Hello everyone.
First of all Kelly, Dustin and I want to thank you so much for your outflow of love, care, concerns, tears, cards, donations, support, tough love and more. Actually, words cannot express how much we appreciate your generosity and love.
I know many of you have heard rumors, guesses and possibly nothing about what happened or Kelly’s condition. If you are experiencing these and other emotions, it is my hope this post will put you at ease.
On March 9, around 12am Kelly suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest. He had no symptoms, had not been ill… to date we still don’t know what caused this event. He did not have a heart attack or a stroke… as I understand it, the cause was more of an electrical malfunction in the heart. The echo showed no signs of heart damage. Kelly suffers from acquired brain injury (not traumatic) and is diagnosed with anoxic brain injury (lack of oxygen). He is on a ventilator, but is breathing 60% of the time on his own. His heart is strong and pumping on its own. Kelly has not regained consciousness yet, however the EEG shows active brain waves. He is currently taking daily baby steps… and this is why we haven’t been able to offer much information. In the next few days we hope to move him to a specialty care hospital that specializes in coma arousal therapy and anoxic brain injuries. Kelly is looking at a long-term recovery. We continue to see small improvements (opening eyes, toe wiggles and head movements) which continue to encourage a positive outcome.
We understand you all feel many concerns and would like to visit Kelly. We are highly protective of Kelly’s environment which allows no room for negativity or tears. We don’t discuss anything about what happened, will happen or his condition in the room. As a result, visitation is very limited. It is overwhelming to try to accommodate such a massive amount of visitors and return phone calls. I know that may sound harsh… but we have to put aside our own needs and feelings… Kelly is our number one priority. We will post updates on the blog, but not on a daily basis… remember… baby steps = milestones. We will report milestonesJ
Please be patient and continue to send your generous love and prayers. It is truly in His hands as to what the outcome will be… we are here to serve, provide unconditional love and support to Kelly. You, the friends and family who love and care about him through your continued support give us strength on a daily basis. We love to read your new posts and comments on a daily basis… we love and need you all.
All our love,
Kelly, Marilyn & Dustin
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Have you ever asked yourself if Kelly "Blind Dog" Slack LIKES to camp?
your eyes may be widening in amazement at such a question. surely he must, since we have all seen him at winfield for lo these many years and he seems to stay longer and longer each year! however, there may be some skeptics over in the pecan grove who wonder if you can call what we do in our camp "camping." the electric lights, the coffee maker, the comfy chairs, the air-conditioned motorhomes and campers, the occasionally pig-nosed amplifier--hmmm, really dont' know if we'd call that "roughing it."
well, here's a story you may have heard kelly tell that explains WHY kelly does not exactly EMBRACE the outdoor life.
when he was in college (i think) one of his buddies recruited him to go hiking and camping (you have to hear kelly tell this to fully appreciate it, but i will do my best to remember all the nuances).
first they loaded up some packs with a bunch of heavy stuff that was probably designed for what we call "car camping." this equipment is NOT meant to be strapped to one's back and hauled around, but that's what they did. because of the weight, they did not get very far on their hike. but when they made camp, they tried to set the mood with a campfire-cooked meal.
kelly says his brilliant buddy (who might even being reading this post so i'd better watch my tone!) said all they had to do to heat up the canned pork n' beans was roll the whole can (still sealed) into the hot coals. why bother with pots and pans when surely the vittles would heat nicely in their own little can?
kelly says it was not too long before that pressure of the heated beans exploded the can. they are lucky they weren't maimed for life when the shower of dangerous musical fruits showered down on them!
that adventure, kelly will tell you, is the reason that he now "camps" in a more civilized manner, and makes it a policy never to put on a backpack full of canned beans!
anyway, we always managed to talk gary P. into cooking something marvelous so we don't have to suffer with beans. can't wait to see what's in the pot this fall!
love
kim d.
Kim D,
This is truly one of Kelly's best stories-one in which I heard many times over the last 20+ years. But I think John Moreno (the buddy from his old work days at Business Specialist) can tell this story best. Since he was the buddy in the story that took Kelly camping. As far as Kelly and college-never happen. He was so very greatful to just graduate Campus High School in 1974. Again, another story Kelly can tell better than me.
Looking forward to him waking up and sharing all his wonderful memories with everyone.
Hello, All.
We're thinking of you guys everyday and you are certainly in our prayers.
Here is a link to a video I did a few years ago about the gang at Winfield. Kelly is one of the stars.
mms://es-win.com/eyeland/Winfield.wmv
Just cut and paste that into Internet Explorer and hit go and if you have Windows Media Player the video should play on your computer. (You have to have a high-speed connection)
Get well soon, Kelly!
Love,
Wilson & Gail in Cape Coral, FL
Post a Comment