Kevin's Recovery Helping Kevin Mather on his road to recovery

Message from Gregg and Janice Gentry

July 9th, 6:45 AM – The following message was received last night from the Gentry’s (Tiffany’s parents):

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” –Psalm 46

Were it not for the infinite love, the absolute sovereignty, and limitless power of our loving Father, we would be tempted to fear. For a moment on Friday, it felt as though the earth had given way. How quickly the Holy Spirit reminded us that He was with Kevin and that just as He sustained Kevin’s every breath before the accident, He was sustaining Kevin’s next breath and heartbeat as we rushed to be with Tiffany at USC Medical Center. We know that as much as we love Kevin and Tiffany, God’s love is infinite in depth and wisdom.

Our loving Father has not only been present, but so near that even the slightest whisper has reached Him. We are thankful for the comfort and peace that only He can give. We praise God for sparing not only Kevin’s life, but also preventing brain injury. We are in awe of the strength Tiffany is drawing from her heavenly Father. We are so proud of her–the pressure has not dimmed her faith; rather the dark circumstances have made God’s love and power shine brilliantly.

We love seeing Kevin’s wonderful sense of humor and playful, tender love for Tiffany as we spend time together. We continue to pray without ceasing as we know we serve the God who spoke the world into being, who parted the Red Sea, who provided manna in the wilderness, who empowered His servants to slay giants, who shuts the mouths of lions, who rescued His servants from a fiery furnace, who was born of a virgin, who suffered, died, and rose again so that we could experience newness of life. Our redeeming God is at work–the final chapter is not written.

“If we see only the things of time, and forget the things of eternity, we perish, our faith withers and we become weak and hopeless. We need vision for life, vision for prayer, continual undimmed vision, if we are to be those on whom our God can count for anything, any time, anywhere.” –Amy Carmichael

Please pray for us:

• Tiff and Kev both need sleep.
• We are asking for miraculous healing of Kev’s legs.
• Comfort, strength, faith, and hope.
• Peace and discernment for the next steps.

We love you all,
Gregg & Janice

Today’s Visit with Kevin

July 8th, 6:00 p.m.  Notes from Tiffany given to Rhonda Stout:

Leanne Souisa and I went down to visit with Tiffany today while Kevin was supposed to be in surgery to have a permanent filter for his blood placed in his veins.  Upon arriving Tiffany informed us that Kevin had not gone into surgery yet and that they were waiting for the filter to be delivered.  Leanne and I were able to go in then and see Kevin for about 15 minutes.  The plastic surgeon had re-done his stitches on his head yesterday and they really looked amazing.  Today was the first day that he was able to sit up in his bed, which was so encouraging to see.  As we waited to find out when Kevin would be heading into surgery, the nurse came in to say that they would not be able to get the filter today, but he would be first on the surgery time slots for tomorrow morning (July 9).

I asked Tiffany to give me an update on the doctors report so I could post it on the Blog and this is the information she gave:

The neurosurgeon came in this morning to check his wound and said that is still looks great and that there is no more fluid building up so they removed the drains they had put in.  Today was the first day he was allowed to sit up in his bed which allows them to remove the restrictions on his diet and he can now have some solid food.  They performed sensory tests on his legs again today and there was no change, which was discouraging for Kevin.   The doctors goal right now is to get him to be able to sit up well enough that he could be moved to a wheelchair within a day or two.  The next step would be for him to be transferred to a rehabilitation center as soon as 1-2 weeks.

The physical therapist came in this afternoon and fitted Kevin for his back brace. Tiffany said this was very painful as they had to move him back and forth on his side to get the correct fit.  They also began his physical fitness. They put bands on the top of his bed so he could do arm strengthening exercises and gave Tiffany specific exercises for her to do throughout the day on his toes and feet.  They also showed him how to do stomach crunches to begin immediately to strengthen his abdominal muscles.

Specific Prayer Requests:

• While the physical therapist was in with Kevin & Tiffany, Kevin was told for the first time what his chances of walking again were and this was extremely difficult for him to take in fully.  They discussed with him that if he does walk again it may be with some form of walker or with crutches.  Pray for Kevin to not be discouraged from hearing this news and for him to not be consumed with fear for his future.  Please pray for Tiffany as she is helping him try to process this information and encourage him to not give in to the fear of the unknown.
• Kevin mentioned to Tiffany that was concerned for the salvation of the driver and would like for us to pray for that.
• Continued prayer for the family members that are staying in the waiting room for extended periods of time, that will be able to get some rest.  Especially Tiffany as she has been getting no more than 5 hours of sleep at a time.

Just a few notes on people going to visit them in the hospital:

• If you are going there please know that you may or may not be able to actually see Kevin, depending on how many visitors he has had that day and how much rest he has had or has not had.  But know that Tiffany loves having people come to visit her during the day too, so if you are able to go for a couple of hours it is really encouraging to her.
• If you are able to go in to see Kevin please be mindful of how long you stay in the room with him.  He completely enjoys seeing everyone, but he does get tired easily and needs his rest.  Maybe limiting your time to 10-15 minutes would be appreciated.
• Along with that if there could only be 2 people going into his room at a time it helps him to feel more relaxed and not overwhelmed.
• If you are going down and are thinking about bringing some snacks or other items, there were a few things that they mentioned would be nice: water, hand wipes, gum, Mentos/ breath mints, maybe a deck of cards or board game for people visiting in the waiting room, crossword puzzles, or Sudoku.

Tiffany and the family appreciate so much everything that everyone has done for them, especially the continued prayers.  Tiffany has been trying to read the comments on the Blog in the evening if she has a few minutes as has appreicated the outpour or love and kind words from everyone, so thank you all for posting comments here!

Another Article in The Signal referencing Kevin

July 8th, 8:01 am: Below is a link to an article in The Signal newspaper this am that references Kevin.

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15313/

A Message From Kevin’s Parents

July 8th, 12:39 AM – Received via email from Mark Mather:

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the great work on the Kevin’s Recovery website.  Here are my feelings about today regarding Kevin.

Yesterday (Monday) Kevin was measured for a back brace.  He was moved from side to side on his bed for those measurements. (painful). Kevin & Tiffany’s Pastor, Brian Howard returning from vacation came in to visit Kevin.  A great guy!  All of us in the room prayed before Pastor Brian left.  Kevin was hungry and wanted real food.  Especially cheesecake! Later in the day Kevin had a plastic surgeon come into his room and re-do the stitches in his head so the scaring would be less. (painful).  This is after having an operation of 12 hours on Friday putting two metal rods into his back with 12 screws attaching them to his spine. (painful).  During the operation he lost 7 liters of blood.  The human body holds approximately 5 liters.  The neurosurgeon said Kevin is lucky to be alive and lucky to survive the surgery.  The surgical team did a incredible job and we will never forget them.  Thank you.

Today (Tuesday) at 8am he went under surgery to have a temporary blood clot filter put into him in the hip area to prevent any blood clots from his legs that would move into his lungs or other parts of his body.  During the surgery they discovered that his veins were to large because of his athletic condition to accommodate the size of the temporary blood clot filters.  The doctors then decided that a permanent filter would be better because the size of his veins.  They asked Kevin about this (he was awake) and he wanted to talk it over with Tiff so they stopped the operation and closed him up. (painful).  Kevin and Tiff discussed it today and he is scheduled for surgery again tomorrow (Wednesday) at approximately 8am to put a permanent blood clot filter in.  It will take approximately two hours.  If you are planning on visiting Kevin, it will have to be in the late afternoon on Wednesday. (Call before coming to see if you will be able to see him) While at the hospital today I did not get to see Kevin because he was sleeping well and I did not want to interrupt his much needed rest.  It gave me time to think and it occurred to me after processing the above information that his mother and I have raised a very strong man.  I wish I could take his pain away and make it mine.  I know I can’t and it hurts me that I can’t do so.  With the grace of God, the incredible doctors at USC, the strength of his great wife Tiffany, her caring parents & family, their many friends and the family of the Copperhill Church, I feel that he will do amazing things.  I found the following passage in the Bible that seems to put Kevin and Tiffany’s situation into perspective.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

After hearing more information regarding the accident it is difficult not to be upset.  If it wasn’t for his biking buddies coming up from behind him, he could of bled to death on the side of the road if he was riding by himself.  Our thanks to all of you on the ride that helped Kevin in his time of need.  God Bless you!

His mother and I are thankful to God that our son is alive and that he has an incredibly strong wife with great supportive parents and a tremendous amount of support from family, friends and their church group.  We have met some of you at the hospital and I am sure we will meet more of you in the weeks ahead.  We would like to thank you sooooo much for being there for Kevin and Tiffany in their time of need.  God bless you all.  Please keep your prayers coming.  They work!

Sincerely,
Mark & Lynn Mather

News Story about Kevin in The Signal

The Signal just published a story about Kevin. Here’s a link:

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15278/

My Visit with Kevin (from Eric Swihart)

[Yesterday, July 6] at lunchtime, Andy Barczak and I made a trip to see Kevin and his family. We were armed with a few large pizzas and sodas. As Andy and I drove down there, Andy asked me how the accident played out from my point of view. As I thought through the events of Friday morning, I began to see God’s mercy being poured out on all of us that where with Kevin on that ride.

As Andy and I entered the waiting room I could already see the amount of support that they had received over the weekend. Large amounts of snacks and drinks had been placed in the waiting room that the Mather / Gentry familes have been calling home over the last few days. Andy and I spoke with Gregg and Janice and got the update on Kevin’s condition. Tiffany took Andy and I to Kevin’s room to see him. As we arrived they were fitting Kevin with a back brace and after it was all said and done, Kevin was extremely tired and in alot of pain. We let him rest for a bit before going to his room.

A few minutes had gone by when Tiffany returned to the waiting room and asked us to go and see Kevin. We had a few minutes to talk with him and it was encouraging to see and he was alert and was able to talk to us.

Keep on praying for Kevin and Tiffany! Pray that through this accident that those who do not know God will come to know Him!

- Eric Swihart

Note: Eric was one among the cyclists with Kevin on Friday morning.

Hospital Visiting Hours

We have heard over and over how much Kevin and his family cherish visits from supporters and loved ones. These visits are a vital part of Kevin’s recovery process! At the same time, we have heard that the family wants Kevin to be able to get more rest. So, please limit hospital visits to the following hours:

Morning/Afternoon: 9 a.m – 2 p.m.
Evening: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

These hours may change as needed, so be sure to check this Web site before you go to the hospital. Soon we’ll have a “Visitors” page and printable download, which will provide map/directions, visiting tips, etc.

Thank you (a million times over) for all the posts and visits. You guys are great!

Kevin’s Recovery Team

My time with Kevin this morning-from Pastor Brian Howard

Having just returned from vacation last night I went to the hospital this morning and spent an hour or so with Kevin and then some time with the family.  As I walked into the ICU Kevin was laying on his back, wide awake, and able to talk. He put up his hand to shake my hand.  I told him that I was sorry that I was not on the ride last Friday but that we had been out of town.  Around his bed were his buddies Brent and Chris, Gregg Gentry, Kevin’s dad, Kevin’s uncle, Pastor Sam, Tiffany and myself.  We talked about the accident, about whether or not he was in pain, and we talked about how hungry he is.  (He kept asking for cheesecake)  Kevin went back and forth between cracking jokes and making comments about the seriousness of his situation.  He remembers all of it and that seemed painful.  Though it was sobering to see him layed up and injured, it was encouraging to be able to have a normal conversation with him and to see him so alert.  While I was there he ate for the first time (Vanilla Pudding)  Before I left we prayed together and with those gathered around his bed.

A few things struck me:

• God was not absent from the hospital nor was he absent when the crash happened.
• Kevin is surrounded with friends, family, and a church that loves him.
• Kevin’s wife Tiffany is a rock and he is blessed to have her.
• The Gentrys are a God honoring and trusting constant presence and encouragement.
• The recovery time is just beginning
• After a couple of weeks when the newness of this difficult situation wears off, we are still going to need to surround Kevin.
• Kevin is a warrior who will take his passion for endurance sports into his recovery.

As we were driving home, Pastor Sam, who was with me, mentioned how the way that Tiffany and the Gentrys are handling this situation clearly shows that the gospel is evident in their lives.  This is so hard but God is not absent.  I will continue to join in prayer with all of you for Kevin.

Pastor Brian Howard

Hospital Update

July 6, 2009 10:00 a.m. The Stout’s wrote:

The following information was from Janice Gentry regarding the doctors visit this morning:

The neurosurgeon came in to see Kevin this morning and examined his wound, saying that it was in prestine condition, but that he needs to lay flat for another 24 hours.  The bone fragment had cut into the lining of the spinal chord which was why he had some fluid leakage and they were considering putting in a drain yesterday.  Laying him flat will ensure that there is no leakage.  The doctor’s also removed his cervical collar today.  The neurosurgeon said the next step in his recovery would be to filter his blood to prevent clotting, then get him ready to begin rehabilitation.

The goal for rehabilitation is to get Kevin into Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA.  This rehabilitation center is known for being one of the best spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers in the country.  You can check them out at www.rancho.org.

Janice said Kevin was hungry and ready to eat real food this morning, but the doctors said he had to wait until they could move him onto his side!

Specific Prayer Requests:

• That they will be able to get Kevin into Rancho Los Amigos
• For financial support if he does get into Rancho Los Amigos
  
• Rest for Tiffany, she has had very little sleep since the accident happened

Again, thank you all for your continued prayers and support to Kevin, Tiffany, & their families!

Letter from Tiffany

July 5, 2009 6:00 p.m. The Stout’s wrote:

The following is a letter written by Tiffany that she would like shared with you all:

“This morning Kev asked for me at 2 a.m. His vitals are getting stronger and more consistent.  He kept asking me throughout the early morning what the plan was today, when any type of physical treatment would start, etc. I explained again that so far the doctors want to be cautious with his spine and need to let the swelling go down before they would be able to start physical therapy.  But I definitely was encouraged to see him already so motivated to try to do something to regain feeling and motion.

Please continue to pray as we know we serve a faithful, compassionate, and loving God.  Kev did seem to get a fair amount of sleep last night and says his pain levels are okay, but seems a bit more discouraged today.  Every time they do a sensory test the results differ slightly- at this point he seems to have some sense of pressure in his upper thighs, but actual feeling seems to end in his lower abdomen.

His neurosurgeon was just here to check the wound and change the dressing.  She said the wound looks great-they seem a bit concerned about the fluid build up, so they have changed his bed position and discussed potentially putting in a drain depending on how he does over the next few days.

I feel very confident in his neurosurgeon, she has been incredible and went over the entire surgery in detail and explained everything she did and why while showing me his x-rays and CT scans.  He lost 7 liters of blood (average body holds 5.5 liters) all trauma related and had 3 anesthesiologists. They did another CT scan yesterday and the neurosurgeon seemed very pleased with the results and confirmed the decompression is gone.

I also was told that they will send a social worker in at some point to discuss rehab options, etc.

We have been absolutely blown away by the love and support and can’t even express how much it means to know so many people are praying.  It has truly been astounding to watch God move so quickly by sparing his life, allowing his vitals to remain strong, providing movement in his upper body, protecting his brain, vision, and speech.  We can’t thank you enough for your prayers and ask that you would continue to pray for miracles.”

Specific Prayer Requests:

• That we would cling to hope instead of fear
• That God would work a miracle and provide use of his legs
• That I wouldn’t be an emotional mess-don’t do so well when I’m tired-3 hours of sleep so far
• Comfort for Kev and I that we would take our thoughts captive and not freak out about not having much feeling yet.