Persistent Brain Neuroinflammation

Hi, my name is Sue. I am Darrel’s long-time girlfriend of 15+ years and Darrel's full-time Caregiver. Our fundraiser is for Darrel to get Etanercept treatment for his brain injury.

Darrel’s story started 13 years ago, on October 5th, 2010.

Help me bring home the person that walked out that door that evening.

Darrel was resourceful, hardworking, responsible, and a father of one. While laid off, he found every means possible to financially keep his head above water while waiting to return to work after over a 1-year wait. Darrel would find any means to financially survive and support his family until the layoff was about to end, and he could get called back to work.

Darrel was collecting metal curbside in the early evening of October 5th, 2010. Darrel happened to come across a metal filing cabinet. If I knew Darrel, he would feel like he had won the lottery. The split between Neenah, WI and Menasha, WI. would change his life forever.

How he got here today…

Three municipalities away, a highspeed chase began. Two teenagers high on drugs were on a gun theft spree from residents' homes. They appeared suspicious and were pulled over by law enforcement. The police officer spotted a gun in the back seat. The officer returned to his vehicle to radio for help, and the two took off. The chase was on.

Darrel had backed up to load the filing cabinet from the curbside on the narrow roadway. As Darrel exited his vehicle to load the cabinet, he looked left and ran for his life. Darrel's only choice was to run in the pursuit path and get himself out of harm's way and to safety on the other side of the street or get pinned between the fleeing vehicle, traveling at a high speed of 85mph and his car. The chase ended in Neenah, WI. and Darrel's body in Menasha, WI. after being hit from the left side and catapulted into a huge Oak tree.

I remember hearing the words broken, broken, fractured, collapsed, ruptured, and the worst of the worst, Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Darrel's brain began to bleed. If you haven't ever seen a person go through the stages of Traumatic Brain Injury, I can assure you it's like some horror movie you were sorry you sat down to watch.

Friends and family are gone now from our lives. It's not their fault; it's the reality of Traumatic Brain Injury, and the responsible person(s) are to blame for the actions that put Darrel here today. People don't know how to relate to the new person Darrel has become. Somedays, he is not as approachable as others. When asked, why don't you speak and interact with others when you have the opportunity? His response was devastating.

To mention a few...

• I sound like I’m retarded

• I have wheels for my legs

• No one likes me

I have taken care of Darrel SOLO for the past 13 years. I find every means possible to keep his recovery moving forward daily through cognitive activities, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy even working with him to find his independent abilities. I do this alone, and it's challenging when you don't know which Darrel you have that day.

Our only means of financially surviving is Darrel's SSDI. He has a Special needs trust, but it has been depleted from other means of care and equipment through the years. I make a minimum wage for 24-hour care and part-time hours.

I know he is safe, clean, fed, and healthy outside of his disabilities. I would do it for nothing and wouldn't change anything.

Brain Injury comes with a load of difficulties. The biggest for Darrel is persistent neuroinflammation. That means the areas of Darrel's brain that were injured swell. This is common for Brain Injury. This is the reason for the unpredictable changes he has. More simply said, You can see and feel inflammation in a joint, bruise, or broken bone. You can't see it or feel it in your brain. What injury is not happy that day is not predictable. Maybe it's speech, balance, spasticity, involuntary movement, swallowing, nonverbal, depression, emotionless, loss of focus, or behavior.

Would you help Darrel to improve his quality of life? PLEASE.

Darrel has qualified for the Etanercept treatment. The Entercept Treatment is an Off-Label treatment, so it is not covered by Medicare.

The treatment is designed to help reduce the inflammation in Darrel's brain injury areas. This treatment could improve balance, speech, swallowing, spasticity, focus, depression, and behavioral difficulties. The cost of treatment is $8200. The remaining funds will help with airfare, food and lodging for 2-3 days.

Help Darrel get to his Etanercept treatment. He has worked so hard to bring this nightmare to a quality of life.

Below is a video link showing you the possibilities open to Darrel's world once again.



Amazing Stroke and Brain Injury Breakthrough

Darrel has a fantastic opportunity to improve in areas that cause him so much anguish daily. I asked Darrel if he could choose what he would like to have back and what it would be.

Amazingly his response was his right arm. He cannot do what he wants to do. Simple things like eating, writing, or passing the milk. Things we take for granted in our everyday life.

We invite our friends to help us reach our goal by further sharing our story and fundraiser and donating to our cause. Will you help?

Darrel's Journey