Rally Around Pops on the Road to Recovery

On Sunday, October 13th, my dad, Jim Brawner, who many of you probably know as Pops, suffered a stroke in the early hours of the morning.

He woke up a little after 4 a.m. to take his beloved Australian Shepherd, Sydney, outside. He went back to sleep on the couch, and when he woke up an hour or so later, the entire right side of his body was paralyzed. He hollered out for my mom, and she called an ambulance, which arrived within minutes to take him to the hospital. Thankfully, they were able to narrow down the approximate time the stroke occurred, and he was within the vital but narrow window to receive TNK, a medication that breaks up any clots in his system and limits the severity of the stroke. Had Sydney not woken him up to go outside at 4 a.m., he could not have received that medication, and we'd be in a much more precarious situation.

Here's the hero paying him a visit in the hospital on Day 3:

Most of you probably know that over the last 5 years, Pops has poured himself wholeheartedly into what started as a passion project, evolved into a side business, and eventually became his sole endeavor: Delicious Horse Treats. He and my family have found such a home in the rodeo community, and throughout these last several days in the hospital, getting back to that community has been the major motivator for him to get healthy. (I'm not exaggerating when I say that while laying in a hospital bed struggling to regain some of his basic motor skills on Days 1 and 2, he was more concerned with treat orders needing to be filled than with his own health.) He wants nothing more than to return to the barrel racing community he's come to hold so dear.

That being said, it's become evident both to him and to us that a) that's going to take a little time, and b) his return may look a little different than it has the last 5 years. Gone without warning are his days of working back-to-back 10-12 hour solo shifts, setting up and tearing down the DHT booth, lifting 50 lb. bags of treats, etc., by himself. It's not clear exactly what things will look like moving forward, but it is clear that it's time for a transition. And, well... transitions can be tough.

Where We Are

After a few days in the hospital, Pops was discharged to an in-patient rehab facility on Tuesday afternoon/evening. He's expected to be here for 10-14 days receiving several hours a day of intense physical and occupational therapy. He's determined to be out within a week, and I wouldn't put it past him given the work he's putting in and the strides he's making daily. As I write this, he's able to walk 30-40 feet with a walker and a spotter. That may not sound like much, but given that a few days ago he couldn't even feel the right side of his body, it's huge. His speech is fully back to normal, he's regained feeling almost entirely in his right arm and leg, and he's slowly but surely regaining the dexterity to write, tie his shoes, etc. This is all super encouraging!

What This Isn't

To be as clear and transparent as possible, this is not a request for help with any medical expenses. Thankfully, those should all be covered by Medicare. It's also not an attempt to garner sympathy of any kind. Pops's health is improving daily, and he's determined to be out of the rehab facility ahead of schedule. We are also very, very aware that this could have been much worse, and that for many folks who experience a stroke, it is.

What This Is

That being said, transitions aren't usually easy, and we don't anticipate this one being easy either. There are still quite a few things that need figuring out, and we'll be working together as a family to that end. Our deepest hope as we navigate to find a new "normal" is that this campaign can be an opportunity for those of you who have come to love Pops, be it by getting to know him at barrel racing events, being a part of his faith community, being old golfing buddies, former co-workers, etc., to show him that he is surrounded, loved, and supported in this season. The responses we've seen over the course of this week from so many of you have been such an encouragement already. Many of you have asked how you can help, so we wanted to create space for anyone who would like to do so. As our folks continue on this unexpected journey, transitioning will likely be challenging and potentially expensive. Funds will be used to help with a number of various expenses, some of which we're able to predict, and others we're sure will pop up unexpectedly. Things like: groceries (as we're going to be completely overhauling Pops's diet), travel expenses to and from appointments (as we imagine there will be many to come), help with ongoing DHT-related needs, etc. So, to whatever degree you feel compelled to contribute to this time of transition, be it with your finances, your prayers, your kind words and well-wishes, etc., you're invited to do so. For any and all of it, we are tremendously grateful to each of you and your love for Pops, and for our family.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

(For fun, here's the full video of Pops and Sydney's reunion on Day 3: https://youtu.be/ELtkBqq1H0k)