Medical Assistance, Help Dave Heal
Donation protected
November 2018 was the start of a long journey for my friends David and Lauryn Grimes. Things started with Dave experiencing abdominal pain and feeling ill which led to labs, diagnostic testing, and uncertainty for the next several months. Dave was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in February of 2019, a chronic inflammatory condition of the colon and one of two major categories of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Initial treatment plans for his UC were unsuccessful and his condition worsened to a critical state, resulting in a complete colectomy in May of 2019. Since his surgery, Dave has been in and out of the hospital with a very confusing and rare post-operative course. He’s had many complications and his team is still working to find a solution. The tolls of this journey are many and my hope is that we could all come together to help with some of the financial burden this time has brought.
For those of you who do not have the pleasure of knowing Dave and Lauryn Grimes, I would love to tell you about them. When I first moved to Minnesota, I lived with the Grimes as their roommate for just under a year, during that time I got a front row seat view of their lives. I got to witness their pursuit of one another and their love for those around them. They are beautiful people each in their own right and are a married couple who embody God's love and grace. January 2018 brought Dave and Lauryn their little boy, Kasjan into the world and he has added so much love and hope to their family. I have gotten to know these kind humans through many different stages of life in the past 6 years and no matter the stage, I am always grateful to have them in my corner.
A year and a half. 15 surgeries and counting, 23 hospital stays, 27 ER visits, hundreds of doctors visits across 10-15 practices, dozens of new and sometimes ineffective prescriptions, 6-8 rounds of antibiotics, PICC lines for TPN, serious blood clots resulting in 6 months of blood thinners, countless fevers and sleeplessness nights, 8-10 dressing changes per day, ongoing stoma care and skin reaction issues, uncounted times the doctors thought “we got it this time, we cleared the problem, only to start the whole process over again.
I can’t summarize or quantify what the Grimes family has been going through in the last year and a half, Lauryn once described it as,
“I picture a vase once filled with beautifully blooming flowers that’s fallen and shattered. Flowers strewn about, water in small puddles, vase shattered. There’s life, but it seems like it’s barely hanging on to the water for life, the flowers start to wilt and the water begins to evaporate. You think the vase couldn’t be shattered any more, but then the hammer swings."
Despite the hardships this time has given them, I have never seen a more devoted love for our king and father. Dave has a much better way with words than I and in one of his Caring Bridge posts, said to those who read it;
"I also am praying for you, that God would show Himself to you in life-altering ways, whether things are good, bad or ugly. No matter what you're going through, your Maker wants you to know he's near to you. He sent Jesus, the warrior King, to make all things new- including your heart and mine. Just as I see my 18-month-old son waddling around the front yard on a sunny afternoon (looking for his chalk, bubbles or his little blue truck), I realize how much more so does God LIKE me, is PROUD of me, and has no expectations for what I do to earn His love. He just wants to watch me grow up right in front of his eyes, and to hang out with me. As Kaz is now consistently doing a couple times a day, when I see that God's watching me, he longs for me to run toward Him, uncontrollably throw up both arms and yell, ‘DADAAAAA!’ And I know He feels the same way about you. "
On behalf of the Grimes family I am asking that we provide monetary aid during a time when they have so much to focus on. Please consider donating what you can to help provide assistance for the medical bills that have piled up as a result of Dave’s treatment and continued health plan. I know they will be grateful for anything you contribute. Please also raise Dave and his family up in prayer — we need constant prayer warriors interceding. God hears our calls and answers to each of us if we only ask. We are grateful for the tomorrow Kaz sees:
“tomorrow, daddy’s owie-all better? Okay”.
If you are interested in reading more frequent updates about Dave here is a link to his caring bridge site
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/davegrimes/journal
For those of you who do not have the pleasure of knowing Dave and Lauryn Grimes, I would love to tell you about them. When I first moved to Minnesota, I lived with the Grimes as their roommate for just under a year, during that time I got a front row seat view of their lives. I got to witness their pursuit of one another and their love for those around them. They are beautiful people each in their own right and are a married couple who embody God's love and grace. January 2018 brought Dave and Lauryn their little boy, Kasjan into the world and he has added so much love and hope to their family. I have gotten to know these kind humans through many different stages of life in the past 6 years and no matter the stage, I am always grateful to have them in my corner.
A year and a half. 15 surgeries and counting, 23 hospital stays, 27 ER visits, hundreds of doctors visits across 10-15 practices, dozens of new and sometimes ineffective prescriptions, 6-8 rounds of antibiotics, PICC lines for TPN, serious blood clots resulting in 6 months of blood thinners, countless fevers and sleeplessness nights, 8-10 dressing changes per day, ongoing stoma care and skin reaction issues, uncounted times the doctors thought “we got it this time, we cleared the problem, only to start the whole process over again.
I can’t summarize or quantify what the Grimes family has been going through in the last year and a half, Lauryn once described it as,
“I picture a vase once filled with beautifully blooming flowers that’s fallen and shattered. Flowers strewn about, water in small puddles, vase shattered. There’s life, but it seems like it’s barely hanging on to the water for life, the flowers start to wilt and the water begins to evaporate. You think the vase couldn’t be shattered any more, but then the hammer swings."
Despite the hardships this time has given them, I have never seen a more devoted love for our king and father. Dave has a much better way with words than I and in one of his Caring Bridge posts, said to those who read it;
"I also am praying for you, that God would show Himself to you in life-altering ways, whether things are good, bad or ugly. No matter what you're going through, your Maker wants you to know he's near to you. He sent Jesus, the warrior King, to make all things new- including your heart and mine. Just as I see my 18-month-old son waddling around the front yard on a sunny afternoon (looking for his chalk, bubbles or his little blue truck), I realize how much more so does God LIKE me, is PROUD of me, and has no expectations for what I do to earn His love. He just wants to watch me grow up right in front of his eyes, and to hang out with me. As Kaz is now consistently doing a couple times a day, when I see that God's watching me, he longs for me to run toward Him, uncontrollably throw up both arms and yell, ‘DADAAAAA!’ And I know He feels the same way about you. "
On behalf of the Grimes family I am asking that we provide monetary aid during a time when they have so much to focus on. Please consider donating what you can to help provide assistance for the medical bills that have piled up as a result of Dave’s treatment and continued health plan. I know they will be grateful for anything you contribute. Please also raise Dave and his family up in prayer — we need constant prayer warriors interceding. God hears our calls and answers to each of us if we only ask. We are grateful for the tomorrow Kaz sees:
“tomorrow, daddy’s owie-all better? Okay”.
If you are interested in reading more frequent updates about Dave here is a link to his caring bridge site
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/davegrimes/journal
Organizer and beneficiary
Emily Becks
Organizer
St. Paul, MN
Lauryn Grimes
Beneficiary