Wendy and Brian Allred – Wendy’s Progress Page

This page has been created by Jay and Kiyoko as a place to give information about Wendy’s situation and condition, that can be easily shared (as a simple URL).

Note: You might find it easier to use this shortened URL to share this page with others:
goto.jayball.name/wendy

What Happened?

On April 19^th, 2022, Wendy had a blood vessel in her brain rupture (aneurysm). She went into a full body seizure and was taken to St. Mark’s in SLC for emergency neuro surgery. In 99.7% of cases like this one, death is immediate. It has been a very rough ride filled with the angst of the unknown, fear of losing her completely, and periods of hope as she showed signs of improvement.

On May 22^nd Wendy sent out the following text to friends and family:

It is a miracle Wendy is still with us. Clearly, there is a reason she has survived and is continuing to improve. “God’s Wisdom is greater than man’s and sees more than can man. But in all matters there is reason and wisdom in how matters of health, life and death unfold.”

Wendy and Brian are grateful for all your prayers.

Wendy’s Current Status

If you would like to contribute to this current status click here to contact Jay, or email us at biz-at-jayball-dot-name (note: use [@] and [.] in respective places. I’ve deliberately obscured the address to discourage robots from farming my email).

19 April 2023: [Update by Brian Allred] This morning marks the first year anniversary of Wendy’s vacation as I call it. A subarachnoid hemorrhage is what they called it. Terrifying is what it was. Looking back at this year I must express my thanks to all who have supported us in any way. We have much to be thankful for. The event was like a giant wave sweeping in and crashing around us. Thanks to the help of family, friends, and numerous associates the wave did not prevail. Wendy has recovered most but not all of her abilities. She takes care of most but not all of her old responsibilities. She is working hard to recover that which remains. She just stepped out with a friend to go to a low intensity jazzercise class. She can be reached at 435-720-3351. She expresses her thanks to everyone. If you would like to see what recovering from a brain injury looks like and what your donations have done please visit. goto.jayball.name/Wendy. We continue to post more pictures and video clips from time to time. Regards. Brian

12 Apr 2023: [Update by Jay and Kiyoko] Wendy has completed her therapy through the medical system. She says her progress has slowed compared to the initial rapid recovery. She continues to make incremental improvements. Except for rough terrain or navigating stairs, she walks without assistance. They remain positive and grateful to God for the miraculous gift of her life. They have resumed travel and sent us this picture from one of their recent adventures.

24 Dec 2022: The following message from Brian was sent out to multiple fellowships:

Starting Anew

I am making a plea for a day of rededication and healing for Sunday January 1. Many of you know that my wife, Wendy Allred, suffered a brain aneurism and grad mal seizure on April 19 of this year. Many have participated in prayers and blessings and have supported Wendy along her road to recovery. Wendy has made great improvement during this time. Wendy appears to have stalled in her recovery. With God’s blessing Wendy has overcome a multitude of issues, as they say “the glass is mostly full.” The remaining obstacles stem from lingering high blood pressure. The high blood pressure inhibits the optical nerves ability to heal, also affects her balance and coordination. Her progress has been steady and orderly. However as of late, we are unsure and tentative. The only thing that has appeared to help was special form of chiropractic called NUCCA which gently repositions the head to be correctly placed on top of the spine. Vision, balance and blood pressure were all greatly restored however the effects were short lived. Wendy is approaching a place of frustration and despair.

As we prayed and meditated on the situation this is what came to me in the night. In many ways Wendy is a likeness of the movement.

• 1. There has been great turmoil for Wendy and the movement, with God’s help we have made it through.
• 2. Much progress has been made by Wendy and the movement in many areas.
• 3. In other areas, Wendy and the movement struggle greatly.
• a. When Wendy’s head is not right she cannot see properly. She has tunnel vision only seeing one half of the view. As a movement do we fail to see the experience in the lives of others that cause them to value things differently than we do?
• b. When Wendy’s head is not right she has trouble maintaining balance and coordination. As a movement when our heads are not right we struggle to work together in a wise way, being out of balance or uncoordinated seem to be accurate descriptions of our current ability to work together.

As former gentiles, it is easy for us to slip back into our gentile ways, or to lose our heads. There are some basic concepts in the scriptures, perhaps so basic as to be overlooked. Paraphrasing – if properly informed, it is contrary that the majority of the people will choose wrong [see Mosiah 13:6 RE]. Also we have been commanded to be one [see T&C 157:50]. We have not been commanded to be right.

There is so much work before us. We need to be lifted up and supported so that we have a chance to accomplish what remains undone.

Please consider prayers and blessings for the sick and afflicted among us, combined with a rededication to the work, as a coordinated effort on Sunday, January 1st. Please be as aware as you can of those who fellowship in isolation and pray for them as well.

Pray for God’s help in all things, as it seems the summit we climb a little too lofty and the river we cross a little too wide.

Regards, Brian and Wendy Allred
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10 Aug 2022: From Jay and Kiyoko – On Sunday we had the opportunity to visit with Wendy and Brian. It is evident she has better leg strength and balance. It is inspiring to see the miracle of her progress. Brian sent us the following videos showing her improvement with balance exercises:

27 Jul 2022: From Brian – Wendy’s first (Bird balance test) was a 11 out of 56. She just clocked in at 33 of 56 (see video below). Continuing to feel better. She has gained 3 lbs since discharge.
In a way she is a toddler right now, with high end memory and cognitive skills. Also she thinks some peripheral vision is restoring. (What a funny combination. Full adult but toddler.)

26 Jun 2022: We (Jay and Kiyoko) visited Wendy on Sunday Jun 19^th and again the following week (26 Jun). To us, Wendy is showing great improvement in this short period of time. We’re sure the magic of being home with Brian has a lot to do with the healing process. This last visit Wendy was more talkative, had more color in her face, and exhibited more energy. She was able to join with friends for pot-luck and fellowship. Brian says that activities of daily living are good therapy. Wendy is able to contribute to the business with some computer work. Wendy still requires constant assistance with mobility etc. Please continue to keep both Wendy and Brian in your prayers. Financial need is still an ongoing concern, so please contribute as you are able.

18 Jun 2022:  [from Brian, thru text]
To all the friends of Wendy:
Today marks 2 months since Wendy had her aneurism. We came home (home sweet home) on Friday. There has been a flurry of activity before and modifications after her arrival. It will be some time before we figure out a scheduled. Wendy is eager to be back to normal. She will need to be patient with herself. We often remind her that two months ago she was in a coma. And now she is helping with payroll, and I am glad because I really dislike payroll. So I will need to be patient as well. Wendy is walking short distances with minimal assistance using a walker. The biggest things to overcome are balance, strength in the right leg, being hungry and too sleepy. There will be continued therapy at home and in outpatient mode. Though there are no guarantees, as she continues to receive strength, her therapists are projecting a normal life by a year’s time.  This is in sharp contrast to the opinion held by some when she came in, that she was in the wrong place and her injuries were to grate for them to work with. This has to sound like bragging, however it is just what is. It is how it happened. Watching Wendy’s mind work on things is very interesting. It is like a programmer that had a very complicated program and then lost several important segments of code, and is trying to reprogram the system whale it is actively running. You can see that effects both positive and negative as it progresses. All this time the programmer knows how well the program use to operate. For example her filter of what is important and what is not, is off line. So a nice drive home from the hospital is actually an event of sensory overload. I’m not sure that there will be more need for text updates..  If you want to get an occasional update you will need to request for me to give you an update. It will be some time before Wendy will be using her phone. Again I need to thank family, friends and people of faith that have prayed for and given all manner of Christian service for us. I must admit that I am very pleased with the service of many and profoundly disappointed with others. Such is life.  I see each day as a new lease on life together with Wendy.
May God bless you and yours.
Regards Brian and Wendy.

17 Jun 2022: [from Brian’s brother, Dave]
To all the friends of Wendy and Brian Allred who have a desire to help them financially:

In a recent conversation with my brother, Brian, he shared a few of his thoughts and feelings with me that he had concerning the experience he and Wendy are going through. One of the things he talked about was his desire to reach out to as many of his family, friends, and associates as he can (especially those who are involved in the remnant movement). He wants to explain his financial situation and inform as many as are interested, of his need, and invite them to participate in helping him shoulder this burden. He believes that If those in need are willing to humble themselves and ask for help, and those that are in a position to help are willing to give, then everyone involved can be blessed.  In this way we can become “one”.

I asked Brian if there was anything I could do to help him with that. He agreed to let me put this letter together and send it out in his behalf. Its intent is to give you information that will help you to see a clearer picture of Wendy and Brian’s needs. Hopefully, this information will be of value to you as you prayerfully consider where and how much to donate to the needy who are among us.

For the benefit of those who do not know Wendy or have not heard about what she has been going through, here is a brief description of the events:

1. On April 19th, early in the morning hours, Wendy experienced an aneurysm (a ruptured blood vessel) in her brain! Blood accumulated in the surrounding tissues and she went into a full body seizure. This type of aneurysm is extremely lethal. In 99.7% of these cases death is immediate.
2. Immediately, a call to the hospital was placed and an ambulance responded to the scene. When the paramedics arrived, they assessed her condition. The best treatment that was available was at St. Mark’s hospital in Salt Lake City, so the decision was made to send her there. To expedite the transport, a request was made for the life-flight helicopter.
3. Unfortunately, due to mechanical problems, the helicopter was not able to fly. As a result, it was necessary to transport her by ambulance.
4. Upon arrival, she underwent emergency brain surgery. Among other things, surgeons repaired the rupture and placed a coil-shaped platinum mesh around the injured area. The purpose of this mesh was to provide a stable structure for the blood to clot around, and attach to, while her body slowly reabsorbed the clotted blood.
5. The surgery was a success and for the next 10 days or so, although Wendy continued to be in extreme danger, there were significant signs of improvement.
6. At this time, Wendy experienced a second event. There was additional damage to her blood vessels, additional bleeding, and consequently more damage to her brain tissue. It was a serious set back and it was not known at that time whether the damage was reversible or permanent.
7. Many prayers, several blessings, and considerable faith was exercised on behalf of Wendy during this most critical time! One significant moment took place on Sunday May 1st at 11:00 am, at which time a concerted effort was made by family, friends, and remnant believers to unite themselves in prayer, and petition God for his blessings to be poured out upon Wendy.
8. The next few weeks in the I.C.U. required constant monitoring of the pressure of the blood vessels in her brain. If the pressure spiked too high, it could cause further ruptures, if it got too low it would result in a lower blood flow and delay the healing process. There were a great many other risks in play as well, including the high risk of infection, the unknown effects and side effects of the drugs they were using, etc. Despite these dangers, she demonstrated a pattern of small, steady, daily improvements. At the end of one month in the intensive care unit, she was able to transition to a supervised, in-patient rehabilitation facility.
9. Wendy is facing a long, difficult road. She needs to relearn many things that we take for granted, like how to sit and how to swallow, etc. Her brain needs to find or make new connections to her muscles. It will require a great deal of time and patience. She will also need continuing assistance from doctors, physical therapists, and other professionals as well as help from family, and friends. This level of assistance is likely to be expensive and ongoing.

Brian and Wendy have an insurance policy in place which provides coverage for a large portion of, but not all of, their medical expenses. They have a 15% co-pay obligation that they must provide. Then the insurance company will pay the remaining 85% up to a total of 1 million dollars. Brian and Wendy are solely responsible for expenses which exceed this amount.

They may qualify for government assistance to help pay for these uncovered expenses and they have an experienced consultant who is pursuing that possibility. If you have knowledge of, or experience with, other organizations and programs that give financial aid or negotiate medical debt you are invited to share it, or if you have the time and interest in researching these things, that information and those efforts would be greatly appreciated.

Wendy’s treatment has been and continues to be very expensive! It has required multiple surgeries and surgeons, numerous tests, one month in the intensive care unit, and will require several more weeks of physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility, followed by a very long period of at-home physical therapy.  It is uncertain how long Wendy’s recovery will take or how much it will ultimately cost. It seems very likely, however, that their expenses could meet or exceed their coverage amount. In that event, their 15% co-pay would amount to approximately $150,000. This is the best-case scenario. It could be much higher.

Their income comes from a personal business that they have established and nurtured for years. With patience, and hard work, this business has grown to become profitable to the point that it meets their own needs and provides them with a small surplus which they prayerfully use to serve God, to help others, and to finally take the time to enjoy their lives together. They live a simple life and have always lived within their means and avoided debt.

Wendy and Brian are very grateful for the messages of love and support that have been sent to them as well as the financial assistance that they have received, which at time of this writing totals approximately $15,000.  Any communication or any gift, whether great or small is valuable to them. They all make a significant difference. Some of the most meaningful gifts have been from those who have very little to give and from those who have experienced or are currently experiencing personal hardships themselves. They have also been touched by people who don’t know them and live in places far from here who have been willing to give. If you have a desire in your heart to give but are unable to give at this time, please feel free to reach out to them and express that desire to them. That would be appreciated as well. If you have already donated money to them, they want to sincerely thank you and for you to clearly know that they are not asking for more.