Brownsburg Magazine September 2021

MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2021

Mind Over Matter LOCAL RESIDENT EMBRACES POSITIVITY AFTER TRAGEDY STEPPING UP

Brownsburg Names Co-Interim Town Managers NATIONAL BABY SAFETY MONTH

Tips to Ensure Safety During Baby’s First Year

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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Brownsburg Names Co-Interim Town Managers

EMDR Therapy Helps to Reprocess Traumatic Events

STEPPING UP

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Mohr Chiropractic

Tips to Ensure Safety During Baby’s First Year

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A WEIGHT LIFTED

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A HEART FOR GIVING

Local Girl Spreads Joy Through Selflessness and Creativity

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MIND OVER MATTER

Local Resident Embraces Positivity after Tragedy

7 REASONS TO GET EXCITED FOR FOOTBALL SEASON

KEY CONTRIBUTORS ABIGAIL HAKE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING DR. NICOLE STEBER / JAMIE HERGOTT

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TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 5

STEPPING UP BROWNSBURG NAMES CO-INTERIM TOWN MANAGERS Photography Provided

is in its early stages.

The Brownsburg Town Council accepted the resignation of Town Manager Jeffery A. Eder at its meeting on Thursday, July 8, and named Assistant Town Manager Al Geans and Economic Development Director Deb Cook as co-interim town managers. The two started their new duties immediately.

“I feel good about the team we are building,” Geans says. “There’s been a lot of change and staff has managed this well.

I appreciate how patient staff has been.

I’ve asked staff to trust the process and they’ve done it. I believe this will lead to long-term success for our town.”

“In Deb and Al we realized that we have two very strong leaders in our community currently,” says Town Council President Travis Tschaenn.

“We’re trying to maximize their talents and we look forward to their leadership.”

Geans and Cook joined the Town of Brownsburg on the same day - January 6, 2020. Geans is the first black man and Cook the first woman to lead the town in this capacity.

“I look forward to serving the town and I am committed to doing an excellent job,” Geans says.

He and his wife Tonya moved from Cincinnati to Brownsburg before purchasing a home in Avon. Geans has spent much of the past year and a half getting involved in both the Brownsburg and Hendricks County communities.

Since joining the staff, Geans has evaluated the effectiveness of each department and worked with the town’s human resources manager to develop a process to help employees set and meet department goals. He also has initiated a diversity, equity and inclusion effort that

Cook and her husband, Jim Staton, relocated to Brownsburg from Kokomo. Cook’s impressive career includes serving 19 years in the City of Kokomo’s Development Department.

Her roles included working as a planner and community specialist, development manager, and ultimately development director. In 2012 Cook became the chief executive officer of Kokomo’s Housing Authority.

Since joining the Town of Brownsburg, Cook has created a small-business grant program funded with EDIT and a Duke Energy Foundation grant to support businesses affected by COVID-19.

The program awarded $24,868 to local businesses to purchase personal protective equipment, sanitizing equipment and other items to protect employees and customers.

Since January of this year, Cook has ushered in $71.3 million in estimated capital investment that could result in 600 full-time jobs. The average estimated salary for these newly created jobs is $52,275.

Cook is currently working closely with the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership on a Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative opportunity that would also include Montgomery, Putnam and Boone counties.

Cook assured the Town Council she will continue to work passionately to increase economic development while in her new role.

“I appreciate the opportunity,” she says.

“I look forward to continuing to fuel business development while working alongside Al.” The two will split supervision of the town’s departments, with Cook overseeing Economic Development, Development Services, Human Resources, Community Engagement and Parks, while Geans will supervise capital projects, information technology, Street, Fleet, Water Utilities (wastewater and water) and public safety.

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MOHR CHIROPRACTIC 7390 Business Center Drive Avon 317-272-7000 mohrspinehealth.com

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

Dr. Justin Mohr, owner and clinic director of Mohr Chiropractic in Avon, can safely say he’s walked in his patients’ shoes. He has undergone two spinal surgeries, and has also endured many other injuries as a result of playing hard and working hard.

However, Mohr isn’t complaining. If anything, he’s thankful for the trials because they’ve helped him help his patients.

“It has helped me be a better physician for others,” Mohr says. “I’ve been through a lot on my own and can relate to people in pain.

That’s what makes me good at what I do.

I’ve been the patient for years.”

Mohr is a second-generation chiropractor, inspired by watching his dad help people in the same field. Mohr joined Anderson Chiropractic in 2008, working closely with Dr. JC Anderson until Anderson retired in 2017. Mohr bought the practice and hired his associates, Dr. Jonathan Rall and Dr. Traci Bell, in 2019.

Mohr is also owner and clinic director of Mohr Chiropractic Clinic in Greencastle, taking over the location upon his dad’s retirement. He plans to purchase or launch additional offices in the future.

Mohr’s focus in his practice is on structure and function. This means he takes into consideration how the spine, nervous system and muscles all work together to achieve good health for his patients.

New patients have an initial consultation, a health history review and an examination.

Most patients receive X-rays to help the staff

visualize the spine and aid in diagnosing a patient’s condition.

Patients then typically schedule a follow-up appointment after their initial visit. Exam findings and imaging are discussed, along with a specific plan to get the patient well.

Family is very important for Mohr, and is one of the many reasons he followed in his father’s footsteps.

“He showed me how to balance family life and professional life,” Mohr says. “I loved that he was always around. Owning his own business and having a great team of doctors and staff allows him to be present in the lives of his loved ones.”

“Our care plans focus on pain relief, stabilization and prevention,” Mohr says.

Mohr has no problem admitting if he can’t help someone. He prides himself in his great The Mohr Chiropractic mission statement, working relationships with doctors all over adopted from Mohr’s years of working with Hendricks County.

Dr. Anderson, revolves around faith and serving others: “Love God by loving others, “It really just comes down to loving and serve God by serving others, help sick and caring for people,” Mohr says. “We love hurting people get well and stay well by getting to know our patients and their allowing the power that made the body to families. We’re here to do what’s best for heal the body.” them in order to see them get well and stay well.”

830/ BROWNSBURG / TownePost.com / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER JUNE 2021 /2021 TownePost.com

A HEART FOR GIVING LOCAL GIRL SPREADS JOY THROUGH SELFLESSNESS AND CREATIVITY Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

At the tender age of 11, Ellie Hart has already been through enough medical procedures and doctor’s appointments to rival many adults. However, no one would ever guess it when they witness her sweet smile and joyful countenance.

“I’m in sixth grade,” Ellie says. “I like training my cat, playing video games with my brother Corban, and I love doing clay.”

Creating clay items, specifically handheld hearts, is a passion and hobby that was born out of her life’s greatest adversity so far. She creates multicolored hearts out of polymer clay and passes them out to anyone she can find, to spread love and kindness.

At 6 years old, Ellie was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis ( JRA). She woke up one morning and came into her

parents’ room, unable to walk with a swollen key to finding out Ellie had JRA. As an autoimmune disorder, JRA causes Ellie’s knee. body to attack itself, including her joints and eyes. She began weekly shots right away.

“She hadn’t injured it, and it was warm to Her mom had to administer them, and not the touch,” says Ellie’s mom, Mindy Hart. only were they painful, but as a low dose of “We kept an eye on it and eventually she chemotherapy they also made Ellie sick. could bear weight on it. This went on for about two weeks.”

Finding out the answer to Ellie’s health issues was both relieving and terrifying to Mindy and her husband finally took Ellie Mindy. to her pediatrician. After X-rays, doctors still couldn’t pinpoint the problem so they assumed Ellie had injured it. Mindy knew “On one hand, it was a relief to know there something wasn’t right. After sitting for long was a reason for her struggles,” Mindy periods of time in school assemblies, Ellie says. “It was also definitely overwhelming. wasn’t able to walk. Finally, an orthopedic Learning to give her those shots, especially doctor suggested they see a rheumatologist when they hurt her and made her sick, was for blood work. so hard. I felt like I was poisoning my child.

We got through it with the amazing support At this point, Ellie’s eyes were becoming of friends, family, and church family.” affected with inflammation. This was the SEPTEMBER 2021

Ellie doesn’t remember too much from those early days of her diagnosis, but she does remember the shots.

“I remember being scared,” Ellie says. “It was painful, but soon my body knew that I’d also get sick after my shot so it got really hard.”

Ellie has always had the support of her older brother Corban. She loves playing video games with him, and he’s always been sympathetic to her health struggles.

“Corban has been so understanding,” Mindy says. “Usually in a family, when one

kiddo is sick, the other one can struggle. He never did.”

After two years, Ellie’s body began rejecting the chemo, but by that point she was in non-medicated remission. She still enjoys remission now, and is staying busy with her clay project.

Her passion for clay came from a general interest in crafting. She could never do a lot of sports because of her health, so Hobby Lobby became a place to find things to do.

During the COVID pandemic, Ellie wanted to do something to help others. She knew how it felt to miss out for health reasons,

and her empathy compelled her to act.

She discovered that she could flatten polymer clay, use tiny heart-shaped cookie cutters to make little hearts, bake them, and create beautiful handheld creations to pass out. She decided to make a batch of hearts and pass them out at a local nursing home.

She passed out 80 hearts that day and knew she was onto something.

“It just felt good to make people happy,” Ellie says. “Especially during COVID, when people couldn’t have visitors, I just felt so bad. Some people cry when I give them the hearts. Most are just really appreciative.”

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Since then Ellie has created more than 5,000 hearts, with plans to create even more. Sometimes she creates custom orders with the colors people ask for.

Other times, she just passes out what she has.

Mindy remembers one specific time when their family was in Nashville, and Ellie spotted a homeless man in a motorized wheelchair. Ellie tugged on her mom’s arm, asking, “Mom, do you have any hearts? Quick!” Ellie grabbed one, jumped out of the car, and gave the man one of her clay hearts.

Personalized vascular care close to home

“He was so touched by this little girl getting out of a car and giving him a heart,” Mindy says. “He put it in his pocket and said he’d hold onto it forever.

She has chased down people in stores before and once people realize she’s just doing it to brighten their day, their countenance changes.”

The Hart family is part of several Facebook groups connecting families struggling with JRA. The groups offer community and support, and through those groups, Ellie has been able to make and send hearts to multiple locations across the globe including Europe, South Africa and Australia.

Ellie has also made items for Riley Hospital for Children, and hopes to make connections to pass out hearts for Veterans Day at the VA medical center in Indianapolis. She’s created batches for birthdays, holidays and special events.

People have even asked her to create and sell batches so that they could pass the hearts out themselves. Armed with business cards, her plan for the near future is to create batches of 20 hearts for $5 to help others spread the same cheer and kindness that she does.

“We just love the idea of helping others spread kindness too,” Mindy says.

In-person and virtual visits available The vascular specialists you trust are at Ascension Medical Group Avon Heart and Vascular Care. We offer heart and vascular testing on-site, as well as virtual visits. If we do see you for an in-person appointment, know we’re fully prepared for your safety in our care.

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Corban is inspired by his little sister’s resilience and mission to spread love.

“She just spends hours in her room making them,” Corban says. “Once after only about two days she made 1,000

Sarah Strot, DO Vascular Surgery

Ascension St. Vincent © Ascension 2021. All rights reserved.

SEPTEMBER 2021

hearts. After seeing people’s reactions to her, it’s just nice to know she’s doing something that’s making her and everyone else happier. She’s doing something good and something she enjoys. It’s amazing.

She’s going to be a sensation.”

Ellie’s mom sees a greater purpose at work in her daughter’s diagnosis and hearts. As Ellie has latched onto her clay heart project, Mindy sees the healing that has come to Ellie by focusing on others in her time of struggling with JRA. “It helped her in her pain,” Mindy says. “It helped her focus on other people instead of focusing on what was going on with her.

She has always been really sensitive to other people and their needs, so it’s amazing to see that sensitivity and compassion for others nurtured and heightened.”

To stay up to date on Ellie’s clay heart project, visit facebook.com/ ElliesClayCreations.

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7 REASONS TO GET EXCITED FOR FOOTBALL SEASON Writer / Abigail Hake Photography Provided

F

ootball season is right around the corner and while you may or may not be a diehard fan, lots of people are ready for the season to get started, not only because of the game but because of all that goes along with it! Many Americans would suggest that football is the best sport in the world. Here are seven reasons why fans and non-fans alike are ready for the season to start again.

1. TOGETHERNESS No matter what you think, football brings us together.

At all levels of the game, people come together to cheer or boo. You bond with those sitting next to you in the bleachers or standing next to you on the field. You root for your team and hope for a win together with all the rest of the fans around you. You watch together with your family and friends in the comfort of your own home. It’s a common bond between you and those on your favorite team.

2. RIVALRIES Don’t say you like all teams because that’s not true, and you know it.

We all know there are teams that just don’t get along and don’t like each other. Like the Packers and Bears, the Cowboys and Eagles, and obviously the Colts and the Patriots. Rivalries bring out the best in athletes and encourage competition, but the most intense rivalries are amongst the National Football League teams. And a good rivalry is not only exciting, but great for ratings!

SEPTEMBER 2021

3. FOOD Football food is just the best. Dips, pretzels, burgers, nachos, beer.

What more could you ask for? The best part of watching a game is lingering around the kitchen island or visiting the concessions during halftime at the stadium. And did you know that more food is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday than at Thanksgiving?

4. TAILGATING When you go to a game, high school, college, or NFL, you don’t show up right at gametime. Like any good fan, you arrive a little early and with a cooler! Hanging outside the venue with friends for hours before the big game is a must-have experience and can be extra special if you are visiting somewhere like Lambeau Field or Notre Dame Stadium. No matter the weather, tailgating is all about having fun and indulging in unhealthy food, drinks and games. Oh, and you

might even make friends with those on the other side!

5. TRADITIONS Football is a tradition most enjoyed on Friday nights while growing up and Sundays with family. If you love the NFL, it’s very likely that you grew up watching with relatives who followed a favorite team or just the sport in general. I mean, what do you think of when Thanksgiving comes around? That’s right, food and football. Families across the country go out to play America’s favorite sport on the front lawns and when they are done, everyone heads back inside to watch the game. It’s almost religious.

6. FANTASY FOOTBALL The return of the NFL also means that fantasy football is upon us. Not only is it a hobby for many, it’s a multi-million dollar industry that paved the way for all other fantasy sports. People

SEPTEMBER 2021

can compete with friends by picking and following their favorite players to create their fantasy team. It requires a little savvy and strategy, but is fun to follow and also to try to one-up your friends!

7. THE SUPER BOWL Even those who don’t like football love the Super Bowl. Considered a national holiday by many, this is a spectacle enjoyed by all. The rivalries are fierce, the stadiums are packed, the half-time shows are unreal, and obviously the commercials are amazing. The Super Bowl is the culmination of the entire season and watchers

everywhere stay up late and call in sick the next day just to enjoy the entire show.

In the end, when fall rolls around, we are totally ready for Fridays to be spent at the local game, Saturdays to be taken over by the best college games, and Sundays to be taken over by pregame shows and commentators. We all feel better when football is back in action and we can enjoy the season for all the right reasons, with family, friends and even those who are cheering for the other side.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

A WEIGHT LIFTED

EMDR THERAPY HELPS TO REPROCESS TRAUMATIC EVENTS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

It was a sunny August day in 2017, the week following her son Matt’s 23rd birthday, when Teresa Youngen experienced a tragedy that no parent should ever have to endure. She was outside vacuuming her pool, and came inside and knocked on Matt’s bedroom door. When he didn’t answer, she opened the door and was horrified to find that he had taken his life.

Anyone who has ever lost someone to suicide can tell you there is no moving past such a catastrophic event. From that moment forward, there is “before” and “after,” but never again “normal.”

“It’s horrifying to walk into a room and realize that the person you love so, so, so much has done this to himself,” Youngen says.

pills to numb herself.

“I knew I couldn’t go on living at that level of agitation and horror,” she says.

One day when she was attending a suicide survivor support group at Hendricks Regional Health, someone suggested she try eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. During “It was like I’d been struck by a lightning EMDR the patient thinks about the bolt,” Youngen says. “In my mind’s eye, I’d see Matt in the closet and my blood pressure trauma, while the therapist waves a hand would spike, my throat would go dry, I’d feel or baton in front of them as they follow the sick to my stomach, I’d burst into tears, and movement with their eyes. The therapy, I’d be right there, back in the moment.” which helps the brain process memories and reduce negative feelings about them, It got so bad that Youngen considered taking has been around since the 1980s but has As the weeks and months passed, Youngen was plagued by the terrible vision that was seared into her mind.

SEPTEMBER 2021

grown in popularity in recent years.

“With EMDR, we go back,”says Wendy Byrd, president of the EMDR International Association. “We look at how your past may be affecting what’s happening to you currently. It’s changing the way that the experience is stored, and when the brain changes the way it’s stored, you feel differently about it.”

Through EMDR, Youngen found that her brain was pulled away from reprocessing certain thoughts.

“It’s like being stuck in a rut that you can’t get yourself out of, but with EMDR there is this second thing that’s going on, so now your brain is distracted and is able to reprocess it,” Youngen says. “You’ll never forget it, but you get away from that autonomic response of sky-high blood pressure, anxiety, crying and crashing.

The memory is still painful, but EMDR made it so that it’s no longer debilitating.”

Emily Koehler, LMHC, lead therapist at the Willow Center in Brownsburg, finds

this therapy to be beneficial for clients who have experienced trauma that is negatively impacting their life.

“This could be something that happened last week or several years ago,” says Koehler, noting that the eye movement portion of EMDR helps to stimulate both hemispheres of the brain, assisting with bypassing the part of the brain that has gotten stuck due to the trauma. “I love utilizing EMDR because it empowers clients and helps them build new beliefs around their trauma, promoting inner peace. Each session begins and ends with grounding and stabilization practices, and clients build the inner resources to self-regulate between sessions.”

reprocessing this traumatic image, Youngen decided to use EMDR to help her reprocess other thoughts that trigger her. For instance, the sequence of events that led to finding her son began with entering her house through her back door. As a result, she has refused to use that door ever since.

“It’s as if my brain is telling me, ‘If you never go through that back door, that event never happened,’” Youngen says.

“My brain processes that door as the portal to hell and that if I go through it, my life will be forever horrible.”

She even hung a blanket over the door to avoid seeing it.

Koehler notes that in cases where eye movements are not possible or appropriate for a client, they can offer alternatives for bilateral stimulation.

“It’s been my coping strategy, but the problem with coping strategies is that they get you through the day, not the rest of your life,” Youngen says.

Youngen felt instant relief after just the first session.

In March of 2020, she decided she was ready to tackle this issue so she started EMDR sessions with her therapist.

Because EMDR worked so well with SEPTEMBER 2021

Following her first appointment, she felt so empowered that she drove straight home and removed the blanket from the door.

“I was super excited,” she says. “As I looked outside I thought, ‘I can do this. I’m going to reclaim an area of the house that I truly enjoy.’”

Unfortunately, soon thereafter, COVID-19 hit and she was unable to see her therapist in person. Without that reinforcement, she found herself draping the blanket over the door again. Now, however, she is once again seeing her therapist and making progress using EMDR. “I needed relief because there were days when I thought I was going to fall off this cliff and be completely unable to function,” says Youngen, who encourages anyone who struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder to consider EMDR. Veterans, survivors of violent crime, those involved in accidents or natural disasters, and emergency responders can find healing in this therapy.

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Y O U ’ R E L O O K I N ’ AT I T Y O U ’ R E L O O K I N ’ AT I T

Youngen has seen others who have benefitted from this type of therapy. For instance her niece, who was an emergency medical technician, witnessed a traffic accident that was burned into her brain, making it difficult for her to eat and sleep.

Youngen recommended EMDR. “While it’s not a panacea or a one-sizefits-all kind of thing, it can be so helpful if you’re open to it,” Youngen says.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL BABY SAFETY MONTH

TIPS TO ENSURE SAFETY DURING BABY’S FIRST YEAR Writer / Dr. Nicole Steber, Riley Hospital for Children Pediatric Hospitalist at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

September is National Baby Safety Month. During a baby’s first year, they develop many skills such as how to focus their vision and explore their environment. It’s important to understand how to keep your baby safe.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. One of the best things we can do for our children is take good care of ourselves.

Postpartum anxiety and depression are very common. Talk with your doctor if you are feeling down, stressed or having scary thoughts. It’s normal for babies to cry up to three hours per day, and they are often more awake and fussier at night. It’s important to know that it’s OK to lay them down on their back in their crib and take a break nearby.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help whenever possible.

PROTECT YOUR BABY FROM

SECONDHAND SMOKE. Infants and young children are extremely vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke. Protect your baby from secondhand smoke by not letting anyone smoke near baby. Make sure your home, car and day care are smoke-free. Anyone who smokes should change clothes before holding baby.

KNOW YOUR ABCS. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages safe sleep to decrease the chance of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation. The ABCs of safe sleep are: Alone on their Back in a Crib (or bassinet). Make sure there are no toys, stuffed animals, pillows or loose blankets in the crib. Be very careful not to fall asleep with your baby, especially near cushions, pillows or blankets.

OPTIMIZE NUTRITION AND AVOID CHOKING HAZARDS. For the first four to six months, babies should only have breastmilk and/or formula.

Drinking water or other fluids can lead to SEPTEMBER 2021

abnormal electrolyte levels and possibly seizures. After four to six months, it’s OK for babies to have soft table foods like avocados, cooked carrots, bananas and pureed baby foods.

Babies explore their environment with all senses, including putting anything they can reach in their mouth. Make sure any small toys or objects such as pills, magnets or batteries are stored away securely. It’s important to always follow the age recommendation listed on your child’s toys.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH VACCINATIONS. Routine vaccinations are crucial for your child’s health and safety. Delaying your child’s vaccines leaves them vulnerable to diseases and can cause serious complications. Talk with your child’s pediatrician to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. It’s also important to make sure everyone around your baby is vaccinated.

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 25

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s kids and teenagers, Eric Green and his younger twin brothers, George and Joey, were all into sports - soccer, basketball, baseball, football and more. The three were constantly active, outdoors and on the go.

On May 29, 2010, just two months shy of his 22nd birthday, Eric went trail riding in Brazil,

Indiana, with some friends. It was an activity he had participated in many times before.

The conditions were good, the bike was in fine shape and the day was beautiful. In a freak accident, Eric lost control of his bike, veered off the trail and smashed into a tree.

The impact caused him to fly backwards into a bush and he was laid flat on his back, unable to even roll over.

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“Once I hit the tree, I knew I was screwed,” Eric says.

The collision crushed his C4 (fourth cervical vertebra) in his spinal cord, rendering him paralyzed.

For two hours, Eric laid in stunned silence, staring up at the sky.

The friends usually rode in pairs for safety purposes, but his friend Andy was having bike trouble so Eric went on ahead. When Andy returned to the cabin and Eric wasn’t there, he knew something was wrong.

The group began searching, but Eric was so far back in the dense bush that it was difficult to see him. They got off their bikes to search on foot so they could listen for calls for help, but Eric didn’t have the lung power to scream. One of the friends had a dog who stopped at a fresh part of the tree that had been hit. Andy’s dad looked up and spotted Eric’s goggles hanging from a branch. He was transferred via LifeLine to IU Health Methodist Hospital.

“That first night was horrendous,” his mother Patty recalls. “He just cried and cried.”

Following an MRI, doctors relayed the news that Eric was quadriplegic. Though his spinal cord was not severed, it was pinched as he laid on it, much like a garden hose that gets a kink in it. Doctors told him they didn’t know if it would ever open up or if he would regain the use of his limbs, but they weren’t optimistic. The following day doctors performed surgery to put plates in his neck.

He stopped breathing at one point and had to be resuscitated.

“It was a long struggle for him to get from Methodist to Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana,” Patty says. “Then he got an infection and had to go back to Methodist for another couple of months, then had to be transferred to Seton to get him off the [tracheostomy tube].”

Ultimately, Eric came home the week before Thanksgiving, but he kept getting infections because his bladder was holding fluid. He underwent a number of surgeries throughout

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the next two years and ultimately had his bladder removed.

Eric, who was put on medications that affected his immune system, struggled to feel healthy for a long time as he was also plagued with stomach issues and various pains.

“With this kind of injury, your body is trying to adjust and it takes a whack on everything,” says Eric, who, because of his spinal cord injury, was unable to feel normal sensations like knowing when he was beginning to overheat or when he needed to use the bathroom. He had two stem-cell injections that enabled him to regain some bodily sensations.

FROM DESIGN TO BUILD WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

Patty and Lenny, Eric’s father, converted their garage into a living area, and made Eric his own room and bathroom with a roll-in shower and laundry room. They also had to make all the flooring hardwood so he could get around in his wheelchair. They also needed a wheelchair-accessible van, which was not covered by insurance.

Thankfully, right from the start, the community has rallied around the Greens.

Local soccer and football teams organized fundraisers to help raise money. Friends at Boulder Creek Dining Company held a donation event and gave a percentage of that night’s earnings to help cover medical bills.

Every year since the accident, the family has put on a golf outing at Brownsburg’s West Chase Golf Club. It always occurs on the last Sunday in August, and this year’s outing is scheduled for August 29. The first year was a huge success, and it grew from there. Each year it sells out and there is a waiting list. The family supplies all the drinks and food so players can eat all day long.

“Essentially, it’s a party and golf,” Patty says.

“A lot of the same friends come every year.”

All money raised goes toward medical treatments like costly stem-cell injections that enabled Eric to regain some bodily sensations. The rest of the money goes into a fund that will help cover his bills in the future.

TownePost.com / SEPTEMBER 2021 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 29

“His dad and I aren’t going to be here forever, and Eric doesn’t want his brothers to be responsible for him, so this money is an investment in his future,” says Patty, who had to come to grips with the fact that her and Lenny’s lives were also forever changed as a result of the accident. “Eric never planned on being 33 years old and living at home. Our twins graduated in 2011 and we were going to be empty nesters. This changed our lives tremendously.”

At the hospital, nurses told the family that they would find a new normal, and they have.

“We’ve rolled with the punches,” Patty says.

“If Eric is happy, we’re happy.”

Eric describes himself as low key.

“There are days when I get angry, but I’m not one that needs a lot,” he says.

The silver lining to this tragic accident is that Eric didn’t sustain a traumatic brain injury, and the family is forever grateful for that.

“He’s the same Eric he was 10 years ago,” Patty says.

When he hit the tree, Eric was wearing all the right safety gear, including a helmet and neck brace. Perhaps that’s why he was inspired to invent a helmet that’s designed to absorb impact and reduce brain trauma better than a typical helmet. He’s currently in the process of getting a patent for his design.

“I’ve always been this way,” says Eric, who uses an iPad and stylus in his mouth to write and draw. “I’m like my dad. I think of better ways to do things. The iPad is on a stand, which makes it convenient to do most anything. I developed and designed my helmet exclusively on the iPad.” The key to managing a traumatic life event, Eric says, is to look at it from a micro level, since coming at it from a macro view can be overwhelming.

30 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2021 / TownePost.com

“When you think about the things you don’t need to worry about, that keeps you in a negative head space,” Eric says. “That’s the most difficult aspect of it all staying mentally focused. It’s not necessarily the physical pain but the mental anguish you have to deal with.”

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When it comes to recovery, Eric says it’s long, drawn-out mental game.

“In the beginning, you’re fighting day by day,” he says. “It weighs on you when it’s clear you’ll never be the same, but I’m not going to sit here and sob.”

Patty says Eric has never felt sorry for himself.

“There are many ways to look at it, and there wasn’t a need to be negative about it,” Eric says. “Maybe I was picked to have this happen out of all of my friends because I could deal with it.”

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