9/4/2018
To our Family,
The family we know and the family we haven’t met yet.
First know Drew is in good spirits. He is acting just like his normal, fun self!!! I will share an example in a couple paragraphs of Drew being himself. Also know our family is in good spirits, including Elder Haley. We were able to get special permission to call Elder Haley in Argentina and tell him personally of Drew’s situation. It gave all of us great comfort,and to Elder Haley as well, to talk to his brother and know all will be okay.
Drew has already set goals to play basketball for Leyton next year, and work at Laramie Peak Scout Camp summer of 2019.
Please know we have felt your love and support since Thursday night’s football game (8/30/18). We have felt an abundance of love, support, caring, and good vibes. THANK YOU!!! Drew knows you are pulling for him, and will push him when it’s needed.
To further explain the initial knee trauma while catching a pass and being tackled in the football game. Drew suffered a complete and violent knee dislocation. Every knee ligaments was torn. During the knee dislocation his knee-cap collided with the top of his Tibia bone resulting in a Tibia Plateau fracture. At the same time and most importantly the Popliteal Artery was damaged. The Popliteal Artery provides blood circulation to the lower leg and foot.
In cases where Popliteal Artery damage is known, surgery to correct the blood flow is performed within the first 6 hours for increased odds of full-recovery. Nobody knew the Popliteal Artery damage occurred until late Friday (8/31) night, early Saturday (9/1) morning. Call it 28 hours after the initial trauma before the artery damage was detected. As soon as the damage was known the medical teams began the process of flying Drew (and Alison) to the University of Colorado hospital in Aurora. It was early Saturday morning, 30 hours after the initial trauma when the surgery to repair the artery began.
Early Saturday afternoon after a 6 plus hour surgery, the Vascular surgeons, and Orthopedic Surgeons talked to us. The Vascular team reported they took a vessel from Drew’s left leg to replace his Popliteal Artery in his right leg in an attempt to restore blood flow below his knee. They stated three of the four muscle groups in Drew’s calf did not respond to stimulus. Meaning they were already dead. Hope was not lost because the largest muscle group did respond and was still alive. The Orthopedic team stabilized Drew’s leg using rods so he would avoid damaging his new artery. Immediately after the surgery a pulse was easy to find in his foot. By 6pm Saturday the pulse was missing again.
In the early hours Sunday (9/2) Drew watched while the ICU nurses checked his foot. After the nurses left he bravely told Alison “I’m going to lose my leg.” Later Sunday morning a difficult conversation with the Vascular surgeons reaffirmed Drew’s statement. They confirmed Drew will require an amputation of his lower leg. As sad as Sunday started, the day ended with a large surplus of love, support, and an abundance of small miracles witnessed. Heaven poured out blessing upon our family, specifically Drew and his care providers.
THANK YOU to everyone for ministering to Drew, and lifting where you stand!!
We will not, and you cannot play the “What if game”!!!! However, in the future we will all be asking, “What if this difficulty hadn’t happen to Drew. He wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet, help, lift, comfort, __________.” (You fill in the blank.)
We know all of the medical professionals have fought their very best to help Drew retain his lower leg. We have zero animosity. Drew holds zero fault towards anyone!!! We are grateful for their care.
As of this morning, Tuesday (9/4) we know the initial amputation procedure will be sometime tomorrow (Wednesday 9/5). The best of the best orthopedic surgeons will be fighting for him to have the best, long term results. We do not have any other specific information or timelines. We will update you as things progress.
Now about Drew being himself. Monday morning the Vascular team came to check on him. They asked “How does your foot feel?” Drew, being Drew answered matter of fact, “It’s dead, there is no feeling.” Alison and Drew’s nurse were chuckling, while the doctors looked at each other a bit confused. I think they were trying to figure out if the reply was a positive sign. Absolutely, it was. Drew was being Drew!!
We have received hundreds, and hundreds of texts, emails, etc… from our Leyton family, our local congregation family, Cabela’s family, and other family from around the country, and Argentina. THANK YOU!! We hope someday to repay your kindness.
Please, continue to keep Drew involved. Please keep texting him and us. Tag him in your pictures from activities. Email him. Call him. We may not be able to personally reply to everyone. Know your messages are read, doing good, and greatly appreciated.
Again, it will be awesome to find out over the coming days, weeks, and years, why Drew has been given this difficulty for his gain. Who will he meet? Who besides Drew will this help? How does Drew’s amputation help him, and others? You will want to remain his friend and stay in contact with him.
THANK YOU again for your love and support.
With the most sincere love,
Drew Haley and family.
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