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If you need me, I’ll be here banging my head against a brick wall…
Wow! What a week! Where to start…My message to a friend Tuesday night was “If you need me, I’ll be here banging my head against a brick wall.” The good news was that I got approved for an apartment for Dai and I to move home to that is around the corner from Mae. She does the best job with Dai’s physical therapy. She is so wonderful with Dai and he always responds to her.. All we were waiting for was to have Dai’s bone flap replaced so he would not be so at risk. The hospital tried to find any facility in the area that he could be moved to and couldn’t find one. Mae tried also from here to San Diego without luck. So for now we are still in a bay area hospital hoping against any more infections. Dai is so wanting to go home! I wish we could just leave and expect things to go well. Anyway, Wednesday we had a meeting with the hospital Dr, case manager, social worker, the lady working on trying to get medical for Dai (state insurance) Mae, Dai’s wife and I. The hospital is not being paid and is eager for Mae and I to learn what we need to know to take Dai home. I was informed on Tuesday that it will mess up his getting medical (state insurance) if we take him home, so don’t do that. Whatever!
Also, we will be needing to purchase some sort of vehicle to transport Dai. With your blessings this is where the One Love funds will go. Thank you so much for making this happen for him!
To backtrack a bit, you probably know that Gina and her husband,Ryan, came out to visit for a few days. It was too short and they wished they could be closer and more hands on and left with the intent of going home, trying to buy a motorhome, and moving the family to California to help with Dai’s recovery. You may not be too surprised if you have gotten to know the wonder and dedication of that woman. I should say that Ryan is also a supportive man of God and is also committed to a full recovery for Dai. So, as in Gina’s blog about the amazing meeting that she and Ryan had at the Houston airport with the parents of John Keller, who suffered the same injuries as Dai eight months earlier than Dai’s accident, they found out about John’s recovery in a Texas facility and how well he is today. John’s mother asked that I call her. When I called Jan, she prayed with me and was so encouraging. Then she asked if I would like to speak to John. Absolutely! John got on the phone and is SO FINE-laughing and well with just a bit of residual vision trouble and a little short term memory trouble. But he is happy and fine! It was such an emotional experience for me and reaffirmed that things are going to be good if we just make the right choices and care for Dai well. When we hung up, I opened the Sunday paper and the Parade magazine fell out, with the cover story of Bob Woodruff who suffered a tragic brain injury in Iraq. (story is in Parade magazine dated July 12,2009) As you can quess, Bob is doing great too.. The article mentioned that “Only the state of Texas mandates insurance reimbursement for cognitive rehabilitation following brain injury.” Of course Gina is covering all the bases. She and Ryan find a suitable motorhome for sale with only 3,400 miles in San Diego that they like and she also called the Texas facility that John went to. When she explains Dai’s injuries and current condition, they say that he would be just the type of patient that they work with and would probably be accepted. Please send his hospital records for them to evaluate. And the hospital charge is up to $1,400 a day. By this point, it seems like that might be the best place for the onelove money. So we still have time to decide where to go from here because we need to wait for the bone flap to be replaced. I am praying for guidance and direction as I have been more and more. And praying that he stays infection free!
So jumping back to this week, Thursday was the day that Dai was to have company. Brian(Head)Welsh, formerly with Korn and Sonny who is with POD flew in to visit and to check on how Dai is. Brian came armed with a bible in hand and they both prayed with Dai on and off for most of the day. They are serious men of God and also decided to make his recovery a personal mission. While they were here, Fieldy (of Korn and also a committed Christian) calls to say that the Song for Chi and video are almost ready to go. Thank you so very much Fieldy! It is a song he wrote for Dai that has been a labor of love and taken most of the summer to record, as he has so many great musicians that contributed (many of whom are on tour). I can’t wait to hear it, see it, and show it to Dai. SO MUCH GRATITUDE TO ALL THE MUSICIANS AND OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF IT! Blessings to all of you!
I have no idea where God is taking us with this, but I know that He has a plan that we don’t know yet, and it is a plan for good.
I surely did not have any plans to go to live in Texas, but when I asked Gina how far from her house the rehab is, (we know that Texas is known for it’s being so huge), she answered “About 10 minutes”. I asked her if she has my room ready.
On a side note, out of the blue, someone called Mae and Billy and made them a really good offer on their house.
I spoke to Sonny today and asked if he could refer me to a good mechanic to check out the motorhome that Ryan and Gina found.He lives in San Diego where it is for sale. Seems I may have to do some “day trippin.” It will be so much easier than moving apartments every time Dai moves. Sonny said he’d check it out. Thank you Sonny.
Clearly I have no control over what is going on so I’m just going to try to stay out of the way and let God work out the plan.
There are more “signs” (family n lone star state, Matt?) but if anyone needs me, I’ll be here banging my head against the wall.
God bless all of you, our wonderful extended ONE LOVE FAMILY!! And praise God. Matt comes home in a week. Love and gratitude to you all!
Mom J n Chi
Dear Jeanne~Thank you so much for keeping us in the loop! Yes, I believe with all my heart that God does indeed have a plan in mind for our Chi and I know that he is not forgotten.
Anyone surrounded with as much love and support as Chi cannot help but come through this awful thing. I want you to know that I pray for Chi every nite and not a day goes by that I don’t stop and wonder how he is.
I am always reminded of how life is full of miracles, some big and some small. Chi will be one of those, of that I’m sure.
It breaks my heart that you and your family are going thru this whole insurance thing and I wish there were something I could do to help with this burden.
I know that God will watch over Chi no matter what and that things will come together in the end.
I wish you and your family well and just know that people like myself truly care and wish you love and peace with every breath!
The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you…words I live by everyday.
Much love to you,
Jude
I’m so hopeful about all of this! I pray for Chi all the time and I know good things will happen.I live in Texas and I hope you guys come here!! I had to give a pursuasive speech at school on any topic and I chose seatbelts. I brought up Chi saying he is one of my favorite musicians and the things that are going on. His recovery means so much to me and I try to do more good things for other people to help with the positive energy. This is longer than I thought so I’ll stop. God bless! IoNa
thank you for the update momma j. take care of yourself too. seems like all pieces are starting to fall into place and we just have to have faith and start going into a direction. squeeze chi’s finger from us too, if a hug is not really possible and trust we’re here all the way. tonight is hefe’s benefit show here in romania and me and my sis and a lot of other people are going. hope we can help and bring it all one step closer to recovery.
be strong. when you are weak lean on us.
one love
rhea
love you mom J …everything will be fine…God is watching over chi ….
Hefe Love, I cannot tell you the appreciation we have for you. It has been so surprising to see who stepped up and who stepped out. You stepped up in the beginning and here you still are. PLEASE PASS ALONG OUR EXTREME GRATITUDE TO EVERY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF THE SUPPORT AND LOVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE SHOWN!! You asked me early into this why there wasn’t being more done. I love you for your unfailing support. When I tell Dai to not worry about anything, that his friends have his back, it is you all that have stepped up that I am speaking of. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! May God bless you all and keep you safe and well.
I know that good things are coming because he is more alert and aware lately. He wants to go home and when he finally gets out of that hospital room, I think it will help him progress much faster. Words fail me Hefe. Thanks dosen’t cover it. ONELOVE/ONE FAMILY/ALWAYS…Jeanne
Dear Rhea, I think you are right that things are going to fall into place. You have been so supportive and I do lean on that a lot. Thank you so much for staying with us! I love you, Always, MomJ
Dear IoNa, I’m so glad that you are spreading the word. People forget to buckle up all the time and when an accident does happen,the person not buckled too often has their life ended or changed forever. It is such a small thing, takes so little time, so little effort and saves lives. Our lives are never going to be the same and the only good that can come of this tragedy, I believe, is the good that we make happen. Please keep spreading the word! ONELOVE, MomJ
Hi Jude, Thank you for those kind words. Ya’ll keep me going when it is rough. I don’t think that it was God’s will that the accident happen. If Dai had just buckled up, it would not have been like this. But it is very certainly God’s will that he is still with us and I know that God is healing him. Please keep us in your prayers. God is listening and answering.ONELOVE,MomJ
HEY MATT.. YOU HAVE NOT CHECKED IN. I HOPE HAT THAT MEANS THAT YOU ARE ON THE PLANE COMING BACK HOME!!!!IF THAT IS WHAT IT IS THEN, PRAISE GOD AND WELCOME HOME!!!CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE WITH ROSANNE AND GRANT!!!WE LOVE YOU!!MOMJ
This all sounds very promising, the best thing for Chi is for him to be with his family imho, and he will continue fighting.
Head up Chi and
Godbless
Sorry Mom J! We have been so busy prepping to come home, dates and times keep changing, we have been to a few awards ceromonies at Saddam’s old palace and I just now got back from the change of command ceremony, which is where we roll our company flag up and the company replacing us unrolls there’s. Which also means…WE”RE DONE! I did read the blog and again, have so much to say, but I might doze off and not make any sense! I have been up for 24 hours now! It’s cool though, I am used to it. I will share this though, I already told you about it, but I will say it again to remind everyone of the little signs we hear so much about around the OneLove community. A few weeks ago, we were on a mission and we were gearing up to head back to base. As I was putting my vest on, I was saying my prayers and looking up at the stars, as I did in all 100+ missions I have been on here. I prayed a little harder this night because we were taking a route back that had been black, or “closed”, for awhile due to increased attacks on us and Iraqis. Anyways, as I was saying these prayeres, I got to the part where I asked the lord to bless my wife, son and family and Chi and his family…as soon as “…his family” rolled off my tongue, I saw one of the biggest, brightest shooting stars I have ever seen directly where I was looking in the sky. I even overheard some friends saying, “Whoa, you see that?”. I immediately felt chills run down my back. Now that might have just been coincidence, but a big part of me believed it was definately a sign the lord was hearing me on this night, and not just me asking the lord to go before us and keep our route clean and for us to see the enemy before he see’s us, but for the lord to bless Dai and the family. He must have heard me because we made it back safe, but the next few days was when these positive things started happening with Dai and where he would continue treatment and stuff. I am so grateful and my confidence in the lord and/or a higher power if you will, has been boosted so much in this past year of deployment as well as the miracles he is working with Dai. The angel on earth in Gina and all she has put together, all the people around the world who have come together for this man, every single thing has been so postive when it comes to the response and action taken by the people. I am so proud and happy I decided to take the time out of my days here to give whatever I could to Dai and the family no matter if it was a donation here or some encouraging words there and prayers everyday. My faith and confidence in his recovery has never waned and never will…HE WILL BEAT THIS. So no more head banging walls Mom J! And also, when my wife, son and I and my friends that accompany us drive to the BEACH this weekend when we are HOME, every single person whether in my truck or not, will be wearing there seatbelt! I promise! All our love, prayers and support always…
NO QUIT CHI!!!
Matt
I think I speak for everyone around the globe that is praying for Chi when I say that he is truly a wonderful man who deserves much more time on this Earth to spread his blessings and smile to everyone that he meets. There’s no way that this injury is going to stop him, he’s much too important to this world and much too strong to give up. The recent news on the plans for his recovery has been very positive and uplifting. I personally think that getting Chi out of the hospital and providing him with a comfortable change of scenery will work wonders for him.
I’ve only met Chi breifly on one occasion, but I’m so glad that I was able to tell him how much of an inspiration he is to me (and every other fan!). I posted about a wonderful dream that I had about him over on the Sharing Lungs forums in which I repeated the exact same words I had said to him in real life just a couple of years ago. He was able to respond with one word answers and even take a few steps in my dream! I woke up feeling like I had just visited and talked with him in reality and it was such a wonderful feeling.
I think about him and every friend, fan, and family memeber that is supporting him on a daily basis. Stay strong and my blessings are with you all!
Waking up today on my birthday the only thing I could think of was checking on how Chi is doing. He has always been an inspiration to me, heck, I even picked up the bass in hopes of being a great musician like Chi, lol. The deftones is one of my favorite bands and was one of the first concerts I went to. Everytime I met Chi he always had the nicest things to say and never said no to an autograph, photo opp., or just chatting about music and life. He’s a great human being and I’m doing everything I can to help in any way. I’m hoping to get a few urban underground artists to donate some pieces to auction off, hopefully I can have that set up in the weeks to come. Although I don’t have much myself, I’ll donate every little bit I can every now and then. I know how expensive medical care can be, I’m sick myself and without insurance and need to save up for a CT scan, so anything I can do to help him and the family, please let me know, I’ll do whatever I can. And again, thank you for all you have given us Chi, my prayers are with you.
-Manuel Rivas-Franco
I pray for Chi everyday. It is truly wonderful that he has so many people from his past who care for him. Sonny Sandoval I met in Loon mountain NH years back and is a wonderful human being. Get well Chi!
Jeff in Prov, RI
thanks for your prayers… and ya – i agree.. sonny is awesome.
thanks again..
one love for chi,
gina
i cannot believe that you have to pay so much, is ridicule, all person most have free health care.. i´m so sory for chi and other like him,..
im from portugal and that is really strange to me see that you have to pay so much..
i hope he comes fine we miss him