Mark Brown's Recovery Fund
Mark Brown Recovery Fund
Please help us bring Mark back to full recovery after his stroke.
On March 19, Mark Brown (husband of Karen Friedland-Brown, father of Jordan Brown) had a stroke (subarachnoid hemmorhage). He was in Stanford Hospital for 2 1/2 weeks, first in ICU, then on the Neurology ward. He was transferred to Kaiser Hospital on April 4 for further recovery. On April 7 he started several weeks of acute rehab in San Jose.
You may know Mark as a dear relative, a loving friend, a fine artist, writer, photographer, guitar player, singer and songwriter, graphic artist, gardener, chef, hiker and camper, lover of music festivals, handyman, world traveler and adventurer, and all around creative force. We want to make sure he gets back to being all of those things.
Mark's progress so far is up and down, and he continues to slowly improve. The prognosis is unclear. Mark is a motivated fighter and we have hopes for a full recovery, but it will be a long road. As Mark told us early on, "I need to reprogram my brain."
Mark will need extensive therapies for the foreseeable future: speech, occupational, physical. There are many unknowns, but here's what we've been told to expect:
* After rehab he will either enter a skilled nursing facility, depending on his progress, or return home.
* When he comes home he will need round the clock care for some time.
* He will need in-home and outpatient therapy to get back to the life he loves.
To return to us whole, Mark needs the best medical care possible. Costs will include:
* Medical bills: We're thankful for great insurance, but there will be copays, which will eventually run high. There will also be (currently unknown) medical bills only partially covered by insurance. This includes hospitals, Stroke Rehab Center, skilled nursing facility, home health care, and continuing therapy. We want the services that give Mark the best chance of returning to health.
*Lost income: Mark will not be able to work for the foreseeable future. He is not eligible for Disability. He will start to receive Social Security on his 66th birthday in June. This will help, but is pretty minimal. Karen will need the flexibility to take unpaid time off work if Mark's care requires it.
*Household help: Mark has been the gardener, handyman, cook, and more, and Karen will now need to hire out for these tasks. Additionally, equipment and changes to the house will be needed to make it more accessible for Mark as he recovers.
We will need help meeting these financial challenges. Because so many of the costs are still being revealed, we may need to raise our funding goal as treatment progresses.
Mark and Karen have been blessed during this crisis by the love and care of their wide network of family, friends, colleagues, customers and clients. Karen is amazed, and so very appreciative of all the emotional and physical care she's received thus far. This love continues to aid Mark in his recovery process, and helps Karen cope with the many challenges she is facing.
Karen and Mark are givers at heart, and asking for help is hard for them. They have contributed so much to their various communities with wisdom, generosity and caring, art, music, genuine love, and of course loads of revelry and fun. Now that Mark is leaving the acute stage and entering the restoration and recovery stage, we know that they can depend on everyone for continued caring and love. Mark and Karen's family are helping as much as they can, and will continue to do so.
The family asks that you consider helping Mark and Karen bear the financial burden. Any amount is appreciated. Let us know if you prefer to give directly, off-line. Even if you can't give now, you may know others who might want to help; please let them know about this funding campaign. All funds go directly to Karen. There will also be ways to help out in person, when Mark comes home. Let's bring Mark back to being the brilliant, funny talented, and wonderful person that we love. Thank you!
