As I stare at the keyboard trying to find the right words to say, I've decided they don't exist so I will just try to give you the details as best as I know them.
On Sunday February the 2nd our dear friend Dave went to the ED at Mayo in Mankato complaining of discomfort on the left side of his body. After some tests were run it was determined that he had suffered a stroke and had pretty severe clotting in his brain in very close proximity to the brain stem. Due to the size and location of the clot he was transferred to St. Mary's in Rochester. There they successfully removed the clot but another one immediately formed behind it. Post surgery they placed him in a medically induced coma and placed him on a ventilator and have been monitoring his condition ever since. Unfortunately, his condition has only deteriorated. The clot continues to grow and we are told as it grows he continues to lose more and more brain function.
As his condition continues to worsen his mother will be faced with a choice that no mother should ever have to make. While she is grappling with understanding why this is happening and how she is going to get through this we want to be able to help her in anyway we can. Tonight will be the fifth night he has been in the ICU. With all the testing and round the clock care the medical bills will be no doubt starting to mount. So please consider helping in any way you can.
I wish I could sum up Dave and everything he is in a short paragraph, but for those of us who know him also know that would be impossible. He was my first and is my oldest friend, he didn't even hesitate to run up and introduce himself when my family moved to Eagle Lake 34 years ago. He can make anyone he meets, laugh, especially us boys. When I say he can make people laugh it is the kind of laugh that makes you cry, the kind of laugh that hurts, the kind of laugh that leaves you sore the next day. He doesn't light up a room he ignites it. He is and always has been so proud of his two boys. He was so excited to become a father and has cherished watching his boys turn into the two wonderful men that they are becoming. He is kind. He is compassionate. He is hilarious. He is frustrating. He is a bit of a loon. He is unapologetically Dave. We love you brother and we won't stop praying for a miracle, until the end.
Please share stories, photos, or memories in the comments. Any distractions are welcome in coming days.
Much Love