November 9, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HOMMEL UNDERGOES THERAPY IN ATLANTA
Newport, TN --- Progress continues for Duayne Hommel, 25, Newport, TN, a dirt Late Model star driver who was severely injured September 23 in a traffic accident. Hommel was recently transported from the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, TN to the Shepard Center for continued treatment of the brain injuries he sustained in the accident. Shepherd Center is an Atlanta-based catastrophic care hospital, treating people with spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular illnesses and urological problems.
“I went by there yesterday to visit and he’s sitting up in the wheelchair and has the brace holding his head,” explained Ron “Flea” Fleenor, a family friend and spokesperson. “He’s got the wash rag, he has a hold of that and tries to wipe his face off with it. I haven’t seen the guy in a week and a half and he’s doing stuff that he wasn’t doing when he was here so that was a pretty big deal for me. We got to hang out for a while and everything is pretty good.”
“They are still working on him, therapy wise. I was getting ready to leave and he started raising his arm all the way up like he was waving at me, or flipping me off (laughs), one or the other, I couldn’t tell (laughs)! He’s got that left eye open all the time looking around.”
“He’ll give you the peace sign. (Hommel’s mother) Gayla will say, ‘Tell Flea peace’, and he’ll get those fingers up there. He did it when I walked in. He’s still got a long ways to go but they are working on it. Just in the ten days I haven’t seen him he has made a whole lot of improvements. He has put some weight back on and he’s starting to come around a little bit with the way he looks and he’s trying to tell you something. You just know he’s trying to say something to you. We’re just going to have to wait it out a little longer. He’ll come around some more as time goes, but he looked pretty damn good to me since the ten days I haven’t seen him. It was awesome, for me because I hadn’t seen him for awhile. It was a pretty cool deal. From where he was when he was here, to yesterday, hell yes he’s made some progress!”
Fleenor also gives a weekly update on the DIRT NATION radio program that is broadcast over the internet at: www.racetalklive.com and airs each Monday evening from 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST.
For more information on the Shepard Center visit: http://www.shepherd.org/shepherdhomepage.nsf/home?openform
Cards and notes can reach Hommel at: Duayne Hommel Motorpsorts, 311 Industrial Road, Newport, TN 37821.
A fund has been set up to help assist Duayne Hommel defray medical expenses. If you would like to make a donation to assist Duayne, Christi and Daegan please send them to: National Bank of Tennessee, Attn: Duayne Hommel Fund, PO Box 669, Newport, TN 37822.
-Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HOMMEL UNDERGOES THERAPY IN ATLANTA
Newport, TN --- Progress continues for Duayne Hommel, 25, Newport, TN, a dirt Late Model star driver who was severely injured September 23 in a traffic accident. Hommel was recently transported from the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, TN to the Shepard Center for continued treatment of the brain injuries he sustained in the accident. Shepherd Center is an Atlanta-based catastrophic care hospital, treating people with spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular illnesses and urological problems.
“I went by there yesterday to visit and he’s sitting up in the wheelchair and has the brace holding his head,” explained Ron “Flea” Fleenor, a family friend and spokesperson. “He’s got the wash rag, he has a hold of that and tries to wipe his face off with it. I haven’t seen the guy in a week and a half and he’s doing stuff that he wasn’t doing when he was here so that was a pretty big deal for me. We got to hang out for a while and everything is pretty good.”
“They are still working on him, therapy wise. I was getting ready to leave and he started raising his arm all the way up like he was waving at me, or flipping me off (laughs), one or the other, I couldn’t tell (laughs)! He’s got that left eye open all the time looking around.”
“He’ll give you the peace sign. (Hommel’s mother) Gayla will say, ‘Tell Flea peace’, and he’ll get those fingers up there. He did it when I walked in. He’s still got a long ways to go but they are working on it. Just in the ten days I haven’t seen him he has made a whole lot of improvements. He has put some weight back on and he’s starting to come around a little bit with the way he looks and he’s trying to tell you something. You just know he’s trying to say something to you. We’re just going to have to wait it out a little longer. He’ll come around some more as time goes, but he looked pretty damn good to me since the ten days I haven’t seen him. It was awesome, for me because I hadn’t seen him for awhile. It was a pretty cool deal. From where he was when he was here, to yesterday, hell yes he’s made some progress!”
Fleenor also gives a weekly update on the DIRT NATION radio program that is broadcast over the internet at: www.racetalklive.com and airs each Monday evening from 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST.
For more information on the Shepard Center visit: http://www.shepherd.org/shepherdhomepage.nsf/home?openform
Cards and notes can reach Hommel at: Duayne Hommel Motorpsorts, 311 Industrial Road, Newport, TN 37821.
A fund has been set up to help assist Duayne Hommel defray medical expenses. If you would like to make a donation to assist Duayne, Christi and Daegan please send them to: National Bank of Tennessee, Attn: Duayne Hommel Fund, PO Box 669, Newport, TN 37822.
-Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services
