July 5th, 2024 12:00pm
Update July 5, 2024: Given the severity of Brandon’s hemorrhagic stroke (announced in this post from June 10), he was in ICU for nearly a full month. Since then, he has shown signs of progress but has also experienced a series of setbacks.
After regaining consciousness, breathing on his own was one of the biggest hurdles he faced. He was breathing with the assistance of a tracheal tube, but after a few weeks of building up endurance, the breathing tube was removed and he was set to move to a rehab facility. During this transition Brandon had progressed to eating solid food, carrying on a conversation (while still having his sharp sense of humor), and sitting upright in a chair. These modest progressions illustrate the seriousness of Brandon’s condition when he was initially hospitalized.
Unfortunately, shortly after he was transferred to the rehab facility, Brandon endured a significant setback. Due to being bedridden for several weeks, blood clots formed in his lungs and legs. Treatment for the blood clots required a return to the hospital for several days. Thankfully, with good care, Brandon was been able to overcome this obstacle and improved enough to return to the rehab facility during the week of July 1.
While this is positive news, Brandon still faces a long and difficult journey. Currently, he does not have use of the left side of his body. He will soon begin physical therapy to improve strength, movement, mobility and speech. This will be a very challenging process that is likely to include frequent swings of progress and setbacks.
Considering the health challenges Brandon is fighting, he is not engaged with texting, email, or social media. However, your support in the form of well-wishes, thoughts and contributions to the GoFundMe campaign are incredibly meaningful and appreciated by Brandon and his family. If you live in the Kansas City area, he would love to have visitors. He is currently at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Overland Park.
The rest of the crew at D2Football.com carry on this fall with Brandon’s full support. Some things may look different but our goal is to be as close to “business as usual” as we can be, including our flagship program, Inside D2Football on Sunday nights. We are all looking forward to seeing you on the season four premier on Sunday, August 24.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist Brandon and his family. All donations and humbly appreciated.