January 15th, 2011 by Conor

I recently joined Shreddy Times by invitation. Soon after, I began reading several posts regarding an injured friend. Turns out, I have mutual friends with Danny, however, I live and work a few thousand miles away in Virginia. I was immediately moved to write in, but wasn’t quite sure where to start because I don’t think anything I have to say is of great significance. Ultimately, please know that although I’ve never met Danny, I have been impacted & inspired by him, his family, & by the enormous number of people who have reached out.

I work at an inpatient clinic in a physical rehabilitation hospital. Everyday I see people with new physical challenges; from a simple fall, to strokes, replacements, and traumatic brain injuries. While I typically see more speedy recoveries due to more minor injuries than what y’all are experiencing, I have witnessed some pretty amazing moments in the journeys of a few patients recovering from major strokes & TBIs. People don’t realize their own potential in those moments, but they are capable of overcoming their situations.

While these days of waiting seem to go on forever & y’all feel as though your souls can’t take it anymore, remember to take one day at a time; as much as you want things to happen, you have to be patient. Know that you all are not alone; it is okay to get upset, it is okay to ask for help & it is okay to take time for yourself – that’s not selfish. It is not good to feel pity & it is not good to ask “why Danny?” While it is natural to run the “what ifs” through your mind, you will drive yourself crazy. You’ve gotta have faith. At this point, all you can do is look forward & focus on what you’re going to do. It’s obvious that things are going to be much different, but you are only given what you can handle; it may seem like way more, but you’re doing it! Everyone on y’alls end is already VERY strong. From my point of view, things can only get better from here… slowly, but surely. There will still be hard times, but things will be moving forward.

The power of prayer & of positive thinking makes a tremendous impact. There is no doubt in my mind that with such amazing continual support from Danny’s family & friends, he will get through this; as well as the rest of your family. I am so excited for the coming weeks & months to read about Danny’s progression. The time will fly right on by! It is really hard to wrap your head around what it would be like to learn how to sit up again, or even how to grip something again (to name just a few), but those little things are HUGE…. they are are going to be so momentous. It is going to be amazing 🙂

With Love,

Emily