------------------------------------------------------------------------ Happy 2008! January 15, 2008 Happy New Year to everyone. We haven't updated the site in a while, and as most of you probably noticed, we are getting a lot of spam on the Guestbook page. We are trying to work on that, and hopefully we will get to the bottom of that soon. If you still want to write something on there, you are more than welcome to, or you can always email Eric directly. Just wanted to start off by saying our 2007, was a lot better than our 2006. Eric has made vast improvements in his progress and is doing really good. He had a second surgery, this time on his right hand. The surgery was like his first one, but this time they did a few different things internally and Eric can now grip things very good with his right hand. Plus his fingers are moving slowly and hopefully will improve with therapy. His left hand is still making improvements too, but of course this will take time and work before there is a significant difference. Eric had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Just a lot of relaxing and spending time with the family. Eric is determined and excited to see what this year has to bring to him. He is continuing to work hard and knows that he will make more progress. Finally, we are putting together the 2nd Annual Texas Hold Em Tournament for Eric. We will let everyone know the date as soon as possible, but it will probably be some time in April. Eric hopes everyone can join him again and make this day a success. There are, and always will be, bills coming in that Eric has to pay out of pocket. This is the reason we like to have these tournaments, and to have everyone that cares about Eric in one room!! Eric wants to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hopes that everyone has a successful year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One Year September 12, 2007 Hi All- This journal entry is LONG, LONG overdue...and I apologize to everybody who has been checking the site for updates. The summer has been a busy one for Eric, hence why the site has not been updated. However, I will fill you in with all that has happened with Eric throughout the summer. Most importantly, it has been a full year since the accident, and SO much progress has been made!! -Erics Surgery, July 16th 2007: As most of you know, Eric got surgery on his left arm/wrist. They took the tendons in his lower left arm and moved them around to reconnect them with working nerves. This procedure let Eric’s thumb be reconnected with his brain and send it messages. They only worked on his thumb, but the surgery was VERY SUCCESSFUL. The surgery allowed some of his fingers to start moving again as well. Once the surgery is properly done on the remainder of his fingers, he will be able to move them a lot better. Eric goes to a special therapist @ Domino Farms every Wednesday to work on his thumb and fingers. Great progress has been made. And of course he continues to work hard every Tuesday and Thursday at his regular therapy, gaining more strength throughout his arms! -Ramiz & Christina's Wedding, August 11th 2007: Eric attended our long time family friend, Christina's wedding this summer as well. Eric said this was one of the BEST weddings he has ever been to. He looked great in his royal blue shirt and orange and blue tie (thanks to Nan), as he had one of the best seats in the house...right next to the dance floor. The wedding was a non-stop dance party! We wheeled Eric on the dance floor and he boogied with the rest of us to a Live Arabic Band and music bythe DJ! Pictures of Eric at the wedding will be posted shortly! -Melissa & Jason's Wedding, September 1st 2007: Eric attended another wedding. This one was his cousin Melissa's. This wedding was in Grand Haven, MI and it couldn't have been on a more PERFECT day. The wedding ceremony was on the Beach at Grand Haven's State Park, with a long metal aisle added to the sand for Eric to wheel down. The reception followed at the Spring Lake Country Club where the entire Lieckfelt family showed everybody how to party!! The entire wedding day was beautiful and Eric had another GREAT time! Pictures will be posted shortly! -Sandbaggers, Friday @ 1pm: Eric and his buddies go up to the "Bag" every Friday at 1pm for Lunch if anybody wants to join, please feel free. They mainly talk about fantasy football and poker, but it's always good food and good company! All in all Eric is doing well, working hard, and most importantly...STAYING DETERMINED! In fact, Eric went for his 8 week check up this past Monday, and scheduled his next surgery on Nov 5th. They are going to be doing his entire right hand this time (not just his thumb as they did in his last surgery on his left hand). The doctor said he is VERY impressed with Eric's progress. Please continue to keep Eric in your thoughts and prayers. He wouldn't be able to get through all of this without the love and support of all of you!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What's going On June 29, 2007 Hello Everyone, I just realized that I have not updated the journal in a while, so I thought I would tell you a little bit about what is going on with Eric. This Wednesday, the 4th of July, we got my Dad tickets for Father's Day to go to the Tigers' game. So Eric will get to see his first game and is very excited for that. There will fireworks after the game and that will be fun. Lindsay will be home too, so she gets to come too. We were able to get our seats next to a wheelchair space so we can all sit together. On July 16, Eric will be getting surgery on his left arm/hand to repair some tendons in his hands. The doctor performing the surgery is only 5 in the country that does this type of surgery and luckily Eric was a good canidate. He has already been to many pre-surgery appointments and is very excited to get it done. The doctor will be going in his left arm and moving the tendons around and connecting new nerve cells, that will hopefully result in new movement in Eric's hands. They goal is for Eric's hand and fingers to move so that he will be able to do alot more with them. He will be in a sling for 8 weeks and then have to do intensive rehab to get his hand working again, but the doctor believes that Eric will benefit in many ways from the surgery. We are all excited for him to get it done and wish him the best. The good part is he will not have to stay in the hospital over night, because the surgery is outpatient so he will be home the same day if everything goes good. He will eventually get his right arm and hand done at a later time, but since that one is more damaged, they wanted to do the left arm first. So that's what is going on with Eric these days. The surgery and recovery will taking up a large part of the summer and he also has 3 weddings that is going to! He will be out on the dance floor in his chair dancing away:) I will add new pictures when I get them. Please keep Eric in your thoughts on July 16 and hope that everything goes perfect with his surgery. I will update on here with the results. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eric's Fundraiser May 11, 2007 A HUGE thanks to everyone who participated in Eric’s fundraiser on Saturday May 5, 2007. It was a big success and we are extremely grateful to everyone who took part. Whether you showed up for the fundraiser or sent a donation to Eric, you touched our family’s hearts with your kindness. Eric would like to send his gratitude to everyone that participated in the event, over $7,000 was raised. He had a great time and hopes to continue the tradition every year. It was great to see everyone on Saturday and we hope that you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. A special thanks goes out to all the out of town guests for spending this special day with us and to Ray for running the Hold Em tournament and keeping everyone on track. We are already planning the 2nd Annual Eric Hold Em Tournament for next year! Thanks once again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Happy Easter April 3, 2007 Hello Everyone, Just thought I would give a quick update on Eric. He is doing really well and his progression is amazing. One important update is Eric got his new wheelchair! The wheelchair he had before was a rental from U of M hospital until his new one came in, and after many months, it finally came in a few weeks ago. I will add a picture as soon as I get one, but it is a lot nicer and more efficient. It does not tilt back like his other one did, but it is a lot better because it does not have a big motor attached to it, making the new one a lot smaller. Eric had to make some adjustments with it, because he was not used to it, but now he loves it. Eric also went to the eye doctor the other day to get some new contacts. He has been wearing his glasses since September and they were starting to drive him crazy, so he was determined to get contacts. He still has to get used to putting them in, but since is something he really wants, he will figure out a way. He has been wearing them and is really enjoying them. So next time you see Eric he will be in a new wheelchair and no more glasses! He is making big steps and is going forward with everything. He is still in therapy 3 times a week and making great progression. It's amazing the things he can do. Eric wants to wish everyone a Happy Easter! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FUNDRAISER!! March 19, 2007 We will be having a Texas Hold Em Fundraiser & Benefit Dinner for Eric on Saturday May 5, 2007. Location: Msgr. Kolanczyk Center in Warren Time: Tournament starts at 1:30 p.m. with Dinner at 5 p.m. Entry Fee: $75/person. This includes entry into the tournament, dinner, and drinks. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top finishers of the tournament To sign up for the Texas Hold Em tournament, please send a $75 check or cash to: Becky Lieckfelt 34100 Northwood Ct Sterling Heights, MI 48312 By May 1, 2007 Along with you money, please include the name or names of people that will be playing, their e-mail address and telephone number. Other Info: We will be providing drinks throughout the day, but no alcohol will be served. You are welcome to bring your own. Directions to Msgr. Kolanczyk Center: Take Van Dyke South past Toepher (8 ½ Mile). Make a right on Westminster (this street has its own light on Van Dyke). Go down the entire block until you reach Ascension St. The Kolanczyk Center is on the Southeast Corner of Ascension & Westminster. If you reach 8 Mile, you have gone too far, Westminster is 1 block North of 8 mile. There will be a separate dinner price for those of you that do not want to play in the Texas Hold Em tournament. The dinner will start at 5 p.m. and the price will be posted later. Anybody is welcome, so please pass the word along. If you have any questions please email them to: Ericsrise@gmail.com and we will get back to you. THANK YOU! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Long Awaited Update January 16, 2007 Hello Everyone. I want to start of by apologizing for not updating the website for over a month. With Eric coming home and the holidays, we have been really busy. Eric just loves being home and is very happy that he is no longer in the hospital. It has been a huge adjustment for all of us, but mostly for Eric and my parents. They all have sacrificed so much, and little by little they are learning to adjust. My Dad is really getting the hang of moving Eric from his bed to his wheelchair, and as Eric gains more upper body strength, it makes it easier for my Dad. Eric started going to physical therapy twice a week at a place called The Recovery Project, that specializes in spinal cord injuries. It’s amazing to see the technology and equipment they have to help those that have been injured and Eric is around others who have the same injury as him and that is important. He will also start going to The Recovery Project location in Livonia every Wednesday, so he will be getting therapy three times a week. The more, the better! Eric had a really good Christmas and New Year’s. Although the New Year’s got off to a rough start with Eric spending a day in the emergency room because he thought he had a urinary tract infection, but thank goodness nothing was wrong. Then two days later, my Dad’s new wheelchair accessible minivan broke down while Eric was at rehab! It was just a small fix and he had it back the next day, but they still had to deal with getting Eric back home and getting the car fixed. Since that first week though, everything has been fine. We could not wait for last year to be over in hopes for a better year. Eric is doing really well and his friends come over often, or he goes to their houses. I get to see him a lot and spend time with him for both me and Lindsay. He is hoping to make it out to New York sometime this summer to visit Lindsay and is looking forward to that. He is continuing to work hard everyday and is absolutely an inspiration when I watch him in rehab. He works so hard and is determined to get stronger and achieve his goals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eric's Finally Home! December 12, 2006 As I mentioned in my entry before, Eric came home on Thursday, December 7! It was a very exciting and challenging day for all of us. There was a lot of boxes and wheelchair equipment everywhere, but once we organized everything, it seemed to get a lot easier. We have a lift at home for Eric, but it is big and usually in the way, therefore making it difficult to use. The first few times of getting Eric in and out of his bed were very hard. My parents needed Matt’s help because they were not sure where to place the lift and the wheelchair, all while trying to get Eric moved. It took them a few hours the first night and morning he was home. Then my Dad went to Binson’s and bought a wooden sliding board and that has made everything way easier. My Dad has been transferring Eric from his bed to his wheelchair by using this board. It takes a lot less time and is easier for the both of them. Once we got that down, it was just a matter of trying to get Eric in a comfortable spot in the house. He does not have a TV and cable in his room yet, but he will soon. He has been using his portable DVD player and watching a lot of movies. We removed the large couch from our front room and are going to replace it with a much smaller couch, but for now Eric has that whole room for his wheelchair. He watches TV in there and still manages to control the remote okay. On Saturday Eric went outside the house for the first time since being home. He went to his favorite hangout, Sandbagger’s. All his friends were there and he had a great time and really enjoyed himself. It was really special for him because this was a place he went to all the time before his accident, so it’s the first step to getting back to normal. The bar had “Welcome Home Eric” on their marquee outside and that was really neat. Everyone was so happy to see him there. It has been a tough couple of days and a lot of adjusting, but things are definitely going to work out. Eric still has his great attitude and is even happier now that he is home. He will be going to therapy on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at a place on Hall Road and Hydenrich, which is a lot closer to home! We’ll see how he likes it there and how he progresses. I know he will do just fine though because he’s gotten this far and has done an incredible job. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Best News Yet! December 4, 2006 Eric is officially coming home this Thursday, December 7! The doctors said he is strong enough and said he is ready to come home. They did ask Eric if he wanted to stay another week, to work on some things, but he said after 3 months of being in a hospital, he wants to come home. He is very excited and cannot wait! He will continue his rehab in Warren, but may get transferred to Detroit because they have a really good facility there. This will make the drive for all of us a lot easier. I am not sure how many days a week he will be going, probably 5 at first, but at least at the end of the day he will be in his own home and not a hospital. They will be delivering a bed and lift to my parents house this week and my Dad had to get a wheelchair accessible van so he can drive Eric around. There will be many changes still to come and we will adjust to them as they come our way. This has been a very long road and we know that it is not over. So needless to say Eric was in a great mood this past weekend when I went to see him. He can count the hours down now, until he comes home. They ordered the wheelchair for him that he will be using. It is half power operated and half operated by him. He does not have enough strength at this time, to push the chair himself, but as he gets stronger he will be able to do it without any assistance. We are all very happy and excited to have him coming home and hope it will make it a lot easier for everyone to see him. Eric cannot wait until he comes and looks forward to seeing everyone soon! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Suprise Visit November 27, 2006 Hello Everyone, This is Lindsay (Eric’s other sister)!! Eric had a big week last week…not only did a number of his friends and family come to visit him during their time off over Thanksgiving, but Eric got to come home for the first time since his accident and SURPRISE the entire “Lieckfelt” family at A. Pat’s house, where we celebrated Thanksgiving!! Nov 23rd, Thanksgiving Morning: Eric was picked up bright and early on Thanksgiving morning in the wheelchair accessible van we rented for a few days. Everything went well, and Eric was discharged from the hospital for the day, and returned home to St. Clement Dr. at around 10:30 am. With the incredible help of Uncle Dan and Co., Eric had no problem getting into the house with the ramp they had built in our backyard. We ate breakfast as a family and had Eric get use to the house and the sharp turns he is going to have to make once he is home for good! Thanksgiving Afternoon: Our dreadful Lions started at 1pm and that was just around the time Eric started to get anxious to get out the door to Aunt Pat’s where Thanksgiving dinner was. Since the day Eric found out he would be able to leave the hospital and enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner with us all, he wanted to keep it a secret to the rest of the family and SURPRISE everybody with his visit!! And surprise he definitely did!! There were a few family members who knew, but for the most who didn’t, they practically fell over when they arrived with the presence of Eric! This goes to show how far Eric really has come. Just 2 ½ months after his accident, Eric is positive and able to leave the hospital and enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner like nothing ever happened! Thanksgiving Evening: Dinner was served right around 5 pm and Eric was first in line to enjoy the turkey and mashed potatoes that he has been waiting for! Even though he was slightly disappointed with the absence of Aunt Peggy’s famous jell-o, Eric finished every last thing on his plate  Since Eric had to be back to his room by 8 pm, he only had an hour left to enjoy the family. We took many pictures and Eric said his goodbyes, and we were out the door by 6:30 pm. We ventured back to U of M, and got Eric to his room around 8 pm. Eric was extremely tired from his big day, and was excited to get back to his bed to lay down! This was the best day that Eric has had in the past 3 months! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Great News!! November 21, 2006 Yesterday, Monday, Eric officially got his neck brace taken off!!! That is all he wanted for so long. He was very happy when the doctor told him. His neck is strong enough and he has been building incredible strength in it over the past few months. This is just another huge step in his road to recovery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEEKEND UPDATE November 21, 2006 Hello again, Eric and I want to thank everyone for their great support that he is receiving through emails and the guestbook. They are very encouraging and Eric looks forward to them each day. Keep them coming! This past week was very good for Eric; he is doing incredibly well in rehab and is gaining more and more strength everyday. Besides rehab everyday, Eric also attends a class called Independent Living every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In these classes they learn about living in a wheelchair and give them tips on what to do in certain situations. For example, on Friday, the speaker showed them the 2 different types of vans that are available for wheelchair access. They had the vans there and Eric and the others got a chance to enter the van in their wheelchairs to see what it was like. At the hospital they have a specialized video gaming system, where the person playing, controls with their hands and not a controller. Eric loves when he gets a chance to do this, because he has always loved playing video and computer games. The other day he was playing a golf game and did well. As you can see, he has a pretty full schedule during the week. This weekend Eric was really excited for the Michigan vs. Ohio State game. Before the game Eric put on his Michigan football shirt and got in his wheelchair so he could get out of his room for a while. Eric’s roommate was not doing very well, so the nurses asked us to leave his room around 1:30. My Dad told me that they could not go back in until 6 p.m. and had to watch the football game in the community room. Both Eric and my Dad were very upset and wanted to watch it in the comfort of Eric’s room. It was such a good game, but unfortunately our team came out on the bottom. This week is Thanksgiving and the therapists are having a turkey lunch for all their patients on Wednesday. Eric is looking forward to that and also eating leftovers from our Thursday dinner. Eric wishes everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Becky ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Eric’s First Outing November 13, 2006 Hey Everybody, This is Becky, Eric’s sister, and I will be posting the journal entries on the website until Eric can. It’s great reading all the support that everyone has posted thus far. Eric really likes hearing the words of encouragement and is fortunate to have so many people behind him. He is able to read the website and emails so please continue to send them! Yesterday, Sunday, was an exciting day for Eric. It was his first trip outside of the hospital, since he was admitted on September 2. He and my Dad went to the U of M and Eastern Michigan men’s basketball game. Someone at the hospital gave them tickets and they had special van transportation to take them to and from the game. They had a really good time and Eric was happy to finally be outside of the hospital. Yesterday was also a notable day, because Eric was able to enjoy his first Mt. Dew from Taco Bell. Since the first time he was alert in San Antonio, he has been talking about that Mt. Dew. He did have Mt. Dew from the bottle, but nothing compares to Taco Bell. So Matt and I drove to the nearest Taco Bell (which is 10 miles away) and got him 3 soft tacos and a Mt. Dew. Trey (our dog) also made a special appearance that seemed to bring a big smile to Eric’s face. Over the weekend we started to build a deck with a ramp so Eric can get into my parent’s house. Special thanks to Uncle Dan, Uncle Tom, Tom & Matt for all your hard work in the rain!! Also a big thank you to Consumer’s Lumber for donating all of the materials, this was a tremendous help and very generous. The deck is coming along very well and should be completed soon so everything will be in place for Eric’s return home. I will try to keep everyone updated on Eric’s progress through the journal so please continue to check it for news. Thanks again for the support and words of encouragement. Becky ------------------------------------------------------------------------