Holiday Greeting, December 2003
Dear Friends and Family,
Our lives were changed on December 13, 2002, when our
daughter, Marla, was in a car accident.
She suffered multiple serious injuries,
including a severe brain injury to the area controlling speech
and
interpretation of auditory input.
Mary and Leo have been living in Denver since the accident,
staying at the home of friends
Bob and Annie Brooks until moving with Marla to her townhouse in early June. We
do
physical, speech and occupational therapies with her on the five days of the
week that
she does not receive those at Craig Hospital, in Englewood, Colorado.
After her health insurance rehab benefits for 2003 were
exhausted in September, we
continued therapies at Craig until the end of November, at which time her
therapists
believed she could make adequate progress in Glenwood for the remainder of the
year. We’ll return to Denver on January 5, when her insurance, which will only
provide
coverage within the Denver area, should kick back in. This is not necessarily
unfortunate,
since we have been told many times by people “in-the-know” that there is no
place
better for Marla than Craig.
Mary retired from her private practice in November of 2002,
so both of us have been
able to devote our time to helping care for Marla. This is only one blessing on
an
incredibly long list for 2003, the most important of which is the fact that she
survived.
Her unique inner beauty, sense of humor, and sweet personality are intact. Her
progress is slow, but so steady that we believe we are seeing small miracles
regularly, so we again feel blessed. Marla is incredibly determined, tough and
hard-working. The support we have received from family and friends, as well as
the community of Glenwood Springs, has been nothing short of breathtaking.
Financial and emotional support have been deeply appreciated and have enabled
us to keep going, but we credit the prayers for the miracles she has received.
Mark has provided support and help along the way. He has
spent time with Leo’s
parents in Montrose, as circumstances made it nearly impossible for Leo to
travel
himself. Mark also spent lots of time working on Marla's website.
We’ve learned many things in the last year, some of which
we’d have preferred
not to know. We learned that it is vital for parents of unmarried adult children
to
have power of attorney for each child. However, much of our learning has been
experienced on a deeper level. We have learned to take life one day at a time.
Our friends and immediate and extended families have become closer than we
ever thought possible. We have experienced the warmth and strength derived
from even the smallest expression of caring. Marla’s near-death experience
has deepened our faith, and we now fully understand that only blessings come
with acceptance of God’s will.
You have our prayers and best wishes for a joyous holiday
season with loved
ones, and a new year filled with blessings. May the new year bring progress
towards increased kindness, understanding and peace in the world.