When they first entered the burn unit, the doctors were not terrifically optimistic about their recovery. Both boys were so very sick- the doctors were saying that they should expect them to be in the hospital through Thanksgiving and Christmas at least – most likely about six months.

Now, one month, one week, and one day after the fire, they have been deemed healthy enough to discharge.

I was able to spend Friday afternoon with the boys, and they just looked so great. It was hard to believe that these were the same boys who had been fighting for their lives just a couple weeks before. Their parents had been told to go home and get things ready for them, and I just missed them, so it was just the little boys and me there. It was a really great time.

We were coloring when some of the nurses approached and asked the boys if they wanted to go see a movie in the theater downstairs. Tristyn said he wanted to, but Trent wanted to say up and color. The nurses took Tristyn, and I stayed with Trent. At first, he was happy to color, but after a while, he began to look around for his brother, and say “Tristyn? Tristyn?” I asked him if he wanted to go find his brother, and he said yes, so I told him we could. He put both his arms up in the air and whispered, “Hold me.” I said, “You want me to hold you, Trent?” and he said, “Uh-huh.” He threw both arms around my neck and rested his chin on my shoulder, and just snuggled like a little two year old is supposed to do. It was sooooo neat. I asked the nurses if there were any areas of his body I should be cautious of injuring, and they told me that his back was a little tender, but mostly he was healed.

The movie, as it turned out, was played in Spanish (most of the kids in that burn unit were Hispanic.) The boys watched a lot more than I expected – about 30 minutes – and gobbled up tons of popcorn. But it got dull for them, so we left.

A little later, they had a going home party. I fed chocolate cake to Trent and he really gobbled it up. It was a very poignant party – a group of burned children were the guests. One boy named Dan – probably 12 or 13 – had been climbing a tree and grabbed a branch that turned out to be a power line. His arm and both legs were badly burned, and then he fell out of the tree and broke a bunch of bones. He kept saying, “Are they really going home?” and as he said it, the word “home” had a mystical/magical quality that made me think about how I feel about heaven. The longing for home just about breaks your heart.

The boys opened up four presents that the medical teams had bought for them, and played with the spiragraph a good bit. A while later when I began to leave, Trent didn’t want me to, and he talked me into staying a few minutes longer, watching them play computer games. It wasn’t hard to talk me into that.

It’s just so wonderful how God has heard your prayers. Its so obvious that so many people have prayed for them, and it literally brings tears of gratitude to my eyes as I write this to think of that. That God should do such good and obvious work for these boys is so wonderful. That so many should ask him to do it is also wonderful.

This our God has done – more than we could ask or imagine. He is so very good.

-Ethan Brown

Rebekah has returned to school and is in a Certified Nurse’s Assistant program. She seems to be doing well in the program, and her teacher (who knew something about her situation) complemented her on how well she was doing. The classes give her mind something to do besides grieve. She continues to need our prayers – that she can succeed in this program, and that her broken heart can continue to heal.

Ricky and Melissa are managing a hectic schedule. They are splitting their time in Meriden and in Boston, caring for all three of their sons. Their spirits are up because of the progress they see in the two younger boys. Little Ricky is playing baseball and doing very well, and his father is really proud of him. In the near future, they will move into an apartment with Rebekah in Meriden, and that is good – it will be very good to have something more like a home. There is room in the apartment for all three boys, and they will set up a things for the two younger boys, so that they have a place to come home. The house that had the fire is being repaired by the insurance, but it is unlikely that any one who lived there will ever want to return to that place.

Little Ricky is dealing with all of this as well as a five-year-old boy can be expected to deal with it. Sometimes, he is his normally cheerful self, but at other times he is struggling with anger and shock. Hunter was a treasured friend to all three of the boys, and his absence is painful and perplexing to Ricky. He’s also used to having two younger brothers to fill up his playtime, and their injury is also confusing. This is all very difficult for him.

Dan and Lois are, in Dan’s words, “being held up by God;” and he seems to be constantly surprised by the fact God can sustain them in such sorrow and grief. They are broken, but not destroyed. They continue to care for their daughters and grandchildren with intensity and integrity. Dan has returned to work and their sons are in school, which limits their ability to visit in Boston or Meriden. Their weekends are mostly spent on the road somewhere.

Tristyn and Trent continue their remarkable recovery. Tristyn is able to do more and more all the time. Trent seems to be facing greater challenges than his older brother. He has had an e coli infection, but that is being treated and he’s responding to treatment. He has been walking with assistance. But his most significant challenges are emotional and cognitive – he doesn’t seem to be expressing as wide of a range of emotions and just doesn’t seem to be himself. He is awake, but the fear that he may have suffered some harm to his brain lingers. Of course, he’s very young to be dealing with so great an injury, and what we are seeing may be grief and confusion. Keep his mind and emotions in your prayers.

They are no longer being given medication or sustenance intravenously; their pain management is oral now. Also, the amount of bandages on their bodies is radically reduced. They used to look like little teddy bear mummies, but now they look like little boys again. Injured little boys, but boys.

Tristyn is doing very well. He has been walking (with assistance) and he has a small bike/tricycle kind of thing that he’s been using on the burn ward. He is actively playing with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s. He told me the names of the four turtles, and pointed out which was which by the colors of their masks – he was very excited to share and show off his toys. I played with him a kind of peek-a-boo game, and for about five minutes I had him absolutely hooting and cackling with laughter. It was magic.

Trent is not doing quite as well as his brother. He is clearly uncomfortable, and he sits in his wheelchair leaning to one side- a posture that looks awkward. The medical staff says he isn’t in physical pain, because he’s still on enough pain medication to prevent physical pain (although he does sometimes become physically uncomfortable). Rather, he is in emotional/spiritual pain, because he doesn’t understand what’s going on. (He’s almost 3 years old.) Trent’s skin grafts do not seem to be taking as well as Tristyn’s have. Also, Trent’s burns are in a location that any movement at all will be painful – while Tristyn was burned on a greater amount of his body, his burns are apparently in easier to move locations than Trent’s. Every time Trent moves his upper body in any way, there is pulling on his injuries and discomfort. I was never able to get Trent to laugh as Tristyn did, but their father, Rick, did get Trent giggling while I was there.

Keep praying – particularly for little Trent and his poor heart. They are truly doing well, and our gratitude to God for how well they are progressing is profound. They are moving forward at a pace that only God and His power can explain. They continue to need God’s help. Keep them in your prayers.

-Ethan Brown

Both boys are now off the ventilators, and though they are sleeping with a small amount of supporting oxygen, they are breathing on their own. They continue on morphine for their pain and variset (sp) for pain and to inhibit their memory of their pain. Both will very likely lose part of an ear each, and will require skin grafting surgery on their ears, and plastic surgery later.

Both boys have been allowed to wake up some, have opened their eyes, and both have spoken. They are both responsive to questions, most often by nodding, though sometimes by speaking. Both boys digestive systems are at work again – Tristyn saw Trent eating and whispered, “hungry.” Some food was given to him, and his digestive system (which has been dormant until now) kicked in on that meal.

But the most exciting developments have come in the fact that they have seen and are interacting with each other. They were taken into the same room, and both were thrilled to see each other, and Tristyn waved to his little brother. Seeing one another seems to have triggered a new level of confidence in them, and started them down a path of improvement.

They mostly use their hands and nods/gestures to communicate. If they can avoid it, they are not talking. Their voices are very weak, which may be the result of the time they spent ventilated, or it may be from damage to their vocal cords. They are not finely coordinated, and their movements are very slow. They are, however, showing some signs of being little boys. For instance, yesterday, Tristyn played with some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and though it wasn’t terrifically exuberant play, it was play. As you can see in the attached pictures, both boys can smile really big.

Both boys are undergoing the beginnings of physical therapy. Mostly, it’s movement of their arms and legs to make sure that their skin does not become too tight. The caregivers put shoes on Tristyn’s feet, and he stood with assistance.

Sadly, both boys do have memories of the fire. Trent fell asleep while his family was with him, and he woke up a short time crying and saying “Fire! Fire!” Tristyn has been using the words “fire,” “bed” and “scared,” suggesting that he remembers the fire in his bed and being afraid. A psychologist at the hospital will be talking with Melissa and Rick on how to help them with these terrible, frightening memories.

The medical staff cannot believe how the boys are “flying” through their recovery at this point. There are still potential complications – if they were to get sick, even a minor illness like a cold could significantly threaten their compromised bodies. They continue to need prayer and care. Please continue your ministry of prayer to these little ones and their families.

Trent also had surgery, and his included retrying to remove the tube in his throat. They were able to remove it successfully, and Trent is breathing on his own now! That he is currently free from the ventilator is wonderful. Melissa and Ricky were in Meriden yesterday evening when they recieved a phone call that Trent was quietly saying “Daddy”. Needless to say, Melissa and Ricky were quickly in the car on their way to Boston to see their little boy. There is still much progress to be made, but we need to thank the Lord for this blessing.

Trent (2):
-Is digesting food
-Has tears in response to pain
-Seems calmed by touch and talking
-Will have another skin graft for his ear area
-Ventilator settings have been slowly lowered
-Will have surgery Tuesday to remove his breathing tube entirely, and see how he does.

Tristyn (4):
-Is not digesting food yet
-Is not weeping
-Heart races when touched
-Maintains a slight fever
-Has a blood infection that they feel was caught early and is treatable.

Little Ricky is struggling. This even thas cause great tumult in his life. (He went from being with three playmates at home, to not being with the other boys. He was living with extended family for a while instead of Mom and Dad, etc.) He has started 1st grade in Meriden, and Melissa and Ricky are trying to spend more time with him.

Please also remember Kenny. He is suffering a terrible loss too. He and Hunter were very close, and enjoyed spending time together everyday. Kenny was an amazing uncle to Hunter.

Dan must return to work on Wednesday. Pray that Dan is able to do the work that is necessary there, and that he is still able to be a constant source of support for his family.

The paper’s website

“D’Aniello” search results

Dan and Lois still need prayers as they are constantly being emotionally torn between three places- their home and younger boys needs, Rebekah in CT, and Melissa’s family in Boston.

Rebekah is talking more, and has stated that she does want to continue with her plans for attending school to be a Nurses Assistant. She says that is the best thing she could do. A wonderful plan indeed.

“Au Bon Pain” is within walking distance (Melissa likes it a lot)
Bistro- soups, sandwiches, bagels, etc
Gift cards can be purchased through the link below:
Au Bon Pain

Subway is within walking distance
You can purchase cards at their website:
Subway

Starbucks is within walking distance.
Gift cards can be purchased a variety of places, including their website:
Starbucks

Faneuil Hall is a shopping and eating plaza. It is a long walk
that is possible during the nice weather.
You can see a list of restaurants here:
Faneuil Restaurants
You can see a list of stores here:
Faneuil Stores

Most of the restaurants within walking distance of the hospital
are independant, but do offer gift certificates or gift cards:
Hill Tavern- 228 Cambridge Street: 617-742-6192
Antonio’s Cusina Italiana- 617-367-3310
Harvard Gardens- 316 Cambridge Street 617-523-2727
Cafe Podima- 168 Cambridge St. 617-227-4959

There is a mall one mile from the hospital called Cambridge Galleria
Gift cards for use at most mall stores can be purchased through the mall site:
Cambridge Galleria
There is a food court with a variety of chain and independant stores
(Burger king, Dunkin Donuts, Sbarro, Taco Bell, D’Angelo, Au Bon Pain, etc)
There is also a California Pizza Kitchen in the mall.
Gift cards can be purchased from this site:
California Pizza Kitchen

Gift cards can be mailed to the D’Aniello’s at the hospital, the Delisle’s home address, or my home (we’ll hand deliver them) Addresses can be found in the first (on the bottom) post of the “support” section.