Medical Aid for Katherine Zehnder

Goal:

 USD $100,000

Raised:

 USD $20,200

Campaign created by Clotilde Gonzalez

Campaign funds will be received by Clotilde Gonzalez

Medical Aid for Katherine Zehnder

Please help us cover Katherine’s medical expenses from her stay at the hospital due to a stroke that occurred on October 13. Katherine is recovering well but will have to have in-home therapy for a while. Thank you for any assistance you are able to provide, as well as your prayers for Katherine and her family. God bless you!

Recent Donations
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Shannon Counihan
$ 100.00 USD
11 months ago

Be assured of our continued prayers and love for you!

Lily Wrenn
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

With love and prayers for Katherine and Christopher and family

Anonymous Giver
$ 275.00 USD
1 year ago

Continued prayers for strength and healing.

Lily Wrenn
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

With love and prayers for Katherine and Christopher and family

SMC
$ 40.00 USD
1 year ago

Be assured of our continued prayers!

Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

God speed your recovery, Katherine! Love, Jessica Langley

Lily Wrenn
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

With love and prayers for Katherine and Christopher and family

Luke and Lisa Macik
$ 300.00 USD
1 year ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 250.00 USD
1 year ago

May God grant Katherine a full recovery, and may He bless your entire family.

David and Cecile Van Hecke
$ 250.00 USD
1 year ago

Also sending a much larger amount in prayers!

Daniel Nichols
$ 20.00 USD
1 year ago

The Denny Family
$ 250.00 USD
1 year ago

We continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers! ~ Love, The Dennys

Anonymous Giver
$ 500.00 USD
1 year ago

Lily Wrenn
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

With love and prayers for Katherine and Christopher and family

Anonymous Giver
$ 200.00 USD
1 year ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

May God grant Katherine a speedy recovery❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

Anonymous Giver
$ 300.00 USD
1 year ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

Wayne
$ 30.00 USD
1 year ago

Kel and Theresa Boyer
$ 100.00 USD
1 year ago

Prayers

Updates

Fifth Update on Katherine’s Progress

March 25th, 2023

Fifth Update on Katherine’s Progress

Friends,

Well, I’ve let another month pass to write an update on Katherine’s progress. My excuse is that I have had to step up her daily therapy, precisely because she is making good progress. I also have to make a living. Whether these are good excuses or not, I’ll leave to the reader to decide.

I am happy to relate that Katherine has begun to walk, with a walker (I suppose that it what it is called) and my help. Several times a day, I have been helping her make her way from one end our house to the other (we have a straight course through the kitchen and what we call the “hearth room” to the extremity of the living room. In recent days, I have made the course a bit more difficult. She walks from the kitchen, through the hearth room, into the living room, where she turns, proceeds down a side hallway, then makes a left back into the kitchen to return where she began.

Katherine’s physical therapist has upped the challenge. We are working not only on her walking but in trying to get her raise her leg and foot more while she walks so that she regains a normal stride. This task is just beginning, so I have not much to say on it for the moment. Please pray that it she continues to progress as she has up to this point.

Again, thank you all for your prayers and your financial support. We are still awaiting the final tally on what we owe; we have a health share, not insurance, and the whole process takes longer.

Pax Christi,

Christopher


Update #4

February 23rd, 2023

Update 4

If it took me a month or more to write the last update on Katherine’s condition, I am making up for it with this update – posted not even a fortnight after last one. This update, too, is much shorter and perhaps should be called Update 3.5 rather than 4.

When Katherine first came home in November, we were already looking ahead to when she could leave the house. It seemed a long stretch, given that I couldn’t get her out of bed without a mechanical lift. Still, we set Easter as the date when she would assist as Mass again. As late as two or two-and-a-half weeks ago, Easter was the date for her “breaking out.” More recently, given the swiftness of her recovery, I toyed with the idea of moving that date up a few weeks.

Then, last week, a new physical therapist, in setting up her next appointment, said that (being Catholic and all), we wouldn’t want her to come on Ash Wednesday. When I said that we would not be going to Mass that day, she said simply, “why not?” Indeed, “why not?” I mused. Katherine too thought, “why not?” We both thought about the “why not?” long enough that we at last (on Fat Tuesday) decided to give it go.

Thus, today, Ash Wednesday, I wheeled Katherine to our car, helped her in the front passenger’s seat, and drove her to Mass at our Dominican parish, St. Patrick’s in downtown Columbus – a 40-minute jaunt. It was a joyful reunion for her, the first time she had been to Mass there or anywhere (save the home Mass one of our parish priests said for us last week) since early October last year. The experiment proved successful. God willing, Katherine will be able to go with me to Sunday Mass for weeks and months and years to come. God is good.

Again, thank you all for your prayers and the monetary support that has made Katherine’s home therapy possible.

-- Christopher

Third Update on Katherine’s Progress

February 11th, 2023

Friends,

I have been reminded by a friend that it has been a month since I last gave you an update on my wife, Katherine’s, progress in her stroke recovery. Please forgive my negligence. January passed so quickly that it was over before I noticed it. Engaging in my gainful employment while acting as nurse and in-home therapist, not to mention doing much of the shopping and trying (though not too successfully) to take on everything Katherine formally did has made a month seem like a fortnight. It is a distracted life I lead.

I am happy to report that Katherine still to make good progress in her recovery. Last month, I reported that she reached a milestone in her recovery – being able to stand with only one assist (that assist being myself). She has not regressed in this; it has in fact become easier to help her get up on her feet. She is doing more of the work herself. I purchased a peddler, which she uses every day. The peddling exercise both strengthens her legs and helps her brain relearn the reciprocal movement needed for walking. We are now working on helping her take steps from a standing position; I hold her up while she tries to shuffle forward, one foot and then the other. We are only at the very beginning stages of this part of her recovery; she is able to move her left foot forward more easily than her right, and this may be because, to move her right, she must put her weight on her left leg, which she could hardly move at all only two months back. Remembering how much recovery she has made up to this point helps me tame my impatience, preventing me from becoming at least a complete therapeutic martinet.

As a result of her occupational therapy, Katherine can now, with assistance, dress herself; we’ve graduated (Deo gratias) from the hospital-gown stage. And, no longer do I have to give her sponge baths, for she can now take showers. She wheels herself around in her wheelchair, a task that is none too easy in our 103-year-old house. Katherine’s speech has improved; she carries on short conversation with visitors and by phone, showing a greater mastery of pronunciation and a sound understanding. (By the way, Katherine enjoys having visitors and welcomes phone calls, so don’t be shy to visit if you are in Central Ohio or call if you are not.) All this progress has induced me to look to begin taking her out in the car, first on shorter, then longer trips. We have set Easter as our goal to get her back to Mass; it may be sooner, I think. We’ll see.

For both Katherine and me, this trial has been, well, a trial; but like all things difficult in the Christian life, it has been the source of great blessings. She has been more patient and trusting than I have been, for she is very close to Our Lord. As for myself, I have come to understand what Christ meant when he identified himself with the “least of these, my brethren.” It hit me one Sunday when I was driving to Mass; in serving my wife, I am serving Jesus. This realization transformed my sense of what I was about and made the hardships of our situation easier to bear. It has also made me more patient. Our parish has given me the privilege of bringing communion to Katherine, so I have the double honor not only of serving Christ in my wife but of bringing Christ to Christ in her. The path to wisdom is truly the way of the cross.

Again, I wish to thank all of you who have been praying for us as well sending us monetary gifts. I have been asked what monetary goal we are seeking. Our GiveSendGo! page sets the goal at $100,000, but this is somewhat arbitrary, since we are not sure yet what we may expect in terms of the final medical costs. Since we don’t have insurance but are in a health share, it takes a longer time for payment to the two hospitals Katherine was in from October 11 to early November to be resolved. At this point, the donations we have received are going to Katherine’s therapy, part of which may be recouped from the health share; still, we will be paying the lion’s share of the therapy costs ($150 a visit, twice a week) – at this point, home therapy but, in the future, outpatient therapy. There will also be doctor’s visits once I can transport Katherine by car. I expect this to go on for several months more, as stroke recovery is always long term. We initially had therapy more often; but, in order to extend the therapy over more months, we have opted for two sessions a week. I have the advantage of being able to work at home, allowing me to apply what we learn in therapy on a daily basis. God has been good to us, not only in this, but in the kindness of our friends. We remember you all every day in our prayers.

Update #2 on Katherine's Progress

January 2nd, 2023

Friends,

 

On this the second day of the new year, and the Ninth Day of Christmas, I can report some glad tidings with my wife, Katherine’s recovery. In my last update, the week before last, I noted that her therapists thought that Katherine was perhaps ready to stand with assistance. The original plan was to have two therapists present for the operation; but, providentially, I think, a change of plans occurred, and we had another physical therapist fill in for our normal one. This therapist thought to make the standing experiment herself (she is tall, strong woman), and it was successful. She then taught me how to do it; and I was surprised how easy it was. Katherine was doing most of the work to go from sitting to standing. Better yet, since last Wednesday, I have not had to use the Hoyer lift to transfer Katherine from bed to wheelchair or (I hope it is not indelicate to mention it), bedside commode. She stands, with my help balancing her, and shuffles backward into the chair.

            The therapists assure me that, for stroke victims, standing with only a single-person assist is a big milestone in recovery. They are also impressed by how quickly Katherine has reached this developmental point. One therapist even commented on how much Katherine has improved in a single week. Family members say the same. I can vouch for this, not just in regards to standing, but in her speech. She talks more and with greater clarity. Her voice now has the old ring (albeit, always subdued) which it used to have.

            Katherine and I can only thank each and every one of you, especially, for your prayers and for the generous gifts you have sent us. You have aided in my wife’s recovery, for which I daily remember all you when I say the Liturgy of the Hours. I would be remiss, however, if I did not publicly acknowledge the saints who have interceded for us during this trial, especially St. Pio of Pietrelcina, whose relics came to Columbus while Katherine was still in the rehabilitation hospital. I visited the church, as did the members of our family, and I have a deep sense that he has been interceding for us in a powerful way. The ironic thing is that Katherine and I, who are Lay Dominicans, are now beholden to a Franciscan! Another instance of the divine sense of humor, I suppose. (I could also include in the number of intercessors St. Margaret of Costello, a Dominican tertiary and, of course, our Holy Father Dominic himself, not to mention Catherine of Siena and St. Augustin.)

            I hope you all have a very blessed new year. Please continue to pray for us, as the recovery road ahead is still a long one.  

 

Pax Christi,

Christopher

Update on Katherine’s progress (by Christopher Zehnder)

December 17th, 2022

Friends, 

First, I thank all of you who have offered up your prayers on behalf of my wife, Katherine, for our family during this period of trial, and for myself in particular, that I might be a good caretaker. We have been deeply humbled by your generosity and moved by your friendship. You have all been as Christ to us. By our prayers, we hope we have been Christ to you.

 

In the month that Katherine has been home with us, I have seen great improvement in her condition. As you may know, her stroke rendered her motionless on her left side. Recalling how, now two months back, she could not move her arm or leg, I can scarcely believe that she has mostly regained the use of her right arm and hand and can move her left leg and foot. As part of her therapy, we have her sit on the edge of the bed, with her feet flat on the floor, both to apply pressure to her left leg and to strengthen her in her core, which is essential to her walking again. (The brain has to find a new path to her limbs.) She is sitting up thus for longer periods of time without significant assistance. She sat so with me for one hour today. Her home therapists said that this week they we’re going to try to get her to stand, with some assistance, of course. But if she does, it will be a significant breakthrough. The interim goal is to transfer her from bed to wheelchair without using a lift. The ultimate goal, of course, is that she will walk again. I have good confidence that she will, given her swift progress already and her patient determination. I have never known someone as patient and resigned as she. I think she is very close to Our Lord. I would be a bear if I were in her condition!   

 

When I reflect back on the past two months, I sometimes ask myself, why? Of course, one cannot answer such questions in this life. Who can know the counsels of God? Yet, though I am no mystic, I think I understand this much: Christ has given my family the honor of joining in his sufferings for our redemption and that of the world. It is not an honor I could have chosen; and, to be honest, it is one even now I would gladly forego. I am no saint. Yet, this understanding gives some meaning to what we are going through. Over the past year, I have learned to have a deeper appreciation of our Church’s liturgy, the mystery of Christ’s self-oblation for mankind. When we suffer, we experience a fuller participation in the Liturgy, drawing us into a deeper knowledge of God, to revelation. As Dom Odo Casel (one of the leaders of the pre-Vatican II liturgical movement) said, “this is done in suffering; it is pain which serves to purify and cleanse man, and make him fit for the higher knowledge. For Christians the cross is the way to the deep knowledge which is glory.”

 

You all remain in our prayers – especially Katherine’s, which are especially powerful.

 

Pax Christi,

Christopher Zehnder

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