May 7, 2012: Blog Finale

Dear Friends and Family,

It seems impossible that 18 months have passed since my last entry. I thought it time to finally put a close to this chapter in Kevin, Sarah, and Joshua's lives and thought the 5-year anniversary would be a good time to do it. Yes, five years ago today, May 7, is when Kevin took that fateful fall from that ladder, but it has been simply amazing what God has done in all that time.

Joshua is doing great and he is a precious, adorable little boy. Yes, I love him to pieces. For the first year of his life Kevin and I took care of him during the day while Sarah worked. Most days she dropped the two of them at our house before work and then came by at her lunch break to have time with Joshua. It was so much fun watching Kevin take care of this little guy. To say he was a devoted, caring dad is putting it mildly. He never let him out of his sight, even sitting in his room while he napped so he would be right there when he woke. Watching them at feeding time was a riot. One day when Joshua was about six months old Kevin was feeding him and there was more food on Joshua's face than in his mouth. I commented on it and Kevin quickly quipped, "Well, that's what you get for having a blind man feed a baby!"

Joshua has been walking for a good six months now and is saying quite a number of words, and of course, my favorite is "maw maw" (translation: grandma). Not to boast, but he seems to understand just about everything you tell him. He has always been a sweet-natured, easy-going little guy. I have told Kevin and Sarah they don't know how fortunate they are. We are waiting to see what the "terrible two's" have in store for us.

Kevin's Worker's Comp. case closed last summer; finally! The settlement wasn't as good as they had hoped but Kevin was just glad it was finally over and knew God would continue to provide.

Kevin had started working with a rehabilitation organization shortly before his settlement closed. They were helping to find out what kind of job he might be suited to, helping him get his resume in order and practiced interviewing skills with him. They sent him several job openings but each one had something in the job description that he was incapable of doing. He was getting pretty discouraged that there would be no job he could do. But God had better plans. Last November he was approached by a friend and was told of a job opening at the company where he worked. Kevin applied for it, and long story, short, he started working the week before Thanksgiving. He is working for a company that, of all things, supplies safety equipment. He was hired to recalibrate gas monitors. These monitors, used by underground workers, measure oxygen levels as well as any noxious fumes and have to be recalibrated once a month. Kevin has done well at the job and has since been given even more responsibilities. The other blessing is that his friend lives just down the road from him so he picks him up in the morning and takes him home at night.

Because of Kevin's new job Sarah was able to leave her job at Biola in January and be the stay-at-home mom she has always wanted to be. It is such a joy to see the bond between Sarah and Joshua growing the way it is meant to be. Grandma still gets to babysit a few times a week and loves every minute of it. Shortly after Sarah left her job at Biola she started working as a Chocolatier for Dove Chocolates selling specialty chocolates at home parties. She has done pretty well at it so far and just hopes she keeps getting more people to book parties.

Kevin and Sarah had been living in an upstairs apartment which has proved to be difficult for Kevin because he cannot carry Joshua up or down the stairs. So several months ago Sarah asked the management, based on Kevin's disability, if they could have a downstairs apartment for the same price they were paying for their upstairs one. They agreed, and this past month they were able to move into a downstairs apartment. What makes it even more wonderful is they now have two bathrooms instead of one, a slightly larger living room, an extra closet, and a small fenced-in backyard. Kevin and Everett planted grass in it last weekend and Joshua can't wait for it to grow so he can get out there and play.

As we look back over the past five years we see God's hand of blessing at every turn. So as I bring this Blog/journal to an end, I want to say we are forever grateful to all of you who have literally held us up in your prayers. God has answered in mighty and awesome ways and we give Him all the praise and glory while we thank you for persevering with us on this journey.

Grace and Peace,
Tami (for the whole Hollar family)

October 21, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

May I have a drum roll, please! We are praising the Lord for Joshua Scott Hollar who was born yesterday afternoon (October 20) at 2:37 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and is 20 inches long. And, I am not prejudiced when I say he is absolutely the most beautiful baby in the world. Kevin and Sarah are doing great and Sarah will probably go home tomorrow.

The doctor was in this morning to examine Joshua and noticed that he had a little bit of a heart murmur. He did say that this was not out of the ordinary for a newborn and it usually clears up the first day. He said if the pediatrician still detected it tomorrow they would do an echocardiogram to check it out. So, we do ask for pray that it clears up on its own and that Joshua is perfectly fine.

The ecstatic grandma,
Tami

October 1, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We are counting down the days until Joshua's arrival. His due date has been changed to October 14, give or take a couple of days. That's only two weeks! Sarah is doing well. I am happy to report she does not have gestational diabetes. Thank you for your prayers in that matter. Sarah's last day of work before her leave of absence is October 6. She will return to work on February 1st. After that Kevin and I will be in charge of the daytime care of Joshua. This is going to be a big time change for me and I would really appreciate your prayers. I know it is going to be a lot of fun, but a lot of work at the same time.

Things are moving forward in Kevin's settlement, at least we think it is. Due to some unfortunate circumstances we do not believe he will receive 100% disability. Your prayers would be appreciated toward this end. Kevin's lawyer has been playing "Ping-Pong" with the Worker's Comp. lawyers trying to get Kevin the fairest settlement possible. I praise God he is in charge of all of this and we are all confident, no matter the outcome, God will continue to provide for all their needs. Kevin's lawyer is quite hopeful that final settlement can be reached within the next 45 days.

We continue to ask for prayer that the final weeks of Sarah's pregnancy will go well and that Joshua will arrive healthy and strong.

Grace and Peace,
Tami

August 10, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

It's been four months since my last update but not much has moved forward in Kevin's case. He did see the new ophthalmologist about three months ago who was quite thorough in his examination. He told Kevin he was amazed he had any vision at all due to the extent of damage to his optic nerve. For whatever reason, when he sent his report to Kevin's attorney, he did not put it in black and white that Kevin is legally blind. So now Kevin's attorney is trying to set up a deposition with the ophthalmologist to get him to say Kevin is legally blind.

Kevin and Sarah have settled into their new apartment and have it fixed up quite nicely, including the nursery. Sarah is at the beginning of her eighth month of pregnancy and doing very well. (Due October 20th) For anyone who hasn't heard by now, it is a boy and his name is Joshua Scott. Sarah had a 3-D ultrasound last Friday and invited the family to come watch. It was an absolutely amazing experience to see the baby alive and kicking inside his mother's womb. It was a bit difficult distinguishing his features but we all came away convinced he had Kevin's mouth and Sarah's nose and chin. What a joy it will be to see for certain in just a few short months.

Sarah's mom is giving Sarah a baby shower with her family and friends in her home town this Saturday so Everett has volunteered to drive her and Kevin up North and be her chauffeur-on-call for the weekend. I was delegated to remain home so there would be room in the car to bring gifts home.

Your prayers for a good and quick resolution with Worker's Comp. are very much appreciated. I'd also ask you to continue to pray for Sarah's pregnancy that all continues to go well. I should add that Sarah is waiting for a second test to determine whether or not she has gestational diabetes. It would mean a change in diet and possible medication. Risks to the baby and mother are not too high but we do pray there will be none at all.

Grace and Peace,
Tami

April 14, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

With the upcoming baby Kevin and Sarah decided they needed a larger apartment and so, last Saturday they moved into a two-bedroom apartment. It is about ten minutes further away from us and Sarah's job but is in a much nicer apartment complex. We want to thank all the guys from Kevin's church who came and made moving day so much easier. You were a blessing!

Sarah's pregnancy is going well. She is still having a bit of morning sickness but that seems to be subsiding some.

We were supposed to have a telephone conference with the Worker's Comp. attorneys last month but that didn't happen. They did call Kevin's attorney and make a small settlement offer but Kevin's attorney refused it. The hiccup in the matter seems to be that, for whatever reason, the neuro-ophthalmologist that Kevin had been seeing won't put in writing that Kevin is legally blind even though he fits all the criteria. So, now the State gets involved and has sent a list of three ophthalmologists who are Qualified Medical Examiners, one of which Kevin will see. Kevin's attorney and Worker's Comp. each cross off one of the ophthalmologists and the one remaining is the one Kevin will see. Just as I was writing that last sentence Kevin called and said the appointment has been scheduled for May 12. Our prayer would be that this doctor will confirm in writing that Kevin is legally blind and that Worker's Comp. will concede that Kevin is 100% disabled. If they don't, Kevin may yet have to go to court and have a judge make a ruling.

Next month will be the third anniversary of Kevin's accident. In many ways it seems like just yesterday we were all sitting in his ICU room wondering if he would live another day and it still brings tears to my eyes. But our faithful heavenly Father has brought us through so far and He will not desert us now. To be truthful there are many times I become discouraged and saddened as I think about the challenges that still lay ahead for Kevin and Sarah. I think it only natural that a mother wants only the best for her children and that they would be free from pain and trials. But I do know that through these difficulties God has made us all a bit stronger in our faith and more and more dependent upon Him. It has been through these difficulties that His grace and mercy are more precious than ever. I am beginning to learn better to take one day at a time and let God worry about tomorrow.

I once again want to thank everyone who continues to keep us in prayer. How beautiful are your prayers to God and to us. I wish I could hug and thank each one of you personally.

Grace and Peace,
Tami

March 9, 2010

Dear Family and Friends

I can't believe it's been over four months since my last update. But with the holidays and all, I am sure you understand.

We do have some exciting news to report. On Valentine's Day Kevin and Sarah announced to us that they are expecting our first grandchild in late October! With this wonderful blessing come some great challenges. It has always been Sarah's heart's desire to be a stay-at-home mom, but at present we don't know how feasible that will be. Kevin will be a great dad but with the disabilities brought on by the brain injury, we don't think he can handle the demands of being a stay-at-home dad.

Worker's Comp. is still playing games. About six weeks ago they called Kevin's attorney and said they were ready to talk settlement but that has still not happened. Kevin spoke to his attorney yesterday who says he has been hounding them to get together to start negotiations. We are hopeful this may happen later this week.

A few days after Kevin's attorney first said they were ready to start negotiations, Kevin and Sarah and Everett and I met with Kevin's attorney to get a clearer idea of what settlement would actually look like. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. When our dear State governor changed the Worker's Comp. law when he came into office it really hurt those who are truly legitimately injured and in need of this benefit. They no longer take into consideration a person's age or former health status, future earning potential, or education. The only thing they consider is what the injured was earning at the time of injury. Suffices to say, that was not a lot as Kevin had just begun as an apprentice for the industrial plumbing company. His settlement will in no way be sufficient for them to live on.

With the baby coming Kevin's plan of going back to school may be put on hold. He is looking into the possibility of taking some summer courses at BIOLA but probably won't be able to continue into the fall as baby Hollar is due right in the middle of the semester.

So, there is much to be in prayer about for them. Please pray that Sarah's pregnancy will go well, that morning sickness will soon subside, and that they will have a strong, healthy baby (momma and this gramma are hoping for a girl). As we have a God of miracles, please be in prayer that Sarah would somehow be able to be the stay-at-home mom she so desires to be. Please be in prayer with us for their financial future that God will supply all of their needs and that settlement can be reached very soon. Also, please continue to pray for Kevin's future...whether he will be able to continue schooling and whether or not he will be able to work.

I also want to thank you for your prayers for Everett. He has recovered very well from his prostate surgery and started his new job mid-November. About a month ago he had his PSA levels retested and, praise the Lord, it came back at zero. That means they did get all of the cancer. If the PSA level remains at zero for one year that will confirm that all the cancer was removed.

Grace and Peace,
Tami

November 4, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Kevin and Sarah were a bit disappointed with their conversation with Kevin's attorney last week. It seems Worker's Comp. still wants to play games. So, they have decided they want to send Kevin to see four new doctors: another neuro-psychologist, another neuro-ophthalmologist, a physiatrist, and another whose specialty I don't remember. The crazy thing is the neuro-psychologist and neuro-ophthalmologist that Kevin has already seen are ones that he was originally sent to by Worker's Comp. Kevin is hoping the first doctor he sees will be the neuro-ophthalmologist and that he, too, will declare that he is legally blind. According to the rules, legal blindness is cause to declare one 100% disabled. Hopefully if that happens he would not have to be seen by the other three. All of this will delay settlement even further. After all of this is taken care of Kevin's attorney will have to set up a court date which will also take several months, so his attorney has said that hopefully settlement will be reached by next summer.

Kevin has also decided to drop out of Coastline Community College. He did speak with some of his teachers and they are in agreement with him that he is no longer gaining anything from them and he would be perfectly right to leave. Last week was his final week there. Kevin is carefully considering his next move which will probably be taking some courses at Biola. However, this will not be until the next semester at the earliest. Beginning next May he can go tuition free because of Sarah's employment benefits at Biola.

I'll give you a quick update on Everett. He continues to improve and is slowly getting his strength back. We saw his doctor last Friday and he believes all is going well but told Everett he needs to take two more weeks off from work. Everett now plans to return on November 16.

As you can no doubt see there is still much to be in prayer about. We know God is still in charge and has blessed us all in so many ways but it is still hard to receive setback after setback. Please pray that Kevin and Sarah will not be discouraged by these new developments and that they will continue to trust God for His perfect timing in all these matters. Please continue to pray for God's provision for their physical and financial needs. Pray that Kevin will make the right decision for his next step toward schooling.

Grace and Peace,
Tami