#Doingit forDan

On Sunday November 16th, at 10:30-ish am, Daniel Menke was driving on 35 highway when he changed lanes and hit black ice spinning him into the side rail which bounced him back into traffic. Mid spin he was struck by a Semi on the driver side. Many onlookers pulled aside and helped with getting him out of the car, and also to keep his airways open until Medics got to the scene. List of injuries: fractured pelvis, four fractured ribs in his left side, broken left clavicle, punctured lung from the broken clavicle, fractured C7 vertebrae - no spinal cord damage, though..... Several cerebral contusions, and DPI traumatic brain injury. What that means - Dan's brain is badly bruised, but in several places not just one particular large area. The DPI traumatic brain injury is when the brain has been shook and the right lobe moves separate from the left in a kind of twist. This is a significant injury. And only tells us that it had happened - not what it had done to him. He got an MRI done. From the prior 2 CTs and the MRI we have a new term for what his brain has gone through- "DAI or Diffuse Axonal Injury"...."Diffuse (no central location, global - as you described) Axonal (neurons, our amazing brain cells, communicate with one another via structures called axons) Injury"Dan has injured the communicators all over your brain at the cellular level. Those are a lot of little ouches!! 

Since November 16th, Dan has been in the hospital, and each week gives us more hope.  Right before Christmas he opened his eyes for brief periods, recently he has been making noises, and even smiled! 

 As you can imagine, the hospital stay and the extensive care he has been receiving is extremely expensive.  The prayers and love our family, friends and complete strangers have shown is incredible.  Thank you all so much for your love and support.  Please keep praying and standing with us.  If you feel lead to donate, we would appreciate it, but we will take prayers and love all day long as well. Come on y'all, lets #doitfordan!