Dollars for Derek
Donation protected
Going Home, celebration of life!
7 years ago today 7/7/09 I received a telephone call every parent fears receiving, my son was inbolted in a motorcycle accident and was in the ICU at Riverside Community Hospital, with a brain bleed, a fractured scapula, 3 broken ribs front and back, a punctured lung, a bleeding heart, and 4 fractured vertebrae in his back, all self healing injuries!
My son Derek was kept in a medicated coma so he could heal, he was on a ventilator, and a feeding tube had been placed as he would be in kept in the coma for a few weeks. Three weeks later they brought him out of the coma which took about 3 days. He was well, and whole and would heal! Arriving at the hospital Derek was 6'4" 167 pound healthy strong 22 year old male! MY BEAUTIFUL BOY ! On his way to a rehab to build up his strength and weight as he was down to 128 pounds. After telling him about the horrors of the past month, and not knowing if he was going to get better or be disabled for life, he said "Mom if I wasn't going to come back whole he wouldn't have come back at all!"
He was transfered from the ICU to the 6th floor with 7 other patients and one very young and inexperienced nurse who through medical malpractice pulled the feeding tube outvof Derek stomach causing bike to leak into his body caused a massive infection so bad it stopped his heart 4.5 hours of emergency surgery I was told the next 24 hours were critical. He was in a coma in multi organ failure, and if he lived they would probably have to amputate his arms his legs and his ears. On 8/5/09 I was told that my son was never going to get better, his brain had been deprived of oxygen for so long he had very little brain function other than he could breath, meaning while he was ventilator dependent if we turn it off he would still breath, he would just struggle!
We would spend the next 4 months in the ICU (I or a family member never leaving his side) Derek left the hospital in a permanent vegetative state, ventilator dependent, with gangrenous legs (scheduled to be amputated) a heart condition, a cathetor, and a feeding tube! And our nightmare is just beginning!!!
We sued, he was awarded 5.9 million dollars 4.2 of which went to lawyers doctors, the medical system that reduced my grown son to a vegetable! And he was put into a home to be cared for the rest of his life! I would visit him in one of these places almost weekly for the rest of his life!!! Left with 1.7 million in the bank he paid for his own care (base 13,00.00 per day) until his money ran out and he was left a destitute adult on medi-cal.
12/2015 I was told that he was in grave condition and was going to pass away, I called his family and friends and everybody said good-bye, But there was something in him I hadn't seen in 7 years, He seemed like there was something in him, like he knew we were there he made eye contact, he responded to comings and goings it was amazing. He would battle and fight for 6 more months and on 6/27/16 @ 6.05pm Derek would take his last breath on this earth!
Derek was born 11/09/1986 and was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a friend, a love, and a father, He was a beautiful, gifted, funny, intelligent, smart-ass with a hard head, a good heart, and a hustle that always amazed me!
Derek has a beautiful 9 year old daughter, who is the spitting image of her father, will only know him through us and our memories of him. So while any monetary gifts would assist me in the funeral, if you have pictures or stories or something you would like her to know please share those with us .
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my boys story and for all of your thoughts, prayers, and donations!
Derek, and his daughter around the same age!
7 years ago today 7/7/09 I received a telephone call every parent fears receiving, my son was inbolted in a motorcycle accident and was in the ICU at Riverside Community Hospital, with a brain bleed, a fractured scapula, 3 broken ribs front and back, a punctured lung, a bleeding heart, and 4 fractured vertebrae in his back, all self healing injuries!
My son Derek was kept in a medicated coma so he could heal, he was on a ventilator, and a feeding tube had been placed as he would be in kept in the coma for a few weeks. Three weeks later they brought him out of the coma which took about 3 days. He was well, and whole and would heal! Arriving at the hospital Derek was 6'4" 167 pound healthy strong 22 year old male! MY BEAUTIFUL BOY ! On his way to a rehab to build up his strength and weight as he was down to 128 pounds. After telling him about the horrors of the past month, and not knowing if he was going to get better or be disabled for life, he said "Mom if I wasn't going to come back whole he wouldn't have come back at all!"
He was transfered from the ICU to the 6th floor with 7 other patients and one very young and inexperienced nurse who through medical malpractice pulled the feeding tube outvof Derek stomach causing bike to leak into his body caused a massive infection so bad it stopped his heart 4.5 hours of emergency surgery I was told the next 24 hours were critical. He was in a coma in multi organ failure, and if he lived they would probably have to amputate his arms his legs and his ears. On 8/5/09 I was told that my son was never going to get better, his brain had been deprived of oxygen for so long he had very little brain function other than he could breath, meaning while he was ventilator dependent if we turn it off he would still breath, he would just struggle!
We would spend the next 4 months in the ICU (I or a family member never leaving his side) Derek left the hospital in a permanent vegetative state, ventilator dependent, with gangrenous legs (scheduled to be amputated) a heart condition, a cathetor, and a feeding tube! And our nightmare is just beginning!!!
We sued, he was awarded 5.9 million dollars 4.2 of which went to lawyers doctors, the medical system that reduced my grown son to a vegetable! And he was put into a home to be cared for the rest of his life! I would visit him in one of these places almost weekly for the rest of his life!!! Left with 1.7 million in the bank he paid for his own care (base 13,00.00 per day) until his money ran out and he was left a destitute adult on medi-cal.
12/2015 I was told that he was in grave condition and was going to pass away, I called his family and friends and everybody said good-bye, But there was something in him I hadn't seen in 7 years, He seemed like there was something in him, like he knew we were there he made eye contact, he responded to comings and goings it was amazing. He would battle and fight for 6 more months and on 6/27/16 @ 6.05pm Derek would take his last breath on this earth!
Derek was born 11/09/1986 and was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a friend, a love, and a father, He was a beautiful, gifted, funny, intelligent, smart-ass with a hard head, a good heart, and a hustle that always amazed me!
Derek has a beautiful 9 year old daughter, who is the spitting image of her father, will only know him through us and our memories of him. So while any monetary gifts would assist me in the funeral, if you have pictures or stories or something you would like her to know please share those with us .
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my boys story and for all of your thoughts, prayers, and donations!
Derek, and his daughter around the same age!
Organizer
Celeste Cubello-Harris
Organizer
Riverside, CA