William Shakespeare once wrote,
“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”

April 15, 2014

Dear friends and family

I am so thankful for your generosity and donations to this fund. The site only provides a list of contributors but does not include the amount donated. Please know absolutely anything is much appreciated.

Most likely these funds will go towards significant renovations we have to do on our home or special equipment that I will need that is not covered by insurance. The magnitude of an injury like this reaches many areas and you are helping in one that has a significant impact.

My advancement continues with strengthening of muscles that we all take for granted. Shoulders, back, abdomen and of course legs are all things that are necessary to stand. Today I actually accomplished a standing position with the physical therapist using a gate belt. Standing for one minute felt like I had just ran 5 miles. The only problem is when I stood up I was only 5 foot seven. Surely after all of this I thought I would have gained a few inches. The progress felt wonderful. And you all were part of it. I thank God!

Please keep up your prayers and thoughts and I will continue working hard. Sincerely,

Mark

March 28, 2014

Hello, all! It has been a long two months since Mark's accident and we continue to be amazed by the generosity and love we receive on a daily basis. Mark's journey thus far has been a roller-coaster, to say the least. A lot of you know what an incredibly hard worker he is, and that work ethic does not waver despite various obstacles so early on in recovery. About a week and a half ago Mark underwent an operation to insert an anti-spasm medication pump into his spine. He was frequently experiencing painful spasms that interfered with his physical and occupational therapy, and oral doses of the medication were not doing enough. This pump is designed to send anti-spasmodic medication directly to his nervous system and has so far done its job in significantly decreasing the amount and severity of spasms. This surgery was unexpected and has been a little bit of a setback in and of itself, as any operation takes a toll on the body and requires recovery.

As Mark continues to put his all into therapy, we have been working on establishing a handicap accessible household for him to come home to. This has involved putting the Ohio house on the market and searching for an apartment where he could have as much independence as possible. Our search has yielded heartbreaking results as our eyes are opened to the absolute lack of handicap accessible housing. We are laying all options out on the table, including home renovation. The house we live in now is in no way equipped to house a handicap individual, but with few options out there we are scrambling to see what can be done. Our main priority is to provide Mark with a living situation that allows him to regain as much independence as possible. Such renovations include outside ramps, wheel-in bathrooms, stair lifts, etc. Making a previously handicap inaccessible house accessible comes with it's own financial demons. In a world built for those who can walk, we struggle with the lack of choices. We are racing the clock to give Mark stable living conditions by the time he is finished with rehabilitation in Atlanta. He will still have a lot of work to do once he is back in Ohio; work that will be hard enough without dealing with handicap inaccessibility.

As always, we will face this adversity the best that we can. The support of family and friends will see us through. Please help us provide Mark with the best housing conditions possible, so that he can get back to living as an independent individual. Our hearts are filled with an endless supply of gratitude and love.

With love,

Kelly, Nancy and Joe