Hi everyone! For anyone who doesn’t know, this is my brother, Andrew. With a 50/50 chance of survival at birth, his very existence on this earth is a miracle. And 29 years later, his continued existence is a miracle again. Memorial Day weekend he went home early from work and before that Friday night was over, he was in the emergency room with severe abdominal pain. The care team wanted to allow his body to resolve the issue on it’s own, but by Tuesday morning, after no change (and no food or water in the meantime), they decided to operate. The surgeon said it looked like a bomb had gone off inside because of all the scar tissue from infancy, and that it’s a good thing they operated when they did – part of the intestine was pinched and had begun to die. The surgery was a success, the entirety of the intestines had blood flow, and 28 staples later, Andrew was in recovery. It’s slow. 3 steps forward, 1-2 steps back. The surgeon is not surprised – he said Drew was in pretty bad shape. But the ups and downs are challenging, both encouraging and disheartening in short succession.
Now the why.
Andrew was in the hospital for 2.5 weeks, and will be staying with my parents for an estimated 8 weeks more. And physical therapy won’t begin until his digestive system is back to full operation. He is thankful for an incredible boss and good insurance. But his plan has a high deductible/out of pocket amount, and he still has to pay rent, premiums, and whatever insurance doesn’t cover (hopefully not much, but we have no idea yet.). And he’s not sure at the moment when he’ll be able to return to work. It’s not easy for us Caseys to ask for help. But I am. On Andrew’s behalf. If you are able to donate any amount, thank you. It’s not a small sacrifice these days, I know. If you can share this, thank you. And if you can keep Andrew and the rest of us in your prayers, we appreciate it.
