Gabe’s Alive

First Steps on Stubbies! ( Niika & Suzy write)

Posted by: gabesalive on: March 28, 2010

Dear Supporters of Gabe ~

Like you, I’m following Gabe’s progress from a distance, as I’m at Rasa Ayurveda in India for about 10 more days.

On Friday, I opened my email a to find a note and photos from our good-hearted  helper, Suzy, who accompanied  Gabe for another visit to prosthetist Jon Batzdorf on Tuesday.

“It was a beautiful day today seeing Gabe move forward.

Here are some photos of Dr. B melting the fiberglass sockets with a torch to create the best fit to Gabe’s thighs.

Heating up the Torch

Dr. B was able to instantly make adjustments to this walking device for Gabe by applying the torch, bending it gently and cooling it with a rag.

Applying the Fire

He did this a couple of times trimming off extra fiberglass from the Stubbie to not pull at Gabe’s skin and be most comfortable.

Dr. B is very serious about his work, kind, knowledgeable. Glad you guys found him ~ definitely a blessing!

Very First Steps on Stubbies

Very First Steps on Stubbies

Taking some steps on the Stubbies brought Gabe great joy.

(Note – The “feet” on the Stubbies  turned the opposite direction that feet are normally to counterbalance Gabe’s body. So interesting!)

A Major Milestone in Gabe's Recovery!

A Major Milestone in Gabe's Recovery!

Gabe borrowed some loaner crutches, shortened to about 3 feet, and he is so excited about ambling about.He’s planning all the places he can now get around better with these devices.

This must be like having your child take his first steps all over again for you and tough to miss, but glad you can see these photos now!”

I am really proud of Gabe for continuing to move forward, day by day, making his doctor appointments and arrangements, even while I’m necessarily far away for a bit. Thanks so much to Suzy for writing and sending photos! And we are TOO grateful to Jon Batzdorf for his kindness and wonderful abilities, of course!

I have much more to share in the next few days… And perhaps Gabe will find some time to post also.

Stay tuned!

With love,

Niika

First Steps toward Walking – (Niika writes)

Posted by: gabesalive on: March 15, 2010

Gabe Meets Prosthetist, Jon Batzdorf

FANTASTIC NEWS…!
Because of Gabe’s complicated healing process, it’s taken quite a while to reach this moment, but now, here we are:

At last Gabe has begun being fit for his first prosthetic devices!

Meet Gabe’s prosthetist, Jon Batzdorf of Sierra Orthopedic.  Prosthetists work with a fascinating mix of biology, psychology and engineering. Skilled and caring, Jon seems to really enjoy his mission to restore locomotion to all kinds of people. (Learn more about Jon’s non-profit work here: http://www.prosthetika.com )

How did we find Gabe’s Jon Batzdorf ?  It’s a wonderful story, actually… and I’ll tell it in another post, soon…!

For now, we invite you to share our excitement and glimpse a bit of the process Gabe has begun.

After meeting Gabe and myself, Dr. Batzdorf met with Gabe’s orthopedic surgeon, Nathan Ehmer, to talk about the special challenges Gabe faces related to prosthetic fitting and wear. Every double above-the-knee amputee faces a huge mountain to climb, when learning to walk on prostheses. For Gabe, because of the large area of  delicate skin graft tissue covering the end of his right leg, he has had to wait months to even begin to try. And because of significant heterotopic ossification in the same leg, and a less-than-ideal surgical closure on the left leg, Gabe will undergo one more major reconstructive surgery in a few months time.

In spite of these challenges, Gabe’s doctors feel the skin-graft is strong enough now to withstand at least a trial in wearing the first prosthetic devices that will move Gabe toward his goal, of getting up out of that wheelchair! So fantastic!

Taking a Casts of Gabe's Right Leg

First, Batzdorf asked Gabe to wear a special set of “tights”, designed to receive the wet, quick-setting  plaster strips Jon applied and carefully shaped to each of Gabe’s legs. Here you can see the plaster cast on Gabe’s right leg, with Jon’s markings in black ink. Once the plaster dried, Jon cut the tights off and ended up with…

Perfect Image

… carefully made casts. With these and some measurements, Jon will create silicone gel liners that will allow Gabe’s legs to wear sockets, onto which prosthetic attachments can be fixed.

Measuring the Width of Gabe's Left Leg, which has thankfully healed with few complications

Jon says Gabe will first be given a set of “Stubbies,” which are foreshortened prosthesis. Stubbies will allow Gabe to get finally STAND UP once again! I can’t describe how much I look forward to seeing my son’s upright body! Stubbies will allow Gabe to feel into a kind of walking, but will not give him any height. After some practice on “Stubbies,” Gabe should be ready to move toward full-leg prosthetics.

Measuring the Length of Gabe's Left Leg

We’re entering this brave new world of prosthetics with a lot of humility. Please forgive any mistakes I’m making in terminology, understanding, etc…!  There is so much to learn about the process, about evolving technology, and in discovering what will work best for Gabe.

The financial aspect of this process is a whole other “animal”…!  We still have only an estimation of the costs involved to get him up onto his first set of legs. I’ll write a post just on this topic soon…

Since Gabe is so young and has such a great desire to return to a very physically active life, we continue to feel true gratitude for the practical support so many have given to help. We pray that the people,  knowledge and resources Gabe needs continue to flow toward him, as we find our way on this path to see Gabe walk – maybe even run! – once again…!

A very special thanks go to George Walchuk and Amy Pizzarello who recently donated toward Gabe’s rehabilitation.

Please know that although both Gabe and I have been required to pick up the normal routine of life–time really does ‘wait for no man!’–and we are so busy trying to “catch up” in both my work and Gabe’s college classes and therefore finding little time to write posts as often as we’d like, we still DAILY feel held in the love and affection we feel from all of you – Gabe’s blog readers and supporters. Your care and interest continue to act as a daily vitamin for our spirits as we take our next steps forward, toward Gabe’s walking, and on into life..!

WIth love~

Niika

Valor Ceremony Honored our Hero: Jorge! (Niika writes)

Posted by: gabesalive on: February 17, 2010

from left to right: Col Fuentes, Jorge Rivero, LTC Juan Mattos Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Captain Ray Lasso Troop "B" Regional Commander

On February 2nd, Jorge Rivero received an award of valor in a special  group ceremony by New JErsey State Troopers at the Headquarters in Trenton, NJ.

Sergeant Jullian Castellanos, who emceed the award ceremony, wrote this email to me after the ceremony, and included the wonderful photos of Jorge being honored. (If you look closely, you can see Jorge’s left leg is bandaged as he recovers from his own injury that broke his leg terribly – a sudden and painful fall on the ice in December.)

Here is Sergeant Jullian’s message to me:

“Hello Niika,

We presented 10 certificates for various acts of bravery and service.

Jorge accept the Valor Award from Colonel Joseph "Rick" Fuentes

The Sergeant went on, “I purposely left Jorge’s moment for last. I read Gabe’s  letter to Jorge. The audience, including me, was very moved.  Jorge received a standing ovation from the entire audience of approximately 100 persons, from the Command Staff of the New Jersey State Police and the award recipients, to the family and friends of Jorge and other attendees.”

How caring for the Sergeant to correspond with me, and allow Gabe’s letter to be read, even though we were unable to attend the ceremony in person.

Here is the letter Gabe wrote, which was read at the ceremony:

“To all who have gathered to commend the bravery and action of Jorge Rivero: My name is Gabe Goreham. I am the young man whose life was saved by Jorge on May 11th, when I lost both of my legs in a terrible accident and I lay bleeding on the roadside alone.

The simple truth is this: I wouldn’t be here today with out Jorge. I am so glad to have a second lease on life. Every day since my accident, I wake up feeling happy to be alive. I never could experienced this if Jorge hadn’t taken the actions he did to save my life.

I think it takes a lot of courage to do what Jorge did-pulling over and helping  me – a complete stranger – on the side of the road. He truly
deserves this valor award and I am so happy he is having this moment of official recognition.

Jorge and his family have been so so supportive of my recovery and, I couldn’t have made it this far without them. He is truly an amazing friend, and I love him very much.

I plan to take my second chance at life, and always make the best of whatever is ahead, and be happy.

Thanks to Jorge I get to wake up every day and do that.

Thank you Jorge. I will always be grateful to you.”

Jorge Standing Proud with Gina and the kids

A few days ago, Jorge’s beautiful wife, Gina, offered her own words as a comment here on Gabe’s  blog, which I re-post here for all to read and appreciate:

“That’s my husband and I’m so proud of him !!!

He’s is still so uncomfortable with everyone congratulating him. I tell him, ‘Honey you did such a wonderful thing. So many people love Gabe and would have lost him, and you spared a mother of losing her only child.’

Unfortunately people don’t normally stop to help each other. All Jorge wants is for people to start helping each other. He’s always saying, ‘I hope everyone touched by Gabe’s rescue will stop for someone.’ and so on..!

Gabe wrote a beautiful letter about Jorge that was read at the ceremony and it touched everyone there. God bless Gabe for loving life and being such a great example of getting back up when you get knocked down. You are an inspiration to all.

I also have to mention Niika is an amazing person as well. I pray for your strength. I know you dedicated your life to helping women heal and I believe God smiled at you when he gave Gabe back to you.

Hope all is well with you both.

Love, Gina”

Jorge Rivero with his etended Family outside the New Jersey State Police Museum

Jorge – We are so deeply delighted to see you honored in this way. No doubt, Gabe and I will be thanking you–finding big and small ways to do that–all our lives! So, we hope you’ll just get used to that, and enjoy any good things that can come to you, because you truly deserve all happiness!

And of course, we can’t encourage everyone strongly enough: If you see an accident, or someone in trouble, don’t just carry on with your day if you can help. Stop. See what you can do…! Know the numbers for emergency assistance in your area and program them into your cell phone. Maybe even take a weekend to  get some CPR and First Aid  training soon! What could be better than saving a life?

Gabe is ALIVE today, because this one beautiful man–Jorge–took action. We all have the power to bestow blessings on each other!

With love and immeasurable appreciation for Jorge, his family and all earth-bound angels out there!

Niika

Jorge Rivero

Jorge Rivero - Our Hero ! - with his son Chris, and Gabe as he waited for surgery in hospital, June 2009

We got some incredibly great news yesterday…! For his bravery and stopping to help a stranger in need, Jorge has been selected by the New Jersey State Troopers to receive an Award of Valor next week.

You are invited to attend this ceremony honoring Jorge, to commend the actions he took to save Gabe’s life on May 11th, 2009.

We hear that 17 state troopers and two FBI agents are receiving similar recognition. But for us, the lone civilian in the group – Jorge – is the most deserving of all…Jorge Rivero is the wonderful man who had the bravery and clarity of mind to stop and help Gabe as he lay in a pool of blood on the roadside, moments after his legs had been torn from his body and he’d been dragged a terrible distance by a box truck.  If Jorge hadn’t stopped his car, applied a belt to tourniquette Gabe’s fast-bleeding wounds and phoned for the Medi-vac just exactly as he did, Gabe would certainly have quickly bled to death.

Gabe really wants to attend the ceremony to express his gratitude publicly, but he can’t get away from his first semester of college classes and cross the country again so soon.  I  spent hours on the phone yesterday with the airlines trying to re-arrange my ticket back to work in India, but there are no open seats on outgoing flights from the East Coast that will allow me to attend the Awards Ceremony and still arrive in Kerala, in time for the responsibilities I must fulfill there.

But Gabe and I did get to spend some time with Jorge on Skype tonight, and tell him once again HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM and HOW HAPPY WE ARE that he will receive this official recognition. He deserves this so much! We’re not only grateful, we are just super proud of Jorge!

I phoned the New Jersey State Police Headquarters in Trenton, and spoke to Seargeant Julian Castellanos about the ceremony. Family and friends of Gabe and Jorge are more than welcome to attend this important ceremony.

Location:  New Jersey State Police Museum • 1026 River Road • West Trenton, NJ •  08628 (This is a very scenic location!)

Day:   Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Time:   2pm (please arrive by 1:30pm)

RSVP: Phone Sergeant Castellanos at 609-882-2000 ext 6515.

Jorge is brave and strong, but he is far from being  a prideful man. At first, he declined to accept the award, saying that for him, the fact that Gabe survived and is doing so well was more than enough return on his investment of time and care on the afternoon of May 11th. But the State Trooper who nominated Jorge told him that one important reason to accept the award, is to inspire other people to stop and help strangers in need, instead of driving by without taking action.

Though Gabe and I were in no position to even begin to repay our debt to him, Jorge, his son Chris and his beautiful wife Gina visited us while Gabe lay in his hospital bed. They brought comfort treats for me, and huge to go boxes of Gabe’s favorite treat – sushi! Jorge helped drive family visitors to the airport, and was one of the people that helped keep Gabe’s spirits up as he faced all he went thru during the long weeks in hospital.

On December 3rd, Jorge suffered a bad fall, fracturing his leg in 5 places. He told us that as he lay on the ice in great pain, unable to stand, his thoughts of Gabe’s will to live and all Gabe’s gone thru to re-engage his life post-accident, gave him the strength to bear the pain. What a beautiful heart Jorge has! He tells us he is healing well, but is still facing limited movement and more time required for recovery.

To Jorge – Although we can’t be there in person on the big day, we WILL SALUTE YOU and always hold you in the highest esteem in our hearts and minds. We pray that your body fully heals, and quickly, and that you are able to enjoy all of your life, knowing you’ve made the greatest contribution by your willingness to take action, and save a young life.

To our readers - If you are able to attend this ceremony, please do! Help to represent us to honor Jorge on this special day. If you can, write to us with a description of the event, and send us photos! We’ll be thrilled to post all contributions on this blog, which we will always be a testimonial to Jorge, by virtue of Gabe’s very existence still here on the planet with us all.

Thanks to Jorge – Gabe’s Alive!

With love and appreciation~

Niika

Doggie Time! (Niika writes)

Posted by: gabesalive on: January 21, 2010

Young Gabe with our family dog in those days, Paka

Hello all supporters!

It’s been much too long since I’ve posted, and I have a lot to tell you about all that’s gone on in the last many weeks.I hope to post a longer blog this weekend with juicy details of Gabe’s exploits and our progress in setting up his new life!
But first – here’s a request I feel compelled to put out to the universe:
Gabe needs a loving dog companion, and soon would be great!

Starting a new life, in a new body, in a new place –without the continuity of friends– is a truly enormous challenge.  And what helps us all meet our life challenges more than positive relationship, love and affection???

We’ve been planning on finding a wonderful dog companion for Gabe, and it seems the time is now. (If you know Gabe, you know he’s a big cuddle bug!)

Gabe’s done quite a bit of research. He looked deeply into registering to receive a dog that’s trained to assist a disabled person, but discovered there are long waiting lists for these highly trained pups. He thought about it, and realized that if there are waiting lists, then there are people who need help with physical tasks even more than he does, and he wouldn’t want to displace anyone’s chance to have the function they can only get from receiving a dog of this kind.

While a well-trained dog could be helpful to Gabe practically, his main priority is to welcome a well-behaved companion dog into his life. What kind of dog is Gabe hoping for? Well, maybe a Golden Retriever, or maybe a chihuahua. Maybe a small or medium-sized mutt. He’s up for a puppy with training support, but could also love a mature, calm dog who loves to connect.  Gabe understands the realities of living with and caring for a pooch, and he’s ready and willing…!

We’ve found more heart-felt wishes answered thru this blog than we could have ever imagined, so I’m sending up this prayer: May Gabe enjoy the love, warmth and companionship of a furry friend–and soon!

If you have any good pup ideas or resources,  we’d love to hear from you.

If you have connections to a reputable breeder, rescuer or trainer who might be able to hook Gabe up with a suitable canine pal, drop us a line!

With vast appreciation for your love, care and prayers~

Niika

I just wanted to put a few more details out there about the last few weeks, and things to come I didn’t get to mention in my video. Being back home in New Jersey was a lot of fun. There were some people I didn’t get to see, which  was sad, but for the most part it was a great time. With the help of good friends who paid for my ticket, I flew across the country on my own, and I feel OK now about being wheeled around the airport and strapped into the little aisle chair on the plane. Much better than when I flew to California after rehab. I even used the plane bathroom, so that’s progress!

I did a lot of fun stuff with my friends out there – we went to a hockey game and a comedy club in NYC, which was hilarious! I found out that I can get on the train, and even get in and out of cabs, without too much hassle for anyone, and it was exciting to feel that so much in life will still be possible. I got to meet my mom who just got back from India for Christmas morning and dinner which we shared with my very close friends. I got to thank some of my supporters, and I even got a little dental work which was donated by a very kind dentist. All-in-all, it couldn’t have been a better trip.

NJ Christmas with Mom, Nancy & Cathryn

As soon as I got back to Santa Rosa the first week of January, school started right up and I have been at school almost all the time. For the first time I can ever remember, school is actually fun and enjoyable. So our new house is perfect for me. It’s all hard wood floors and rooms with a lot of space plus its only 2 blocks from my college which majorly cuts down on driving and gives me a reason to get extra exercise every day. My mom spent a long time trying to find a place to rent that would be accessible for my wheelchair. She started looking for inexpensive apartments, but discovered all older apartments here have very narrow doorways – too small for the wheelchair. Newer apartments are super expensive, so she started looking at houses, but they all had stairs and other problems. She found a one-story house near my school, and the landlord remodeled the bathroom so my chair can fit in. My God-dad Don and our friend Len built a pretty smooth ramp to get me in the back door, so I’m literally rolling right along in and out of my house now. People can be really nice sometimes!

I still want to play basketball but it’s going to be hard to fit it in with every thing else that’s going on. Still, I may go up to Sacramento to play in a few weeks. Speaking of sports I have been very interested in trying out the disabled hockey I’ve seen, so if any one has any info about that I would love to know more.

I’ll be seeing my prosthetist in a few days. My surgeon says the skin is tough enough on the ends of my legs that I can try to start standing up with some kinds of supports – the first step toward walking! And one more big thing going on in my life will be my birthday!  I’ll be turning twenty in a few days, and since I barley made it this far, I have a feeling its going to be a great birthday.

I love all u guys out there and hope your holidays were great.

Gabe

Yoga for Gabe ~ Yoga Unites! (Niika writes)

Posted by: gabesalive on: December 7, 2009

Amy Pizzarello, a yoga teacher from New Jersey– and the wonderful community at Prana Yoga in Pottersville, NJ – offer all the proceeds from Amy’s classes to charity. Yoga means “yoke” or “union.” A main purpose of physical yoga is to re-unite the body, breath and mind. And yoga can also be a great way to come together – to unite in community….!

For the months of December 2009, January 2010 and February 2010, Amy’s  yoga classess will raise funds to help Gabe unite with a new set of legs!

Amy Pizzarello
Amy Pizzarello
(Showing affection to an elephant friend in India)

To learn more about the fundraiser classes for Gabe, and the Prana Yoga studio in Pottersville, NJ,

click here: http://www.pranayoganj.com/

Gabe Tries Headstand

Gabe Tries Headstand Pose at his Aunt Kaitlin’s House

Here’s what Amy wrote when announcing this special series of classes devoted to Gabe:

Dear Students and teachers of the Prana Yoga Charity Class (held Monday mornings, 9:30 – 11 am)

Over the next three months, we will be raising money for The Gabe Fund, to help a family who have been wonderful members of the local yoga community for many years, and are now in desperate need.

Niika Quistgard is a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner who lived and practiced in Hunterdon County for many years, during which time she also founded a clinic in India (Rasa Ayurveda Healing Center for Women).  She is a single mother, without medical insurance, who has dedicated her life to healing others.  In May, her only son Gabe was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident, which came very close to taking his life.  Fortunately Gabe survived, but he lost both of his legs mid thigh.

We chose Gabe’s cause for several reasons:  Obviously, any parent can imagine the horor of watching an only son go through this pain and torment, and fearing that one may not be able to provide him with the very best care and/or prosthetics because of financial reasons.  Additionally, we are drawn to the idea of supporting a local family… particularly such a giving member of the yoga community.  As we all know, it is very difficult to make a living as a yoga teacher / healer… particularly for a single mother.  Those who do it do it to serve others, to share the beauty of the gift of these ancient practices.  And in their time of need, these teachers and healers deserve our support.

Hope to see you in class!       Amy Pizzarello

To learn more about Amy Pizzarello’s yoga charity work, click here: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090708/GETPUBLISHED/907080328/Local-Yoga-Studio-Works-to-Help-Those-in-Need

To Amy and the folks at Prana Yoga in Pottersville, NJ  –

Thank you so much for caring for Gabe’s future!

With love,

Niika

Raffle Players & Winners… We’re Grateful for YOU!

Posted by: gabesalive on: December 2, 2009

So much to be grateful for...!

Guess who Gabe’s been feeling thankful for, days after Thanksgiving???

… Well, how about all his supporters who created,  helped organize and participated in raffle fundraisers in New Jersey! ? ! Words can never express our appreciation!

We just got the final total raised by the Clinton, NJ,  raffle, created by Bethe Frazer at Coldwell Banker

$2,764 !!!

And who won the fabulous prizes?

Laurie Petro from Annadale won the Taste of Hunterdon Gift Basket!

Angela Passe from Bethlehem, PA won the Amazon Kindle!

Debbie Walker of Annandale won the Net Book PC!

We hope each winner enjoys their prize, and that every contributor enjoys the feeling of knowing they have contributed directly to Gabe’s recovery and progress. Just thinking of your support really does bring us strength, and puts smiles on our faces!

With love and appreciation~

Niika

UPdate Mid-November (Gabe’s video & Niika writes)

Posted by: gabesalive on: November 21, 2009

Niika writes:

Isn’t Gabe looking good?

It’s amazing to see him doing so well, especially now that I have taken a few weeks to return to my clinic in Kerala, India – Rasa Ayurveda – and like you, I’m watching Gabe on the screen and not seeing him in person this week!

What has been accomplished so far can never be fully explained, but I’m feeling really grateful and satisfied to see that Gabe has not only survived, but he’s now in school, driving, set up with a good medical support team… There is a long path to tread still, to get him up onto legs and fully back into life, but he’s really made enormous progress and I’m sure he will continue.

In this last month before leaving for Kerala, while juggling work responsibilities and Gabe’s care, I was able to hire and train an assistant to help out with things Gabe can’t do just yet – Suzy (She’s great!), and also rented an accessible house (This was not an easy task!) near Gabe’s college for us to share for the next year or so, while Gabe faces more surgeries and healing and hits his stride in attending college.

Our move in date is December 1st, but dear friends in New Jersey are sponsoring Gabe’s travel back there for the holidays. I’ll meet Gabe there for Christmas on my way back from my “other home” in India.

Come January 1st, it’ll be time to set up the house as a functional and healing environment for Gabe and myself. We’ve been so fortunate to be cared for by so many friends, but it will be a special kind of restoration to settle down in a place of our own.

Just FYI -  We are in real need of furniture for the house! If you live in Sonoma County and have items you don’t need anymore, please call our assistant Suzy at 707-484-1754. We need pretty much everything!

Gabe and I send you blessings for a very peaceful and enjoyable Thanksgiving, wherever you are. One thing is for certain – while Gabe will celebrate the holiday at Grandma’s house, and I’ll be here on the other side of the world – maybe sipping a bowl of pumpkin soup – We’ll BOTH BE OFFERING OUR PRAYERS OF GRATITUDE FOR THE SUPPORT WE’VE RECEIVED FROM ALL OF YOU THRU THIS DEEPLY CHALLENGING PERIOD OF THE LAST 6 MONTHS.

BLESS YOU ALL!

With love,

Niika

P.S. – Two fund-raising raffles sponsored by dear supporters in Clinton, NJ and Cherry Hill near Philadelphia are nearing their drawing dates! If you’d like last-minute tickets, it’s not too late! Click on  How You Can Help for info… We’ll be announcing winners here on the blog… Good Luck and Thank You for Supporting Gabe!

November 1 UPdate (Gabe’s video)

Posted by: gabesalive on: November 4, 2009

Due to Mom’s technical difficulties, this post is a little late! And a little unsynched…

All the information for the fundraisers Gabe mentions can be found right here:

http://gabesalive.wordpress.com/having-fun-raising-funds/

Thank you all for your kind involvement and support!

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