Bowling Benefit

 

We are extremely touched to find out about the Bowling Fundraiser Amy Gill and the Gill family have organized.

Come join us for some bowling fun benefiting Dale and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation!

Register or Donate here: http://www.dalebowlingbenefit.com/

Highlight

Here's a recap from Stand up for a Cure! To check out the pictures from the night, click PHOTO ALBUM.
 

Fundraising Benefit!

Dear friends and family,

Please join us! Lisa and I have planned a comedy fundraising benefit, 'Stand up for a Cure', in honor of those who face spinal cord injuries.

Our goal of $10,000 is fundraising will directly benefit an amazing organization, The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which continues to advocate on behalf of those individuals who face paralysis. In addition, a portion of the funds will go towards purchasing a much needed wheelchair accessible van for Dale.

To reach our extended network of friends and family who can't make it, we plan to live stream the event via Youtube and Google+ Hangout. We will update you on this progress as the event day approaches.

Details:

Must be 21+
General admission: $37
General Admission + Open bar: $50

Register: http://www.daleahn.com/register
Awesome sponsors: http://www.daleahn.com/sponsors
Information: http://www.daleahn.com/standupforacure

* Due to limited space, if you'd like to attend, please register ASAP.

If you have specific accessibility requirements, or any other questions please email us at ahntourage5@gmail.com"

Water Ski

On Sunday (9/23/12), Dale and I checked out this cool Water Ski for disability event by Leaps of Faith -- 1st time ever being held in NYC!

We found it too cold to get in the water ourselves (I know, lame), but we enjoyed meeting new people and seeing others water ski!
So maybe next year!

Couldn't get any close up photos, but here's the photo album recapping our trip to Flushing Meadow Park:
Click on PHOTO ALBUM

Coney Island Aquarium

Sibling trip (7/14/12) to the Coney Island Aquarium!
Look how happy Dale looks to be with the sea animals -- not!

Check it out here: PHOTO ALBUM

PS -- Dale claims he ain't gangsta enough for the air-brushed tattoo.

<3 Ruby

Family time on the 4th of July!

A bit delayed, but here's to baseball, heat, and Shake Shack on the 4th of July -- The Ahn-tourage take on Citi Field: Mets vs. Phillies! 

If you didn't already know (spoiler alert) -- we lost.

 

The cutest hustler ever! Dogs asking for money are so cute. Wait, rephrase, dogs are cute.

Thanks for stopping by Matt!

Umm the guy who takes the picture views the playback and says "Looks great", so I take a look and can't help to phrase Chandler Bing.
"Could he beee any closer?" 

And here's a good ending to a fun-filled day....

PS - Shout out to Lisa Ahn: Happy Birth Day!

Over the hump and on to a new day: DALE is HOME!

The Ahn family is excited to have Dale come home, this will definitely be a new journey for us all! Our main focus now is to adjust to our new home environment, and work rigorously on getting Dale to the best out patient therapy/ programs!

As always, we'd like to thank all of you for the support, help, and comfort you've given us. Please continue to keep Dale in your thoughts, hearts, phones, what fancy you, etc.

<3 Ruby

It's been a long, at times frustrating experience - this little thing feels me: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2r9ZreFwtA

Don't judge me for this one, but I think we can all agree on this sentiment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDNRmSVCdwo

(Update) The Dale Ahn website is UP!

Hello everyone,

To follow up with the last post, we are pleased to announce the launch of the WEBSITE!! to benefit our brother Dale. Thanks to everyone who has helped with various tasks along the way and to everyone who waited patiently for us to complete this project. A special shout-out to the PhotoShelter family: Allen, Chris, Tree, and Caroline for providing invaluable assistance with everything from web customization to grammar check. A spanking thank-you to Colleen for initiating DALESTRONG band sales, to Meghan for her edits/moral support, to Andrew for his great photos, and to Sue for her continual support going forward.  As you can all imagine this means a great deal to our family so THANK YOU, THANK YOU and please feel to share the website with your friends and family!


Much love,
Ruby & Lisa Ahn

(Update) Wednesday 9/14/11

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a while since the last post on Dale...but we wanted to come back with a bang so here's a quick post for you all!

Dale is now in an acute rehabilitation program at Mt. Sinai. We are happy to be out of the acute hospital care setting and on our road to recovery. It will likely be a challenging and lengthy road ahead for Dale and we thank you all for your continual support and encouragement.

I was telling Dale the other day that if anyone can beat the odds it's him. For someone with an initial "very poor prognosis for survival", Dale looks and is very much alive. If he managed not to "expire" as expected, I think he can manage to beat a few other odds as well.

More posts will be up shortly!


xoxo
Lisa

(Update) Monday 9/05/11

The Ahn family would like to thank everyone for all the love, support, and prayers sent our way! Dale's recovery thus far has been a slow one, but only possible with the care from the doctors, wonderful nurses, friends & family he has been surrounded by.


I know a lot of you have been itching to see Dale, we would like to have that long awaited itch scratched for you :) --> sorry if my humor has been compromised from the lack of interaction with the outside world. Dale misses you right back and would like to see you, but we ask that you contact (email/text) Lisa or me beforehand with the date and approximate time you'd like to come by. This way we can schedule around the nurses checkups, doctors visits, etc. 


Dale has had a tracheotomy done. Temporarily he is unable to speak -- he is however able to smile, batt his pretty eyes, and mouth out what he want's to say. This is where your lip-reading skills come in handy.


Contact Lisa or me in regards to visits:
Lisa (lisa.ahn00@gmail.com)
Ruby (ruby.ahn@gmail.com, 646.220.2497)


- Ruby

(Dale's Words/Update) Wednesday 8/31/11

This is Ruby, the older, yet smallest and youngest looking, sister. I know it has been a while since we made an update, Dale is hanging in there and is staying strong due to all the support you've given him. There was a minor setback in that Dale needed to be put back on the ventilator tube. However, last night we worked with Dale in order for him to post a message here, which took about an hour of us reciting the alphabet, to form sentences, and Dale rolling his eyes to come up with the following:


To all my friends and family,
I appreciate and love you all. I've had a couple of setbacks but I'll be ok. I promise you that if you continue to Pray, Hope and Believe in me, I will do my best to fully recover.


~ Daley


-- Must be noted that while totally unnecessary, Dale spelled out every single comma you see in the message above so that they were placed specific to where he wanted it; and it took us about half an hour in just trying to figure out what the heck he meant by "oxford comma", low and behold it's a song that he wanted to listen to and have embedded here. He was also very adamant on me posting a youtube video that specifically included lyrics (or what Dale called "captions"). I couldn't find a music video that also included lyrics, but if you click on the actual video below you'll be taken to a larger video on youtube that plays with annotation lyrics turned "on".

Then early this morning, Dale decided to take control -- jedi style. He used the force within to get the tube out, forcing the doctors to pull it out completely and accept the fact that he can handle being on just the oxygen mask.


Thank you all for your continuous support! Go Tiger Dale (Dads nickname for Dale, in reference to someone in golf).


Ruby

(Update) Tuesday 8/23/11

Dale is in Beast Mode. He decided he would just check off two points on the "to do" list in one day. So far, circadian rhythm established for the past 24 hours. And........HE IS OFF THE VENTILATOR!! Big Smile. Period.

Apparently, I can't keep up with him. He is recovering faster than I can make appointments with rehabilitation centers. So far we are looking at:

Mount Sinai Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program (Today)

NYU Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (Tomorrow)

Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (Hopefully tomorrow)

If anyone has any additional suggestions please shoot me an email at Lisa.ahn00@gmail.com

Got lemonade??

(Update) Monday 8/22/2011

Today Dale went in for surgery to relieve pressure on his spine and to stabilize the fractured vertebrae within his spinal column. The surgery went very well. Dale's insides can be likened to a cyborg's and he will now set off all metal detectors from miles away. Post- surgery, after the anesthesia wore off, Dale was alert and awake and surprisingly not in too much pain (Dear Dr. R, you and your Micro neurosurgical technique rock!). He is still awake as we have set the following goals for ourselves:

1. Re-establish normal circadian rhythm; sleep at night and stay awake during the day.

2. Work on extubation; getting the *beep mother fudge monkey beep* tube out of Dale's airway. 

3. No post-surgical infections! No bugs! (Unfortunately, this means a few days with no visitors. Don't worry folks! We are on our way to recovery and you will be able to see him soon!)

4. Do the egyptian dance as fast as we can out of the hospital and into rehabilitation.

5. Drink lemonade.

Thank you everyone for your prayers today! I will continually update the blog and keep everyone informed of Dale's progress! 

-L

(Update) Sunday 8/21/2011

Surgery for tomorrow is confirmed! First thing in the morning! 

There has been a major change in who is performing the surgery tomorrow. However, it is a good change and we already feel more at peace with the decisions made regarding Dale's care.

Wish Dale luck! 

<3,

The Ahn family

(Update) Friday 8/19/2011

Today I returned from speaking on the phone with one of Dale's doctors to find a congregation of nurses surrounding Dale's bed. Naturally, I freaked out, thinking the worst, and shrieked, "what's wrong!? what's happening?!" I pushed my way through the gaggle of surprised and confused faces only to find Dale sleeping peacefully looking like an angel. Either my shrill shrieking or loud gasping woke Dale and he opened his eyes. I swear, there was a collective "awww's", "ooo's" and "aah's" as well as "look at those lashes", and "look at those big brown eyes".

-________-    (<== my facial expression at this point)

He has managed to get all the nurses on his side without being able to talk, having been asleep 95% of the time, just by opening his eyes and batting his eyelashes.

-________-    (<== still my facial expression)

*Note to Dale's BC friends: Everyone does love Dale

Anyhow, all stories aside, there is some good news. Last night Dale's fever broke. In addition, he hasn't had any pulmonary distress in almost 24 hours which is great. Folks, it looks like surgery will be on Monday as long as there are no new complications. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying like a madwoman that he continues to get better. To everyone who has been behind Dale 100%, thank you for your continual concern, prayers, support and encouragement. Please keep sending the good joojoo Dale's way.


Love,
L

(Update) Wednesday 8/17/2011

"Hi, my name is dale, I live in a pail, sometimes it hails, can't put me in jail." These were some of the weird little songs Dale would make up when he was younger and scream/sing them at the top of his lungs while running through the house. Apparently, from what some of the cards and get well wishes have mentioned, things have not changed since. Dale is most definitely one of a kind and we love him for it.

It seems that nighttime hours are best to update everyone. The ICU settles down for the night, it is quieter and Dale seems to rest more comfortably during these hours so here goes. Earlier today, test results showed that some areas of concern from last night were improving and test values were falling close to or within normal ranges. Dale still has a fever that we are monitoring. The good news is that his fever seems to be falling albeit very slowly. Hopefully the trend will continue and in a few days time, a healthier Dale will be able to undergo surgery. There have been no negative developments and/or setbacks for which we, the Ahn family, are thankful for.

Something funny happened today. Dale was awake for longer periods of time during the day. I could tell that he wanted to speak and get some point across. Unfortunately, because of the tube placed in his trachea he is unable to speak until it is taken out. So out of pure frustration on both our parts, it finally hit my dense brain to try to go through each letter of the alphabet with him to spell out what he wanted. This is what came out:

Wat ER
HEAD

I thought "what E.R?". I told Dale he was at the ER at LIJ Northshore but that he was no longer in the ER and now in the ICU recovering. He nodded like it was something he already knew. Then, I asked him if he was asking about his head and I went blabbering on about how his head was fine and that the injury was his neck. At this point he rolled his eyes at me and shook his head. Apparently, I was not understanding the blatantly obvious and boy did he let me know with those eye rolls. So, we spelled out another word:

FORE

His eyes kept pointing behind me at the wall then back to the words then up to the ceiling. Over and over. I pointed to "Wat ER" and he nodded. I kept asking my self what is "Wat ER". Say that five times fast, "water". When I finally figured out "water", I could almost hear him give an exasperated sigh. Then, I asked him my next dumb question of the day. "Water", "Head", then looking at the ceiling. Clearly there must be water dripping from the ceiling onto his head! Needless to say, I was wrong again.

What would Dale mean by the three words "water", "head", and "fore"? Water on head? Water on fore head? YES!! Here comes my 3rd dumb statement of the day: "Dale why would you want water on your forehead?" I answered my question as soon as it came out of my mouth. Dale has a fever. Cold water compresses placed on the forehead feels good.  As for pointing with his eyes to the ceiling? Well, that's his forehead. As to the wall behind me? Well, there is a sink there with cold "Wat ER".

At least we are finally communicating albeit a little slowly. Conclusion for today? Lisa=0, Dale=1

(Update) Tuesday 8/16/2011

Today we found out that Dale will not be able to have the second surgery to stabilize the posterior spine tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, he has a fever and a few other issues that the Doctors want to monitor and improve upon to give him the best possible outcome. Although it was a bit disappointing to hear, it's better to have him as close to 100% before he goes in for Part Two. Fortunately, at the moment he is stable and in no immediate danger, his fever has been slowly decreasing and he is on antibiotics that are helping. There is no set date for the second surgery but we are hopeful that it will be soon. Knowing Dale, i'm hoping to hasten his recovery with a bribe for unlimited Andy Capp's Hot Fries once he gets better.

To all of Dale's wonderful friends from HHH East and Boston College: Thank you for dropping off all the great photos, collage and cards. Ruby was able to read a few of the cards before he fell back asleep thinking of you guys I'm sure. Let's keep rooting for Dale and please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.


-Lisa

(Update) Everyone Loves Dale

As some of you may already know, yesterday, Dale was involved in a serious accident in which he sustained a spinal injury. Throughout the night, he underwent surgery to prevent further injury. A second surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday AM. Some hopeful news is that when he wakes up, he seems to be aware of his surroundings and can answer our questions with nods. I can understand how anxious and scared you may all be not knowing what is going on with someone you care about. Therefore, I will try to do my best to keep regular status updates posted for you after discussing the updates with my family. 


During this difficult time, my family and I appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love and support you have all shown us. It makes such a difference to know how many of you love and care for Dale. We are trying to let Dale rest and recover as much as he can before going into surgery on Wednesday. I know you are all anxious to see him but currently visitors are limited to immediate family. So we pray and hope for the best possible outcome on Wednesday and post-op so that you can all visit and let him know yourselves how much he is loved. 


If you would like to contribute in anyway, please keep Dale in your thoughts and prayers. If you also want to let dale know that he is in your thoughts and want to send him words of love, encouragement, or funny stories/memories feel free to post them on the facebook page "Get better Dale, We love you." (Whenever he is awake I will read them to him). I think the most important step to his recovery is to let him know how important he is to us and how so very much he is loved. 


My email is Lisa.ahn00@gmail.com if you need to reach me. Once again, thank you for all your kind words and support and keep rooting for Dale.




-The Ahn family