October 2010

The 4th annual Heroes for Harris softball tournament was held on Saturday, October 16 and the weather could not have been more beautiful. Special thanks to all who participated and especially those who volunteered their Saturday to make this tournament happen. There were a lot of folks involved with getting the t-shirts and raffle tickets printed, securing the fields of play and organizing teams and volunteering to ump games or do whatever was needed to make this tournament a day to remember. John would have been awestruck at the involvement this tourney generated and I'm quite sure he would have been even more proud to be a Spring Branch employee. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to play and there are still t-shirts and raffle tickets for purchase so email me if you're interested. The raffle won't be held until mid-November so you have some time to buy some. Prizes this year will be some awesome gift cards.

John was moved once again this week. Some people have asked why we move John so frequently so I thought I'd explain. With this type of injury, different levels of care have to be justified. At each step of the way, staff at the facilities must let his insurance provider know of John's improvements and set goals in order for him to stay at a given facility past 30 days. Throughout his journey, John has shown marked improvement and it is actually incredible that given what he has been through that he was able to survive, much less thrive on any level. Some of the facilities have been more therapeutic intensive and others have been more care intensive and we have had to justify his level of care at each stretch. John has been to the very best rehabilitation facilities and been looked at and worked with by the very best professionals available and he has worked hard. He has been through more physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy than most patients get and that has been because of almost constant advocacy by his family.

I will tell you that figuring out the best steps for John has been both nerve
racking and confusing and it is only through sheer luck that we have been able to come across a kind professional here and there either through the facility staff or insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield) that we have been able to provide this level of care for him. There are angels in this industry and in every aspect of life and through John's faith and perseverance, they have been revealed to us and we have truly been blessed beyond imagination. Each time we began to feel defeated, a new path would reveal itself or new information would be given to us we would have guidance and a sense of calm.

It is the same with this move. John has utilized his intensive therapy days and although we plan to continue his therapeutic regime, it will come at a monetary cost and will therefore be less frequent. John is at a place where he is stabilized and is now at a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in North Houston. He is close to family so that he can be checked on daily and settling in with the hope that allowing him a consistent environment and staff will allow him to blossom and thrive even more. As with previous moves, we are nervous and hopeful but even more so this time because this is a more permanent placement. Over the next few weeks, we will be working closely with staff and them with us so that they can learn all about John and his nuances and so that he can begin to feel comfortable and safe enough to continue his journey.