January 11th, 2011 by Conor

It’s 11:21 PM. Before Ellen walked out the door Danny gave her a hand squeeze. She was so excited she ran out to tell the nurse. It brought a big smile to my face and to hers as well. He started to reach for the PEG tube, but we had to hold his hands back. His blood pressure, oxygen, etc. are starting to stabilize. Cindy, our night nurse, said that maybe tomorrow the doc will let his temperature come up. This would mean less shivers and hopefully less use of the paralytics. The paralytic medicine paralyzes Danny to decrease movement and stabilize his ICP. Right now he is kept around 36.1 degrees Celsius which is 96.98 degrees Fahrenheit. The human body is at roughly 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep up the healing Danny!

-Michelle

January 11th, 2011 by Conor

About 3 years ago on one fine day at Northstar I met Danny. All I remember was Danny would not stop doing front flips! I was really pumped on them in till he did about 10 of them in one run, then I was like alright, this kid I just met is crazy and is obsessed with front flips. I will also never forget when I first heard Danny laugh that day, little did I know that his brothers laugh is no different. Still to this day I have never heard a better laugh in my life.

Impact Danny has had on my life….
Danny has….

* made me laugh harder than any other person…..funny thing is I am laughing at him laughing because his laugh is the best!!!!
* made me better at snowboarding because he makes me hit jumps!
* been there when I needed a friend to talk to about snowboarding
* been there to show me up in the halfpipe even though he never rides pipe..I seriously try so hard in the halfpipe and he is still better then me!
* named one of my turtles Lars.
* Inspired me in snowboarding. I only wish I good be half as good as him, his style his drive and his talent in snowboarding is incredible. I still to this day brag about Danny on the chairlift to people!

When I dropped into my first run at the comp today I couldn’t stop crying because I have never met anyone so in love with snowboarding in my life and I just do not understand why or how this could happen to such an amazing person. Danny I think about you all the time, I hope you get better really quick. I look forward to kicking your ass in the halfpipe(i will most likely never succeed at that but will definitely try) when you get better!

I hope you remember our little adventure in Vegas, here are a couple pictures…

(picture of the horse)—- I remember you guys had to lift me up on to this huge thing and I ate shit getting off of it, but I remember wanting to get the shot haha.

January 11th, 2011 by Conor

We here at the graveyard shift are faced with an unusual predicament. A generous donation of snack food came in today from a good friend Bobby Brennick. Most of the food options here at the hospital are no longer options. If we begin to pick off the tree it will lose its aesthetic and the soul warming effect it might have on Danny when he begins to wake up. On the other hand if we pick at it, we will be happy and therefore more able to transfer our positive energy to Danny. What to do…

[polldaddy poll=4369685]

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

I’ve been trying to think of what to write for a while now. I can’t seem to get Danny, Ellen, Conor or Michelle (despite the fact that I’ve never met her) out of my mind. When I started to think of my memories of Danny I realized I had way more than I thought.

I remember when Conor and Danny used to hate each other. Okay, maybe not hate, but they definitely didn’t get along for a few years way back in the day. It’s been really cool for me to watch their relationship grow and change over time and now, they’re the best of friends. I always hoped that my relationships with my brothers would end up similar to the closeness that Conor and Danny have.

I have memories of Danny’s head lolling on the bus in Ireland. It’s caught on video ..kid could sleep through anything.

Danny gave me one of the best pieces of advice to help me through school. He told me one night to make sure I got my work done before I played. I know it’s such a simple piece of advice but I really took it to heart and it’s one of the reasons I’ve had the success that I do in school.

HANDS DOWN the Toumarkines have the best laugh. There is no doubt about it in my mind. It is contagious and can light up a room. I wish Conor could upload a clip of Conor, Danny and our cousin Jesse laughing at something when we were on our Ireland trip in 2000. No one but our Aunt Julie knows what they were laughing out but I think that’s what makes the video even better. Picture three teenagers sitting on a bed staring at something unknown and just bursting into giggle fits. It’s my favorite part of that video.

I am so proud to be Conor and Danny’s cousin. I show off shreddytimes.com to all of my friends and make them watch countless edits. I brag about your dreams and your goals and plans for a professional video. Everyone I show is awed by both boys’ talents. Whether it’s living in South America or just cabrewin’ in the valley, Danny always seems to be living the dream (and I was always a little jealous)

Right now I wish that I could be out in Montana. Being a nursing student gives me comfort when I read the updates. I can process why certain things are being done and everything seems to be falling in to place. I realize that I am fortunate to have this information because some of the readers have no idea what’s a positive change or a negative change. I have no doubt in my mind that Danny is getting the most excellent care right now but I wish I could be at his bedside helping him heal.

I love you, Dano, I can’t wait to sing Silent Night again with you.

~Sarah

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

I was fortunate enough to meet Danny when I was taking a Wilderness Medicine course up in Conway NH in 2009. Conor was a student in the class and he was kind enough to share his knowledge of the area. He took us on a few great hikes, and invited a couple of us back to his house.

We walked in and met Danny, he was sitting in the kitchen doing some kind of work with decals. I remember being blown away that two young, single guys lived in such a clean and well kept house. I thought for sure that there had to be a woman somewhere keeping the place so spotless. When I mentioned it to Conor his response was ” my mom is kind enough to let us live here the least we can do is take care of it”. I knew instantly these were not typical irresponsible young knuckleheads.

From two rooms away Danny overheard Conor apologizing to us that there really wasn’t anyplace to party on a Tuesday night and said ” if you guys want to party, I can make a few phone- calls”

A few phone-calls and 30 minutes later there were 20 people circled around the kitchen counter playing some beer dice game and we had a blast.

I also remember Danny laughing his ass off at Conor and me when we dumped our canoe in the 40-degree Saco River, five minutes into a two-hour paddle. Conor and I spent the rest of the trip hoping Danny would dump his canoe every time he hit rough water, he never did. Months later I Googled him and found out what an absolute stud he is on the mountain.

The few hikes, the few beers, the wet canoeing trip, and the time hanging out up on cathedral are lasting and cherished memories of my brief stint in NH. I am thankful to The Toumarkine brothers for graciously welcoming me into their circle of friends and sharing the beauty of their hometown with me. I am looking forward to bringing my sons there and sharing it with them.

I know how cliché it is to say that “Everything happens for a reason” but I believe it’s all part of the grand design. My family’s thoughts and prayers will be with you guys and your family. Conor I hope my sons are as good at being a brother as you are, your Mom should be commended for raising two great sons. When this is all in the rearview mirror, I will do whatever if takes to ensure our paths cross again and I will gladly buy the first round. Until then, stay strong and God bless.

Bill Harris
HMCS (AW/FMF)
US Navy

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

The last time I saw my cousin Danny before his accident was Open Mic Night up at the Red Parka Pub. That night my twin brother and I decided to replace the Turtle Taxi that night and give our cousins and their friends a ride home after closing time. Somewhere along the way the song “Teach Me How to Dougie” came on the radio. For whatever reason, as soon as the song started, Danny picked up my miniature schnauzer and proceeded to teach her how to Dougie. I was laughing so hard watching them both in the rear view mirror that I almost lost focus of the road.

I first found out about his accident while out in Colorado, when things were at their most uncertain, and my memory immediately thought of that night up in New Hampshire . It most definitely gave me comfort to remember that my most recent encounter with Danny was something so hilarious, outlandish… and typical of him.

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

Hi Conor, hi Danny! I want to give a piece of love for you. Just knew you for a short time with Tito last winter, but enough to share good experience, good laughing and great snowboarding, really good and fun people you are. I hope he is back in shape soon.

much love! here’s a little gift photo from the Andes.

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

It’s 3:31 AM. Danny is getting his teeth cleaned. She says he has nice teeth and I agree. Conor said he’s got the hair, the better metabolism, and he’s taller. Conor just got the geekier stuff (he said it, not me)…

…It’s Monday afternoon now. Last night was the first night that the nurse didn’t call the doctor. Danny stayed stable throughout the night and into today. He looks better, his neck is less swollen. He’s still all that I can think about. Conor is doing amazing things with this website and fundraising and all of you are giving so much love and support it’s incredible. I spent a little time today decorating Danny’s room with Ellen(or Els as I now call her). The wall is starting to look less bare and I’m sure Danny would appreciate the crafty touch. Talking to Ellen about Danny’s T-Shirt blanket they made together inspired me to start making some hats while I’m sitting next to him in his room. There’s five minutes left in the shift change before we can visit again…packing up and heading in.

-Michelle

I swear the chair is HUGE! ~ Conor

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

How did you meet Danny?

-My name is Christi Nasser and I meet Danny at Windells this past summer 2010, I had broken my foot and thought I could maybe help out at the demo shop where Danny and Jenny Curto were trying to get all the gear ready for the kids. Danny didn’t waste anytime; he had me sorting out and organizing Burton screws by size with him for as long as what seemed like forever at the time.

What was the funniest thing that ever happened while you were hanging out with Danny?

– One night in Staff housing I walked over to Danny, Paul and Moss’s room to see what the crew was doing. That room held nothing but laughter so I always wanted to get some laughs in. One night Danny and I were watching Moss who was trying to figure out how to put a battery into this camera. Moss was talking to himself out loud during every step on how he was going to put this battery into the camera. Danny and I were watching his every move and then we couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer we about fell on the ground laughing, Moss was still oblivious to it all. At the time, it was the best laugh I had had all summer. After that I just wanted to be around their good vibes all the time.

What is your fondest memory?

– Danny and I were both hurt at one point during the summer so we decided we would spend a day running our errands together around town. We had a blast shopping and eating it was the greatest errand running day known to man haha. I think he had more girly chores to run than any guy I have ever met, he took me to fabric stores, Michaels, Star bucks, book stores, the list goes on. I even won a bet on which bookstore we were in and I’ll never let Danny forget it. Haha.

How did Danny impact your life?

-Well After landing the best job in the world at Windells, I had only been working there about 3 weeks when I had an 800 pound stairset dropped on my foot and broke it real good. After this I was pretty upset and bummed which isn’t my personality at all. Being around Danny made me forget about the broken foot and made me realize that everything happens for a reason and I will be healed soon. He made me want to stay at Windells during the healing process and eventually my foot got better and I was back on the slopes and give all my thanks to Danny for that. He was always there for me when I needed a good laugh.

What are you most looking forward doing with Danny when you get to hang out next?

-We both have the weirdest almost addicting laughs and together its unstoppable, we sound like little evil elves taking over the world. So I can’t wait to reunite our laughs once again!