It’s been exactly 365 days since the night that changed our lives forever. I remember it all as if it was yesterday.
One June 26, 2017, Bobby was headed back home from a bonfire at his friends house less than a mile down the street. It was about 11 pm when I was woken up by a loud crash outside the front of my house, my boyfriend woke me up and said “Someone was hit by a car going fast” as he ran downstairs to the scene. I grabbed my robe and ran behind him. What we saw next was something I never expected. One of Bobby’s classmates car was in the bushes in-front of our house and Bobby’s car was in the neighbor across the streets lawn. We made our way to the car and saw Bobby sitting in the back seat with his head down and blood running down his head. I ran through the house looking frantically for my Dad while one of the neighbors called 911. My dad was at the store getting snacks for him and Bobby’s jet skiing trip the next day, I called him and he began to rush home. As we waited for the ambulance, Bailey and I began to wonder how on earth Bobby had ended up in the back seat of his car perfectly sitting upward with his head down. We later learned that Bobby’s car was hit in the right rear corner at 50 mph, he hit his head first on the windshield, than flew back where he broke his neck on the roof and was ejected to the back seat. The ambulance came and began to put him on the stretcher, my heart was beating and I couldn’t stop shaking for I had no idea what future laid ahead. I remember wondering why it was taking so long to get him in the ambulance. I later found out that his left lung had collapsed and his neck was broken which explained why his head was down. My Aunt Hopey and Uncle Mike, live down the street and rushed to our house. When they arrived we waited for the ambulance to get there and they drove me to the hospital. I remember being on the freeway looking at how empty all the roads were and praying to God that we would get to the hospital faster. When we arrived at the ER we kept asking the front desk how my brother was, I recall being so angry because the receptionist kept telling me they had 3 John doe’s that hadn’t been identified and all I could say was “I was there, they know his name!”. We waited and waited, what seemed like forever. The staff took our immediate family into a small room and said these words that still shake me to my core “He has suffered a major brain (Diffused Axel injury) and spinal injury (C5 and C7 fractured, C6 shattered) , he may never wake up and if he does he won’t be who he was before and will be a quadriplegic”. All our faces grew white and hearts stopped a moment. I had just been told that my 17 year old brother, who was extremely active and caring, would never be who he was before. We shouted and cried, as our hearts broke more and more waiting for them to get him stable enough for us to see him. When the staff finally said we could see him, my mom told us “Try your best not to cry, he hears everything”, as my sister and I made our ways into the room, I saw Bobby laying on a stretcher with tubes coming out of his mouth and feeding into a machine. We held his hand and tried our best to hold tears back because we didn’t want to scare Bobby. After 6 hours in the ER, Bobby’s journey to recovery truly began. When the surgeon came out and told us that he had successfully fused Bobby’s spine back together but that was all he could do for him, the rest would be on him to wake up from his coma. To me, this was the moment we needed to choose between faith or fear. Before June 26th, I had always believed that God was real but I never strived for a relationship with him. Bobby’s accident showed me how dependent we truly are on Jesus. About a week or so went by and our community put together a prayer night at Good Shepard Church. We decided it was important for my sisters and I to attended. It was so hard leaving Bobby’s side each day but we knew this was going to be a big night. I had always been the person to stand up and sing in church but never confident enough to raise my hands in praise. That night the Holy Spirit, grabbed ahold of me like I had never felt before. During our worship and praise, I felt the Lord telling me to go up to the stage and kneel. It felt as though He had moved my feet for me and before I knew it I was begging on my knees crying out to God and these are the words I spoke “Jesus, if you would heal my brother and bring him back to us, I promise I would give my life to you, I would dedicate my life to praising and thanking you” and that’s the night I believe my soul was saved and I had promised from that day on that my life was His and I would live a life full of praising and having a relationship with Him. Bobby’s recovering felt slow at first but my faith only grew stronger because I knew that God was going to heal him and I was going to thank Jesus everyday for the healing that I knew He was doing in my brother. I decided that I wouldn’t entertain ANY negative thoughts because I knew that it was only the enemy trying to tear me down and I would not let fear overcome my faith in the miraculous healing God was doing with my brother. (Special thank you to Imelda Piczon Lauderdale for opening my eyes to the importance of not entertaining negative thoughts) This is were the mindset that will heal came from. I read the mindset that will heal over Bobby everyday, the good and the bad days. I cried out on that balcony of the hospital in times of frustration because I knew that God was listening and He cared. With every shout, God comforted me with a super natural reassurance that God was good and He was in control. After weeks in the hospital of being told that Bobby will never wake up and he will never be who he was before, the miraculous healing we had been asking for began to unravel before our eyes. Bobby is now 365 days into his recovery and I can tell you that God is good and miracles aren’t something we only read about in the Bible but He is working miracles today, right now! Bobby will be starting his senior year of high school next year and will be graduating with his class. He mentally, is completely who he was before the accident, he still loves music, cars and hanging out with friends. Physically, he is doing amazing! He can walk, with a little drag on his right foot but he is starting to walk places without using his cane our walker. And his right hand is still paralyzed for the most part but Bobby has done an excellent job at getting used to the new normal. This kid pushes himself like no other and is constantly striving to do better. He works out on a daily basis and always has a positive outlook on the future. I am so proud of him! I would like to give a special thank you to those who stood by our sides from across the globe as we watched Bobbys miracle unfold. Your prayers are what brought Bobby to where he is today! I feel as though Bobby’s accident didn’t just change mine and my families lives but also those watching his recovery. I have gotten numerous messages about how Bobby’s story has brought them closer to God and has strengthened their faith. If I could go back in time and remove this trial in our lives, I don’t know if I would because in the end not only did God save Bobby but this trial brought myself and so many others to salvation and that to me is worth it. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and I just ask that you continue to pray for Bobby’s healing, I have no doubt in my mind that this is not the end of his recovery. Please, pray that God would continue to heal Bobby’s right side, that he would bring back function and feeling into his right leg and hand. Pray that God’s miraculous healing wouldn’t stop here but that he would be healed 100%! From my mom: One year ago today I was given the worst news a parent could receive. My Bobby in a very serious car crash. As Lexi called me hysterically to come to help Bobby I was numb, confused, shocked and scared. Knowing the distance from where I was to Bobby I decided to head strait to the ED and meet everyone. I called my family as they have always been such a pillar in prayer, but they insisted on meeting me there as well to pray with us. This was the most important decision made in those 1st hours as Bobby teetered between life and death. We gathered and prayed till his dad and I were able to go see him. Feeling helpless I saw Bobby lay there looking broken yet beautiful at the same time. My sweet boy needing his mom yet nothing I could do but love on him and pray. Over the next few days with unknowns surgery and the daunting reality that Bobby may never come back to us I cried and cried to God, begging him to please spare my child. Every night in the PICU it was just Bobby and I laying by his side crying to God. I have always been a strong believer in prayer but never really needed it till that moment of silence with machines beeping keeping my son alive. Over the next few weeks his dad and I made the crucial decision to keep him alive after being warned this was not a good choice. No one knows Bobby better then us and no one can bring him back besides God but we had to hand him over and trust. The scariest thing is to have full faith but yet the most rewarding! So here I sit 365 days later watching Bobby laugh and tease his sisters just like before! As the tears stream down my face I can’t imagine my life without any of my children. I was blessed with 3 amazing girls who stepped up instantly and rallied around their brother never giving up! I was told when I had my first child that she was a gift and I can’t say how true of all my kids and the gift they really are!!! Bobby still is recovering and the prayers are still needed but I want to Thank everyone for the support financially, emotionally, and for praying!!! God is good, Bobby is a miracle!!!
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Ever since my 17 year old brothers nearly fatal car accident, I felt as though my heart aches in a much different way when I come across another car accident. Before June 26th 2017, when I saw a car accident on the news, all I could think was “Man, I can’t imagine” and then I would continue on with my life. It was true, I couldn’t imagine than but I can now. My heart breaks for each family and the heartache that I know so well, when your loved one is given a 5% chance to live. A 5% chance, that my brother will ever hear me say the words “I love you” again. All because no one cared to tell their kid that speed can kill. I’m not pointing fingers but I am going to address an issue that I continue to see across the country.
All throughout high school all I was told was, “Don’t drink and drive” and “Don’t text while driving”. Yes, these all play a huge factor in most accidents but there’s another big one, that is often forgotten, speed. If you’re going 70 mph even if you’re paying attention, if something was to come up, you just can’t react fast enough to avoid what is before your eyes. I’m hear to share that it’s not worth it. The pain that can be inflected by speeding, is not worth the 2 minutes of adrenaline or the less than a minute you’ll save getting to work or school. In seconds of speeding you can change someone and their family’s life forever. Many believe that because Bobby has defeated the odds, that things will go back to normal but that’s just so far from the truth. Because someone made a decision to speed, my brother’s life has been changed, forever. He will never be the same. He will never be able to ride roller coasters, play sports and if he gets even re ended in a car, he could quite literally be brain dead with the brain injury he sustained on June 26th. When you turn 16 year olds, you are so full of excitement right? You finally get the freedom that you feel you are entitled to because you’ve turned 16 years old, trust me that was once me as well. The reality of it is, you’re not entitled to anything. When you get your license not only are you given the freedom to go wherever you’d like but you’re given a weapon at the age of 16. The moment you turn the car ignition on, you’ve just loaded a weapon. A weapon that if you weren’t told the dangers of, could take the life of both you and someone else. I can’t stress enough the importance of telling your kids what careless driving, really can inflict on a person. With that said, if you think speed is something to laugh about, let me paint you a picture of what my brother who was a victim of speed is now dealing with. Emotionally, although he never says he’s upset, I often see tears in his eyes that tell me there’s so much more going on deeper in him than we’d like to think. Physically, can you imagine at the age of 17 years old, having to re learn how to walk, talk, eat and do any type of daily living on his own. He currently doesn’t have complete control over his right hand. Can you imagine telling your hand to do something and yet nothing happens? The frustration he must feel is beyond what we can ever imagine. Now tell me, is speeding still something to laugh about? Is it funny yet? Because if you were to ask me, I’m not laughing. Dear parents, your child is not entitled to their license at 16 years old. If you wouldn’t give your teen a gun, don’t give them a car because to me, I see no difference. Both can take a life of them or the people that surround them. Please, explain to them that the pain that can be inflicted is not worth the adrenaline or time they’ll save. Dear teens, don’t surround yourself with people who’s driving put other’s lives in danger. Most of all, remember the lives than can be affected by your decision to not drive responsibly. Next time you wanna go twice the speed limit, think of your parents getting the phone call that you have a 5% chance of living. It’s not worth it. I apologize for not putting an update out sooner! Let's start by saying, Bobby is doing fabulous. He is truly a living testimony of how our God is a miracle making God. I' d like to look back on the past 2 months and the hurdles that Bobby has jumped, all thanks to the power of prayer! Many have just recently joined Bobby's page and may need some catching up to do is here's a brief summary and of course a great reminder of how far Bobby has come, to those of us who have been here since day one.
On Monday, June 26th at 11:00 pm, my brother was at a stop backing his car up into our driveway. He was hit by his friend who was going just around 50 mph. I was awoken by the sound of the crash, where I than found my brother sitting in the back seat of his car unconscious. He was in the back seat due to the impact of the hit, forcing him towards the back. Once we arrived at the ER, waiting for any type of news on Bobby, time was at a stop. That night we received the most devastating news, that I hope no one ever has to hear. The doctor proceeded to tell us that Bobby had put himself into a coma, shattered his C6 on his spine and fractured C7 and C5, he also had bleeding and swelling on virtually every portion of his brain. They were positive that he would be a quadriplegic and if he ever woke up, the portion of the brain that was the most damaged, was the part that controlled who he was as a person. The next couple days, were slowly and filled with heartache. We were playing the waiting game, as we stood by his bedside day after day just waiting for a sign of good news, a sign that our sweet boy was coming back to us. We had originally created the Facebook page to update friends and family but it turned into so much more. Miracles for Bobby, isn't just any Facebook group, this is where people from around the world, grabbed our prayer request and wept the tears we cried and prayed day and night for a miracle. During the first month, God not only changed my own heart but also the thousands of people who watched Bobby turned into a 5% statistic that wouldn't survive to a living testimony. God gave peace beyond understanding over my family during a time of heartache. Although we didn't understand why this happened to such a sweet boy, we did know that God has lifted people from the grave and that this was no problem for our Father. We also accepted that no matter how this ended, our God is good. Whether Bobby lived or went to heaven, we knew that is was never up to us or the doctors, it was up to God and with that we said thy will be done. Through all the bad news we got (which was almost everyday) we stayed positive knowing that God's plan is greater than our own. We spoke life over Bobby each day, thanking God for the healing that we believed he was doing in Bobby's body, although it wasn't physically apparent just yet. One month later, they finally qualified Bobby out of a coma (July 24th)! We were beyond ecstatic, our hearts filled with such joy and thankfulness that our God is good. Since then Bobby has left every doctor speechless. Here's where Bobby is today. He continues to have rehab 6 days a week, typically from 8:00 am to about 3:30 pm. Everyday he pushes himself to get better and better. During PT, he continues to work on walking with a cane and regaining muscle in his legs. Bobby also goes to the rehab pool once a week, to help him get back the motion of walking in a much easier environment. OT continues to work on perfectly all his ADL's which he is doing amazing at! They are still working on getting that right hand moving, which has improved tremendously since a couple weeks ago. Bobby can now eat just about anything and drink liquids without thickener! He is loving every second of being able to taste all the foods he loves so much. He will go in next month to the throat specialist, where they will discuss what the best solution is to fix his soft spoken voice, permanently (this will also improve his eating). Bobby continues to have a positive attitude and work towards his recovery! Many are curious if we had told him who hit him, the answer is yes. We waited a bit because we wanted to make sure he was ready. Once we got the okay from the neurologist, we began to explain the situation to Bobby. Although the young man has not reached out to my family or Bobby, we believe that yes he's young and he must be scared but also that he was probably advised by his attorney to not do so. We explained that to Bobby as well. Once we told him that it was his friend who had hit him that night, these are the words that Bobby spoke without hesitation "It's okay, it was an accident. I hope we can still be friends". He wasn't angry or sad, simply hopeful that their friendship would not be affected by these circumstances. This is a wonderful reminder to be kind, even when the society we are surrounded by tells us other wise. My heart fills with joy knowing that Bobby is not only a living testimony by the healing of God but also by his characteristics that show us how to be Christ like. If there's anything you take from Bobby's journey I hope that it's this: Our God is good, there's power in prayer and that to have faith in God, that His plan isn't to hurt you but to help you. He never said this life was easy and that you wouldn't face heartache but what He did promise is His Kingdom to come and that's something we can look forward to, through these trials we face here on earth. Please, continue to pray for Bobby, that when he walks out of this hospital that he will be completely restored by the grace of God! Thank you prayer warriors from around the world, you played a huge part in Bobby's journey. Here's the latest update on the miracle boy! Bobby is scheduled to come home the first week of October! He will then do out patient rehab twice a week hopefully for 3 months if we can get insurance to approve it. Bobby's throat procedure, went extremely well! He is now able to eat soft mechanical foods, drink with minimal to no cough and his voice is getting stronger. The next throat procedure, is October 31st where they will see if the nerve damaged is self healing or if they need to do something to fix it permanently. During PT, Bobby continues to gain strength in his right side while learning how to stand, sit and walk again. This upcoming week Bobby will get some therapy in the pool to help work on walking. OT, has extended his cast on his right arm complete straight during the night to help loosen up the tendons and muscles in his arm. This is a huge step forward! Speech is very impressed with how the throat procedure went and the progress he is making with eating and drinking. They also will be involved with his tutoring and schooling until he's able to go back, we're hoping he can get back to school by second semester! PT went out of their way to get Bobby a motorized wheelchair, to make it easier for him to get around and give him some independence . But Bobby, was not feeling it, the moment they brought it in Bobby was like I do not need a motorized wheelchair, showing us all just how hard he is working to recovery 100%! Bobby continues to get day passes on Sundays which we are all loving. Today he got to see his triplet cousins and get his first pedicure! The other day Bobby reminded us how pure his heart is when he asked if the person who hit him went to jail, we told him no and his response was "It's okay, it was just an accident and I'm okay with it.". Thank you Jesus for reminding us all that even through trials a heart full of love, will always win.
Thank you guys for being a part of Bobby's recovery. I hope that his story continues to be shared and spreads love and faith into hearts around the world. Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby! P.S. we've started a draft for a children's book about the miracle boy himself, we can not wait to share when it's finished! Here’s a quick update on the miracle boy! Bobby has been progressing like crazy. During OT, he can now stand up with assistance while brushing his teeth and needs little assistance when doing his ADL’s. He can also stand with assistance to pee and transfer to the toilet. Yesterday, was actually the first time Bobby was able to stand while peeing and I decided it’d be funny to tell him to pee on my mom as she helped him but it actually led to him laughing so hard that he was literally peeing all over the place! Oops, that probably wasn’t the smartest idea on my part but sure did give us all something to laugh about. For PT, Bobby continues to regain more muscle and strength! He can now walk with a walker a few steps, can nearly transfers by himself and is going to start doing some therapy in the pool. Bobby’s right side is getting stronger by each day, we continue to remind him that the more he uses it, the faster he will regain control. As some of you may know the left side of Bobby’s throat is paralyzed leading it to stay in an open position. This is whats causing Bobby to not progress with speech and his ability to eat. On Wednesday, they will do the scope down his throat again, were a doctor will diagnose what the next step will be to resolving this issue. Also Bobby has been cleared for two hour day passes. (Woohoo!) We are beyond excited, we’re planning on taking Bobby to the zoo on Sunday! This will be Bobby’s first time leaving the hospital since the night of his accident and it will be well deserved. Thank you guys for continuing to stay update on Bobby’s progress and journey to complete recovery! I will continue to update everyone on the big leaps Bobby makes during this time.
Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby’s mind and body. Pray that he gains total control and strength over the right side of his body. Pray that doctors will find a resolution to the issues regarding Bobby’s throat. Pray that he continues to stay strong during times of doubt. Pray that God will give Bobby the physical and mental strength to make the most out of every rehab session. Thank you Jesus, for miracle You have created before us and Your continually healing of my brother. 5 The deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor are told the good news. Matthew 11:5 Today has been full of laughter and smiles! For the first time in awhile we got Bobby laughing to the point of no control, all over the fact that we were going to post a video of him picking his nose if he didn’t stop. (Whatever it takes to make this boy smile) Through out the today, you could tell how happy Bobby’s heart is by his consist smile and giggle at the silly things we say. This shows us that who Bobby was before the accident is the exact boy sitting right in front of us. During our days in the PICU, they told us nearly everyday that if Bobby ever woke up, he would never be who he was as a person after. Yet here we are cracking jokes about “pulling’ hunnies” and him picking his nose! We are so beyond thankful that God healed his brain to the point that Bobby is exactly who he was before. Thank you Jesus! This afternoon, I was asking Bobby if he wanted me to post a picture of him sitting on his own and he said “No it’s not good enough”, I then reminded him that his spine was completely disconnected, brain completely shook and one of his arteries were severed. This leading to my point that he technically shouldn’t be doing ANYTHING, so for him to be able to sit by himself is a HUGE deal. One that he needs to be thankful for because it’s not everyday that someone suffers injuries like this and comes out even 1/4 of how far Bobby has come. Bobby then agreed that I was right and that he is very thankful for the healing God has done within him! I feel as though reminding Bobby to be thankful for the miracle God has made of him will help him push through his rehab sessions and push out any negative thoughts that make him feel as though he’s not good enough. Now for Bobby’s physical update! OT was fitting him for another cast on his right arm to extend it even more to help Bobby regain complete control. They also say that the hardest part to regain control over after an injury is typically the wrist and fingers, this is something that Bobby is progressing so much with! He continues to squeeze his right hand tighter each day and move his wrist more and more. PT continues to work on the cycling and steps with Bobby, to help his muscles muscle work together and coordinate. Speech has decided to wait till Monday, when they scope him before feeding him again, to see if they can do anything to help resolve the issue.
Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby’s mind and body. Pray that he gains not partial but COMPLETE control over the right side of his body. Pray that God will give Bobby the muscle memory to swallow without issue. Pray that he continues to be thankful for the healing God has done within him. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day full of laughter and smiles! 8 The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders. Psalm 62:8 Bobby definitely has his sleep schedule back now, thank you Jesus! Bobby continues to push through all his rehab sessions which typically consist of 6 hrs a day six days a week. Typically he starts each day with OT, who are really helping Bobby get down his ADL's and get that right arm moving. They recently casted Bobby's arm and will recast it again this week in hopes, that it will help loosen up the muscles in his elbow. Everyday he continues to focus on getting back control over that right hand and really focusing on squeezing it. After Bobby's session with OT he typically goes to his session with PT right after. PT is focusing on mainly getting that right leg stronger and regaining control over it. They continue to work on walking, standing and transferring. PT has recently added on a bicycle adapter to his wheelchair which helps all his muscle work together and coordinate. It's obvious that Bobby is getting stronger in his right leg because he is now able to lift and bend his leg while laying in bed. This is a huge step, towards Bobby regaining mobility in his lower extremities which will allow him to eventually transfer by himself. They've also decided to put an ankle brace on his right ankle, for extra support while Bobby learns to walk again. Typically his last session is speech. They continue to focus on his talking and swallowing. Bobby has been struggling with both quite a bit and they've found that the right side of his throat was damaged by the spinal injury and the left side was damaged by his brain injury. Therefore there is a huge miscommunication in regards to Bobby's throat muscles, knowing how to talk loudly and swallow without choking. Monday, they're going to stick a camera down his throat to see if they can find anything specific that they can address to help solve this issue. With regards to Bobby's mental state, he's getting really bored with having to keep working on the same things everyday. We continue to encourage him and tell him how important these rehab sessions are going to help him long term. It's hard for Bobby because he feels as though he isn't progressing fast enough but when you look at the injuries he faced only a month ago, he's light years a head of where he should be. It's clear that these rehab sessions really are taking all the energy out of this poor boy each day. We've decided to cut back on visitations due to us not wanting to exhaust him more than he already is.
Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby's mind and body. Pray that he continues to regain control and sensation over the right side of his body. Pray that God gives Bobby the mental and physical strength to push through each day of rehab. Pray that God will heal his throat and give his mind the muscle memory to speak loudly and swallow without issue. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day full of healing and progress! 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 For those who aren't aware, I will be doing the blog posts every other day. Due to Bobby's health and progress being consistent. What a blessing it as to be able to say that, thank you Jesus!
Bobby continues to get his sleep schedule down more and more each night. We've also notice that Bobby tends to sleep talk a lot throughout the night, mostly him just calling our names. OT is going fantastic! He is now able to squeeze his right hand for the first time. Thank you Jesus! OT continues to work on that right hand and his ADL's. During his sessions with PT, Bobby continues to work on walking with the parallel bars, wearing a gate belt as extra support! With each session, he is improving on his walking, standing and transferring. Speech continues to try and give Bobby his pureed food but he is still struggling with the muscle memory to swallow and get it down the right pipe. In today's update I'd like to address something that I feel we may need some extra prayers. Lately, Bobby has asked a lot of questions. For example he was asking "Why is this happening to me?" "Is this real?" and "When will I wake up?". Although we are 42 days into his recovery, Bobby only remembers about a week ago, making everything still so surreal for him. It's hard to explain to a 17 year old who played football, track and jet skied all day long, that it's gonna take time for him to get back up on his feet again. Even though we continue to explain to Bobby that he is quite literally a miracle boy and that God is changing people's lives through this, to Bobby he seems to be confused why it had to be him. With that being said, I'm asking that tonight we pray that God will comfort Bobby's mind and allow him to see the Glory of God, even through a midst of trial. Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby's mind and body. Pray that God continues to give him the mental and physical strength required to get the most out of his rehab sessions. Pray that Bobby continues to regain control and sensation over the right side of his body. Pray that God will give him back the muscle memory to remember how to swallow without choking. Thank you prayer warriors for the power in your prayers! 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 Bobby continues to improve on getting a good amount of sleep each night, which we are so thankful for! Today has been a very laid back day for both Bobby and our family. PT continues to focus on working on that right leg, walking, pivoting and transferring. OT is focusing on having Bobby get dressed and ready as much by himself. Speech continues to work on memory, swallowing and expressing his thoughts. With each session, the staff is amazed by how hard Bobby works and his willingness to fight through any challenges that he faces. Bobby has been so impressive through his progress with rehab and his positive mindset. It really puts our own life into perspective especially when I find myself getting upset over silly things such as traffic, when this kid is having to learn how to walk, talk and basically breathe again, all with a smile on his face. I'm so thankful to have a little brother who is so motivated, even through the hard trials he's been faced with.
Please, continue to pray for the healing of Bobby's mind and body. Pray that he continues to regain control and sensation over the right side of his body. Pray that Bobby will regain his muscle memory of how to swallow without choking. Pray that God continues to feel his heart with love and joy, knowing the healing God continues to do in Bobby's body. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day, we give all the Glory to You! Bobby got some great sleep last night, he was sleeping so well that they couldn't even wake him to go pee in the middle of the night. Thankfully, he does really well at holding his pee during the night. We are beyond excited for Bobby to get his sleep schedule back especially has his rehab days get harder. Today was bath day, typically they'd put him in the boat bath where they then would bath him but today was different. They decided to put Bobby in a chair in the shower and had him wash his body and hair, all by himself! To no surprise, once he was all done he explained to my mom how hard they made him work and how he much rather prefers a boat bath where they staff cleans him. Doesn't that just scream your typical teenage boy, wanting to do the bare minimum when it comes to hygiene. While getting ready for his first rehab session, they had Bobby get dressed and ready by myself with little to no help. From 8am to about 3pm, Bobby is gone with OT, PT and speech. PT continues to work on walking, standing, transferring and pivoting. OT is focusing on getting that right hand to grip and be able to hold objects. Speech continues to work on Bobby's ability to eat and swallow, he struggles with getting it down the right pipe and regaining the muscle memory of how to eat without choking. Until he can get that muscle memory back, we'll hold on any oral feeds and he will continue to be fed primarily by his G tube. This evening we had ordered dinner and told Bobby we were going to go into the lounge to eat. We've decided not to eat in front him because we know how much this kid loves to eat and I can't imagine how it feels to watch everyone dive in, when you have't had a good meal like that in weeks. While we were eating my mom got call from Emmanuel, Bobby had managed to get a hold of one of the nurses to call my moms phone. While on the phone Bobby asked "Mom, will you come home?" this was the first time we had heard his voice through a phone since his accident. It was just so cute, we had to hurry back to comfort Bobby in his room. We spent the rest of our Friday night, playing uno, connect four and candy land. I've decided that Bobby is the king of candy land which makes our games last about 5 minutes. Today we got an x ray on his neck to see if they can dc, his C collar (neck brace) and we have not gotten the decision back yet. My mom found it really interesting to see the amount of metal they had to put in Bobby's neck in order to fuse back his spine.
Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby's mind and body. Pray that he continues to regain control and sensation over the right side of his body. Pray that Bobby will regain the muscle memory in which allows him to swallow without issues. Pray that God continues to give him the mental and physical strength to get the most out of each rehab session. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day of healing! 2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 |
From your dearest sister, LexiBobby, I've created this blog to inform friends and family of your journey to recovery. It may be long but we will never lose faith. God has healed the broken and Bobby he will heal you. We love you so much and I can't wait for you to read this journey I've written for you, though I know your watching it all happen already. Forever in my heart and mind. I'll be with you everyday. |