Alex Yankowski announced he and his team are raffling off one of his door panels to raise funds for 13 year-old Kellen Downey, who is recovering from brain surgery.
Yankowski shared in a post to Facebook, “We are asking for help from our racing community. We will be raffling off the door panel below in support to Kellen Downey. Kellen is 13 and back in January two masses were found on his brain. He is currently recovering from brain surgery. His strength is inspiring throughout this journey, keep working hard Kellen!”
As for how the raffle will work, Yankowski shared that tickets will be $10 each and they can be made to his Venom and PayPal accounts: @yankowskimotorsports. Additionally, if one wants to make a donation they are encouraged as well. However, he noted that “if you’re doing a donation, please write in the payment memo “donation” or send us a message. Otherwise, we will assume you’re entering the raffle.”
The drawing for the door will take place on Friday, July 10th via Facebook Live on Yankowski’s Facebook page.
Back in February, Kellen’s father Joe shared, “Doctors were able to remove the large mass that was on Kellen’s brain stem. He still has a small mass in his brain, but at this time is not a concern.”
“Kellen made it through surgery very well,” he added. “However, waking up afterward was extremely difficult—to say the very least. Those were the longest couple of hours of our lives. After hours of Amanda talking to him and encouraging him to wake up, he finally opened his eyes.”
“This brings us to where we are today. Kellen is currently on a breathing tube, which he absolutely hates. I can confidently say I will not be in the room when that thing comes out, because he is going to have a few choice words for everyone. He is able to communicate with us by blinking, which has been challenging but we are learning. He is not yet able to move his hands or feet, but he does have feeling in them, which is a very positive sign,” he continued. “Today’s goal is to meet the necessary benchmarks so the breathing tube can be removed.”
“Amanda and I would like to thank our family, friends, and the community. The love, prayers, and support you have shown us mean more than we can put into words. We are so grateful to have you all in our lives,” he concluded.
Less than a week later and that breathing tube was removed, ” After a lot of discussion, Amanda and I decided that Kellen would be better off having his breathing tube removed and replacing it with a tracheostomy tube. This evening, he had a successful procedure.”
“he doctors were able to place both the tracheostomy tube in his throat and a G-tube in his stomach so he can receive nutrition. We are thankful everything went smoothly,” he added.
At the end of May, he shared that “Kellen was able to stand with assistance for the first time since the first week in February! Every single day he is making huge gains, and we couldn’t be more proud of the hard work and determination he continues to show.”
“Seeing him hit milestones like this reminds us that all of the therapy, effort, prayers, and support are making a difference,” he added. “Thank you all for continuing to cheer him on and keep him in your thoughts. The progress may come one step at a time, but Kellen keeps proving that he is stronger than ever!”
In the most recent update on his son’s battle and road to recovery, Joe wrote that Kellen’s stay in the rehabilitation facility had been extended, “Our departure date has been extended once again.”
However, he explained why, “The reason for the extension is a good one…….. Kellen continues to make incredible progress during therapy. Every day he shows growth, determination, and resilience. He continues to prove to everyone here just how hard he works and how committed he is to reaching his goals.
“While we’re disappointed that the THREE of us TOGETHER will miss some important events back home, we know this extra time will help Kellen continue building on the amazing gains he has made. We couldn’t be more proud of him and all that he has accomplished,” he concluded. “Thank you all for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement. They mean more to our family than words can express.”
0 Comments