Update - 11/27/06
Thanksgiving Blessings!!!!!
I am joyfully sharing this update with you after having spent Thanksgiving with the Kurz family! What a privilege it was to be with them again and see Matthew's progress firsthand!! When we walked in the front door of their new house, Matthew greeted us (my husband, myself and our children) with a BIG smile and said very clearly, "hi". He also smiled and chuckled at our rambunctious beagle puppies that we brought with us. What a tremendous change from the Matthew we last saw in June!
Matthew readily smiles and chuckles at funny things that happen throughout the day. And he works really hard at saying words with assistance. He said "Happy Thanksgiving" and was even able to get it out without prompting a few times. He also "blows kisses" and shows his affectionate side that we trust is not lost. Matthew loves to have company and watches all the activity going on around him with delight. It's easy to see that Matthew is paying attention and is glad to interact with anyone that will talk to him. On Friday we took Matthew to see his grandfather, Norbert Kaiser in Cole Camp (Grandma too, of course). He traveled really well and was a "great sport" getting in and out of the van (what a process that is). We also went to see Aunt Paula Heisterberg and Matthew made his first visit to someone else's home! Thank goodness Aunt Paula has a house with doorways made wide enough for wheelchairs.
Taking Matthew for an outing is one example of the extensive prep work that has to go into every activity for him. You don't just hop in the vehicle with Matthew and go. Thank the Lord for the technology to add ramps to vans and allow access for wheelchairs!!! It takes a lot of strength to be the caregiver and chauffeur - those straps have to be super-tight to lock the wheelchair in place.
Matthew is VERY blessed to have such a terrific family to support and care for him. His parents have learned so much in the last 10 months about caring for a head trauma patient and they do an amazing job of being his "nurses". I helped Brenda get Matthew ready for the day on Saturday and after we finally finished (shampoo hair with him lying in bed, check the skin around the feeding tube, put clothes on a 6+ foot tall young man that can't do most of the effort, lift him into the wheelchair [well, Erich had to help with that part - takes muscles!], brush teeth, trim nails, shave, put the brace on his left foot, as well as shoes), and he was dressed and in his chair, I asked Brenda, "How do you get anything else done?" She responded, "I don't!" Her days are now devoted to Matthew's full-time care. And that's in addition to any therapy throughout the day. Even though she is exhausted and worn out a lot, she wouldn't have it any other way. Matthew is truly loved by his family. (Thanks to the nurses that are there for periods of time so that Brenda and Rev. Kurz can get some sleep!)
Mealtime is not one of Matthew's favorite times of the day. I've been told that those who suffer brain trauma injury either can't get enough food (once they are eating solid food again) and will gorge themselves OR they don't want food and would go days without ever expressing hunger. Matthew apparently is more like the later example. When Matthew is told it's time to eat, he wrinkles up his nose and turns away or makes some other negative facial expression. Then the struggle begins with getting the food in his mouth. He fights the process and gives his caregiver a challenge, but once he opens his mouth (and he usually does) he chews the food up and swallows just fine. There are times though that Matthew will take the food in his fingers and willingly feeds himself.
I would like to express my thanks to the Sedalia Democrat for the wonderful article they had on the front page of the Thanksgiving Day issue. They portrayed Matthew's story with accuracy and sensitivity. The article is entitled "Faith, Family and Friends" and if you are interested in reading it, you can find the article on their website under the news category from the last two weeks: www.sedaliademocrat.com
Now, to wrap up my "epistle" for this update, Matthew's family would like me to share with you part of an essay that Matthew wrote for his Honor's English class just a few weeks before the accident. His father found the essay on the computer fairly recently and we hope that it is as inspiring to you as it was to us:
The assignment was to write about "My Utopia". Matthew described all sorts of things he would enjoy in a perfect world such as Lamborghinis for everyone who wants one and being able to drive as fast as a person wanted to and never run out of gas. There would also be no sickness or deformities in his utopia AND everyone would have a perfect understanding of the world right from birth so there would be no school to go to. (You can bet he was looking forward to graduation!) These are just a FEW examples of Matthew's description of his utopia. But - in the final paragraph he has these very profound words to share:
"Now the final question is: what would I choose, my imagined utopia, or the real world. I would choose the real world. Some may find this silly but I believe that the real utopia awaits me in heaven. Besides that, the real world is the better choice in the end because it makes me a better person when it's all said and done. I will go through more adversities and struggles in this life, making me stronger and wiser than if I were to choose the carefree utopia of my imagination. Things would be too simple in my utopia - what would be the point of human compassion and hope? No matter how much I may not like it at times, the real world is the best."
To compliment Matthew's words, Romans 5:3-5 states: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into his hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
In a few days, please check back for an update on "Brothers."
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's godmother
I am joyfully sharing this update with you after having spent Thanksgiving with the Kurz family! What a privilege it was to be with them again and see Matthew's progress firsthand!! When we walked in the front door of their new house, Matthew greeted us (my husband, myself and our children) with a BIG smile and said very clearly, "hi". He also smiled and chuckled at our rambunctious beagle puppies that we brought with us. What a tremendous change from the Matthew we last saw in June!
Matthew readily smiles and chuckles at funny things that happen throughout the day. And he works really hard at saying words with assistance. He said "Happy Thanksgiving" and was even able to get it out without prompting a few times. He also "blows kisses" and shows his affectionate side that we trust is not lost. Matthew loves to have company and watches all the activity going on around him with delight. It's easy to see that Matthew is paying attention and is glad to interact with anyone that will talk to him. On Friday we took Matthew to see his grandfather, Norbert Kaiser in Cole Camp (Grandma too, of course). He traveled really well and was a "great sport" getting in and out of the van (what a process that is). We also went to see Aunt Paula Heisterberg and Matthew made his first visit to someone else's home! Thank goodness Aunt Paula has a house with doorways made wide enough for wheelchairs.
Taking Matthew for an outing is one example of the extensive prep work that has to go into every activity for him. You don't just hop in the vehicle with Matthew and go. Thank the Lord for the technology to add ramps to vans and allow access for wheelchairs!!! It takes a lot of strength to be the caregiver and chauffeur - those straps have to be super-tight to lock the wheelchair in place.
Matthew is VERY blessed to have such a terrific family to support and care for him. His parents have learned so much in the last 10 months about caring for a head trauma patient and they do an amazing job of being his "nurses". I helped Brenda get Matthew ready for the day on Saturday and after we finally finished (shampoo hair with him lying in bed, check the skin around the feeding tube, put clothes on a 6+ foot tall young man that can't do most of the effort, lift him into the wheelchair [well, Erich had to help with that part - takes muscles!], brush teeth, trim nails, shave, put the brace on his left foot, as well as shoes), and he was dressed and in his chair, I asked Brenda, "How do you get anything else done?" She responded, "I don't!" Her days are now devoted to Matthew's full-time care. And that's in addition to any therapy throughout the day. Even though she is exhausted and worn out a lot, she wouldn't have it any other way. Matthew is truly loved by his family. (Thanks to the nurses that are there for periods of time so that Brenda and Rev. Kurz can get some sleep!)
Mealtime is not one of Matthew's favorite times of the day. I've been told that those who suffer brain trauma injury either can't get enough food (once they are eating solid food again) and will gorge themselves OR they don't want food and would go days without ever expressing hunger. Matthew apparently is more like the later example. When Matthew is told it's time to eat, he wrinkles up his nose and turns away or makes some other negative facial expression. Then the struggle begins with getting the food in his mouth. He fights the process and gives his caregiver a challenge, but once he opens his mouth (and he usually does) he chews the food up and swallows just fine. There are times though that Matthew will take the food in his fingers and willingly feeds himself.
I would like to express my thanks to the Sedalia Democrat for the wonderful article they had on the front page of the Thanksgiving Day issue. They portrayed Matthew's story with accuracy and sensitivity. The article is entitled "Faith, Family and Friends" and if you are interested in reading it, you can find the article on their website under the news category from the last two weeks: www.sedaliademocrat.com
Now, to wrap up my "epistle" for this update, Matthew's family would like me to share with you part of an essay that Matthew wrote for his Honor's English class just a few weeks before the accident. His father found the essay on the computer fairly recently and we hope that it is as inspiring to you as it was to us:
The assignment was to write about "My Utopia". Matthew described all sorts of things he would enjoy in a perfect world such as Lamborghinis for everyone who wants one and being able to drive as fast as a person wanted to and never run out of gas. There would also be no sickness or deformities in his utopia AND everyone would have a perfect understanding of the world right from birth so there would be no school to go to. (You can bet he was looking forward to graduation!) These are just a FEW examples of Matthew's description of his utopia. But - in the final paragraph he has these very profound words to share:
"Now the final question is: what would I choose, my imagined utopia, or the real world. I would choose the real world. Some may find this silly but I believe that the real utopia awaits me in heaven. Besides that, the real world is the better choice in the end because it makes me a better person when it's all said and done. I will go through more adversities and struggles in this life, making me stronger and wiser than if I were to choose the carefree utopia of my imagination. Things would be too simple in my utopia - what would be the point of human compassion and hope? No matter how much I may not like it at times, the real world is the best."
To compliment Matthew's words, Romans 5:3-5 states: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into his hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
In a few days, please check back for an update on "Brothers."
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's godmother
posted by Randy Asburry @ 9:39 AM
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