is becoming stronger physically but is not an indication that the damage to her brain has improved. If she remains stable they will be moving her out of the critical care unit. They have told Dean that it is not possible for him to care for her at home. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and strength and wisdom for Dean. Dean is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support you have all shown. Many of you have asked how you can help and we have decided to set up a web site that people can make a contribution for expenses that Dean will incur. When this is set up I will include the link on future emails.
God BlessSteve Brown (removed)Christ Covenant Church
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 8:10 AMSubject: Update on Antonia
Antonia's condition remains the same. She is still in the intensive care unit at (removed). Dean is normally at the hospital from (removed). He then goes home to get the kids down. The children have been able to go in and see Antonia a number of times and realize that something is wrong with mommy and are praying that she will wake up. We are setting up a calendar to have someone praying and fasting each day for Antonia during the month of November. If you would like to participate please contact Ron Coverdale as he is setting up the dates. His email address is roncoverdale@yahoo.com. Dean is holding up but as you can image he is exhausted. Dean and his family attended church yesterday and Dean was encouraged to be able to worship with everyone. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and strength for Dean. Dean wanted me to thank you all for all your love and support. If you have any questions you can call me at (removed). Feel free to forward this to anyone that you think may be interested.
God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 10:43 AMSubject: Update on Antonia
Update on Antonia Hellekson.There is no change in Antonia's condition. The doctors believe that because of the severity of the injury to the brain stem that she will never awake from the coma. The only life support that she is receiving is assistance with her breathing. Dean and Antonia's families have all arrived at this time. Dean will be taking the children to the hospital to see Antonia today. Please continue to pray that the Lord will raise her up. If you have any questions please call me at (removed).
Steve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 9:46 AMSubject: Food for Family
FolksSome of you will get multiple emails, sorry but better than none at all. Linda Coverdale will be calling everyone and letting you know specifics about food for the family members that are from out of town. If you don't get a call or received this first you can call Linda at (removed). Dean and Antonia's family will be eating together at Dean and Antonia's Thursday and Friday evening, if you could prepare something that they could eat without having to do a lot of prep work that would be great. Soup-Salad-Finger foods-casseroles--cookies-- ????? The sliding door off of the deck will be unlocked so that you can just take it in if no one is home. Leave the door unlocked so that the next person can get in. The ladies will also be meeting after church on Sunday as by then we will have a better idea of what Dean's needs will be with the kids and Antonia. Dean is taking the kids up to see Antonia today so please pray for them that it will go well. Lunch will be provided at the hospital for today and tomorrow for the family. Covey and I want to thank you all for your outpouring of love and support for Dean and Antonia, Dean is overwhelmed and extremely thankful for you all. You have all rallied and have done just a wonderful job. As needs arise we will let you know. There is no change in Antonia at this time. Again thanks.God BlessSteve & Covey
____________________________________
From: Ben Schultz Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 12:42 PMTSubject: Antonia UpdateImportance: High
The doctor said it couldn't be much worse - she may be in a coma for months. He said people could look it up on the internet and it would explain what happened to her. The injury is called "Diffuse Axonal Injury," traumatic brain injury.
Please continue to pray for her and Dean. Dean said we would welcome visitors.
Steve_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 8:44 AMSubject: Re: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
I just want to give you all an update on Antonia. As of this morning there is no change. She is still unconscience at this time.There will be a time of prayer this evening at Christ Covenenat Church at 7:00, all are welcome. Dean's family and Antonia's parents will be arriving today. We will also be fasting today. Dean would welcome anyone who would like to stop by the hospital. She is in (removed) Medical Center (9 ave & Jefferson St.) 2nd floor west Hospital Wing, in the neuro intensive care unit. Dean wants to thank everyone for your prayer and support. You can call my phone if you have any questions, (removed). Please forward this email to anyone that you think would like to know about the situation. God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 1:36 PMSubject: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
FolksAntonia was riding a horse that they have on the property and we are not sure what happen but it must have fallen and Antonia was found unconscious and is at (removed) and still hasn't regained conciseness. She is undergoing test. I am on my way to (removed) and will try and sent out an email to give you all an update later today. Dean ask that we all pray.God BlessSteve
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 1:02 PMSubject: Antonia Update
This is an update on Antonia.
Antonia has been doing fairly well at the rehabilitation center. There has been improvement with her left eye, the last couple of days we have seen a continual shrinking of her pupil. We have also seen her left arm and head relax from being in a continual state of flexion. Her head was continually turned towards the left, and her arm was in a pulled up position, but now both are relaxed and will stay in a neutral position. These are small but encouraging signs that God is doing some healing in her body.
We are so thankful that you all have labored in prayer for my precious wife. Please continue to seek the throne of grace with me, and beseech the Father for a miracle.
Also, continue to pray that the Lord would open up the appropriate doors for us to bring Antonia home.
Thankful, Dean Hellekson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 2:58 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Antonia was released from the hospital today (Tuesday DEC.7th). She is being moved to A rehabilitation and healthcare center (Address and facility name removed). She is stable and there wasn't anything further that the hospital could do to help her. This facility is about 10 miles from Dean and Antonia's home. Please pray that the care facility will take good care of Antonia. Dean will try and bring her home as soon as possible. He is looking at different living options and may have to move to have a place that will work for Antonia's care.
Dean did a great job with the message last Sunday, he spoke out of Psalm 34. Please continue to pray for Dean, Antonia and the children. We are still hopeful and trusting that God will heal Antonia.
http://helpantonia.org/
God BlessSteve Brown
Christ Covenant Church
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Friday, December 03, 2004 8:46 AMSubject: Antonia update
Antonia is doing better and is out of ICU. Her lungs are clear and her other vitals are stable. She is not able to get enough air into her lungs when they close off the trach. The doctors said that they won't be able to remove the trach because when they do Antonia is not able to breath through her mouth. They are looking for a facility for Antonia to go to until Dean can make arrangements to bring her home. There are very few facilities that will take coma patients with a trach. Dean and Antonia's home is to small to effectively care for Antonia so he will have to find another house before he can bring her home.
Some specific prayer items:Complete healing for AntoniaA facility for Antonia close to homeThat they would be able to remove the trachFinancial issues resolvedContinued strength and grace for Dean
Also this Sunday will the first time that Dean will be back in the pulpit since the accident and he knows it will be difficult, so please pray that he will have the strength to deliver the message that God has given him.
Thanks to all for your prayer and support of Dean and Antonia. http://helpantonia.org/God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
__________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.comSent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 5:36 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Greetings:Today the doctor capped Antonia's tracheotomy to see if she could swallow and breath on her own. This happened a few hours ago and she has handled it pretty well. They won't remove the tracheotomy until she is able to breath on her own for a couple of days. Her care would be much easier without the tracheotomy. The right side of her body is more relaxed than the left side and the doctors said it would be a good sign if her left side would also relax. Her right pupil has started to react to light but her left one is still fixed. An indicator that her brain is healing would be her ability to react to a command. This could be a command to squeeze your hand or move her toes. Dean is overwhelmed by the love and support you have all shown. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and also pray for Dean, he is exhausted and needs your prayer for strength and wisdom.
God BlessSteve Brown Christ Covenant Church
__________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 10:10 PMSubject: Antonia Update
Greetings
Antonia's pneumonia has improved and her lungs are clearing out. A couple of things that you could pray for are that God would provide a way for Dean to care for Antonia at home. This would be a huge undertaking but this is what he really desires for his wife. He wants her around the children and be a part of the home. Her care would be much easier if they could remove the tracheotomy, this is a possibility if she is able to swallow and clear her throat on her own. If you could pray that Dean's insurance would help with the cost of home care. Most companies won't do this. He will also need a hospital bed and other equipment, but I will let you know as we find out what her needs will be. There is still no sign of improvement in relationship to the injury to the brain, but we are continuing to pray that God will heal Antonia and return her to us all. Dean wanted me to thank you all for your prayer and support.
http://helpantonia.org/
God Bless
Steve Brown
__________________________________
From: Elizabeth KirkmanSent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 12:22 PMSubject: Psalms for Antonia
Hello All!
I figured I'd save time with one general email, so for those of you for whom this is a repeat, please forgive, but read on for details you may have missed...
Most of you receiving this email already know Antonia, but some of you do not. If this is new to you, go to: http://helpantonia.org/ to learn about Antonia Helleckson and her wonderful family. Those who know her, know that she looooves singing the Psalms! As I've been studying this thing called "coma recovery therapy" and discovered music as a vital part of it, that little light bulb went off, and this idea was born. We are putting together a CD of Antonia's favorite psalms, by many of her favorite people, and hopefully many more! A wonderful and very busy guy named Joel Brown from Mars Hill Church is also very generous and willing to record us! Our goal is to get this done fast so we can have these Psalms blaring through her headphones A.S.A.P. !!!!
Practice will be on Sunday nights at the Kirkmans House, and dinner (or at least some sort of food) will be provided. This will not be a long term commitments on Sunday nights. It all deps on how many we can round up and how quickly we can prepare.
Please let me know what part you sing, and don't worry if you can't read music...we will be recording individual part tapes as soon as we can. I hope you can all make it!!! We would LOVE to have you! Please pass the word on and hopefully we'll end up with a good sized group!
And of course, please keep Antonia and her family in your prayers. We know that the God who "knit her together in her mother's womb" is perfectly able to easily "re-knit" anything that He created in the first place! He is a God of miracles, and He is working mightily in the midst of this. And so we wait, and pray....and sing! And Antonia would love the thought of that!!!
God Bless you all. Hope to see you soon!
Please respond as soon as you can.
Thankyou!
~Liz Kirkman
home~(425)776-8094
cell~(425)213-4135
e_kirkman@msn.com
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 5:41 PMSubject: Update on Antonia
I just spoke with Dean and he asked that we would pray for an infection that Antonia has in her lungs. It is pneumonia and they are treating it with antibiotics. If they get this under control she can be moved out of the critical care unit to a regular room. Dean'd mom arrived from Canada today and plans on staying with Dean and the kids for the next few months to help out. Antonia is still in a coma and there is no improvement as far as the injury to the brain Please continue to pray for her healing. I have included a link for more info on Antonia.
http://helpantonia.org/
God Bless
Steve Brown
206-999-7571
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 10:44 Subject: Antonia Update
Friends and Family:
Yesterday they performed a tracheotomy on Antonia to replace the breathing tube. Today they have inserted a feeding tube directly into her abdomen. They also have been able to reduce the amount of oxygen that they have been administering to her. The doctors have said that this is an indication that she is becoming stronger physically but is not an indication that the damage to her brain has improved. If she remains stable they will be moving her out of the critical care unit. They have told Dean that it is not possible for him to care for her at home. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and strength and wisdom for Dean. Dean is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support you have all shown. Many of you have asked how you can help and we have decided to set up a web site that people can make a contribution for expenses that Dean will incur. When this is set up I will include the link on future emails.
God BlessSteve Brown (removed)Christ Covenant Church
_________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 8:10 AMSubject: Update on Antonia
Antonia's condition remains the same. She is still in the intensive care unit at (removed). Dean is normally at the hospital from (removed). He then goes home to get the kids down. The children have been able to go in and see Antonia a number of times and realize that something is wrong with mommy and are praying that she will wake up. We are setting up a calendar to have someone praying and fasting each day for Antonia during the month of November. If you would like to participate please contact Ron Coverdale as he is setting up the dates. His email address is roncoverdale@yahoo.com. Dean is holding up but as you can image he is exhausted. Dean and his family attended church yesterday and Dean was encouraged to be able to worship with everyone. Please continue to pray for Antonia's healing and strength for Dean. Dean wanted me to thank you all for all your love and support. If you have any questions you can call me at (removed). Feel free to forward this to anyone that you think may be interested.
God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 10:43 AMSubject: Update on Antonia
Update on Antonia Hellekson.There is no change in Antonia's condition. The doctors believe that because of the severity of the injury to the brain stem that she will never awake from the coma. The only life support that she is receiving is assistance with her breathing. Dean and Antonia's families have all arrived at this time. Dean will be taking the children to the hospital to see Antonia today. Please continue to pray that the Lord will raise her up. If you have any questions please call me at (removed).
Steve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 9:46 AMSubject: Food for Family
FolksSome of you will get multiple emails, sorry but better than none at all. Linda Coverdale will be calling everyone and letting you know specifics about food for the family members that are from out of town. If you don't get a call or received this first you can call Linda at (removed). Dean and Antonia's family will be eating together at Dean and Antonia's Thursday and Friday evening, if you could prepare something that they could eat without having to do a lot of prep work that would be great. Soup-Salad-Finger foods-casseroles--cookies-- ????? The sliding door off of the deck will be unlocked so that you can just take it in if no one is home. Leave the door unlocked so that the next person can get in. The ladies will also be meeting after church on Sunday as by then we will have a better idea of what Dean's needs will be with the kids and Antonia. Dean is taking the kids up to see Antonia today so please pray for them that it will go well. Lunch will be provided at the hospital for today and tomorrow for the family. Covey and I want to thank you all for your outpouring of love and support for Dean and Antonia, Dean is overwhelmed and extremely thankful for you all. You have all rallied and have done just a wonderful job. As needs arise we will let you know. There is no change in Antonia at this time. Again thanks.God BlessSteve & Covey
____________________________________
From: Ben Schultz Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 12:42 PMTSubject: Antonia UpdateImportance: High
The doctor said it couldn't be much worse - she may be in a coma for months. He said people could look it up on the internet and it would explain what happened to her. The injury is called "Diffuse Axonal Injury," traumatic brain injury.
Please continue to pray for her and Dean. Dean said we would welcome visitors.
Steve_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 8:44 AMSubject: Re: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
I just want to give you all an update on Antonia. As of this morning there is no change. She is still unconscience at this time.There will be a time of prayer this evening at Christ Covenenat Church at 7:00, all are welcome. Dean's family and Antonia's parents will be arriving today. We will also be fasting today. Dean would welcome anyone who would like to stop by the hospital. She is in (removed) Medical Center (9 ave & Jefferson St.) 2nd floor west Hospital Wing, in the neuro intensive care unit. Dean wants to thank everyone for your prayer and support. You can call my phone if you have any questions, (removed). Please forward this email to anyone that you think would like to know about the situation. God BlessSteve BrownChrist Covenant Church
_____________________________________
From: Swb4109@aol.com [mailto:Swb4109@aol.com] Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 1:36 PMSubject: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
FolksAntonia was riding a horse that they have on the property and we are not sure what happen but it must have fallen and Antonia was found unconscious and is at (removed) and still hasn't regained conciseness. She is undergoing test. I am on my way to (removed) and will try and sent out an email to give you all an update later today. Dean ask that we all pray.God BlessSteve
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