Community rallies behind father

Four years ago, James Hodge's son, 16-year-old Bryan, came to live him in Superior. It was determined that Bryan had cognitive and development delays, but James embraced his son, took his developmental struggles in stride and began planning to build a life with his son. The life he planned to build with his son soon became more complicated than he could have imagined.

"My life has changed 1000 percent in the last four years with my son," James said. "Everything possible in my life has totally changed."

Two years ago, Bryan began suffering seizures and since then, the two have been a long road. Since the start of the seizures, Bryan's health has declined progressively. His ability to speak and walk diminished greatly. This past June, Bryan began having repeated seizures instead of his typical two a month. While there, Bryan got a feeding tube that he is completely dependent upon. He is no longer able to communicate slowly with words, rather communicates at a low level using eye contact and gestures.

"I probably learned more in a week than most nurses do in a month," James said, explaining all the crash courses he received in feeding tubes to care.

Throughout the time while he was dealing with Bryan's condition, James was also struggling to build them a house where they could live. When Bryan first came into Superior, James purchased a lot where he planned to build a home for the two to live and where he could run his business out of. They moved into a one room home with an outhouse. After being admitted to the Community Medical Center in June, Bryan could not be discharged until James found a place with running water. They found a place to rent until the end of August. After that, a local church has committed to provide help with rent for a few months. As he could no longer travel to venues to sell his custom woodcrafts, James' source of supplemental income also went away, which also put the house on hold that he was trying to build for him and Bryan.

"Most people couldn't handle a day in my shoes. It would be overwhelming for most people," James said. "But I've just always been a survivor and I make do with what I got and do the best I can. That's all I can do."

With James' situation becoming dire and the struggles mounting up against him, Rachel Konen, from the Montana Western Health Center who worked with Bryan when he first came to Superior, and Barb Jasper, the nurse at Superior Elementary, recognized that James needed help. Knowing that James wasn't going to ask for help themselves, the two ladies launched a campaign that they entitled, "Build a Home for Bryan."

They set up cans around the towns, set up a bank account at Wells Fargo, have planned fundraisers for the fair and launched a Facebook page listing all that is needed for James to finish the home. The community and individuals from throughout the county began to rally around Bryan three years ago, but with the desperate conditions have done so even more. Businesses within Mineral and Missoula Counties have donated supplies and sold supplies to James at well under cost or with the most bizarre payment plans in place. Up until the help, both financially and with labor, James, a professional carpenter and painter, has been doing everything himself.

"I'd prefer to do it by myself, but now I'm out of options and out of choice," James said. "I have to get something done as soon as possible and I'm doing it. I'm not the type to ask for help and I never have before, and with any luck I won't have to again."

Konen said that it has been amazing watching people rally around James. More has been done on the house in the last few months than in the last four years that James has been working on it both because James has had help and also because Bryan has had nursing care. The most recent help came from Axmen in Missoula who sold James a steel roof at well below the actual cost and money to buy the roof came from local businesses in St. Regis who raised the money. And the work has actually been on hold as James couldn't move forward without the roof getting put on first.

"It's so sweet to see people rally around this guy," Konen said. "This is probably the kid with the most medical problems who is also the poorest kid in the county. But Bryan's just such a sweet kid. He always has this light in his eye though he looks somewhat mischievous at times. He's so endearing."

At 16-years-old, caring for Bryan is like caring for an infant. Konen said that when he was around the age of 13, his developmental stage was that of a five-year-old, but since his health has declined so has his mental aptitude.

"I do the same things with him as I would when he was six months old," James said.

For James, watching Bryan move from a time when he was able to talk to not being able to talk and having to use a feeding tube has been heart wrenching because there is little he can do. Konen commented that James has never been one to give up to which he replied, "you can't."

"Life has been really hard. I have no life except my house and my son and at this point, that's all that matters. This house and my son," James said.

Both Konen and James attested that you can't really know what Bryan is like until you meet. He enjoys camouflage, action flicks, Walker Texas Ranger and Star Wars. While he can't communicate with you through words, he quickly recognized that Konen wanted to play Star Wars when she held her fists together as though she were holding a light saber.

"You know how ladies prefer guys to understand what they're talking about before they say anything? Well, Bryan's the same way. You got to read his mind," James said.

Konen said that she can remember back when they took Bryan on a hike back before he was barely able to walk. She recalled that like his father, he wouldn't give up and the couple of times he fell, she said that Bryan just stood back up and pushed on. The father-son relationship is something that Konen says is very strong.

"He and his dad are so attached," Konen said. "James would do anything for Bryan."

This week at the fair, a "Bounce for Bryan" jump house is being planned and team members will also be collecting donations that will benefit the house. Cans for spare change are set up around the town and an account is also setup at Wells Fargo. Also on Facebook, search for Build a Home for Bryan. The page has a list of what's needed and so far, the group has grown to about 200 people with community members answering calls for supplies.

"It has been awe-inspiring to see everyone come together for one of our own," Konen said.

Konen and James said that their goal is to have the house completely finished in the next few months if everything can come together.