Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
Ernie has struggled with ulcerative colitis (UC) since 2020. He tried many meds to control the UC, but they never worked for long. So after much discussion, we decided together that it was time for a total colectomy. We decided to go to Masonic Children's Hospital in Minneapolis for the surgery.
Ernie's first surgery on Oct 4, 2023, took a bit less than six hours. He spent the next few days recovering. He was working on walking with physical therapy (PT) and feeling better each day.
Then a few days in, Ernie started feeling cruddy. He had developed a bowel obstruction. He started getting sicker with high fevers, and he eventually became septic.
On Oct. 9, the doctors took Ernie back to surgery to fix the obstruction. There, he went into shock, and his blood pressure and pulse dropped. When Ernie came back from surgery, he was on a lot of meds to keep his blood pressure up and antibiotics to stop the infection. He still had a breathing tube for a while as well.
As Ernie's body started healing, he did not wake up as we expected he would. Eventually we found through an MRI that Ernie's brain had sustained an injury. He had what is called a hypoxic brain injury to his brain stem and the cortex of his brain. Ernie also had a big infection in his abdomen, and some abscesses had developed. The doctors inserted drains to clear up the abscesses, and they subsequently removed them as the infections got better.
As time has gone by, we have learned that Ernie can communicate by looking to one side or the other to make choices. He is still the same old Ernie in there! He likes the same shows he did before, and he recently laughed at a joke Millie made.
He is working in speech therapy to strengthen his mouth and tongue. He hopes to eat again sooner than later. His muscles are not working well, but he has some very very small yet purposeful movements of one arm. He can move his legs a little tiny bit, too. He is working hard on physical and occupational therapies so he can regain movement.
Ernie is now in an inpatient rehab facility, and we are told he will be here for at least two months. Thanks for all your prayers, and keep them coming! We love and miss you all!! Angi
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HOW TO HELP
Hi Everyone - this is Abby and Amy (Angi's sisters and Ernie's aunts).
We want to say THANK YOU for visiting Ernie's page and tell you that we know he and his family feel your love and prayers (we do, too!!!)
We have heard from so many people over the last few weeks, family and friends - prayer warriors and caring supporters. So many people are asking us how they can help Ernie, Chuck, Angi, Micah and Millie. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring. Quite honestly, no one really thinks about this kind of thing until it hits you right in the face. We didn't know what to tell people. So we talked with Angi and Chuck, asking them the best way people could bless them.
For now, all their lodging, food and everyday living needs are taken care of (they are at the Ronald McDonald House - what an AWESOME place that is, BTW!!!) They don't have much space for things and gifts (their apartment is cozy and just enough space for basic living). Their greatest concern at this point is for the things they don't know. They will likely face a tsunami of unexpected expenses when they return home. From durable medical equipment to a ramp to an ADA home remodel to a wheelchair accessible van, they are entering a whole new world of big-ticket purchases.
So with Angi and Chuck's permission, we have set up ways that you can bless the Griner family if you feel so led.
If you are tech savvy like Ernie's Aunt Abby, you can send an electronic gift.
GiveSendGo link:
https://givesendgo.com/grinerfamily?utm_source=sharelink&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=grinerfamilyor
Paypal email link: am20_98@rconnect.com
If you are old school like Ernie's Aunt Amy, you can send a check to:
The Griner Family
c/o Abbigail Brue
5108 S. Stockwell Circle
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
We are all grateful for every single accomplishment Ernie achieves - he's a SUPERHERO! And we are grateful for all of your prayers and support. It's a blessing to know we are not alone in this journey. For a little encouragement, please enjoy the following song which truly encapsulates our focus each day.
https://youtu.be/UoHrBNTfzIs?feature=shared 
