IN GREAT NEED OF AN UPDATE

Hello everyone. Yes, it’s been a while again since we have blogged but we’re back now. Mike has had a lot going on in his life and there have been a lot of changes. First and foremost, Mike is now a single father. His three beautiful children whom he loves dearly are living with their mother. Through it all, Mike has continued to recover, but very very slowly. He walks with a cane but it is very hard for him because he continues not to have any balance. This is the area of the brain injury that was most affected. When he is sitting, he can do almost anything, including driving a car. But when he is standing watch out, he might become the leaning tower of Pisa and fall sometimes! What we really want to do is let you know that Mike is continuing his therapies. He endures physical therapy five days a week and, his favorite, therapeutic riding once or twice a week. Mother has been staying with him for several months now to give him help with household chores and cooking. Mike can do just about everything by himself, but all of us would rather he use his energy concentrating on his recovery. If it hadn’t been for our mother and Mike’s dear friends, I don’t know where he would be right now. His very special friends took time out of their very busy lives and were always there to help in getting Mike to his doctor appointments and therapies without even batting an eye. I don’t think they’ll ever know how much we all appreciate them. They are truly angels on this earth.

Today Mike is visiting with his children at one of those friend’s home and they are letting the children enjoy visiting a pony. He is also being interviewed by Becky Witzman from HRTV. She might sound familiar. She won the Mustang car when we had the raffle two years ago and let the world know of Mike’s accident and the fund raisers we had to help in his recovery. I can’t believe it has been two long years since his accident and how far Mikey has come. He is a miracle and “SIMPLY AMAZING.” Mike made up that phrase “simply amazing,” but I use it all the time to him because I believe that is exactly what he is, and we all know God has big plans for him. The doctors all say the same thing too.

If it hadn’t been for family, dear friends and the Fans of Barbaro, I really don’t know what Mike would have done or where he would be right now. That’s why my mother, Nancy and I want to thank every one for everything. After Mike sold his home, truck, and horse van, yet another special friend of his allowed him to live on one of her farms in an old refurbished farm house. Mother has it all fixed up for a newly bachelor father. They soon will have to move from there and find another place to live. Hopefully he’ll love it just as much. His children should be visiting more often now and we are helping him think of fun things to do with them. It is very hard for him to play catch and he sure can’t run and jump with them like he used to, but we are all thinking of fun things they can do together, like puzzles, board games, books and video games too.

The Fans of Barbaro are having the Celebration of Barbaro’s Life next weekend and there will be a golf tournament and special raffle in Mike’s honor. The proceeds go to his recovery fund which is in great need right now. Mike still doesn’t have insurance yet and is on medicines for his blood pressure and traumatic brain injury that he has to pay for out of pocket. He also has a 13 year old chocolate lab that is a diabetic and requires two insulin injections daily plus special food. So hopefully the tournament and raffle will do real good for his recovery fund. As you probably noticed, we took the Extreme Home Makeover petition off. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. We still want to thank you for all your support and prayers and we want you to continue praying for Mike. He needs all the support he can get right now. Hopefully he’ll start blogging here soon for everyone. He has learned to post on www.alexbrownracing.com and enjoys his new cyber friends so the next thing is Nancy has to teach him how to post here. Again Mother, Nancy, Mike and I all thank you for your support you have given us over these past two years and may God bless each and every one of you! Please leave Mike a comment or two. The support does him so good. He never feels like he deserves it, but his spirits are always lifted for days! Hope to see a lot of you at the Barbaro Celebration and Mike’s Fundraiser Golf Tournament. Bye for now.

WE STILL BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
WE STILL BELIEVE IN MIKE REA
WE STILL BELIEVE IN BARBARO
WE STILL BELIEVE IN THE FOBS

Cathy