Hi Everyone,
This is Corey
Thank you for encouraging me
I really really like to hear your letters
I don’t know what I do to inspire anyone but I am glad that I do and make you all happy
Your letters help because I know people are thinking about me
It’s hard not to give up but I know that I can not give up because it will not help me
It will make things harder
Sometimes I need help remembering it
I want to grow up and go to college and be a chef
I will get there with hard work
Keep reminding me to keep going
Corey,
Within 18 hours of your accident, the ICU team worked tirelessly to stabilize you. Through out the day I would come in and out of the Triage room depending on the procedures they needed to perform. This may seem odd but there were several times throughout the day I couldn’t “feel you” present. I sensed you left your body as the team worked on your injuries. This intuitive feeling would come and go as I’m sure you did. Our nurse approached us informing us that you were stable but we didn’t know for how long. They suggested a surgery that would remove ½ your skull to let your brain expand. I later found out it was the only option to keep you alive at that moment.
We approved the procedure and waited for Dr. Yalamanchelli to arrive. I felt your presence as we waited. I whispered to you;
Honey, I know you’re here and can hear me. I also think you were coming and going today. I hope you were with Dedema. If you are deciding whether or not to stay with us; if this is going to be too hard for you; please don’t worry, we will be fine. If you decide you want to stay and get better, we will do everything in our power to help you. We will never leave you.
This was the beginning. Imagine if we quit at any point along the last 2 ½ years. You are fighting every day to ‘grow up, go to college and be a chef’. You will make it. You lift your arm a little higher, you kick your leg a little further, you take as many ‘steps’ as you need to realize your dream.
I know you don’t remember what happened and you don’t even remember going to Bryn Mawr today, BUT you continue to make progress. Please lean on us when you get frustrated. Keep asking for help, we’re here for you!
C – “Thank you for not giving up on me. And I promise never to give up…it’s not in my vocabulary” xoxo