Update 8/30/11 photo

Here is a photo from Warren's great adventure at Target.  He was so excited about riding in one of those little red scooters that he ditched his wheelchair while shopping!

Update 8/30/11

Today is a good day at the Shepherd Center.  Warren is attending a class at the moment having completed his Occupational Therapy session in which they made chocolate chip cookies in order to practice cooking skills!  "I didn't get burned so I passed!"

Yesterday he worked on standing between the parallel bars and was helped to take steps with the use of the bars, leg braces and spotters.  Leg control is something he is struggling with due to certain muscles that need strengthening.  Lifting his legs is getting easier every day thanks to his strong quads.  In the evening he went on an outing to Target and said everyone had a great time.  Patients are required to attend a certain number of outings to various places in order to help them notice accessibility and get them comfortable in public.  I am sure it was nice just to be out and about.

It is amazing how much better he is feeling this week.  As a result he seems to be getting stronger by the day.  This afternoon he will get one step closer to independence.  They are removing the pick line and he will finally be "tube free".  His next step is to get rid of the back brace.  That will happen when the orthopedist is confident that the vertebrae are healed.

This afternoon we have the "Goal Setting" meeting.  We'll keep you posted......

Henley, Jerry and Warren

Update 8/26/11

I meant to write yesterday evening but was pleasantly occupied with my sister, who was visiting.  Now I have even more news to share.  Today has been a very good day..... Yesterday in p/t some scar tissue disconnected from wherever it was connected.  That's a positive thing but the resulting pain sent Warren reeling.  Fortunately this morning, after slowly stretching throughout the evening, he was feeling much better.

The picture attached is of Warren in the Loko-mat yesterday afternoon.  He looked a little like a transformer.  It is a robot that simulates the motions of walking.  He was then lowered onto a treadmill in order for him to feel the sensation of walking.  It was just amazing.  The robot can sense his use of hips and knees.  With time the robot will be programmed to do less as Warren does more.  Wow!

Today he played Wii.... Yes, Wii is therapeutic just like all the kids tell us it is!!! In a sitting position he practiced balance and coordination down hill skiing and PARACHUTING.  They said he scored the highest anyone has ever scored on the parachuting....hhhmmmmmm  He's still got it! :-)

It's been a week of ups and downs physically and the weekend will be a great opportunity to rest up before it all begins again on Monday morning.

Save the Date: 10/21/11

SILENT AUCTION BENEFITING WARREN CLEARY

Date:  Friday, October 21, 2011

Where:  Dunwoody Country Club

Time:  7:00 p.m.

Details to follow via evite

Please mark your calendars and bring a friend or two

for what is sure to be a great night benefiting Warren.  

We have some incredible items for the auction!  

This is one night you won't want to miss.

If you are not currently receiving regular email updates from the Friends of Warren, please send your email address to friendsofwarren@gmail.com as this is the listserv we will be using to send out evites. All are welcome!

Update 8/23/11

Was able to simulate the feeling of walking up and down the hallway today :)

Update 8/22/2011

The day started off on a very positive note.... with the help of braces Warren stood between the parallel bars. He found his center of balance, bent his knees back and forth, loved being vertical.

The rest of the day he has dealt with internal complications.  It isn't anything he won't get over but it is a bit of a setback... Reality.  Tomorrow will be a new day.

We will keep you posted.

P.S.
Thanks Hans.  Catie, four days and counting..........

Update 8/20/2011

Good morning.  I meant to create an update yesterday but I got sidetracked by a fabulous support team that arrived yesterday afternoon (my childhood friends Rangeley, Carol and Nan are here for the weekend giving us all a great boost) At the moment I am in the family lounge while Warren gets in a much needed nap.  His cousin, Charles, is driving up from Pensacola to visit and should arrive in a couple of hours.  Catie is back for the weekend.  So the whole gang, including sister Erin, will all head out from Shepherd to a nearby restaurant for lunch.  We should make a fine parade up and down Peachtree and it will be a great outing for Warren.

PT has "kicked butt" (can I say that?) this week and Warren has kicked right back!  Yesterday he learned to do a wheelie in the wheelchair.  Actually, there was not much instruction needed.  His therapist was a bit taken aback by how quickly he had the balance and technique down.  I told her she never saw him ride a bike as a boy.......  Same techniques, different vehicle!  You may wonder why they would teach wheelies for wheelchairs.  That's how they get up curbs and down stairs - yep, you read right - down stairs in a wheelchair.  Amazing.

He is working with free weights, a cycling machine and resistance exercises all designed to build back muscle tone and strength.  He can't believe how sore his abs are.  An exciting moment was when they put him in a device that slowly took him from a sitting position up to a supported standing position.  It was so great seeing him vertical.  He looked taller than ever!

Besides a stretching session this morning he has the weekend off.  However, a few outings should keep him in training today and tomorrow.

'More soon after our outing today!

Update 8/17/2011

I've been slacking!  If the truth be known we have been adjusting to our new location and new schedules.  I apologize for not keeping up on a daily basis.

Warren began his full therapy regimen on Monday.  There is physical, occupational and therapeutic which keep him busy from about 9-4 every day.  Phew!  This afternoon Jerry, Warren and I will participate in the Push Pass training so we can take him off the campus to local places.  I think the group will be hitting a nearby Chik Filet for our outing.  It will be great to get him outside for a while and part of the world beyond these windows.

Every day we see more progress and promise.  We are learning a great deal about the side effects of paralysis and the goals of rehabilitation.  Shepherd does an outstanding job of educating everyone involved.

Warren has had a few visitors come by this week and he is handling the long days much better than we expected.  I think the social outlet is good medicine.  So, if you are interested in checking out Shepherd and what Warren is up to send a quick email to see what will work.

We continue to be so very thankful for everyone in our lives.  We hope all of you have a great day because we are!

love,
Henley, Jerry and Warren

Visitors

If you'd like to pop by for a visit, starting this weekend, Saturdays and Sundays are pretty open. Please call or text me ahead though. Weekdays only 5-8pm, and again, please call, text, or fbook me directly. Looking forward to the visits!
~W

We are going to see how well Warren can keep up with the scheduling of visitors at first, and if need be we will start a schedule by email - stay tuned!

Update 8/13/2011

Hi everyone,

Last night I was advised that I have not been exactly honest about how things are going for Warren.... I am guilty of taking my role as cheerleader too seriously:  "All is well!  All is well!... Rah! Rah! Rah!".  So, o.k., Warren is still working through a great amount of pain.  Just the process of rolling him from his back to his side every three hours to avoid bedsores is a grueling process.  However, he does it faithfully.  He had his first true p/t session this morning and pushed his way through every routine for an hour.  He wants you to know that he had much more strength and movement than he thought he would which made him feel excited about the prospect of the upcoming daily p/t. I guess I am Pollyanna and he is Mr. Optimistic!

Beginning Monday they will have him busy the majority of the day and that will be his new routine for the next few weeks.  He is ready to grit his teeth and get started.  Being paralyzed (I was told I need to deal in reality and use that word....) is not his cup of tea.  So, let's get this show on the road!

Over the course of the past few days there have been some visitors who have stopped in. Warren has enjoyed the connection with the outside world and even those who started out a bit teary-eyed left with a smile on their face.  So, he would like to try to have some more visitors in the coming weeks.  We will see how he does with his new routine starting this week and hopefully he will adjust to all the activity and be able to visit a bit in the evenings.  We'll keep you posted.

Today's visitors included a surprise visit from Uncle Berkeley and Aunt Lori,

as well as one from Mariah & Paul.

To Warren's friends and co-workers who are presently in Columbia he wants you to know that he hopes you are having a wonderful time.  He is sorry that he and Catie are not there with you but he looks forward to seeing "Super Dave's" footage documenting the whole trip.

Everybody have a great weekend.  We will be resting up for the big week ahead!

Henley, Jerry and Warren

Update 8-13-11

• Yesterday, Warren got his own wheelchair and spent some time learning how to transfer in and out of bed. Then he went exploring around the building with Henley and found a nice garden outside to relax in, next he came back up to his floor for occupational therapy involving lots of stretching of his muscles. The Shepherd Center is being very considerate of all the pain Warren has been having, which is due to both of the surgeries, a cross-country flight, two ambulance transfers and mainly the removal of his rib. Warren was a trooper in getting in and out of bed and into the wheelchair, and was a bit unsure because of all of the pain, but politely did all that the nurses asked of him, and they were all very impressed with his strength. Each day we are all learning more and are all very anxious for some of his pain to subside so that he can really show what he is made of. 

• The bracelets have been a HUGE success!  We are out of stock but have an order of 600 coming next week.  If you ordered bracelets please be patient they will be sent just as soon as we get them.  Please keep those orders coming!  The clip from The Today Show is proof of how we can get the word out about Warren.  Thank you Carter & Sean for keeping us supplied with bracelets!

• The website also continues to be updated with our most recent posts as well as updates on events.  Please check it out!  http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren 

As always, thank you so much for your donations, emails and words of support.  You have no idea how much it means to Warren and our family.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Today Show

Check out this clip from this morning's Today Show featuring Zac Brown and his chef Rusty Hamlin... pay attention to Rusty's right wrist: he is showing his support for Warren by wearing a bracelet! Thanks to Erin Cleary for giving him one :)


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44109470/ns/today-food/t/dig-zac-brown-bands-chef-shares-tasty-recipes/?fb_ref=.TkVPrt6vrdo.like&fb_source=profile_oneline#.TkVkca6SHKZ

Upcoming Events

Please continue to check our website for upcoming events:
http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren/Upcoming_Events.html

The date has just been set for the cocktail party & silent auction at Dunwoody Country Club. All are welcome to attend! Please send us your email address to friendsofwarren@gmail.com to be sure to receive a save the date and evite if you are not already receiving our regular email updates. Those on our email listserv will automatically receive the evites.

Thank you again for your continued support.

A Message From Warren:

This is a message Warren posted on his facebook account prior to leaving Longmont,
entitled "Many Thanks to you all..."

Day 10 since the accident. I've thought a lot since that Saturday morning. First thing I remembered was, "my legs feel hot" and "I can't move anything from the waist down". I yelled for an ambulance and told the surrounding judges not to touch me. Thankfully, Greg Windmiller and Bryan Buechler came to my side to keep me stable. Emily Windmiller, Ian Drennan, and Thomas Dellibac also stood close to comfort me. Those moments waiting for the bus were difficult. Moans of agony, why, and answers to trauma questions like, "What day is it" were the only things coming out of my mouth. The paramedics took over and cut everything off me. When the rig came in to question I immediately said cut it. I knew we had to go and I wasn't going risk the movement. After a quick ride to the ER they X-rayed and moved me to the OR. To my surprise, I awoke 7hrs later to my father holding my hand. What an indescribable feeling, right then and there I knew everything was going to be ok. Throughout the next few days I felt like EVERYONE came to visit me. Competitors, judges, family and friends. The Golden Knight, SlipStream, Alter Ego and the PD Team even took turns ambushing me each afternoon. It means the world to me. The ammount of love and support I felt here in Longmont is unmeasurable.  On top of all that, a blog and donation page was created to keep people posted in whats happening with my progress and to accept donations to help take away some of the financial burden I've created.  Its going to be a long road full of ups and downs but I'm up for it. It only took a week for me to get out of bed and get in to a chair so they say I'm doing incredible, now I just gotta keep it up.  Tomorrow I leave CO in the am for ATL and will be at Shepherd Rehab Center. Apparently it is an amazing facility.  I'll leave details for all the Atlanta visitors. Thanks everyone, truly, from the bottom of my heart, which is completely full now.   A special thanks to my parents who have been here for me since they arrived and especially to Catie, who has not left my side yet. I love you all very much.

I will crawl again. I will walk again. I will fly again.

HaveFun.BeSafe

~W

Day 2 @ Shepherd

I am writing to you all from the quiet of Warren's room. This previous sentence has been an oxymoron until about thirty minutes ago, (which is attributed to the dedication and thoroughness of this wonderful staff at Shepherd) and now Warren is finally getting a good uninterrupted nap in. It was a smooth transition from Longmont to Atlanta, and once again we have found ourselves in another fabulous facility. Warren remains in the assessment phase at this point, and is still rather exhausted from the events of the last 12 days.

Since Warren and my dad's arrival yesterday afternoon, we have felt the love of the Shepherd Center. We have been greeted by so many wonderful staff members and welcomed into this facility with open arms. This morning we were able to meet both James Shepherd as well as Julie Shepherd White who both offered many words of encouraging support to Warren, as James understands first-hand what Warren is going through: http://www.shepherd.org/about/history-and-mission

Once again, we would like to thank you all for your support and prayers. We are so happy to be back in Atlanta for the long road ahead. We are not ready for any visitors at this point, however, I promise to keep you updated as to when Warren is ready and what days & times are best.

Ashley

Home in Atlanta!

Warren has landed in Atlanta and been taken to Shepherd! Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers and all of the wonderful support you have given our family. I know you are all anxious to see him, but we would greatly appreciate it if visitors would hold off until we get the green light from both the staff at Shepherd as well as Warren, himself. Thank you all again, you have been truly amazing.

Good News!!

Good news!! Warren gets to come back to Atlanta tomorrow :) He got the ok from both the hospital in Longmont, CO as well as Shepherd. I know my parents and Catie are very enthusiastic about getting him here and settled and Erin and I cannot wait to finally get our arms around him. 

In addition to this wonderful news, we want to say a BIG thank you to everyone for their continuous generous donations whether it be through our online donation site, through our P.O. Box, with the purchase of a bracelet, offering to cook a meal, sending a card, giving donations to our silent auction, or through the countless emails/texts/messages of thoughts and prayers that have been sent our way.

It is absolutely overwhelming how much love and support we have felt from our friends, family, and the skydiving community. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. 

The Clearys

Updates & Evite

If you would like to receive regular email updates about Warren & "Friends of Warren," please send your email address to friendsofwarren@gmail.com saying you would like to be added to the email list.

This is also the listserv that will be used to compile the Evite for the Cocktail Party & Silent Auction listed on the Events section of the website: http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren/Upcoming_Events.html

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.

Ashley

Hoping to be Home Soon

Hello from Longmont,

I was waiting to see if we would get any definite decisions about moving Warren to Atlanta but we still have not received confirmation from Shepherd.  He is ready to go as far as the doctors here are concerned - YEA!  They removed his chest tube this morning. Actually, Warren had a very big morning.  He got himself out of bed and into a wheelchair.  He and I took a little field trip out to the patio adjacent to ICU.  It wasn't a great distance in yardage but it was a whole new world!  He did incredibly well and as a result of all the hard work he has slept more soundly than we have seen him sleep in eight days.  We are hoping that Wednesday will be the magic day for returning home.  We will keep you all posted.  In the meantime Catie continues to sit vigil with us.  She has been a rock (actually I rather refer to strong women as "Steel Magnolias").  Her support and love have been gifts to all of us.

I know I have shared random acts of kindness with everyone and they continue to happen on a daily basis.  Today I want to give credit to the intended acts of kindness that continue to be shown to Warren and our entire family.  I just don't know how to put into words... actually, I am not sure there are the appropriate words to describe our level of appreciation for everything that is being done on our behalf.  I can only hope that each of you feel the love we are sending in return for all the support you are sending to us.  Acts of kindness, whether random or intentional change lives for the better and we thank you.

We hope you have had as wonderful a day as we have had.

Love,
The Clearys

Warren Update 8/6/2011

Today things are quiet while Warren tries to get through the pain of post-op.  It's a balancing act of medications and procedures but with each passing hour there seems to be a bit more rest.  In the meantime I would like to share with you a story that was sent to him.  Some of you may have seen it but it bares worth repeating.  It really does give a glimpse into how he sees the world.  I remember that morning now that I have been reminded and it makes me smile to remember the spirit of that little boy with such zest for life....the same little boy that lies in front of me this morning.    love, Henley


Dear Warren –

I have not seen you in many years and you have no reason to remember me. But I remember you vividly, especially because of a seemingly insignificant episode that took place a long time ago.

You were living in Michigan, and I was at your home early one weekday morning, enjoying the hustle-bustle of a busy mom and dad trying to get three children out the door and off to school. Ashley had been ready for hours (and had already completed her homework for the rest of the year), Erin was right on schedule, but where, oh where was Warren?

Your mom called your name. No response. She called again. Silence. She climbed upstairs, opened the door to your room, and there you were, happily perched on the bed, gazing out your window at the great outdoors that lay beyond.

In a rather urgent tone, your doting mother inquired as to why you were looking out the window when you needed to leave for school in two minutes. You turned to her and replied, with a genuine sense of wonder, “Mom, isn’t this a great day?”

The truth is, it really wasn’t a great day. In fact, it was cold and gray and dismal. But I remember thinking, “Wow. What a spirit! Anyone with the enthusiasm to think that THIS is a great day has a lifetime of great days ahead.”

Warren, those great days will come again. And I have no doubt they’ll be here before anyone ever imagined. Anyone, of course, but you.

"Friends of Warren" Update: ONLINE DONATIONS

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING ONLINE DONATIONS ON OUR WEBSITE: http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren/Donate.html

1.  Once you are on the donation page of the website, click the "Donate" button, which will link you to Paypal. When you login into Paypal there is a "Send Money" tab at the top.  Just click on that and follow the prompts.  Paypal will ask for the email address for who you want to send money to.  Please use friendsofwarren@gmail.com  Paypal is very easy and very secure.  

If you would rather not use Paypal you can send a check (checks are payable to Friends of Warren) to:

Friends of Warren

2090 Dunwoody Club Drive

Suite 106-15

Atlanta, GA  30350

2.  We also have our bank account established that donations can be made to as well.  The account is with Signature Bank of Georgia.  They have branches in several locations, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Forsyth.  The branch we are using is located in Dunwoody.  The address is:

Signature Bank

1449 Dunwoody Village Parkway (this is off Mount Vernon)

Dunwoody, GA  30338

770-391-1400

3.  Cocktail Party & Silent Auction.  The date is set for September 24, 2011.  Time and location will follow in an evite.  We know many of you are from out of town and will not be able to attend but you would still like to help.  If you have anything that can be donated to the auction please let Lesley Hollenbeck know at friendsofwarren@gmail.com.  She has already heard from several people and is very excited with the responses she has received.

4.  Friends of Warren Bracelets:  We have ordered and have received bracelets that we want everyone to wear in a show of love and support for Warren. We are selling the bracelets for $5.00 each.  They are blue and white with Warren's name on them.  You can view a picture of the bracelet at http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren/  If you would like a bracelet please send $5.00 per bracelet with a self addressed stamped envelope (for us to send the bracelets to you) to:

Friends of Warren

2090 Dunwoody Club Drive

Suite 106-15

Atlanta, GA  30350

A BIG thank you to Carter and Sean for donating the bracelets!!

5.  Don't forget to like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Warren/201689426556640?ref=ts

Thank you to everyone for all that has been done thus far! It is amazing how much has been accomplished in such a short period of time, and I am so excited to see how far we can go. 

All my love,

Ashley

Post-Surgery Update

Surgery is over and the neurosurgeon is VERY pleased with the outcome.  7 more incisions, 5 more screws, 2 more plates and all is secure.  Dr. Rajpal feels that once the chest tube is removed that Warren should be cleared to go.  Warren has been accepted to the Sheherd Center as of Tuesday so at this point that is our goal.  We will know more as the weekend progresses. For the moment, we are just celebrating all that has transpired over the last six days.  Regardless of how far we have to go.......... We've come a long way, baby!!!

We will continue to keep eveyone posted as we move forward.

Henley, Jerry and Warren

Website

Yet another amazing avenue to keep everyone up to date: http://web.me.com/lesleyhh/friendsofwarren/Welcome.html

A big thank you to Lesley Hollenbeck for her efforts in putting together this website! It is a great place to keep up with Warren's updates, understand what it is "Friends of Warren" is trying to accomplish, find out more about upcoming fundraising events, and soon you will be able to donate online as well.

Please continue to check this website just as you have been checking the blog, and together we can all make a huge difference in Warren's recovery.

Thank you again for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Ashley

Warren Update 8/4/2011

Good morning.  As a dear friend texted us yesterday:  “It is a new day for miracles!”  The first thing Warren said to me when he woke up yesterday was “Mom, I will not be paralyzed.”  Well, there you have it folks.  The “Warren Factor” is firmly in place!  

Yesterday Warren began moving his legs - sort of a wiggle back and forth.  The difference is that it was not from his hips as much as the legs, themselves.  He also continues to regain sensation in different parts of his legs as the swelling goes down.

This morning he had his first p/t session.  It went very well.  They were able to sit him up in the bed, put his legs over the side of the bed, then they actually lifted him up on his legs.  The whole experience really took it out of him but he is ready for more, when ever they bring it on.  He said that what he learned from the session is that he has a very long road ahead of him but he is ready to take it on.

Warren will have his second surgery tomorrow afternoon around 2 pm.  By comparison this will be very minor.  They will finish “tweaking” the hardware supporting his spine.  Hopefully, after that the chest tube will be removed and we will be another step further down the path.

More good news.  Warren has been accepted at the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta for rehab!  Thanks to everyone who has made this happen for him so quickly.  You know who you are and you are in our prayers of thanks.  Our hope is to be there by the end of next week.  Shepherd is coordinating a medical flight for him for whenever he is ready to head home.

The good news just keeps coming!  We don’t have a lot of details at this point but there is a “Friends of Warren” committee made up of neighbors and friends that is organizing all kinds of wonderful things.  We are completely blown away by the work and effort that is being put into what they are doing.  I am sure that all of you are smarter than we are at this point in time and can dig around and find out more information.  We just want to take a moment and say thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, again, for every message, in every form.  We are reading and listening to every single one.  We can not answer them all individually because we have been blessed with so many.  You just must know, please, that we are feeling every thought, every expression and every prayer and we thank you for every single one.

Random acts of kindness continued:  Instead of sharing a new act I want to tell you of the continuation of one..... Remember John at Einstein’s Bagel who paid for our coffee?  Well, our friend, Brooke, in Atlanta did some sleuthing and figured out the Einstein’s location.  Jerry and I went in for our coffee this morning.  Sonia Perez, at Einstein’s, said she had been waiting for us and she comes from the back with a gift card.  To say we were touched is an understatement. This would have been more than enough.  However, apparently when Sonia was told the reason for the gift card she got to work, herself.  She told her father, Sonny, who happens to be a pastor and is associated with over 1000 churches throughout the US.  Now Warren is on the prayer lists of every one of those churches!!  We just never know what one simple act can grow into...  a free cup of a coffee.... a phone call to order a gift card... and lives are forever changed for the better. 

Love,

Henley & Jerry

P.O. Box

"Friends of Warren" is up and running.

I was just notified that a P.O. Box has been set up and will be the first place receiving donations on Warren's behalf.

Friends of Warren

2090 Dunwoody Club Dr.

suite106-15

Atlanta, GA 30350

Please feel free to make any contributions by cash or check, all proceeds will be used to fund Warren's recovery. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: FRIENDS OF WARREN.

Everyone is working diligently on Warren's behalf to make sure that we can be as successful as possible in this endeavor. 

We are also hoping that we will have a website up soon with the ability to receive online donations as well. 

Thank you for your continued support, thoughts and prayers. 

Love,

Ashley

Too Dirty Halloween Boogie

Last night I (Ashley) received this facebook message:

Cyndi Brown August 3 at 10:55pm 

Wanted to let you guys know...I just got off the phone with Chris Bonafide from Team Dirty Sanchez. We have decided that every penny that we raise at the Too Dirty Halloween Boogie for charity is going to Warren. Skydivers come first. And we want to do everything that we possibly can.

Additionally, this post was left on the "Friends of Warren" page for me to find:

Chris Bonafide

The Halloween boogie at The Farm's charity raffle will benefit Warren this year. I have spoken with Cyndi from The Dirty Pirate Hookers and Denis Neal founder of Team Dirty Sanchez and skydiver's come first. All our thoughts and prayers are with you brother so rest up and get well, we're here for you.

First off, a big HUGE thank you to Cyndi and Chris for making this happen and reaching out to me and the "Friends of Warren" page to inform his friends, family, and skydiving community of this amazing contribution. Every penny will make a bigger impact than any of us can imagine in the long run, and every act of kindness that is shared with Warren is only pushing him to work harder and heal faster. The comradery of the skydiving community has been outstanding and overwhelming to both Warren and our family. He is more than aware of the thoughts and prayers that are beings sent his way and is feeling all of those "Good Vibes." 

A personal thank you from the Cleary Family goes out to each and every skydiver; you all are truly inspiring. Thank you again, with all of our hearts.

Ashley 

"Friends of Warren"

We have the most AMAZING friends and neighbors a family could ask for.

I (Ashley) was informed yesterday that there is a committee of friends and neighbors from our Sandy Springs neighborhood who have taken it upon themselves to form the "Friends of Warren" fundraising committee. This group seems to know no limits. There is an event currently being planned for late September in which tickets will be sold and a silent auction held, and all proceeds will go to the "Friends of Warren" fund. They are looking into a way that friends and family can make online donations, or mail in donations to support the fund. Blue and white Livestrong type bracelets with "Friends of Warren" have been ordered and it is their mission to spread awareness by getting as many of these bracelets out to his friends, family, donors, and the community. They hope to send out a letter campaign to collect donations and approach small and large corporations as well.

It is this group's mission to not only financially support Warren in this time of need, but to make sure that all of the long term needs of my parents are taken care of. They are well aware that the best way for my parents to be able to care for my brother is if they stay healthy and rested themselves. They would like those who are not able to give financially to think outside of the box for the long-term. There will be times when meals can be made, and someone can offer there time to sit by Warren's side so that my parents can have a few hours off. Additionally, airline mileage or credit card points may be able to be of use.

The event, donations, and offers of items to the silent auction will be open to all who are interested and as I am given more information on all of the above I will be sure to update everyone.

With each day that goes by we cannot believe the outpouring of love that is sent our way. To say we are overwhelmed with gratitude would be an understatement.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Ashley

Groundhog Day

This morning felt a bit like the movie Groundhog Day which was a bit unsettling but just as it was becoming uncomfortable the guy who works at Einstein's Bagels offers to pay for Jerry's and my coffee just to be nice as we were headed to the hospital.  There's that random act of kindness thing again that at that fragile moment brought me to tears and brightened my day.  We look forward to seeing John tomorrow morning when we go in to get our coffee and bagel en route.....

Progress report: They are elevating Warren 10 degrees every hour.  We can't imagine how good it feels not to be totally flat on our back.  He is even sleeping more restfully as a result.  He continues to check out with flying colors with all the doctors.  It is just a waiting game until the surgery on Friday and waiting for swelling to go down so nerves have more room to do their thing and we can all see what we are really dealing with.

Catie arrived last night and that is probably the best medicine for Warren right now.  For those who do not know, Catie is the love of his life ( I happily take second place :-)  ) and they both seem to be more at peace now that they are together.

The emails, the texts, voicemails, twitters, facebook comments - EVERYTHING is overwhelming and so supportive.  You will never know what every single message and act of kindness does for all of us.  There is no doubt in our minds it is all making a difference in his healing process.  Thank you, not just from the bottom of our hearts, but with our complete hearts.

We are saving everything to share with Warren when he is more alert.  Ah, remember I mentioned the 10 degree elevation every hour?  Warren has found the button......need I say more.  :-)

See you tomorrow.