We have much to be thankful for. Aaron has come a long way and we continue to be encouraged by the prayers & support of our friends & family. We hope that you have much to be thankful for as well.
Aaron, Diane & Gina leave for a week long stay @ Kennedy/Krieger on Sunday.
Keep the prayers coming.
Greetings All,
It is hard to believe that over a year has passed since Aaron’s accident on 8/18/09. Last year’s Conewago Trail Fundraiser was a big success…despite the rain! Before Aaron’s accident he and I would ride our bikes to the 5 mile marker and back. Sometimes Gina would join us and walk part of the trail. The trail has a level grade and the Conewago Creek runs parallel for part of the trail. It is a beautiful place to both exercise and relax. On Saturday, October 16th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., come join us as we ride, walk, & run the trail to raise funds for Aaron’s Journey. Proceeds from Aaron’s Journey fundraisers help to defray the cost/expenses that Aaron’s insurance denies or doesn’t cover. Here are a few examples to give you an idea of some recent uncovered expenses:
RTI 300 electrical stim bike – Allows Aaron to ride stationary bike (arm & legs) with help from electrical stimulation. This has many health benefits like improved circulation, cardiovascular, improved bone density and muscle mass. Denied by insurance. Cost – $20,500
Accommodations for two week trip to ICSCI in Baltimore – Cost – $2000 (3 – 4 times per year)
4AP – This medication was just approved by the FDA in January of 2010 and could help improve the ability of messages to reconnect between the brain and muscle groups that have been interrupted by a spinal cord injury. It has been tested & approved for MS patients. It is approved to be used in SCI patients as well but insurance does not recognize it as yet. Cost – $1000 (per month)
His physician at Kennedy just prescribed a stander for Aaron which we believe will cost approximately $4000. We do not expect that insurance will pay for this either, but we will submit it anyway.
We have been blessed by the friends and family that have reached out and supported Aaron’s Journey over the past 14 months. We hope that you will come out and join us on Saturday, October 16th. For more info or to print out a sponsor sheet see the link on the right hand side of this page.
As always, thanks for the love, prayers & support!
Aaron & family.
Leslie's brother Andrew leaping across the finish line
Thanks to Leslie & crew for braving the weather to run the Harrisburg half marathon to benefit Aaron. I don’t think that I could run 13 miles on a perfect day. Even if I could you would time me with a calendar, not a stop watch. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Sorry that a few are a bit fuzzy but the folks in red were flying by so fast at the finish line that they were a blur. (fyi… we will get golf benefit pictures up soon!)
Leslie crossing the finish line
Runners crossing the bridge to the finish line
Woody, Leslie, & Gina
About half the gang after the run. Many thanks to all of you.
Yesterday 8/14, was the Aaron’s Journey Golf Benefit @ ParLine Golf Course. It was an incredible day. We could not have asked for a better day weather wise. A perfect fall day that was sandwiched between several rain soaked days. Turn out was amazing.
I don’t think any of us who golfed can even begin to understand the amount of work that goes into pulling an event of this size off. The fact that it all came off without a hitch is a testimony to the effort & organization of everyone involved. A big thank you to Pete & Diane and their gang of committed friends for providing the rest of us with such an enjoyable afternoon. Also, thank you to ParLine, everyone who donated auction items, sponsored a hole or golfed.
Several of our dedicated A.J. fundraiser photographers were on hand to document the day so keep checking back on this blog site for pictures that will be posted as soon as they are available.
One funny story from the day. I am teed up about 6 holes into the round. I have taken my back swing and am ready to hit my tee shot when my cell phone, which I forgot to turn off, goes off in my pocket. Needless to say, I hit a line drive about 30 yards into the weeds. Turns out that it was Aaron calling to see how my day was going. We finish the hole and as we are driving to the next tee my cell phone rings again, this time it is a member of the foursome that is behind us calling to compliment me on my form & distance. I return Aaron’s call and share the whole story with him which he shares with Gina who says……”It’s no big deal. I’ve golfed with Woody and it would have ended up in the weeds anyway.”
Finally, one of the highlights of the day for me was the opportunity to meet a young man & his family from Tyrone, PA. His name is Caleb Snyder and he and his family (grandparents & parents) drove all the way from the State College (WE ARE) area just for the meal and to meet Aaron and his family. Unfortunately Aaron did not attend but Diane (Aaron’s mother) & I got to visit with them for an hour or so. Caleb, who is now 16, was paralyzed during a wrestling match in January of 2009 when he was 14. He shattered his C5 vertebra and dislocated his C6 & C7 pinching/bruising his spinal cord in much the same way that Aaron did, only a level or two lower. He was diagnosed as a C5 quadriplegic. He also rehabed at Magee in Philadelphia, discharging from there in April of 2009. Did I mention that he walked into the pavilion at ParLine? You could not have picked him out from the crowd except for his Tyrone t-shirt. He is going out for the school baseball team this year. He and his family shared their story and of how HOPE & FAITH played such a huge part in his recovery. He is truely an inspiration and we felt so uplifted talking with he and his family. We hope that Caleb & Aaron will get to meet in the near future and we are told that we will be invited to one of Caleb’s baseball games.
Thanks to everyone for all that you do and for walking stride for stride with us as we continue on Aaron’s Journey.
Keep praying!
We love you all!
Greetings All,
Just wanted to say hi as Aaron & family make final preparations to head to Kennedy/Krieger for our 2 week stay. Diane & Aunt Den are here helping Aaron to pack while Gina & I pack foods & other necessities.
Aaron, Gina & I hope to be on the road by 3:30. We will be with Aaron for the first part of the stay. Diane and Aunt Den will be down mid-week through the weekend into next week and Gina & I will return for the end of the visit. Same schedule as last time only over 2 weeks instead of 1. Leslie will be down on Thursday night so that she can go with Aaron for rehab on Friday. The two of them are planning a trip to the Inner Harbor Aquarium on Saturday. We (Aaron, Diane, Gina & Woody) hope to do a better job of keeping you updated throughout the stay.
Please keep us all in prayer for safety during travel & physical, emotional, & spiritual strength.
Thank you all for caring so much about Aaron.
We love you. 🙂
……..well HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!
Showing my age with some lyrics from an old Beatles’s song. That’s right, today is Aaron’s birthday. He wanted to keep it low key so just a few visits from friends and family.
Aaron we love you and know that the coming year holds more amazing steps as you continue your journey. We thank God for your recovery so far and trust Him for what is yet to come.
Please join us as we continue to pray for God’s healing touch in Aaron’s life.
Greetings All,
Sorry for the long time between posts. I could make up some lame excuses but they would be just that …. lame , so I won’t bother.
The countdown (37 days) continues until we return to Kennedy Krieger. Aaron continues his rehab at home as well as at Hershey in preparation. As a result he is as strong physically as he has been since August. Aaron’s breathing also gets stronger each day. The ventilator and trach seem like such a long time ago. It is hard to believe that it has only been 7 weeks since they were “tossed to the weeds.”
Aaron and I have been following the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, although neither one of us see the second half of the late games. We’re a couple of light weights. 🙂 My bracket is shot as I had Kansas winning it all. Aaron is doing a little better. He has Duke winning it all which will make his Pappaw Wood happy. 🙂
Finally we want to thank Judy Roberts & Tim Strube for organizing the Basket Bingo fundraiser. Also thanks to all who helped including the Elizabethtown boys basketball family, past and present. Gina and I were unable to attend but the 3Ds (Aaron’s mom Diane, Aunt Den, & Aunt Deb), Mamaw Wood, Aunt Barb & Aunt Diane, and his sister Alexis were there. They as well as everyone else that we talked to who attended had nothing but rave reviews. It was well organized and everyone had lots of fun.
Aaron, Gina, & I will be heading to Baltimore on Sunday for Aaron’s much anticipated week of rehab at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Gina has secured an apartment for us for the week 2 blocks off the harbor. Diane will be coming to Kennedy for a few days mid week and Gina and I will return for weeks end and the trip home. Aaron has been looking forward to this week for some time as he has not had any extensive therapy since Magee until his recent visits to Hershey to prep for Kennedy Krieger.
As we prepare to leave I can’t help but think of how far Aaron has come and of all of the people that have been so helpful, caring, & loving. We have tried to thank everyone along the way. It would be impossible to list everyone, you know who you are, and I don’t want to offend anyone by missing them so I won’t try. I do want to thank Gina’s cousin Chuck from Montana and her brother Curt & Irene from Colorado for the recent care packages filled with numerous goodies. Also thanks for the many yummy meals that we have received since Aaron has come home. Again you know who you are. A big thank you to Uncle Pete for organizing a project to reproduce some of the equipment that Aaron has used at Magee to aid him in his rehab at home. Thanks to Ralph Claire and Rooster’s Wood Shop at the Masonic Homes. Pictured below are George Jacobs & Al Wenrich, just two of several men that helped out.
As many of you know Aaron had his trach removed several weeks ago and has had no issues since. On the night that it was removed Woody’s JV basketball team wore Aaron’s Journey t-shirts instead of their regular shooting shirts for their game vs. Garden Spot. Pictured below are several of his players & fellow coaches who helped with a fall project doing yard work around the Wood’s home. They also participated in the bike, walk, run fundraiser in October.
Thanks again to all of you for your support and prayers. We couldn’t have gotten to this point without you!
Greetings All.
Sorry for the time between entries. Aaron has been busy working at getting stronger breathing on his own to prepare for his intense week at Kennedy/Krieger. (More on that later)
Today was his first day of rehab at Hershey. He will be rehabbing twice a week there so he will be in tip top shape come March 1st. He got to do the standing machine for 40 minutes today. It is a piece of equipment that gradually takes him from a sitting to a standing position. He really enjoyed it and was ready to do it again but will have to wait until next week.
Aaron continues to be out and about for appointments, b-ball games, shopping, and dinners out. He, Jamie, Gina, & I went to Rockwell’s the other Saturday and had to wait for over 1.5 hours. We got a free Rhino Tour for our trouble. Went to Smokey Bones the next day but no freebies since we got seated right away.
Keep checking the site as info concerning several fund raisers will be coming soon. Basket Bingo @ the E-town American Legion on 3/20 & a golf tournament in June.
And now the big news………Cousin Chuck from Montana are you ready for this? Aaron has been off of the vent completely for 4 days…..day & night. Look out weeds here it comes. Next step is to get rid of the trach. Chuck…..where do you suggest we toss it?
Gina will be adding pictures to this post later so check back.
Keep on praying
Greetings. Aaron & his family wish you and yours a Happy New Year and hope that you enjoyed a Christ filled Christmas.
Aaron continues to amaze us with his progress at home. His breathing is getting stronger every day. We had a very encouraging visit with his new pulmonology group on Thursday. They are very interested in helping Aaron to wean off of the vent and think that he will accomplish this sooner rather than later. Needless to say we like them.
Busy schedule with doctor visits today with Dr. Newman (family doctor) and Kennedy/Krieger on 1/11. Aaron says K/K won’t happen soon enough. He is ready to get after it.
Aaron continues to be out and about. Diane & Aunt Den rung in the New Year with Aaron at our house. New Year’s day was spent with Woody, Gina, Aunt Barb, Uncle Pete & Aunt Diane at Mammaw, & Pappaw’s for a traditional pork & sauerkraut meal. We also enjoyed watching the Penn State game (WE ARE!). Then it was off to Malvern for the weekend. This most recent excursion was with Jaime to visit with Carl & Sue. Aaron enjoys his visits with them and always returns refreshed. They have gone out of their way to accommodate his every need. Thanks guys! His next ventures out could be as early as tonight to my J.V. basketball game at EAHS vs. Conestoga Valley and again on Saturday at EAHS vs. Wilson.
And finally….please don’t give up on this website. We realize that the posts have been less frequent but it will continue to be an important part of Aaron’s recovery as we relay information about his progress, future fundraisers, and who knows…..you may even hear from Aaron himself!
We love you guys and are thankful for each and every one of you and the roles that you play , whether you realize it or not, in his recovery.
P.U.S.H.
Pray Until Something Happens
Aaron took a much anticipated road trip on Sunday to attend Tory’s 5th birthday party at Chuck E Cheese in Downingtown. Any doubts that Aaron may have had about traveling quickly disappeared as the trip went off without a hitch. We were only there a minute or two and he was talking, laughing, and taking in the scenery (a building full of kids tearing up the joint) enjoying every minute. Watching the way that Aaron looks at Jaime & Tory it is hard to tell which one is the love of his life (I think that it is a tie).
As if that wasn’t enough he was on the road again Monday night as Jaime & Aaron took Tory bowling to Clearview Lanes in Elizabethtown. Tory had been invited to a friends bowling birthday party back home in West Chester and the girl got sick and had to cancel. Tory was obviously disappointed (Aaron wasn’t because he got more time with his girls) so J & A brought the party to her. The bowling didn’t last long (1 game) but the three of them went next door to Hennigan’s Restaurant for dinner. Needless to say that the sparkle in Aaron’s eyes is greater the past few days. The next tentatively planned excursion is on Friday night to my JV basketball game at Elizabethtown High School.
Ground work to get Aaron to Kennedy/Kreiger continues to be laid. Nothing in this process happens fast enough. Aaron said that he is ready to tear it up at K/K.
Aaron’s fantasy football team got back on it’s winning ways once again and is now 12-2 with a two game lead with two weeks left. Magic number is 1.
Just a word of advice…..if you plan on visiting Aaron you better call ahead to see if the Road Warrior is home.
Aaron is now residing at 934 Hedgewyck Lane in Elizabethtown.
Please keep us all in your prayers. While Aaron is on numerous meds the best method for healing continues to be your prayers!
Thanks
The much anticipated day of Aaron’s return home happened yesterday 12/8. For the first time since 8/8 Aaron was somewhere familiar and traveled by transportation (our van affectionately know as Big Blue II) other than an ambulance. The trip was uneventful which is a good thing. Gina, Diane, & I helped Aaron get settled in and Diane treated everyone, including Jeff the resp. therepist to lunch (subs from Pizzatown). The highlight of the evening was Jamie & Tory’s arrival. It was the first time that Tory was able to visit with Aaron since he had left Magee. She fell asleep in bed with him, resting her head on his chest and touching his hand. Dinner (pepper steak w/ mashed potatoes & lemon marangie pie was provided by Mammaw Wood. Dinner tonight (manicotti) is curteousy of Angie Parise. We look forward to the next step in Aaron’s Journey as we the family with assistance from Jeff now take on the task of weaning Aaron off of the vent and moving >forward> once again in the recovery process.
Thanks to everyone for meals, love, hope, & prayers!
Keep em coming!
It was so amazing to see so many come to support Aaron at the Brownstone yesterday. I say amazing not surprising because we have seen the same kind of generosity and compassion throughout Aaron’s journey. A big huge thank you to all the folks at the Brownstone who gave of themselves for Aaron’s benefit. Other things that quickly come to my mind that I am thankful for this year…
Everyone who has given of themselves for Aaron; encouraging words, prayer, financial support, sharing of time and talents.
To be part of a loving family.
That Jaime and Tory came into Aaron’s life and love him so much.
That God is faithful even when we are not.
The power of prayer.
We visited with Aaron today and now that he is off most of the pain meds that were making him so tired and weak, he is very alert and has his quick wit and smile back. He had lots of visitors today… Aunt Den, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Deb, Pappaw, Mammaw, Uncle Pete and Aunt Diane, John Panni, and his mom was on her way when we left. Don’t know about anyone else, but we had a bounce in our step when we left. It was sooooo good to have Aaron back to normal!
We are currently training on Aaron’s ventilator care in preparation for his discharge. We are hoping for a 12/7 discharge at the latest. Once he’s home he will be making his way to Kennedy Krieger for some aggressive physical therapies. We are all looking forward to that! Yes, Aaron will be coming home with a ventilator, but he will still be working to wean from it. We are finding that slow and steady is better than fast and furious as regards vent weaning. We all know he will be off the vent in the future, it just takes time to do it right.
I apologize for the lack of posts lately but there has really not been a lot to comment on.
Aaron continues to recover from his most recent bout with pneumonia. We were told yesterday that it had gotten slightly worse.
Visitors this week included the usual cast of characters (Woody, Gina, Jaime, & Diane). Aaron also was visited by Sam & his mom & Brian Young & his wife. I apologize if I missed any one.
Jaime stayed the night (sleep over) on Wednesday which always makes Aaron’s day. He was very tired on Wednesday due to lack of sleep, meds, & pneumonia.
His fantasy team won again this week to open up a 2 game lead and is now 9-1.
Don’t know if you are aware but our good friends Greg & Maria Nauman were kind enough to donate a handicap van to us (Gina & Woody). Diane & Sam are looking into a similar opportunity thanks to Ashley Reitz’s family. Jaime will of course have access to both. What are the chances to get 1 offer like this let alone 2. God is good….and continues to provide our needs and answer our prayers.
During one of our last visits to Magee I took measurements & Gina took pictures of some of the equipment that they used in Aaron’s rehab with the intent of duplicating it so that Aaron could continue his rehab at home. Thanks to Aaron’s Uncle Pete who has taken on that project. We will post pictures of “Woody’s Gym” at some point.
Thanks to all who have in one form or another partnered with Aaron on his Journey.
We all need your prayers. Please continue to pray for strength & healing for Aaron & his family and wisdom & compassion for the medical team.
Gina & I spent the day with Aaron today as he continues to recover from his latest bout with pneumonia.
There are many things contributing to Aaron being so tired. His injury, pneumonia, medication, and change in routine. His days are very uneventful as the amount of PT & OT that he receives is much less than what he was used to. You can only watch Sports Center, All in the Family, & The Beverly Hillbillies so many times. We did get to wheel Aaron around the 4th floor (first time out of his room since his arrival) and even down to check out the first floor (with permission from his doctor) this afternoon. It was kind of comical as Aaron and his groupies (Gina & I , 4 visitors, & 1 medical staff) paraded around the hospital.
Visitors today included Isaiah, Shannon, her mom, & Micah. Diane popped in as well for a quick visit over her lunch.
Aaron did eat well today and has actually gained a pound or two back.
We always ask for & welcome your prayers for Aaron but please keep Jaime & Tory in your prayers as well, as Jaime deals with work, being a mom (and a good one I might add), and a fiance (and a good one I might add). The added distance between them since Aaron’s most recent move has added a degree of difficulty to the effort. Pray for safe travel & strength as Jaime continues to amaze us with her capacity to love.
Keep the prayers coming! We feel the power!
Ever have one of those days that was two completely different days wrapped up into one? That was Aaron’s day on Monday.
When Gina & I arrived around 9:00 A.M. Aaron was in bed and having trouble catching a good breath. This continued through mid afternoon. During that time the staff gave Aaron chest therapy, breathing treatments, and even put him back on the vent for an hour or two to help him get back in the rhythm. As Diane eluded to yesterday Aaron was off of everything yesterday from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. breathing completely on his own. NO vent, NO treach collar, NO O2. While this was a huge accomplishment it did knock Aaron down for a while and he needed a day of rest to recover…..or so we thought.
The original plan was that I would leave around 3:30 and put a few hours in at work and return at 8:00 to watch the first half of the Steeler’s game with Aaron. Gina would stay with Aaron until he had his evening meal and then head home. When I called Gina at 7:30 to say that I was on my way up for the game she was still there. Aaron had perked up and Gina was enjoying her visit so much that she didn’t want to leave. We ended up staying until the Steeler’s had things well in hand late in the 4th quarter around 11:00.
Just as we were leaving the Res. Therapist came in and said that Aaron’s numbers looked good & so did he and that he would like to see how Aaron handled being off of the vent over night. That got his attention as he has been wanting to try it for some time but was not allowed to this point. We will be anxious to talk to Diane today and see how that went.
We also were told by the head of nursing that when they knew Aaron was coming for sure she reserved Rm. 400 for him (it is the only room that doesn’t face a brick wall. Instead it has a beautiful view of Harrisburg facing Front Street & the river). Aaron has received outstanding care at every stop along the way but the folks here at Select seem to have an extra measure of compassion.
Pray for Aaron’s continued progress and healing, physically, emotionally, & spiritually.
It is good to have Aaron closer to home. 🙂 I believe that it is a blessing that Aaron’s move was on a Friday. He was suffering from ambulance lag today. Very tired. Unfortunately the way that Penn State played did nothing to help keep him awake. Aaron’s room faces the river and his one wall is nothing but windows. He did wake up long enough for us to witness a beautiful sunset together. With a light schedule on the weekend it gives him a chance to get used to his new surroundings and the folks that will be caring for him. The staff here is very attentive. Aaron got his first chest therapy a mere 3 hours after his arrival and will be getting it several times daily. Jaime, as she has done at every stop along the way, spent the first night with Aaron in his room. That is better than any medicine that any doctor could prescribe.
Below is the information you will need to send cards or visit Aaron during his stay in Harrisburg.
Aaron Wood
Room #400
Select Specialty Hospital-Harrisburg
2501 North 3rd Street
Landis Building, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Once again thank you all for your kindness, generosity, & prayers.
Just (2:10) heard from the crew in Philly that Aaron is on his way to the “Burg”. Just wanted to let you know. I’m sure that Diane will post something with more detail tonight.
Praying for safe travels.
Don’t know if you are aware of it or not but SEPTA in Philly went on strike on Tuesday (they waited until after the last World Series game in Philly) so the traffic is even worse than normal.
As I’m posting this Aaron has 1 1/2 days left at Magee. Our remaining time at Magee is very busy as they try and wrap up our family training.
Gina, Jaime, & I spent the day with Aaron and started to pack up* and say our good-byes.
* Diane, if anything is missing from Aaron’s room we took it. Just wanted to throw that out there to avoid another sneaker follie.
They removed Aaron’s peg (feeding) tube today. Although it took a surgical procedure to put it in they simple pulled it out of his abdomen to remove it. At one point we thought that the Dr. was actually going to put her foot on Aaron’s chest. That’s how hard she had to pull. But it popped out with no pain and very little blood. Another unwanted piece of equipment gone!
I agree with Diane. Please pray that Aaron’s outting goes well today and that he is met with kindness & compassion. Also pray for his move on Friday (scheduled departure is 2:00 p.m.) and that it would go smoothly.
We love you Aaron!
*Please note: I am posting the folowing information on behalf of Aaron and his family after consulting both.
Visiting in Harrisburg: The visitation situation will be slightly more restricted once Aaron has moved to Harrisburg. We do not want to discurage anyone from coming to see Aaron. However, please be aware that visitors are limited to 2 at a time and you will be required to wear a mask if you have not received a flu shot.
Concerning fundraisers: Please contact us if you have a fundraiser idea or you would like to run one. This will help to ensure that fundraisers are spaced out and don’t overlap/compete with one another. We would be more than happy to post information on the website to help promote the event. You can contact Greg Wood at 367-4948 0r 940-8740 or kcwoody@embarqmail.com.
And last but not least…….A HUGE thank you to Gina’s brother Curt in Boulder, CO who created, maintains, & updates this website!
It was another good, uneventful day today. Jaime, Gina, & I spent the day with Aaron and as always enjoyed talking & laughing together. We spend a lot of time talking about the future which I find encouraging. When I think back to the early days when you weren’t sure what you were going to walk in on when you arrived….uneventful is outstanding!
Aaron continues, for the most part, to spend every waking hour off of the vent, and some of that time off of supplied oxygen as well. Everyone at Magee continues to comment on his progress. Aaron is ready for home cooking. Many of you have offered to prepare meals for us and because of the uncertainty of our schedule we have been unable to take advantage of your kindness/cooking. Once Aaron is back home for good we plan on doing so. So start looking up your favorite recipes.
We said goodbye to 2 fellow Magee patients this past week as they have moved on to the next step in their recovery. Please keep Conner & Ted in your prayers. They were both an encouragement to Aaron during their time here.
We were told today that Aaron will have an “outing” before he leaves on Friday. He will have an opportunity to go out on the town to a location of his choice. It sounds like he is leaning towards a visit to Starbucks & maybe Love Park. We wish we could be there but it sounds like it may happen on Tuesday or Thursday so we will have to count on Diane to paint us a verbal picture of the event.
Aaron’s fantasy football team is back on the winning track after suffering their first defeat last week.
GO PHILLIES!
Keep praying for strength, courage, healing, & wisdom as the Journey continues.