As you all know Kevin is dependent on a number of machines to help keep him alive and comfortable.  With out power, many of these would not function for a long period of time.  With Hurricane Sandy getting closer and closer by the hour we have no idea what power may or may not be online over the next few days. 

Thanks to your generosity and support, we were able to purchase and install a back up generator for the entire house a few months ago.  Your support will keep the ventilator working, his power chair charged, and the house a comfortable temperature.  We cannot thank you enough for the peace of mind your support has provided.

Please stay safe and as dry as possible.

While it has been a fairly quiet two weeks since our last update, there has been a great deal of activity going on behind the scenes.

Kevin seems to be doing pretty well.  He has had the chance to get out of the house a few times of the past few weeks.  Thanks to Aunts Peggy and Marianne, Kevin and a few nurses made a little trip to Delaware Park to visit the casino and have a little fun.  The Neary-Kelly clan made a visit and helped get Kevin back into the city for dinner at St. Stephen’s Green.  While we had hoped to make it down to the Piazza, we had a little van trouble and had to call it an early night.  Thanks to everyone who tried to make it out that night. We hope to do it again soon.

Yesterday Kevin had a small procedure to implant a new type of catheter.  The doctors hope this will reduce the risk of infection and facilitate easier changes.   We are happy to report all went very well and he was home the same day.

House Update

We are moving pretty quickly on getting things started with the house.  This Friday the architects will be back out to the house to review the final plans and the permits for the addition are also in progress. We have connected with a group in Minnesota, Design Accessibility (www.accessibilitydesign.com), to do a final review of the plans and make suggestions to create the best possible environment for Kevin.  If anyone has suggestions or is interested in contributing to the project please contact us.

As most of you know, it has been a busy few weeks for Kevin and our family. We had a tremendous event at Citizens Bank Park, where hundreds of people came out to celebrate Kevin’s 30th birthday. We also were able to get some closure with the sentencing of Kevin’s shooter.

Since those events, it has been a quiet few weeks for Kevin. He has been largely healthy, with a small infection setback that has been cleared up. He’s had a lot of visitors and has been able to get out a bit. All things considered, he is doing pretty well.

Next step: Addition to the house

Before we summarize the events of the past month and thank people for their support, we wanted to let everyone know that we are hoping to get started on the addition to the house soon. This is really exciting news, since the addition will be suited to Kevin’s needs and should make life easier for all of us. We would not be able to make this step without your support, so we want to again thank all of your for your generosity.

We are looking to build technologies and accessibility upgrades into the space, and we are happy to have any input. Kevin’s cousin, the amazing Jennifer Stryker, will be collecting information and suggestions on room design, assistive technologies, and others issues for the team working on the project. Of course, it makes the most sense to build these technologies into the layout, so we welcome your suggestions now. If you have any suggestions, please drop Jennifer a note at jenniferstryker@verizon.net.

Sentencing coverage

For those who missed it, there were some really great pieces in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily Times covering the sentencing process. In addition, there was some local TV coverage. We recommend those curious about how the week’s events unfolded visit any of the following:

Philadelphia Inquirer

Daily Times 

Action News

NBC 10

CBS-3

Kevin’s 30^th Birthday Event at Citizens Bank Party

Kevin’s birthday party was a smashing success. We had over four hundred attendees, but with the “Friends of Kevin Neary” logo on the big screen at Citizens Bank Park, it seemed like a city-wide party. We are tremendously grateful to so many people for their donations, attendance, and support – especially the Phillies and the Friends of Kevin Neary committee who pulled together such a fantastic event. With all of your help, we raised over $20,000 for the Kevin Neary Trust, which is going to go a long way! But even more importantly, Kevin had a really great time and loved seeing everyone in one of his favorite places.

For photos from the event, click here: http://christinacelenzaphotography.zenfolio.com/p794177827

That’s all for now — we will have updates as the house progresses. Thanks again for everyone’s support!