October 19, 2021

It’s Rebecca’s birthday week! Please help us celebrate! Click on the link below to read our latest fundraising update to learn how you can participate in one of several fundraisers being held this week in Rebecca’s honor.
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October 16, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

This was a pretty quiet normal week for our Rebecca which in the world of SCI can be a good thing. Sometimes during the week I think what I can write and relay to all of you who look so forward to hearing about how our Rebecca is doing.

Rebecca loves going outside every day and feeling the sunshine on her face. She enjoys the company of her visitors. She certainly loves her deserts. Since Rebecca is currently paralyzed from the shoulders down she uses her neck and facial muscles a great deal more than the average person. She breathes and talks differently than us. By the end of the day her neck and facial muscles are sore and tired. That is where Audrey and I come in and we give her neck and facial massages.

As many of you know Rebecca’s birthday is next week and we are gratified at all the different programs that have been created in order to raise money on her behalf. The Rally for Rebecca FB page has loads of information and opportunities to support our Rebecca. Thank you to all of you who have created and participated in these fundraising events.

Audrey and I enjoy living in our temporary home while our house is being renovated. It is very quiet and peaceful. Like Rebecca we love seeing our friends. We both relish going into our offices and working.

We wish you all a good week and thank you for your continued interest in our lives.

Love to all Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

October 9, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

This past week was a busy one for our Rebecca. We were invited to participate in the opening of a new caregiver center at Glen Cove hospital. The opening was a huge event and was attended by close to 100 people including many local dignitaries such as Congressman Tom Suozzi and Assemblyman Chuck Lavine.

At the ceremony Rebecca Audrey and I were honored to speak as the patient representatives on behalf of the hospital. This was a rewarding experience for us as we were able to share how wonderful the hospital has treated us. When I say the hospital I mean the staff as the heart and soul of any hospital are its staff.

Several people including the Executive Director of the hospital spoke of Rebecca at the opening. They talked of how Rebecca has inspired them all. This is obviously very complimentary and flattering to her. It got me thinking because while I never asked her I don’t think it is Rebecca’s primary intent to be inspirational. It then dawned on me that inspiration is fueled by the perception of the individual receiving it.

Rebecca like most of us wants to enjoy and maximize each and every day. Finding enjoyment and fufillment in every day is different for all of us. As life changes and advances what we enjoy and find rewarding changes for us too. When we are faced with life changing events we must adapt and pursue different avenues of activity and pleasure.

Okay enough of this.

Halloween is Rebecca’s favorite holiday. This past week the nurses suprised Rebecca and decorated her room with loads of Halloween paraphenalia.

Rebecca continues to have many visitors all of whom bring her food that I wind up eating. As many of you know there was a healing service this past week which we find comforting.

Erik came out and we all had dinner together. For me this is inspirational as it reminds me we are still a solid family of four!

Once again we thank you for all of your support and interest in us.

Our love to you all. Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca.

October 2, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Rebecca continues to do well at Glen Cove.

This past week she had a minor hiccup medically but that seems to have resolved itself. No doubt that Rebecca is getting great medical care at Glen Cove but she is also truly loved there. A phlebotomist who comes in at 5 am now and then to see Rebecca while she is asleep. I do not believe this phlebotomist has ever spoken to Rebecca but this past week she knitted her a beautiful shawl. The aides and nurses who work with Becca on a daily basis are truly wonderful. I know I keep saying this but it bears repeating.

Rebecca continues to enjoy Rec therapy where she paints in all different styles. One technique she uses is blowing paint at the canvas through a straw. We have uploaded one of her pictures to her webpage here utlizing this technique.

Audrey and I are now living at an independent living facility. We are hopeful work will start on our house next week.The apartment we live in is decorated beautifully with a beachy type feel. It is painted in a baby /powder blue and has that distressed type furniture that looks so good. The food here is delicious and the oatmeal is amazing!

We continue to take one day at a time and are grateful for what we have. We have learned and are trying not to think in terms of absolutes. We try to focus on the present, on the day and on the hour. Doing this is not easy but we try. I will not lie it does not always work. We are still a family of four plus our dog who is doing quite well and is a source of comfort. No doubt we are nervous about Rebecca’s eventual discharge and her transition home. That is where hope and faith come in.

Thank you all for your continued interest and support.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

September 25, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Once again we Koltuns thank you for your interest and support. It means the world to us. I know I say this alot but important things are worth repeating.

We are very pleased that the Plainview Chamber of Commerce has chosen Rebecca’s cause as their fundraising beneficiary this year. This past week I had the privilege of speaking to the Chamber and thanking them for their support. With Rebecca’s discharge approaching we are beginning to get a glimpse of what her future care costs will look like. Needless to say they are astronomical and are scaring the bejesus out of me. However we are determined to provide Rebecca with a meaningful, joyous and productive life at whatever cost.

Rebecca had another good week and we are continually grateful for the outstanding care that she continues to get at Glen Cove. To quote my son Erik; “I get a really good vibe from this place”. Rebecca has a thing for tye dye whether it be sweatshirts, pants or pillow cases etc. After learning of this some of the staff at Glen Cove made Becca some tye dye sweats and pants. They then declared every Friday as tye dye Friday and all wore tye dye today in her honor. I personally have no great love for tye dye but then again what do I know about style.

This past week one of Becca’s favorite therapists (MJ) from Spaulding was in New York and she paid Rebecca a visit. It was great seeiing her! Audrey’s mom and sister also came in for the weekend to visit and we are thrilled they are here.

Our home renovations will be starting next week so we are getting ready to move out for about three months. We will be living in an assisted living facility in Melville until our house is ready. In the coming weeks we look forward to having Rebecca join us there. First however it is essential that all her care and equipment be in order so that she can come and live with us safely. In the meantime Becca enjoys painting in Rec therapy and cooking in the kitchen with OT. Today she made vanilla pudding with nutella and crumbled chocolate chip cookies which she ran over and crushed with her wheelchair. No I did not try the pudding as I do not eat nutella. Nevertheless I was told that the consistency was a little watery and next time they will use less milk.

Love to you all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

September 18, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Fortunately things are remaining consistent. Rebecca continues to do well at Glen Cove. Audrey and I are still preparing to move out so our home can be renovated (yes our house is a mess). At the same time we are preparing for Rebecca’s eventual discharge.

This past week Audrey and I went to see the specially modified van that we will be purchasing. The van that we are getting is a Chrysler Pacifica but it is specially adapted for someone like Rebecca who can only be transported in her power wheelchair. The company that did the modifications to the Pacifica is called Braun. The modifications are very extensive and involve lowering the floor of the van so Rebecca and her chair can fit inside vertically. There is a ramp that lowers from inside of the sliding doors for Rebecca’s access. Seeing the van made us very excited because we will soon be able to take Rebecca to her favorite places including Trader Joes, Starbucks and Theodore Roosvelt Park in Oyster Bay to watch the sunset.

One of Rebecca’s projects this week was making chocalate covered pretzels with toppings in Rec Therapy. The toppings were sprinkles and crushed oreos. In order to crush the oreos or crumble them Rebecca had one of the therapists put them in a zip loc bag and place them on the floor. Rebecca then ran over them back and forth in her power wheelchair! Yes this was Becca’s idea! She then had the oreos and sprinkles put in cups. Rebecca with her mouth would then dip the pretzels in the melted chocolate, swirl them around and then dip them in the toppings cups. Becca’s therapist told her that was her best day at work so far.

As many of you know this past week was the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur. Our Rabbi every year on this day organizes a “Mitzvah project” for the congregants. This year the project was centered around Rebecca’s art work. Our Rabbi had get well cards, mobiles, stickers and posters made that all incorporated Rebecca’s artwork. These cards mobiles etc. will all be sent to patients in hospitals in an effort to brighten their days. The posters will be placed on the ceilings so that the patients can see them.

Once again we Koltuns thank you all for your support and interest as we navigate our way through this new world. We have met many wonderful and inspiring people through this process. It is impossible to keep track of and thank all of you individually. I wish I could do so.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca.

September 11, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I am mindful of the fact that I am writing this post on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and like all of you I have my own recollections of that terrible day.

This week it will be six months since our Rebecca’s accident and I marvel out how far Rebecca has come. Initially we were told:
1) that she would probably never eat again;
2) that she would probably be on a ventilator for the rest of her life;
3) that she may never talk again.

Speaking of eating this week one of Rebecca’s aides who works the overnight shift and is from the island of Jamaica was talking with Rebecca about Jamaican food. The next day this aide brought in cocunut curry chicken with rice and potatoes for her. It was delicious!

The next day another of Rebecca’s aides who is from Haiti followed the same trend and brought in an enormous tray of food including chicken legs,corn,black rice with beans and potato salad. Rebecca said it was one of the best pieces of chicken she ever had. Erik happened to be visiting Rebecca that day so there were no leftovers.
We are hopeful that one day this aide will give us her secret recipe.

Rebecca continues to be busy at Glen Cove with therapy and visitors. She had another good week physically. She continues to enjoy rec therapy and she painted a lovely new piece with shades of oranges and yellows. To me it represents a sunrise or sunset. She also played hedbanz with two other patients and did guided meditation.

Audrey and I are getting ready to move out so renovations can begin. We are hopeful they will start within the next two weeks. We are also beginning to “train” for Rebecca’s eventual discharge from Glen Cove.

Rebecca continues to be able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. She is a total pro at operating her wheelchair.

Once again we thank you all for your support and interest. Over the past six months I have learned to have hope and faith. I know this may send cliche or trite but it is so true. Hope and faith become even more important when it feels like you have little to nothing else. I think back to some dark days in Boston and my mother in law telling me and assuring me that everything will fall into place. I found this comforting and I have repeated this mantra to myself often.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

September 4, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I am happy to report that things continue to go well for us Koltuns since we have returned to Long Island.

Our dear Rebecca has full busy days at Glen Cove that consist of physical , occupational and recreational therapy. After her therapies Rebecca generally has a visitor or two along with Audrey and I. Rebecca continues to make art by utilizing a straw to paint on a canvas. She also enjoys cooking. Yesterday she made pudding by attaching a wisk to her forehead so she could mix it up.

As many of you may know Rebecca is a big fan of the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant. One of the nurses at Glen Cove got wind of this and had her husband bring Rebecca the Herb Crusted Chicken dinner along with the famous Texas Roadhouse rolls. So kind and thoughtful. Family friends visited Rebecca this week and the next day sent her the chicken meatballs from Butera’s. What a special treat! Our Rabbi who Rebecca has gotten close with has been a regular visitor at Glen Cove as well.

Audrey and I will soon be moving out of our home so that renovations can begin. This weekend we will begin packing and hopefully throwing stuff out. This morning we visited the senior living facility that we will be moving into with Rebecca while our house is under construction. The place is like a cruise ship with loads of activities. We look forward to meeting the other residents. Rebecca will love riding the grounds in her power wheelchair.

This past week Erik came home for a few nights. It was the first time we were in the house together since before Rebecca’s accident. Our dog Ollie was beyond ecstatic to see Erik. This was baffling to me as I am the one who takes care of Ollie and he did not display anywhere near the same level of joy or affection when he first saw me.

I continue to look for silver linings in this new life we have. Many of those silver linings can be found in the new friendships we have formed with people we would have never known but for our circumstances. Other silver linings can be found by discovering the true depths of kindness and compassion in people we did know. I continue to tell myself that out of something bad good can grow.

As I tell Rebecca we must take each day as its own separate entity and find ways to enjoy and make it worthwhile.

Thank you all once again for your interest along with your kindness, support and compassion.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

August 28, 2021

Deaest Friends and Family:

This is the second update I am writing you from the comfort of our living room. I just put a load of laundry in our washing machine. The joy of doing laundry with your own washer and dryer is something that can not be overrated. Sorry for the digression now let me get back to our Rebecca.

We continue to be very happy with all the care and attention Rebecca is getting at Glen Cove. The nurses and aides are so warm and kind. The therapy that Rebecca receives is utilizing different modalities and focusing on different parts of her body. Rebecca tells me that she is doing alot of neck excercises involving stretching and strengthening the neck muscles. Also they are employing alot of different breathing excercises and techniques for her to try out. They have a tilt table at Glen Cove and Becca was able to get up to 60 degrees this week which is terrific. SCI patients often have trouble getting vertical because of blood pressure issues. Rebecca tells me that one of the RT’s is giving her rakey and crystal therapy at night. She is also getting nightly massage on her neck. As you can imagine the neck and facial muscles are used constantly.

Rebecca also continues to get Recreational Therapy almost daily where she is creating more artwork. We will try and post another one of her pictures soon.

Later in the day after her therapy Rebecca continues to have visitors most days aside from Audrey and I. This past week a gentlemen from Long Island who is quadriplegic and has been mentoring all of us came to visit and we had a delightful time together. Last night another dear friend of Becca’s visited.

Yesterday Rebecca got a loaner power wheelchair that she will use til her custom chair is built. The chair was very similar to the one Becca had at Spaulding. Being able to drive her own chair is very important as it gives Rebecca independence.

Audrey and I are thrilled to be home. We are both working again but instead of being a two minute walk from our apartment we now have a half hour drive to Glen Cove so we must plan out our days accordingly. We are also thrilled to have our dog Ollie back and are grateful to the “dog nanny” for taking such good care of him.

Last Saturday night we attended a fundraiser for our Rebecca and we want to thank everyone who organized and participated. It was great to see so many people there who have been supportive of us during this long journey.

Once again I want to thank all of you who read this for your continued interest and support. While you’re here, please be sure to check out the ongoing 50/50 raffle (R4Rraffle.givesmart.com) and the Recipes for Rebecca (recipesforrebecca.com) fundraisers (you can get to them using the buttons on the left side of this page).

We continue to take one day at a time. We search for and find joy in every day.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca

August 21, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

On Tuesday August 17, 2021 Rebecca was discharged from Spaulding and was transferred down to the Northwell Glen Cove Acute Rehabilitation Center on Long Island, our home. Last night after we left Glen Cove Rebecca texted me her update:

“This past week was quite eventful for us Koltuns. My grandparents were still visiting with us in Boston over the weekend and a very good friend of mine drove up to visit me in what we knew would probably be our last days in Boston. We spent hours and hours outside on the third floor pavillion visiting with family and our fellow patients who became our close friends. Of course we may have violated a few of the visitor policies in the process but they can’t catch us now.

This brings me to the next bit of news which involved the five hour ambulance ride we took down to Long Island Tuesday morning. My mom rode with me in the ambulance and my Dad stayed back and packed up the apartment and the rest of my room. Our really good friend Andrew M flew up to Boston Monday night to help my Dad pack and ride back down to New York with him. His help and emotional support were immeasurable for my Dad and we are deeply grateful to him.

Now on Monday night in what was to be my last dinner at Spaulding I ordered a Fried Chicken Sandwich. Unfortunately Uber Easts screwed up the order and the only one who got their dinner was my Dad. Needless to say when I got in the ambulance Tuesday morning I was still craving a Fried Chicken Sandwich. When I expessed this to the EMT about half way throygh the trip we took a detour to find a Chick Fil a After arriving at Chick Fil a we discovered the ambulance was too big to go through the drive through and the restaurant was not open to customers. My Mom then got in our cousin Robin’s car to place the order. I failed to mention that our wonderful cousin Robin who lives near Boston and has been with us every step of the way also followed us down to New York to assist with my transition.

When we got to Glen Cove the Doctors and Nurses who would be overseeing my care were all waiting for me. They were all extremely welcoming and kind. My care at Glen Cove has been terrific so far. I have been receiving PT, OT and lots of recreational therapy which I enjoy a great deal. As many of you know I like to be kept busy! I was able to do some more art this past week and I also received musical therapy. The musical therapist knew I liked Taylor Swift and I was able to sing some of my favorite Taylor Swift songs while she played the guitar. I have met another patient around my age and have already been able to have people visit with me which brightens my day.The food here is pretty good too. I have been in touch with my friends at Spaulding and I miss them but I am slowly adjusting to my new environment”

There is Becca’s update. As for Audrey and I we are back in our house for the time being. As Dorothy said there is no place like home.

Thank you all for your interest, support and kindness.

Love, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

August 14, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

As many of you know this past week was not a great one for Rebecca. Last Saturday night she had to be hospitalized at Mass General Hospital (MGH) for pneumonia. She was discharged earlier today and is back at Spaulding. I am happy to say she is now doing much better.

While speaking with Rebecca after she got back to Spaulding today I told her that I was exhausted and did not feel like writing the update. She told me she would write it and lo and behold texted me a few hours later the following:

Imagine you are playing Monopoly with your family and are doing well. You expect to pass Go and collect your $200.00. Then all of a sudden…Yep you pick up a card that says”Go to Jail Do not Pass Go and Do not Collect $200.00″ That is how I (Rebecca) would compare this past week for us at Spaulding.

Rebecca went on to describe herself as getting “excellent care from the wonderful doctors and nurses” in the PICU at MGH. When Audrey’s parents learned of Becca’s hospitalization they flew back up to Boston (for the fourth time since Becca’s accident) to lend their emotional support and spend some quality time with their granddaughter, daughter and “favorite son in law” Folks remember these are Becca’s words not mine.

In celebrating Rebecca’s return to Spaulding she decided to order in from the Cheesecake Factory. She had the Factory Burrito and some specialized type of cheesecake that must have been 1000 calories.

This was Rebecca’s third stint at MGH which has to be one of the finest hosptitals in the world. It happens to be deeply affiliated with a well known University in nearby Cambridge that is supposed to have a pretty good medical school.

If you need to be in a hospital then I would recommend MGH which is located in downtown Boston. From Charlestown (where we live) there is a free shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes right to MGH. The only catch is the shuttles are old school buses with no shocks. I only bring this up because the roads in Boston tend to be like the surface of the moon. After riding the bus for a week you can then make an appointment and see one of the orthopedic surgeons.

Becca concluded her update by saying that she wants eveyone to know that she is feeling much better and that we are projected to leave Spaulding next week. She then said that she hopes the next update will be from Long Island.

Thank you all once again for your support and interest in our journey.

Love to all Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

August 7, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Thank you all again so much for your support, prayers and kind words. They are all very meaningful and important to us.

Although we are still dealing with collateral medical issues, overall Rebecca had a very good week. Our date of discharge remains uncertain but I think we have all taken the attitude of whatever will be…. will be.

We try to view each day as its own individual entity by garnering as much pleasure and joy out of it as possible. We try and live in the now as they say. Trust me this is not always easy. There are alot of setbacks and detours with SCI. Nevertheless if we can take Rebecca outside for two to three hours on a nice day and/or schmooze and share snacks with the other people on the floor then we take it as a victory.

We spend many hours each day at Spaulding which is a microcosm unto itself, a world I never thought I would be part of. Spaulding does not only have SCI patients (6th floor), they also do rehab for Brain Injury, Stroke and Neurology (4th and 5th floors) and they also have a sizeable Burn Unit (7th floor) and Pediatric Wing (8th floor) We cross paths with these patients every day in the elevators, on the outdoor Pavillion, & in the lobby. We see them smoking a cigarette outside (no smoking in the hospital) One would think after over four months here I would get used to the visuals. I don’t. It is beyond comprehension what can happen to people but equally important is seeing what they can be treated for and recover from.

This past week Rebecca was able to leave the grounds of Spaulding. She drove her power wheel chair to the local Dunkin Donuts with her OT and had a latte. After that she visited the USS Constitution Museum and got to explore Charlestown down by the water. For someone who has not been in the real world five months this was monumental. Being in the world as a quadripeligic is much different from an able bodied person. She felt every bump in the sidewalk driving her chair. Her peripheral vision is limited due to a lack of range of motion in her neck. After this outing she was exhausted. Later that evening we had our monthly healing service which we always enjoy.

Rebecca continues to paint with her OT who she loves. As many of you may know or have surmised, she uses her mouth to hold and guide the brush. She has now employed a new type of splatter paint technique using a straw and blowing paint out onto the canvas. We plan to exhibit some more of her paintings.

As for me, I have learned that I like ice coffee. For years I only drank my coffee in the mornings hot, however a good ice coffee in the afternoon with some oat milk is a real simple pleasure! This past week I also made dinner in the apartment a few nights. I found this to be very therapeutic. Shaved brussel sprouts cooked with some olive oil and salt and pepper is simple and nutritious. The trick is to cook the brussel sprouts till they are almost burnt.

Thank you all again for reading this update and putting up with my rambling.

We love you. Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

August 1, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I was almost not going to write an update this week however Rebecca convinced me to do one anyway even though this was a tough week and there was not much to report. She chided me that people rely on and look forward to the updates. I told her I am fully aware of that and promised her I would get one out.

Rebecca was sidetracked for most of the week with some collateral medical issues that go along with her SCI (spinal cord injury). This of course is very disheartening for all of us especially since we are getting closer to discharge. We are hoping to put these issues in the rearview mirror so that Rebecca can continue on the road to recover as best as she can.

When I asked Rebecca what to include in the update she asked me to mention that she had lunch this past week with some of the other patients in the Lantern Room which is a community room on the SCI floor. This past week a good friend of Becca’s was discharged home. We will miss him! Even though Rebecca was not feeling great she still did all of her therapies. She facetimed a Stony Brook professor who is a quadripeligic and learned a great deal from her. She also has become friendly with a young man from the New England area who suffered a serious SCI in January of this past year. Ths nice young gentleman and his mom visited us this past week in person.

Rebecca has been painting pictures in OT. We have had several of them framed. This past week she gave one of those paintings to her OT who she has grown quite close with. These pictures all have different color patterns and sequences. Each of the paintings represents a different emotion that Rebecca has experienced at Spaulding. She told me she is considering marketing her paintings and auctioning them on Ebay. This is proof her entrepenurial spirit is in tact!

Audrey and I continue to prepare for Rebecca’s discharge and her transition back to the NY area. There is much to know with Becca’s care and many different tasks to do. None of them terribly hard but there are just alot of them!

We continue to be grateful for all the support that we have gotten on this rough road that we travel on. Thank goodness for all the friends who visit. Thank goodness for all the friends who have helped us with all of the other issues that we have to navigate. Thank you all for your interest and concern.

Love to all Audrey Scott Erik and Rebecca

July 24, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

This past week was a relatively quiet one for us up here. Erik was up for a few days which is always helpful for us. We are beginning to prepare as best we can for Rebecca’s eventual discharge from Spaulding and our return to the New York area. While we are excited about returning to New York, the prospect of leaving Spaulding where Rebecca has gotten fantastic medical care is scary. The thought of leaving many of the staff here who we have grown quite close with will be very emotional. As Rebecca has said there will be alot of hard good byes.

We will soon begin to interview potential caregivers for Rebecca. For those that have already given us names of leads for people we thank you. If anyone else out there can suggest good individuals for Rebecca’s care then please let us know. You can leave us a message on this site or contact Audrey through Facebook or email. Ultimately the goal is to have Rebecca take complete charge of her medical care. Thus we want her to participate in the recruitment process as much as possible.

Although it has been well over four months since Becca’s accident, it still does not seem real. Sad to say but I look forward to the day it does seem real. Will that take a year or two or more? I honestly could not tell you. A large part of the surreal nature of this experience is living away from home. My wardrobe up here is a fraction of what it is at home. I am so sick of wearing the same variations of tee shirts, sweathshirts,jeans and shorts. I have thought of burning all of my clothes from this journey with a big bonfire in my backyard when I return to New York. That would be a cathartic experience!

Becca continues to be a social butterfly on her floor. She enjoys the company of her fellow patients and socializes as much as possible. These patients are all different ages, some young and some older. They all come from different walks of life. Sadly they all share the common bond of spinal cord injury hence paralysis.

When the weather is nice we continue to get outside as much as possible. This past week saw many sunny days in the 70s with a cool breeze blowing off Boston Harbor. We enjoy sitting on the third floor pavillion breathing in the fresh air and soaking in the sun. We watch the ships float by. Many times we see rainbows on the horizon.

Thank you all for reading this blog and for continually showing interest in our story. It goes without saying that we value your support, concern and love for us.

With love, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

July 17, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Yesterday I got my third and hopefully final haircut up here in Boston.

In the past week I am happy to report that plans for us all to transition back to New York appear to be falling into place. This of course gives us great relief and in the coming weeks as matters develop I look forward to providing more information concerning our return to New York.

Preparing for our future lives after we leave Spaulding has involved and required the work of some extraordinary and generous people. If there is a silver lining in any of this it would be that we have met the most inspirational, strong, courageous and giving individuals. To those individuals we are so grateful. This has been a humbling exerperience for all of us. Illness and injury are no doubt humbling for those afflicted and their families. As it was pointed out to me earlier this week we have some control in our lives but not complete control.

One consistent chararecteristic of those who are afflicted with quadripeligia (aka tetrapelgia) and their families is their generosity with time and willingness to speak with us and share what they know in the hopes of making our path a little easier. This week like others we spoke at length with several people in the same boat as us. We hope one day to pay it forward as they say.

Our Rebecca continues to get stronger. She enjoys her physical and occupational therapy. She loves the Erigo exercise machine which is a tilt table with pedals that get her legs moving through electrical stimulation. She was unable to use the Erigo earlier in her stay because of blood pressure issues but now is able to do it.

Rebecca is very social and she continues to seek out and meet the people on her floor. When the weather is nice we always go outside to this lovely pavillion/ patio area on the third floor at Spaulding overlooking Boston harbor. Yesterday we were out there with several other SCI patients discussing the pros and cons of all the different catheters in use. There is also always diiscussion of the use of their power wheelchairs. Spasms and pain medications are also popular topics.

As for Audrey and I when we are not visiting Rebecca we search for normalcy. We love doing laundry, running the dishwasher, taking the trash and recycling out, vacuuming and making the bed. Pardon my sarcasm and dry humor in these paragraphs but there is truth in all of this. By the way we may be the only people in Boston who do not own at least one dog. There are tons of Bernese Mountain dogs here. They are gorgeous animals!

It is Saturday morning and once again we are very fortunate to have visitors. Rebecca also will have visitors this weekend. This again is super important for all of us.

We thank you all again for all of your support and comments. Thank you again and keep them coming!

Love to all, Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca.

July 10, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

This has been an up and down week for us and our Rebecca.

Unfortunately we still do not have any certainty with where Rebecca will go once she is discharged from Spaulding. We are hopeful that in the coming week certain options will become clearer for us. These matters are out of our hands and while we advocate for Rebecca as best we can we do not know how much consideration is given to what we have to say.

As I have probably said many times I went from being someone who thought he had control of his life to being someone with much less or no control. We live in an apartment that is not ours and we live in a city that is not our home. I think in a way that we are an example that control is really something of an illusion that we placate ourselves with and in reality none of us have as much control as we think.

This past week Rebecca participated and spoke at a healing service for her that was broadcast on Zoom through the Makom group. Many of you who read this blog were on that service and got to see Rebecca’s radiant smile and her beautiful voice live as she thanked people for all the support that has come her way in the past months.

Rebecca also met in person one of the individuals who saved her life this week. This gentleman is the Director of the medical clinic at Stratton and was present when Rebecca was brought down the mountain after her accident. He engaged in the multitude of lafe saving measures performed on Rebecca before she was airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center. He initially drove up to New Hampshire to meet with us in the week following the accident. Audrey has kept in touch with him and he was in Boston this past week so we brought him in to meet Rebecca. It was a meaninful meeting to say the least. Afterward I saw him in the lobby at the hospital and he reminded me what a miracle Rebecca is.

Rebecca’s grandparents are visiting this week and having them here is super comforting. They both have nice calm demeanors and are for us a source of stability in the vortex that we liive in. Erik was also up for a few days who miss terribly. He and Rebecca spent some quality time.

Audrey and I continue to deal with the enormity of Rebecca’s care and all the supplies and equipment that will be necessary for her to function on any given day. I will be straight and tell you that it is totally overwhelming to us and we have doubts on whether we will be able to do it. Many of you have complimented my writing saying I have ability etc. I thank you for that. One thing that I have no natural ability at is being a caretaker!

Once again I thank you for all your support and messages. Please keep them coming! We need you. We would be lost without you all.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

July 3, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

We wish you all a happy and healthy July 4th weekend. Up here in Boston there is supposed to be some rain and cooler weather. The weekends here are long for us. Fortunately we continue to have good friends visiting and Rebecca will also have friends visiting as well. This all helps make the time pass.

As many of you know Rebecca has been here at Spaulding for three months and we are now looking at what will be the next steps for her once she is discharged. Eventually we plan to move home back to Plainview. Plans are underway to have our house modified so that Rebecca can live with us safely but the bottom line is our house will not be ready for her when she is discharged from Spaulding.

One option is for us to remain up here for several more months and receive outpatient therapy at Spaulding. In addition to that there is a gym or exercise facility that specializes in SCI patients about 30 minutes away that we are told is excellent and she could go there two times a week.

Remaining in Boston may be our only option. We are finding it very difficult to find any continued suitable rehabilitation that will accept Rebecca down in the New York area. We want to come home because we want to begin to reestablish our roots. Psychologically coming home, being in our own environment and being able to see friends more regularly is very important to us.

Because of Rebecca’s situation we thought that a senior living facility might work for her and us, however due to licensing issues and red tape none of these places have been able to accept Rebecca. We have reached out to a local politician who inidicated he would make calls for us and are still hopeful this local politician can help us find a place to live. Needless to say this uncertainty about where we are going adds to our level of stress.

This past week Rebecca had a minor medical procedure which appeared to go well. Becca was excited for this procedure because it got her out of the hospital for the day. Additionally we were able to see some modified vans that Rebecca could be transported in. These vans are very practical. They are minivans that are customized to accomodate Rebecca’s wheelchair. Rebecca would access the van through a ramp that comes down through the sliding door on the side of the van.

Once again we thank you all for your support. We ask you to keep us in your prayers and thoughts. We hope to find our way through this labyrinth. We hope to one day regain some normalcy in our lives. We hope to continue to have the strength to cope with this ordeal. Most of all we hope and pray our Becca continues to recover.

We send our love to you all. Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

June 26, 2021

Addendum: Last night I wrote the update from Rebecca’s room rather than from the quiet of our apartment. Being in Becca’s room at Spaulding is an “in the moment” experience as one is constantly engaging and intereacting with Rebecca or whoever else is in the room. This proves to be distracting and can prevent whatever deep thoughts and creativity I have from emerging. So I went to bed last night and thought of something else I wanted to add:

We have been in an unusual, difficult, extraordinary situation since Becca’s accident. Many days can be very stressful,sad, joyous etc. We run the gamut of emotions here. Anyway what I try to find is some degree of normalcy everyday. I have told you about my walks but I also find normalcy in taking the garbage to the trashroom, in going to Whole foods and buying four items we may need, in going to CVS, in mailing letters and doing work for my job. These routine acts that I have done my whole life connect me/us to our past life which we hope to get back to in some form eventually.

June 26, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I am once again writing this update from Becca’s room and once again I have sought her input on what to include.

This past week saw a flurry of activity from our Rebecca. This morning she was outside fishing in Boston Harbor. Becca had no interest in the fishing instead she just wanted to be sitting outside by the water. As is the Spaulding tradition no one caught any fish. Becca’s other activities included karaoke, painting, riding the functional electric stim (FES ) bike and attending the wedding of a fellow patient at Spaulding who married his long time girlfriend. This wedding was a big event at Spaulding. Audrey and I attended as well. There was also local news coverage of the wedding. Google “NBC Spaulding Wedding” and you can learn all about it.

Later that evening the bride and groom wheeled their delicious vanilla wedding cake into Becca’s room and shared some of it with us.

Audrey and I are starting to take a more active role in Rebecca’s care. This past week we learned how to change her trach and her diaphragmatic pacer dressing. Whether Becca will leave Spaulding with a trach is still an open question. She has not been on a ventilator in over a month. She continues to breathe through the pacer and the breaths she generates on her own. Her breathing volumes continue to improve and the RT’s are all pleased with her progress. This past week they removed the ventilator from Rebecca’s room. A ventilator is a huge piece of equipment and her room is now much more spacious. Getting the vent out was a very happy moment for me.

Audrey, Rebecca and I continue to be very fortunate to have a steady stream of visitors. This is a gigantic source of emotional support for all of us. We continue to take one day at a time as the future for us still remains very uncertain and scary. One thing that is certain and real is the support and love that we know is out there for us. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We read your comments, texts and emails. Thank you to all of you.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

June 19, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I started writing this update from Rebecca’s room earlier as Audrey and Rebecca were watching an old season of the Bachelorette. I asked Rebecca what she wanted me to say. She said “tell them it is not all sunshine and rainbows”. I replied I think they know that. So folks, while I do try to accentuate the positive I must be clear that it is not all sunshine and ranbows.

We are here in Boston a little over two and a half months. I can’t say it is getting any easier and I can’t say that we are used to it. I also can’t say that the reason why we are here has been accepted by us mentally. People who have been down this road tell me that one day our lives will normalize again. We take them at their word and continue to have faith and hope that they are correct.

FYI the food at the hospital happens to be quite good! The chef here I am told was once an executive chef at a five star hotel. We have alot of our meals at the hospital and the people in “nutrition” are always really nice about accomodating us with last minute orders or menu changes. One of my favorites is the grilled salmon. Even with the good food we have all lost weight over the last few months including Rebecca of course. Recently Rebecca was presented with the option of ordering milk shakes by Nutrition. She got a milkshake a day delivered for about two weeks. She would drink half and guess who would drink the other half.

Becca continues to be our rock star. She was testing wheelchairs it felt like every day this past week. The wheelchair vendors all talk about how amazed they are with her progress. While we appreciate the positive kudos we realize that they are trying to sell us a wheelchair. Seriously the vendors are all nice and like everyone else we have gotten to know them as well. The good thing about testing out the wheelchairs is we get to go outside. Speaking of outside, two days ago I was given clearance to bring Rebecca outside by myself to the third floor pavillion. Getting this type of permission is no small accomplishment as I had to demonstrate that I know what to do in case of different types of emergencies. Being able to bring her outside on my own will help break up the weekends where the days are long.

This past week Becca made baked ziti in OT. She visited the “smart apartment” on the 4th floor at Spaulding, and she sang Karaoke in Speech. When she sings Karaoke she does duets with her neighbor, friend and fellow patient next door. Rebecca tells me that this fellow ( I can’t reveal his name because of HIPAA) is a big fan of Poison and Def Leppard. Not surprisingly the songs of these bands are not on the Karoaoke machine. Rebecca’s voice continues to get stronger. She has been off the vent for three weeks now and is breathing only through the diaphragmatic pacer and those breaths which she generates on her own. She is getting healthier and advancing but she still has a long way to go.

To all you wonderful people who read this blog and care about us I again say thank you. Please know that you are our lifeline. Many days are tough and we get comfort knowing that you are in this battle with us.

Love to all, Audrey Scott Erik and Rebecca.

June 12, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I am happy to report this past week was overall a good one for our Rebecca. Audrey and I observe and spend time with Rebecca for many hours each day. Some might say we are in so deep that we only see the trees and not the forest. However, everyday when I first see Becca I look in her eyes as they tell me what I need to know initially. They can tell me whether she is content or sad. They can also reveal whether she is focused, tired or her mind is somewhere else. This past Thursday and Friday when I first saw her she looked better than ever. Her eyes were bright and clear. I was thrilled. Further when I walk in and she makes some sort of sarcastic comment to me about what I am wearing or how my hair looks I am ecstatic because that is our Becca.

I say the week was good overall because when it started out Becca had a UTI (urinary tract infection). UTI’s are unfortunately common for SCI patients and they can be nasty until treated. Fortunately she got the right antibiotics and this one was in the rearview mirror pretty quickly.

This past week Erik came to visit which is always a plus and emotional boost for all of us. Becca’s weekdays continue to be busy with all of her therapies. This past week she made a tye dye t shirt using a straw ( she told me to include in the update that she inadvertently swallowed some of the solution). A large component of her therapy is speech and Becca’s voice is getting stronger. As part of her speech therapy Becca sang karoake duets with her next door neighbor, a 20 year old spinal cord patient.

Becca this past week was also invited to the wedding of another spinal cord patient on her floor. The wedding is scheduled in about two weeks and will take place on the third floor pavillion at Spaulding.

I am also happy to report that Becca has been off the vent for over one week now, meaning she breathes only through the diaphragmatic pacer along with the breaths which she consciously and deliberately initiates. Since Becca is talking more and more she is forced to cause and create her own breaths in order to keep talking. This of course is great because she is re-teaching her body how to breathe on its own. Although Becca still has her trach for the vent hook up, the trach is now “capped” meaning it is closed with a cap not too different from a bottle cap. This is a big step for her as she graduated from the speaking valve to the cap. This is not too minimize the effort that Becca must put in just to breathe. It can be like getting a full workout and it does make her tired.

Finally Audrey and I continue to live in Boston. We have gotten to know many people here: the security guards at the hospital, all the different therapists, the PT’s, OT’s, RT’s and Speech language pathologists (SLP’s). The nurses, case workers, case managers and doctors. It is a new world for us, an alternate universe that we still find it hard to believe we live in. I say every week how much we want to go home but we know that the care and therapy Becca gets here is superb so we stay and count our blessings for the progress she has made and will continue to make.

We Koltun’s thank you for reading this update and for sending us your support. We read your messages and know that you care about Becca and us. Please keep it up!

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

June 5, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

We are coming on three months since Rebecca’s accident and the day that our lives changed in dramatic form. Rebecca has been at Spaulding now for over two months and although she has made tremendous progress she still has a long way to go with all of her disciplines.

Rebecca continues to breathe primarily through her diaphragmatic pacer and she is reliant less and less on ventilator use. Breathing is something most of us don’t think about because it is so automatic. However breathing is complicated business and for Rebecca’s mind it almost has to be relearned and at the same time her body has to be reconditioned to breathing regular air as opposed to ventilator air (the content of the two are different). Since Rebecca is now off the vent most of the time so she does her physical and occupational therapy breathing through the pacer. This is exhausting for her yet she always tries to push through with her therapy sessions. Toward the end of the week there was talk of pulling back some in order to give her more rest and so that she can focus more on her breathing.

Friends continue to visit Rebecca, mostly on the weekends, and we are so grateful that they make the trip. Seeing these friends means the world to Rebecca. Audrey and I also continue to have people visiting us. Audrey’s sister, Debra, was just here for a week and Audrey’s parents were here the week before that.

This past week I went home for a few days. Being in our house of course triggered many emotions and feelings . This time I had feelings of hope that one day we will move back into a living space that will be modified for Rebecca. Exactly how that will happen and when that will happen are still unknowns to us presently but as time goes on we are hopeful that we will get a clearer picture of our path forward. We are juggling so many variables in our lives now that if we think too far ahead it will make us crazy. It is for this reason that we literally exist day to day and at the end of the each day we congratulate ourselves that we made it through. I will not lie to you — this is a sad and difficult way to live. We hope it is temporary. We hope one day we will settle into our new normal and each day that passes we like to think we are getting closer to more stability in our lives.

We thank all of you for your continued support. We thank you for taking the time to read these updates and for showing interest in us. We thank those of you who leave messages on this website or on any other social media page where this update is posted. We thank those that called us or texted us this week to see how we are doing. All of this helps carry us through this complex and extraordinary time in our lives. .

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

May 29, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Once again we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your thoughts, your prayers, your encouraging messages, and your love. They are all emotional boosts to us as we keep moving forward in this saga.

Our Rebecca continues to make progress in Rehab here at Spaulding. This past week on Wednesday she made brownies in occupational therapy. She mixed the brownie ingredients manually (which included peanut butter cups) in a bowl with a large mixing spoon that was affixed to her head. In the world of paralysis you need to work with what you have and be innovative. Later that day she took the brownies and served them to her weekly social group. She was very proud that she added the peanut butter cups to her recipe.

Rebecca continues to ween off the ventilator only breathing through the pacer. She is logging more and more hours everyday with no ventilator support. Her respiratory therapists continue to be pleased with her progress. Earlier in the week she had a new smaller trach put in. This made use of the speaking valve easier so that she could talk with less effort while she was on the pacer. Talking is something that takes practice and must be done on the exhale in coordination with her breathing. Since Rebecca is off the vent Audrey and I can take her in her chair around her floor with nothing else attached to her.

Rebecca also learned a few weeks ago that she was accepted to medical school. We were all extremely proud of this amazing accomplishment even though she will not be attending medical school this fall.

She continues to receive physical therapy every day which consists of all sorts of stretching and strengthening exercises. She also continues to receive speech therapy which has many facets including spinal cord injury education. As caregivers Audrey and I are also being educated on how to take care of Rebecca. We learned how to suction her and pull out her secretions as Rebecca due to her injury has difficulty generating her own cough. We also learned how to use the Ambu ventilator bag in case of emergency.

This past week Rebecca was able to meet in person with two peer mentors through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Spaulding. These individuals suffered severe spinal cord injuries years earlier and are now leading productive and meaningful lives with careers and families. These individuals in my mind are true heros and are incredibly inspirational. They talked openly about their lives with Rebecca.

We continue to take life here day by day. Weekends are the toughest part of the week for us as there are minimal therapies and the days tend to be long. We are grateful to Rebecca’s friends that come to visit her as she enjoys those visits immensely. We are grateful to the peer mentors that have met with Rebecca and talked so openly about their lives with her.

We wish everyone a good holiday weekend.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca.

May 22, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Once again we want to thank you all so much for your support and prayers. Last week after I posted Rebecca’s update I realized that I forgot to say thank you. Hearing from you all during the week is so so important to Audrey and I. If you know us don’t be shy about sending us a text. If you don’t know us then always feel free to leave us a message on this site or wherever else this update is posted. We read them and it makes us feel better.

This past week showed some good progress for our Rebecca. On Monday the representative from the diaphragmatic pacer company was at the hospital and he was able to adjust some of the settings on the pacer. With these changes Rebecca is now able to breathe off the ventilator with just the pacer for significant periods of time. This was huge. She initially did two sessions of two hours each off the ventilator. From there the amount of time off the vent was increased incrementally daily for the remainder of the week. The goal of course it to ween her off the vent. This is an attainable goal but it is not easy.

On Friday Audrey and I were able to take Rebecca and wheel her in her chair around her floor with no ventilator attached to her. Again we wheeled her around ourselves with no vent attached. There were no tubes, no portable vent and no respiratory therapist with us as we did this. Rebecca was apprehensive about taking this step and so were we. However we all pushed forward and did it. Rehab has many objectives and one of the most important components is to teach the patient and the family how to regain autonomy and independence with what will be the new normal. This was a big step in that direction.

Spinal cord injuries are never a straight or smooth road and in the world of spinal cord injuries Rebecca suffered a particularly bad one. Nevertheless we continue to do the best we can. This past week Rebecca’s Doctor told her he had never seen any one as determined as her. He told her it was okay to take a break for a day. The Doctor then told Audrey that he knew Rebecca would not do that.

Rebecca coninues with her PT, OT and Speech therapy. One new device introduced this week was a speaking valve which is a device attached to her trach when she is off the vent and breathing through the pacer. Without getting too technical the speaking valve diverts air through her breathing airway stimulating her vocal cords so Rebecca can speak when off the vent. This is not easy to do and is an acquired skill.

As for Audrey and I we take one day at a time up here. The weekends can be challenging but we have friends and relatives who visit both us and Rebecca and this helps enormously with our psyches. I will soon be ready for another haircut and I will probably go back to the same place as last time. I need to remember that they are cash only.

Love to you all. Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca

May 15, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:
Tomorrow Rebecca will graduate college. She will be wearing her Binghamton cap and a green Binghamton tee shirt and we will watch the ceremony virtually from a conference room at Spaulding..

When her accident happened the first thought was to apply for a medical withdrawal but after a few days Audrey had the foresight to realize why can’t she just graduate. Afterall, she is a 4.0 student. Given the circumstances why can’t the school permit her to graduate. With the help of my cousin in Florida Audrey filed some paperwork and wrote some letters and the school accomodated us no problem and agreed to graduate Rebecca.

A good friend of Rebecca’s will “walk for her” and have Rebecca on facetime when Rebecca is presented her diploma. Later that day we will have a celebratory dinner. I am writing this now in the future tense because I think I am going to be too spent emotionally tomorrow night to put pen to paper.

Rebecca finished another week of rehab and she conitnues to get stronger physically. She rode the electric stim bike, was on the tilt table, and continued to test out wheel chairs. She had her first collision entering an elevator (don’t tell our insurance broker) This week she rode the wheelchairs outside in front of the hospital and around the main entrance.

This past week another device was introduced to her called the Glassouse Assistive Device. This is a hands free device worn like glasses. It is essentially a computer mouse with a bite switch. Since Rebecca now has more movement in her neck she can use this device to read books on her I pad, play Words with Friends, and do all sorts of other functions and activities on the I pad. This is a real game changer as some of the other assistive devices she tried were much more difficult and unsteady to operate. In the world of quadrapelegia it is all about giving autonomy and control to the patient. Independence is so so important. The more one can do for themselves the better off they will be.

Rebecca continues to have friends visit. Erik was also up this past week. Visitors are great for her psyche and for ours. This weekend we have dear friends here. It is now mid May and we have been here in Boston for six weeks. We miss home terribly and look forward to the day that we can return to a house that is adapted for Rebecca. We look forward to seeing our neighbors and friends. We miss our dog Ollie. We don’t know when we will be returning home but we know it will be some day.

With Love to all, Audrey Scott Erik and Rebecca

May 8, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

Another week has rolled by and again I am happy to report Rebecca continues to progress nicely in rehab.

This week Rebecca was testing out the power wheelchairs. The key is to find one that is easy to operate. Rebecca had previously used the sip and puff but was not crazy about it. This past week she used one with a joy stick which she could operate with her chin and/or tongue. She could also change the mode of the chair ( tilt, forward motion, rear motion) with a triggering device that she could contact with her head. The triggering device is affixed to the headrest adjacent to her head. In addition to the means of operation Rebecca has to decide if she wants a front wheel drive or a mid wheel drive chair. Talk about sensory overload!!

Rebecca also was on the tilt table and on the electric stim bike where they attach electrodes to her legs to stimulate her muscles so she can pedal the bike. Truly an amazing device!

Most importantly Rebecca had the chance this week to meet and interact with various other SCI patients on her floor in what will be a weekly get together Due to HIPAA guidelines and the Dodd Frank Act I am unable to disclose any further information about her fellow floor mates. Nevertheless she enloyed meeting them all and looks forward to seeing them again. Later that evening she facetimed a new peer mentor, a wonderful young woman, who suffered a spinal cord injury about 10 years ago. Rebecca has always been a pragmatic individual and she asked alot of very incisive questions about leading life with a spinal cord injury. Listening to her conversation with this delightful woman brought tears to my eyes.

Rebecca also is continuing her use of the diaphragmatic pacer and building up the strength in her diaphragm as she learns to pull in her own breaths. I could write the next five updates about the pacer and not run out of information to convey. It is a true medical advancement.

One thing I have learned is that there are no hard and fast rules for dealing with spinal cord injury. Every case is different and every injury is different. I have likened it to a labyrinth where you can’t always see what is ahead, you hit dead end paths and then must go back and try something else. Trial and error is key. The key is to never stop trying and employ both patience and persistence Rehab is so important but rest is equally important. Today after riding the electric stim bike Rebecca was exhausted and rest for her was critical.

As for Audrey and I we continue to adjust to life in Boston where even though it is May the weather is still freezing and the trees are hardly in bloom. We continue to dote on our Rebecca who refers to Audrey as her secretary and me as her butler. We take one day at a time. Our lives have been changed forever and the way I view things now is very different from the way I did eight weeks ago. Although I like to think I never took things for granted I am a different man now.

I thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers. The support that we have received from all of you has come in many forms. This support fuels us. It reminds us that we are not in this difficult and complex battle alone. Your texts, calls and messages keep us going.

One silver lining in this, (if there is such a thing) is that we have met and gotten to know many extraordinary people. Superhumans is a term I have coined for them in my mind. This unique group it seems will do anything to help us. That is their calling. Some were strangers before this that we now have the privilege of knowing, others we knew but we were not cognizant of the enormity of their hearts or the beauty of their souls. To that special group I also say thank you.(even though Superhumans do not want or like to be thanked).

Love to you all, Audrey, Scott, Erik and Rebecca

May 6, 2021

Dear Friends:

On behalf of the Koltun family, I want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers, kind words, generous donations and hard work in support of Rebecca’s journey to recovery. I can’t over-emphasize the gratitude the Koltun’s have expressed for all the warmth and support that they’ve received from family, friends and friends of family and friends. They are so lucky to have all of you.

We’re very pleased to report that Rebecca continues to make progress with her use of the diaphragmatic pacer along with her physical and occupational therapies, all of which are so important to her recovery from this tragic injury.

As of this writing, we’ve raised almost $710,000 for Rebecca’s care. Many people have asked where their donations are going, and some are wondering why we continue to fundraise (and increase our goals) despite the success of our outreach. I hope to clarify that for you here.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the estimated lifetime costs due to spinal cord injury can be as high as $4.7 million, depending on the extent of the injury (Rebecca’s injury — high tetraplegia [C1-C2] is among the most severe).

As you can imagine, the Koltuns face many costs that — despite being medically and practically necessary — are not covered by insurance, Medicaid or Social Security benefits. Here are just a few examples:

• The length of Rebecca’s stay at the Spaulding Rehab Center is dictated not by her medical need, but by her health insurance coverage. The Koltuns have been told that if she were to extend her treatment there under self-pay, it would cost a staggering $10-12,000/day.

• When she returns home to Plainview and likely for the rest of her life, Rebecca will need round-the-clock caretakers to help feed, bathe, dress and transport her to her various rehab therapy appointments and other activities at an approximate cost of $50,000/year)

• Rebecca will need ongoing respiratory, physical and occupational therapies for years to come. Health insurance and Medicaid cover only a limited number of those appointments each year.

Add these expenses to the costs of renovating their home, installing a generator to support a ventilator, power wheelchair and custom hospital bed plus finding interim (accessible) housing while the renovations are being completed, and the average first-year cost for Rebecca’s care can easily exceed $1 million. The cost in subsequent years will likely approach $200,000-$250,000. (You can find a more detailed fact sheet outlining costs for specific items by clicking the aqua box to the left of this column, labelled “How Much Does a Spinal Injury Cost?” Note, however, that the numbers cited are based on 2015 dollars, the latest year for which the data are readily available).

A Special Shout Out

Before I close, I want to offer a special shout out to the many small businesses in and around Plainview, NY that have been sponsoring fundraising events and providing raffle prizes and other donations. You can find their names in the “Media” section of the Rally for Rebecca page on Facebook. If you’re not currently a member of the page, you can join using this link: www.facebook.com to stay informed about upcoming and continuing fundraising activities.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout Rebecca’s journey. And thanks again for your generosity, kindness and support.

Best,

Wendy Mensch
Koltun Family Friend

May 1, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I am starting to write this on Friday night April 30th and I am happy to report that Rebecca finished a good week of rehabilitation at Spaulding.

She is gradually getting conditioned to use the diaphragmatic pacer more and more. As many of you know Rebecca is an athlete so her mindset of training and conditioning is going to serve her well in this new world she lives in. She is also learnng to operate a sip and puff wheelchair, a device that is not easy to master.

We take each day as it comes here and try not to get too far ahead of ourselves but at the same time we know at some point Rebecca will be discharged from Spaulding and we have to start thinking and preparing for our next steps. This is very scary to us to put it mildly.

Talking about what we will do next is like trying to drive a car blindfolded. The level of care that Rebecca will need is staggering. For sure Rebecca will require skilled nursing and personal care attendants just to get through a normal day.

For now we take joy in the steps forward, no matter how small, that she is making. She is enjoying her meals and texting her friends. Erik was up this past week to visit. Rebecca loves seeing her brother as it is very uplifting.

A number of Rebecca’s friends also came to visit this past week. However, because of the Covid rules only one friend can be in her room at a time. These visits mean so much to her. They connect her to her past world and she is thrilled to be able to see her friends.

We hope and pray every moment Rebecca continues to make progress. We enjoy each and every moment that we are with her and are overjoyed when she gives us her big smile. I will not lie to you as some of the moments for us are dark. Being displaced is not easy and we miss greatly the comforts and familiarity of our house and neighborhood. We try to take long walks during the day when the weather permits. We have learned that Boston is a walkable city (it is certainly not a driveable city). From Charlestown we can walk across one bridge into downtown Boston. From another foot bridge we can walk into Cambridge. Being near the water is very soothing.

Once again I can not emphasize enough to you how much your support means to us. It is comforting to know that we are all thought of and prayed for. I have never been a religious man but I find myself trying to connect to G-d in my own way each day. I make my hopes and prayers known. The fact that you are all doing the same is very powerful to us. Please continue to think, pray support Rebecca and us. Its importance can not be underestimated.

We love you all. Audrey, Scott Erik and Rebecca.

April 25, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

It is six weeks ago today that we received the new Rebecca who transformed our lives.

This past week was an important one. On Tuesday Rebecca underwent surgery at Mass General Hospital (MGH) and had a diaphragmatic pacer successfully implanted. The diaphragmatic pacer (or pacer) electrically stimulates the diaphragm to contract ( something it was not doing after Rebecca’s injury). With her diaphragm able to now contract and pull air into her lungs, Rebecca, we believe will become less dependent on the ventilator and hopefully she can wean herself off the vent entirely at some point in the future.

Like everything else this is a process and requires conditioning. It will take time to develop her diaphragm muscle which has been inactive since her accident. This pacer is relatively new to medical technology and it is not very common as most people who suffer the type of injury that Rebecca did do not survive. The use of the pacer will now become a large component of her rehab.

The quality of care that Rebecca received at MGH was absolutely amazing from the surgeon who performed the procedure to all the residents and the nurses…what a great hospital! Thank you!

Our Rebecca remains tough and determined. She is courageous and brave. She will continue to work hard in rehab. She will also get the rest that she needs which is so important to spinal cord injury patients. We know it is not an easy path and we know it is not a straight path but we continue to forge ahead.

Rebecca is enjoying being able to eat real food. She must still however supplement with a feeding tube. She also loves facetiming and texting her friends All of this however requires assistance. The COVID rules regarding visitors has been strict at Spaulding. However Rebecca was able to get special permission for some friends to visit. This has been wonderful for her and we hope these visits continue as they are a great morale booster.

Boston remains our home for the time being. It is a city that does not have straight roads or good signs. There are however loads of golden retrievers everywhere and all of them seemed to be named “Bailey”. Another important development is that Audrey finally got her haircut and it looks great

Lastly it goes without saying that the emotional support and prayers that we receive from all of you is vital to us. We are aware of all the fundraisers that continue on Rebecca’s behalf. We are humbled by all this generosity. We really do not know what to say except “Thank you”

Love to all, Audrey, Scott and Erik and Rebecca.

April 17, 2021

One quick addendum. Thursday I was able to get a badly needed haircut. This was very pleasing to Rebecca who told me I looked like a mad scientist. The barber charged me the “senior rate” without asking me my age. I don’t know if I was happy about that. Audrey is now looking to get her hair cut so stay tuned!! Scott

April 17, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family:

I wish I could tell you that every step was one forward in the name of progress for our dear Rebecca.

Unfortunately in the world of spinal cord injuries, healing and health insurance companies it doesn’t always work that way. This past week we hit a bit of a rough patch,however she is now okay.

Late Sunday night/ early Monday morning it was suspected Rebecca had an infection and as an abundance of caution a decision was made to have Rebecca tranferred over to Mass General Hospital. After a little more that 24 hours there, she was ready to be discharged. However due to a communication breakdown there was a delay in getting insurance approval for her transfer back to Spaulding. Accordingly she had to remain in Mass General unnecessarily for two more days. This was incredibly frustrating and maddening for all of us. Fortunately Audrey was able to sleep at the hospital with Rebecca and Erik and I were there every day. The care and kindness that Rebecca received at Mass General was unparalleled.

As of Thursday afternoon our dear Rebecca was back at Spaulding and on Friday she was receiving the Speech, PT and OT that she needs to maximize her recovery.

We are hopeful this type of thing does not happen again.

I can only ask all of you to keep praying for our Rebecca. As I have said before your support, whether it be financial, emotional or through prayer means everything to us and helps us get through the more difficult days. Above all we rely on Rebecca and her spirit and love of life to carry us. Thank you all so so much. Love, Audrey, Scott and Erik.

April 10, 2021

Dear Friends and Family:

Today is four weeks since Becca’s accident and the day we began this new phase in our lives. Without getting too deep or philosophical I choose to look at is as the day our Rebecca was reborn.

Audrey and I continue to take it day by day here in Boston. The fact that Rebecca can eat solid food and enjoy it is a game changer. As she told me yesterday she is now gaining the power and ability to control her diet which is very important to her. She is still receiving tube feedings however.

As many of you know talking has been difficult for her with the ventilator however when the vent is adjusted in a certain way she is able to speak and is getting quite adept at it. Yesterday with the assistance of the adaptive tech person and voice conrol through her cell phone she was able to text independently. This is also huge. When she does speak it sounds like her voice.

Rebecca just completed her first full work week here at Spaulding. Everyday is busy for her between PT, OT, Speech and Respiratory. Yesterday she got to go outside for a while on a portable vent and that was great. We continue to hear from the friends that we made at Dartmouth Hitchcock and the medical clinic at Stratton who are all so interested in Rebecca and her progress. That is heartwarming to us.

I have come to realize that while this is a story about Rebecca, it is also a story about Audrey and I. After 26 days staying at Marriott Residence Inns both in New Hampshire and Boston we have moved to a nice apartment provided to us by Spaulding across the street from the hospital. While we have nothing against Marriott Residence Inns, we did get tired of eating Cheerios out of a box and powdered eggs for breakfast. I am looking forward to seeing my new points total. I can not count the number of times that I left my key card in the room locking myself out.

The visitor policy at Spaulding is pretty strict due to Covid but we were able to get permission for a dear friend of Becca’s who goes to school in Boston to visit her today. We are grateful for that. This will be wonderful for Rebecca as she misses her friends.

Once again we want to thank everyone for their wonderful support whether it is sending us meals, donating to the fund, sending us messages, keeping in touch or praying for Rebecca, it keeps us going.

Love to all, Audrey, Scott and Erik.

April 7, 2021

Once again we must thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support and love you have shown us throughout this terrible ordeal. It has lifted our spirits and helped carry us through this journey. It has provided us some degree of solace in these rough days.

Today our Rebecca was cleared and was able to eat solid food for the first time since her accident. This was a big step in the direction of progress. It made us all so happy. Rebecca has been at Spaulding Rehab now for six days. She receives physical and occupational therapy every day. She also works with a speech pathologist and a respiratory therapist daily. So far we are pleased with the professionalism and dedication of all the caregivers at Spaulding.

Please continue your prayers and thoughts for our wonderful Rebecca. Love Audrey, Scott and Erik

April 1, 2021

Dearest Friends and Family: Earlier today our Rebecca was discharged from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Centre and was transported via ambulance down to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. The ride was a little over two hours and went smoothly. Audrey was able to ride in the ambulance along with Rebecca, a Respiratory Therapist and a Critical Care Nurse. Once at Spaulding they began assessing Rebecca. Once they are done with their evaluations they will formulate a plan for her. Rehab for someone like Rebecca is complex and is comprised of many different components and specialties. It can also be long and never ending. We continue to be hopeful and pray for miracles for our dear Rebecca who is doing her best to remain strong. We tell her (and ourselves) to try and take one day at a time with this. When that doesn’t work we say take one hour at a time! We will continue to keep you posted on Rebecca’s progress at rehab.

We want to thank everyone again soooo much for all of the financial and emotional support that you have provided to us. We are overwhelmed with the enormity of what has happened to Rebecca. We are equally overwhelmed with all the support and love that has been expressed for Rebecca Receiving your financial support and reading your comments has meant the absolute world to us. It provides us some degree of relief to know that so many people care so much. It reminds us that there is so much good in people and in the world.

Please continue to keep Rebecca in your prayers and thoughts every day. Love to you all. Scott

March 28, 2021

Thank you to everyone for all you have done so far for our dear Rebecca! Below is Audrey and my story concerning what happened. Love to you all. Scott

March 13, 2021 was like any other Saturday for me. I knew my two kids were both skiing that day at Stratton Mountain in Vermont. I swam laps that morning and spoke with my wife Audrey about whether she had any preferences for dinner. Audrey had gotten together with a friend to go for a walk and I decided to take a ride down to Jones Beach and walk on the boardwalk. Something I loved to do. It was a beautiful day weather wise. It took me about 20 minutes to drive down to the beach and just as I was parking the car my cellphone rang.

It was a strange number. When I answered the phone it was my son Erik who immediately told me that Rebecca was in an accident and was found unconscious in the woods on the mountain. He told me she was going to be airlifted to Dartmouth Hospital in New Hampshire. He knew no more. I immediately started trying to reach Audrey on her phone and at the same time I began driving home. I reached Audrey when I was just about home and she immediately began walking back to come home so that we could head up to New Hampshire. Shortly after I got home Erik called me again. He was at the medical clinic at Stratton and he put me on the phone with one of the Doctors. I was told the situation was dire; that my dear Rebecca was found without a pulse and that while they had revived her she kept losing it and they had to keep doing CPR to get her back. I was told that she was without oxygen for a period of time and this could result in her being brain damaged or brain dead. It was made clear to me that she may not survive the helicopter ride to Dartmouth and that the team of no less than 20 doctors had done everything they could to save her. I was then told Erik would be brought in to see his sister for what may be the last time.

Over the next three hours we functioned as robots. We packed some clothes and medicine we needed, grabbed some waters and snacks. We dropped off the dog at our dog sitter and began the five hour ride up to New Hampshire. How were able to do this is still a mystery to me. While I am not overly religious I believe G-d carried us and gave us the strength to function in what was the most awful day of our lives. I fully expected to receive a call that she did not make it and that our trip up there would be a short one. How my son Erik functioned and remained calm is a testament to what an amazing young man he is.

About halfway into the ride we called Erik who was in New Hampshire near the hospital. Rebecca was at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Centre which is a Level I trauma center. Having been here now for two weeks I can only call this hospital truly amazing. While it may not be geographically convenient you must trust me that this is the place you would want to go if something was very wrong medically. Erik could not go in because of Covid but was told that Rebecca had arrived critical and was now stable. We then called the ER and spoke with someone who went through a ton of medical jargon and said Rebecca although seriously seriously injured was following basic neurologic commands. We were also told that it appeared Rebecca had sustained some very severe neck fractures very high up on her neck. They were bringing her in for an emergency MRI and would make a determination if emergency surgery was necessary. Later that night we were told emergency surgery (meaning that evening) was not necessary. She would however need surgery over the next 48 hours to stabilize her spine. The doctor also confirmed how severe the fractures were and that she did not have the ability to breathe on her own and that she was on a ventilator.

We were told the next day the Hospital was lifting COVID restrictions and we could come in and visit. We booked our room at a local Marriott Courtyard and spent the night trying to sleep.

Oddly enough I was scheduled to have my second COVID vaccine shot on March 14th the day after Rebecca’s accident. My appointment was at 2:20. So the following morning I drove from New Hampshire back down to NY to get my second COVID shot. After I got my shot I went home spent the night at home and packed up all the things that we had forgotten the day before when we first drove up to New Hampshire

Amongst this terrible day for all of us, there were some little miracles:

1-Stratton just happened to have a team of the best-top notch physicians on staff that day. Some of whom specialize in trauma. These Doctors refused to give up on Rebecca and did whatever it took to save her life doing whatever lifesaving measures are needed to keep her heart beating……. a miracle

2-Rebecca needed to go to a Level 1 Trauma Center. Their first choice of Trauma 1 Medical Centers is Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon New Hampshire, but there needs to be a helicopter available to air lift her there. Their second choice Trauma -1 Medical Center is Albany Medical Center. When Rebecca had her accident a helicopter from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center had just become available and flew right to Stratton to get Rebecca. …a miracle

2-On our way up to New Hampshire, we called the ICU where Rebecca was taken and were told she was “critical but stable.” …”but stable.” …a miracle

3-Despite being without a pulse and needing CPR multiples times, Rebecca’s brain MRI, neurologic exams, and cognition were all normal. …a miracle.

We have now been here for over two weeks. We are trying to get Rebecca medically stable enough where she can be transferred to a Rehab centre in Boston.