FOR DAVID TURNER, HELP DAVE OVERCOME BRAIN INJURY

This is Melissa (Missy), Dave’s wife. Please take a moment to read Dave’s story & help us if you can. It was 9 months ago December 16th when it happened. We had already been in the hospital for a couple weeks as Dave had had the flu, DKA, & esophagitis which is why he struggled to eat or drink anything. We thought he was in the clear but we knew we would be staying in the hospital for a while until he could drink and eat soft foods comfortably. He was in good spirits & we were looking forward to going home. Then on the 16th a blood clot (saddle pulmonary embolism) came up through his leg into his heart & lungs taking his life. Hysterical, a nurse caught me as I collapsed praying & pleading with God not to take him from me as I watched a team of Doctors and nurses desperately fight to save his life. Dave sustained 35 minutes of CPR when his heart started beating again. The Doctor then asked permission to put in an Impella device. He told me it was very risky but his only chance. Barely able to focus through the tears I agreed. They first had to remove the massive blood clot in his heart & lungs. The family & church family gathered at the hospital and we all continued to pray. Dave made it through both procedures & was put on life support in CCU.

There were Doctors that didn’t expect him to make it past Christmas. That was the day the breathing tube came out. The Lord continued to perform miracles. Then the tremors started. The Doctors had never seen severe seizures like this without brain damage. They did two MRI’s during our time in the CCU because they were in disbelief. Both came back no brain damage, but anoxic brain injury. Still trying to figure out how to dial in the right medications the Doctor that saved his life reached out to his colleagues at USC. We learned Dave has Lance-Adams Syndrome & with this diagnosis they were then able to begin to get the tremors under control (an ongoing journey). Dave’s life continued to be touch & go. One night in the CCU one of the intensivist Doctors who was the most brutally honest of all of them (one of my favorites) looked at me and said, “Your husband is fragile but he is RESILIENT, I see a pathway through this but it’s going to take a long time & it’s going to be a very bumpy road.” He gave me two analogies that continue to help me stay focused: It will be like walking a tight rope between the Twin Towers and the unpredictability of white water rafting. Without laser focus you will lose it. That is exactly what it has been like & I have come close to losing it.

We lived in the hospital for four months. Since then he has had some setbacks & we have had five more hospital stays. The last one being is September 15-17. Despite the setbacks he continues to move forward cm x cm. He has had to relearn how to speak and move again. In the ARU he learned to stand again with assistance and take steps with walking devices. He is still in a wheelchair & we continue to work on getting him on his feet again. He is truly a miracle!

The matter at hand is Dave’s memory & cognition. It’s very difficult to share but they were severely impaired. There is much long term memory still there. Yet even some of that is jumbled & parts of it he can’t recall. He can remember people & places pretty good. But he can’t remember his parents passing though it was many years ago. He relives it daily. Dave’s short term memory is vague to non-existent. Dave knows who I am, that I’m his wife, & that we love each other. However, he doesn’t remember our wedding or the details of our life together over the last 7 years. Although there has been recall of some memories we share once he sleeps the slate seems to get wiped and we start over the next day. It’s painful for both of us as we have had a beautiful life together. But, we are so grateful for the life we still have together. We do a lot of cuddle therapy & still debate about who loves the other more. He does sometimes remember people who had come into his life over this period of time but sometimes not. It is a blessing we have known each other our whole life. His day to day memory seems non-existent. There have been rare surprising moments of recall. Just enough to give us hope. Everything is jumbled in his brain. I can only imagine what it would be like & how it would feel as I see him desperately fighting to connect the pieces. I hold him & cry with him.

Although medications are essential in managing his tremors their not going to bring back his memory & cognition. He is in desperate need of brain therapy. We were referred to NeuroSpa Brain Rejuvenation Center for TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). Advanced technology that is non-pharmaceutical. It is a highly advanced non-invasive medical device used to stimulate targeted regions of the human nervous system. it is ground a breaking medical tool that can help restore his memory & cognition. Of course, insurance covers only a fraction because of “Big Pharma”. We need to pay $23,533. to get Dave the therapy he needs to recover. So, I am humbly asking for help. Great or small, please help restore my Dave. We also ask that you continue to pray for Dave as those prayers are priceless and the Lord has blessed us. We thank everyone around the world that has lifted him up in prayer.

There we were with our beautiful marriage, enjoying life together, making a good living, setting goals, making plans and in the blink of an eye it was nearly all gone. I watched my husband die. Then I witnessed God answer my prayer & bring him back to me. I don’t need much but I do need him. So long as we have each other and the Lord we have all we need. Everything else can be replaced. Dave is my home, my heart, my perfect love. He is also a Father, Son, Grandpa. Brother, Uncle, Nephew, & Friend. Please, if you are able, help us get the care he needs to restore his memory & cognition. Help him find the rest of the way back to me, to all of us. Please SHARE Dave’s story.

Thank you for your consideration.

God Bless You All,

Melissa (Missy)