12/31/04 at 4:23 p.m.

Today is New Year's Eve and personally I am very relieved to see midnight arrive and a new year begin. This is a year I would choose not to remember. For some reason our trauma doesn't seem to go away. The day after Christmas my son Joey took his girlfriend and her sister skiing, he fell and dislocated his shoulder, tore the rotator cuff, a muscle and bruised the bone. He is heading back to Minneapolis to have surgery. Jamie ended up with some kind of weird virus that the doctor said he has seen quite a few cases of in Boise where her throat swelled up with golf ball size bumps, she had 19 canker sores in her mouth and her gums were bleeding. He, of course asked her what kind of stress she was under because her immune system must be weak. Luckily, with medication it will go away. I don't even know what to say. For me to watch my children be hurt is just too much to bear and I can't seem to stop it. So, give me a new year, new energy, new miracles....I am ready.

On a better note, Jess has been lifting and lowering his right arm when I ask him which is a very new thing. A very good new thing. He has also been rolling his ankle and bending his stiff left leg for me. He is moving his head to the left and right more which means his neck muscles are getting stronger. And, his eye contact has been noticeably different to the speech therapist as improving each week. We think he even grinned at his dad.

Life is very interesting to say the least. We need to send some healing strength and energy to the people involved in the tragedy in Asia. Their trauma has to be unbearable...we cannot even imagine. As we know, we are all connected so...as you have done for us...we can do for them. Prayers are our only solution. Have a safe and happy New Year! Love, Pam, Chris & Jess

12/26/04 at 2:40 p.m.

I would be dishonest if I told you this was a good Christmas for us all. Christmas was one of Jess' favorite holidays. He would always wake up Jamie first and talk her into getting up and then he loved to pass out the presents. We would all make popcorn balls a couple of days before Christmas which we couldn't seem to do this year. We did manage to decorate a tree and rise to the occassion just in hopes of receiving our miracle. But, I guess it is still just not in the plan for him to come back to us yet.

I am so thankful Grandma and Grandpa, Joey, Angie & her sister, Jamie & Jahara and Uncle Jim & Aunt Claudia were here to help us find some peace throughout the day. It was Chris' birthday too...we know what wish was made when he blew out the candles on his birthday cake. None of us can imagine why this has happened to our family and especially to our Jess but we keep praying there will be some sort of good come out of it. We know Jess is still in the thoughts and prayers of a lot of people in this valley and we can only thank you and wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and joyous New Year. Hug each other and be so thankful for every moment you can share together. With love....The Matey's

12/17/04 at 9:15 p.m.

Today was a very big day for us. There are over 20,000 hits on this website. It gives us so much strength and courage just knowing so many people are checking on Jess and support us with their love and encouragement for his recovery. We are so amazed it has been exactly 6 months today since Jess' accident.

We took Jess to the hospital today to have a cavity filled and to have his teeth cleaned. Because of his condition they had to put him under a general anesthetic and put a tube down his throat. I have been so worried because just before the accident when he had his teeth cleaned they found out he had the cavity and if it hurt...Jess couldn't tell us. If you are a mother please always go with your instinct. When Dr. Drew and his hygenist got to look inside his mouth they not only fixed the cavity but found 2 other small cavities. He also found 5 fractured teeth that were a result of the impact that broke Jess' jaw in the accident. Dr. Drew said if it were you or I it would be very painful to have a fractured tooth. My poor Jess had 5 and couldn't even tell us that it hurt. They were able to bond and seal the fractures and also put a floride sealant on all of his teeth. The procedure took over two hours. We want to thank everyone who took such good care of Jess at the hospital.

We do believe we have angels watching over us. Chris has been uncomfortable with the new feeding tube in Jess stomach so while Jess was in the recovery room Chris ran into the wonderful surgeon, Dr. Durtschi, who has helped us before with his feeding tubes. He asked him if he thought we should put in a different type of tube while Jess was still coming out of the anesthetic. He agreed and when he went to remove the existing tube he found it had broken again. So, he replaced it with a stronger more reliable tube. Thank you Dr. Durtschi!

We also brought my dad home from the hospital today. We found out he had a touch of pneumonia and some stomach problems. We are all glad to be home.

To close, we want to wish a very special girl a very special Happy Birthday. Today Kelsey (Jess' girlfriend) turned 17 on the 17th. Happy Birthday, Kelsey! Jess was wide eyed when I told him it was your birthday this morning. I know he wanted me to wish you a very special day...

12/15/04 at 7:19 p.m.

I am so sorry I have not updated Jess' website for 7 days. My dad (who lives with us) had to be taken to the hospital in the middle of the night by ambulance 3 days ago. They are running tests to see what is wrong. I have been busy taking my mom back and forth to the hospital, visiting dad, working and helping Chris with Jess.

Jess is doing well. We are seeing a lot of purposeful movements and his eyes seem to follow us. I feel he is looking around with curious eyes. When I came home today, John was working with him on the floor. He was moving his arms and legs with John's help. He looked up at me and we both felt Jess gave me a faint smile. It made me cry. His neck muscles are getting stronger, too. We can't wait for him to sit up alone.

Jess had a few special friends visit last weekend. I know there are some of Jess' friends that would like to visit but may be hesitant to see him in the condition he is in. As a very good friend of mine said to me, "Jess is so much better than he was 6 months ago when his fragile breath was dependent on hospital support....he is ever so slowly coming back to be whoever he will be in the future. Your beautiful son is growing in his way, on his path each day and the gift that he is giving you, is for you to hold to the Truth of who you are and who Jess really is...regardless of appearances."

I hope you all know that we understand. It is hard to see Jess in his wheel chair and not out on the court shooting his basketball. We can't and won't give up knowing that he will get better. If you would just like to call so Jess could hear a familiar voice or if you decide you do want to come by...please let us know. We are not sure what may stimulate him or bring him back. As the speech therapist said, "Let him smell the boy's locker room...that will wake him up". Keep the positive thoughts coming...we need all we can get!

12/8/04 at 7:25 p.m.

Everytime I update this website I hope I can say, "Guess what, Jess is awake!" But not today...he is a little better than he was a month ago and I know he will be a little bit better in another month. As they told us in many ways, we have a long road and it will be a slow process. We are still waiting for it to happen like it does in the movies. No one really knows though so why can't I believe one day he will just wake up and say "hi mom".

We have around 2 feet of snow in the front yard which warranted Chris returning to work at Sun Valley. Jess and I are hanging out in his room. I can't move him by myself so we will just entertain ourselves here until Chris gets home around one or two a.m. I just read the newspaper to Jess telling him about how well the basketball team did in their last game and we are listening to the radio. I am sure he would like to be sitting here at his computer but I will have to keep it warmed up for him. Good night...

12/5/04 at 6:53 p.m.

Jess had a lot of nice visitors today. Kelsey and Dustin with three people from Kelsey's church visited to include Jess in a prayer circle. My special friend Sheila and Chris joined us. We all touched Jess with our hands, our love, our trust and with God. We have to believe with all of the wonderful people holding Jess close to their hearts he has to come back to us. We are so blessed to have so many that care so much...thank you!

12/1/04 at 6:30 p.m.

Another month has passed and Christmas is just around the corner. I don't know where the time has gone. I seem to wish it away and then fear that it has been too long. What is time anyway? I know we must stay in the moment.

Coach Castle who now lives in WA came to visit Jess on Monday. I am sure it meant a lot to him to have her stop by. It meant a lot to us, too.

We took Jess up to St. Luke's for the long awaited swallow evaluation on Tuesday but we found out he just isn't quite ready for pizza and sushi. He has to stay with the ice chips for a little longer. We were a bit disappointed but at least we know. He is feeling much better from the bout with pneumonia. I made an appointment with the neurologist at the rehab at the Primary Children's Hospital. She also covers the rehab at the U of U. We couldn't get an appointment until January 12th. She will evaluate Jess to see if he is ready to return to a rehab center. We hope by then he will be bouncing off the walls.

We are still hanging in there....

11/28/04 at 2:40 p.m.

Jess is feeling much better. He has finished the antibiotics and hopefully will stay well now. We have no plans until Jess can get accepted into a rehab facility. We have great therapists here working with him on a daily basis so we just keep waiting and praying.

It is basketball season and I heard the first game is this week. I know Jess would want to wish his coaches and team the best of luck. He loves the game and was excited to play this year. Maybe his teammates will play extra hard just for him this year. He will be with you in spirit and hopefully (as PK said) he will be able to come to a game before the season ends. Chris and I wish you all good luck, too. Play hard but most important...have fun!

11/24/04 9:45 p.m.

Well, Jess and I took our 10th ride in the ambulance on Sunday morning. He had not been feeling well for a couple of days. He was having a hard time breathing and moaning most of the night so we feared he had aspirated. With a lung exray, we found out he had contacted a bacteria that turned into pneumonia very quickly. We just got home yesterday afternoon and he is doing much better today. So, we have a good reason to celebrate Thanksgiving...we wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving too! Good night!

11/19/04 at 8:14 p.m.

We are still all seeing a lot of movement in Jess lately. He is trying to hold his head up and the speech therapist thought he almost said "mom". We stood him several times and he is probably 6'2" now. He only weighs about 130 lbs. We are going for a swallow evaluation at St. Luke's next Tuesday. I hope we can start giving him something besides ice chips. We are still waiting for word from the Primary Children's Hospital and are still considering the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. It was 5 months on the 17th of this month since the accident. A very long time...

Today is Jess' grandma's 85th birthday. When she blew out the candle on her cake she made a very important wish....one we all have been making every day. He held her hand and smiled with his eyes. We are still trying to find a way to communicate with Jess so we can ask him if he hurts or if he needs something.

I miss his voice, I miss his hugs, I miss his smile. Keep praying, please!

11/15/04 at 6:45 p.m.

I am amazed that five days have gone by already. As Tammy our physical therapist remarked today....Jess is sure making more purposeful movements since I saw him last week. It is nice when the therapist verifies the things we notice. He is moving his head from side to side, picking his left arm up off the bed and reaching up, tracking objects better with his eyes and moving his feet and legs with a lot of effort. We are praying that it means wires are being connected and signals are being sent. Any minor movement is wonderful.

Joey (Jess' brother) flew home from Minnesota on Saturday to help us make some decisions on our next endeavor. It has been a long 5 months for Chris and I. We needed a clear head and a different perspective to help us figure out if we are doing all we can right now for Jess. We are in such an uncharted territory with no real answers that it is hard to know just what to do next. Joey sees a lot of improvement.

We still hold a place in our hearts for all of you who are checking on Jess and thank you for being there with your prayers and support to keep us strong

11/10/04 at 7:06 p.m.

Jess seems to be different every day. We wonder so often what he is thinking or where he is at. We fear he knows what is going on and is frustrated because he cannot move his body or talk. And there is nothing we can do but help keep his body strong and flexible with therapies.

I have been researching Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. It is what they use for treating the bends in deep sea diving. It increases the oxygen to the brain to restore neurons damaged in the injury. Here is a website explaining it: http://hbotnm.com/about.html. Of course it is not covered by insurance for brain injuries (not enough double blind studies) and it would be very expensive for us to travel, find a place to stay, and still keep up on his therapies for 2 months. They recommend 1 hour a day ( an hour) for 40 days (Monday thru Friday) with a 4 week break and then again for 40 more days. There are two places I have looked at...one in New Mexico and one in Florida. If it would help...no time or money would matter. But, like everything else we are looking at...there are no guarantees. It is still up to God and Jess.

11/7/04 at 8:11 p.m.

Today was a very busy day for Jess. We decided to take him for a ride in his dad's truck. For the first time...we drove down to where the accident happened 4 1/2 months ago. It is only a couple miles from our house. Jess seemed very aware of where we were so I just tried to reassure him that the accident was over, everyone was ok and he was getting better everyday. It was very hard for us to actually see where they had driven off the road, hit one tree, slid down a fence line, rolled and flipped the car 10 feet in the air and hit another tree. I can't imagine what the boys went through in that car.

Anyway, we stopped at his friend Curtis' house and said hello to all of the family. Jess has spent a lot of time with them so we hoped it might trigger some good memories. We also went by our old house where Jess grew up, drove by his friend Dustin's house and by another friend Pat's house, then through the high school parking lots, downtown Hailey, by his friend Billy's house, to the middle school and back home. Jess stayed awake for most of our journey as we reminded him of different events in his life. Maybe something will help him put back the pieces and help him return to us. When we came home, we sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and then had special visitors...his Uncle Jim, Kelsey and our wonderful friends Marlene & Earl.

Jess is asleep now and hopefully healing. Oh, can't forget, we also celebrated his grandpa's 87th birthday this week on the 4th. All dad wished for on his birthday was for Jess to wake up and say "Happy Birthday, Grandpa". He did squeeze his hand.

Jess had a good week of therapy and tomorrow we start another good week. We are very blessed to have such wonderful therapists, family and friends surrounding Jess with light and love. Thank you...

11/2/04 at 7:36 p.m.

Not many changes since Sunday. I am researching Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for brain injuries. If anyone has any experience with this therapy, please let me know. I also spoke with the Primary Children's Rehab in Salt Lake today. They need me to send more info before they can accept Jess into their program. We have been home for over 2 months now. We remain focused on knowing that Jess can come back to us. We have to keep the positive thoughts surrounding him. We need your help...keep the prayers coming...with love, Pam, Chris & Jess

10/31/04 at 10:45 a.m.

I was working with Jess yesterday and was able to get some solid yes and no answers with one finger for yes and two for no...but it comes and goes. That's okay...we will take whatever we can get. Halloween was one of Jess' favorite holidays. I tried to insert a picture of he, Curtis and Carson ten years ago but couldn't get it to work. He and Curtis always loved trick or treating. So, for Jess...

HAVE A SAVE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

10/27/04 at 8:00 p.m.

We spent most of the day in the hospital. We tried to flush Jess' feeding tube last night and nothing would go through. I called the E.R. and they felt it was safe to wait until morning to bring him in. So, first thing this morning we took him to the hospital. They did another stomach exray and found the tube had made it's way back into his small intestine. The radiologist deflated the tube and pulled it back into his stomach. I can't wait to get rid of that tube. We are working hard on swallowing and head control. We then went for his scheduled EEG which will show any silent seizures (always a possibility with a brain injury) and it also shows activity in the different sections of the brain. We are saying an extra special prayer for good news. Please join us. Our best to you all.

10/25/04 at 7:00 p.m.

Jess and I had a good day on Sunday. He seemed to connect with all of the things I was asking him to do. He lifted his left arm 5 times for me (from the elbow to his hand). He tried so hard to move his legs and wiggle his toes. He also watched me stick my tongue out at him (which I would have never allowed) and now I so want him to do the same. He was able to put his tongue outside of his front teeth. We all cried, clapped and watched him put so much energy into these small movements. These are what they call "purposeful movements"....very important because the brain is responding to a command. Today I sat behind him and watched as he held his head on his own for a couple of minutes and was able to turn it so slightly to the left. Each day I just ask God to please let him connect to another part of his body...to please help him to remember that his body is strong. I see in his eyes that he doesn't understand why it is so hard to move or why he can't talk to me. Sometimes he gets so frustrated he just closes his eyes and then peaks out the corner of his eyes to see if I am still there. We take so much for granted.

I made the mistake of requesting all of his medical records from St. Al's. So much of the first two months are such a blur, I hoped to find some positive information to help us understand what is happening inside Jess' brain. I quickly realized and remembered I should just stay with my knowing that he will recover in his own time and that the facts are unimportant. It is what it is. So, we have some good positive movements and we await another good day. Jess is listening to Deepak Chopra's Quantum Healing. I recommend it to everyone. He also listens to Mozart, Beethoven, Native Indian music, meditation music and of course Rap, R&B and Maroon 5. Our days are full and our prayers are never ending.

10/21/04 at 8:17 p.m.

I can't believe it is almost Friday already. I am sorry I missed an update on Wednesday. As we speak Jess is on the phone with sound therapy. It is very interesting and hopefully very beneficial.

We took Jess downtown today to see the Wood River High School Homecoming Parade today. We were hoping it might trigger something so he would remember and wake up. It only triggered a lot of emotion in his parents. He was excited for his senior year and especially for basketball. We will watch him participate next year.

Unfortunately, Jess developed an infection and we now have him on antibiotics. The good thing about being in the hospital is it allowed us to run some important tests. They found 3 different bacterias that probably have been growing since we were at the Elks. And, we were unable to stop the "thrush" that develops from taking antibiotics so he is on a medication for that too. We also came to the conclusion that the reason Jess lost a bit of weight this month was that the feeding tube when it had moved into his intestine allowed the food to go directly into his intestine instead of his stomach so he was losing some of the nutrients. I think I said before "when it rains...it pours". It has to get better now.

The good things are...the therapist are noticing small improvements. He is tracking much better with his eyes. The posturing (stiffening that results from brain injury) is much less. He is trying to move little by little and he is swallowing better every day. And...we are here in the comfort of our own home with many caring people helping him. So, we take the good and let go of the rest.

To all of Jess' friends...have a fun homecoming and more importantly PLEASE drive safe!
Love, Pam, Chris and Jess

10/18/04 at 10:30 p.m.

Jess is doing much better. We are back to our daily therapies, feedings and interaction with him. Today we, with the help of our physical therapist, stood Jess up two times. He rests his chin on his dad's shoulder so Jess has grown to probably 6'2. He is too thin though and I am working with the nutritionalist to figure out how to put some weight on him. She said he is burning a lot of calories in the healing process. I am giving him almost 3000 calories a day. We also started a new therapy using quantum physics and it was good to have our acupuncturist back. Jess is much more relaxed after her visits. This journey we are on has many challenges...we keep hearing we will all be better for it...let's hope so. It was 4 months yesterday!

10/15/04 at 8:00 p.m.

Well, Jess and I took our 9th ride in an ambulance last night. He just didn't seem to be feeling very well on Thursday. We put him in his bed for the night and Chris started writing in his journal when all of a sudden Jess became very sick and heaved up a lot of liquid. Chris yelled to me, I ran to the suction machine and began suctioning his mouth in fear he was not breathing. I told mom to call 911 and within a few minutes the EMT's, ambulance and police were at our door. Luckily, he did start breathing and his vitals were good. We were afraid of aspiration so we took him to the E.R. It will be 4 months on Sunday since we spent our first terrifying night in the same E.R. before he was lifeflighted to Boise.

He had a lung exray and an exray of the feeding tube in his stomach. His lung exray was good but we decided to spend the night to check out the feeding tube. In the morning we had another stomach exray with barium and found that his feeding tube was blocking his intestine. A very kind surgeon released the balloon on the tube and pulled it away from the intestine. We also had a CT scan of his brain which showed no changes from the last one we had at St. Al's in July and blood tests which were also all normal. He had a flu shot on Wednesday which could have contributed to the nausea. After a long day, we brought him home tonight, just got him out of the bathtub and after 48 hours without sleep we are going to bed.

Before we say goodnight...we want to thank all of the medical professionals for their very kind, caring attention to Jess. Most everyone either knew of the accident or were there the night it happened and were very compassionate and kind to all of us. We again are blessed with wonderful people around us. Good night...

10/13/04 at 9:00 p.m.

We have been very busy as usual. There is always a lot of activity going on in our house. We met with Dr. Girnam (Integrative Medicine & Wellness) yesterday. She felt we were doing a good job with the different therapists we have coming and with the nutrition and supplements we are feeding Jess. She was great to do research for us in both western and eastern medicine. It is so important to combine both. She even found a place for Jess to swim with dolphins (his favorite) when he gets a little better. It is very therepeutic and the dolphins seem to know they are needed.

We are looking at rehab in Salt Lake or Seattle but because of the new insurance rules we may have to wait for Jess to respond more to commands before they accept him. I fear a lot of people in Jess' situation get lost in the system by being put in nursing homes without the stimulation needed to help them recover. And, it is all based on insurance rules. We received a letter from the Katie Beckett Medicaid in which Jess qualified for that stated they could not pay for the Elks Rehab. Hopefully, our insurance will pay some portion of the almost ,000 we owe. It is interesting how we pay for insurance all of our lifes and when you really need it they find all of these loopholes to say they won't cover this or that. We even found out that the life flight we paid for doesn't really pay for the flight...they pay for what your insurance doesn't. I bring these things up so you will be sure to check all of your policies and see what you would be covered for in our situation. We are amazed at what we didn't know.

The good news is both the acupuncturist who was out of town for a week and the cranial sacrial therapist who was out of town for two weeks thought Jess has made good improvements since they last saw him. One thing Dr. Girnam found in her research is that prayer works. Keep the prayer groups going for our Jess....please. With love....

10/10/04 at 9:10 p.m.

The last few days have been about the same except Jess is lifting his left arm by himself. He is getting a little stronger with his head control and neck muscles and he is still moving his toes. I was able to get him to move his legs a little. He seems to be moving his tongue more as though he wants to say something. We can't wait to get rid of the feeding tube in his stomach and start feeding him real food. The speech therapist told me I could give him little sips of crushed ice. He swallows well but it is still too soon to give him any other food or drink. The integrated medicine doctor will meet with us on Tuesday to discuss our next steps. We have a reevaluation at the Elks on Wednesday but we are not sure if he will be ready to go. We are looking into other rehab centers. My daughter, Jamie, and little Jahara went back home to Boise tonight. She has been helping me with Jess for the last two weeks while Chris finished the house he was building. We will miss her and our little granddaughter. Mom and dad really enjoyed having Jahara's here. It will be 4 months on the 17th since the accident. Our lives have definitly changed....

10/6/04 at 10:00 p.m.

It is amazing how many wonderful people have shown up to offer their help to us with Jess. We only wish we could have all of you do something. We are either not very good at delagating or are too overwhelmed to figure out how to ask for help. We so appreciate the offers and can only continue to ask for the prayers and the positive thoughts. It has been strange that many of the people we have come in contact with have had similar experiences with a loved one with a traumatic brain injury. It is unbelievable how many brain injuries occur daily. Kelsey mentioned today when Jess recovers they are going to start a research foundation for traumatic brain injuries. Jess always wanted to be an inspirational speaker for kids...maybe that will be his path.

I saw a picture of the car Jess was in for the first time today and cried. I want to put it on this website as a reminder to kids who drive too fast. The boys are lucky to be alive. And the damage was done at 53 miles an hour as far as they can tell. Please be careful and know how quickly your whole life can change in an instant. Good night...

10/4/04 at 8:00 p.m.

I am having a hard time updating Jess' website. The changes in his condition are very small so I don't have a lot of new information to pass on. It is such a hard journey that we are on. We are desperately trying to stay positive and know that we will see that miracle when Jess will be okay again. In the world of traumatic brain injuries the time of his healing is short...in our world the time has been an eternity.

Today a doctor in integrated medicine visited us. She is taking her extensive western medical background and combining it with eastern medicine to provide a wholistic approach to her patient's wellness. She is doing some research for us to help us decide the best path to take Jess on. We are hopeful that she can find some answers to many of our questions. In the meantime...I have found a speech therapist who will visit tomorrow. Jess is swallowing small sips of water and making sounds so we are hopeful she can help us find new ways to communicate with him. Time is our best friend and we are trying to be at peace with the waiting. I just can't wait until the day I get to tell you he is making leaps and bounds in recovery. Until then...we will continue to love him and pray for his complete healing every moment of the day.

9/30/04 at 8:45 p.m.

I can't believe it is the last day of September. The fall colors are so beautiful. We had a good day. My day starts at 4:30 a.m. with Jess' first meal at 6. The nutritionalist, Daniella, came so we could start Jess on some enzymes to help him with an infection in his mouth that developed from not having anything to eat orally for so long. Daniel (the CNA-EMT) who comes for a few hours to help on Thursdays and took Jess outside, read the World Guinness Book of Records to him and took him out on the basketball court. Joan, our acupuncturist, did some important points on his head, throat (to help with speech), hands and feet. He was very relaxed after her treatment. John, the occupational therapist, had Jess kneeling on the floor over his massage table propped up on his elbows giving him a different perspective and helps work on strengthening his neck and puts weight on his legs. And then, Coach Trinkle (his basketball coach) along with Coach Eastop stopped by to visit. Coach Trinkle has a very distinctive voice and Jess perked right up when he spoke, moving his leg and arm and uttering some sounds like he needed to talk to him. It was very encouraging. We are constantly moving during our day...the pillow is looking very inviting right now so I will close with a good night and God bless to all.

9/27/04 at 9:14 p.m.

Today was a very busy day. Jess had a good workout in therapy. He also had a blood test taken to make sure the formula we have put together for his feeding tube is adequate. I contacted a doctor in Kethum who specializes in integrated medicine which combines alternative and traditional medical practices together. She is going to visit with us next Monday to help us decide on the best treatments and course to take to help Jess on his journey to wellness. From what I told her she felt we were doing far better than most at this early stage of his recovery. It is so good to have someone to help us make critical decisions for his welfare. So, things are about the same. We are hanging in there....drawing strength from the source in which we are all connected. Keep the positive energy flowing....with love....

9/24/04 at 7:13 p.m.

The physical therapist was excited at Jess' progress today. He lifted and moved his left arm upon command, wiggled his toes and was looking at her with very "there" eyes. She feels maybe two weeks and he will be ready to return to the Elks. We changed the appointment to October 13th. It was good to see and feel her excitement. Aunt Jenn left today to go home to Cleveland. We will miss her. My very good friend gave this prayer to me a while back. I read it everyday and would like to share it with you...

Thank you God...

Thank you God for helping us to continue to choose "letting go" of all that worries us while we wait.

Thank you for replacing those worries with faith and trust, that we are all doing the exact perfect task at the exact perfect time. Nothing is being forgotten or ignored, everyone and everything is being accomplished wonderfully at just the right time....because we choose to trust. Amen

Have a nice weekend! With love...

9/23/04 at 9:15 a.m.

Jess seems to want to talk to us. He has been humming periodically during the day. Tuesday he was looking straight forward all day when typically he looks only to the left. Every day is different. Every day we look for some small change...some small miracle. With the therapists help, we have decided not to take Jess back to Boise to the Elks yet. He needs to heal a bit longer. Jenn is leaving tomorrow. We sure appreciate all her wonderful help and love. Thanks again to all of you for the messages!

9/20/04 8:45 p.m.

Hello everyone in our Circle of Love and Healing for Jess. This is Jess's Aunt Jenn. It is my turn to update as Chris and Pam are continuously busy.

I've been here for 10 days and everyday is unique. I do see little improvements every day that are really major in terms of head injury recovery. All of the therapies here in the West are so different than East of the Mississippi, i.e., Accupuncture, Cranial -Sacral Therapy, Chakra work. It is enlightening and I am truly Blessed to be able to care for Jess and be a small part of this very supportive circle.

I do see less stiffness in Jess and we at times get confirmation of his awareness through some eye blinking that is spontaneous to a simple question or word. Every day is different, but I can assure you all , that the synchronicity of the support is amazing. That certain thing or someone shows up , just in the nick of time. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

I'll be here another 5 days and it is going to be very difficult for me to leave, but again that special help will be sure to arrive in time for my depart. I am in awe and respect of the bottomless love of everyone. Keep sending strength for Chris and Pam as it is exhausting, devoted care and undoubtedly impossible without such encouraging thoughts and words from All of You.

We have , above all, 'Gratitude' , everyday for the little steps and even just things as simple as a Blinking eye or a slight moan to let us know he is there. That is our happiness. Blessings and Peace......Jenn

9/18/04

Jess' accident was 3 months ago yesterday. It seems like an eternity to me. Each day I wake up and hope that this is all just a bad dream. But it isn't a dream... it is very much our reality. He has come a long way though and he will continue to improve each day.

I don't have much to report. Jess is doing well. We know he needs a lot of time to heal and a lot of rest. Chris broke his hand so we have another little hill to climb. Is it true when it rains it pours? Jamie and Jahara are here visiting and Jen will be here another week. We have a reevaluation with the Elks on the 27th. Have a nice weekend...enjoy the fall. It's my favorite.

9/14/04 at 8:57 p.m.

My server has been down for a few days. During one of the storms passing through Jen heard a zap and the next thing I knew my computer connection went down. So, today after telling Jess that he should help me fix my computer (which he was very good at it) something mysteriously showed me the way to our central networking box and I was able to fix it. Thank you, Jess! So, we have had very good days and a few hard nights. He seems to wake up a lot with a frightened look on his face. One of us sleeps in his room. We wonder if he is reliving the accident.

We found out Jess was allergic to the formula the hospital was using in his feeding tube. The first two ingredients were sugar and corn syrup. He was having trouble breathing after every feeding so we are now giving him our own special formula with the help of our nutritionalist Daniella Chace. She is awesome. The therapies have been going well. Tammy the PT has had him standing with our help and John OT is reconnecting his movements to feel his own body again. Chris and I are thankful for Jen's wonderful help. Chris has been able to go to work a few hours a day and I have been to my office for two hours a day. We don't want her to leave. We have had Jess holding and dropping a ball, moving his legs on command and he is making more noises with my hopes that a loud "mom" will emerge.

We are feeling the support, the love and the hope that everyone is generating for Jess and we are staying strong to attend to whatever is necessary for his recovery. Some moments are easier than others. With love...

9/10/04 at 10:58 p.m.

Jess had acupuncture this morning which seems to relax him for the day. She took a look at me and said I think you need a little help too. How lucky could I get? He also had physical therapy and a visit from his doctor. He said everything looked good and he was glad to see how alert he was and glad to hear he was responding to some commands. It is a slow process as we have been told many times. We also had a visit from a new friend in the valley who has walked in our footsteps. She was so encouraging to let us know there is hope and things do get better. Chris' sister from Cleveland arrived today to spend two weeks with us. Jen is a registered nurse with many years experience. What a gift we have received with her presence. The highlight of Jess' day was a visit from Kelsey. And, now he is sleeping so we all are going to get some rest too. Good night...God bless you all!

9/8/04 at 9:47 p.m.

Jess had a busy day starting at 8:00 a.m. with John Vladimiroff our occupational therapist. He had Jess on his bedroom floor bending him and moving his body into positions he has not been in for 12 weeks. Jess seemed to enjoy it. He also felt Jess looked directly at him as though he wanted to know who he was. Then, the physical therapist Tammy was encouraged by getting Jess to respond to her asking him to wiggle toes and open and close his hand and move his arm. All very good things for us to witness. Early in the afternoon Joan, our acupuncturist, worked with Jess to help ease the muscle spasms and send energy to the brain for healing. We feel very fortunate to have these wonderful caring people helping Jess. The hardest part of a brain injury is no one knows the outcome or the speed at which someone's brain can heal. We just have to trust that his outcome will be the very best.

We are still in awe at the abundance we are receiving from Jess' benefit. We are forever grateful...

"I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks."
- William Shakespeare Twelfth Night

9/6/04 at 7:35 p.m.

We put Jess on the living room floor and exercised his legs and arms today. It was fun to have him down on the floor and sitting up against the couch. We also put him on the couch and put some music on so he could enjoy different surroundings, textures, sounds and sunlight from the window instead of remembering the sterile hospital bed. It is nice to have him home! Kelsey came again to visit. He looks at her with such love and blinks his eyes slowly to let her know he knows she is there. I also invited a nutritionalist, Daniella Chase, down to help me make sure I am giving him the right supplements. She is awesome and felt we were doing an excellent job with our choices. She said his skin, nails and eyes looked really good. I am giving him the Omega 3 oils for brain development, magnesium for muscle relaxation, a secret green drink for his vegies, a multivitamin, acidophilus to introduce good bacteria, 10 cans of a protein vitamin supplement that is like Ensure (3,500 calories) and 1500 cc's of optimized Pi Water (close to brain fluid). It all goes through a tube in his stomach. Another good reason to be home...I couldn't do that in the hospital. As today comes to an end, we wish everyone a peaceful good night....

9/5/04 at 1:16 p.m.

I am sorry I have not updated the website for a few days. Chris and I have been a little unorganized and overwhelmed trying to make sure Jess gets all of the care he needs. I think I will just update on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now on. I hope that is ok with everyone.

I have been asked to let everyone know what you might see if you were walking in our footsteps. Jess looks just like Jess when he is sleeping. When he is awake his eyes are the same beautiful blue eyes we all know and love. Kelsey says he looks brighter and better every time she visits. Sometimes he is right with us and sometimes he is away somewhere. Talking to God...I hope. Jess is not awake enough to hold his head up, sit or stand alone, he cannot move his arms and legs when he wants, he needs to be fed every 3 hours, turned every 2 hours...he basically needs everything done for him that we all do and take for granted. I guess my optimistic messages have made some believe he should be out playing basketball any day.

We have all the hope in the world that Jess will come out of this. No one can give us any prognosis of when that will be except that it will take a long time. That's ok...we have a long time. I received a card from a good friend the other day that said...Life takes some crazy directions sometimes, causing changes we can't hope to anticipate. Even though we try to cope as best we can, some things are beyond our control...we can only accept them and try to move forward, as best we can.

We are moving forward "as best we can" and we know that someday Jess will be back out on his basketball court. We hope you have a great holiday and please know how much we appreciate all you do on our behalf. Love, Chris, Pam & Jess

9/2/04 at 10:18 p.m.

Jess was very restless last night. We are not sure why. The day went well. He was responding to some commands when I was putting a ball in his hand and asking him to put one finger up for a yes. It was good to see him trying again. We have not got our routine down yet but every day will get better...we hope. We have a wonderful occupational therapist (who actually is a long time friend) and incorporates the Feldencrist method which is very interesting. He brings a table for Jess to lie on and gently works his body in relaxing movements. We are lucky to have him helping Jess. Tomorrow morning we have an acupuncturist coming to help with the muscle tension and toning. Our days are packed full....have a restful evening.

9/1/04 at 10:38 p.m.

Jess had a good day with a bit of sunshine on the back deck and a shave by his dad, a visit by a new physical therapist and a new occupational therapist (which were both awesome), and is sleeping as we speak. We also listened to an Izzy CD from Maui in our living room. Hopefully it brought back good memories. He does like being home but he is showing some frustration. This is a good thing...we hope. So, another day with the Matey's is coming to an end. We hope you all had a very good day too. Don't waste any possible good day with bad one. good night....

8/31/04 at 8:38 p.m.

Never has our home looked and been so inviting. I just wanted to lay on the floor and cry when I opened the front door. Jess traveled home in our van in the back seat next to me. He was very mellow...I think he knew where we were going. Thank you, Linda, for being our chaffeur. Chris drove the motorhome behind us. We are a little overwhelmed with hospital equipment, supplies and over 2 month's worth of stuff we accumulated in our stay in Boise. The paperwork alone is too much to endure. But, we are home safe and are so glad to be here. Jess has been doing some very different things since our arrival. He has a sign over his bathroom door that says "basketball rules". He stared at it for a very long time with a look of frustration and then all of a sudden he moved his right knee up and down and started more aggressive movements in his hands and arms. Maybe, just maybe this will finally spur our "wakeup". We had a very busy day with tube feedings every 3 hours, turning him every 2 hours, getting him up 2 or 3 times a day in his wheel chair, doing range of motion, organizing our totally unorganized life, scheduling in home therapies, finding a nutritionalist to get some weight on our skinny guy, researching an acupuncturist and most importantly... taking that spare moment to thank God that we are home safe and then asking kindly for help to keep us strong enough to know the right way to comfort and care for Jess while he continues on his path to recovering perfect, whole and complete.

Please forgive us if we don't get your phone calls, emails or letters answered right away. We are a little overwhelmed. But please know we are so grateful for your concern...our lives will settle down and we so look forward to hugging and thanking every single person that has touched us in one way or another. It is our goal....we are so blessed.

8/30/04 at 8:00 a.m.

Wow, school starts today! Sorry I have not been able to get to a computer for a couple days. We had a quiet weekend. We took Jess outside both days and he seemed to enjoy the sunshine and the breeze. We are heading home today. We do feel it is a good thing...to get Jess in his own environment but we are also a bit nervous not to have the watchful eyes. We have been doing everything for him for the last week to make sure we are doing what's right. We hope being home will help him to wake up and remember. Thanks again for wonderful benefit everyone participated in. We still can't believe the generosity of our community and the love we have experienced from so many. I will be on my own computer at home so I will be in touch. With love...

8/27/04 at 9:00 p.m.

Chris and Jess went in the pool this morning with the therapist. Again Jess seemed to relax and enjoy the warm water. He had a shower after the pool and fell asleep again. Very relaxing...until they woke him up to do physical therapy. We tried out his new wheel chair that we will be bringing home. I am learning to transfer him from the bed to the wheel chair. Amazingly I can get him there...but of course Chris gets a little nervous. I still need a little help. A weight lifting program is in my near future. Time to get some rest so good night to all...

8/26/04 at 11:42 a.m. - 10 weeks today

We just got Jess out of the pool! Kelsey came to Boise and she and the recreational therapist floated Jess around in the pool. It was so great to see him relax and be able to move his arms and legs freely. After a warm shower and a lotion massage he is sound asleep.

I mentioned in my last message that we will be leaving the Elk's next week. We have decided to bring Jess home. Chris and I have been in intensive training to be able to take care of his needs while he is home. He will be reevaluated at the end of September or sooner if he wakes up to see if he can return to the Elk's. Jess still has many challenges. He cannot hold his head up, sit alone, talk, eat or move his arms and legs in purposeful movements. He is a #4 out of 8 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale http://www.waiting.com/rancholosamigos.html. We know how everyone would love to visit Jess at home but the professionals here at the Elk's have advised us that we need to try to maintain a peaceful quiet environment when we arrive home. The move will be traumatic for him. I will still try to update this website daily and please send emails to my personal account pmatey@cox-internet.com if you have questions. If he starts to respond and recognize friends and family we know he would love to see all of his wonderful friends. I will let you know. We are so blessed to have so many people that care about our Jess and that are so willing to help. We are surrounded by love and will forever be grateful.

8/24/04 at 8:00 a.m.

We heard there was one amazing party held in Hailey last night in honor of our son, Jess. My daughter, Jamie, called us in tears saying, "you wouldn't believe how many people were there to support my little brother". We wish we could have been there. There are not words large enough for our family to use to thank our community...our friends for what went on at Jess' benefit last night. We will spend our lifetimes giving back to whoever and whatever we can to show our gratitude. I have always believed "you have to give to receive". You are all incredibly wonderful and our love goes out to each and every person who participated in Jess' party. We live in an unbelievably gracious community. Chris heard Jess moaning in the night...we think the echo of "wake-up Jessie" traveled from Haily to Boise and he heard all of his wonderful friends sending him the message.

I have not made it into the computer room the last few nights to update you on Jess' progress. According to the therapists, Jess has reached a "plateau". They think he needs to leave the Elk's for a little while until he can "wake-up" and respond better to the therapy. We struggled with many emotions since we received the news last Friday. We had to come to the conclusion that for whatever reason we are being led down this new path, we must accept it and be positive that it is the best for Jess. We received these words on a card that I would like to share:

"With God, every day is a day to hope for the best, to believe our prayers are being heard, to believe good news is on its way and that anything can happen between yesterday and tomorrow." We only have today...

Our love and gratitude to all!

8/23/04

Hello today everyone, today is the day! Today is Jess's benefit, this afternoon at Zou 75 in Hailey! Come on over and join in on the benefit and let's see how much money we can make!!! From the friends of the Matey's

8/20/04 at 9:24 p.m.

My day started at 5:00 a.m. this morning so I am a bit rummy. Jess made it through surgery on his mouth with flying colors. The doctor said his teeth look good and the jaw set perfectly. They were not sure if they could take the trache out after surgery because they wanted to make sure he was breathing strong. But of course, he did so well the trache is now gone!!! I thought he would be very tired tonight but he is still awake. Teenagers start their day at this time of night thought, don't they? He must be getting better. Thank you for the good thoughts and prayers...they worked for a successful day today. Love to all...

8/19/04 at 5:45 p.m.

The nurses informed me early this morning that Jess was "wiggling" a lot in the night. It continued all day. He was trying to move his arms and head so much that they had to put a wide elastic belt around his stomach where the feeding tube is so he would not pull it out. On several occassions he kept trying to reach for the trache. We are so glad it is coming out in the morning. So therapy progressed interestingly, he stood up with a supporting stand and the help of 4 of us during physical therapy. He stood tall and tried to hold his head up. Chris said he felt like he was looking him square in the eyes which means he has grown. He has always wanted to be as tall as his dad. They have made special braces for his feet to help support him. He only weighs 134 lbs...down from 160 lbs when the accident happened. It seemed to help stimulate him being upright on his feet. When we put him back to bed the speech therapist arrived. She held a cup out in front of him and asked him to reach for the cup. He did and he then gave it back to her. He did it three times. I cried. She was about to cry also. He then followed his small red & blue dunking ball with his eyes (tracking as they call it) as she moved it in front of his face. These were all first attempts to follow commands that were very meaningful. It was a good day. When Kelsey talked to him as I held the phone to his ear he raised his eyebrows and kept turning his head toward the phone. Jamie and I saw him pull some very "Jess like" facial expressions today. Chris swears he smiled at him which sent him into the bathroom in tears.

Tomorrow we get rid of the braces and the trachea...a glorious day. We go to St. Al's for the surgery. They will need to put Jess under a general anesthetic. We will return to the Elk's around noon. Again any prayers for the doctor and for Jess are greatly appreciated. We climbed a big hill today and we will climb as many as it takes.

8/18/04 at 9:38 p.m.

Chris just found the janitor to let me into the computer room. Jess had a good day. He endured all of the therapies well. The physical therapist thinks he is trying so hard to move. He is a fighter. The people here at the Elk's are so wonderful. They have become attached to our son and are so caring. They remind us of many miracles that are walking out of these doors and we are praying minute by minute for another one. Good night to all of the wonderful people reading this site. We love you!

8/17/04 at 7:37 p.m.

Jess' mouth was much better today. Physical therapy went well with a little easier movement of his arms and legs. Chris and the recreational therapist had Jess standing on his legs...with a lot of support. After 8 weeks of being in bed I think that it was amazing. They decided in the meeting that we would go another week with the same therapy as this week. We hope Jess can progress more after he has the surgery on Friday to remove his arch bars and trachea. So, we still must live one moment at a time. Love, Pam & Chris

8/17/04 at 6:00 a.m.

I was locked out of the computer room last night so I did not get to type an update. Thank you to Linda (Jess' good friend Curtis' mother) for the update on Sunday. What would our world be like without the love of good friends. We are all connected.

Jess started out with a good day yesterday. We stopped two of the medications. One (Ritalin) was supposed to stimulate Jess' brain to wake him up more. It made him "posture" or "tone" so much that he could not move his arms in comfortable movements. Those words describe an uncontrollable stiffening of the arms and legs set off by the unconnected neurons in the brain and Jess has to work very hard to try to make his limbs do what he wants, to follow commands or relax. With time and medication it goes away. So, in the afternoon the physical therapist was able to get good movement out of his legs and arms after the Ritalin wore off. He could rotate his arms to touch his shoulders and he can almost hold his head up by himself.

Later in the day we noticed his mouth was bleeding. There has been a wire on his braces (from the broken jaw) that will sometimes cut the inside of his cheek. We ended up in the E.R.one night because of it. Well, it happened again and it is very frightening because he is still on the trachea, still in a partial coma and your mouth bleeds a lot. Finally, at 9:00 p.m. the oral surgeon came to the Elk's and fixed the wire, cleaned out the blood clots and assured us he would be ok. The good news is we have an appointment on Friday to take out the arch bars and the trachea! Yippee! We have been waiting for this day for 8 weeks. Jess will be able to get in a therapeutic pool, maybe start to talk (we don't know if the brain has made that connection yet) and we can move him without fear of hitting the trache. The team of therapists and doctors meet today to discuss Jess' goals for the next week...I will keep you informed. Much love and gratitude to you all.
P.S. We are now able to get personal emails again. Thanks, Joey!

8/15/04 at 10:05 p.m.

Sunday---- A day of rest. I am sitting here observing parents with unconditional love, for a Boy who so surely deserves it. The rollercoaster has not stopped for these dear people, but the persistance and devotion will prevail, and our Boy will overcome. Jess looks wonderful, sleeping peacefully at times, and sometimes agitated with too much activity and traffic, trying so hard to assimilate and put the pieces together. The Brain Team at Elks are experimenting with different combinations of drugs which they hope will trigger the wake-up. Pam and Chris have concerns, and are ever watchful. Their constant vigil is unbelievable and selfless. There are an enormous number of activities and procedures which have to occur for Jess daily, even hourly, with parent participation. They are both tireless, as they nurture and protect their future, hopes and dreams, which are all about JESS and family. We are with them now, and in all the days to come. Sleep well, all you wonderful Mateys. I am proud to be your friend. Whenever you are ready Jess...Think so fondly of all our good times.
Come back soon, linda

8/14/04 at 11:03 p.m.

I am sitting in front of my own computer in my beautiful house in my wonderful community. I came home late last night to do some paper work, check on my parents who live with us, and assure myself that I really do still have a place to live and a place to bring Jess home to as soon as possible. It is hard to even be away for a day. I am returning early in the morning. Chris gave me the update that Jess had an easy day with only one hour of physical therapy. His sister, Jamie, spent 4 hours with him while Chris babysat our one year old granddaughter, Jahara. It was a good day for all four of them. Chris said Jess' eyes seem to be focusing straighter today. Another sign of the wakening process. We remain in one day at a time..."Live each day as if it were your last...cherish those you love and do not settle for mediocrity."

8/13/04 at 11:00 p.m.

Jess had a good day of therapy today. He is trying so hard. He tries to hold his head up while sitting in a high backed wheel chair. He had his neck in a hard neck brace for five weeks so his muscles are weak. He is trying hard to move his arms to do different tasks for the therapist but the messages are slow coming from the brain. He wiggles his toes upon command. Kelsey was here today and Chris asked Jess to give her a thumb's up if he knew she was in the room. He did! As they keep reminding us it is a slow long process to get his body working again. The brain is healing everyday and will make those connections when Jess is ready. Join me in a special prayer sent to us by Marianne Williamson:

Dear God,
Please hold our beloved Jess in your arms, and heal his mind and body. May angels surround him as he sleeps, restoring and repairing every cell of his being.
May vibrant health burst forth within him, and Christ cast out all else.
Amen

8/12/04 at 6:25 p.m.

It has been 8 weeks today that we have sat at Jess' bedside in different hospitals. Someone asked me how we were doing today. It was such a strange question because I don't know how we should be doing. Our son is fighting for his life, fighting to remember how to use his body again and fighting to communicate. And, all we can do is sit by his side...and watch...and send him all the energy and love that we have. So I guess that is how we are doing. And our son is doing the best he can do.

8/11/04 at 6:46 p.m.

This morning we made a trip to St. Luke's for exrays of Jess' mouth. The oral surgeon is out of the office until Monday so we won't find out if he can get the arch bars out that were necessary to fix his broken jaw until he returns. Of course I thought the exrays looked great. It will be a glorious day when we remove those and get the trachea out. They cap the trache for the entire day now which means he is breathing totally on his own again. They put a misting machine on him at night. They are trying some new drugs on him to see if they can expedite the wakening process. Not being fond of pharmaceuticals I have a hard time with the many different drugs he is on. They assured me it will only be temporary. He was agitated and not too responsive today so we are monitoring it closely. We have so many decisions to make with his welfare that it is overwhelming sometimes to know what is the right one. We have to trust so many people. We are amazed at how many people are checking this website and thank each and everyone of you for caring. Our best wishes to all...

8/10/04 at 6:18 p.m.

Today is a day to only give thanks...thanks to God, the angels surrounding Jess, the many prayers and the many people supporting Jess and his family. We got the good news today that Jess gets to stay at the Elks at least until the 25th and if he continues his great progress they will extend his stay again. They are very pleased with his responsiveness. We all know how strong he is and we all know that prayer works. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

8/9/04 at 11:45 p.m.

Hi it's Joey again. My mother is exhausted tonight so I will give you the update for the day. The therapy is going very well. Tomorrow the therapists will all meet together with the doctors and map out a course of action for the rest of the week. We will find out Thurs. if Jess can stay at the Elk's. I pray for the best outcome possible. I know what ever happens that it will be the right thing at that moment. As always thank you for your continued support. Good night!

8/8/04 at 5:44 p.m.

Sunday is quiet at the Elk's. Jess sat up twice. Once in the wheel chair and once on the side of the bed. The therapists that did work with him today remembered him one week ago when we arrived here. They were amazed at how alert and responsive he was compared to then. They thought he had come a long way. I got him to hold a golf ball and let go of it into my hand. I cried with very happy tears. It takes him a great amount of effort and concentration. We did it four times. Tomorrow will be a big day of lots of therapy and on Tuesday they have a team meeting to set goals. Thursday we find out if he can stay. It will be wonderful news when they tell us he can. Love to all....Pam, Chris & Jess

8/7/04 at 8:45 p.m.

Today was a mellow day for Jess and family. On the weekends, Jess gets less therapy than during the week. Jess did very well with his new trachea tube and breathed for 4 hours with it plugged today. This is a great improvement from only a half an hour the previous day. My dad came back to Boise from Bellevue tonight and unfortunately I leave for MN in the morning. My stay here has been a good one. I believe my little brother is on his way to recovery although a lengthy one. The care providers have told us that the extent of a patients recovery depends a lot on the family's level of support. If this is true we know that Jess will recover because we have a great support matrix. Thank you to everyone we know and everyone we don't know that has sent prayers, e-mails, guest book entries, and all forms of support to Jess. My mother hasn't been recieving any personal e-mails for the last week because of problems with cox internet server. We will let you know when she can recieve e-mails again. Lots of love to everyone! Joey

8/6/04 at 9:00 p.m.

We received good news today. The neurophyschologist told us they feel Jess is wakening! He was the first medical doctor to give us good reason to believe that Jess can make a great recovery. He reminded us it will be a long road. And, that is fine with us. He said we will see the greatest improvements in Jess's healing process in the next 90-180 days. He is starting to track with his eyes, too. I can't tell you how wonderful we feel right now... I know it is because of all the love! He also had a new trachea tube put in that is smaller. It will allow him to breathe around it and also TALK! We don't know if he will talk at this point but at least we know he has the opportunity. So, God does answer our prayers and we hope he will continue to answer our prayers for Jess's full recovery.

Just in case you don't know you can read all of the wonderful messages that are written in the guest book, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the guest page and click on one of the links. It's awesome!

8/5/04 at 5:08 p.m.

It was a good day for Jess. We are back on track to taking awesome baby steps every day. Today the recreational therapist was able to get Jess to hit a buzzer that made a sound to answer a question yes. It was amazing. Kelsey was here and asked him if he liked basketball and he rolled his hand to hit the buzzer. Do you think he was showing off for someone very special to him? We also compared his scribble of his name from yesterday to a sample of his writing and it was so similar they were impressed. He wiggled his toes and gave the doctor a thumb's up when she came in to visit. Couldn't have been better timing! If he continues on this path he will get to stay here for more rehabilitation. Please help us pray for this to happen. We know Jess needs to be here at the Elk's. They all want him to succeed. We know he will succeed. We are blessed....

8/4/04 at 6:17 p.m.

"Nothing is impossible; all is possible. Impossibility is only a boundary of limitation which stands around the human mind. Possibility is the nature of God, and impossibility is the limitation of man. Pursuit after the impossible is the best game there is."

Joey arrived today to see his little brother. It is good to have him here. We watched Jess through many different therapies. The recreational therapist actually had him try to write his name today. He seemed to want to try. The physical therapist was able to get a lot of range of motion in Jess' arms and legs. Since he has been in a bed for 6 weeks we have to keep excercising his joints so they will move freely. They have him on a new drug to help him wake up. It has changed his behavior somewhat but we need to wait a few more days to know if it will help. We are overwhelmed with the help that is being generated on Jess's behalf. There are no words to express our gratitude in what are friends and family are doing to help us give Jess the best possible chance for recovery. The donations, the prayers, the messages and the love are incredible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

8/3/04 at 7:05 p.m.

We wish we could give you a video of our day. As Chris said, "it is intense from the moment we get up to the moment we close our eyes". We watch each therapy hoping that our beautiful Jess will give them just one tiny hint that he is wakening. We pray whenever he is good and whenever he is not so good. We hover over his environment like an eagle watching the nest. We cry, we remember, we seek answers, we don't ask, we just want to take Jess home and go back to our wonderful life. He is doing the best he can...we are doing the best we can. We just have to wait until he awakes. We love you all...

08/2/04 at 8:23 p.m.

Well, we were able to get on a computer at the Elk's so we are very happy to tell everyone that we are here. We have had quite the journey getting here but we made it. Jess went through many therapies today. He had physical therapy in which he sat up again in the wheel chair for about 30 minutes, then he had occupational therapy working on his hands and arms, off and on he had the respiratory therapist working to cap the trachea again and get him breathing through his mouth and nose, and then we had a speech therapist visit but Jess was pretty tired so she will do more tomorrow. We have a team of people that evaluate Jess daily and work together to plan what will be in his best interest. The insurance will only pay for 50% of his stay for two weeks. If he can "wake up" and succeed in doing more commands we can stay. So, "wake up my son". We missed reading our messages...they mean so much! Thank you...

08/01/2004 at 12:47 p.m.

Hi this is Joey and I will be giving the updates for a few days until I go to Boise on Wednesday, Aug. 4th. Once I get there, I will get my parents setup with a computer they can update the site with. I know everyone gets anixous when there is no news, so I apologize for the delay. I was out of town and didn't have acess to a computer. My parents also didn't have acess to a computer because they have now moved Jess to the Elk's Rehabilitation Hospital, which is great news. They really like the Elk's and say that they have a warm fuzzy feeling about being there. This is important for Jess's and their sake. Jess is resting peacefully and we are praying for great improvements over the next two weeks. At the Elk's they have a very structured enviroment limiting the amount of vistors at one time. So we are asking that if you are in the Boise area and wish to visit, please contact my parents before visiting to ensure that it's O.K. This enviroment will help Jess to recover faster without too many stimuli interfering with his recovery. I was just informed that Jess sat up in a high-back wheelchair for 40 minutes and he tolerated it well. We all feel really good about the Elk's. Thank you for your support and love.

07/29/2004 at 6:45 p.m.

As Kelsey said you have to have the rain to see the rainbow. We have had a bit of a downpour in the past few days and just can't wait for that rainbow to appear. A nurse told us that when you have a medical setback it takes at least 3 to 6 days to get back what we lost. So, we will just wait to get there and know that everything is going to get better. Love to all...Pam & Chris

07/28/2004 at 9:15 p.m.

Not much news today. We are still waiting for info regarding when and if we are moving to the Elks. The doctor said his lungs sound much better and that he only had a small infection. We do not want to leave the hospital until Jess is back where he was before we moved to the Hillcrest. He bit his lip again today and was pretty restless. We thank everyone for their encouraging words...I don't know what we do without them!

07/27/2004 at 8:30 p.m.

As Joey said in his update last night we did get some good news that they would take Jess to the Elk's for a 2 week trial. If Jess does not wake up enough to do simple physical therapy will have to move him to another facility until he does wake up. We visited one today called the Boise Samaritan Rehab Center. They only have 10 rooms for cases such as Jess and they have a waiting list. We are not sure what we will do if we can't get him in there. Jess went backwards a bit from the trauma he endured at Hillcrest. So one step back....two steps forward. If only we knew how to thank all of our friends, family, and people we have not had the pleasure to meet for all your love and support.

07/26/2004 at 10:45 P.M.

Today we received some good news, Jess has been accepted to the Elks Rehabilitation Center on a two week trial basis. He will probably be moved there by the end of the week. This is great news because they specialize in cases like Jess's. His lungs are starting to clear up which also a good thing. Jess is stable and we expect him to start taking steps forward again. As always thank you for the prayers and keep them coming. Until tommorrow, good night....

07/25/2004 at 8:30 P.M.

I spent the night with Jess because he is in a new room and in a new wing of the hospital. When someone has a brain injury it is very confusing to them to be moved or around unfamiliar sounds. We have learned that the brain is so complex and that no one really knows the outcome of a trauma such as Jess endured. So, we can't really get answers to many of our questions. He is agitated and has withdrawn again and just needs to heal from the respritory problems. For the last five days with the stress of the medicine that didn't work and the problems we had at the new facility Jess is tired and I am sure frustrated. We are just trying to keep him safe and comfortable. The prayers never stop....and we thank you!

07/24/2004

I am back in the cafeteria at St. Al's on their computer. Jess was transported back here by ambulance this morning. Unfortunately, the new facility we were at did not have adequate personnel to deal with his trachea. It resulted in respiratory problems that need to be dealt with at the hospital. Within a few hours they had him stable and he is resting. We are looking for a new facility and will be moving again in a few days. They have him on antibiotics just in case he has an infection. Thanks again for all the support and for checking up on Jess daily. Love to all...

07/23/2004 at 9:45 A.M.

Good morning, this is Joey again and I will be giving you the update for awhile until my mother can find an internet connection to use. I'm updating website from Minnesota, but hope to be in Boise sometime soon. The move to the new care facility went very well and my parents and Jess are all settled in now. Since they took Jess off the medication Provigil, he is doing much better. He must have had an allergic reaction to the medication. The doctors plugged the hole to his trachea and he has been breathing through his mouth and nose for over a day now which is a great step forward. Jess is going to meet with the Physical Therapist this morning to establish a regimen to facilitate his recovery. My mother asked me to explain Jess's current state so that everyone has a clear picture of where he is at in his recovery. It's hard to explain because when you hear things like he is sitting up in a wheelchair and that he is responsive to commands you might get a skewed view. Jess is still in a coma. He does respond to simple commands such as give us thumbs up, but not always. At times you can feel that he with you and then there are times when you feel he is not. Jess still has a way to go before he will be out of the hospital. I'm not telling everyone this to dampen your enthusiasm or positive energy, we need both very much. I just want everyone to be on the same page and know the severity of the accident. We know and feel that Jess will come out of his coma and heal to be complete and whole again. We appreciate from the bottom of our hearts the support that we are receiving from people around the globe. The car wash that Kelsey and friends put on for Jess's benefit was a smashing success. Can you believe people were getting there cars washed even though it was raining? Wow! Thank you to everyone who participated in car wash and everyone who receive a car wash. Keep the prayers coming and you are greatly loved by our family. Thank You!

07/22/2004 at 9:15 A.M.

I can't seem to update the website so Joey is updating it for me. As I read the messages you are sending I still just feel like there is such a circle of love surrounding my Jess and his family. You are all my support system and help me to stay strong. Tomorrow will end our fifth week here. We are moving to the new facility called Hillcrest Rehabilitation and Care Center. The address is 1001 South Hilton Street, Boise, ID 83705. His room number is 123B They say it is a good step forward. I may not be able to update the website immediately from there but I will find a way soon.Yesterday and today were very trying days for Jess. They started him on a trial medication similar to Ritalin called Provigil. It was suppose to make him more alert and focused but instead it made him very agitated, high pulse and when not agitated sleepy. He seemed so different and would not respond to me or the physical therapist so we took him off the meds to see if that was the culprit. He also had a swollen jaw for two days and I have been trying to ice it. The oral surgeon will be in in the morning to look at it. They are capping his trache tonight to see if he can breathe without it. Makes me a bit nervouse but it will be wonderful to get him off of the trache. He also had an exray of his right shoulder which I have felt from day one is injured. I don't know the results yet. Things are slow in a hospital sometimes. This is a wonderful hospital though and everyone had been incredibly good to Jess and to us. We thank all of the caregivers from the bottom of our hearts. !I promised to bring Jess back when he is well. So, see us in our new home in peace, light and love. Thank you to Kelsey and all of Jess's friends. Love to all....

07/21/2004 at 7:45 A.M.

Good morning to everyone, this is Joey and I will be giving you the update from yesterday. Jess gave a thumbs up to one of the doctors treating him today that had not seen him do it yet. My mom said she spent most of the day holding ice on Jess's jaw. His jaw is swollen, probably from Jess trying to get accommodated to some freedom in movement, since they removed the rubber bands. They replaced his trachea tube with a smaller tube, which is a step closer to removing the trachea altogether. The next step in that process will be to cover up the tube and have Jess start breathing through his mouth again. My little brother is recovering step by step. I'm sure he can feel the love that surrounds him from every direction. Thank you to everyone who is participating in this journey with us. For everyone who lives in Blaine County, Jess's girlfriend (Kelsey) and friends are having a car wash on Thursday, July 22 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church to raise money for medical costs. Thanks Kelsey you are an angel! Jess, we surround you with safety and love. We create a space for you to heal. You are loved. Have a great day!

07/19/2004 at 6:25 p.m.

It was a big day for Jess today. They took him down for an exray of his neck to see if he had any torn ligaments or damage to bones in his neck. Everything was perfect...no damage! So they took the big plastic confining brace off and gave him a soft one just to support his head until he remembers to use his neck muscles again. The oral surgeon also took all of the rubber bands off of his teeth so he can now partially open his jaw. He has been yawning and wiggling his lips and opening his mouth a lot. They still have it wired so he cannot open it 100% and those braces will need to stay in place for 1 more month. But, if Jess was awake he could now eat soft foods and sip through a straw. So wake up my son...I know you are very hungry. The doctor also started him on a drug called provigil to help his brain focus better and maybe be more alert. More little steps every day. We may be moving to a skilled nursing facility on Thursday. If so, I am not sure if they have a computer I can use. I may have to find a library or somewhere that I can update the website. More news on that in the next day or so. We would greatly appreciate some additional prayers for Jess to wake up a little more so we can move quickly to the Elks Rehabilitation center instead of the nursing home. We remain positive and know this is just a stepping stone to his whole, complete and perfect recovery!

07/18/2004 at 7:35 p.m.

Thank you Jay for updating the website. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friends. We had a quiet day today. We did get Jess sitting up on the side of the bed. He was pretty sleepy until the therapist put his basketball on his lap and put his hands around it. All of sudden he was awake and following the ball with his eyes as she moved it back and forth. He also gave me a thumb's up to thank me for a back rub. We appreciate a Sunday day of rest. Tomorrow he will get an exray of his neck to see if we can take off the neck brace. They cannot do an MRI because of the metal plates in his jaw. The oral surgeon will take a look at his jaw to see how soon we unwire his jaw which will be wonderful! We continue to spoil him with leg, foot and hand massages and promises when he wakes up he will never let us forget. Have a nice peaceful evening and stay safe...

07/17/2004 at 6:00 p.m.

Hey everyone!
This is Jay Johnson, a friend of the Mateys from Hailey. My wife Joan and I have been blessed to be able to spend the last four weekends in Boise visiting with Jess and his incredible family. I say that I have been blessed because as tough as this experience has been for everyone, we have all indeed been blessed in so many ways. Blessed by witnessing improvement in Jess's condition, every day. It has been a week since I last saw Jess and today I got to see him out of ICU which is a huge milestone. His physical body is stable, the black eye completely healed, he looks beautiful....thanks to his sister Jamie he is sporting a cool new haircut, and is resting so much more comfortable than I've ever seen him. Last week he looked tired and beat up but today I could feel that he is regaining his strength and energy and is so much more at peace.
Jess is in a private room with beautiful flowers, the bouguet of roses from auntie Claudia are gorgeous, the room has a nice view and lots of space for people to gather and it is much more cheerful than the hi-tech environment of the ICU. The whole mood here seems so much more relaxed... peaceful... hopeful.
Yes, things are definately progressing, Jess is healing but he is on his own schedule and will come back to us when he is ready. I've also been blessed in experiencing the energy of such an incredible, caring community of family and friends. It has given me a whole new perspective on love and compassion. I've also been blessed by spending time in prayer and meditation, even though it has been in Jess's behalf, I receive equal benefit, as do we all.
Thanks for the lessons, Jess. Thanks for the blessings. We will continue to pray and support your folks and look forward to the day when we are all teasing you and telling you our favorite Jess stories.

07/16/2004 at 9:15 p.m.

Chris and I have been sitting by the little computer in the cafeteria reading our wonderful messages. We can't tell you how you all help us get through the next moment. There are no words to express our sincere gratitude. We couldn't do it without you.

Jess is doing so well. The nurses noticed he could wiggle his toes on both feet. We have not seen any motion on his right leg so this was awesome. It seems that both sides of his brain are now working. They did extensive blood work yesterday to make sure everything is functioning properly. He passed with flying colors. They are even decreasing a protein plus supplement to his diet because he is absorbing the food so well. They also took out the pik line (intraveneous direct line in the artery that was located on the upper arm) in his arm because they do not feel it is necessary. Another possible infection site gone. He did incredibly well with no breathing assistance through the night and all day. Jess is strong and now we just wait patiently for him to wake up.

07/15/2004 at 9:15 p.m.

It was so great to see my son's blue eyes again after being gone for three nights. I am wearing a mask while I am in the room with him so I don't expose him to anything. I did get to wheel him around in the wheel chair today. He stayed calm and enjoyed the ride even though his mother was driving. They are taking him off of the bi pap breathing machine tonight so he will only have a machine that gives him a warm mist through the trache. It is another good step. I can't wait until he wakes up and can read all of the wonderful messages he has received from all of you. He will be amazed...we are so thankful!

07/14/2004 at 9:15 p.m.

Unfortunately, I caught a little bug while in the hospital so I am still at home. It is so hard for me not to be at my son's side. For Jess's sake I stayed home one extra day to restore my energy and keep him from being exposed to whatever I attracted. I feel much better today so I will return to Boise tomorrow. I have been talking to Chris and Jess on the phone about every 4 hours. Today he was in the wheel chair again for 1 1/2 hours. When they laid him back in bed the therapist was able to get full range motion in his right arm which was very bruised in the accident. He also bent the arm and when she put his hand to his face she asked him to feel his cheek and he moved his finger. She asked him to resist while she held his hand and he also showed some resistance. Little baby steps are huge miracles to us.

I wanted to share a message that sits on Jess's bathroom sink with you..."Whatever you vividly dream, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically ask for...must inevitably come to pass." Again our many thanks for all the support, the prayers, the meals coming to my parents and the love. Bless you...

07/14/2004 at 6:30 a.m.

Jess and his dad had an exciting day. The physical therapists were able to get Jess in a wheel chair and Chris pushed him around the hallway of the hospital for over an hour. They say by getting him in an upright position it could stimulate him to wake up. The therapists seem to feel good about his recovery. He is still breathing on his own with just a little boost from a machine when he needs it. He gets pretty tired though. He is still in a coma. It is hard to understand why he can answer some commands and still be in a coma. Here is a website that explains the different levels of a coma. http://www.waiting.com/levelsofcoma.html

I drove home for the day to catch up and visit with my parents who live with us. In reviewing all of the bills we are receiving, I wanted to mention to everyone to please review their insurances. Jess's medical bills are close to 100,000 at this point. I only bring this up because...imagine what would happen to us with no insurance. Luckily, I had purchased, on our car insurance, coverage that includes our family riding in other cars with an uninsured driver or an underinsured driver. This will help pay some of the costs along with the help of our health insurance. I also had purchased the life flight membership which costs a year. Jess's trip on the helicopter cost 10,000. Like me, I am sure most of you are unaware of what the expenses would be when a tragedy like this happens. I am just thankful that we can give Jess the care he needs to get him back to 100%.

07/12/2004 at 8:00 P.M.

Hello today, this is Curtis, Jess's lifetime friend updating the web site today for the second time! The first was on his birthday. Jess's new room is very nice, a lot more comfortable, with a lot more room! Jess had a lot of work with the physical therapists today, and did very well. One thing they had him do was to sit up, with help from the therapist and his dad, and he did that for a full twenty-five minutes, exactly how long they wanted him to. The next procedure they did was telling Jess to raise his right index finger for "yes", which he also did. Those are great responses! Jess's dad received some wonderful words of encouragement from the doctor today saying that Jess is making great progress! All the staff is ecouraging Jess to know day from night, to know when to sleep and when not to. He has wakeful periods in his coma, and the room is kept dark and quiet at night so he can sleep peacefully. Chris would like to thank everyone who has been sending their prayers and love for Jess's perfect, whole, and complete recovery, and so would I. Thank you all!!!

07/11/2004 at 7:00 P.M.

We had quite the evening last night. At 11:00 p.m. I finally left the hospital to go get some sleep. Chris likes to stay a bit longer and I come in earlier in the morning. When he did not return around midnight, I started to worry. At 4:00 A.M. he showed up with news that they moved Jess out of the ICU. The life flight helicopter flys right over our motorhome so I knew several times in the night it had arrived. They moved Jess because he was stable and felt it was time. Yippee! A step closer to the door! He had a restful day and his doctor came to visit with amazement at how well Jess looks and how calm he is staying. It is a good day and we feel we are moving forward everyday. The little improvements are huge steps to us. He is also coming off the bi pap breathing machine and on to a trial machine that just gives him a mist and he breathes totally on his own. They took the constant feeding machine away and are now feeding him 6 times a day and hope to get him to 3 times a day like you and I. But Jess usually eats all day so 6 would be fine with me! We love you all and keep the circle of love and prayers coming to his new room #663.

07/10/2004 at 6:55 P.M.

Hi everyone! This is Kelsey Laird, Jess's girlfirend. I came down to visit Jess for the day and I was given the privilege of writing the update. It has been a week since I last saw Jess, and let me tell you, he has improved so much since last time I was here! Jess did not rest much today because we had a lot of excitement with all of the visitors. He also worked very hard to give his mom and I a "thumbs up". It was an amazing sight to watch him use all of his strength and concentration to get that thumb in the air. He has been such a fighter these last three weeks, and he is still on a climb up that hill. I just want to thank you all for the positive thoughts and prayers. I can feel the energy when i walk into Jess's room. Please continue to send your love, and think positively because every bit makes a difference!!

07/09/2004 at 8:10 P.M.

Today to be honest, I struggled a bit. We had a wonderful visit by the W.R. baseball team at the ICU this afternoon. Many of the boys have been long time friends of Jess. It was so wonderful to feel their concern, their love and their energy. I wanted Jess to look up from behind the glass door and wave hello to them. Those strong boys made me yearn even more for my once a day hug from Jess. I miss his smile so much. I know in time those hugs will come. As they say we have bad days to realize and appreciate the good days. As for Jess, he struggled also a little today. Worn out from all the positive responses we think. Tomorrow we wake to another day and a choice to keep up the positive wonderful thoughts and feelings or to let our emotions and ego control our day. I know which one we will choose....join us!

07/08/2004 at 7:10 P.M.

Chris returned and we just sat down to read our messages. We are so moved by the compassionate messages we receive on a daily basis. Our son is so loved and we are so lucky to be a part of all that love.
We had another wonderful day. We sat Jess up again and he gave us another "thumb's up", he raised his head a little at command, and later on in the day in wiggled his big toe for his dad. He was very sleepy today...exhausted from all the excitement. I excercise his legs about every two hours and he slept right through one of them. They also took him off the big breathing machine and put him on a "bi-pap" machine which is one step away from breathing totally on his own. The respiratory therapist said she was amazed at how well he was doing. The doctor said he is accepting the g-tube feeding into his stomach with extra protein very well. His white blood count is almost normal. He does have a little infection in his left lung which was expected and is clearing up. Basically everything is fine! We so appreciate and love you all!

07/07/2004 at 5:00 P.M.

As I try to update today's message, I am shaking and have tears in my eyes. Jess had a very good day. He responded to commands such as "give me a thumbs up", "move your arm in and out", "squeeze my hand" and his eyes responded to light. His right eye (which is opened) followed me around his bed. God has answered all of our prayers. I even saw excitement and tears in the nurse's eye and a smile of reassurance from the doctor. They honestly did not have much hope of Jess coming back to us. We never gave up for even a moment! They did warn me of the long road to rehabilitation but I reminded them I have a lot of time. They also reminded me that we will have good and bad days and that we do not know of the damage but I have only today and will focus on this day. Jess has not finished his purpose on this earth. He has already taught us what can happen when many surround someone with prayers, hope and love. You are all part of Jess's recovery and this wonderful moment! Thank you!

07/06/2004 at 6:30 P.M.

I am here alone with Jess today. Chris went home to get the motorhome. We had an eventful day! Three physical therapist and I sat Jess up on the edge of the bed. It was very scary! Of course, he is still in the coma. They are hoping to stimulate him to wake up and help keep things moving. They put his basketball in his lap and put both hands on it. His vital signs stayed low, he coughed a lot which is good and they said he did extremely well. They put an ice bag in his hand and he responded to not liking it so that was another good sign. It is an amazing process to help someone who has had a bad accident and brain injury to get well again. We have met so many families here going through the same process. We have heard of many miracles. We will not give up hope. This is my favorite part of the day (besides holding Jess's hand) to read all of the wonderful messages and to know how many people are pulling for my beautiful son. My love goes out to each of you.

07/05/2004 at 9:30 P.M.

We are feeling like... "no news is good news". We see baby step improvements in Jess today. He is trying to open his other eye and his vital signs are good. The physical therapist asked us to go and buy him a basketball today. She is hoping the feel of the ball on his hand will help bring him out of the coma. Curtis also hooked up a CD player with speakers so we could play some of his mellower R&B music. They still don't know when or how he will wake up but are keeping positive hope that he will be fine. Keep the prayers coming and know that we appreciate each and every one. Good night...

07/04/2004 at 9:20 P.M.

Happy 4th of July! Jess had another good day. His vital signs have remained low and he rested well today. They tell us as soon as he can breathe on his own he will be moved out of the ICU. He made it 1 1/2 hours today. They are concerned with infection so they watch all areas closely especially his lungs. Our best to all...Chris and Pam

07/03/2004 at 9:30 P.M.

Happy Birthday Jess! Jess had a good day today. He didn't require as much pain medication and rested quietly most of the day. He still has the post-surgery hiccups and Curtis shared them with him! PK, we tried to feed Jess some of the cake but it wouldn't fit down that 3/16 of an inch tube, maybe later. Jess loves dolphins so we started a 1,000 piece photomosaic dolphin puzzle today in his honor, and we're trying to finish it before the end of the day, before his birthday is over. Ten of us are working on it in the ICU waiting room, and with much luck we may be able to finish it in a week, but we'll try to finish it sooner. Friends and family celebrated Jess's birthday today at Ann Morrison Park, but it just wasn't the same without Jess. We'll make sure to save some cake for him for when he wakes up! We wish you all a happy 4th of July! Updated by: Curtis (a good friend of Jess)

07/02/2004 at 7:00 P.M.

Jess continued to have the hiccups all day long off and on. It was so exhausting for all of us because we couldn't do anything and assumed it hurt his stomach. We have been assured this surgery will be a good step towards the door for Jess. At one point when he coughed I saw both eyes open. A good sign! Again, to us, the slightest movement we notice is all we need to see. Tomorrow is Jess's 17th birthday...we will celebrate with him!

07/02/2004 at 2:30 P.M.

I just wanted to give everyone an update on Jess's surgery. He made it through with flying colors and is resting as we speak. They will start feeding him through the tube around 6:00 p.m. As soon as he returned to his room after the surgery he got the hiccups (not much fun with a stomach surgery) so he is pretty uncomfortable by his vital signs. He is still in the coma but I can tell when he is not very happy...especially when they bug him too much. Chris and I cannot thank everyone enough for all the support, for the meals for my parents, for the fund that was set up, for the prayers, for the kind words and for the love that we feel from our community. You are all just awesome and we are so blessed for our association with such wonderful people. We are just trying to stay strong for our beautiful son...he has and always will be the "light in our life". Please drive so safely this weekend and don't forget to hug and say "I love you" to those you care about. Our best to each of you...

7/01/04 at 8:30 P.M.

When I visited with Jess this morning he was quite restless. He was unable to go without the breathing machine most of the day. The physical therapist worked a little with him but his right shoulder seemed very painful so she backed off because his pulse and blood pressure rose considerably. He did open his right eye and moved his thumb and hand on the left side. It is the first positive activity we have seen on the left side. This evening Jess is resting very peacefully. His pulse was around 88 his respiration at 18 and his blood pressure was 120/64. It is a great relief for us. He is going in for a somewhat minor surgery tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. to have a tube inserted into his stomach. This tube will enable them to feed him directly into his stomach instead of through the central line in his arm. It will provide him with better nutrition. The doctor said his white count is down, no temperature, and his internal organs are strong. If you could say an extra little prayer for the doctor performing the su rgery and for our Jess tonight we would be so thankful. We will update you tomorrow after the surgery. Thank you to PK for suggesting the Guestbook, to Curtis for setting it up and to Joey for perfecting it and adding the new picture of our Jess. We love you ALL!

06/30/04 at 6:30 P.M.

It was a quiet day today. We didn't have any tests or procedures except for the visit with a physical therapist. She will visit twice a day. It was good to see them moving Jess's arms and legs as he has been laying still for 13 days. He seemed to have a sore right shoulder. We are quite sure he has no broken bones but must be sore from the impact. The therapy will help keep his muscles strong and flexible. He was taken on and off of the breathing machines today and did ok. He does look peaceful most of the time. We are holding a great circle of love every moment. Love to all!

06/29/04 at 7:30 P.M.

Jess was breathing on his own for 22 hours today. He is so strong. They had to take the central direct line out of his chest and insert a "pik" line in his left arm. It is a line in which they administer the medicine and feed him through. He stayed quite calm and seemed to be peaceful most of the day. When his basketball coach visited, Coach Trinkle, he seemed to react to his voice. He partially opened his right eye today but we are not sure of the reason. We thrive on any indication of his return to us. We have had quite a few requests asking if they could visit Jess and we feel it is just too soon. He is still deep in a coma and we need to limit the stimulation to his brain. They say it is hard to sort out all of the sounds and even the presence of so many different people. It may be frightening for him at this stage in the game. We so appreciate the concern and will welcome the visits at a later date. Chris and I are trying to direct all of our energy to helping Jess feel safe and comfortable and would not want to neglect a visitor. Please pass this information on to anyone not visiting the website. We again and again cannot thank everyone enough for the support and love surrounding us. Please keep the prayers coming...I know Jess is hearing every single one.

06/29/2004

We added a guest book to the website today.

06/28/2004 at 8:00 P.M.

It is hard to relay the events in our day. It is like being on a rollar coaster. Early this morning they tried to take Jess off of the ventilator and he could not breath on his own but this afternoon they tried again and he did fine for four hours! They also lowered his medications and could go longer between administering shots. I continue to only give you the good news because we do not acknowledge some of the medical world's news. We are holding to the fact that Jess is whole, perfect and complete. Work with us in helping Jess to focus and see a forward direction with his eyes. He is still asleep but we feel he knows our presence and I believe we are all connected so we can send him the energy and strength he needs. Again I wish I could answer all of your messages individually. Chris and I and whoever is here read your messages in the evening and feel so blessed to have so many good thoughts and love surrounding Jess and our family. Thank you from our hearts...