March 21, 2007 — Sorry for the long delay with the updates. We have been so busy lately and have neglected the website. Rick is doing well. He continued with his speech therapy until Summer 2006 with the wonderful speech department at the University of Tennessee. Under the direction of Dr. Valentine, Rick worked with two different graduate students each semester to improve his use of words. He made great improvements in the three years with that program and we continue working here at home with the exercises they established. Although Rick still has trouble with his speech and is unable to say some words, he is eager for conversation and welcomes the challenge.

Since Rick’s stroke in 2001, he has taken only one photograph that we have printed (Mabry Mill #7500). However, he has a new camera and is ready to shoot again. We hope to get out this spring and get that shutter clicking!

Even so, we have remained busy with Rick’s work these past years. We travel and show his work at arts & crafts fairs around the south. Rick enjoys these shows as well as the opportunity to interact with people and talk about his work. While a great many things changed for Rick when he had the stroke, his passion for photography is still strong.

Thanks to everyone who has sent well wishes to us over these past few years. We appreciate your kindness. Please continue to keep Rick in your prayers.

Thanks,

Deneicee

Update 10/12/2002

Rick is doing very well and has progressed greatly since the last update (see below). He is now just attending speech therapy, were he goes twice a week to work with graduate students at the University of Tennessee. These girls do a wonderful job with Rick and he has improved more with them than any of the licensed therapist he has seen. He loves therapy and wishes there were more. Although Rick still has difficulty with speech, he is able to interact well with customers in the store. He welcomes the challenge of conversation. Just be patient with him.

Rick as been out shooting just a little, but is anxious to get going this fall with the leaves changing here in the Smokies. He is doing well with matting and framing here in the gallery. And he is most especially itching to start traveling and doing art shows again.

Thanks to all of those who have been supportive to us in this difficult time. Keep sending out those prayers!

On Feb. 8, 2001, Rick had a massive, almost fatal stroke due to an extremely rare heart tumor called a left atrial Myxoma.  The tumor had “showered” and sent pieces of tissue all over his body.  The ones that did the most damage were the 4 “hits” to the left side of his brain and two that blocked the main arteries in his legs.  The doctors at the University of Tennessee Medical center in Knoxville performed 4 faciatomies on his legs - long 10" slits on each side of his calves to relieve the pressure. Two were eventually able to be stitched up and 2 had to have skin grafts two months later.. He also had to have open heart surgery to remove the tumor from his heart.

After 21 days at UT he went to the Patricia Neal Rehab Center in Knoxville, for in-patient therapy for 3 months.  He had to slowly learn to walk and begin to speak again.  (That is Patricia Neal in the picture next to Rick.  She just happened to be visiting the center when Rick was there.)  He then went to a neuro-restorative center in Gallatin, TN, near Nashville, for 3  more months of therapy.

During the first week in September, Rick was discharged from the neuro-restoritive center and is back home in Gatlinburg.  He is now going 3 days a week to physical and speech therapies back at the Patricia Neal Rehab Center.   His main concerns are cognitive disabilities and his speech, which is very limited. Little by little he is gaining more use of his right arm and hand which was affected by the stroke but the limited vision in his right eye will be permanent.

He is now working at the gallery, along side of Deneicee Carter, his girlfriend.  He can communicate just a little with words and gestures and is attempting to assemble the smaller pictures and mats.  (Using both hands!)  Back to the old grind.  But it is the best therapy in the world for Rick.

If you would like to send them a card or words of encouragement please send it to the address below.  Or better yet, stop by and visit.

A Frame of Mind

1930 Arkansas St