[NFBV-Announce] Charlie and Jacki Brown are back!

[Sarah Patnaude]

From Sandy Halverson
1st VP, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

> 
> To those who are new to our NFB of Virginia family, Charlie Brown was a longtime affiliate president and is a dear friend to many of us; Jacki, his wife, is equally well-known as our state convention longtime auctioneer extraordinaire, affiliate audit committee participant, and professional tax preparer for many, a business from which she recently retired.
>  
> In 2018, Charlie had surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his stomach; the surgery to connect his remaining stomach and esophagus was not successful and for the last two years, Charlie has received water and nutrition via feeding tube.  In May, 2020, Charlie and Jacki went to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he underwent two major and extensive surgeries which resulted in a reconnection between stomach and esophagus.  After three months of hospitalization and rehabilitation, Charlie and Jacki have returned to Winchester.  Since they have been out of the state for so long, each is required to quarantine for 14 days, though symptom-free; Charlie is at the skilled nursing facility and Jacki is back in their home in Winchester.  None of us can imagine how long it will or would take to use muscles and internal organs that have not been used for two years so it will take months of continued speech therapy before Charlie will be enjoying a beverage or a meal with us, whenever such gatherings permit.  However, he is progressing well, his spirits are good, and is very pleased to be home—or closer to home than he’s been since May.  Jacki will let us know when Charlie is ready to receive calls; he does not have his cell phone in the nursing facility and has no access to long distance.  However, Jacki will pass along messages.
>  
> Welcome home to both of you.  We look forward to you and Charlie virtually whenever that can happen. 
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