Hanging with a Grizzly

So this week's appt has been changed from Wednesday to Friday, and we are very excited to get down to L.A. and see if Luke can get any relief with this series of blood patches. If these don't work, we will consult with the doctor regarding a Plan 'C'. More to follow.
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For Luke's birthday this year, we got him tickets to a Kings/Grizzlies game in Sacramento. The significance of this game did not come from the local team, but rather the visitors. The Memphis Grizzlies acquired Jeff Green from the Boston Celtics in January of this year. Jeff has had a quiet, but significant basketball career, playing college ball at Georgetown, then entering the NBA in the first round of the 2007 draft. He has played for the Seattle Supersonics (Oklahoma City Thunder), then the Boston Celtics before coming to Memphis. The real significance came in 2011 when he was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and underwent the same heart surgery that Luke experienced. Jeff's successful surgery, recovery and return to basketball was the inspiration that Luke needed during his surgery & recovery in mid-2013.
Moving forward, after a couple of emails and with the help of a wonderful Memphis Grizzlies coordinator, we were able to arrange for a meet & greet between Luke and Jeff while the Grizzlies were in town. To say that this 10 minute meeting had an impact on Luke, would be an understatement. Luke & Jeff were able to sit down and talk about heart surgery, recovery, helping others, having faith, and of course.........basketball. The final surprise came when Jeff gave Luke a signed pair of his size 15 Jordan XI's......an amazing gift for someone who loves shoes as much as Luke!
We had a wonderful night and through it all, Luke continues to fight through the daily pain and maintain an amazing attitude.



Excerpt from Wikipedia.........
"On December 10, 2011 Green signed a 1 year, $9 million contract with the Boston Celtics. On December 17, Jeff Green was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, which would cause him to miss the 2011–2012 season. Because of the surgery, he failed his physical, which revoked the Celtics' qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.
Even though Green had season ending surgery, he spent plenty of time with his former Celtics teammates during the season and voiced his desire to return to the team for the 2012–13 season. Former teammate Kevin Durant dedicated his 2012 season to Green.
Green used his down time not only to rehab from surgery but to complete his coursework at Georgetown, graduating on May 19, 2012 with a degree in English with a minor in theology.

"On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to meet one of my personal heroes, Jeff Green. My dad surprised me with a little meet up with him before the Kings-Grizzlies game and I could not have been more impressed with the type of man he was. During my recovery from heart surgery, I often drew inspiration from Jeff, as he had been through the same surgery, and had come out of it stronger than ever. I will be forever appreciative of the time he set aside pre-game to sit with me and share a couple of laughs and some advice."..............Luke Brown

A pair of shoes that are destined for a glass case!