CEM’s Ron Dart

Dixon Cartwright of The Journal sent me the following which is from the wife of CEM’s Ronald Dart:

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 11:57 AM, CDT

I am so sorry that some of you have had difficulty getting positive information about Ron’s condition. Most encouraging improvements continue to be made. While you were at the Feast, a team from East Texas Medical Center came to our house to assess Ron for 60 days of skilled home health which would include physical and speech therapy. After the team ran their test and talked with Ron the RN, who had known Ron when he was a boy, said, “Mr. Dart, when I came out here, I had expected you to need skilled home health care. I hadn’t expected you to be up, walking, and talking like you’re doing. You don’t need it. What we are recommending is that you start out-patient therapy.” What this meant is that Ron was at least 60 days ahead of what they expected him to be at that time. Ron is now going to physical and speech therapy three times a week as an out-patient. Day before yesterday he walked up our steep 85′ driveway and to the end of the cul-de-sac and back. Even though Ron does walk some in and around the house without a walker, I don’t want anyone to think he did the cul-de-sac without it. Ron’s speech is improving very well. Yesterday as we drove to file our 2009 income taxes, he talked for 2.5 miles and never used an aphasia word one time (stroke and brain injured patients often can’t pull the correct word out of the brain, so they substitute a word that may not even be a word). He spoke in well-thought-out complete sentences. This is certainly not the first time he’s done this, but I was so thrilled when I noticed for 2.5 miles he did such a great job with his speech. Ron and I would certainly appreciate your continued prayers for Ron’s complete and speedy recovery.

Now it’s time to go walk the cul-de-sac again.

Allie Dart

Ron Dart has had a lot of health issues in the past year or so.