A Day For Grace

s and tragedy. We also look to see what the family has accomplished to better our community before their unfortunate events happened. The final standard is they must be a current resident or native of Douglas County. Simply, our goal is to give back to those that have given. This year will be our seventh “A Day for Grace” concert. We have selected the Wheaton family as our recipients to bless with love, hope, and finances. Grace is the God given ability to accomplish a desire of our hearts. It is the power that builds faith, hope, and the will to achieve a goal that seems unachievable. Here is the reason for selecting the Wheaton family:

Brianna Wheaton is the 17 year old daughter of First Sergeant (Retired) Brian Wheaton. Two days after Christmas (2011), Brianna was airlifted and admitted to Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest from a misdiagnosed blood infection. After eight hours of surgery they were able to repair her aorta valve with an artificial tube. Sadly, she suffered severe permanent brain damage leaving her disabled and requiring 24-hour care. Brianna now suffers from cerebral hypoxia which is a prolonged vegetative state. This means she has basic life functions such as breathing, blood pressure, sleep-wake cycle, and eye opening, but she is not able to function on her own. Brianna has come a long way from her first extreme events. Currently, she has shown response but still remains in the vegetative state. Her father is a twenty two year veteran of both the U.S. Army and the Oregon Army National Guard. His service includes two deployments overseas, a tour of duty in Germany (birthplace of Brianna), and 11 years as a Recruiting and Retention NCO. Brian fulfilled his duty as a combat engineer, Infantrymen, and then retired as a Recruiting and Retention NCOIC. He is currently employed as a “Group Life Coordinator” at the Oregon Youth Challenge Program. Brian mentors teens deemed “troubled” and helps them to develop life skills while accomplishing their high school education. A Day for Grace is not just about giving money to the Wheaton family. Consider the burden of seeing your daughter lay helpless after so many near death moments and the weight of over a million dollars in medical bills. It is our goal to provide hope. When Brianna and her family see the support of their community come together in effort, that will be a comforting feeling to help heal the wounds from this tragedy. I would like to thank you for your support on behalf of Brianna and her family. Please contact me for more information at any time.