After four weeks at St. Jude’s Hospital for rehab, Ross goes home today. It’s been almost six weeks since his injury, but it feels like much, much longer for all of us. I visited Ross last night for the last time in a hospital, and at 10 am today, we will have ne last family meeting with his doctors, then take him home. Ross continues to gain some muscle function in his lower extremeties. Though he can’t feel it himself, the trainers at the gym have him doing various exercises, and they report that they can feel his muscles firing in his legs and butt cheeks.

As I wrote before, due to some red tape and insurance hassles, there is a chance that Ross may not be able to get into an outpatient therapy program for up to four weeks. Earlier this week, through my friend Mike Young, I met a very inspirational family - the Goodwins, from Rancho Cucamonga - whose son Brian was paralyzed in an accident at the beach. They told me about a program called Project Walk, where they specialize in therapy not intended solely to help you get on with your life with a spinal cord injury, but therapy that helps you regain control of your body and ultimately, to walk again. Tomorrow, I am planning on taking a trip to Project Walk, and am going to try to enroll Ross in the program, at least two days per week. Project Walk, you see, is located in Carlsbad, only a few minutes from the new TransWorld Motocross offices. At the VERY least, I’d like to get Rossi in to work with their therapists for the first month he is home, and unable to get into Hoag for his outpatient sessions. Project Walk, of course, is not covered by insurance, and it is very expensive. Fortunately, we’ve actually rasied about half of what we need for a month’s session at Project Walk. The support bracelets have been popular (see older blog below for more information about them.) and many friends have made contributions. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to each and every one of you. I haven’t even been to the office in a few days, so I don’t know what bracelet orders have come via the U.S. Postal Service - the Paypal.com orders alone have been amazing. (Shameless plug: to order a Ross support bracelet, send a donation via Paypal to swap@sbcglobal.net and be sure to include your address!)

I know I’m rambling… sorry. Anyway, I made another short video with Rossi last night!

Since Ross was injured, hundreds of people have volunteered to help, should Ross need anything. Furthermore, several people have inquired about a fundraiser for my brother. To be honest, I have waited to learn exactly what my brother is up against before taking any action. As luck would have it, Ross’ HMO insurance isn’t as great as we had hoped it would be. There are many, many expenses that are not covered. Furthermore, red tape and poor planning on the hospital’s part is going to leave Ross without any physical therapy sessions for several weeks, once he is sent home this coming Thursday.
There is a crew of amazing guys working on Ross’ home right now,. remodeling the bathroom so that he will be able to access the shower and commode. Our friend Mike Young - also a paraplegic - has been super helpful with advice and equipment, and has also put us in touch with the good people at Colours wheelchairs. At the moment, Ross has a loaner from Colours, but he will need to purchase his own, soon enough. As best I understand it, insurance covers $5000 for “equipment,” and that includes all of the stuff already used and billed to the insurance company at the hospital. That said, there’s a pretty good chance that Ross’ chair might not even be covered by insurance. Being his little brother, I obviously want to get Ross the baddest-ass chair possible, and I am fully willing to take care of this for him. Beyond that, though, there are obvious smaller costs to get his home set up for his day-to-day life. (Until he is up and walking, that is!)
I have a fundraiser/ride day in the works for December 6th at Perris Raceway, and more details will follow shortly. In the short term, however, I’ve had these support bracelets made up for Ross. One side says “Rossi,” and the other has a saying that he has so often told me when I was looking for advice: “Try Hard.” Ross is trying hard, harder than any of us probably understand, in his quest to get better. Want to support Ross and help him with some of his initial expenses this week as he goes home?
Send a minimum donation of $5.00 (oh yes, you can send more if you’d like), and I will send a bracelet and a support sticker. Amazingly, we’ve already gone through 600 of the stickers…I wish I had the foresight to ask for a donation before (haha). Again, I thank all of you for your support of Ross. He has been overwhelmed by the cards, letters, well wishes, and posts on his CARING BRIDGE guestbook.

Donations for bracelets may be sent to:

TransWorld Motocross

Dept. Help Rossi

1421 Edinger Ave., Suite D

Tustin, CA 92780

Checks for more than $5.00 should be made out to Eileen Maeda. That’s right, Ross’ wife is also named Eileen. Damn, I’ve been trying to be like him forever…

I had to spend the day working in our Carlsbad office today, so I didn’t make it to St. Jude’s to visit Rossi, but his friend Damon sent me this camera phone pic of him during therapy.

Apparently, the apparatus that Ross is strapped into props him upright and helps his legs get the blood flowing through them. This was the first time he “stood” in four weeks. They said that most patients become dizzy and can only take it for a short amount of time, but Ross stayed in it for 15 minutes until they decided that it was best not to overdo it on the first try. After that…well, I will just post a quote from Ross himself…

“Then today (Monday) they put me in this machine that stood me up like I was standing. The therapist told me that it stimulates blood flow and muscle function just standing upright. It felt like I was doing nothing. When I got back to bed, she was moving my legs, and I tried to move my ankles and she said they were moving very slightly!! SHIT IS STARTING TO HAPPEN!”

To say that I am thrilled for Ross would be an understatement.

Since he was hurt, I’ve shed many tears of sadness for my brother. Today, I shed some because I was happy.

It’s early Monday morning, and I just got home from visiting Ross in the hospital. I was super stoked last night after visiting him because he had the good news about the new feeling he has in his hip, but the news he had for me tonight blows that away! You can see what he wrote on his Caring Bridge message board RIGHT HERE or you can see him tell the story in the video below. I took my new Vado pocket cam with me tonight and asked Ross if he had anything to say to his family and friends. To quote Ryan Dungey, “I’m SUPER PUMPED!”

I went to see Ross last night after a few days away. Magazine deadlines are hell…
I was pumped to hear some GREAT NEWS! Ross has regained some more feeling in his lower abdominal region. Now, he can sense much more, including when his bladder is full, etc. In the beginning, he had no sensation like this. Another bit of great news is that when the nurses had him on his side and were checking his incision, they laid a cold, wet towel on his hip and he could feel it! Previously, Ross has no sensations in his hip, but now he can feel temperatures.
The following is from his personal blog, that only family members and close friends can see:

“A few days ago, I recovered some feeling in my lower stomach where I had no feeling before, and the doctor was very happy about it (so I was pumped, even though it is more uncomfortable!), I get a full bladder feeling much more than before and it sucks, but I’ll take it! Then yesterday, I was laying on my side while the nurses were cleaning me up and changing a bandage, and I felt a cold towel on my hip. I had no feeling there before! ”

So obviously, things are looking up for my big brother. His spirits are much, much better, and he says that his therapy sessions - although tough - are getting better by the day. A couple days ago, the doctors let Eileen take Ross out of the hospital for a bit to return home with a case worker. At home, they made an assessment of what needs to be done around the house to make it wheelchair friendly. The biggest obstacle is Ross’ bathroom, which needs to be completely remodeled. Ross’ good friend Damon has really stepped up and taking the project by the horns, recruiting people to help with the remodel. The door needs to be widened, the old bathtub must be ripped out and replaced with a shower with a seat and grab bars, and some additional bars need to be mounted around the toilet. We’ve had a ton of friends and well-wishers offer their help, and this is GREATLY appreciated.

The next step is getting a chair for Ross, as the one he uses at the hospital is only a loaner. Insurance kicks in $1500, but the trick Colours Razor Blade I’ve peeped on the Internet is substantially more. My friend Mike Young is gonna put us in touch with someone from Colours…

I’m going to visit Ross this evening (Sunday) after all of my kids’ soccer games and such. I told him I was going to bring my flip cam to make a video, so stay tuned!
Again, you can leave a message for Ross on his Caringbridge web site guest book. I know that he checks them daily, and also posts his own updates there. Please leave a message! CLICK HERE

- Donn

Yesterday, at our 2009 250cc Shootout, our web master Chris Kinman got BUCK WILD in the whoops at Racetown and went off the following jump completely sideways, with the throttle in full whiskey mode. I didn’t personally get to witness the spectacle, but from what I’m told, I may no longer be the flashiest crasher on staff. When I got to Skinny, he was frolicking with Bambi and Thumper somewhere in LaLa Land, and remained in his dream-like state for at least a minute more. When he awoke, he spoke in tongues and didn’t know where he was or what day it was. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was at least a little scared. After all, with my brother’s recent injury, I held me breath until he was coherent enough to say that he could feel his feet, legs, etc.
Chris didn’t seem too bummed that the paramedics stripped him of his boots, pants and knee braces right there, in the front straightaway dirt of Racetown 395. I think he might have been embarrassed if he had realized that Vicki Golden and her friend were standing there watching, but hey…at least we all know that Chris is more than just left handed now.
While the rest of the testing staff carried on with the shootout, I chased the ambulance down the road and broke a couple laws along the way. 1. I was speeding, obviously. and 2. I talked on my cell phone while driving. (Gasp!) Had to call in the worker’s compensation claim to the HR lady, after all, and also inform Chris’ brother Shane of the news.
At the hospital, Chris was already complaining about the uncomfortable neck brace, and worried that he had scratched the tattoos on his arm. As soon as I heard that, I knew he was okay. After a quick set of X Rays and having his cat scanned (yes, I’m joking), Skinny was discharged in record time. The final tally? A mild concussion and a sprained neck.
Nothing bad enough to keep us from hitting PF Chang’s on the way home, of course…
Get better quickly, Chris. A Day in the Dirt is just around the corner, and you don’t want to be the weak link in the Kinman and Kinman Moto a Go Go team race!

Even with his forehead duct taped to a backboard, Chris is a happy boy.

Does this guy really think his hair looks dope? I mean, come on… When I was younger, my brother Ross used to warn me about different trends that I would buy into. “Dude,” he said. “The more outrageous the trend, the more you will look back and regret it later on.” I wonder if this guy will regret this haircut in a few years.

Now, I don’t think he has this intentional SKULLET for religious purposes. If he was a Hari Hari, I think he’d have to wear a sheet and sell flowers or something, not Apple computers.When balding dudes try to overcompensate with a curtain of long hair, that is technically classified as a SKULLET. (Skull+mullet=skullet) But this is different. This was intentional. I am stumped. I don’t even know what to call this one. Except maybe doodoo.

I was cruising through Ross’ guestbook on his Caringbridge web site and was surprised to see that he had made a post of his own, addressing all those who have left a message for him. When my family and I went to visit him tonight, he spent the majority of the time surfing the web, and even looked up the results from the Australian SX opening round that just went down…
Anyway, he IS actively checking in on the messages left for him at Caringbridge. If you’d like to leave Rossi a note, you can do so at
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rossmaeda

Thanks,
Swap

Today, the staff at St. Jude’s Medical Center called a “family meeting” for all of us. The meeting gathered Ross’ family members, doctors, case workers and therapists together in one place, so that everyone could get on the same page.

One of the first things that was addressed was the number of visitors that Ross has been having, on a non-stop basis since he’s been at St. Jude’s. That said, the doctor’s have mandated a FAMILY and CLOSE FRIENDS ONLY policy for nighttime visitors. Ross is in intensive physical therapy sessions from early in the morning until early evening, and the little time he does have in the evening has been filled with visitors and well wishers. Though Ross and all of the Maeda family greatly appreciate the overwhelming support from the motocross industry, friends and acquaintances, it’s become pretty apparent that Ross has had insufficient time to rest. “It’s great to see old friends and riding buddies, but it’s just getting hard to rest when I feel like I must entertain visitors,” Ross says.

Ross is expected to be in St. Jude’s for at least three more weeks, depending on how well he does in his occupational therapy sessions. The doctor that spoke in today’s meeting was very positive, complimenting Rossi on being as physically fit as he is. She also said that the “spinal shock” that is impairing his ability to move or feel his legs, will take weeks or months to subside. One thing that she did say, that we all liked, was that Rossi’s condition would not be considered permanent until two years from his date of injury. That’s good news, as Ross has continued to encounter some tingles down both legs.

Ross has been brought into the 2st century and is now armed with a MacBookPro laptop. He has been continually checking the Caring Bridge web site that was set up by Greg Berg, so please drop him a message!

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR ROSS

Okay, so the inaugural TransWorld Motocross Moto Awards Show is now in the history books, and man am I relieved. I’d say that for a first-year event, the show was a huge success: a ton of industry showed up, had a great time and talked about how much bigger and better next year’s show will be. I’m barely recovered from the last two road trips I’ve taken, and it’s magazine deadline time. Before I get to work, though, here’s some of the snapshots from my camera that I CAN share with you…. enjoy!

Only two days after arriving home from Italy, Eileen and I boarded a plane bound for Las Vegas for the awards show. We were both still jet lagged! I was nervous as hell about both the awards show, and the premiere of KICKSTART. It’s been a whirlwind four months of shooting and editing, but the movie if finally done. To be honest, it was more work than I had bargained for when I volunteered to take the project on myself, and I am ready to get back to working full-time on the magazine!

Before the show, we all gathered inside The Joint for a rehearsal of sorts. Logan Darien (far left) said that Nate Adams was probably crapping himself when he walked in and saw how huge the new Joint was. See, Nate was set to open the show with a rhyme on the mic! (From left) Bayo, Lutz, Skinny, and Lyons, like me, were anxious to get the show on the road!

On stage, I found Patchy focusing on his rhymes, going through them in his head with his eyes closed. At the X Games, I found him doing the same thing before his freestyle run: eyes closed, moving his arms as if he were going through all of the tricks he was going to do during his run. I asked if he was shitting himself, and he said that the place was bigger and more legit than he expected, but that he was ready to open the show.

Ronnie Faisst was on hand at rehearsal, as he was presenting one of the FMX awards. Tarah Gieger was also there, as she was presenting female racer of the year. Gieger was coughing her ass off, but she was still her usual goofy self.

This is Holli Koriath, the woman who planned the entire awards show. She wouldn’t smile for my camera, so I had to surprise her with this shot. So that’s what you get, Holli! Anyway, Holli did a great job with the event, planning everything out to the nth degree. Great job, Holli! Later that night, she became a “Tempted Islander.” You’d have to have been at the Circle Bar to understand that one….sorry. That’s Miki Killer in the background. Miki founded the WMA and also presented the Female Rookie of the Year Award. She was nervous because she didn’t have a speech prepared, but she did great.

Grant Langston was the emcee at the awards show (along Cameron Steele) and he did a great job. We’ve always said that Ladies Love Cool Grant,” and I suppose my wife is no exception. Or is it the other way around? Cool G has always snuggled up to Eileen when he gets the chance… haha

Miki Keller and her girls, Sherri Cruse (TP199’s belle and Female Racer of the Year nominee), Jacki Ives (Female Rookie of the Year nominee and super-cool chick) and Penny Cyrus (long-time WMA pro fixture).

IN SPITE of not being decked out in his regular PICK UP KIT (motocross jersey, tucked into jeans), Ryan Dungey was THE MAN at the awards show. Girls flocked to him wherever he went. I even heard rumors about one following him into the men’s room! Anyway, RD and I were talking about how I am going to have to wear HIS JERSEY at Anaheim 1 (golf bet - don’t ask), and these two girls came running up and asked to take a photo with him. Now, here’s PROOF that they weren’t trying to get near RD because he is Ryan Dungey: West Coast SX Lites, 250cc National and Motocross of Nations Champion…just before I snapped this photo I heard one of them ask, “So what’s your name, cutie?” Oh give me a break! Hmmm…maybe Ryan doesn’t need to wear that pick up kit to meet girls anymore, after all… HEY WAIT! I just took a better look at this photo. Ryan, you sly devil…gettin’ some boobie action on the DL, eh?

Did I mention that TWMX hosted an OPEN BAR for over two hours, before the show got underway? I know that I needed a little lubrication to get ready for my speaking parts… haha. Grant Langston, Chad Reed, and Blake “Bilko” Williams were among those who enjoyed the pre-show festivities. Rumor has it that Bilko chipped a tooth while biting Reedy’s diamond dog tag.

This is Stephen Schultz, TransWorld Media’s in-house video editor. He is a bad ass. I spent many long hours in Stephen’s office, working on KICKSTART. When my talent and knowledge ran out, Stephen took over and made KICKSTART into the masterpiece that we all think it is. Schultzy was able to take my raw edits, tweak them here and there, and make them look so much better. I learned a shitload from this guy, and I can’t wait until our MX offices relocate from Tustin, down to Carlsbad, so that I can continue to learn editing techniques from him. This is his girlfriend, Carley. When we were first introduced, I caught her staring at me a couple times. I assumed that she was thinking, “So THIS is the bastard who kept my Stephen at work so late at night?!?!” but Steve told me that she was actually shocked that I was….ASIAN! HAHAHAHAHHA!

So nervous or not, I think that Nate Adams killed it when he opened up the show with his rhymes. Like we were when we first heard MC Patchy on the mic a couple years ago, I think many in the audience were shocked, stunned, and impressed…

I got to present the Reader’s Choice Award, and I was very pumped that Chad Reed was the winner. A few years ago, let’s just say that Reedy wasn’t our favorite rider to deal with, and after a few blow offs, we decided to treat him in the magazine the way he treated us at the races. That’s all in the past now, and Reed has easily become one of the best riders to deal with. He’s also - obviously - had a huge turnaround with the fans, and he was the landslide winner of the award. On the podium, Chad said, “When you don’t do the Nationals, people call you a fat bastard, but when you come back, they love you!”
Congrats, Reedy. And I’ll get those sleeves of yours, eventually.

Even though we were all having a great time, my brother Ross was on many people’s minds at the awards show. Chad was one of the first racers to text me and inquire about Rossi when he heard the news. Ross and Chad worked together when Reed first came to the United States and raced for Yamaha of Troy.

After Reed was presented with the Reader’s Choice Award, we walked off stage and to the service elevator, so he could do his interview with the Fuel TV crew. Along the way, we ran into Mike Lyons, Holli’s boss. Lyons was also largely responsible for the awards show and also is the executive producer of KICKSTART. It looks like he, too, enjoyed the open bar…

I don’t actually remember snapping this photo in the TransWorld suite. I remember Lil’ D telling me that he liked the movie, and I can remember Lou Lopez telling tales of being on Team Mexico in the 2003 MXoN, but that’s all…

Eileen, Chelsea Langston and Robyn Hamblin.

Sean and Robyn Hamblin both had Ross on their minds. Hamy told me that he and Cool G are pretty close to firming up their deal for 2010. I’ve got my fingers crossed, guys!

Apparently, Eileen voted for Chad, too… haha

Art Director Dave strikes a pose. What kind of pose, I’m not sure of, though…

Bayo bought a new shirt at the Hard Rock gift shop, just for the awards show. This was his reaction when I told him that he could not turn it in on his expense report.

After the show, we ran into one of the Baldwin brothers at Mr. Lucky’s cafe. He didn’t talk much because he was upset with his agent for booking him in Poison Ivy 27. Actually, this is Braden Dahl from New Era. New Era made us some bad ass limited edition hats for our award presenters. Thanks, Braden!