Elder Mom & Dad Need Our Help

Mom & Dad Need Our Help

(This is the English only version. Please see our Japanese version if you wish to see in Japanese)

Two days before New Years Mom went shopping for food to prepare New Year's dinner. She took a bad fall on the front stairs hitting her head multiple times. Mom was found unconscious by someone luckily passing by. He notified the local police and Dad.

She taken by ambulance to the hospital where she suffered a series of severe seizures caused by brain injuries from the blows to her head. We were not sure she would make it.

She spent the next couple weeks mostly unconscious. Moments of semi-awareness.

Mom finally regained semi-consciousness after nearly two weeks. She had lost the ability to speak, didn't recognize family members and lost the ability to move her dominant left hand. She could not eat, walk or function at all.

This was mid January.

At the end of February she moved to a rehab center where a team of rehab nurses are working to help her regain the ability to eat and speak. There is a very long road ahead. Doctors have said perhaps five or more months. Before she can go home, she has to be more independent. Today that seems a very long way off. We are hopeful, there are great days and days where progress seems far away.

We love her and try to encourage her. But you can tell, this is hard on her. Busy daily rehab and being away from home and family. It is heartbreaking because she cannot express to us what she feels. But you can tell she is tired and sad.

Mom and Dad are both in their mid 70's and on a fixed income. They ran a small restaurant for years, something that doesn't lead to a lot of savings. Mom's care is a long term cost they cannot afford.

Mom's accident had already put a huge strain on them and on the family on every level, and sadly financially. But it seems this was just the start of an even harder time for everyone.

March 18th we found out that Dad has oral cancer. A bad one. On April 4th he had very complex surgery to remove most of his lower left jaw, some areas of his left neck lymph nodes and possibly some tissue from his neck. There was also a graft transfer from his abdomen to replace areas he lost to the surgery.

If not enough, there is more. Dad may be rejecting the graft. His hospital stay has been extended and he may need to undergo additional surgery. Possibly another graft. This is still up in the air.

Dad is in a lot of pain with massive swelling in his neck and face. Despite all this, Dad is thinking and worrying about Mom. And very little else. But that is Dad, looking after family first.

Now Dad is looking at three or more months in hospital followed by more time in rehab to learn to use his changed jaw to eat and speak properly. We won't know what else he faces until more tests reveal how much more of his body has been impacted. We are hoping this got it all.

All this hit our family within three months of Mom's accident.

Mom and Dad have been on a fixed income for years. Not much savings and no add on insurance given that both have had ongoing medical issues that disqualified them for most. They are unable to support all this care and cost. We are a small family and are pitching all we can to support Mom's ongoing care. This was already a struggle for our family, but Dad's illness will push us beyond the ability to support.

That is why we are reaching out to you, our friends, colleagues and global community for help.

We need your help to make sure that Mom and Dad both receive the support and care they need. Both have long roads to recovery. They both have long hospitalization, rehab and support for their recovery facing them . Challenges we cannot fully meet on our own. Challenges we need your help to overcome.

Any help you can offer will make a difference to Mom and Dad. They are proudly independent people and rarely ask for help. But they have always been there for others in need throughout their lives. Dad is always quick to drive someone home, or help them out. Even when running the Izakaya he couldn't help but give someone something they need. Mom is Mom. Not only to us, but to everyone. Quick to smile and laugh and very fast to take care of anyone in need. She is, after all Mom to our little community.

But now, this time, they need our help. They need our support. Thank you for reading and thank you for any support you can offer. Every little bit will be significant in helping them.

Thank you on behalf of Mom and Dad.