Page 64 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2024 - Online Magazine

Birth To

Brookwood:

A Journey of Love

For Bren: by Vic & Paula Hines

ic and Paula met in the halls that would last a lifetime. After 30 work at The Children’s Home of
of Levelland High School. hours of labor, it was discovered Lubbock. He loved CHOL and was
VHe carried her books to class that Paula had suffered a placental blessed to work for them for 13 years.
which was good practice for carrying abruption. Bren suffered severe
her purse in their golden years. They seizures and tremors that lasted One day, Bren severely bruised the
dated for five years, but everyone several days. It was a rocky start, bottom of his foot and was taken to
knew they were meant to be filled with neurologists, medications, his family doctor. His dad asked for
together; even the school newspaper and tests. a sonogram but was denied since
predicted their marriage. Bren was young and in good health.
At the age of four, Bren was a After several more trips to the doctor,
After marrying and graduating from beautiful happy child, running and due to more swelling and pain, the
Texas Tech, Paula became pregnant. playing with neighborhood friends. doctor agreed to a sonogram. Bren
She was teaching in LISD, and Vic He appeared normal, yet he had no had a 14-inch blood clot in his leg
was working for Hemphill Wells language. He was placed in LISD’s and was immediately hospitalized.
when their son, Bren, was born on first Early Childhood Program That setback changed the course of
May 7, 1970. Everyone was excited, which emphasized development of Bren’s life. He was no longer able to
and no one imagined that this child language, speech, and motor skills. work on his feet. In 2019, Bren went
would be born with complications Bren remained in special ed classes on disability. Years later, he is still
throughout primary, junior high, and dealing with the results of that leg
high school. wound.

Bren always enjoyed P.E. with a Bren always lived with his parents
regular class and even earned the in an apartment attached to their
Presidential Award for running house. Each night at 9:00 p.m., he
the mile for Coach Bobby Moegle would join his parents as they read
at Monterey High. Because of the Bible and prayed together. Vic
his love of basketball, his dad, and Paula always enjoyed the way he
Vic, volunteered to coach their expressed himself. Most times it was
Special Olympic basketball team at funny, and he would grin because he
Monterey. They came in second in knew it, too. Friends liked to quote
state in Bren’s junior year, and Dr. “Brenisms”--“Might happen. Might
Mike Bennett arranged letter jackets not.” or “50/50.”
for the team.
When COVID struck in 2020,
In 1989, Bren was hired to work at and many normal activities were
South Plains Mall on the grounds cancelled, the family would drive
crew. He kept that job for 16 years. around Lubbock looking for sites
Then, Bren was offered custodial they hadn’t seen before. When they

64 Lubbock Senior Link