Hi everyone,
Derek just got accepted to these colleges: Miami(Ohio),Ball State, Indiana University, and Michigan State. I know , I know, which one will he chose ? Obviously we will visit all these schools and make sure he can get around and get a feel of the campuses and check out all the options, but he is leaning towards Miami(Ohio). Great school and great hockey program.Derek is also excited that nine of the former Ice players will be attending Miami(Ohio).We will keep you up to date. Derek was visited by NBC Channel 13 today with Anne Marie Tiernon and Matt the Camerman for a story about Derek and the Olympics. Not sure when it will air, but they might wait till next week after the Super Bowl. Then they will meet up with us at the Olympics and follow Derek’s experience during the hockey semi-finals, Bronse medal game, Gold medal game, and closing ceremonies.The Granato family has been working on the finishing touches for Derek so he will have an experience of a lifetime.We got to spend time this past weekend in Wisconsin with Christy Granato-Wellhausen and her wonderful husband Kevin Wellhausen and their two beautiful daughters Baylee and brooke. Sam and Baylee had a great time playing against each other this weekend when their teams Racers(Indy) and Capitols (Madison) met in Madison. We enjoyed Christi’s cooking, authentic Italian for dinner and the famous banana - pecan pancakes for breakfast.
Derek will be going to Chicago next weekend to watch Sam play in the league tournament and visit with friends.He is excited about seeing some former team mates and coaches and his host family.Derek also got to got to the Indy Ice hockey games this weekend. The ICE got big wins Friday night with Derek getting the game puck and then Saturday got to hand out the game puck that went to the new goalie on the team.The ICE are now auctioning off the jerseys from the Legends game and the All-star game last week and are donating the proceeds to Derek’s trust fund.Derek also got his new ICE jersey and he wore it proudly Saturday night.Derek should start therapy again this week with a personal trainer.Keep praying for Derek’s recovery, he still has a long road ahead of him.Thanks to all of you that continue to pray and support us during this journey. Mike
Hi All,
The website has been down for a couple of weeks, I didn’t know we had to pay for the www.derekzike.comdomain name ? But our friend (Mike Morris) in Canada has got us back on track and up and running.Derek has recently got some flicker movement in his fingers. Derek decided to do some therapy on his own one day and he got on the Moto-med bike and did an hour on the legs and half hour on the arm bike, well he over worked the muscles in his back has been in pain since then. He has been on advil for the last seven days and seems to be getting better.On Monday he had surgery on his toe for an ingrown toenail and it is healing up nicely .Robin decided to put soap in the foot soaker machine and soak his feet, well she had so many bubbles that they were two foot high and growing , so she had to get a bath towel and kept transferring bubbles to the bathroom as fast as she could, ha ! Derek was excited about the USHL Gala, which included dinner,guest speakers, a silent auction for Derek and a chance to take pictures with the Stanley Cup ! It was a great night thanks to Paul and Cindy Skojdt. Derek enjoyed the speach by Jimmy Carson who told the story about Wayne Gretzky and being involved with the most controversial trade in history that sent him to Edmonton for Wayne.Derek was honored to be around all the USHL All-Stars that evening and to learn about the college experience and commitment that the USHL hockey league are reinforcing for our up and coming young hockey players and teaching them the importance of a college career after their playing days,and Derek enjoyed his time with (Indy ICE player) Nick Balien and Nick’s family.Derek was especially excited when Nick Balien scored the winning goal in overtime for the East All- Stars.We as a family enjoyed watching the Legends game with Paul and Charlie Skojdt, The Trottier’s,Krajovic, and all the old Checkers and Racers, and Bob Kravitz as goalie.Sam’s team went to the game to see the speed and passing and playmaking of some of the best young hockey players in the nation.Derek is starting to get back some college acceptance letters, which is exciting.We will let you know what he decides ? Derek and family are headed to Chicago next weekend for his brother Sam’s Central States hockey tournament . Derek is excited to watch Sam and his team as the #2 seed compete against Chicago’s best for the league title. Derek has done well maneuvering in the snow in his wheelchair, we try to get him to wear gloves but he is 17 and too tough for all that nonsense.Taylor rebroke his collarbone and was home for the weekend.Taylor headed back to Chicago for the remainder of the season and hopes to be ready for the State tournament and Regionals. I am getting close to finishing remodeling Robin’s room at her salon and got Taylor’s bumper and fender back on his car.I am making a desk out of cherry for Derek’s room so he will have more access to his stuff .Derek and I are going to a gym next week to start doing some therapy. The guy at the gym is looking forward to working with Derek and says “If Derek can move it, I can help him get stronger” So Derek is looking forward to the challenge.Derek is doing great in school and has done a great job of keeping up with all the homework.Robin put in an ad for the high school yearbook for Derek which consisted of a collage of pics that we will post on his website when we get it back.Derek is looking forward to going the the Olympics in late Feburary.I hope everyone is well and warm ! Thanks for all your support, Mike
Merry Christmas to all,
Derek is doing well and was really excited for Christmas. All the family are at home and enjoying the holidays.Derek’s friends Ben and John came by to visit and spent the evening playing video games, joking around and making plans for Jan. 16th at the Pacer game and his birthday.One evening I walked into Derek’s room and he had taken off his jacket on his own . Try taking off a jacket on your own while sitting in a chair , I told him I was very impressed with his accomplishment.It’s amazing what we take for granted. Derek has been busy going to his brothers hockey games and to the movies with his friends who take turns coming over to take him in the van. A friend and former coach (Lubos) comes and picks Derek up and takes him to the Indianapolis ICE hockey games.
Derek is doing well in school and has filled out his personal statement for college and has been filling out applications.We had Christmas at our house and we had twenty family and friends over for Christmas Eve.Its was nice to be surrounded by our family and friends, enjoy dinner and watch all the children open their gifts and see the excitement in their eyes.
Derek got a magnificent surprise for Christmas: The Granato family,Wellhausen’s,Ferraro’s, and Dennis Savardall got together to surprise Derek with a trip to the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver for the hockey semi-final games, bronze medal and gold medal games and closing ceremonies.They are working with NBC to do a story on Derek while we are there and they are setting Derek up with accomodations in downtown Vancouver with access to all the Olympic activities. A special thanks to Christi Granato-Wellhausen for coming up to me that cold Feburary morning at the Carmel ice rink and introduced herself and asked what she could do for our family. She allowed Taylor and Sam to meet their favorite hockey players and she has continued to rally people to help Derek’s cause.Thank you Christi for taking the time to help someone you didn’t even know 11 months ago.You have turned a tragedy into something more meaningful for my son, and you have been a great inpiration to our son and family.Christy,there have been many tears throughout this tragedy, but you have brought many, many more tears of JOY because of the what you have done for my son,thank you ! Derek opened up his gift to the Olympics last night , and he read out loud the letter that he was going to the Olympics, I have not seen a smile like that in a long time and we captured it on film which I am enclosing with this letter.Thanks to everyone who have helped and continue to help,we could not have got through this without ALL of you ! Thanks to the North American Hockey League for raising money for Derek’s trust fund during the Minnesota hockey showcase tournament.
Thanks to God and all the people who have stepped forward to help us during this journey, Mike
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
