Kevin Downs Update 09/10/05
Fevers, Pains, and More Problems

“Things are improving”, Kevin’s dad Joe Downs said Monday morning. “He’s had problems with running fevers and things, and of course he still has some more surgeries to go through”, mostly skin grafts at this point to repair burn damage. “As far as all the bones and the reconstruction and all of that, I think they’ve finished all of that”, Joe added.

“He’s improving. Yesterday [Sunday, September 4] for the first time he was able to drink a little apple juice and a little milk”, and even a little tomato soup which must have tasted wonderful. “He still can’t talk”, Joe said, which may be caused by a variety of factors. Kevin’s lungs were badly burned in the explosion which took the lives of the three other soldiers in the humvee with Kevin. Doctors have also left a trachea tube in Kevin’s throat, “that’s a quick hook up and disconnect for them when he goes to surgery”, Joe explained.

The attack on the humvee in Iraq happened in mid-August, claiming the lives of three of Kevin’s brothers from the 278th out of Ashland City: 22 year old Sgt. Gary Lee Reese of Ashland City, 35 year old Staff Sgt. Asbury F. Hawn Jr. of Lebanon, and Sgt. Shannon D. Taylor from Smithville. Kevin was riding in the turret of the humvee, which probably saved his life. His injuries resulted in the loss of both legs below the knees, a broken arm and pelvis, and 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of his body including burns to his eyes, throat and lungs.

Also on Sunday, “for the first time he moved his legs”, Joe said emotionally, “it was wonderful for us to see it”. Kevin was communicating that he couldn’t move his legs, “Catherine [Joe’s wife] told him ‘yes you can, you still have part of your legs’”, Joe said. They sat Kevin up in bed so he could see his legs, “he really worked hard, and he raised them. It doesn’t sound like much but that’s a big, big start”, Joe exclaimed.

A camera looked at the damage to Kevin’s lungs last week, “they’re healing real well”, Joe said. There’s still more healing to come, but so far so good.

Joe is still completely amazed at how well the entire family is being treated. “These people here, they treat him like he was a king. He’s got some nurses who are just as sweet as they can be. I can’t say enough about these doctors and these nurses, and the way the Army has been to him, and even to us”, Joe said gratefully.

He still asks for your prayers, and blood donations in Kevin’s name, “you just wouldn’t realize how much blood is used around this place here until you are here”, Joe said. “The good Lord is answering some of the prayers, we can see that everyday.”

Joe has no idea when Kevin will be home, he’s still in Intensive Care, with no hint of when Kevin will even leave there. “It’s going to be a long, long time”, he added, but it doesn’t matter how long to Joe, “my most important thing is this young man right here”.

Joe was touched with word about the turnout at the recent funeral procession for Sgt. Gary Lee Reese of Ashland City. “I talked to Mr. Reese 2 or 3 days ago”, Joe said, “when we get home he wants to sit down and talk with Kevin”, he added.

Please, take a minute and send a card to Kevin and his family.

Kevin Downs Update 09/17/05
Jello, peaches, and pears- Oh my!

From his father, Joe, on Tuesday morning, September 13th, 2005
Editor’s Note: I was on another line when Joe called this morning. He left a voice mail saying that he had good news, and wanted the South Cheatham Advocate and his friends and neighbors back home to have it first. I called him back immediately. When Joe answered, I asked how he was, and he said, “Well, we’re doing ok. I guess everybody back home’s doing all right aren’t they?”. I thought you would like to know that with all they have been through, Joe and Cat wanted to know that we’re all ok here. I told him we were fine, and to quit teasing, what was the news!....

“He’s making some improvement, he’s able to start eating a little bit”, Joe said. Kevin’s eating soft food that is carefully cut into small bits, but must feel good on his burned but healing throat, not to mention how good it must taste! He’s eating things like Jello, peaches or pears, “Catherine’s out there feeding him breakfast right now”, Joe said. “He’s doing so much better.”

He’s not only eating, but has been taken off of insulin and the feeding tube has been removed now that Kevin is eating. In fact there are even hints being made that Kevin will get out of Intensive Care, “If he keeps improving, they haven’t set a date, but they’re looking down the road that they may take him out of the ICU”, Joe said. There were no hints of that just last week. Being out of ICU means that Kevin will be able to see his family for more than just brief periods of each day, which will be great for all of them. “It’ll be a little bit easier then”, Joe said.

And that’s not all. Because of the trach in Kevin’s throat which will stay in until the surgeries are complete, Kevin has been unable to talk. “They came in and capped it off yesterday”, Joe said. “For the first time he said a couple of words, they were real hoarse but you have to listen real close”, Joe said. “He said ‘Hi Cat’”, [talking to Joe’s wife Catherine] “and then he said ‘Hi Dad’, it may not sound like much, but it was a lot to us”, Joe said emotionally.

Joe went on to describe the skin grafts and efforts to repair where the burns did so much damage to Kevin’s body and face. He described a “stretch wrap type stuff” that was put on Kevin’s face to aid in healing. It adheres to the skin, and as it dries and comes off the new skin is revealed underneath. “It’s red, it looks like a sunburn or something, but it looks good so far”, Joe said.

“The young man is fighting”, Joe choked out the words, “he’s just getting better and better”, he added.
There’s still more surgeries for skin grafts upcoming, but they are going well and each day shows more improvement. “His arms are starting to heal a little bit, he’s able to move them just a little bit”, Joe reported. “Every day’s getting a little bit better, not everything is grim”, he said. “If we look up a little bit today and a little bit tomorrow”, the next move could be to a “step down unit”. Joe explained that Kevin would be going from ICU where the ratio is 1 nurse to 1 patient, to a step down unit where the ratio is 1 nurse to 4 patients. That would be a great sign of big-time improvements.

Joe again talked about how wonderful everyone has been to Kevin and the entire family. “Even when they’re not taking care of him they’ll come by and go to the door and send him a kiss, it helps him and makes him feel better”, Joe said. “He has got the cutest smile, he cracks it off to one side, they just love that”, Joe added. There was even a visitor from the Office of the President recently, that meant a lot to Kevin, Joe and the family.

Joe was thrilled to hear that the Indians won this past weekend, and wanted to tell Kevin. “I just look forward to the day when they will bring him out on the ballfield, I look forward to that day when he can do that”, Joe said of Kevin’s Harpeth Indians.

Joe again thanks everyone for their prayers and concerns, and asks you to continue.

SPC Kevin Down’s Update From Joe and Catherine Downs 09/24/05
Reconstruction Surgery

Kevin had further surgery Monday on the arm that had to be reconstructed. Kevin has been fighting a bit of infection in his right “stump”, which is the term doctors use, so they are dealing with that right now.

“They found that his face was burned a little worse than what they thought”, Joe said Tuesday morning, “so he may have to have some face work done, mainly on the left side”, they don’t know what kind of work yet, they are trying to let nature take care of it first. “In fact nature’s taking care of a lot of things right now”, Joe added.

Kevin is still trying to eat, but surgery is hard on the appetite as anyone knows who has had major surgery. “For a couple of days after surgery, you don’t want to eat, you don’t want to drink”, Joe explained. “Catherine has been able to get him to eat some, she usually feeds him, she’s got a much steadier hand than I do”, Joe laughed. “By the time he gets his appetite back it’s time to go to surgery again”, he added. So the feeding tube has been reinserted temporarily, “but you take today for today and you worry about tomorrow when it gets here. If he can improve just a little bit today there’s that much gain”, Joe said with his usual optimism. The trach has been removed though, and Joe is talking a little more each day, “he’s real hoarse and you have to listen, but it’s a start”, Joe said.

Kevin is still in ICU, and it looks like the “step-down unit” that was referred to last week may still be a couple of weeks off due to some fever and minor infection.

“The young man is fighting and battling, he’s going to make it. It’s just going to take a while”, Joe said.
Many people in the area have asked how Joe and Catherine are doing. “We’re doing all right. We get up in the mornings and when we can we go from here to the hospital. We stay there as long as we can. Then we go grab some coffee and wait until we can go back the hospital again, but we’re doing ok”, he said. He said that they don’t need anything. “They have a center here. It’s called SFAC Soldiers and Families Assistance Center”, where families can go and watch television, get on the internet, read, eat, relax or stay busy. “It’s unbelievable what the people bring in voluntarily. They’ll have homemade cookies and candy. People around the community do this and bring it in and want nothing in return”, he said gratefully. “It’s just the way these people are”, he added that a group from a local organization had come in recently with 130 cases of water, which lasted about a week and a half.

“I want to thank the community for their support”, Joe said. “We get cards and letters from families and friends around there, schools, churches”, and it means the world to both Joe and Catherine. He mentioned a special drawing from a young child in Trenton, TN, each child had made something special from Kevin. The picture shows God on a cloud at the top with and angel under each arm. They’re looking down on a bed with a sick man on it. “Underneath it says ‘God is watching over you, hope you’ll feel better soon’”, it means the world to Joe and Catherine, and will soon mean as much to Kevin. “We’re hoping that when he gets into a regular unit he’ll have cards sitting everywhere”.

In ICU those cards can’t come in, but there are special things taped to the glass outside that Kevin can see from his bed. One such item is a blown up picture from The South Cheatham Advocate showing Kevin’s #2 painted on the HHS football field. The family is looking forward to taking Kevin out on the football field so the fans can welcome him home properly.

Catherine’s aunt, Kingston Springs resident Eva Lee is making a scrapbook of all the newspaper articles and updates on Kevin. Eva has sent some of it to the family to show them the support they are getting from home. Catherine mentioned how much it helps to know what neighbors and friends are doing to care for them while they’re away. “All the support really does keep you going” Catherine said. She also wants people to know that although they are away, they are in another good community for the time being. “It’s a really great community here, and we’re just so thankful that he’s at the best place that he could possibly be”, Catherine said.

Someone has also sent pictures to the family of the yellow ribbons around Kingston Springs and Pegram, “they look neat”, Joe said. If you would like to add to the growing collection of yellow ribbons, you can call The Robyn’s Nest, at obsolete and she’ll fix you up.

In case you’re concerned about Hurricane Rita, Joe said that San Antonio is not in harm’s way, and was making plans for evacuees to come there.

Joe and Catherine ask that you continue your prayers for Kevin, other wounded soldiers and the families of those who have been lost.

Editor’s addition: After our conversation concluded, Joe called back a few moments later with great news: as of September 15th, our Kevin is now Sergeant Kevin Downs. His promotion came as great news to Joe and Catherine, and I’m sure also to all of you.

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