Leigh Anne and the kids left South Carolina today and have landed safely in Texas — with a whole welcome party there to receive them, of course.

• Thank God for their safe arrival in Fort Worth.
• Pray for Dustin’s transport tomorrow (the 31st).
• Pray for a happy reunion tomorrow evening.
• Pray for the Salter’s transition back into Fort Worth.

Concerning Dustin, the plan at this point (since insurance has denied Kindred) is for him to be taken to the Plaza, a skilled-nursing facility, upon his arrival in Fort Worth tomorrow.

Trusting the two perfect hands of our Father …

There are some changes in Dustin’s condition and treatment that are noteworthy.

1) Several times over the last week or two, they have placed Dustin on a ’tilt table.’ This is a table that he gets strapped down to and then he is raised up to almost standing upright. He hasn’t gotten past 45 degrees, but having been on his back or sides for the last 11 weeks, 45 degrees is quite significant. This exercise helps put pressure on his legs and feet, helps circulation to his feet and lower legs, reduces tone in his muscles by stretching them out, and generally loosens up his muscles and joints. He endures this fairly well, keeping a good BP and has also shown some signs of trying to help posture himself and does occasionally respond to commands to move a toe or raise a thumb or following with his eyes.

2) They removed the trach this morning. This is really a positive thing. In many ways, Dustin has come a long way from 3 months ago in the ICU when the ventilator was breathing for him and he was having to be suctioned out 6-8 times a day. Now, the doctors feel he is able to take care of all those things on his own, and see no reason why he ought not be able to continue doing so.

We are now 5 days away from Dustin’s flight back to Fort Worth. Please continue fervently in prayer for:

• Dustin’s healing
• Leigh Anne’s endurance, rest and peace
• Dustin’s safe transport (31st)
• Leigh Anne and kid’s safe travel (30th)
• the transition back to Texas (praise God for great friends who are working out all the details!)
• the insurance company to pay for 2 weeks at Kindred!

Psalm 20
¹TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! ²May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! ³May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! ⁴May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! ⁵May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! ⁶Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. ⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. ⁸They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. ⁹O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

RUF Announces the Establishment of the RUF Campus Minister Crisis Relief Fund

The RUF Campus Minister Crisis Relief Fund, established by the RUM Permanent Committee, is for the benefit of RUF Campus Ministers and their families who are in an extraordinary financial crisis and need, ordinarily due to medically related issues.

Reverend Dustin Salter was the RUF Campus Minister at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas for 9 years before his recent move to Greenville, South Carolina where he continued serving RUF as Campus Minister at Furman University.

On November 8, 2006, 4 months after the Salter’s move from Texas to South Carolina, Dustin was on a bicycle ride one block from his home with his two boys when a sudden fall resulted in a severe and sustained brain injury. Dustin’s wife, Leigh Anne, and their three children, Jacob(9), Nathan(7) and Meredith(2), will be moving back to Fort Worth, Texas on January 30^th and Dustin will be transported to Fort Worth the following day–January 31^st. There he will continue to receive long term nursing care.

Dustin’s case is an example of the need for the RUF Campus Minister Crisis Relief Fund. RUF is currently on 110 campuses across the nation and employs 170 field staff. Due to our size and growth we are aware that other crises may arise.

For those interested in making a contribution to the RUF Campus Minister Crisis Relief Fund you may contribute online at www.ruf.org.

As it turns out, there will be no evaluation. Somebody decided it wasn’t necessary.

As well, the Physicians Assistant overseeing Dustin’s care has — in good conscience — changed the language in her notes from “vegatative state” to “traumatic brain injury from a bicycle accident.” While language in notes may not seem like a big deal, she told Leigh Anne that that change might help with the insurance company, especially with regards to what treatments and facilities they might cover. As well, since there is — from the insurance company’s perspective — a light at the end of the tunnel (i.e., a definite timeframe for Dustin leaving his current facility), they are not hounding Leigh Anne about terminating his coverage as much as they have in the past.

Plans for the Salters leaving Travelers Rest at the end of January for Fort Worth are getting firmed up, although certain significant details (such as a place for Dustin and for the Leigh Anne and the kids) are yet to be worked out. Do pray that God would work out all these details, along with ones that no one can foresee, with his powerful and merciful hands.

In recent days, the therapists that are working with Dustin daily have noted some improvements in his responsiveness (to verbal and painful stimuli). However, there has been hard news this week from the insurance company: given Dustin’s current condition (on a trach and not sufficiently responsive) insurance will not pay for the facility he is currently in–or one like it–after January 31. As well, he is not responsive enough to qualify for other more aggressive rehab facilities.

The social worker at the hospital here in Travelers Rest is bringing in someone from outside this hospital to evaluate Dustin’s condition and make a recommendation to the insurance company about his qualifications for care. If Dustin “performs well” and the evaluator writes a good recommendation, then the insurance company might pay for Kindred in Forth Worth, TX–what we’re hoping for. If things at the evaluation do not ‘go well,’ the insurance company will most likely cease any kind of payment after January 31 and payment for all of Dustin’s care would then have to come ‘out of pocket.’

One way or the other, Leigh Anne is planning on relocating the family to the Fort Worth, Texas area by the end of January or shortly thereafter.

There is much to pray about in these days:

• Dustin’s evaluation (most likely to take place next week)
• God’s provision of payment for Dustin’s care (contributions can still be made to the “Dustin Salter Care” fund through Reformed Universities Ministries, www.ruf.org, online or thru the mail)
• the moving process
• Leigh Anne’s wisdom and endurance in decision making
• the kids and all of the transitions currently in their lives

Trusting the good shepherd.

It has been over two weeks since I’ve posted an update on Dustin’s condition. While I’m sorry to keep you feeling in the dark, there really has been dreadfully little change. He remains largely unresponsive. He will, occasionally turn his head toward you when you ask him to, or try to hold up his head when the physical therapists tell him to. He continues to have sleep/wake cycles and his trach is capped. While these are encouraging signs, they do not yet qualify him for placement in a traumatic brain injury facility. He continues on IV antibiotics. Eight weeks since the accident and largely little improvement.

The Salters remained here in South Carolina for the holidays and had a full house most of the time, with family and friends in from all over the place. I believe the Salter Hotel housed 15 people one night. Once all the house-guests were gone, Leigh Anne and the kids spent New Year’s Eve with Dustin, watching a movie.

Some specific things to pray for:

• Season of fasting and prayer: from noon to one o’clock tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 5. While there will be a few brothers gathered at Dustin’s bedside to pray for his healing, let us all join our hearts and voices in prayer to God who alone can heal.
• Leigh Anne is going on retreat for a few days. This weekend, she plans to leave Greenville and head to Atlanta for the RUF Staff Wives Retreat. She will be gone for 48 hours — the longest time away from Dustin’s side in over 2 months. While the time away will be good for her, it will no doubt be very difficult as well.
• Furman RUF. Tonight they have their first large group since Christmas break. Various pastors and RUF staffers are going to each take a month at a time and preach through the Psalms for the remainder of the school year. Furman RUF Large Group meets every Thursday at 7pm.