Lee’s Story

Site created on August 4, 2020

Hello Family & Friends.  Welcome to Lee's 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.


Monday, August 3rd around 12 noon, Lee fell off the top of a 20 ft ladder while trying to fix a gutter on his house.  On the fall down, he hit his head on a 9 ft concrete fountain landing on the gravel beside it. 

Brooke called 911 and she and neighbors tried to aide Lee, the ambulance rushed him to Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.  We were updated 2 hours later that he was breathing but intubated and in an ICU holding area awaiting for his scans to be read.

A few hours later, we were told that he has been extremely combative in the ICU taking 6 nurses to hold him down 2-3 times in TRUE Lee Fashion!   We also learned at that time that Lee has suffered a severe skull fracture and a small brain bleed with an air pocket above the right temporal lobe and that he is in very critical condition.  His progress would be monitored hour by hour right and we now wait for a scan that will tell the doctor if he should perform surgery to relieve pressure on the brain.   

Around 7 pm, we were told that Lee was too combative to do a CT scan, and they would try again tomorrow.  The NeuroSurgeon said it was a good sign that Lee "showed so much purpose" with him fighting back and trying to grab his breathing tube and IVs to yank out.  The Neurosurgeon came to talk to us.  He said Lee was in critical condition but that he was strong.  He explained that his skull was fractured from the right temporal lobe and was fractured all the way across to the other side also causing a major impact on the eardrum that may lead to hearing loss but that this injury was secondary.  He was most concerned with Lee's pupil activity making sure that there was not a change that would show any hemorrhaging and that at this time, because of no change, he would not be doing surgery (good news) but would be monitoring this specifically the 1st 48-72 hours.

Tuesday, August 4th.  Lee was moved to ICU and around  6 am and had another CT and neuro scan that showed no change.  (Good news) The Neuro team would then start be weaning him off the sedation and oxygenizing him to prep for removing the tube and that he was responsive enough to give a thumbs up when asked to do so!  PRAISE GOD!  We are also updated that he has multiple facial fractures and there will be potential surgeries later for this.  We wait now to hear how the removal of the breathing tube would go.

At 4:15, Brooke spoke with the nurse that let her know that the tube was out and that he was breathing on his own and that he was able to answer yes and no questions verbally!  This is a specific answered prayer!

7:30pm.  The neurosurgeon calls Brooke to update her that there has been no change and they are trying not to bother him to prevent irritating him.   He also explained that there will be cognitive challenges.  We are now 33 hours in and waiting for our next update.  

Please pray for our Lee.   Pray he surpasses expectations over these next few days and that the cognitive challenges his faces are minimal.  


With Much Love,
Lee's Family.













Newest Update

Journal entry by Brooke Harrington

Today marks one week that Lee has been home. To think of where he was even then versus now is amazing. He is walking, talking, and begging to cut his grass. He is Lee.  The doctors of course prepared us for the worst but I never accepted that, clearly he did not either. Lee has been told by many, that either witnessed him right after the fall and doctors from the hospital, that he is a walking miracle.  He of course does not remember the fall or many days after but the only explanation I can give him is that it was an accident and God said it is just not your time. The power of prayer and love is incredible and we sincerely appreciate everyone that has helped. 

They call Traumatic Head Injuries the hidden illness because you can’t see it. Everyday Lee improves more and more by gaining more strength and more cognitive functions. He is still fighting through these symptoms just as he has the entire time.  I have already seen significant improvements since he came home. He is sleeping much better and able to focus his attention much better each day.  His brain is healing very quickly and we are both so thankful because we realize it could have and “should have” been so much worse. 

We visited his Maxillo Facial surgeon on Thursday and he was shocked that Lee was doing so well. He explained that he was 80% sure that Lee will not require any surgeries but he would like to see him back in one month to monitor the fractures as the swelling and fluid subsides. He drew a line from the upper corner of Lee’s mouth on both sides up to the bridge of his nose and around the orbital bones and explained all of that area is fractured including the right orbital wall. It is still a little painful for Lee to chew and now it makes more sense why. He explained that only the left side is keeping the jaw attached he said he was very close to having a “floating jaw”. It really helped lee to understand where all of the fractures were since no one had really explained them to us in detail

Next week he goes to have another repeat CT scan and see the Neurologist on Thursday, which Lee is counting down the days for in hopes that he releases him to do more day to day activities and most importantly cut his grass 😝 

That Monday turned my world upside down and for a moment I thought we lost him. I can’t  explain the fear that I felt that moment but in the very next moment I watched my husband fight with everything he had. I felt Gods hand on me and my children and I felt the calm come over me. I put our future in Gods hands and just prayed and waited for Lee to come home. I knew that no matter what he has us and we will be okay.  We both realize how extremely lucky we are to have such wonderful family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Thank you for everything you have done to support us and all of the prayers.  We are forever grateful for everything.
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