"For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 30:17)

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On June 18, 2004, after 90 days of being hospitalized, Evan returns home. Follow his miracle below!

Saturday Morning June 19 - 10:00AM
The Goretzki family finally got to spend the night all in the same house. It has been a long time and Kelly and I are so happy to have Evan sleeping in his own bed. What a great feeling! It's the closing of a chapter in this saga and the continuation of a new one. We have turned a page and we're all ready to go forward. It will be interesting to see how Evan responds to being at home. I have spent the past several weeks preparing our home for him. I have build a couple of ramps and moved his bedroom from the second floor to the main level. Our living room was hardly ever used and now, that is Evan's new bedroom. I have him set up pretty comfortably I think. I hope he enjoys it!

Sunday Afternoon June 20 - 3:00PM
What a great start to Father's Day! Evan coming home is the best present I could ever imagine. Especially since I remember the days back at Rainbow when this did not seem likely. I was the last one to wake up and what a surprise! I was just starting to wake up when I heard Evan and Jenna both say, "Happy Fathers Day Dad!" I couldn't believe it, Evan was using his cane and standing next to the bed with Kelly and Jenna. Kelly asked Evan if he would like to try to go upstairs to surprise Dad. He immediately said "YES!" What a great son and family I have. After that we all got dressed and went to church where we were welcomed back by Father Jeff and the entire congregation. I really felt like I truly belonged there. Later today we'll have a little "Goretzki Family" cookout (hey, that kind of sounds like the Griswalds) and slowly start to get back to things of everyday life. Evan has therapy evaluation at 8:00AM tomorrow so we can't tire him out too much...haha!

Monday Afternoon June 21 - 1:00PM
Evan had his speech therapy consultation this morning. It went well and his new speech therapist seems very nice. We do not know how long Evan will spend at Firelands but I'm sure he will do well. I told Evan that he and I were going to do some shopping on Tuesday. I thought we'd go to Wal-Mart and he could spend some of his birthday money. He deserves a trip out for fun!

Tuesday Evening June 22 - 8:00PM
Our shopping adventure was a lot of fun. We went to Wal-Mart and bought a couple of games and two DVD movies that he had been wanting. This evening after dinner Evan wanted to go out in the back yard with Jenna. We rolled him out so he could play catch with Jenna. She has a Nerf football and wanted to play catch with Evan. Kelly and I though for sure this was a bad idea. After all, how could Evan catch with just one hand. Well once again, he proved us wrong! They played for about 30 minutes and really enjoyed themselves. I am so glad that this worked for them. It is great to be able to see them play together again!

Friday Evening June 25 - 10:00PM
Talk about time going fast! Today marks the one week anniversary of Evan coming home. It has also been a full month since his birthday. That really does not seem possible! Evan has certainly seemed to "settle" back into life at home. In fact, he even has a friend spending the night tonight. Therapy at Firelands is starting off well. His therapists are very nice and Evan really likes them. We do however REALLY miss the therapists at the Clinic. They really are wonderful and we spent so much time with them all, they have become family. Lisa from speech therapy at the Clinic already emailed Evan and said "We miss you... it's not the same here without you". How sweet!!

Wednesday Afternoon June 30 - 2:00PM
Evan and Kelly came home from therapy today and Evan was all excited to show me something. He said, "Hey Dad, hold onto my left hand, put you hand inside mine". I did and he said "Now watch!" As I stood there, I felt Evan slightly close his hand onto mine. It was really wonderful! This is the first time he has been able to do anything with his left arm in over three months. This may be a sign that his arm is finally on it's way back! Time will tell.

Thursday Morning July 01 - 10:00AM
We have certainly had a big week. The therapists in Cleveland and the team at Firelands have said how very beneficial water therapy is for Evan. In Cleveland he was getting in the pool sometimes 3 or 4 days a week. He only gets 1 hour a week at Firelands and that was just not enough. I spent a week working with a few companies and am happy to say that we are putting in a pool for Evan. Nothing to elaborate but definitely helpful with therapy. We would like to sincerely thank the great team at Litehouse Pools in Sandusky and the Sandusky Lowes store. Lowes offered us a substantial discount on materials to build a deck. We have to have a deck where we can lower him into the pool. Thank you all so much!!

Thursday Evening July 01 - 9:00PM
Evan was surprised this evening by the Huron High School Tigers! The all came to our house, sand the Huron fight song and gave Evan a football the entire team had signed. He also received a ball cap and a handshake from each player. Before they left they invited Evan and our family to be their guests at a football game. We will definitely attend!! Thanks Guys!!

Friday Evening July 02 - 11:00PM
Here's some big news! I got a call today from the Huron Riverfest Committee. They want Evan to be the GRAND MARSHALL of the parade on July 10, 2004. He will ride in a convertible which is being provided (for the day) by the Sandusky Chrysler Dealership. This should be a lot of fun! What a great honor for Evan! We hope to see you all there.

saturday Evening July 10 - 8:00PM
What a great day!! Evan was the Grand Marshall in the Huron River Fest Parade. The parade was fantastic. They sure made Evan feel like a celebrity. Kasper Chrysler gave us a black convertible Sebring to use for the parade. Every time we would start to move, we would have to stop while people everywhere stood up and applauded Evan. It was so GREAT!! It was like every person at the parade knew Evan and was waiting for him to arrive! How wonderful it made him, and all of us feel! The pool project is coming along... slowly! The installer informed us this would be a two day job. This is now day 8 and the pool is still not done... YUK! Hopefully by tomorrow it will be finished and I can begin building the deck so will be able to get Evan into the pool. Evan continues to work hard in therapy and is doing very well. His spirits are very high and he likes it when his friends call or come over. He still has a busy schedule. Therapy in the morning and his school tutor comes over after lunch for an hour or so each day. Then he rests a little and Kelly and I work with him on the exercise ball or walking with his cane. Kelly really is doing a fantastic job with him!

Monday Morning July 12 - 8:15PM
Tomorrow is the big day. We will be at Rainbow in Cleveland nearly all day. Evan is meeting with a a couple of specialists to determine if he is a candidate for the Gamma Knife Surgery procedure. He will have a CT Scan, MRI and other tests to see what the condition of the vessel in his brain is in. I will let you know on Wednesday what the results are. Please say an extra little prayer for Evan tonight. Tomorrow will be a stressful day for him and all of us.

Wednesday Evening July 14 - 9:00PM
We spent all day Tuesday at Rainbow for Evan's Gamma Knife Consult. We were hoping that this vessel would have reduced on its own and not require additional treatment but it did not. The new MRI showed that the vessel was in fact as strong and active as ever. Even though Evan faces some potentially serious risks, Kelly and I feel we have no other choice than the Gamma procedure. The only other alternatives are doing nothing at all or invasive surgery. Doctors tell us that Evan's risks will increase 4% each year if we do nothing. This means in 20 years when he is 31 years old, the chances of him having another massive stroke are at least 80% and will continue each year. Doctors do not feel that Evan would be able to endure another such trauma. Doctors call this a "time bomb" and they strongly caution us against leaving it alone. Invasive surgery is even more dangerous. The risks involved in the surgery strongly out weight the potential for good. It is likely that he would not survive such a surgery or become extremely physically and mentally impaired. So we come back to the Gamma Knife Procedure. This is very new in the United States, in fact the first procedure was done in America 1998. There are several risks including vision damage, development of a tumor or additional paralyses to the left side of his body. The vessel, as it dries up could even enlarge causing pressure on the brain leading to possible seizure or future strokes. I fell very uncomfortable and even scared about this procedure but I know it is Evan's best and really only chance for survival. His procedure is August 5th at Rainbow. Please continue to pray for Evan and ask God to lead our son safely through this surgery and onto a complete recovery.

Friday Evening July 22 - 10:00PM
I cannot believe how quickly time is going. Evan has been home for over a month already and summer will soon be winding down! Evan had a good week and everyone is adapting well to all the craziness. We did get a call today from Rainbow and Evan's Gamma Knife Procedure has to be rescheduled. One of the specialists is not available on August 5th so they had to reschedule him for August 26th. Please remember to keep Evan in your prayers. The therapy pool is finally complete and I have been working day and night to finish the deck. After many days of intense work, we finally got to a point where we could get Evan into the pool. We did not know how he would respond but too our delight... he loved it! He really enjoyed and even said "Dad, thanks for doing all this work for me!" We again would like to thank Litehouse Pools and Lowes for their help on this project. I would also like to thank our neighbors and Barnes Nursery for hauling away all the dirt we had to remove from the back yard. You cannot even imagine how much there was! I have just a couple more days of work to do until I complete the project. It was a very demanding job and honestly the first deck I have ever built and it turned out great. I will be at a wedding on Saturday and Kelly is planning on taking Evan to a birthday party. One of the children Evan met at The Cleveland Clinic invited him to his birthday party and Evan is really excited to go and see him again. I Evan has another big surprise coming and I'll let you know when it happens. The golf scramble is this weekend at Woussickett Golf Course in Sandusky. Come on out and have fun and help Evan.

Friday Evening July 22 - 11:00PM
New Pictures Just Added!

Sunday Evening July 25 - 9:00PM
Today was the Matthew Gardner Memorial Golf Scramble. Despite a little rain, it was a lot of fun and everyone was so very nice. We would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. We would especially like to thank Matts mom, Darlene McCreery! This is a wonderful woman who lost he son just 4 years ago. She has taken something so difficult and turned it into something to help others. Each year they hold this scramble and donate the proceeds to a local family that has real need. Thank you so much!! Bless You All!!

Friday Evening July 30 - 9:30PM
This has been a quite week. Evan continues to work very hard in therapy and we all do everything we can to make things a little easier for him. Summer is moving quickly and soon we will be back to school. It's been over 4 months since Evan's stroke. That is not a lot of time but some days it seems like this has been going on for the past two years.

Wednesday Morning August 04 - 10:00AM
We finally made it to Dave & Busters! I had been promising Evan a trip up there and with therapy, tutoring and everything else, it has been hard to get away. We went yesterday (Tuesday) and had a great time. We had lunch, played games and then turned in our tickets to buy some things. It was a fun trip. After we got back, we were all invited to the Sandusky Stroke Club Summer Picnic. Jackie Meyer invited us all to attend and we were so glad we could. Everyone was so happy to see Evan and to see how he and all of us were doing. Jackie has become a very dear person to us and we appreciate her very much. Going to the picnic was enjoyable yet really surreal. The members are all older people, in fact, I would guess the youngest may have been in their 50's. It just brings back that question. Why does a 10 year old have to have a stroke. The stroke survivors club is full of great people with amazing stories but I just can't help but say an 11 year old boy should not be in a Stroke Survivors Club. Our family has taken a detour. I believe in time we will get to our destination but it will just take longer. Evan will be on the radio on August 7th. Rainbow is having a Radio Telethon with Brian and Joe on 106.5 FM. I believe we will all be on around 12:00 (Noon) so please be listening. We are grateful to you all and will see you soon. We are still scheduled for the Gamma Procedure on August 26th so please keep Evan in your prayers.

Saturday Evening August 07 - 11:00PM
We certainly had a busy two days. Yesterday we all drove out to Norwalk Raceway Park. I told Evan I needed to talk to my friend that owned the track. I also explained that I did not want him (Kelly and Jenna too) to stay in the car so they all got out with me. As we approached the office, we were met by Bobbie Maggard and Tom Larrow. They had a surprise for Evan. Bill Bader Jr., the owner or Norwalk Raceway Park and a friend of mine had been following Evan's story. A few weeks ago he and I had talked about Evan and how he was doing. As we talked I had mentioned the bike that Evan had used while at the Cleveland Clinic and that they were so expensive. (It's what they call an "Adaptive Tricycle" designed for children with physical disabilities. I posted a photo on Evan's picture page) We spoke of the bike just for a minute or so and then talked about other things going on with Evan. To get to the point, Bill Bader Jr. and his family had purchased this bike for Evan. What an incredible thing for him to do. I don't want to say how expensive it was but I can tell you that Kelly and I were in no position to make such a purchase right now. Evan had been talking about getting a bike like this since the day he came home and now he has it. Bill, you made a dream come true for Evan. You'll be happy to know that Evan has already gone around the block on his new bike. This will do much to help strengthen the muscles in his legs. Thank you my friend!! Today we were all invited to Rainbow Hospital for the Brian and Joe (Radio 106.5FM) Radiothon for Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. They do this once a year and invite a few very special patients back to tell their story and how Rainbow helped them. We met Brian & Joe and were on the radio live at about 12:10PM. It was very nice and we appreciated doing our part to help. Rainbow has done so much for Evan and for all of us that we could never thank them enough. They use this radiothon to help raise money for things the hospital needs. New medical equipment, portable IV units, DVD/VCR players for patient rooms and the list goes on and on . They have a big need because they help so many children. We hope some of you heard the broadcast and were maybe even able to help out.

Saturday Evening August 07 - 12:00AM
New Pictures Added!

Friday Morning August 13 - 10:00AM
Evan had an trying week. It started by us finding out that Evan had SUBLUXATION, which means his left arm bone is pulling out of the shoulder joint. The muscles hold the bone in place and since Evan's really are not able to use those muscles, they are getting very weak. The result is the bone pulling out of the socket. The next day the therapist said the arm was back into place so it may be that it falls in and out of place often. We have to be very careful about the position of Evan's arm while he sits or walks. Somehow we have to keep it from falling to his side. Later in the week, Evan had to go to a doctor and have two ingrown toenails cut out. He has never had any kind of foot or toe problems before and it's odd that he would have both his big toes ingrown at the same time. So he had to have them fixed and that was very painful for him. Then Thursday it was off to the dentist for some work and today he has a lot of blood work that needs to be done before his Gamma Knife Procedure on August 26th. I really just wish he could get a break and not have anymore bad things happen. He's already been through so much!

Monday Afternoon August 16 - 3:30PM
We just returned from Cleveland as Evan had a couple of doctors appointments today. First we went to Rainbow and followed up with Dr. Robinson, she's the incredibly talented surgeon that performed Evan's emergency surgery that saved his life. She was very pleased at how well he was doing and assured us that the Gamma Knife Radio-Surgery was the right thing to do. Then we went over to The Cleveland Clinic Rehab Center where we met with Doctor Henry. He was also pleased with Evan's progress and as he checked Evan over, something completely wonderful happened. Evan has been taking steps while using his cane and we hold onto him. He can also walk while we hold his hand or arm and steady him. However something very new happened in Cleveland. Evan said, "Hey Doctor Henry, wanna see me walk?" Of course he did and suddenly Evan unbuckled his safety belt, stood up and walked on his own with no one holding onto him. He walked across the exam room and right out the door into the hallway. I was totally stunned! I walked over to him, gave him a huge hug and said "Evan, what is this, I didn't know you could do this!" He looked at me, smiled and said "Isn't it wonderful Dad?" "Of course it is" I responded while giving him another hug. This was the best day!! How wonderfully exciting!

Thursday Morning August 18 - 12:30AM
Evan's Fun Night celebration is really coming together. I just heard that they will have clowns, magicians, caricatures, a dj with dancing and much more. It will be a lot of fun!! For more information about this, click here Evan Goretzki Fun Night September 25th 2004 or or call 419/433-5736

Thursday Evening August 19 - 6:00PM
Kelly took Evan out on the golf course. He enjoyed the putting green and driving range. Obviously it was not like it was before teh stroke but he really enjoyed getting back to what he enjoys. He really had a GREAT time.

Thursday Evening August 19 - 6:15PM
Golf and new pictures added to Evan's picture page.

Wednesday Evening August 25 - 5:20PM
I know I have been pretty quiet this week. Evan's big day is tomorrow and we are praying very hard for his continued miracle. I am of course speaking of the Gamma Knife Procedure scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) morning at Rainbow. It's a pretty serious procedure so please say an extra prayer for Evan tonight. I'll talk to you all soon.

Friday Morning August 27 - 10:00PM
Evan's procedure went well yesterday. We arrived at Rainbow around 6:15Am and did not leave until around 8:00PM last night. It was a v-e-r-y long day but well worth it. Doctors told us that the procedure seemed to go very well and Evan did "great". He was under anesthetic all day so he was asleep through all of it. He started out by meeting a great young lady named Susan. She stayed with him the whole time and made sure he was doing well, she would then come back and tell us how he was doing and reassured he was in great hands. She really made the process so much easier for Evan and for Kelly and I too. Evan was put under general anesthesia, then fitted for the "Halo Traction Device". He then went down for a cerebral arteriogram, an MRI and then a CT scan. After doctors were able to get "a really good look" at the vessels, they were able to set the machine to precisely target the affected area. The procedure itself took about 2 hours or so and then it was off to recovery. Evan woke up quickly and within a few minutes, he was alert, talking and aware of what was going on. He enjoyed three orange Popsicles before having his IV removed and getting to go home. This procedure has been going on in this country for about 6 years and while common with adults, only about 2 children per year undergo Gamma Knife Surgery. It still is considered very rare for children to go through this type of illness. Now we wait and in 6 months, we will return to Rainbow for a follow up MRI and go from there. This process usually takes about fours years to be completely effective and even at that point, we may still not be in the clear. Doctors tell us that Evan has a better than 75% chance that this vessel will be gone by the four year mark but if not, we may have to explore alternative methods. So we just wait and see. The down side of all of this is that the vessel could still bleed Evan after the procedure. The risks of the bleed do not change after the Gamma Knife Procedure. Simply put, the vessel "is either there and risky... or gone... it does not weaken with treatment". We however believe fully that Evan will make a complete recovery and all will be great with him. Evan had a semi restless night, he fell asleep late, woke up often and woke up early this morning. Today he is tired and has a low grade fever both of which doctors expect. He was instructed to limit his physical activity so his been playing video games with his sister and resting. He promises to beat me at the X-Box game, Halo later today so I have to be prepared to be beat by an 11 year old with only the use of one hand.

Friday Afternoon August 27 - 1:30PM
WOW, in today's mail came a special delivery for Evan. A personalized letter and picture from The President of The United States, George W. Bush. The letter contained words of encouragement and was signed by George himself. Evan was shocked by this and felt very honored. We did as well. A big thank you to our President for making our son feel so very special.

Monday Morning August 30 - 9:00AM
We had a few people over yesterday for a little "end of summer" picnic. Brian Brace from the Perkins Fire Department showed up with a real life PTFD helmet. It is really cool... in fact, I'd kinda like to have one for myself! Brian presented Evan with the helmet, it even has his name on the back, and we grabbed a few photos, I'll try to post those this week. It was a great surprise... Thank you all so much! I have to remind Gary that he stills owes Evan a ride on the fire truck...haha!

Monday Evening August 30 - 10:00PM
Well today was another big day... the first day back to school! Evan had not attended any classes (outside the hospital) since last March when he had the stroke so this was a pretty "new thing". He started 6th grade so of course school is nothing new... but Evan's mind is not always what is used to be so this was really a different kind of "first day!" Kelly took him to school, as she will everyday and waited until his aide arrived so they all could meet. I understand from Evan that she "is very nice" and he likes her a lot. He also really likes his teacher and it appears that once again, Evan is blessed with another GREAT Perkins teacher. Every year since kindergarten he has had wonderful teachers. He really enjoyed being back at school and back with his friends. He will only be going half days, the other half will be spent in therapy, we really need to keep that going! Evan gets to stay at school for lunch, which of course he loves, and then Kelly picks him up and they go on to therapy before arriving home at 4:30PM. It's a busy schedule so it is very tentative. We will just have to see how he does. Jenna also had a great first day and said to me "I love Meadowlawn... I never want to leave there"! We'll see how she feels on one of those cold January mornings when we wake her up for school...

Sunday Evening September 5 - 8:00PM
We all went to the Milan Melon Festival today and Evan really had a good day....we all did. We of course ate some great food and enjoyed a sno-cone while watching the parade. When we got home it was so warm outside that we all went for a swim in the pool. This will probably be the last time for this year so we really enjoyed it. I cannot believe how quickly this summer has gone. I'll talk to you soon.

Saturday Afternoon September 11 - 8:00PM
Kelly took Evan and Jenna to the Perkins High School football game last night. I had to work and they both wanted to go so off they went. I was really glad they did, Evan had a FANTASTIC time and saw so many of his friends. It is so great for him to be doing all these things he used to love to do. We are so fortunate to be able to do this with him. The week ended and all was well. My birthday was on Thursday but we will celebrate it tommorrow when we are all home together.

Friday Morning September 17 - 9:30AM
Evan's going to be in the Perkins Homecoming Parade tonight and then we're all going to the football game to watch our team WIN! Things are all going well and really nothing new to report. I will be on the radio (WCPZ 102.7 FM) on Tuesday September 21, to update everyone on Evan's progress and how he's been doing since he came home. Evan seems to have had no negative effects from the Gamma Knife Radio-Surgery he had a few weeks ago so we're very happy about that. Evan is very excited about the FUN NIGHT event being held at the American Legion next week, he can't wait to go. Maybe we'll see you there.

Tuesday Morning September 21 - 12:00AM
Evan's been busy, surprisingly things have not really slowed down too much. School is going well and Evan is trying very hard to stay focused. He gets up early and Kelly takes him to school, then at 12:20PM, after lunch, she picks him up and takes him to therapy. He has class and therapy everyday but Friday. No therapy on Friday. He also has a tutor come to our how two times a week and work with Evan on missed class work. He is very busy and still maintains a great attitude. However he is beginning o get a little frustrated with the wheel chair sometimes. Not everyday but he does occasionally get a little sad that he cannot get up and play with his friends. This was especially hard for him at the football games when his friends were running around and having fun. But we assure him that someday things will get easier for him and we can put this ordeal behind us. He has the unconditional love and strength of his parents and family. We will not fail him...EVER! Later this morning I will be on the radio station again. WCPZ, 102.7 FM asked me to stop by on Tuesday morning around 8:30AM for a quick update so if your up, tune in. It's also our (me and Kelly) anniversary, 13 great years with a few difficult months just recently thrown in. I figure if every couple must face a difficult time, at least we know ours has passed.

Tuesday Morning September 21 - 1:00AM
I wanted to share this poem a dear friend gave me last week.

THE SPECIAL CHILD
The Child, Yet Unborn, Spoke With The Father, Lord, How Will I Survive In The World? I Will Not Be Like Other Children. My Walk May be Slower, My Speech Hard To Understand. I May Look Different. What Is To become Of Me? The Lord Replied To The Child. “My Precious One, Have No Fear. I Will Give You Exceptional Parents. They Will Love You Because You Are Special Not In Spite Of It. Though Your Path Through Life Will be Difficult, Your Reward Will be Greater. You Have Been Blessed With A Special Ability To Love, And Those Whose Lives You Touch Will Be Blessed Because You Are So Special.”

Tuesday Morning September 21 - 1:20AM
New Pictures Added. Check Under The New Page, More Pictures!

Sunday Evening September 26 - 11:30PM
Evan Goretzki Fun Night was a huge success. Evan and everyone had a GREAT time. So many people came and it was such a nice party. "BoBo the Clown" was a big hit, he was making balloon animals and such the entire night. The Perkins High Cheerleaders volunteered as face painters and did a great job, they worked hard all night. Our caricature artists also did a wonderful job and never stopped the entire evening. A special thank you to Ed Dalton for his musical services and hard work. Also a big thank you to Zion Lutheran Church for all they did. Everything went so well. Thank you to all the volunteers that helped out with the evenings events. Also to everyone that donated items or services to this great cause. We would like to thank our parents and families for the hard work they did and A BIG thank you to the American Legion, who sponsored the event providing the food, space and beverages, not to mention all the hard work. Last but not least, thank you to all of you for your continued support, prayers, love and well wishes for Evan. Without that, we would not be where we are today. Thank you and bless you all!! I have spoke to many people that continue to tell me they are still reading Evan's web page everyday. I know it takes time to get to this site and read the updates so beginning today, we will update this site at the end of each month. We will of course let you know immediately if anything happens. Evan is doing great and we are still working very hard at walking and using that left arm. I believe the next couple of years will bring those back. Please feel free to continue to email us if you'd like. Our next update will be at the end of October or sooner if we have something important to share. Please keep Evan's continued recovery in your prayers. Bless you and peace to all.
Jeff, Kelly, Evan and Jenna

Sunday Evening September 26 - 11:30PM
Evan Goretzki Fun Night Pictures Posted on the "More Pictures" Page!

Sunday Afternoon October 10 - 4:30PM
We just had really great visit from State Representative Chris Redfern and Roger Fisk. Roger Fisk is with The National Advance Staff for John Kerry. So he works directly for Senator John Kerry or as Rogers says "my boss". Both Chris and Roger are really great guys and hand delivered a poster with a special message addressed to Evan from Senator John Kerry which he signed this morning. Evan was really excited. All of us were very touched by this very nice gesture that had to be difficult to do on such a short notice. I had actually met Chris Redfern over a year ago had just met Roger just this past Friday. Guys, thank you so much for doing something so very special for Evan. You really gave him a tremendous boost! Good Luck To You Both!!

Sunday Afternoon October 10 - 4:30PM
Really Important Pictures Just Added!

Monday Evening November 1 - 6:00PM
What a quick month October was. It was a very busy time in the Goretzki house. This past month Evan has been getting much more mobile and trying new things. While at home, Evan does not even use his wheel chair anymore. For the past three weeks or so, we have been leaving it in the garage. He is really getting around the house very well. He asked Kelly and I if we would move his bed back upstairs into his room. He said he missed being up there and wanted to go back to sleeping in his own bedroom. Since he had been doing so well with the stairs, we decided we give it a try. With us right him, Evan slowly makes it up the stairs and into his room with really no trouble at all. When coming down, he has to sit on his butt an come down step by step, similar to the way young children do when first learning to walk. Evan's next request was that I remove the ramp from the kitchen into the step down family room. He said he would feel better with it gone and he thought it would be easier for him. I waited a couple of days to make sure he hadn’t changed his Mind. Realizing he was sure, I took it away and he has been doing great making the small step. Evan is getting very brave at trying new things and I actually am a little nervous watching him. He is still unstable and has fallen a couple of times. A couple of weeks ago at school he fell sideways right off the bench on the cafeteria table. The fall resulted in what seemed to be a pretty bad internal bruise on his left arm (this is the arm effected by the stroke.) He had been getting some movement back into that arm but the injury pushed him back a few weeks. Now he is just about back to where he was before falling. Then for reason he had been complaining that his little toe on his left foot had been bothering him. After a couple of days of no improvement, Kelly took him for an X-ray. The result was a dislocated toe. We have absolutely no idea how this happened. He always wears his brace when he's up and wears the cast while he sleeps. We really don't know how it happened. Fortunately it's nearly healed now and doesn't seem to bother him much. Let's see, what else? Evan is still attending school half a day and then therapy. School is going pretty well but remains challenging for him. School was an area that Evan always seemed to do well in and this year things are more difficult. Evan has an aide that stays with him while he's at school. She sits with him in class and helps him take notes and helps him understand what's going on. We are so glad that she's able to do this. Evan really likes her and Kelly and I feel comfortable with her by his side. I know the big question everybody wants to ask. Did Evan go trick or treating?? Yes, he did! Evan jokes with me because when I was young, I, like many kids, was scared of clowns. So this year Evan and Kelly conspired against me and Evan was a big scary clown for Halloween, and yes I posted the picture. Kelly pushed him around the neighborhood in his chair and he trick or treated at each door. He really had a lot of fun. The thing about Evan now is he really wants to do all the things other kids are doing, all the things he used to do. He knows he has limitations but really wants to push to do more. Maybe that's ok right now. I think I covered everything that happened in October. Remember to check the picture page and I'll talk to you in about a month. Peace to all!

Monday Evening November 1 - 7:00PM
New Pictures Added!

Thursday Morning December 2 - 10:30AM
Can you believe it's December already? Evan has been home for almost 6 months! I cannot believe how quickly time passes. Evan continues to work hard in school and therapy. He continues to improve with his motor skills and we see definite improvement in his short term memory. We could not be prouder of him! We had a busy month and Evan gets more and more comfortable in his "new" surroundings. I put another rail on the upstairs staircase. Now he feels more comfortable going up and down as he can hold onto the rail with his right hand in either direction. Evan also continues to push for his own independence. As often as possible, he will use the bathroom at home by himself and even go up or down stairs on his own. I get very nervous but I know I must let him adapt. As I'm working on the update, I'm listening to a new song from Josh Groban called BELIEVE. It is very good and so powerful. Parts of the song remind me of Evan and his struggle. The one line is "believe in what you feel inside and give your dreams the wings to fly... you'll have everything you need if you just believe". WOW! I could not ask for a better or stronger son. He's just the best! During the month of November Evan went on a field trip to the rain forest with his class, participated in a "Turkey Trot" at school and even made the honor roll. He continues to work with his aide at school and tutor after school. Last week Evan and I spent the day together. We went to Cleveland and did some shopping, had dinner and even went to the movies. We both had a GREAT day! Next weekend I will stand up in front of our entire church (all 3 masses) and speak of hope. Speak of how even when all seems lost, hope in your heart will lead you from the darkness and into the light of life. If I could share some personal advice with all of you I would tell you to never give up. Love and cherish each other everyday, don't let little things be big problems or obstacles. Put your arms around your loved ones and embrace them everyday. Things do change and we do not know what the plan for us is. Peace to all and may you find your own hope during this magical time of year.

Saturday Afternoon January 01, 2005 - 3:30PM
Happy New Year! That simple phrase means more for us this year than ever before. We hope and pray that 2005 is a great year for Evan and his recovery continues. I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. It really seems like it was just back to school time. In just 3 short months, we will be at the 1 year anniversary of Evan's stroke. Some days, this does not seem possible, yet often, it seems that this has been a way of life for a very long time. Time is so important to Evan right now. I continue to hear how this first year of therapy is so important. Evan still cannot use his left arm or hand so I struggle with the passing of valuable time. I do believe that Evan will get that back. If he cannot do it on his own, someday science will be able to help him. I have to believe this. December was a festive time for all. We had a busy month and Evan continues to work hard in school and therapy. We went to the Sandusky Stroke Club Christmas Party in December, it was a very nice event and it was nice to see everyone. I had mentioned in last months entry that I would be speaking of "HOPE" to our church on December 11 and 12. I spoke at all 3 masses and actually choose not to write a speech but just speak from the heart. All three talks offered the same message but were not the same. It actually was not very difficult for me to speak to everyone, after all Evan is a very easy topic for me to talk about. The most difficult of all three was the 10:30AM mass, this is the one Evan attended. I spoke of how proud I am of him and how I look at him as my hero. Evan listened to me speak and as I began to walk away from the podium, I received a warm round of applause and Evan bust into tears. He was just overwhelmed. His emotions continue to stay close to the surface and he sometimes cannot help it. It was a very special moment. The month also brought the opportunity for Evan to attempt to frost Christmas cookies, a difficult task with just one hand, but he managed. Evan is still adjusting to life with only the use of one hand and arm. I see how frustrated he gets when even something as simple as itching his other arm can be. How do you itch your right arm without being able to use your left arm? You ask Mom or Dad! Evan's walking continues to improve and we only use the wheel chair at school, therapy or mall shopping. He has had a few falls around the house and we remind him to take things slow and easy. The big snow storm proved to be yet another opportunity for Evan to do something "normal". He actually went out and enjoyed the snow. It was a fun time as he and Mom made their way around the driveway and backyard. Christmas Eve was special as well. We always spend the evening with Kelly's family for a big family get together and Evan was able to walk in and not use his chair. He keeps saying how he wants to be independent and he continues to push himself. Christmas morning was a very special time. Things moved a little slower this year, Evan and Jenna were both very excited but it wasn't the "crazy excited" that it usually is, just more of a "happy enthusiasm". Evan opened his gifts one by one and was very appreciative of each and every one, even the sweater he opened (haha). It was a great month. In a couple of months we will be heading back to Rainbow for a follow-up visit. Doctors want to take a new look at Evan's brain to see if the Gamma Knife Procedure has changed anything. An MRI will hopefully show no further damage. It may be too early for any positive results, but we'll just have to wait and see. Remember Evan's condition, as far as the stroke is concerned, has really not changed. He is at as much risk as he ever was. Realistically he could have another stroke at anytime. We pray, and believe that won't happen but are reminded that the Gamma Procedure takes 4 years to be effective. I will update you when we know more. Until then, please continue to pray for him and his recovery. I will post some new pictures this week. Have a great new year.

Monday Evening January 03, 2005 - 10:30PM
BIG NEWS!! Kelly just told me that Evan moved his thumb in therapy today. It was a very slight movement but a movement non the less. WOW! This is VERY exciting!! Just the news I had been waiting for.

Sunday February 06, 2005 - 10:30AM
The month of January has been quite successful for Evan. He is re-learning the art of balance...something we all take for granted. His therapists April and Wendy are working on different techniques to strengthen his confidence in balance and coordination. He can now lower himself to the floor, and then get up without holding on to anything. This is quite huge!! Evan is so proud of this milestone, and so are we! He is also trying to re-teach his brain to use his left arm. There are machines at the hospital that help him to re-train the brain to think that he is using his left arm by watching the therapy exercise while in progress. This is a " re-assigning" of brain neurons to another area so that we hope, in the future, his arm will regain its use. Evan is also enduring "e-stim" sessions on his shoulder and facial muscles to help stimulate use of the arm, and to improve his already bright smile!! All this with no complaining! He does still get tired on occasion, and actually chooses an afternoon "nap" over an afternoon session of XBOX games!! Evan's new self- imposed goal is to "get rid of my stupid wheelchair at school!" He is adamant about this, but we need to take his safety, and energy level, into consideration...esp. on days that therapy takes place right after school. He says he can use his cane, and " I'll be just fine Mom!!" but he's not thinking of all the extra work his body will be doing if he changes his routine. Jeff and I are definitely for as much independence as possible..as is his paraprofessional at school Mrs. Mapus, but we'll have to think this one over! Also in January, Evan learned of an award that he has received from the local American Red Cross. It is a "Heroes" award they give out to local heroes that have affected the community etc.. Evan was very proud to be nominated ( by who else...his loving parents ) and to receive one of the awards. This will take place in early March. Evan also spends time watching one of his favorite shows " American Idol ", and watching all the crazy contestants that can't carry a tune! It's fun to watch, but now that they've gotten rid of all the "bad" ones, I'm not sure how long the interest will remain! Evan also has been enjoying speding time with his friends, having sleepovers all the time on the weekends. We still aren't allowing him to stay overnight at a friend's house yet, but as long as he can have someone over here, he feels content. Of course, that means if Evan has someone over, so does his sister Jen...I mean, that wouldn't be fair would it?? (haha) So, I end up with 4 kids in my house every weekend. Now I know what my mother endured with the four of us growing up...and why she's so crazy today!! (just kidding Mom!!) It really makes Evan happy to be with his friends, and at this point, that's our number one priority...make our kids happy, and make it easier to cope with our life changes.

Tuesday March 1, 2005 - 9:00AM
The month of February has come and gone in a flash! Dashing our hopes of "no more snow", it ended with a nice little display of the white stuff just in time to shock us back to reality...spring doesn't arrive for a few more weeks!! We started the month with a whole lot of great news. Evan made the honor roll again, proving that hard work, dedication, and aggravating parents that make him study, as he likes to say, " on his days off " (i.e. the weekends) really does pay off. Even though Evan is still a little modified in his classes, he is still expected to do the same work as everyone else. Considering that 6 months ago we didn't know if he'd even be able to go to school at all, we consider this to be a great accomplishment!! Of course, we couldn't do it without the tremendous help from Evan's para-pro Mrs. Mapus. She is a God-send!! Other great news this month were the follow up visits and testing Evan had at Rainbow. The first was having an MRI, then going straight to his Neurosurgeons office. Dr. Robinson was very pleased with Evan's progress. Of course, since we're never quite sure of what Evan will say next, we were waiting to see what he would say as he demonstrated how to lower himself down on the floor and then get back up again. He was normal in his question to the doctor, "Can you do that no- handed? " She replied that she thought maybe she could, but acted humble in her response. Evan then quickly said, " Let's see ya try! " I promptly told him not to worry about her capabilities right now...esp. since she's got a skirt and heels on. We then discussed the all important question that had been on our minds lately.. can Evan get on a plane?? When Dr. Robinson said "yes", Evan immediately walked over to her desk and gave her a hug. He said, " We want to go to Myrtle Beach and I was hoping you would say I could go on a plane!" That made us all very happy! The following week was the follow up visit with the "Gamma Knife" doctors. They were impressed with Evan's recent MRI ( no more swelling, and most all the blood from the initial bleed was absorbing). They said it was too early to visualize the vessel they "zapped around", but it looks good so far. They also were very impressed with Evan's physical progress...as neither one of them had seen Evan walk, move his arm, or get up and down up off the floor. They told him, " Evan..you are just making our day buddy!! " We were happy that they were so happy!! We now go back in one year for another MRI and recheck. We continue to constantly pray for the healing of this vessel. Other activities of the month include Evan asking both Jeff and Papa if either one of them could take him out to Thunderbird to the driving range to "hit some golf balls." Unfortunately at both times of request, the temperature wasn't even in the 20's, so both Jeff and Papa declined. However, Evan reminded both of them " the place is heated you know ", but none the less, Evan's body doesn't need to be subjected to the extreme cold for any reason. His left side continues to be overly sensitive to either hot or cold. I reassured him that when the temperatures rise up a bit...like in the 50's.. good ole Mom will venture out with him, just like I did every Saturday early am the summer before his stroke, and watch him hit a bucket or two. He begrudgingly accepted that answer...for now!! (haha) Evan, like all 6th graders in the area, has been reviewing for the proficiency testing that will occur in March.It has been difficult to review with a child who doesn't have full memory capacity, but surprisingly, he has tried to retain the information that he has learned most recently. To go back and think about what he learned in 4th or 5th grade has been trying, since he is expected to have retained that info from the past. I had questioned whether or not Evan would even be a valid candidate for the exam, or should he be exempt, but the school states he should take the exam..( No Child Left Behind Act ). Even the doctors were surprised to hear that he would be expected to take the test, citing " is it a legal choice over a logical choice??" I agreed, at first, with that opinion, but I must say that over the weeks he has surprised Mrs. Scherger (his home tutor) and myself with the amount of questions he has answered correctly in the " Practice Exams." Evan was always a bright student before his stroke. There are certain parts of him that renew themselves each day right before our eyes. Maybe I needed to give him more credit instead of trying to play the "protective" mom. Speaking of over protective parents (haha) , Evan has been having periods of a kind of "separation anxiety" from Jeff. He can't stand for him to go to work, or to leave him for any length of time on his days off. Since Jeff has been actively pursuing his "degree in Catholicism" (RCIA program at our church), even Sundays seem to go fast as it's one of two of Jeff's days off. Sometimes it's hard for Evan to keep an accurate judge of time. So, since Jeff is off on Sunday and Monday, he's doesn't start spending time with Jeff until the afternoon on Sunday...then after school and therapy on Monday. Hopefully this summer will allow more time with Dad, when therapy will be the only "obstacle" to their spending time together! The end of this month was spent in reflection as we attended a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for a local girl in our area who was in a car accident last November. Her name is Julie Miller, from Castalia. Although I didn't know Julie personally, I felt the absolute need to attend this important dinner in her honor. She is such an accomplished young lady, and I have prayed for her since hearing of her tragic accident. Upon arrival to the dinner, we happened to be greeted by her mother Gwen. I began to re-live the overwhelming feelings I had when attending Evan's benefit dinner last May. It was that overwhelming feeling of compassion and love. I was ready to cry several times because I could really understand what her family must be going through first hand. We introduced ourselves, and the first thing she did was hug Evan, and commented on how great he was doing. Our family presented her with a little gift of a plaque that talks about "Healing through Hope" ...something that everyone knows Jeff is passionate about. He wanted to make sure we let Julie's family know how important it is to have Hope!! I told her quietly, as we stood next to a table full of Julie's honors, pictures, and old family snapshots, to never give up hope. These were the same words told to me by my friend Leah, while up at Rainbow, almost 11 months to the day, while in the waiting room of the PICU. I needed to hear those words then, as much as I needed to say them that day, to another grieving mother. I can only hope and pray that her daughter has the same miraculous recovery that we have witnessed so far in Evan. I also hope that everyone reading this month's entry will stop to say a prayer for the Miller family...as we all know just how the power of prayer can change your life!!

Sunday April 3, 2005 - 2:00PM
First of all, it's April 1st, and I really don't have time for April Fool's pranks, but I do have to say " Happy Birthday" to my sister Kim on her 48th birthday....OK, just one prank!! She's actually only 42!! Happy Day Mimi!! The month of March was an extremely eventful one! To start things off, Evan was challenged by Mr. Kinsel (at Briar school) to walk into school. He told Evan that when he walked into school with just his cane, he would buy him a donut on " Donut Wednesday." Evan decided he would do it the very next day...which happened to be a Wednesday... and was promptly escorted by Mr. Kinsel to the cafeteria to get his frosted donut!! Mr. Kinsel graciously put the 50 cent donut "on his tab!" (haha) Everyone is so quick to motivate Evan to do better, esp. Mr. Kinsel. He never lets Evan get past him without doing something that shows he's trying to improve something in some way. We appreciate the efforts he, and all the Briar staff, puts forth to motivate Evan. We celebrated Evan's nomination at the American Red Cross Heroes Banquet on March 5th. The reception was held at the Colonnade, and was very uplifting to everyone in attendance. There were so many stories of heroism, and inspiration. Each of the 10 recipients were very deserving. There was even one recipient ( Emily Reddaway ) that had won the award for "Youth Volunteer" that had actually volunteered at one of Evan' s fundraisers!! What a small world!! Evan was very proud to have actually been nominated and win too!! He was the " Youth Inspiration Award" winner. Evan, like all 6th graders this month, took the Proficiency tests. He thought that they were "OK" but said, " I wouldn't want to have to take them again." I don't blame him there. It should be interesting to see how he does since his brain injury has limited his ability in memory, comprehension etc... I'm not complaining. He's doing better than we ever had hoped. But, we do want him to continue to improve to the best of his ability. He gets a lot of encouragement from his para pro Mrs. Mapus. She tells Evan that if he stays on task etc..that he can push HER in his wheelchair out to the lobby for me to pick him up!! It's quite a scene to see him pushing her in his wheelchair! ( Not to mention the fact that she's skinny enough to actually fit into a pediatric wheelchair!! I'm so jealous.. haha) They both have such grins on their faces!! He is blessed to have her in his life, as well as the ever patient Mrs. Scherger as his tutor for home studies. Jeff and I don't know what we'd do without this "dynamic duo!" As for therapy, and extracurricular activities, Evan has been doing well at OT and PT sessions. He recently spent time in the " kitchen" with Wendy baking peanut butter cookies! He really enjoyed that task, coming home and saying he wanted to do it again that night. Well, since his mother isn't known for her cooking " prowess", I decided to put off that event for another time. We then, instead, went for a bike ride ...something I feel much more comfortable with!! (haha) He has been having episodes of boredom, and even stated one day, " I'm going for a walk ouside around the house...I'm too bored in here!! " Even though it was only 40 degrees outside, I helped him with his coat, and he was on his way! He walked around the house..much to my dismay due to the concrete driveway...about 5 times until he got tired. When he came back in, he said, " OK , I'm ready to get back to my XBox!!" I think, as do his therapists, that Evan is getting burned out from the everyday routine he has had for the past 9 months. Summer will be quite rewarding for him as he can really enjoy his pool, bike, and just the knowledge that there will be no "studying" to be done!! Evan does realize the importance of therapy, even though he does get a bit demanding for the girls. He is also an 11 year old boy who, by nature, just really doesn't "feel" like doing what is expected sometimes . Jeff and I have talked to him about the importance of this year, and he must stay focused. But, it is hard and we just have to be positive and patient. We know that he loves to get into the weight room during therapy with April and Danielle. He recently was able to do leg presses with 100# weights. I was very impressed. The girls are really working him to do the best he can EVERY time!! Thank you girls!! On the 16th of this month, Evan took himself outside to the swing set without telling me. I happened to see him through the bay window trying to get situated on the swing. It was all I could do to keep myself from running outside to help him, but I didn't. I watched with baited breath as he struggled to get on the swing with one arm. He managed to do it, swing a few " rounds ", and hurriedly came into the house with excitement. I got away from the window just as he came in through the sunroom door yelling for me. He said, " Mom, look out the window...I want to show you something!" Of course I didn't say anything, and anxiously watched as he made his way out into the backyard to repeat his latest " independent" task. He was so proud to have done it all by himself. Needless to say, because of the sap I am, I was tearful and so happy for him. I went and got our camera and took some pictures. Then with my help, he managed the " rock wall " to climb up to the top of the playyard, in order to come down on the slide. What a great moment for Evan and his stride towards independence!! However, with independence comes injury!! (YUCK) On March 19th, Evan fell in the basement and fractured his left distal radius. For you non medical people (haha), that's one of the arm bones. The break is close to the wrist. He has to wear a splint for 6 weeks. We were very sad, as this inhibits OT therapy. We also had thought recently that his ring finger had been broken as well, but it wasn't. It just looked like it was. Evan was pretty upset about the break at first, asking why God had done this to him. He said, " I don't deserve this do I ? " I felt bad too, but promptly reminded him that, " God didn't do this to you Evan...you tripped over your own feet...God just made sure you didn't fall on your good arm. Atleast you can still do things on your own with your good arm." Evan said he agreed. As March 21st approached, the one year anniversary of Evan's stroke, Jeff and I decided we would just let the day pass as any other. We were both filled with sadness , reliving that horrific night of one year ago. We said we would not bring it up to Evan, as we didn't want to upset him. But, the Sandusky Register called and wanted to do a follow up story on him. We said " yes ", and the story went in the next day. Many people let Evan know after reading the article that they were so proud of him. He even said that he didn't realize that a year had passed..or even what day it was for that matter.( haha ) We're glad, in a way, that right now his concept of time is a bit off so he doesn't dwell on things. Maybe that's why he stays so motivated!! Also on March 21st we learned that a friend of ours' daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Her name is Gina Munafo, and she is an adorable 6th grade girl in Huron. She is just starting on the road to recovery with chemo treatments, and we ask for anyone reading Evan's website to please pray for her too!! Her webite is www.munafofamily.com They would appreciate any words of wisdom you might have! Please tell her " Evan sent you " if you email her because Evan told me he " wanted to do something to help her like people have been helping me. It's the least I can do. " He's such a sweetheart!!! Easter Sunday morning was spent at home this year as we attended Easter Vigil the night before for Jeff's initiation into St. Peter's Church. It was a lovely ceremony with a wonderful reception afterwards. Incidentally, Evan got everyone to sign his " cast " while we were in the Gathering space. Where he came up with the gumption to ask someone to look for a permanent marker at church I'll never know...but he did!! ( haha ) Many of you have asked about Jenna and how she's doing. Well let me tell you, she's a phenomenal little girl!! I try to spend as much time with her as I can. She has been so patient, knowing that my time is tied up with Evan's therapy, exercises at home, and of course homework . She never complains! We share a lot of " girl talk " over homemade decaf Lattes, and store bought (haha) ice cream. Our favorite shows to watch together right now are, " America's Next Top Model " ( we want Rebecca to win ) and "American Idol " ( Carrie, Bo , Anwar , and Constantine are our faves!!) It's so much fun watching reality TV as long as it's a fair and fun competition!! We're not into the " Survivor" or " Fear Factor" antics!! (haha) Plus, Jen's only 9 years old. Speaking of Fear Factor, Jeff finally was able to score some " shoes with roller skates inside them" that Jen asked for last fall. That was one of the things she had been begging him to get for her. He said as soon as the weather breaks he'd get them. Well, because of Jen's EXTREME love for shoes, the first day it was 60 plus degrees, she asked for the shoes. Jeff promptly responded with, " Geez Jen, you've got a great memory when it comes to shoes!! " Dad provided the cash, and we headed out to the store and got the shoes. Within 2 hours, Jen fell in the neighbor's driveway. She was fine, but to me, that's where the "Fear Factor" comes in! (haha) We hope you all had a blessed Easter. We are thankful to God for so many of the good, happy things in our lives, but we also have to accept those that are sorrowful. Our sweet and wonderful Grandma Margaret Fox passed away on March 29th. She was 82 and very special to all of us. Evan and Jenna loved it when we took Grandma to church every Sunday, up until the time she was unable to walk very well. Grandma loved going with us too...even if I had to keep " shushing " Ev and Jen during the service to be quiet. She didn't care for the " talkers " in church, but she never said anything to me when she knew it was my kids making all the noise!! We know she is with the Lord looking down on us. I know I will be thinking of her every Sunday in church when I have to quietly " shush " the kids, knowing she's up there smiling. God Bless you Grandma!!!

Monday May 10, 2005 - 5:00PM
Greetings everyone!! Sorry this entry is a bit late, but the Goretzki household has been extremely busy this past month of April! So busy in fact that it took me until May 7th to write it!! Evan started off the month on ( April fool's day ) by wearing an old cast on his right leg to school. He wanted to "prank" everyone into thinking that he had injured his right leg, and therefore was left with only one good extremity...his right arm!! He had everyone going for a while, then had to admit that it was an old cast he used to have to wear every night at the Cleveland Clinic. Everyone thought it was a realistic injury (since he had just broke his left arm) but were relieved to find out it was only a joke. Leave it to Evan to pull at everyone's heart strings!! However, with his fall and break of the left arm, we discovered that he has osteopenic bones. It showed on the Xray. It means a weakening in the bones due to decrease bone mass. We are taking every precaution so that Evan doesn't fall and break another bone. He has been started on calcium supplements (Viactiv) twice a day. When I told him he would have to take the soft chews, he thought I said " viagra!" You can just imagine our discussion after that little miscommunication!! Now it's just a big joke every morning. He'll say, " It's time to take my viagra...I mean Viactiv!! " He's such a little character, being a boy that's almost 12, with all the puberty stuff going on. I should have picked a calcium supplement with a neutral name!! (haha) We had some great travels in the month of April, first being to my sister's house in PA. We forged through the 8 hour drive to her house with relative ease...esp. with Evan's attention span with what it is. Thank God for in-car DVD players and portable CD players! It was a great trip seeing everyone, and also having the honor of being little Ava's God parents for her Baptism. It was a special time for all of us. When we returned home, we had a week to prepare for our vacation. We planned a 7 day cruise on Royal Caribbean to the Western Caribbean. We had stops in Labadee Haiti, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Georgetown Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. It was tremendous!! Evan was able to participate in all of our chosen excursions with help. Our favorite was probably Cozumel where we got to swim with the dolphins. We were in water that was shoulder high. I held onto Evan's life jacket with one hand, and helped his left arm up to pet the dolphin, and " shake fins " with him. He was also able to give the dolphin a "kiss ". The experience was unbelievable, and Evan even said, " I'm so glad I can do this Mom! " It about broke our hearts!! The other excursions were fun too, but that one was the highlight! The cruise ship itself was massive!! We had a wheelchair for Ev because it would have been too much for him to walk all the time. It was really quite an adventure. The only thing he didn't get to do that he wanted to was the infamous " rock climbing wall " that you always see on the Royal Caribbean commercials. He said he would try it if they would let him, but their policy wouldn't allow it. Jeff and I were very proud that Evan would even think to make the attempt to do it to begin with. He felt pretty sad about it, but he took it in stride and watched his sister tackle the huge wall! It was exciting to see her go up the wall and actually ring the bell at the top! She was thrilled, and so were we. Evan was a bit sad, but we couldn't blame him. He got over it quickly as we headed to the kid's Arcade shortly afterwards!! (haha) The whole trip was one we hope the kids never forget. I know they won't forget Jamaica because they both were very bothered about how poor the country side was. It was a great learning experience, for sure, seeing how bad other people have it. I think they really realized just how fortunate they have it. After coming home from the trip, and enduring extra hours at the airport due to lost luggage, it was back to school the very next day. No time for jet lag...even though we left the ship at 7:30 am and arrived home at 10:00pm..it was straight to bed and then straight to school the next morning!! Both kids handled it very well, and said they'd do it again if they had to !! We hope that summer is finally here to stay!! Evan is anxious to get back to Thunderbird to golf, and on his bike to ride around the neighborhood. Jen's ready for rollerblading, and skateboarding..not to mention playing basketball and tennis. Let's all pray for healthy kids...and lots of sunshine!!!

Wednesday June 01, 2005 - 1:00AM
The month of May has been quite eventful to say the least. Evan got to see one of his "idols" on T.V. Channel 11 news out of Toledo did a story on Jeff Coll from Bellevue. They were profiling his participation on the Bellevue track team this season. What is unique about Jeff, for those who don't know him, is that he too suffered a major brain injury almost 10 years ago. He is able to walk with the help of a modified cane, and has limited use of his left arm...similar to Evan's case. Anyway, he throws the shot put and discus. But, he's throwing them from a sitting, or "on his knees" position! What desire this young man has to do his best. We are so proud of him, and are so encouraged by his strength, and " Never Give Up " attitude. We can't wait to see him next year on the track!! Mother's Day was wonderful as usual. It was a beautiful day spent with the kids, and getting spoiled for the day. Jeff planted a new tree by our new shed to replace the one we lost during the disastrous shed fire 2 years ago. The kids were happy to see a " baby " tree go in the spot where their favorite tree used to be. Evan has had some ups and downs this month. He's had several projects at school, which really " tax " his brain. For the 6th grade invention project, Jeff and he rigged up a tray holder for people who only have use of one arm. They used a couple of bungee cords, and a small piece of shelving. It was actually cute and easy. Evan had to record a commercial for this too. I can't wait to see that!! Around the middle of the month, Evan started getting enough balance to " shoot hoops " out at our basketball court. He's so excited to do it, even if it is only one handed. He said, "Mom, I just realized that if I bend my knees and push, I can make a basket! " This is HUGE for him since balance and coordination are the big focus in P.T. On the flip side of gaining balance comes getting too confident: Evan accidentally lost his balance going out of the house through the garage ( going to get a basketball ) and fell head first onto the garage floor. It all happened so fast that he didn't even have time to catch himself with his " good " arm. He landed right on the side of our gas furnace ( thankfully was off!! ) and onto his head, face and nose. We went to the ER and he checked out ok...the head CT was negative, and he just had some awful looking abrasions. Now he realizes he needs to slow down. How do you tell an 11 year old boy to do that?? Towards the end of the month we attended the Honor Roll Achievement Breakfast for the 6th graders. It was great to see a crowded cafeteria...just shows you how much Perkins schools strives for excellence!! On May 25th Evan celebrated his 12th birthday. He was so excited and said how glad he was to NOT be in the hospital like last year. We told him we were glad too!! The girls at therapy ( April & Wendy ) surprised him with a party of their own...full of cupcakes, and of course Evan's favorite: Nachos and Cheese!!! He got a Spanish/ English dictionary, and candy from the gang, and even a yummy cookie cake from Mrs. Field's from Jane. What a fabulous group of people at Firelands!! We Love them all!!! He celebrated with his friends by taking them all out to a movie and back to our house for pizza. It was scary for us because... how much pizza DO six 12 yr old boys eat anyway?? ( haha ) We had enough and even some left over. The boys were sort of full because they had popcorn and soda at the theater too. Anyway, after a few rounds of basketball, and 3 boys who mysteriously got wet in the pool, the day concluded. Evan was just so happy to be with his friends this year. Our prayer for Evan is to spend the rest of his birthdays with his family and friends AT HOME!!! We hope you all enjoy the warm temperatures and sunshine!!!

Friday July 02, 2005 - 11:30AM
June was a pretty eventful month, from the ending of the school year ,straight to sports camps!! Evan has been getting into the pool regularly, mostly goofing off with minimal time spent doing " home therapy " in the water. He keeps the 5# weight on his ankle, but would rather fool around playing water basketball than walking laps around the pool purposely putting weight on that left leg...which is the point (haha)! He has been swimming " laps " in the water also...have you ever seen someone swim " one-armed"? It's really quite amazing! Being the swimmer I was growing up, I can't help but give a little critique here and there saying, " Evan, kick with your left leg more...you'll go faster! " Then it occurs to me, " Have you ever swam laps in a pool with a weight on your leg?? " I suddenly close my mouth and leave Evan to his fun...without comments!! By the way, Jeff and his brother got the heater installed to the pool to keep the water at a comfortable temperature for Evan. He can get right in without having to worry about being too cold on his left side. For Father's Day, Evan had worked on a surprise for Jeff...jumping into the pool by himself. We practiced several times before Dad would see it. After doing it a couple of times, for a very proud father, Evan went in again...only this time he hit the bottom funny, causing immediate pain. He couldn't bear any weight on the foot for a couple of hours. Knowing we were probably heading into the ER if things didn't feel better soon, we proceeded to have dinner...checked Evan's foot, and then got into the van and went to the hospital. ( We knew we didn't want to go on an empty stomach haha ) The x-rays were negative, just a bruised foot. Thank the Lord for that! Evan really didn't need 6-8 weeks in a cast!! Instead, he had 2 weeks of his wheelchair outside of the house, and we teased him about how he " walked like an old man " inside the house. He was a pretty good sport about it all. We said no more jumping in the pool this summer. He agreed! Besides the pool, Evan has been playing golf, and shooting hoops in the driveway. He participated in the local " Al's Clinics " golf day ( at his favorite spot...Thunderbird Hills Golf Course) He was so happy to be there, even if his foot was injured and he had to use his wheelchair to get around. All the volunteers were wonderful, and everyone was so patient with Evan at all the skill stations. They waited for Evan to get on the greens etc..and encouraged him all the way! We can't say enough about John and Lori Schlessman and all their wonderful family and friends for all their efforts. The very next day, Jenna participated in the " Al's Clinics Tennis Day" at Baywinds Athletic Club. " She absolutely had a fabulous time! She has really played a lot of tennis so far this summer, not only with me, but also doing the 2 week Perkins Tennis Camp. She really loves the sport...not to mention basketball too. She did a week of the Perkins girl's basketball camp right after the tennis one. She's got more energy than me!!! I'm glad to see them take an interest in sports, no matter which one they choose to do! This month also marked a milestone for Evan in his "independence." He was able to spend the night at his best friend's house for a birthday "camp out." We were a bit shaky to let him stay overnight because he hasn't been out of our sight for the past year straight. But, we knew the Clemens family would watch over him nicely...and they did. Evan had so much fun, and was so proud that he could do it. He kept saying, " See...I told you so! " We just explained to him that it's hard to let him go in case he would fall etc... It's hard to relinquish that to someone else's responsibility. We will still be a bit hesitant...not wanting anything to happen that's not on our watch. It felt very strange to be in the house alone without our boy, but I guess that's just part of the recovery process. We can't believe that this month also marks the year anniversary of Evan's homecoming. He is such an incredible boy, with so much going for him. He has made such great strides over the year, with a pretty long road ahead, but he remains as positive as possible. We let him choose how he wanted to spend the day ( June 18th ), and of course he chose to go to "Dave & Busters" in Cleveland. We then went to the Olive Garden for dinner. It was so much fun, and it made Jeff and I so happy to see him so happy. We hope all anniversaries can be spent celebrating with family and friends!

Monday August 01, 2005 - 12:30AM
Time sure flies when you're having fun!! The month of July was the quickest month to pass that I can remember in a long time. It seems like the kids just got out of school, and yet already we've done some back to school shopping! Of course, Jen and I LOVE to find any excuse to track off to the stores! (haha) The month started off with Evan starting on a new focus pill. We're trying the advice of Dr. Barb Weschler, a doctor up at the Cleveland Clinic Rehab. She, along with our fabulous pediatrician Kim, have been discussing new avenues for Evan to try. We continue to pray that we can find other ways besides medication to help Evan improve. He will be attending school all day this year, which will be extremely challenging for him. We are starting off with school during the day, and therapy after school. This young man is going to be very busy. We'll do school all day if he can tolerate it, otherwise, we'll go back to half days...which will work too since his core classes are going to be structured for morning. This month Evan has been busy going on adventures with Dad...Norwalk Raceway Park...movies...playing X Box games; with Jenna out in the pool, riding bikes around the block...going to the Perkins summer library; and with Mom...everything else!! (haha) We seem to be attached at the hip, except for when he's playing video games. Evan has been doing LOTS of reading this summer, completing 4 chapter books so far. That's quite an accomplishment for him since his attention span to sit and read was so poor a month or two ago. Right now he's working on the book his 6th grade parapro Stephanie gave him for his birthday. He can't wait to finish it so he can call and tell her " how it ends!" (haha) Evan has also done some independent work with Math, but tends to get frustrated easily. He just needs to get mastery of those crazy math facts and he'd be better, but it's still hard for him to remember them all. We were extremely pleased that he passed 3 of the 5 proficiency tests he took. We knew the Math and Science ones would be difficult since he was unable to grasp science, and had lost most all of his math abilities. However, his scores were fair, just not at proficient level. Not too bad for a kid who couldn't walk, talk, or write a year ago!! Also this summer, Evan has been playing lots of golf. His favorite spot, besides in front of the X Box, is Thunderbird Driving Range. He's restarted the Saturday morning clinics that he attended before his stroke. Lisa Kelble has been so wonderful with him...giving him lots of encouragement, and keeping a positive attitude. She even hit balls " one armed " to see how it felt to be in Evan's shoes. Recently, Evan hit a chip shot right in the hole on the putting green during one of the clinics. He was SO elated since he tends to say a lot, " putting greens are my weakness." Geez...I'm glad he only thinks in terms of "golf" strokes as his weakness!! What a kid!! If this was happening to me, I could give you a list right now of all my weaknesses!! Adults are so different than kids in how we handle things!! We're so blessed to have a child who generally has a wonderful, positive attitude!! Anyway, enough of about that! It wouldn't be a summer month without a picnic!! We had our wonderful therapists from the Cleveland Clinic Rehab down for a get together. Tadz, Hilary, and Lisa...accompanied by her adorable 45 pound "puppy" Stella, drove to our place for some great conversation and food. They were all happy to see Evan's improvement! We'll never forget those wonderful people, as they got the ball rolling for Evan all those months ago. We will be seeing them soon for a " Reunion Picnic" up at the Rehab Hospital, dedicated to those former patients with brain injuries to meet other families etc.. It should be interesting to sit and talk with other people going through the same thing we are. July did come to a close with a sad, emotional goodbye to a dear person in our neighboring community...Julie Miller, a 17 year old girl from Castalia. She passed away peacefully July 22, after fighting an 8 month battle from a car accident. We attended the evening vigil at Margaretta High School with my sister Kim. It was a beautiful dedication to her life...filled with wonderful music, and precious memories as told by family and friends. After the candle lighting ceremony, they played the Sarah Maclaughlin song, " I Will Remember You " and let balloons go up into the air. Evan and I were standing together and he started crying. He was filled with so much sadness, and I was too. He was to the point that I could barely console him. He then said softly, " That could have been me after my stroke." I just shook my head, and hugged him as tight as I could. We both just stood there and cried...as did everyone present. It was however, a beautiful moment to honor such a great young lady. Our prayers go out to the Miller family, and to all of Julie's friends, that they will find strength and peace. We also received the sad news that two members of Evan's therapy team will be leaving in August. Wendy in OT and Danielle in PT are leaving Firelands. Evan was pretty upset, but I explained that sometimes " family comes first", and this was the reason for they had to be leaving. They are both dedicated moms, and want to be able to be closer to their kids. Evan can certainly relate to that, as his mom has been close to him "non stop" since March 21,2004!! He is however, very excited to be working with his favorite jokester team of Lynette and Joe in OT. They said they are anxious to " get a hold of Evan" and get him whipped into shape!! We think that’s GREAT!

Thursday September 01, 2005 - 11:40PM
Greetings!! The month of August went just about as quick as July! The kids kept busy with lots of different activities...including both having doctor visits and xrays. We met with a new physiatrist ( Dr. Weschler) from the Rehab hospital, who gave us great ideas for Evan, including medication changes ( he will take less pills... yeah!!), advice on exercises, starting up more speech therapy,and finally discussing his osteopenia ( thinning of the bones ). She suggested comparison films to be done on the right ( non stroke ) side. We did this, and found that there were some "possible" changes in the bones on the right side as well. We are going to see an Endocrinologist in October at Rainbow to see if this is completely unrelated to the stroke or not. We also went to the 1st annual Reunion picnic at the Rehab hospital. It was great to see everyone again! However,when we got there and walked out into the courtyard for the picnic, I immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach. I flashed back in my mind how I took Evan for daily walks out there in his wheelchair. He couldn't walk,talk, open his right eye, and was so sad at the time. I am so relieved that those days are behind us. Anyway, it was still a nice time. As far as Jenna goes, she had her yearly check up with Dr. Vacca. Everything went well, except for right foot pain Jen has had for the past few weeks. She diagnosed her with a possible accessory navicular bone in her foot. (This is when someone is born with an " extra" bone on the side of the foot.) It doesn't usually cause pain. However, you become aware of it if you're an athlete, due to the stress put on the foot during sports. ( Could the fact that Jen did basketball, volleyball, and tennis camps this summer have aggravated the situation??? haha ) Anyway, xrays were done last week, and the treatment is usually immobilization ( cast ) for 6 weeks. Well, Jen says " no way...I'm in a wedding in September!! " ) We have to make our decision after that because she's also in ballet and jazz classes in the fall, and she doesn't want to miss too much. On the bright side of the month, we took the kids to see Neil Diamond up in Cleveland. They were so excited to be there!! Our seats were terrible, but we told the kids that the most important thing was that you can hear him from anywhere in the arena. We had binoculars and the "jumbo-tron " to look at, so it was still fun. I, however, could really care less, as I am the only one in the family ( and probably the whole arena ) who didn't care to be there. I kept joking around, acting bored, yawning, and pretending to " boo and hiss " at certain songs I really didn't like! The kids thought it was funny. I told Jeff to get " U2, or Sting " tickets next time!! (haha ) Anyway,onward to other positive things. Evan is getting stronger and gaining endurance physically. He has enjoyed riding his bike and is able to ride 1 1/2 miles without difficulty. He continues to improve slowly, and that's good enough for us! He was recently decreased to 2 days/week for therapy, so we are planning on increasing the amount of therapy at home. Evan was not too anxious to get back to school ( like every other 12 yr. old boy ) because he says he really didn't get a break this summer...having therapy 4 days/week...He's really right, but we assured him that next summer would be much better. He got his new glasses the evening before the 1st day of school, and was thrilled that " he could see again!! " We are praying for another great school year at Briar, as all the staff has been very encouraging and helpful to us. I went in and talked to them regarding helpful hints with Evan, and how we are living day to day, taking baby steps towards improvement. They were all very receptive to his needs. On the flip side of the coin, Jen was VERY excited to start school...not only to see her teacher Mrs. Jennifer Hallock ( who was also Evan's 4th grade teacher that we all loved ) ... but to start wearing all the new school clothes. Her favorites are all the " Napoleon Dynamite " stuff, and the "preppy " shirts and skirts ( one exclusively picked out by Nana. ) She certainly has a diverse selection at a young age!! To end this entry for the month, we just want to say " thanks " again for all the prayers and fine words of encouragement that have been given to our family this summer. Jeff and I realize that this is a long road that we are traveling on. But you know, it's funny...you can tell that everything will be O.K. when you open up the back hatch of your car to unload groceries, and all you see are golf clubs and tennis racquets, instead of one lonely wheelchair. God truly has blessed us with love and hope for the future... sometimes it just comes in " baby steps."

Thursday October 06, 2005 - 11:00AM
The month of September was a nice, carefree month, with the kids getting settled back into the school routine. Evan seems to have plenty of energy to last an entire day at school without getting too tired. We really wondered how he would do, and he has done great. He sure has more energy than I do!! He does continue to have the ongoing issues of hyper speech and impulsivity, but is truly working hard on overcoming his obstacles. The teachers are trying to be patient, but it does get difficult at times for them. We just all need to remind ourselves that Evan has had a stroke and he can’t always control what he says. Therapy continues to go well, with only 2 days a week spent at the hospital now. It seems funny not being there 4 days like we had been going for over a year! Now with the gas prices so high, it's a blessing we're down to 2 days! ( haha ) Evan is working so well with his new therapist, Joe, and at the end of this month, he was starting to be able to lift his left arm up over his head without using his right hand for assistance! This is a huge movement for Evan, and he is so proud to be able to do it! Now he can do a " full upper body stretch", which is great to be able to do at 6:00 am when you're getting up early for school! Earlier in the month, Evan and Jenna both were a part of their cousin Courtney' wedding. They both were very excited to be " junior groomsman, and junior bridesmaid." Evan was so excited, and did a fabulous job of escorting his sister down the aisle. He did a great job of keeping quiet during the ceremony, and took great direction during picture time. We were so proud of him, and his ability to keep in control of himself. We think Evan had a better time than anyone else, he was dancing with girls he didn't even know! He actually had asked me to go on the dance floor with him, and once we got up there, decided to dance with someone else!! It was so funny. Jenna had a fun time as well, hanging out with all the " cool bridesmaids." She too looked beautiful, and made Jeff and I pause to think about how she will look when she's a teenager...with hair and make-up in full swing. Let's just say we're going to be on high alert when those days come! (haha) Onward to other things: With the Hurricanes in the South, the kids were more than quick to get things donated. Evan and I took food to a church collection area. The funny thing was, Evan made the comment, "How can you give away all these cans of food? No one down there has any can openers available... do they? " I thought that was so funny...yet, it did take some incite to come up with that one! Jen donated school supplies and paper to her school who was collecting items. They both felt as though they were doing something to help out. Also, speaking of helping out, Evan's teacher ( and former piano instructor/ summer tutor ) remains in the hospital after having had surgery done in the month of August. We took a basket of food to her family, but the funny thing was, Evan mentioned , " I hope your not taking any of your cooking over there...you better just buy something! " I promptly thanked him for his " support ", and told him not to be concerned about what we take to them! ( It was hilarious though, as I am not known for my cooking talents.) We do ask that anyone reading Evan's website to please pray for her health and recovery. She is a dear friend, and wonderful person. We hope you all enjoy the upcoming fall season! Our family is looking forward to it!!

Tuesday November 01, 2005 - 1:25PM
The month of October was a pleasant, easy-going month. We started out with a surprise room make over for Evan. After seeing his sister get one a few months ago, he was very happy to be on the receiving end this time. It's amazing what a little bit of paint and a new ceiling fan can do! (haha) He was so happy because the way we rearranged the furniture gave his room a larger appearance. It turned out fabulous, and he was happy...which is all we want for him right now. School is going well, with Science class being the toughest one for him. He is hanging in there, due to a fantastic Science teacher...( I don't remember my science teacher being funny or pleasant!) She makes learning fun, and Evan certainly relates to anyone with a comedic side! On to the medical update: Evan had his Dexa Scan (bone density) and visited an Endocrinologist up at Rainbow to discuss osteopenia (thinning bones). They were hopeful that the thinning bones were not throughout his body, but primarily just on the left side of his body, his stroke side. We are still waiting to hear back the results, and it's been 3 weeks since he had it done, and I still can't get anyone to call me back. I guess I'll just have to keep calling their office till I get something other than their voice mail! While up at Rainbow we stopped in to see Evan's Neurosurgeon. She was glad to see him doing so well. She reminded us that everyday is a blessing for Evan, and we agree. As far as Jenna, she had her follow up with the orthopedic doctor for the extra bone in her foot. The orthotics are working well, we just had to rip out the bottoms of all her shoes so we can fit them in. You should have seen Jen's face when I started tearing out the liners in her shoes...typical woman...she was devastated! The only pair of shoes we couldn't fit them into were her black dress shoes. Her response was, "I'm still wearing those shoes...I don't care if my feet hurt or not!" She is SO into shoes... I just love it! She and Evan make some of the most priceless comments... The end of the month brought Halloween, and of course, Trick or Treating. Jeff took us out to Norwalk Raceway Park for their annual "Halloween Classic". It was incredible! The drivers had their race trailers decorated for the kids to spook them, and then hand out candy. Evan was dressed up as the guy from "Scary Movie.” He went around the whole night with his mask on saying, "Whasssup?", and of course got a million laughs! Jen went as a gangster girl, with her extra large baggy jeans, shirts un-tucked, lots of bling, and a fake gold tooth. You would not have known it was her except for her pretty blonde hair hanging down. I tried to get her to put it up, but she didn't want to. Halloween night was spent in anticipation of Evan trying to walk the whole distance of our development. He had set that as a goal of his the week leading up to Monday night. Unfortunately, after a full day of school, and 2 hours of therapy after that, he was only able to make it 1/4 of the way. I walked back to the house and got his wheelchair when he finally admitted he was too tired to make it the whole way. He felt bad, but I didn't mind. We were proud that he attempted it to begin with. The kids ended up with 9 pounds of candy between them. I'm so glad we already have dental appointments scheduled in December! (haha) We hope that you all are enjoying Fall, as the cold winter months will be here before we know it!!

Saturday December 03, 2005 - 4:00PM
The month of November has come and gone, and we're already talking about Christmas. It's so hard to believe! This past month has been filled with big accomplishments in the "therapy" and academic areas. Evan has mastered getting up off the floor without using anything for assistance, and also buttoning up his khaki pants with only one hand. Those may not seem like much to us " 2 handed people " but it is huge for Evan. We remain proud of his hard work in therapy, and he continues to improve, no matter how little the steps may be. As far as school, Evan made the honor roll, and Jen received all A's on hers. (They don't have an honor roll at Meadowlawn.) They both have been doing great being back in school with their friends, knowing that if they don't get good grades, they will not be doing anything extra with their friends (haha.. just kidding). We have always emphasized hard work and good grades but are happy as long as they try their best. The kids each took field trips this month. Jen went to a nursing home, where they read books to the residents. Jen said her one friend was reading to one of the residents, and she fell asleep! The girls didn't know what to do, so they just let her sleep. How cute. Evan's class went to the Toledo Museum of Art. I escorted Evan so I could push his wheelchair. It was very interesting, and we wouldn't mind going back there again on our own. Speaking of friends, Jen had her 10th birthday sleepover this month. They all had a fabulous time, eating, playing " Twister ", and watching DVD's. They were actually up until 4:00 AM! I of course fell asleep on the couch earlier than that, but everyone was up by 9:30 that morning. Oh to have the energy level of a 10 year old. On the medical side of things, we finally received the unfortunate news from the Cleveland specialists that Evan is indeed osteopenic throughout his body, and not just on the left stroke side as we had thought. This means we have to be especially careful to prevent falls or injuries that affect his bones. He also has to drink his milk. There are no medicines for pediatric osteopenic changes (like Fosomax that adults may use). We're hoping with his growth, he will get stronger. He does do some "weight room" work during physical therapy right now, so that is something we will continue to focus upon. On the topic of weight rooms and sports etc., I would be remiss if I didn't mention the two huge football victories we watched on TV this month: OSU beats Michigan...and of course, the Steelers beat the Browns (sorry Mrs. Hallock if we offend you in our celebration of the Steelers victory!) Thanksgiving was spent at Nana and Papa's house, and it was wonderful as usual, getting to spend time with family and watching more football. We hope you all enjoyed the holiday as well. We look forward to Christmas and spending even more time with our family and friends God Bless!

Monday January 2, 2006 - 5:00PM
The month of December went by like a breeze! The only thing Evan had going on was being fitted for his right foot orthotic. He tends to pronate his right foot because he is putting most of his weight on that foot. It's causing pain and tiredness in that leg...and we can't have that. Stroke aside, Evan is an active 12 yearr old boy. Therapy continues 2 days a week, and he is getting back some movement in his left arm. He can raise it above his head with minimal clonus, and lower it slowly to his side. That's good progression for him considering he used to have to be lying on his back in order to do it. Now he can sit up in a chair and do this. We're happy with any improvements, no matter how small. He still cannot move anything below his elbow to include his hand and fingers but we still have hope. He has also been working with a new PT therapist since his regular PT had to go on an early maternity leave. Evan has been working with one of his favorite adult therapists and he has taught Evan some select German words that Evan loves to repeat! (nothing inappropriate that I'm aware of... haha) The holiday season was spent visiting family and friends. The kids were very happy with all their gifts, and have enjoyed the time off from school. I've never seen two kids spend so much time playing video games. Jeff and I were glad to have a healthy family, and saw that as our most prized gift! We were also glad to know that our friend Kris was discharged from the hospital after spending 4 months there. We pray for her continued recovery. We hope that you all had a blessed Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Wednesday February 1, 2006 - 5:00PM
This past month has been a mild one...not only with weather, but in daily life. The school year is progressing, as the 2nd quarter has just ended. Evan did quite well again grade wise, making the Merit roll this time. Of course, he was disappointed in not making the honor roll, but Math this quarter was quite difficult for him. It's the one subject that has truly got him "stumped" at times. Remember, he lost all of his math abilities with the stroke, so he basically had to start from scratch over the past 2 years. He seems to have difficulty with numbers, sense of time, etc... all which will improve, we hope, as "time" itself goes by. He is still having issues with impulsivity, but he has very much improved with sitting still in class, not raising his hand to ask questions as much, and just trying to pay attention. This too we hope will improve with time, and maturity. Evan has had a quiet "medical" month, only getting a new orthotic for his right foot to help improve the pronation of that foot (which causes pain and fatigue in his "good" leg.) He says it has helped him to walk " a little bit better" but certainly not as "normal" as he wants his friends to think he can walk. We all give Evan a lot of credit for being so positive. I couldn't imagine being 12 years old, and having to worry about "how my walk looks" to my friends. Jeff and I just continue to pray to God to give Evan the strength and confidence he needs to make it through these difficult middle school years. So far his friends have been a wonderful support. The last item on the medical front is that Evan is ending his almost 2 year run in OT. His last session is January 30th with his favorite guy Joe. Evan was upset at first that he was being discharged from the program, but it is time. It may only be temporary. Joe said that sometimes our bodies just need a break, and if anything happens at home with the arm that is new, we can get him back in the program. That is sure a nice thing to have in the back of our minds . We are encouraging Evan to do as much as he can with that arm, and he is adapting quite well. The more he attempts to do with that arm, the more it will send signals to the brain. He is such an inspiration. Jeff and I have both tried to do things around the house "one handed" and have frequently given up as quickly as we start. Have you ever tried to get dressed, or do laundry one handed? I only lasted about 5 minutes! I couldn't fold the clothes one handed (and expect it to fit in the drawers! haha) We have also planned on all of us eating dinner one handed to see how Evan feels. I'm sure it will be tough! Anyway, we're so pleased with his progress thus far, and have no regrets. He continues to be surrounded by wonderful doctors, therapists, teachers, and friends who are here to support him on this long journey to recovery. We truly are thankful to all of you!

Thursday March 2, 2006 - 1:00PM
The month of February started with Evan welcoming his Physical Therapist April back from maternity leave. Although Chris S. was a great and humorous replacement for several weeks, Evan said, "Now that April is back, she'll really make me work! " (haha) She does plan to determine new goals, and work very hard with Evan. We are trying to decide whether or not to give him this summer off, then start back up again in the fall. We'll have to wait and see the progress he makes over the next several months. We know he certainly deserves it, but we want to do what's best in the long run physically. Right now, even despite the cold temperatures, Evan does continue to head outside to ride his bike, and even shoot baskets with his sister. I know that they have both been outside with coats, gloves, and hats on playing basketball. The one time I happened to look at the thermometer and it was 41 degrees! Are they crazy or what? (I didn't even want to step out on the porch to get the newspaper.) On the warmer days, he has been able to ride his bike around the block a couple of laps. We're so glad he doesn't get discouraged, and stays as active as possible. He is really growing taller too. He's not gaining much weight either though, still at 98 pounds- up a whole ONE pound since last year! ( I wish I could say that! haha) He's really a lot leaner and stronger. We would like to be able to do more weight training outside of therapy too. This will only help improve his gait while walking, and in every day activities. On the medical front, Evan did have his repeat MRI in the middle of the month. He was supposed to have his follow up appointments with 3 of his doctors that following week, but they have been rescheduled twice now due to doctor unavailability. The first was rescheduled to March 2nd...then rescheduled again to March 16th. Jeff and I are hoping this last date will stick. We are anxiously awaiting the results, and have questions to ask the docs. Evan has had a few headaches this winter, which is sort of odd since he never had headaches before his stroke. (I am attributing them to sinus pressure because he never had any other symptoms along with the headache.) We are praying that the scan will show the vessel has begun to improve, and life and recovery can continue. We just continue to pray that Evan's path to recovery stays as clear as possible! We thank all of you who continue to pray for Evan and our family. We couldn't do it without you!

Monday April 3, 2006 - 9:00PM
This month has been a busy one! It started out with Evan attending the Red Cross Heroes Awards Breakfast. He was asked to come as a "previous" award winner...you know, like they do at the Oscars! (haha) He was happy to attend, and listen to even more stories of heroism, and community leadership. It was a lovely event, just as it was last year. They even called Evan up to the podium to have him draw names for their door prizes. It was a fun morning spent. That night, it got us thinking about the progress that he's made, and we decided it was time to get a feel for what Evan has been going through, plus March 21 marked the 2nd year anniversary of his stroke. We all ate dinner "one handed.” It was more difficult than we thought it would be. We had chicken strips and fries, something we could hold with one hand. It was funny how many times you would automatically reach with your left hand to pick up your drink while you were holding your chicken strip in the other. However, this was not allowed. You had to set down whatever was in your right hand, and use only that hand to pick up your drink. (It's amazing how you do things without even thinking about it.) It also reminded us about the level of frustration that Evan must have throughout his day...something we all take for granted. Evan’s Nana (Luetta Fox) decided she would only use one arm for the entire day. She went through the whole day without using her left arm, it was very challenging. Anyway, Evan had a few days of illness this month. He had a 104 degree fever and vomiting that kept him out of school for a couple of days. Something was going around his school, and there were quite a few students out at the same time. It was also that same week that Evan had his follow up appointments up at Rainbow with his 3 doctors. We received excellent news regarding his most recent MRI, which showed very little residual AVM. This means that the vessel that bled is almost gone, which is the news we wanted to hear. However, I would have liked to hear that it was completely gone, but I'll take the other news too. All of the specialists were pleased with his progress, stating that the MRI result was actually better than they had expected only 18 months. In fact they said, “this is where we would have put him ideally!” Let's just put it this way, if they're pleased, we're pleased! The doctors had several recommendations for the next couple of months: a multitude of lab work to check his hormonal status (due to the fact that the bleed was in the hormone center of his brain), a consult with a pediatric neurologist to re-evaluate and manage medicines, and finally an evaluation by a pediatric neuropsychologist to evaluate his transition into school next year. We hope to get most of these things done in the upcoming months. I'm sure Evan can't wait to be poked, prodded, and evaluated! Also this month, Jeff and I attended a Traumatic Brain Injury conference in Columbus. It was designed for educators to alert them to the medical background of TBI and how to handle these students in the classroom. I gathered up several extra packets to share with each school (intermediate, middle, and high school) so that each building would have access to these recommendations. My friend who teaches at the high school went with us, and she can share directly with her staff. It will be helpful for them if this type of student was to enter their school in the future, not only just for use with Evan now. As far as school work is going, Evan once again made the merit roll, missing the honor roll by a tenth of a percent or so. He has a 3.5 GPA, and you need a 3.6 for honor roll. He was disappointed, but Jeff and I assured him that he was doing remarkable! Evan agreed in the end, but he does like to push himself. He likes to see his name up there on the list hanging in the school lobby. I told him to be proud of what he is doing. He also completed a tremendously difficult project in Art this month. It was an acrylic painting project on canvas of a penguin. It was a very frustrating project for him to do one handed, but his great art teacher Mrs. VanMeter was so patient and helpful to him. She was amazed at his ability and perseverance to complete the project. We were all very proud of him! We are all looking forward to Spring and the warmer temperatures. We also hope you all have a wonderful Easter holiday, as this very important season of hope approaches! It has been 2 years since Evan's stroke, and his survival is a constant reminder that we all have an important path to follow, even if it isn't the one we thought we'd be on. Happy Spring!

Friday May 12, 2006 - 2:00PM
The month of April has flown by, and as of this writing, we are already almost 2 weeks into May! With the weather turning warm, Evan is spending more time outside playing basketball and riding his bike. He's already preparing for golf, awaiting the camp in Columbus in July. Spring Break was spent at my sister's house in Pennsylvania. I took the kids on the 8 hour journey by myself, as Jeff had to stay and work. We had wonderful, warm weather visiting Philadelphia. We did the whole " Liberty Bell...Independence Hall " thing, which the kids loved. It was educational, but still fun. (The kids thought it was "cool" to have to go through a security check point and get "searched.") We also visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which Evan absolutely loved. They had many paintings by his favorite artist: Vincent Van Gogh. They also had a display of " Knights in Armor " from Medieval times. They were so huge and intimidating to stand next to. It was hard to imagine in those times how they had to walk/ride horses etc. with all that weight. Probably the best thing the kids liked about the museum was " running" up the giant stairs that led to the entrance of the museum. If you've ever seen the movie "ROCKY", it was the same steps Sylvester Stallone ran up in the movie (when he was training.) Evan was so thrilled to make it up the steps by himself. He held on to the wall on the side, and "ran" to the top. When he got to the top, he raised his right arm and jumped around in triumph.. just like " Rocky" did in the movie. It was so inspiring to me, and to Evan himself. He was so proud that he made the journey. He was tired, and rode in his wheelchair during the trip in the museum. Of course, my arms were tired because I had to carry his wheelchair up those stairs, so we were both exhausted. It wasn't until we were inside the museum that someone pointed out the " Handicapped" entrance that was in the back of the museum. Anyway, the trip was great and spending Easter with my sister and her sweet family was a refreshing start to Spring. When we arrived home, Jeff surprised me with a mini "home makeover" by painting our bedroom, and getting new carpet installed in our family room and bedroom. Here I thought he was going to have a relaxing, quiet week after work. Not so! He worked till the wee hours of the morning to try to get it done in time. How blessed we are to have such a great husband and Dad in our lives! After spring break, Evan got sick with Strep throat. He had complained of a sore throat, and I said to him before school "not to worry". I ended up going to school a few hours later to give him a Tylenol for a headache, and he said again, "I have a sore throat." I said to him, "It's not like you have strep Evan...go back to class." We both laughed, but little did I know that when he got home from school, he have a 103 degree fever, and still had the sore throat. Well, an hour later, he was in the Peds office with a positive throat culture. Evan turned to me at the office and said, " Boy Mom, I bet you're feeling pretty stupid right now, huh?" I just smiled at him with no reply. ( I did feel pretty bad though.) The next morning, he woke up with a 105.4 degree temp. I was concerned but promptly gave him Tylenol and Motrin both, which brought it down to 103. He slept until 3:00 in the afternoon, and felt somewhat better the next day. He had the whole weekend to re cooperate, and did well. I guess I'm not sure how I'd handle another sore throat from him next time. (haha) This month also brought a tragedy to another young man who is from Perkins, Tyson Gentry. He suffered a neck injury playing football at Ohio State. This event certainly brought back painful memories to our family, as we know how much heartbreak and suffering Tyson and his family are going through. We ask that you add him to your prayer list, and pray for a full recovery. As we've said in the past, we know first hand how the power of prayer works. Please keep Tyson in your thoughts and prayers. We are so looking forward to summer, and the end of the school year!

Friday June 2, 2006 - 12:00PM
The month of May was quite an eventful one, especially since we now have an official teenager living among us! School has kept Evan quite busy, with all of his major classes having "end of the year" projects due. They took hard work to complete, but he did a terrific job keeping everything straight. We will all be glad when this school year is over so we can have some time to relax. Constant studying because of short term memory deficit gets old real quick! ( I feel like I've completed the 7th grade all over again...but it was for a great cause!) We hope his memory will improve over the summer so that 8th grade isn't so intense ALL the time. This month our family attended a fundraiser for our Perkins Pirate friend Tyson Gentry, who suffered a neck injury at OSU. It was wonderful to see all the support, just as we received 2 years ago. It brought back such overwhelming feelings, seeing teachers and friends gathering to show support of yet another family in need. We really live in a very generous community. We ask that you please continue to pray for Tyson's full recovery. On a happier note, Evan celebrated his 13th birthday in style as he invited his friends to a Limo ride up to Dave & Busters in Cleveland. ( After Evan's stroke, Tom's Cruz limo service gave a gift card to Evan, to be used whenever he wanted. Evan decided to save the card for a special occasion, and this was it!) They all enjoyed the stretch Excursion limo ride, complete with rap music and fun. Once at Dave & Busters, the boys were off to try their luck at the arcade games. Everyone collected great prizes, and then had burgers and fries. It was quite a treat. The ride home was a bit rowdy, with some of the prizes getting thrown around in the limo, but everyone settled down nicely after awhile. We wouldn't have expected anything less from six 13 year old boys! Evan was just so happy to get to spend the time with the old gang. They are all such fantastic boys, and they are supportive of Evan and what he's been through. We hope Evan never loses sight of good friends and family. They are the key to a successful recovery, and life in general. Happy Summer to you all!

Friday June 9, 2006 - 1:00PM
Sorry this entry is a bit on the late side. Time keeps getting past me and before I realize it, the month is over. June 8th was the last day of school, and it was quite an exciting one! Evan is so thrilled to be off for the summer...no more studies, and no more therapy... for a few months anyway. (He will be re-evaluated in August for PT/OT again, and start them up before school starts so he can get back into his routine.) As for this month, Evan has been swimming, riding his bike, golfing at the driving range, and participated in an "Al's Clinics" pre scramble clinic. He really enjoyed it. He also participated in the Perkins basketball clinic. Coach McVeigh and his crew was very supportive of Evan, and did their best to keep him as involved as they could. They worked with him on shooting and dribbling, and Evan was so happy just to be there. Jeff and I were pleased to have great people working with Evan's needs, and without hesitation. PHS has a great sports staff, that's for sure. This month also marked Evan's anniversary of coming home from the hospital. We celebrated by giving him a small gift bag with a silly DVD movie, and a "Weekly World News" tabloid magazine that he loves. We then went out to dinner to celebrate his continued recovery! He has had an amazing attitude so far this summer in regards to his home therapy. He hasn't complained, and has had the "Nike" attitude: "Just Do It!" We have been working on strengthening his legs by walking around the block without his brace, but with an electrical stimulation unit attached to his left calf muscle. It takes about 10-12 minutes to complete the circle, which is just under a half mile distance. He has also been playing "catch" with Velcro mitts (given to him by his sweet therapist April) in an attempt to get his left arm to respond to an object thrown at him. He has been hit many times, but it's only a tennis ball, and it's not being thrown too fast. We're only concerned if it hits his head. We tell him, "Catch the ball or suffer the consequences." (haha) On the medical front this month, Evan had his neuropsych eval up at Rainbow. We had to make 2 trips up there in the same week in order to complete it: 5 hrs one session..2 1/2 hrs the next session. I still haven't gotten any results as of yet. This will be helpful in determining school needs next year. He also had his yearly Peds check up ,and we saw that he had grown 4 inches since last June. I thought he was getting closer to me when I talked to him! (haha) Everything checked out A-OK with that. We continue to pray for health and happiness for him and our family. We hope you all are enjoying this wonderful, warm (and sometimes rainy) summer!






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