Harlan Meints' Fight To Go Home

Harv’s Story

My name is Becky Ricklefs. My dear friends, Harv and Sherrie Meints, have had their lives changed forever on August 5. Harv fell as he was going from his garage into the house at their lake home. He could not catch himself with his arms and fell face first onto a hard floor. Neighbors came to help Sherrie turn him over because he could not breathe. Two ambulances, a fire truck, a sheriff’s deputy, and a helicopter worked to life flight Harv to St. Cloud hospital. If not for the quick work of the local paramedics, Harv might have been paralyzed for life. All of you know Harv in various ways. Many have spent hours of enjoyment in Harv’s garage at the lake or in his front porch in Texas. Many have worked with him on the Lake Association and know him from the many meetings he attended as president of that organization. A lot of lake dwellers have been helped by Harv with various concerns. People know him from his teaching days at various schools in Iowa and Minnesota. A lot of you were his students. And, of course, his extended family is concerned about his progress. We all can do our part to help him out in his time of need.

Harv’s Fight

Since Harv has been in St Cloud, he has been receiving acute rehabilitation. He is working hard to regain the use of his hands, arms, and legs. With four to five therapy sessions per day, he has come a long way from what he could do when he arrived in St. Cloud. He has been able to get off of the heavy pain medications he needed when he first arrived. Harv now has feeling in all parts of his body when pinched. He can now control his arms better than he could when he arrived. He has strength in his left leg and is gaining strength in his right leg. Sitting up on his own has gotten up to five minutes and he sits in a recliner and wheelchair comfortably. Harv still cannot use his hands, but they are not clasped together like they were originally. As of this writing, Harv has been inSt. Cloud for over six weeks.

Harv’s Hopes

Harv wants to be able to go home to the lake (#harvheadshome). He is hoping to move to a transition facility that will help him be able to use a walker and live at the lake. He needs to gain the use of his hands and strengthen his arms and legs for this to happen.. It will be a hard decision to leave a place closer to the lake to get the best care he can get. He will do it because he wants to improve so he can live at home.

Harv’s Needs

Harv and Sherrie are incurring medical and other expenses on this journey. The helicopter ride, ambulance calls, and care for over six weeks in St. Cloud, and now the transportation to a new facility are all expenses that they are incurring. Sherrie has been living at Gorecki House in St. Cloud at a reasonable cost, but over six weeks this is adding up. She is incurring the cost of food and travel as she stays by Harv’s side. As they move to a new facility, they don’t know what they will incur as far as living and medical expenses. I am starting this #harvheadshome fundraiser to help them with this heartbreaking turn of events. They have so much on their minds with trying to make progress in what Harv can do, but also dealing with the expenses that are adding up. This is our chance, as his friends and acquaintances, to help Harv. One feels so helpless in these situations and this is a way to feel useful. If you are not comfortable donating online, Harv and Sherrie’s address is 14249 Breezy Point Road, Atwater, MN 56209.

Updates

To receive updates on Harv’s progress, use the “Subscribe to Updates” button on this page. We will try to keep you up to date on how Harv is doing and include notes and pictures from Sherrie.