Mike Rea's Recovery Info & Updates

Mike's family created this blog to acknowledge our heartfelt appreciation for all your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes since his accident. Please check back regularly for updates on his condition and recovery process. We know all of you will keep Mike and his family in your prayers!

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Location: Newark, Delaware

On June 16, 2006, Mike was doing what he loves most in the world~training a race horse! One minute, friends saw him go by at a full gallop. Thirty minutes later, he was found unconscious and barely breathing. Mike endured an emergency helicopter ride to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Unit where doctors determined he had suffered a severe brain injury and was placed in ICU in critical condition. After three weeks, Mike was transferred to Kernan Rehabilitation Center, then Sunbridge Care and Rehabilitation. He returned home in October ‘06 and continues to work on his recovery. We have experienced much hope and joy as we have witnessed Mike's miraculous journey towards recovery. Mike IS A MIRACLE (the exact words of his neurologist) and continues to surprise his health care providers. Mike faces each day with courage, faith and perseverance; his new job consisting of physical therapy and theraputic riding. Mike is currently undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and is experiencing great progress! FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OFFERED ASSISTANCE, A "MIKE REA RECOVERY RELIEF FUND" HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO HELP WITH MIKE'S MEDICAL AND DAILY NEEDS.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Thank You.....

We hope our family and friends believe in the old adage “No news is good news!” We’re so sorry to have neglected Mike’s site these past two weeks but are happy to say it was the hustle and bustle and family gatherings of the holiday season that kept us all so busy!

We gathered in Fayetteville, NC at Mom’s home and took turns speaking to Mike in MD over the phone. Mike spent a quiet and peaceful Christmas at home surrounded by tons of cards from all over the United States! We don’t know which he was more excited about – that his sons, Jesse and Hunter were in a play at his church on Christmas Eve or the humbling knowledge there were still so many people wishing him and his family well. He sounded happy and strong and hopeful for his future and that was the best Christmas present we could ever wish for!

Mike is continuing his out patient therapy, but still needs his wheelchair when outside of his home. The walker is used mostly indoors, more out of necessity than ease, as his wheelchair will not allow him any real mobility in the house.

As the end of 2006 approaches and we look back over the events that have occurred since that fateful day of June 16th, we (Mom, Nancy and Cathy) can’t help but reflect on the many miracles and blessings that have been bestowed on Mike, his family and us. Our brother is alive; he has mental clarity, is mobile and, according to the professionals, and has a good prognosis for resuming some semblance of a normal life.

We started a list of people and places to thank for all that we have been given, but realized very quickly that it was an impossible task. The list would be so incredibly long and no matter how hard we tried, we would surely miss someone somewhere. The outpouring of love, prayers and financial support has been astounding and if we have learned anything from this experience it is belief in our fellow man and that this world is indeed full of good, caring and giving people. Mike is still unable to grasp the enormity of the number of people who care about him and still feels so unworthy of the attention of so many. Still, it is your caring and support that has made is possible for Mike to concentrate on healing rather than worry about his family’s security. He may not completely understand this yet, but that day will come and he will know it is BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU that he has far surpassed the rate of recovery expected of anyone with as traumatic an injury as his.

Indicative of our son’s and brother’s character, Mike has shared with us he has accepted the fact that he will never be able to ride again, but is grateful for all that has occurred in his life, especially since his accident. His love of horses, desire to repay the many miracles God has worked in his life and yearning to help others has lead him to hope that one day he will be able to have the means to offer therapeutic riding, boarding and/or lessons to other horse lovers. He has also stated many times he will never miss an opportunity to witness to others in need the miracles God has bestowed upon him and offer comfort and guidance.

We count on your continued support and prayers. 2007 will bring a new vocation for Mike, possibly an ABC Extreme Home Makeover and many more wonderful things we can not even begin to imagine. We hope the New Year brings peace, love and joy to all as you all have done for us.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO!
WE BELIEVE IN THE FANS OF BARBARO!
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA!
WE BELIEVE IN ALL OF YOU!

P.S. We have to share a portion of this wonderful card received just yesterday forwarded by Sally of Fair Hill…so moving…so thoughtful…and a perfect example of His Work in our lives……

Dear Sally,
When I asked our son, (name), what he’d like for Hanukah this year, he requested that in lieu of a gift I send a check to the Mike Rea IRREV Trust. Therefore, this is in (name’s) honor and in the hope for a full recovery for Mike………. Young man, you have touched our lives and our hearts….thank you!


Recent articles about Mike:
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006612300356
http://www.cecilwhig.com/articles/2006/12/18/features/01.txt

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Happy Birthday to Mike's Son - Jesse

Hello everyone. So much has been going on everywhere I just haven't had time to post. I've been posting everywhere else on all the threads about Mike when I should have posted on his blog first. But then again something new was happening different everyday. Foremost Mike's son, Jesse turned 13 years old today. He is now a teenager. Mother and I called and sang Happy Birthday to him.

The other news I have to tell everyone is that the Cecil Whig Newspaper and the Delaware Newspaper are doing stories on Mike. When they are published I will post them here for all to see. I've spoke with the Fayetteville Newspaper and I'm awaiting a call back. Since Fayetteville is Mike's hometown I thought it would be great to have a story about our hero.

Now the awesome news is that one of the producers of the Extreme Home Makeover has contacted my sister, Nancy about Mike. He is wanting more information and told her it takes time for these things and he was looking at their second season of filming. Nancy said he sounded very interested in the whole story and even correlated Mike with Christopher Reeve. Nancy had told him what one of the Fans of Barbaro had said, and I quote, "The big difference is that Christopher Reeve had a spinal cord injury and Mike Rea has a brain injury. The two are related in that both were thrown from a horse and had physical disability. Mike also seems to have a mental disability (because of the brain injury). Mr Reeve did not have any mental impairment. Mike has tried very hard to overcome his injury just as Christopher Reeve did. But because he had brain damage it is harder to overcome. Of course physically Christopher Reeve could not recover either. It is also easier to accept a physical disability because you have the reasoning power to accept it. It is more frustrating to accept a brain disorder because it is so discouraging." And now a quote from Christopher Reeve, "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

Boy that quote from Christopher Reeve sums Mike up to a tee. I know he is our hero and we love him very much. When I talked to him today I had him laughing. He told me he was standing in the middle of the living room. I said can you take steps without holding on to anything. He said very slowly. Then jokingly I said I guess when you loose your balance or fall you fall like Baby Gracie. He said no mine hurts and I have further to fall. I started laughing and said to Gracie though she was falling as far as you are. He seemed in good spirits and was getting ready to take a shower. He said everything was coming along well just slow. Hey before Mike's accident he didn't know the meaning of slow. He was on the go all the time. He sure is experiencing a different life now but it has opened his eyes to some important issues in life.

Barbaro is on the recovery road to going home soon I've been reading. His owners are so grateful as are we for all the thoughts, prayers, and encouragement from everyone. God bless everyone. Like I have said before, everyone will be so blessed by all the good ya'll have done.

So this is it for now and I think Mother and I are off to Charleston, SC tomorrow to visit with Nancy and help her with things. I will post again soon. God bless.

We Believe in Miracles
We Believe in Barbaro
We Believe in the Fans of Barbaro
We Believe in Extreme Home Makeover
We Believe in Mike Rea

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Hello everyone. Sorry it has been awhile since the last update. Mike is doing okay. We hadn’t heard from him since Thanksgiving and we were patiently awaiting his call to one of us but never received one. So…………….We called him. He says he is doing well in his physical therapy. The therapists have him using a three legged cane there but say he is not ready to take it home for use yet. He also told me that he uses a smaller walker at his home. He tried to explain what it looked like to me but I still don’t know what he is talking about. He tires very easily and rests any chance he gets. My sister Nancy and I wanted to take a quick trip to see him and bring their Christmas presents to him and his family but was told they are going to be too busy for us to stop by before Christmas and said to wait to come after Christmas. We also wanted to take the children out shopping with some Christmas money that was sent to Nancy for them. We may still go for a day or two. So all and all Mikey is slowly recovering. Mentally I think he is just trying to do what everyone tells him (physical therapists, wife). Hopefully as he is recovering his mind is recovering too and he will start being his own person again. It has almost been 6 months since his accident happened. The neurologists said it would take a year or more for him to recover.

We all continue to pray for everyone and Barbaro. We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. So sorry to see and hear about the TWR site going down. Nancy says Mike’s blog might have a forum. If we do get to see Mike we will take pictures and put them on the blog for all to see. Thanks to everyone again for all you have done. We are still waiting to hear from Extreme Home Makeover. God bless you all.

WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN THE FANS OF BARBARO
WE BELIEVE IN MIKE REA

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