Wednesday, September 4, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HARDIN: Second serious
injury suffered by
Sisters man
Continued from page 1
surgery for a broken neck
after a fall. It was a long reha-
bilitation, but the outcome
was nothing short of miracu-
lous and Larry was once again
enjoying his passions. A high
point included racing a hot rod
at Sisters Airport and winning.
Throughout the rehabilita-
tion period, Larry inspired so
many; his faith, optimism and
determination were key com-
ponents to his recovery. Once
again however, Larry was
about to go through a similar
4 but more extreme 4 injury
and recovery.
Just two weeks into their
plans, Larry and Terry were
enjoying the desert. After
hiking in Joshua Tree, they
returned to their motorhome
to sit back and relax. As Larry
began to rise, his chair became
unbalanced and he was sent
backwards with his head
and neck striking the metal
stairs leading into their RV.
Realizing he was unable to
move, Terry (a nurse) reached
for her cellphone to call 9-1-1.
Cell service was limited, but as
one of the first of many provi-
sional blessings, the call went
out and help was on its way.
Larry was unable to feel
anything from his shoulders
down. Paramedics quickly
responded, and after freeing
Larry from the chair, assessing
his condition and transporting
him down the road to meet a
Life Flight helicopter, Larry
was on a 20-minute flight to
Desert Regional Hospital in
Palm Springs. For Terry the
drive took 90 minutes, and by
the time she arrived another
complexity was unfolding.
The hospital had received a
gunshot victim and was placed
on <lock-down.= Desperate to
be by her husband9s side and
hear an update on his condi-
tion, Terry had to remain in a
waiting room until the lock-
down was over.
Unable to move or hit a
call-button, Larry was placed
in ICU. Despite the paraly-
sis, potential surgery, mem-
ory loss and uncertainty of
what lay ahead, Larry made
jokes with staff and kept the
mood light. His condition
soon necessitated a feeding
tube and then a tracheotomy,
which made talking very diffi-
cult. To take away movement
was bad enough, but then to
limit Larry9s engaging per-
sonality made the days more
frustrating. Three weeks after
arriving, it was time to move
Larry to Vibra Hospital in San
Diego to be weaned off of the
ventilator. This next step was
a requirement for being con-
sidered as a patient at Craig
Hospital in Denver, a world-
renowned hospital special-
izing in neuro-rehabilitation
and research of patients with
spinal cord injuries. Craig was
where Larry needed to be, and
once again, the provisional
blessings abounded.
For five weeks, Larry
worked hard with the special-
ists. A clinical liaison from
Craig had been scheduled to
fly to California for a meet-
ing, but cancelled the trip due
to his continued reliance on
the ventilator. Anxious for this
next step in the rehabilitation
process, Larry and his doctor
at Vibra made it happen. Just
two days later Larry was fully
weaned and two days after that
they were meeting with the
liaison from Craig. Plans were
secured and they were to be
transported the very next day.
On February 14, Valentine9s
Day, Larry and his bride were
flying on a Learjet to Denver.
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After being admitted to
Craig, Larry and Terry met
with the exceptional team
assigned to them. Plans were
extensive and began quickly.
With multiple activities and
goals, each day contained over
seven hours of rehabilitation.
Terry was provided onsite
accommodations for one
month and initially thought
she would then be commut-
ing 45 minutes from a friend9s
home. Then one day a case
manager delivered surprising
news; an anonymous donor
had taken care of any further
charges. Terry could remain
close to Larry throughout his
time there. This was just one
of many financial provisions
made along the way. Each
need seemed to be met in a
miraculous way.
For three months Larry
and Terry lived at Craig, and
throughout that time they
focused on possibilities and
blessings. Gratitude helped
them overcome the over-
whelming feelings that would
creep in; gratitude and faith
that God was in control and
had purpose in all of it. During
that time, Terry made one trip
back to Sisters to make plans
for necessary changes in their
home. With only four days
home to get things going, she
was bolstered by friends, rela-
tives, and church family. So
many aspects needed to be
updated; flooring, furniture,
doorways, the shower.
Larry had to be able to nav-
igate the house with ease from
his breath-directed wheelchair.
Despite a lengthy com-
mute, Larry9s son Tyler, who
had already done so much in
relocating the motorhome
twice and driving through
thunderstorms and winter
weather on mountain passes
to bring their Jeep to Denver,
jumped right in to help. A
compassionate work team
from within the Sisters com-
munity also came together to
ensure that every need was
met (including pledges from
neighbors willing to help with
physical needs once they were
home). Transportation, a vital
component to daily life, was
also taken care of with the
arrival of a <perfect= van (pro-
vided by an anonymous donor
from another state) designed
to allow Larry to indepen-
dently enter and sit up front
when they are driving.
When it came time to
say goodbye to the staff at
Craig, Larry9s team voiced
deep admiration for his atti-
tude and offered assurance
that he and Terry were going
to be fine. These exceptional
practitioners had become like
family and made the entire
experience remarkable; they
also taught Larry what a gift
it is to be able to receive the
help needed. Each individual
had offered a compassion-
ate heart, diverse background
and unique perspective. Larry
believes that <if you look for
good, you will find it,= and his
life truly reflects that focus.
He also knows how blessed he
is, because not every fellow
patient had the same outside
support system or ability to
focus on the positive.
Finally being able to come
home after five months away
felt so good to Larry and
Terry. Living each day in
their newly remodeled house,
with picturesque views of the
forest and buoyed by loving
friends and family is a bless-
ing beyond compare. Perhaps
only in a small town as spe-
cial as Sisters could the wel-
come home be so personal
and secure. Gratitude and
faith remain a primary focus,
and with increasing sensation
in his shoulders, Larry9s hopes
are high for another miracu-
lous recovery.
19
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