"home"

My nephew is currently in a neurological rehabilitation center, and is continuing to recover.

He is still on a feeding tube.

He still has a trach in, but breathes mostly on his own. He does occasionally need a ventilator to regulate his breathing.

He is re-learning how to walk (my sister has a grainy, but Hallelujah!-type cell phone video of his 1st steps. If I can ever figure out how to post it on here, I will).

The rehab center is ready to discharge him. To his guardian. His social worker is asking for where.

Yes, his social worker.

My nephew is now mentally retarded.

As in, he needs 24/7 monitoring.

They estimate it will be anywhere from 1 - 3 years of rehabilitation before they know where he will end up permanently, as far as his mental facilities go.

As a handicapped, completely-dependent person, he is currently a ward of the state. Guardianship has yet to be determined.

The facility he's in wants him released to his "home".

The majority of his family (including my mother, who has 17 years of experience with mentally retarded and developmentally disabled individuals) believe it is in his best interest to be moved to another rehab facility until he is further along in his recovery.

My sister and brother-in-law are rushing to find out their options, but the facility wants him released next week. And wants to know where.

And as far as "home" goes...

- the uncle he was staying with when he overdosed has admitted to being the source of the drugs TheBoy took, and has fessed up to a closet drug addiction himself. He's also a dealer.

- his egg donor is a drug addict herself, doesn't work, has been in & out of prison for years, and is where TheBoy first got introduced to a life in drugs

- his father (and stepmother, my sister)... well, they don't have a house in Ohio yet. They are moving back. And have jobs, but... no house yet.

- the rest of my family lives a minimum of 90 minutes from where he (currently) needs to go for rehab

- NONE of us are able to handle him in his current state

As far as logistics goes, none of us lives in a wheelchair accessible home. And right now, he cannot walk.

None of us are in a position to provide him with 24/7 care. Not even with multiple people taking turns / stepping in when the primary caregiver is unavailable

He is currently on a feeding tube for all nutrition, and a ventilator "when needed". He needs assistance bathing. He cannot be left alone. Period. Oh, and he's well over six feet tall, and a STRONG young man, who no longer knows his own strength (something my mother is all to familiar with, considering her experience).

My point is, they want him to go "home". There is no home that is able to care for him in the way he needs taken care of.

Perhaps if / when he recovers more fully. In fact, his dad is counting on it.

But the fact is that right now, the very best place for him to get the care that he needs, is in a specialized facility with staff properly trained to give him what he needs, and continue his rehabilitation in house.

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Please pray for TheBoy's continued recovery, and for my sister & her family as they deal with the immense amount of stress this is putting on their family unit.