- Adam Administrator
Hey everyone,
I just heard from Brandon’s (@pisco ) dad and wanted to let you all know something that is going on.
Brandon woke up not feeling well on Sunday after GoblinFest and headed home toward Nebraska around midday. Later, he was found unresponsive in his truck and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He’s currently in the ICU being treated for an infection.
His dad asked me to share this with the group. I’ll update this first post as I hear more from his dad.
If you want to leave messages of support here, Brandon's dad mentioned reading posts on the forum.
If you'd like to chip in to help Brandon and his family, their neighbor has started a GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/f1cd39e11
Please keep Brandon and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I’ll share any updates as soon as I have them.
9-30-25 3:00PM CST: I just got off of the phone with Walt (Brandon's dad). He says that things are looking better and it appears Brandon has turned a corner toward the good. Brandon isn't out of the woods yet but things are improving.
10-1-25 1:55PM CST: I received a text saying that Brandon's numbers are improving slowly and that dialysis is helping.
10-2-25 6:30PM CST: Newest update from Walt: "Brandon's numbers and condition continue to improve, albeit at a slow pace. The trajectory is good."
10-3-25 9:30AM CST: Update from Walt:
"Not much has changed. His numbers, for the most part, are staying stable or trending positive. They have taken him off one of the blood pressure medications and have reduced another one, and his pressure is holding steady in a range they are comfortable with.
He's still too sick and critical for them to do some tests, either because they can't take him to the places for the tests/procedures (because he has too many things hooked up to him, e.g., ventilator, dialysis machine, swan catheter for his heart, and all of the IV bags), or mainly because he's too weak/sick/critical and his body can't handle it.
They are trying to wean him off some of the sedatives so they can do a neurological exam. We don't know if there is any damage to his brain yet.
He looks better, even though he's puffy, and we have hope."
10-3-25 9:00PM CST: update from Walt:
"The good news is that Brandon became responsive today. Squeezing our hands-on command and even briefly opening his eyes.
This is what we have been waiting for there is still a long road ahead of him."
10-5-25: update from Walt:
"He's been moved to the cardiovascular ICU, which is better for him.
He's still in critical condition, but he has improved, and it's evident that his brain is functioning. He has been "responding" to commands. Those responses consist of squeezing a hand, nodding "yes," shaking "no," or shrugging his shoulders. He's still sedated, so his eyes are closed; he's still intubated, so he can't talk; and he's too weak to do much, but it's clear that it's Brandon in there and he's responding to commands, answering yes/no questions, and acknowledging people.
He's also fighting his nurses and making it clear he doesn't like certain things Even sedated and restrained, he is trying to remove the breathing tube. His nurse today gave a funny story. She said normally when he's "fighting" them, he makes some noise, but today he got ornery. She said she was doing some charting across the hall and he was really quiet, until she heard the alarm. He had evidently scooted silently down in the bed to try to remove the breathing tube. Again, this is all with him partially sedated with his eyes closed.
He's hearing things and feeling things.
They increased the sedatives this afternoon to try to get him stronger for the possibility of extubating him tomorrow, so he was out all afternoon/evening. We weren't getting any responses because of that.
Fingers crossed that they can take the breathing tube out tomorrow"
10-7-25: Brandon sent a message:
10-8-25: Brandon was flown via fixed wing to UNMC in Omaha. This puts him closer to home and family but he remains in the hospital.
If you'd like to send anything Brandon's way: Clarkson UNMC Omaha, room 3848
10-19-25: Walt provided another update. I'll summarize here:
Brandon has been moved from the ICU, to the cardiac floor, and now to a regular room: 7801 Carson Tower of UNMC.
He's able to get out of bed and sit in the reclining chair but he's still not out of the woods. The doctors are still looking into problems related to the original infection, potential side effects of the treatments, and possibly from being laid up for so long.
I just heard from Brandon’s (@pisco ) dad and wanted to let you all know something that is going on.
Brandon woke up not feeling well on Sunday after GoblinFest and headed home toward Nebraska around midday. Later, he was found unresponsive in his truck and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He’s currently in the ICU being treated for an infection.
His dad asked me to share this with the group. I’ll update this first post as I hear more from his dad.
If you want to leave messages of support here, Brandon's dad mentioned reading posts on the forum.
If you'd like to chip in to help Brandon and his family, their neighbor has started a GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/f1cd39e11
Please keep Brandon and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I’ll share any updates as soon as I have them.
9-30-25 3:00PM CST: I just got off of the phone with Walt (Brandon's dad). He says that things are looking better and it appears Brandon has turned a corner toward the good. Brandon isn't out of the woods yet but things are improving.
10-1-25 1:55PM CST: I received a text saying that Brandon's numbers are improving slowly and that dialysis is helping.
10-2-25 6:30PM CST: Newest update from Walt: "Brandon's numbers and condition continue to improve, albeit at a slow pace. The trajectory is good."
10-3-25 9:30AM CST: Update from Walt:
"Not much has changed. His numbers, for the most part, are staying stable or trending positive. They have taken him off one of the blood pressure medications and have reduced another one, and his pressure is holding steady in a range they are comfortable with.
He's still too sick and critical for them to do some tests, either because they can't take him to the places for the tests/procedures (because he has too many things hooked up to him, e.g., ventilator, dialysis machine, swan catheter for his heart, and all of the IV bags), or mainly because he's too weak/sick/critical and his body can't handle it.
They are trying to wean him off some of the sedatives so they can do a neurological exam. We don't know if there is any damage to his brain yet.
He looks better, even though he's puffy, and we have hope."
10-3-25 9:00PM CST: update from Walt:
"The good news is that Brandon became responsive today. Squeezing our hands-on command and even briefly opening his eyes.
This is what we have been waiting for there is still a long road ahead of him."
10-5-25: update from Walt:
"He's been moved to the cardiovascular ICU, which is better for him.
He's still in critical condition, but he has improved, and it's evident that his brain is functioning. He has been "responding" to commands. Those responses consist of squeezing a hand, nodding "yes," shaking "no," or shrugging his shoulders. He's still sedated, so his eyes are closed; he's still intubated, so he can't talk; and he's too weak to do much, but it's clear that it's Brandon in there and he's responding to commands, answering yes/no questions, and acknowledging people.
He's also fighting his nurses and making it clear he doesn't like certain things Even sedated and restrained, he is trying to remove the breathing tube. His nurse today gave a funny story. She said normally when he's "fighting" them, he makes some noise, but today he got ornery. She said she was doing some charting across the hall and he was really quiet, until she heard the alarm. He had evidently scooted silently down in the bed to try to remove the breathing tube. Again, this is all with him partially sedated with his eyes closed.
He's hearing things and feeling things.
They increased the sedatives this afternoon to try to get him stronger for the possibility of extubating him tomorrow, so he was out all afternoon/evening. We weren't getting any responses because of that.
Fingers crossed that they can take the breathing tube out tomorrow"
10-7-25: Brandon sent a message:
10-8-25: Brandon was flown via fixed wing to UNMC in Omaha. This puts him closer to home and family but he remains in the hospital.
If you'd like to send anything Brandon's way: Clarkson UNMC Omaha, room 3848
10-19-25: Walt provided another update. I'll summarize here:
Brandon has been moved from the ICU, to the cardiac floor, and now to a regular room: 7801 Carson Tower of UNMC.
He's able to get out of bed and sit in the reclining chair but he's still not out of the woods. The doctors are still looking into problems related to the original infection, potential side effects of the treatments, and possibly from being laid up for so long.
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Hope he’s will be ok. I enjoyed talking to him when he got to the campground.
