Before we share the most recent update, with Father’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to be sure to thank our dad for everything he’s done for and continues to do. Without him, we don’t know where we’d be. So many have given so much of their time, skill and personal resources to help take care of Kevin. But our Dad has been there through it all. So Dad, thank you for all that you do. We love you and couldn’t do all that we do with out you.
As many of you know, our dad is a kind of a baseball fan — and an even bigger fan of the Phillies. This past weekend he and Kathy were able to make a quick trip up to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. We wanted to thank everyone who came to the house for the weekend to help make the trip possible. Here are a couple pictures from the trip:

And now an update on Kevin.
Speaking of the Phillies, Kevin went to his first Phillies game this season on June 2nd and stayed until Charlie pulled Cliff Lee with a 7-1 lead. The bullpen made it hairy but the Phils won and Kevin had a great time. We took both of Kevin’s nurses to the game (Chris L. and Chris B.), got a free tee shirt, and the seats worked out great. Looking forward to getting to more games more often.
Kevin also had an appointment at Magee to look at assistive technology and came home with some pretty interesting ideas for things that will help Kevin to communicate more easily. We ordered a phone system which should be installed in late June and which Kevin will be able to utilize through his head array. Once we get it up and running we think it will be of great benefit to Kevin and will give him more ways to communicate with his friends and eventually utilize when he gets back to working.

The addition to the house is almost completely finished and Kevin is getting used to the new accommodations. He has more freedom to move around and more room/privacy to have guests. It has been a real help, and we are tremendously grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. Please feel free to stop in to see Kevin. (It always helps to call first to make sure we’re home.)

FOKN Golfin’ Update

The golf tournament is fast approaching and we urge you to sign up as soon as possible. As of today twenty five percent of the slots are sold and we have commitments for five to ten more foursomes. Don’t get shut out of this fun event! If you know anyone that would like to contribute prizes or giveaways to the event please let Bill Burland (burlandbill@gmail.com) know.

Sign up today: http://fokngolfin.eventbrite.com/#

As always, thank you all!

One more piece of the addition is now complete.  Thanks to the hard work of a volunteer crew a new deck has been added to the house that Kevin can easily access.  Now Kevin can enjoy the warm weather by going out the side door or the back door we just installed that will connect to the kitchen.  One of the next steps our dad is taking is to reconfigure a few parts of the house to give some of the hallways and rooms just a little more clearance and some more direct lines of sight.  Here are a few pictures of the new outside space.  Please stop over and check it out! As always, thank you all for your continued support!

As you know, the Friends of Kevin Neary (FOKN) will host the inaugural FOKN Golf Outing on Monday, September 16, 2013 at the Wyncote Golf Club in Oxford, Pa.

We seek your help.

The event, set for 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 pm, will celebrate Kevin’s 31st birthday and help raise funds to support his continued medical care and other unmet needs.  (Reminder:   The KN Special Needs Trust is NOT a charitable trust; gifts to the trust are NOT tax deductible.)

All are invited for a fun day of golf, lunch, prizes and a silent auction –to benefit Kevin!

We hope to have 108 golfers attend.

How can you help?

We need golfers (and thank all of you who have already signed up)!  Consider signing up, passing this message along to friends, and helping us promote the event. If you are thinking about signing up and have question please contact anyone of us!

Register online at: http://fokngolfin.eventbrite.com/#

We need sponsors!    Whether or not you plan to golf, please consider sponsoring the event.   Check the site for more details.

For further information on donors, please contact:

Bill Burland at burlandbill@gmail.com

We need silent auction items!   Would anyone reading this consider donating an item for the silent auction, or passing this message on to someone who might donate?    Sporting events, sports paraphernalia,  restaurants…..we’d like to get two dozen great auction items.

We need swag bag items!   Have something  to offer?   Have any ideas we should consider?   Bottled water, keychains, tees, trail mix, mugs, visors, snacks, something else?

For further information or suggestions for auction items or swag bag donations, please contact:
Kellyc51@comcast.net.

We have been overwhelmed by the kindness  and generosity people have shown for past fundraising events, and appreciate so much your letting us reach out to you again.

The biggest news we have to share is that Kevin is now getting settled into his new section of the house.  Thanks to the hard work of so many volunteers, Kevin has been spending the past 2 weeks getting acclimated to the new surroundings. 

One of the newest features that has really improved this for the nurses, our dad and Kevin is the automatic lift system.  Having this in place cuts the time it takes to get Kevin in and out of bed, into the shower or into his chair.  It is also much safer and more comfortable than the portable lift we have been using for the past year.   Thanks to Closets by Design, Kevin’s space is well organized and his belonings are finally getting uppacked and moved out of storage in the basement. it is really starting to feel like his place.

There are a few things that are still in the works.  The outside railing for his ramp, a new deck to create an accessible outside space and of course finding the right furniture are all in progress. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of how things are coming along.

Now that there is a little bit more space we want to encourage everyone to visit Kevin as often as you can. As much as he would love to be able to pick up and head into the city or take a trip to see his friends and family, the logistics are sometimes a bit daunting. So if you can swing by, even for a little, I am sure he would appreciate it.

One final note, registration is open for the FOKN Golf Outing this September.  Please visit http://fokngolfin.eventbrite.com/# for more information. (Thanks to Jessica Ewing for creating the event poster!)

Save The Date – FOKN Golf Outing!  Monday, September 16, 2013

Registration is now OPEN at  http://fokngolfin.eventbrite.com/#

We’re celebrating Kevin’s  31^st birthday with the Inaugural FOKN Golf Tournament  to help raise funds to support his continued medical care and other unmet needs.

Bring your family, friends and coworkers for a fun day of golf, lunch and a silent auction!

What:  FOKN Inaugural Golf Outing

When:  Monday, September 16, 2013    9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Where:  Wyncote Golf Club, Oxford, Pa.  http://www.wyncote.com/

Why:      KEVIN!

Register :   http://fokngolfin.eventbrite.com/#

Contact:    Bill Burland at burlandbill@gmail.com or Chris Kelly at kellyc51@comcast.net

We just wanted to share a few new photos of some of the new equipment that was just installed in Kevin’s space.  First we added a new security system to help monitor Kevin at night and give him a little more privacy. Also added are new power lifts.  For those who visited Kevin at Magee Rehab Hospital you have seen these before.  These lifts will allow for smoother, safer transfers in and out of his bed and shower.  We also included a photo of the new bathroom tile in his shower.

We will share more as we finalize his space.   Again, thank you all for all you do for Kevin and our family!

Just a quick up date to highlight the new floors in the addition.  This is one of the last steps before Kevin gets to move in to his new surroundings. In the photos here you can see the watertight flooring in the bathroom, the view from Kevin’s room with the bathroom to the right and the main room and kitchen through the doorway, a view of the main room looking towards a sliding glass door where a deck will go this summer and a view of the new ramp access into the kitchen.

Thank you all! More to come soon!

  th

Well there is not too much new to report, so we thought we would share some pictures.  The siding is nearly complete, the bathroom in Kevin’s room is moving right along, and the closet doors have been added.  You can also see that the ramp from Kevin’s living space to the kitchen is in and the old windows have been removed!

These finishing touches should be complete in the near future and Kevin will be moving into his new space in the very near future.

We wanted to share some new photos of the addition.  It gets closer and closer to being complete each day.  The crew just put on a fresh coat of paint on the inside and some new siding on the exterior.

Just a quick update.

We wanted to remind everyone about the Cuts for Kevin event at Lakshmi Salon in Philadelphia.  The event runs from 11 – 2 today.

Kevin had hoped to make the event, but due to some blood pressure and temperature issues that forced some hospital visits, Kevin will need the day to rest and recooperate. If you had planned on visiting the house today please call ahead.  Kevin got home from the hospital around 5:30 this morning and will be trying to catch up on some sleep. Wea ll know how quiet and restful emergency rooms can be…

In other news, the drywall and the siding on the addition are almost complete.  We will post more photos in a day or two.

Thanks everyone!