It was early March of 2015 when Gershon returned to his classroom after recess. Instead of sitting down like the other students, Gershon walked to his desk and paused. His 5th grade teacher, Jami Dean, told him to sit down, but Gershon offered only an absent gaze. Finally, Gershon took a seat. As her lecture began Gershon’s arm shot up suddenly, but not voluntarily, almost a knee-jerk reaction.
Gershon? You have a question?
Nothing. Something is wrong. He’s usually such a well-mannered student. This isn’t like Gershon.
Gershon’s erratic behavior continued for two weeks until March 21st, a Saturday. His mother Carla described the day that his behavioral ticks revealed something much more alarming lurking beneath.
“Gershon woke up and told me he had to go to the bathroom, which was unusual. He went in the bathroom and stood there. Finally he walked back into the doorway and his eyes rolled to the back of his head and a thick liquid fell from the corner of his mouth. He collapsed in my arms. That was the last time I saw Gershon in many ways. By the time Gershon arrived at the hospital, he was already in a coma. The doctors told me they didn’t expect him to make it. I couldn’t believe it.”
What happened?
Gershon was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM): AVM affects less than 3,000 people in the United States every year. A simple way to understand AVM is that arteries are responsible for taking oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. Veins carry oxygen depleted blood back to the lungs and heart. AVM is a tangle, a knot, of abnormal blood vessels in the brain that disrupts the process. In Gershon’s case it creates a massive fluid backup in his lungs and throat, so much so that he is unable to speak. When he tries, the result is a gurgling, choking episode. It’s difficult to watch.
Gershon spent 5 months in the hospital, one of them in a coma. He endured 4 brain surgeries while comatose and miraculously survived, only to have 3 more brain surgeries after he regained consciousness. Physically, Gershon could only blink his eyes at first. Slowly, he regained head movement and the ability to raise his arms. With any luck, he may even walk and talk again. Nobody knows. For now, he is wheelchair bound.
It is often said that God will never give us more than we can handle, but this is pushing it.
Gershon’s 5th grade teacher, Jami Dean, visited him in the hospital. After the visit, Carla walked Jami out of the hospital only to notice that her own car was missing. Carla’s car had been stolen from the hospital. Talk about adding insult to injury. I could go on for days about what kind of amoral individual it takes to go car jacking at a hospital but it doesn’t get you anywhere. You have to work the problem.
That day, 5th grade teacher Jami Dean worked the problem. There in the parking lot Jami told Carla she needed to contact a group called Chive Charities…
Donate RIGHT HERE!
UPDATE: You guys are incredible!! You just blew by our 10 grand goal and are approaching 25k!!
UPDATE #2: Sorry for the delay here I’ve been on a plane en route to tomorrow’s big San Francisco meetup and just landed to see Gershon’s campaign at $33,000! Gershon’s mother, Carla, is in shock. I don’t think she understood what was about to happen. Amazing. It must be such a long journey’s end…
Late night Chivers, the stage is yours.
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