January 7th, 2011 by Conor

to Conor and the rest of ST,

First off, thoughts and prayers are being sent cross-country from Mass. Hope your boy Danny makes a quick and full recovery. i wish i could have given more, but ill make up with my lack of funds in prayers and positive vibes. Connor, i also have a brother and once spent 2 days in a chemically induced coma, and when i woke up my older brother was right there. although i was still heavily drugged, it is and probably always will be the greatest moment of my life. theres no love like the love brothers share. so just keep doing what your doing, stay strong, and trust me man, he knows your there. god bless.

s.

January 7th, 2011 by Conor

I have known Danny and Conor since I was young. Real young, young to the point of getting changed into bathing suits in front of each other by Ellen Shea, while standing naked and not thinking a single thing about it. Haha. Ok, a little weird. Point is, I’ve been lucky to know both them for this long, but we’ll keep this based on Danny (sorry Conor). Danny is a one-of-a-kind person, as you all know. He is amazing. He looks at something and he does it. He does not waste time, every move of his is made with thought and intention. Danny is made for the stars, and was made to rise with them. I could call up hundreds of memories but I wouldn’t even know where to begin, and don’t want to bore everyone. But, isn’t it amazing how someone can have this much effect on people. It is often times tragedy that brings out things like this, that never would have been addressed. The fact that it happened this way is literally soul-shaking, but the result of the oncoming support is amazing. People around the WORLD are sending their love, faith and support. What type of a person could have people from different countries who don’t even know him, send him love and support- Danny, that’s who. People who don’t even know Danny. Maybe they saw one of his videos and was like holy s#*% this kid is amazing. Or maybe they got the pleasure to meet and hear that one of a kind laugh in person. I have had countless number of people this week asking me how Danny is. Parents, Teachers from old elementary schools, people who i haven’t even spoken to in years…all reaching out for one reason, and that is to send their strength and love to Danny. That says something about what type of person it is I’m talking about right now. There will never be a replica even close to Danny and all that his life symbolizes. His athletic talent alone leaves people in awe, wanting to meet this unreal shredder who has a mean head of hair. And the quality of person he is, has resulted in this Nation-wide gathering of thousands of people and thoughts and prayers. There is only one Danny. And he will be back, but we need him back sooner. So please send your love and donations of any sort. I miss you Danny and if I could be there in the room with you I would wait there with Conor until I could see those shiny eyes open back up and hear that one of a kind laugh. Then I’d be good. Until then, I’ll pray every morning and night for you, Conor, the rest of your family, and the Shreddy Times Team. Sending all my love, and that of the entire Northeast region..we Love you Danny.

—Drew Donabedian

January 7th, 2011 by Conor

Danny is lying down just 10 feet away from me yet I have never felt so far away from him. Each time I gaze up over the screen I hope he might just look over at me and tell me to give him back his sweatshirt. Until then, I will wear it proudly and anxiously await the opportunity to give it back to him.

It’s hard to imagine that I have somehow become used to seeing Danny like this. He has been in the ICU for three days now but it feels like it has been three years. It’s almost impossible to believe that my life is real right now.

I no longer reside in sunny Lake Tahoe, California. I have moved to the fifth floor of Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana. I will be here until Danny tells me to leave.

Hearing the varied sounds that go with all the gadgets controlling his life is not something I will ever be totally comfortable with.

When I return to the snowboarding, I will have a helmet on, and will be “that guy” that tells my friends that they should have one on as well.

How in the world did this happen to MY brother?

Danny will now have wayyyyyy more badass scars than me, and he already got all the chicks.

It has been years since I have seen Danny with a shaved head. He looks way younger now.

I think that Iris, Paul, Mayo and Moss are headed back to Tahoe today. It sure has been amazing having them around. If you are lucky enough to know them or have them in your life then you already know what great people they are. Thanks you guys for being there for Danny, me and my family this week. I love you all.

I hope that Danny can somehow feel that I am in the room here with him.

Shift Change… Love you Danny.

—Conor

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

The second procedure went smoothly. Danny is back in the ICU recovering at this moment.

They have temporarily removed part of his skull to allow the brain to swell without resistance. They placed the piece underneath his skin on the side of his hip. Now they will keep him in an induced coma for the next 7-10 days while they hope that his brain begins to reduce in swelling.

The doc was pleased with the way all aspects of the three hour operation went. When the doc decides that Danny’s brain has returned to its more normal size, they will close up Danny’s brain with the “stored” skull piece.

It is a total waiting game, but hopefully one that is now on a good, solid recovery course.

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

Post removed per Danny’s request. He was troubled by inaccuracies reported and that have been spread around.

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

Cherish the ones who you assume will always be in your life, develop a wicked allergy to negativity, and assume nothing…

It is difficult thinking about Danny being incapacitated…for the mere fact that anyone who knows him, knows that he lives life to the fullest. “don’t talk about it, be about it” is a phrase we have not only heard him use, but seen him employ. whether it be old school friends who gravitate to his talent and ability to be the natural that he is, or new shreds who have shralped alongside and drawn on-hill inspiration.

I have always been amazed at how many more friends Danny has amassed since the last time I have seen him. a true testament to the fact that he has been building an army of likeminded individuals…he once didn’t make a friend just to see what it felt like.

Offhill antics include an infectious laugh that hits the high notes everytime (your joke isn’t funny until he hits the hyena pitch). His over evolved sense of sarcasm makes mundane observations turn into witty assessments about life, and it’s always a treat being within earshot of DCT when someone makes a complete fool of themselves without knowing it. and for the record…he introduced me to the movie FUBAR, I am forever grateful.

Danny’s offhill strengths could make a list miles long, but his natural ability to ride is what becomes apparent. I was still perfecting the art of toeside turns when I witnessed Danny preform meanest Method I have ever seen…as a seventh grader. Without attending a private shred school like many east Coast big names, Danny did it his way…spinning his way into the semi pro snowboarding world. Kid can spin like a frisbee, and always executes tricks with catlike agility. I remember Danny and Conor teaching me backflips back in 8th grade, on a booter with a lip no less than 6 feet tall and vertical pitch…DCT’s advice? “Just do a backflip!” scariest, but most progressive day of my young life, just another day of shred to Danny.

He came to visit me in SLC last winter and ended up showing me around the mountain I was working at and called home…then was out before i could even tell him that i tore my rotator cuff trying those batty frontflips he was showing me. He led the movement of east Coasters moving west to progress within our area of New Hampshire, to which I reunited with him and the Shreddy Crew just before the latest accident in Teton Pass Montana.

What happened to Danny is serious, and has left many hearts heavy and filled with concern…but do not mistake how big of a heart and resilient of a brain he has. Everyone has many stories about him that I am sure are hilarious/rediculous/epic/shreddy, so keep them in mind and keep him in mind. Until he can be back doing what he loves, do it for him.

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

The Neurosurgeon just came out to let us know that he is going to have to perform a second surgery on the other side of Danny’s head. The doctor explained that Danny’s responses to stimulation have gotten worse this morning and that the felt the need to relive pressure from that part of the skull. The first surgery that he did was to to relieve pressure from the left side. This surgery will be on the right side.

If all goes well the surgery should last 2-3 hours. They will be keeping him heavily sedated for roughly the next 7-10 days while his brain hopefully starts to reduce back to a normal size.

The next 3 hours waiting are going to be hard for everyone. I love you Danny.

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

Unfortunately, no real news to update. Danny has not really gotten much better or worse since he arrived here. His generally consistent condition isn’t necessarily the worst thing since brain injuries generally take 48-72 hours to take on their full effect. If anything, the fact that his condition has not drastically changed is actually a sign that he is doing well.

We are at the 72 hour mark as of this moment. Now the waiting game really begins. Everyone is obviously hoping for the best, but now the battle is really one that Danny and the doctors have to fight. All we can do is continue to keep him in our thoughts and send him our love.

I will update everyone IMMEDIATELY as soon as there is something significantly worth reporting. No news means no progress either way.

Love you Danny…

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

This is just a fun little edit that Paul put together. It is just to put a smile on everyone’s face. The thought of Danny’s condition is a really sad one right now and we all need to focus on how good of a person Danny is. He will get through this. We are pulling for him around the world.

January 6th, 2011 by Conor

Wanted to give everyone a little bit of an update, unfortunately, there isn’t much of an update. Danny is still in the ICU at Great Falls and it doesn’t look like he will be leaving anytime soon. His condition has not bettered or worsened since he got here. He is heavily sedated and on a constant stream of Morphine. The next day or two are very critical as the brain is still responding to the crash that he took. All things considered, things are looking as good as they could be.