Stearns/Morrison Enterprise Interview

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=65 BGCOLOR="#666699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04e00840erlcjm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Stearns/Morrison Enterprise Interview</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark Felling.com Dont let life pass you"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to<B>  </B><A HREF="mystorynews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Articles"><B>News Articles</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04811c00egdysm.png"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id428.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Benefit Announcement">Benefit Announcement</A></div> <div> <B>Stearns/Morrison Enterprise Interview</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id441.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seven Dolors Parish Bulletin ">Seven Dolors Parish Bulletin </A></div> <div> <A HREF="id479.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="National Transportation Safety Board Off">National Transportation Safety Board Official Reports</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=415 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="816" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 82 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com"><B><IMG SRC="961dd4b0.png" border=0 width="221" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="94"><div> <A HREF="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com"><B>"Innovative Solutions for the Mobility Impaired"</B></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="467"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="82" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="467" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <I>This article appeared on the front page of the Stearns/Morrison Enterpriseon October (?), 2003 and in the November 8, 2003 edition of the Melrose Beacon</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Community fund raising </B></div> <div> <B>Neighbors help Mark Felling</B></div> <div> <B>By Kristen J. Kubisiak</B></div> <bR> <div> The time was 11:50 p.m. Wednesday, July 2 when Darlene Felling got a phone call that every parent dreads and hopes never to receive.</div> <div> Her oldest son Mark had been in an accident.</div> <div> In a deluge of rain and hail, Darlene and her husband Earl made the 92-mile trek to Hennepin County Medical Center. There they were relieved to find their son alive, but in rough shape. Mark, an avid recreational pilot, had been doing a routine take-off from runway 18 at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie when the Volkswagen conversion RevMaster engine on his Dragonfly failed after gaining only a few hundred feet of altitude. The cause of the failure remains a mystery to Mark, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.</div> <div> "I tried to crash-land in a field (in the Minnesota River Valley) but fell short and landed 50 feet from the field in trees," Mark said.</div> <div> He wasn't sure whether it was skill or luck that allowed him to fly through the tree tops but somehow he maintained enough control to avoid the river and maneuver between two trees. It wasn't until Mark got within 40 feet of the ground that his rear wing was clipped by a tree.</div> <div> "Because the wing was so strong, instead of simply shearing off, it stopped the airplane and rotated it upside down," Mark explained.</div> <div> Though the Plexiglas canopy didn't shatter, the upside down impact of the crash broke Mark's neck.</div> <div> "I am currently a C-5 level quadriplegic," Mark said.</div> <div> The crash was announced on the 10 p.m. news about 10 minutes after impact. For 45 minutes, Mark hung upside down in the seatbelt restraints with fuel running down the back of his legs before rescuers located the crash site among the trees with heat sensors from a helicopter.</div> <div> Within another 45 minutes, rescuers had Mark removed from the wreckage and airlifted away by helicopter.</div> <div> On Thursday, July 3, Mark had major re-constructive surgery on his neck and received a halo frame-brace to help his spine heal. Mark spent about three to four weeks at Hennepin County Medical Center. He then moved to the Sister Kenny Institute, which was originally founded to help treat polio patients.</div> <div> Mark's halo was removed Sept. 30.</div> <div> "I felt like a bobble head doll afterward," Mark said.</div> <div> Once the halo was removed, Mark was able to check into the Courage Center, where the typical stay is six months. There Mark set goals he wished to accomplish before he leaves.</div> <div> "Basically I want to be as independent as possible, able to do things such as drive a hand controlled van," Mark said. </div> <div> Today Mark can't recall the details of the actual accident, and the memories he does have are a composite of physical evidence and hearsay: photographs, air traffic reports, police documents, medical records and stories from family members.</div> <div> "The first few weeks were the worst," Darlene said.</div> <div> During that time, Mark couldn't move his arms and was rapidly losing muscle mass, he battled fever, and the threat of pneumonia.</div> <div> "He's doing great now though," Darlene said.</div> <div> Since then, aided by intense physical therapy, electrode muscle stimulation, family support from his parents and younger siblings, Jim, Greg, Mark, Ben and Priya, and his own indomitable spirit, Mark has been able to find enough strength in his arms to begin feeding himself, to touch his cheek and he has also regained some feeling in his arms.</div> <div> "Most of the damage to the spine resulted from the swelling, as the swelling goes down I may be able to regain at least partial control of my wrists or fingers," Mark said. "That little bit is better than nothing."</div> <div> Now, as he continues to recover, Mark is facing a new challenge: expenses.</div> <div> But he isn't going to face it alone.</div> <div> Sharon Weyer, the Felling's neighbor of eight years, is organizing a spaghetti dinner and silent auction to help raise money for Mark. Weyer is being assisted by other concerned community members.</div> <div> "Our goal is to raise between $25-30,000 so we can get Mark a new wheelchair," Weyer said. Right now Mark is test driving an Invacare Storm TDX5 which includes important chair options such as tilting.</div> <div> "It's important I shift my weight around, otherwise I can get sores," Mark explained. "Shifting your weight keeps the blood flowing as it should."</div> <div> The chair also travels with relative ease over the gravel driveway Mark encounters when visiting his parent's farm home.</div> <div> "Some chairs also have an elevator," Mark said.</div> <div> The 'elevator' is an option that allows the chair operator to reach higher objects such as those on a shelf. Some chairs can even place the operator in an upright standing position, again, important for proper circulation.</div> <div> "But those options cost the big bucks," Mark said.</div> <div> Mark estimated the Invacare Storm at being anywhere between $20-40,000 and a wheelchair with an elevator and standup feature to be over $30,000.</div> <div> The dinner and auction are scheduled for Nov. 15 from 4-9 p.m. at the Church of Seven Dolors in Albany.</div> <div> "The dinner will be served in the gym," Weyer said.</div> <div> Money raised from the meal will be matched up to $700 by the Catholic Aid Association.</div> <div> Weyer also said the money raised from the silent auction that will be held in the parish gathering space will be matched up to $1,000 by the Catholic Order of Foresters.</div> <div> The silent auction will be organized and clerked by the Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union.</div> <div> "We've really been trying to get the word out by flyers, and by sending out donation letters," Weyer said. "Mark is a single guy and everything is so expensive, he doesn't have that much money. The community really wants to help him."</div> <div> Weyer, who had a recent struggle with breast cancer, said she understands what it is like to experience hard financial and emotional times.</div> <div> "I've been there," she said. "And people were there to help me and my family out. The Fellings do a lot for the community and now the community wants to give something back to them.</div> <div> "Besides, this is what it means to live in a farming community; we help each other," Weyer said. "So far everyone has really been supportive. Everyone is pitching in and that's great. Right now, Mark needs to concentrate on keeping up his spirits and accomplishing whatever he can; he shouldn't have to worry about other stuff."</div> <div> And at times, Mark admitted, that can be difficult.</div> <div> "There are bad days and good days," Mark said.</div> <div> On bad days, Darlene added, Mark and his friends at Sister Kenny took turns sitting on "the pity pot."</div> <div> "They can never feel sorry for themselves for too long, because there is always someone else waiting to get on the 'pot'," Darlene said.</div> <div> Mark's philosophy before the accident was, take things as they are, and remain so.</div> <div> "Don't be upset about things that are outside of your control," he said. "We are all going to live, we are all going to die. You can sit around and mope or move forward. Feeling depressed isn't going to get anything accomplished."</div> <div> And Mark has never been one to let anything get in his way, Darlene said.</div> <div> The 26-year-old has already visited more countries than his mother has states, and tried everything from diving and body surfing to flying and mountain climbing.</div> <div> "This is life," he said. "You can spend your life hiding in your house because you think it's safe...and then your home can get struck by lightning.</div> <div> "Swim with the fish, experience another culture; go out and experience the world," Mark said. "Things happen. You can try to hide from life or you can embrace it."</div> <bR> <div> <B>Interested in making a donation?</B></div> <div> Cash donations can be sent to: Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union (CMFCU), P.O. Box 339, Albany, MN 56307 or dropped off at any CMFCU office in the area. Checks should be made payable to the Felling Family Fund.</div> <div> Silent auction donations and other donations? Call Dan and Cindy Nienaber (845-4046) or Debra Ahrenholz (845-7515).</div> <div> To volunteer time or donate a baked dessert call Joan Sand (845-4432) or LouAnn Goebel (845-2619).</div> <div> To get up-to-date information on Mark's progress visit www.caringbridge.org/mn/markfelling.</div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="80e75a80.jpg" border=0 width="117" height="168" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >The type of wheel chair Mark gets will play a large role in his recovery. Right now he is test driving an Invacare Storm TDX5 with tilting options. Concerned members of the community, like Sharon Weyer, want to make sure Mark is able to get the right wheel chair for his recovery.</FONT></div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="81175be0.jpg" border=0 width="117" height="190" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0">Mark is shown with his parents, Earl and Darlene Felling. The accident has really brought the family together. "When Mark needs strength, I try to be his strength," Darlene said. "When I need strength, Mark is there for me. We all help each other."</div> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>