Howard Blanchar

Saturday February 10 started out like a normal Saturday. Howie drove his wife Jo to the Mustard Seed, a local second hand store run by the church in Deerwood where Jo donates her time. Howie told Jo that he would pick her up at 4:00 later that day.  Sometime early that afternoon Howie was not feeling well and laid down for a nap. When he awoke from his nap he had a terrible headache and was dizzy, he new something was terribly wrong. Howie dialed 911 and went to sit down in the chair.  The EMT staff responded and Howie informed him of the symptoms he was experiencing and the EMT team brought him immediately to Cuyuna Hospital. A CT Scan was performed at the hospital and the doctors observed bleeding on the brain and the help Howie needed was beyond their capabilities. A police car was dispatched to the Mustard Seed to pick Jo up and transport her to the hospital. Once consent was giving to air-lift Howie to the Twin Cities he was loaded on the helicopter and air lifted to Abbott Northwest in Minneapolis.  When he arrived at Abbott the staff inserted a breathing tube and stabilized Howie's vital signs. A second CT Scan was performed where the doctor noticed there was a brain hemorrhage on both the right and left side.  The surgeon was called in and Howie went into surgery Saturday night where a shunt was installed to drain the excess fluid from the brain and relieve the internal pressure. The surgery was successful and the surgeon informed the family that the next 72 hours are critical. After 72 hours have elapsed there should be enough fluid drained so the doctors can determine the extent of the damage to the brain and what the next course of action will be.  Please keep Howie in your thoughts and prayers as he battles through this debilitating set-back.