Their tree of hope
ESTHER VEVE faced a Christmas conundrum: To tree or not to tree?
The choice wasn’t easy this year. Her husband, a city cop nearly killed on the job six months ago, remains unable to speak or walk — with no exact timetable for recovery.
But her giddy 3-year-old daughter remained eager to trim up a holiday storm: Lights, tinsel, ornaments.
In the end, a stranger made the call by appearing with a tree at the Veve family’s Long Island home. Both she and the retired NYPD detective-turned-donor are thrilled by his choice.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Veve, 33, said Wednesday. “I think it’s God telling me, ‘Hey, Darshee is still 3.’ And she loves it. We finished decorating last night.”
Just as excited was Andy Finn, the elf who appeared with tree in arms at Veve’s residence.
The gesture was a “no-brainer,” the 55-year-old retired detective told the Daily News. “The smile on that little girl’s face is worth a million dollars.”
The Veve family’s life went upside down on the night of June 3, when Officer Dalsh Veve stopped a stolen Honda Civic in East Flatbush. As Veve questioned the four youths inside, the teen behind the wheel slammed on the gas and sped off — dragging the plainclothes cop for more than two blocks along Tilden Ave.
When the panicked driver made a turn on E. 53rd St., Veve was finally slung free onto the pavement. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital with catastrophic head trauma and immediately placed in an induced coma.
The cop’s wife said her most vivid memory of that night was walking into a sea of blue.
“I recall as soon as I got to Kings County Hospital, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many police officers,” she told The News. “There were so many people, but it was so quiet. It was just dead silence.”
The NYPD family has remained steadfast in the hard months since, as the 36-year-old Haitian immigrant cop battles to recover at a New Jersey rehabilitation center.
Esther’s optimism was tempered with concerns about the future for her husband, for their daughter, for the family.
“It’s like being trapped in your body,” Veve said of her husband. “You wonder if the person you fell in love with is the person you’re going to get back.”
The devoted wife and daughter visit Dalsh several times a week. Darshee likes to sit on daddy’s lap in his wheelchair, or cuddle up next to him for a nap.
“Sometimes she wants nothing to do with mommy, she just wants to sleep on daddy,” said a smiling Esther Veve. “And she won’t leave before she prays.”
Her husband is conscious and can move his arms and legs a little bit, but the 9-year NYPD veteran remains unable to speak due to severe brain damage.
“I’m not sure how much (Darshee) understands,” the mom said through tears. “Originally, she knew that daddy is sick, and daddy has a boo-boo. She’s come to terms with that.”
Reputed gangbanger Justin Murrell, 15, was charged as an adult with attempted murder for dragging Veve — who managed to shoot and wound the driver.
The NYPD promoted the injured cop in an October ceremony, giving Veve a gold detective’s shield.
“My husband always talked about this family,” the soft-spoken Esther said about the NYPD. “And I could never understand what he was talking about. They’ve been by my side since day one. They’re still here. I couldn’t ask for a better family.”
Police Commissioner James O’Neill said there was some initial reluctance from Veve’s wife, but the NYPD refused to take no for an answer.
“At first she didn’t want any help, but we didn’t give up,” O’Neill said. “If anything happens to anyone, you have to support them, and more importantly, you have to support their families.”
The long-term plan is to one day bring Dalsh home for outpatient rehab.
“His injuries are very extensive, so it’s going to take time,” said his wife, on leave from her job as a nurse. “I have all the time he needs, so I’m not rushing him.”
Esther said she tries her best to capture all the milestones and special moments that her husband is missing — and those days are piling up.
In the months since Officer Veve was hospitalized, all three family members marked their birthdays. He missed the Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving, too.
On Christmas morning, his wife and daughter will head west to bring a bit of the holiday spirit to New Jersey.
“We’re going to be celebrating with Dalsh,” said Esther Veve.