Vanessa Sherer

Cowboy Update – October 31, 2026 (PM) 28 Days in the ICU… Another Surgery, More Tears, and Holding On to Faith Today has been an absolute whirlwind of emotions. I think every single one of us has felt defeated, sad, angry, thankful, exhausted, and just about every other emotion imaginable. Our wonderful Cowboy has now been in the ICU at HCMC for 28 DAYS. Twenty-eight long days since we’ve been able to see his contagious smile, hear his laughter, feel his incredible hugs, and experience that larger-than-life personality we all love so much. And goodness gracious, do we miss him. Another Day, Another Surgery… Today, Matthew underwent yet another surgery, called a burr hole procedure. What was originally supposed to take about an hour turned into TWO AND A HALF HOURS. Because, of course, in true Cowboy fashion, nothing can ever be simple! The reason for this procedure was a pocket of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that had become trapped near the area where his right EVD drain was removed a few days ago. Unfortunately, that fluid had nowhere to go and was creating additional pressure. During surgery, the team was able to successfully remove 12 mL of CSF. They also left a drain in place to allow additional fluid to continue draining. At this point, Cowboy has had a total of SIX drains placed in his head throughout this journey, and he currently has FIVE remaining. SIX drains. Just let that sink in. The amount this young man has endured in 28 days is absolutely unimaginable. But here’s a little blessing from today… Following the procedure, Matthew seemed noticeably calmer and much less irritated. Seeing him appear more comfortable brought me so much relief. When you’ve spent nearly a month watching someone you love fight for their life, even the smallest signs of comfort mean EVERYTHING. A Little Halloween Happiness Today wasn’t entirely filled with surgeries, tears, and medical conversations. Meghan brought her girls, Addison and Allison, came trick-or-treating at HCMC! They were cute as buttons in their Halloween costumes and had the opportunity to pass out candy to Cowboy’s incredible nursing staff. It was such a sweet moment in the middle of so much uncertainty. These nurses and medical professionals have become such a huge part of our lives over the last 28 days. They’ve seen us cry, laugh, worry, celebrate tiny victories, and sometimes completely fall apart. Being able to bring them a little Halloween happiness was truly special. Zachary was a hunting machine today and living his best life! And Then… The Tears Came. For those of you who know me, you know I’m usually the person who tries to hold everything together. I tend to stuff my emotions, put on a brave face, and keep moving forward. But today? I just couldn’t anymore. I cried. Not just a few tears. The kind of crying that happens when you’ve been trying to be strong for far too long. Today, the doubt crept in. The fear took over. The overwhelming weight of the unknown felt almost unbearable. I miss my brother. I miss his smile. I miss his hugs. I miss his goofy personality. I miss hearing his voice. And more than anything, I just want him to wake up and be Cowboy again. We know this journey is going to be long. We know there are no guarantees. We know that even when we take a step forward, another setback may be waiting around the corner. But knowing those things doesn’t make any of this easier. Tonight, I found myself struggling to even find the words to pray. And if you know how important my faith is to me, you know how unusual that feels. So I did something that might sound a little strange. I looked up a prayer because I simply couldn’t find the words myself. And the prayer I found was exactly what my heart needed. I wanted to share it with all of you. A Prayer for Cowboy, His Care Team, and Our Family Heavenly Father, We lift up our loved one in the hospital right now, and we place their body, mind, and spirit into Your loving and capable hands. Please bring healing where it is needed most, restore what is broken, and ease their pain. We also pray for the doctors, nurses, and medical staff caring for them. Grant them steady hands, sharp minds, clear wisdom, and the right instincts at every moment. Lord, we ask that You wrap Your peace around the family and friends waiting by their side. Calm their fear, soothe their anxious hearts, and give them the emotional and physical strength to endure each hour. Remind them that You are near to the brokenhearted and an ever-present help in times of trouble. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. One Day at a Time. One Prayer at a Time. Twenty-eight days. Twenty-eight days of fighting, praying, waiting, hoping, crying, and trying to find strength we didn’t even know we had. Some days we feel hopeful. Other days, like today, we feel completely defeated. But one thing hasn’t changed. We love our Cowboy beyond words, and we are not giving up on him. We continue to put our trust in God’s plan, even when we don’t understand it. Even when we’re scared. Even when the answers aren’t coming nearly fast enough. To everyone who continues to pray, reach out, support our family, and follow Matthew’s journey, THANK YOU. Please continue praying for healing in Matthew’s brain, for his body to find stability, for wisdom and guidance for his incredible medical team, and for strength and peace for our entire family. And please keep his beautiful wife, Liz, and their precious baby boy in your prayers as well. He will make his presence to this world in 4 days or less!!! They deserve so much love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Cowboy, we miss you more than you could ever imagine. We need you. We love you. And we’re going to keep cheering you on through every single step of this journey. Keep grinding, Cowboy. God’s got you, and we’ve got you, too.

Cowboy am update 10/31/26 Cowboy has headed back to the OR for burrhole procedures to try and remove the hygroma in his brain. Surgery should take around an hour! Happy Halloween from Cowboy and the Rustad clan!! We even had super special princesses stop by to see uncle Cowboy.

Five words to describe COWBOY are the following: Resilient. Giving. Loving. Determined. Unstoppable.

Cowboy PM Update – October 30, 2026 Six Hours After Surgery… And Another Kick in the Shins Unfortunately, today’s roller coaster took another unexpected turn. About six hours after surgery to replace his skull, Matthew remained extremely sleepy and was nowhere near as awake or responsive as he had been before surgery. We also noticed him scrunching his eyes more frequently, almost as though he was experiencing pain or discomfort. He did have two JP drains placed during surgery for fluid removal but it’s not been enough.. While anxiously awaiting his MRI results, the neurosurgery team ordered another CT scan of his head. We thought that seemed a little odd, and unfortunately, our concerns were justified. The CT appears to show that Matthew has developed a hygroma following his cranioplasty. For those unfamiliar, a hygroma is a collection of fluid, typically cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), that accumulates around the brain. Depending on its size and location, it can place pressure on the brain. And unfortunately, that is exactly what the team is concerned about. Another Surgery? You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me… Neurosurgery has ordered another head CT for tomorrow morning, October 31, around 4:00 AM. They need to determine whether this fluid collection is stable, increasing, or creating enough pressure that another surgical procedure is necessary. And yes, there is a very real possibility Cowboy could be heading back into surgery AGAIN. If necessary, the team is discussing drilling small holes into his skull to drain the fluid and relieve pressure on his brain. Just typing those words makes my stomach turn. This poor guy has been through SO MUCH. Every time we think we might finally be getting ahead, something else comes along and knocks us right back down. One encouraging thing is that Matthew has not required ongoing sedation following surgery. This is incredibly important because his medical team needs to evaluate his neurological responses without sedation masking what he may or may not be capable of doing. We desperately need to start seeing what Cowboy’s brain and body can do on their own. The Reality of His Brain Injury and His Future This is probably one of the hardest parts of this entire journey to write. We have known from the beginning that Matthew suffered an incredibly severe traumatic brain injury. We also know that significant long-term neurological challenges are likely. What we DON’T know is exactly how severe those challenges will be or how much function he may eventually regain. Some of the concerns include: * Vision: Potential significant vision loss, particularly affecting the left side of his visual field. * Left-sided weakness: Because much of his injury involves the right side of his brain, there are serious concerns about movement and strength on his left side. * Other neurological challenges: Possible difficulties with coordination, movement, awareness, and other functions that cannot yet be fully evaluated. And THAT is what makes this so incredibly heartbreaking. This is my little brother. The guy who spends endless hours fishing, hunting, working, laughing, and grinding harder than anyone I know. The guy who lives for blowing duck and goose calls, being outdoors, and spending time with the people he loves. Thinking about how different his life may look is absolutely gut-wrenching. But we keep reminding ourselves of something incredibly important: WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT MATTHEW’S ULTIMATE RECOVERY WILL LOOK LIKE. His medical team has explained that recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury can continue for months and even years. While some lasting deficits are likely, nobody can tell us today exactly what he will or won’t accomplish down the road. And we REFUSE to write the ending of Cowboy’s story before he has even had the opportunity to begin his recovery. Why We Are So Anxious for the MRI Results We are STILL waiting for Matthew’s MRI results, and this waiting has been incredibly difficult. The MRI is another important piece of this complicated puzzle. It should provide a more detailed picture of which areas of his brain have been injured and the extent of those injuries. Although it cannot predict his exact future, it will help his medical and rehabilitation teams better understand his injuries and guide decisions moving forward. We want every possible resource, treatment, therapy, and opportunity considered to give Cowboy the best possible chance at recovery and quality of life. Whatever that may look like. He deserves absolutely nothing less. Tomorrow Is Another Big Day Our hope is that tomorrow morning’s CT scan will bring encouraging news about this new fluid collection and help determine whether another surgery is necessary. We are also praying that we FINALLY receive his MRI results. I wish I could tell everyone this journey is getting easier, but the reality is that it is emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. 27 DAYS. Twenty-seven days of uncertainty, countless procedures, sleepless nights, tears, prayers, and an emotional roller coaster that never seems to stop. Some days, it feels like we’ve lived an entire lifetime in those 27 days. We celebrate every little victory, only to be reminded by another complication just how fragile everything still is. Please Keep Praying for Our Cowboy Tonight, we are asking for some very specific prayers: * That the fluid around Matthew’s brain stabilizes or resolves without another surgery. * That tomorrow morning’s CT brings encouraging news. * That his brain begins properly regulating cerebrospinal fluid. * That his MRI results provide clarity and direction. * That his neurological function continues improving as he heals. * That God grants wisdom, steady hands, and sound judgment to every physician, nurse, and specialist caring for him. * That our family continues finding strength, comfort, and peace, especially his beautiful wife Liz and their sweet baby boy, who could arrive ANY DAY NOW. And most importantly, please pray for MATTHEW. For healing, comfort, strength, and the opportunity to someday return to the things he loves. Twenty-seven days. More tears than I ever imagined possible. And still, an incredible amount of love, faith, and HOPE. I don’t know why this happened. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. And I certainly don’t know what Cowboy’s future will look like. But I DO know that God has been with him every single second of this journey, even when understanding His plan feels nearly impossible. We continue placing our trust in Him and praying for the strength to face whatever comes next. To everyone who has prayed, donated, reached out, sent a message, or simply kept our family in your thoughts, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. Your love and support are carrying us through some of the darkest days of our lives. Cowboy, you’ve always been a grinder. And while we know you’ve got that fight in you, you’ve also got an entire army fighting right alongside you. We love you more than words could ever explain, Matt. Keep grinding, Cowboy. One day at a time. One hour at a time. And sometimes, one minute at a time. We aren’t giving up on you, buddy. Not now. Not ever. #CowboyStrong #PrayersForMatthew #KeepGrinding

Cowboy update, October 30, 2026 Cowboy just got out of a 4 1/2 hour surgery that was only supposed to take an hour and a half at the most…. I am going to wait to post any additional details until the neurology team’s respond with us as a family to explain at the MRI and also the deficit that will be coming with this as there will be some pretty substantial changes for Matthew

He’s in the OR still Will have a better update once we hear from neuro surgery team

Cowboy Update — October 30, 2026 Well, it sounds like Cowboy is scheduled for surgery at 7:30 AM this morning to have his skull put back on. ( again we all know this can change like it has but praying hard) The respiratory therapy team also is going to request see if Matthew can get a extra stitch put in his trach below it so that there isn’t so many secretions and he isn’t fighting it so hard as that should be the last thing he has to fight. because he hates it as it is (I don’t blame him) usually, the skin closes up around it, so it’s a nice tight seal, but because I think he has so many things trying to heal, that’s the last thing that wants to give it a good seal for skin wise right now We all know Cowboy is tough as nails, stubborn as can be, and one heck of a grinder! But even the toughest cowboys need a whole lot of prayers, and right now, he needs every single one of them. We are asking everyone to please continue praying for Matthew, for the neurosurgical team performing his surgery, and for our family as we navigate yet another major step in this journey. While we are praying for a successful surgery, we also know that Cowboy’s journey is truly just beginning. The road ahead is going to be incredibly long, filled with challenges, uncertainty, and hopefully many more victories, both big and small. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over these past 27 days, it’s that tomorrow is never promised, every little victory matters, and the power of prayer is something we will never take for granted. Keep fighting, Cowboy. You’ve got an army behind you, and God’s got you in His hands. Thank you all for continuing to love, support, and pray for our Cowboy and our entire family. My parents Venmo is @Lynette-Rustad and mine is @vanessaLSherer figured I would put it here as sometimes it becomes a zoo. Thank you all for all your support! #CowboyStrong #PrayersForMatt #GodIsGood

Cowboy Update — October 29, 2026 Day 26: A New Chapter, New Challenges, and So Many Unknowns Well, friends, today has been filled with exciting moments but also some of the hardest moments of this entire journey. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that this roller coaster doesn’t slow down. Just when we think we’re making progress, we get another kick in the shins. Today was hard. Really, really hard. Liz and I agree that today was probably the hardest day since Matthew’s accident. It’s exciting when Cowboy’s friends visit and witness a little movement or progress. Those moments are worth celebrating! But what people don’t see is what happens during the other 23 hours. Things can change and decline incredibly quickly, and that reality is heartbreaking. A New Chapter in Cowboy’s Recovery Matthew is now completely off his sedatives. PRAISE THE LORD! While this is a HUGE milestone, it brings challenges that are honestly terrifying. Cowboy is scared, confused, doesn’t know where he is, and has no recollection of the past 26 days. Since arriving around 1:30 this afternoon, I’ve probably reminded my little brother 50 times where he is, what happened, and that he is safe. Imagine waking up in a hospital, unable to speak or move most of your body, with no understanding of what happened. It breaks my heart. Currently, he is only moving his right arm and hand. We haven’t seen movement in his left arm, hand, or either leg. There are significant concerns about neurological deficits, including possible vision loss in his left eye. We are waiting for more definitive answers before sharing other concerns. We are celebrating every victory while facing a very long and uncertain road ahead. His Trach and Breathing Matthew has made encouraging progress breathing more on his own! Unfortunately, his trach isn’t fitting or sealing appropriately, contributing to excessive mucus buildup and frightening coughing episodes. Watching these episodes is incredibly scary, especially for Liz. We’re doing everything possible to comfort and reassure him. We’re also learning the importance of limiting stimulation. His brain has experienced unimaginable trauma, and right now, rest, reassurance, and a calm environment are essential. MRI, Surgery, and More Unknowns Cowboy FINALLY completed his MRI early this morning! We haven’t received the full explanation of the results. Neurosurgery plans to review them with us tomorrow before his anticipated surgery to replace the portion of his skull removed during his emergency surgery. One major concern remains his difficulty regulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The team hopes replacing his skull will help improve fluid regulation and reduce the excessive drainage. Otherwise, he may still require a permanent shunt. We’re praying he remains stable enough for surgery tomorrow. Matthew also received a unit of blood today due to low hemoglobin, along with a vitamin K infusion for a deficiency and elevated INR levels. He underwent an ultrasound of both upper extremities related to arterial line placement, and we’re awaiting those results. More tests. More waiting. More unknowns. Our Precious Liz and Baby Rustad Our family is experiencing what feels like the perfect storm. Baby Rustad could arrive ANY DAY NOW! His eviction date is November 3, but we all know babies have their own plans! We’re praying for a safe delivery and a healthy baby boy. But there’s another heartbreaking reality. Matthew may not be there when his first child enters this world. A moment that should be filled with excitement and joy is surrounded by unimaginable emotions. My heart aches for Liz as she prepares to become a first-time mama while watching the love of her life fight through this horrific injury. Liz, you will NEVER be alone. We love you beyond words and will be beside you every step of the way. How You Can Help So many people have asked what they can do for our family, and we are beyond grateful. I’m about to do something I absolutely HATE doing, and that’s asking for help. I’m swallowing our pride and putting this out there because the reality is that we’re struggling and desperately need some help. Right now, we’re in desperate need of gas gift cards and DoorDash gift cards to help us through these difficult days. I’m still waiting for my Minnesota paid leave to be reviewed, praying it gets approved so I can receive some income. My mom and dad haven’t received their payments yet either. Between Matthew’s critical condition, worrying about Liz and baby Rustad, and the financial uncertainty, we’re stretched beyond anything we could have imagined. More stress. More tears. More sleepless nights. Asking for help is incredibly humbling. We’re usually the ones helping others, but sometimes you have to swallow your pride and admit you cannot do everything alone. If anyone would like to help with gas or DoorDash gift cards, please reach out directly for phone numbers or addresses. And above all else, WE NEED PRAYERS! LOTS AND LOTS OF PRAYERS! We don’t expect anything from anyone. Every prayer, message, donation, and act of kindness means more than you will ever know. We’ve met some of the kindest, most generous people throughout this journey, including complete strangers. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. We feel your love, see your kindness, and truly believe God has placed incredible people in our path during one of the darkest times of our lives. Tonight’s Plan Tonight, we’re focusing on keeping Cowboy comfortable, completing his EKG and blood work, and preparing for tomorrow’s surgery. And I’ll be spending time praying with my little brother. We don’t know what Matthew’s recovery will look like, what abilities may return, or how long this journey will take. It could be months. It could be years. But we DO know that we love this stubborn, hilarious, big-hearted Cowboy more than words can describe. And we aren’t giving up on him. Please pray for Matthew’s healing, a successful surgery, wisdom for his medical team, a safe delivery for Liz and baby Rustad, and strength for our entire family. Twenty-six days ago, our lives changed forever. We’re exhausted, scared, and overwhelmed, but we’re holding tightly to our faith and the hope tomorrow brings. One day at a time. One hour at a time. Sometimes one minute at a time. God is with us, even when the road ahead feels impossible even when we’re doubting…. Thank you for continuing to love our Cowboy and our family. #CowboyStrong #PrayForCowboy #RustadStrong