Mensen slowly recovering from spine fracture
by Karin L. Nauber
The following is from the GoFundMe page for Alan Mensen of Browerville who was injured after a fall which resulted in a cervical spine fracture on November 7.
Matthew 11: 28-30. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
We acknowledge that 2020 has been a difficult year for most people, and recently we feel extra challenged to stay strong and keep the faith. Your prayers and support from the modified benefit have certainly helped us to this point and now we start to pick up the pieces of day to day functions for recovery.
Delrae passed away peacefully on October 29 after a long struggle with what eventually was determined to be gastroparesis—her gastric function just shut down and she could not process food or absorb nutrition.
It took about two years and multiple hospitalizations to finally get a diagnosis in September of 2019, but by that time she had deteriorated to 73 pounds, and a last futile attempt with a G-J tube the past year just could not sustain her.
We laid her to rest on November 4.
Alan devotedly cared for her at home, provided many basic cares for the past year, taking a toll on his own health; all while living on a fixed retirement income and driving a school bus to help make ends meet.
Tragically, he tripped and fell on his way to his deer stand on November 7. He sustained an unstable cervical spine fracture of C1 and C2. He was flown from Staples to North Memorial Hospital for Neurosurgery to stabilize these fractures. . .