Benefit fundraiser to help pay medical expenses

A benefit fundraiser will be held for Ron Brown on Saturday, November 4 at the Bowdle Legion Hall. All proceeds will go to help him with his medical expenses. There will be a free-will offering meal from 5-7 p.m.

If you are unable to make it but want to contribute, you can drop off or mail donations to First State Bank of Roscoe / Bowdle Branch at PO Box 220; Bowdle, SD 57428. You may also contact Joell Bieber at 605-281-0828, Alex Kiesz at 605-281-1458 or Rodney Schlecht at 605-281-1569.

Ron's Health Journey

Seventeen years ago, Ron was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia. At that time, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung and was put on blood thinners. He had chemotherapy and was doing well for nearly two decades when at the end of 2022, he was diagnosed once again with the same form of Leukemia. His last treatment was in February 2023.

At the end of June, he was taken off of blood thinners. Two weeks later, he was having pain in his right leg. He shared, "It did not concern me too much due to the fact that I had a bad knee and put it on that." After a week or so, the pain was still there, so he decided to have it checked at Bowdle Healthcare Center. Initially, they thought it was muscle issues. After this, some days it felt better and not very good the next.

Ron was watching golf one Sunday afternoon and was loading some things in the boat. The pain was so intense, that he decided to go to the emergency room. They prescribed a muscle relaxant and pain medication. After about three days, the pain was unbearable, and he began to notice that his toes and foot were changing colors to a dark red, and his foot was cold. Again at BHC, an ultrasound showed a clot behind his knee and in his foot. Ron was put on blood thinners right away. He was taken by ambulance to Eureka to be taken by fixed-wing airplane transport to Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls. Upon arrival, he was taken to the Cath Lab to dissolve the clots. After a few days and more trips to the lab, the clot behind his knee was dissolved, but they could not open the clot in his foot.

"I had no choice. My foot had turned dark red, and it was cold to the touch. If I didn't have it removed, you wouldn't be talking to me today. The decision was very easy to make, because if not removed, it would have killed me," he said. On July 25, he opted to have his foot and leg amputated 4" below the knee.

He was released from the hospital on July 31, 2023. About two weeks later, he decided it was time to go to work. "Even though I only worked three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon, it gave me a positive attitude," he added.

Ron had an appointment scheduled to continue work on getting his prosthetic on Tuesday. He already had the boot part casted, fitted, and the mold made. Initially, after the surgery, he had severe pain and demanded the wrap be loosened on his leg, but it wasn't too tight. He is no longer experiencing much pain - just a little phantom nerve pains, but nothing he can't handle.

Ron has good spirits for all the trials he has faced. "I made the choice to not let this get to me," he said. Although he hasn't been able to return to the "fun" stuff he enjoyed, such as deer and pheasant hunting, he continues to work at ARC. "I'm doing extremely well. I come down here everyday and do what I can. I am looking forward to once again being able to walk," he concluded.