7/12/10 Update

Hello friends!

Just checking in. I just got off the phone with Ben's sister Nicole and she filled me in on whats going on with Ben. His short term memory is showing small signs of improvement. He remembered that his sister Steph had visited him in the morning, and was asking where she was and when she was going to return! He's still pretty confused as to what happened to him, but he's starting to realize that he does have an injury. He still wants to leave really bad though.

In other good news, he's been eating a lot more, and get this...he's allowed to have Dr. Pepper!!! We all know how much he loves that stuff, and apparently he drank three cans in a row, hahaha! Being able to drink that made him very happy. So if anyone want's to bring him some Dr. Pepper, I'm sure it will lift his spirits! Apparently his hearing is improving as well! Ben's father said he doesn't have to get right up to Ben's ear to talk to him anymore, so that's great news! Also, the swelling behind his head and his ears is starting to go down as well. All in all, he continues to improve medically every day!

A lot of people have been asking how to make out the checks to donate to Ben's account in Milford. If you want to write a check, just make it out to FBO Ben Garceau. Here's the address again in case you missed it:

TD Bank
57 South St
Milford, NH 03055
Benefit for Ben Garceau
c/o Lacey Sayward

That's all for now, stay tuned for further updates!

Love,

Dana

7/11/10 Update

Hello friends!

According to Ben's sister Nicole, Ben is beginning to remember more each day! Here is an exerpt from her post on Ben's medical website:

"He is beginning to remember more each day. He now is able to remember in the afternoon things that occurred in the morning. He remembered that someone (Lyndsey his OT) came in to do some tests with numbers/letters, but couldn't remember her name (not surprising with so many Dr's and Nurses). "

Very promising news!! I wish I had more to share, but I wont know much else until I speak directly with Ben's family. Keep those prayers and positive vibes coming!! As always, I will continue to post any new info that I receive.

Love,

Dana

Rock the Boat Booze Cruise

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to tell you guys how amazing the Booze Cruise was! So many people came out and we rocked that boat hard! It was an absolute blast. Big thanks to Anthony Cogliandro for setting the whole thing up, and to Keep Me Conscious, and DJ Joey green for sharing the stage and rocking the party with us. And a huge thanks to my dear friends in Small Town Stranded for letting me sit in with them for this show. Their full time drummer Cameron Thomas was gracious enough to let me play with them, and I am insanely grateful to him for that.

Now, between the bands donations, and the donation bucket we passed around, we raised, drumroll please,..........................................................

$1000 FOR BEN!!!!

So incredible! I cant believe the incredible generosity of everyone involved with last night's event! From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!!!!!

There will be more Ben-efits in the future, and I will definitely keep you guys posted on when and where they are happening.

I am waiting to hear from Ben's family as to his current status, I will post as soon as I find anything out.

Thank you all again!

Love,

Dana

7/09/10 Update

Hello Friends,

I went to visit Ben again this afternoon. According to his parents, Ben was pretty agitated today, due to the fact that his ears are still bothering him, and he's still a bit confused as to where he is/why he's there. But, despite this, when I saw him he was resting comfortably and seemed to be able to communicate with me better than he could a few days ago. I also noticed I didn't have to talk quite as loud in order for him to hear me, that was encouraging!

The other good news is they removed his catheter, and his IV's today! I'm sure this will make Ben SO much more comfortable. Also, they gave Ben his favorite breakfast this morning, Pankcakes!! Any of you who know Ben well can imagine how happy he was to receive those. Ben's mom told me he scarfed them down very fast, hahaha

Tomorrow night is the Rock the Boat Booze Cruise in Boston Harbor. This has become a benefit show for Ben, and all proceeds will be going to help with his medical bills. If anyone is in the Boston area and is looking for something fun to do, you should DEFINITELY come check this out. I will be playing with Small Town Stranded, an awesome cover band consisting of local Milford dudes Ryan Bossie, John DeMarco, Shawn Ballou, and Brad Bosse. Headlining the night will be our friends Keep Me Conscious, and the night will be finished off with tunes being spun by DJ Joey Green. Here is the event listing:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=119615671388622&ref=ts

I have tickets available, contact me if you would like to attend!

Lastly, Ben's father has set up a more detailed website for updates about Ben. It is intended for close friends and family only, due to the sensitive nature of the content (medical information, etc.) If you would like to register for this website, simply go to www.grenvillemusic.com and follow the instructions for registration.

That's all for now, stay strong my friends, and keep your love for Ben shining!

Love,

Dana

Donation fund to help with Ben's medical costs

As some of you may or may not know, Ben has no health insurance, and as you can imagine, his hospital bills are going to be rather steep. My friend Lacey Sayward has done a wonderful thing and set up a donation fund for Ben at the local Milford TD Bank Branch!!! If you would like to donate, just visit the branch or send money to:

TD Bank
57 South St
Milford, NH 03055
Benefit for Ben Garceau
c/o Lacey Sayward

Thank you soooo so much Lacey, and thank you friends for your continued support. More updates coming soon!!

Welcome to Ben's blog!

Hi everyone,

I have set up this blog to keep all of you informed on Ben's progress while he recovers in the hospital. I figured this was the best way to keep everyone informed, without leaving anyone out. I will keep this blog up to date as frequently as possible, so that you are all in the know as to what's going on with Ben. Please spread the word, tell everyone you can about this blog!

Stay tuned. I love you all!

Love

Dana