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Tuesday, July 12, 2005 7:59 AM CDT

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!

Monday, July 12, 2004 12:43 AM CDT

This page is being created by Justyn's Aunt Rebekah to keep family members updated on his condition. Last night (July 11th) Justyn and his cousin Amanda were in an ATV accident. The ATV tipped and Justyn was thrown from the vehicle. Amanda was able to get the vehicle off of her and suffered minor injuries and was discharged later that night. Justyn, despite wearing a helmet suffered severe facial injuries, a broken neck at or around the C4 vertebrae and a fractured skull. He was unconscious after the accident but never stopped breating. He was airlifted to Albany Medical Center and has been sedated and intubated ever since. He has some pain which we've been told is a good thing and he is able to breate on his own. The respirator is breating 8 out of the 30 times and Justyn is doing the rest on his own. He was able to lift his eye brows when asked questions and he has been able to squeeze hands and move his fingers. We ask that you pray for Justyn and his mom Jennifer and dad Dave along with all who love him. The next 72 hours will be critical and we pray he can pull through. He has a lot of fight in him and we need him with us ... I will continue to update everyone with Justyn's condition as soon as I know. We love you all ...

Aunt Bekah


BOY HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE IN A SHORT YEAR! We are all proud and lukcy to say that Justyn is continuing to amaze so many of us with his strength and determination. He is a normal 7 year old and enjoys all the things little boys do. He has moved on with his life and is even back to gym class at school. His memory is coming back to where it was prior to all of this and his strength is returning too. He is still the silly little boy we all know - the one who wears rubber gloves on his head and makes silly faces. We all love and cherish him and because of this accident in our lives we all have come to appreciate all that we have. We are healthy, happy and together. Sadly so many of our little "friends" we have "met" through this site have moved on to Heaven and are no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to every single one of them ... You have all been an amazing source of strength for me and my family and we are forever grateful. I am looking forward to heading to New York in a week from tomorrow - what a GREAT time we are all going to have. God Bless you Everyone!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 9:52 AM CDT

Hi all ... I know I am WELL BEHIND when it comes to a Justyn Update but I promise there is one in store once Jenny and I sit down and talk about all the new things going on! Until then I was hoping you could stop on over and visit a New Arrival ... Little Sophia was born at 27 weeks gestation and thankfully is doing extremely well so far ... she is the daughter of a good friend of ours ... Corey and Rachel ... Corey was a groomsman in our wedding and sings some amazing Karaoke Songs ... well if you could please stop over and visit ... of course look at the pictures of Beautiful Little Sophia and leave a message in her guestbook - we ALL know how strong the power of prayer is and of course God's Hand ... thank you all for stopping in and following us!

http://www.caringbridge.org/mn/sophiabaum/

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Monday, February 7, 2005 1:47 PM CST

Hi Everyone – thought I’d jump on to say that Justyn, Jenny, Dave and Lacey all got home safe and sound last week … there are a ton of pictures to upload so give me some time … until then – PLEASE stop in to visit a very special young lady named Melody … her family was very supportive after Justyn’s accident and even sent him get-well cards … well now, unfortunately Melody’s condition is worsening and she isn’t doing very well … please stop in to say hello and sign her guestbook … and light a candle for her …

www.ourmelody.net

As Always – thank you for following our story still --- we appreciate you more than you realize!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Monday, January 24, 2005 8:08 PM CST

Well HAPPY 2005 to you all! I know I broke my promise - yet again and did not get in to update before the New Year ... thankfully Justyn had a WONDERFUL Christmas and enjoyed celebrating it with all the family who loves him very much! He got all that he wished for and MORE ... what could be the MORE you ask? Well as of RIGHT NOW Justyn, Jenny, Dave and Justyn's sister Lacey are all in FLORIDA! Yup, that's right! He got his ULTIMATE wish and they arrived about an hour or so ago ... how exciting it is going to be! He will be exhausted and, well MORE exhausted ... they have a full "schedule of events" going on including swimming with some dolphins ... they will be happily enjoying the activities, time with each other and of course the mid~winter escape from the New York winter ... of course they left just after the got another 12" of snow this past weekend ... sounds like PERFECT timing to me. Jenny got a brand new toy to take along - a digital camera so once I get the pictures I will be sure to add them on here ... how is Justyn doing otherwise? Well he is doing G-R-E-A-T ... and of course just having him here with us is all we could pray for ... he is a blessing to us and we are so thankful ... he did however leave for Florida on Amoxicillan for Strep Throat ... YUCK right? Lucily his Pediatrician called in a prescription for him so they wouldn't miss their flight today! It must be that time of year again since Jaden has it as well ... Well I will be back to say HELLO once they return to let you all know they landed safe and sound - they fly back next Monday! Until then ... stay warm where ever you are and thank you as always for visiting and praying ...

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Monday, December 13, 2004 9:06 PM CST

WOW! It has been a VERY VERY long time since I last updated this site! I apologize to those of youstill following along with us ... now what is going on you ask? Well Justyn is one of the lucky people out there that has managed to continue on with a very normal life following a traumatic head/brain injury. He is doing remarkably well and is growing into a great Little Man. He is doing well in school and enjoys the arts and crafts part of his day. For Thanksgiving he made the cutest Thankfullness Gift Bag for all of us and I must say it brought tears to all of our eyes. I will take a picture of it and add it to the site as soon as possible. Now let's see - this time around I get to add my PERSONAL opinion as to how Justyn looks and acts because just 3 short weeks ago we (Jason, Jaden and I) flew into Albany for a long Thanksgiving Holiday spent with so many loved ones. Now I wasn't sure what to think when it came to Justyn - I haven't seen him since Jaden's Birthday in March so of course the only accident related images I have are horrific ones my mind managed to conjure up on its own so I was a little nervous. BUT to my Wondering Eyes would appear? (Sorry but it is X-Mas afterall) ... but a Little Boy Justyn looking just the same as he always has. He looked wonderful and his smile lit up the room the minute we walked in the door. I was so happy to finally SEE him for myself and to see how he looks, how he acts, how he talks and of course to get my hug and kiss from him too! Like I said he looked amazing! He has gained some weight and I must say it looks better on him than on some (me for example) ... he looks healthier and more filled out. Before his ribs stuck out and he had boney little knees. NOW he looks more hearty for lack of a better word - not so fagile! I put up some new pictures from our visit so be sure to check out the Photo Section. Now let's see - how does he "act"? Well in my own opinion I think he is doing very well. He talks well and understands what people are saying. Sometimes I noticed his head working faster than his mouth causing him to stutter but that happens even to Jaden - in fact I am sure it happens to everyone! At least this gives him time to think about what he's trying to say. He was coloring with Jaden for pretty long periods of time and even managed to make us laugh SO hard when he tried on one of Jaden's Princess Costumes! Now as much as the picture would make you laugh I promised to save it for his private scrapbook so until then you'll just have to imagine! He did extremely well playing some Video Games and didn;t even give up when they got a bit too hard ... so I would say that is a great sign. He enjoyed having all of his cousins around to play with and really had a fun time pillow fighting with Jaden and Poppy! I must say it was music to my ears to hear him laugh in person! What a sound that is - SO many people take that for granted but it is tragic times that make me appreciate all that I have! Especially the laugh of a child ... nothing better than that! Now what else - well he is taking a "vitamin" to help with his concentration and attention deficit. It seems to be working very well for him and I did notice a difference simply with the amount of time he spent on different taks. He is such a strong little boy - such an inspiration! Now I know I took WAY TO LONG with updating this site so I promise not to be that tardy next time! I promise I will be back before next year --- I know, I know --- OLD JOKE! Well I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and that the rest of your Holiday Season is filled with Love ... remember to think of those less fortunate and of course say a prayer for all the children fighting out there ~ Some of you may know that I follow a lot of children through Caringbridge and sadly some are losing their battles ~ So like I said say a prayer and hug your family members a little tighter ~ Realize things could be worse for you and are for other ... Merry Christmas to you ALL!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Thursday, November 4, 2004 8:30 AM CST

~*~ UPDATE 2:00pm (Central)~*~ My mom is in recovery as of right now and can already tell there is an improvement in her leg ... thank you all for your prayers!


Hi everyone ... I promise the next entry I have will be ALL ABOUT JUSTYN but today I ask for your prayers for my mom ... she is having a simple surgical procedure done today to hlp increase the circulation in her legs ... please keep her and my dad in your prayers ... thank you all for continuing to follow Justyn ...

Saturday, October 30, 2004 11:27 AM CDT

I know I am well behind on updating you on Justyn's progress ... BUT Thankfully he is still here with us and will live to grow-up. Sadly this isn't the case for SO many other children out there. When Justyn 1st had his accident in July I emailed his page and story to a few people I "know". One of was a family fron Texas by the name of the Fiveash's ... well the father Roy and mother Donna are faithful Christians and prayer warriors for SO many children out there ... Roy took it upon himself to post Jusyn's story and added a link to his page through his daughter Cheyenne's page. Cheyenne was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor last summer and has fought a valiant fight ... until this morning at 1:06am ... Little 13 year old Cheyenne Marie Fiveash lost her earthly fight but won the battle and entered the Gates of Heaven ... PLEASE PLEASE stop by her page and add a message to her guestbook ... her family is heartbroken and frankly so am I ... the least we could do is pray for them ... THANK YOU!

Aunt Bekah

http://www.caringbridge.org/tx/cheyenne5/

Thursday, October 14, 2004 9:02 AM CDT

UPDATE: 9:02 am (Central)
WOW! Has it been that long already? Well things are going well with Justyn … he is recovering at the same pace and is enjoying school as much as a normal 7 year old would! He did finally have his meeting with school and Sunny View and they, together, have come up with some ways to help Justyn improve some of the skills he is lacking. Justyn has officially” been labeled as a TBI patient … meaning “Traumatic Brain Injury” and because of this he will have a one-on-one personal aide at school with him daily. Along with his aide he will continue on with his Occupational Therapy and his Speech Therapy everyday. Everyone will come together in about 6 weeks to re-evaluate his progress and address his attention span since that is where Justyn is having the most difficulty. He currently is at a level where he can only comprehend one task at a time. Meaning you can’t give him a verbal list of things to do such as “go to the closet, get your coat, put it on, close the door” … he gets very confused and irritated because he is forgetting what you said to him. He also tends to think out loud to himself. When he thinks he lost something, such as his pencil, he will yell out loud “I can’t find my pencil!” This tends to disrupt the class so he is trying to learn one word commands when he gets forgetful. So instead of yelling “I can’t find my pencil!” He is beginning to say “Search, Find, Look” one word commands that may “jog” his memory and help ease his frustration. He has begun to sit still for longer periods of time which makes it a lot easier for him to get through his school day. Before the accident occurred his pediatrician was in the process of diagnosing him with ADHD … well since the accident they are going to re-evaluate that diagnosis to determine if medication will help his attention. He does manage to get his work done during the day and even finishes the homework that he is given but since his attention span was damaged during the accident the ADHD may be worse than before. Please pray that all of these things will iron themselves out and that Justyn will re-learn the things we all take for granted. He did recently re-learn all of his ABC’s and 123’s and does very well reciting them. He had some difficulty with the similar looking letters such as “b” and “d” … He has not participated in any physical education classes yet but while the class is in gym he gets to stay in the classroom and play on the computer with learning programs so that is a plus for him. Justyn and Jenny attended their first Field Trip last week and enjoyed a day at the Apple Orchard. He got to ride on the tractor, pick the apples off the tress and of course eat them. They all had a fun time … I also have some new pictures of Justyn from last weekend when his cousin Amanda had her Homecoming Dance. He looks GREAT and is growing up so fast … we will forever be thankful for having him with us! As always we thank you who still come here to visit to give Justyn encouragement and prayers …

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 10:28 AM CDT

UPDATE COMING SOON! ~ I PROMISE ... Thank you all for still continueing to visit and pray for Justyn ... You will always remain in our thoughts and prayers!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Wednesday, September 15, 2004 8:54 AM CDT

UPDATE: 8:54 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! Well I have once again been a little slow in between the updates but it truly is because everything is going SO well with Justyn’s recovery that I don’t have as much to tell! I do have a report from his Ophthalmologist. His appointment was on Friday September 10th and the Dr. said that his vision looks great. He didn’t say that it was 20/20 but he did say that Justyn has not suffered any permanent vision damage from the accident. That is excellent news since his right eye was horrible after the accident and seemed to “stray” a little on its own. He also had a follow-up appointment with his pediatrician Dr. Murti. He said that Justyn looks really good and is a very lucky boy. He has quite the appetite as well and in just a month since his last visit he went from 73 pounds to 79 pounds … needless to say his appetite is still going strong. For those of you used to seeing a skinny little boy you will be shocked to see some meat on his bones! Dr. Murti did ask Justyn quite a few questions like “What is your name?” “Where do you live?” “What’s your phone number?” and Justyn was able to answer all of those questions right. He was looking at the Dr wondering why he was asking him that thinking he should know those answers so it was funny to see Justyn’s face. So that is the news along the Dr “front” now let’s talk about school. Justyn is loving school very much and simply adores his teacher Ms. Tate. He looks forward to going to see his teachers and all of his friends; old and new. He has even found the time to fit a crush on a little girl in there … we won’t mention any names in case she is reading but he is love struck by a little girl he calls a real “CUTIE-PIE”. So the accident certainly didn’t affect that part of his brain huh? The classroom he is in is set-up in a very friendly way. The desks are set-up like a “U” shape with the bottom of the “U” towards the front. Well Justyn is sitting in the front of the class where there are no other kids behind him to distract him during the day. He is also very close to the restroom so he is able to do that without disturbing anyone else. His first day at school he made a beautiful rainbow that he brought home for Jenny to hang on the fridge. He also has figured out that he has quite the “fan club” at school because so many of his friends and teacher were reading all about his story during the summer so they all know about his ordeal. They always say “You’re on the internet Justyn”. That, as you all know, makes him smile! Justyn is looking forward to his 1st show and tell on September 23rd. He isn’t sure what he wants to bring because he has SO many special things. He has talked about all the stuffed animals he got while in the hospital and then he said something about printing out his webpage and guestbook and bringing it in for everyone to see. I am sure he will be undecided up until the night before. He also has a designated spot on the school bus as well. He has to sit right behind the driver (which apparently is a bad thing on the social level) but it is better for him to stay towards the front of the bus away from all the rough housing that may occur towards the middle or the back. Justyn knows it is only for his best interests so he just goes along with what he is told … hopefully he won’t be picked on by the bigger kids who may not know his situation! He has yet to have any therapy at school yet and Jenny is wondering when that will start. Apparently Dr. Hess, Justyn’s psychologist, is supposed to meet with Justyn’s school to set up a therapy schedule but that hasn’t occurred yet but Justyn’s teachers say he is doing VERY well so far! He has a few appointments on the schedule to think about … September 23rd Justyn has an appointment with his Pediatric Surgeon for a 1 month since discharge follow-up. Then on December 9th he has an appointment with Dr. Crowl his pediatrician at Sunny View … and then on March 1st he will have a 6 month appointment with his neurosurgeon. So even though some of those appointments are far off he is still not out of the woods yet! He still amazes us all with his amazing progress and strength but he still needs a lot of work in certain areas but as we’ve already seen he will persevere! Thank you all who continue to follow Justyn’s story. Your prayers are still lifting up all of our spirits and we thank you every day! I will be sure to update as soon as anything else comes up … if you have time please hop on over to Cheyenne’s webpage … she will be turning 13 on September 23rd! Jenny and Justyn just finished up a very special gift for her so they are eager to mail that out! Thank you all again for following this road with us …

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, September 7, 2004 3:46 PM CDT

UPDATE: 3:46 pm (Central)
Happy Tuesday Everyone! Well I know I said I would update as soon as I found out about the Family Meeting Friday afternoon BUT I couldn’t get a hold of Jenny regarding the meeting. I have talked to my mom who went to the meeting as well and she gave me some information! First off let me start by wishing Justyn a HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY! I already talked to him over the weekend but I just wanted it in print! He had a great birthday and enjoyed spending time with everyone at his house. The cake didn’t last very long and fun was had by everyone! Of course Aunt Bekah, Uncle Jase and Jaden weren’t there BUT we were there in spirit. Uncle Harry and Aunt Amanda weren’t there either because they were in Jamaica for a little getaway! Nanny, Poppy, Aunt Niki, Uncle Scott, Amanda and Zachary were all there to celebrate Justyn’s special day! He was really excited about the 3’ long Spiderman puzzle he got and made sure to tell me all about it when I talked to him. As of right now his BIG PARTY is planned for September 18th! Now on to the Family Meeting news from Friday September 3rd. Justyn is now “officially” finished with outpatient therapy at Sunny View Rehabilitation Hospital. His Occupational Therapist (Tracy) does; however, recommend that Justyn have a 1 on 1 aide at school with him. His Speech Therapist agrees with that recommendation so school will be providing that starting tomorrow. They also said that Justyn should be sitting in the front/middle of the classroom and not towards the side or the back because his concentration level is so low. As of right now his concentration level is at about 20 seconds. This means that if he is given a task such as coloring he will be very involved and interested for about 20 seconds before he gets distracted and starts wanting to do something else. After a month of school he will be re-evaluated in this area and hopefully will be improving second at a time! They also mentioned that Justyn is about 20 points below where he was when he left school last year. Meaning if his grades were performing at an 80 point level he is now performing at a 60 point level. This will hopefully improve as the school year continues and he is given the help needed. He is not out of the woods yet and still needs extensive help when it comes to Occupational and Speech Therapy. They still recommend that he have 1 hour EACH/3 times a week at school. Sometimes his therapy will occur in his classroom and sometimes it will be out of the room to vary his surroundings. Dr. Crowl, the head Doctor at Sunny View, said that although Justyn “looks” like he is fine and well he still needs a lot of work to get him to 100The Dr did say that he can participate in SOME gym class activities but recommends that he take it easy. He says for example that he can play soccer so long as they are playing on a soft surface such as the lawn vs. the concrete. So as you can “see” Justyn has progressed very far in these 2 months BUT he has a lot of hard work ahead of him and a lot of re-learning of things to happen. We all know how strong his will is so I am sure he will accomplish all these tasks at his speed and in his own time but in the end he will prevail and move on from these obstacles in his life. He is an amazing fighter and has shown us all SO much strength and encouragement that we know he will tackle these tasks with the same grace. So let’s all wish Justyn a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY as well as GOODLUCK on his first day back to school tomorrow! He will be hopping on the Big Yellow Bus and will have a GREAT first day back! I am sure he is missing his school friends as much as they are missing him … I will be back (I know I know sure you say) as soon as I get some more information about the meeting and what type of classes Justyn will be taking … until then … Have a Great Day!

Love
Aunt Bekah

~*~ P.S. If you all have some time will you stop over to some of Justyn's Special Friends and send them all some prayers int heir guestbooks! They were very supportive and inspirational when Justyn 1st needed Heaven stormed with prayers and they could use some now too!

Cheyenne is an amazing 12 year old suffering from an inoperable brain tumor ... she is an amazing fighter but has been suffering from some serious effects from this MONSTER ... her father (ROY) was a great supporter of Justyn and made it a point to mention him on Cheyenne's page ... PLEASE go and visit her if you have time
http://www.caringbridge.org/tx/cheyenne5/

~*~ Kody is a little GUY who just brightens my day every time I see his face ... he too suffers from a brain tumor but has the courage and strength of 1,000,000 Grizzly Bears ... thankfully his symptoms are being kept at bay BUT his family and home were inthe path of Hurricane Frances ... please stop by and sign his bok, his mom Kim was very supportive of Justyn as well and mentioned him on Kody's webpage ...
http://www.caringbridge.org/fl/kodysstory/

~*~ Katia is another precious fighter suffering from Leukemia ... she just recently got to go home after spending 9 months in the hospital ... she had her cord blood transplant and is beginning to get some strength back ... her mom Tracy also listed Justyn on Katia's page and updated his condition for millions to read about ... PLESE visit Katia's page and say HELLO in her guestbook ...
http://caringbridge.org/fl/katia_leukemiapage/

~*~ Little Gabrielle Paquette was taken from her earthly body much too soon ... she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma in Sept of 2001 and sadly lost her fight in May 2002 at the age of 2 1/2 ... her story stikes me hard because Gabbie passed away at the same age that my baby is now ... Gabbie's mamma is an amazing follower of God and somehow finds the strength to keep up with Gabbie's webpage 2 years after her death ... Gabbie has helped me find God and has amazed me every day ... Gabbie is from Minnesota as well and her family lives only 30 minutes from me ... I have been "friends" with Monica, Gabbie's mommy for a while now and she inspires me everyday ... please visit gabbie if you have time and bring plenty of kleenex ...
http://www.caringbridge.com/mn/gabrielles.prayers/index.htm

Friday, September 3, 2004 8:40 AM CDT

UPDATE: 08:40 am (Central)
Okay … I know, I know I am in some trouble for going almost 3 weeks in between updates. That is a good thing in a way, meaning that nothing SERIOUS is going on BUT at the same time that also means that the phone calls to each other for updates are hard to make. I did talk to Jenny last night and was FINALLY able to get a complete update on how things are going. First off Justyn is still recovering very well and is getting ready to celebrate his BIG 7th BIRTHDAY on Sunday September 5th! We are all excited for him! It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend in New York so I am sure he will get in plenty of swimming and eating! He is looking really good these days as well and has gained almost 20 pounds since his accident. I am sure to some it must look strange to see him with some meat on his bones because he has always been a little kid but it is a good thing that he has recovered so well and is continuing to do so! As always he amazes everyone he comes into contact with! He is a special Little Boy! Well he has been going to therapy for the last 3 weeks on his normal schedule and he is doing well and hopefully passing all the required tests they are giving him. On Monday, August 20th he had a Dr’s appointment with his neurosurgeon. He cleared Justyn for his Dream Trip to Disney World in February so long as he avoids the rides that jerk his head/neck around too fast or too often. He has to go in for a 6 month follow up appointment to re-evaluate the bleed to his brain but as of right now the Dr feels Justyn is recovering well! On Monday, August 30th Justyn had his ENT appointment and thankfully the Dr’s said his ears, nose/sinuses and throat are all clear. The Dr was pleased to see that his ears were clear because after the accident there was quite a lot of blood behind the ears from the head trauma, He took his hearing test and passed with FLYING COLORS. He was asked what his favorite cartoon was and his answer was “Hey Arnold”. So the nurse said that every time he hears a sound or a beep he should yell out “Hey Arnold”. Jenny said it was pretty funny to be in this sound proof room and to hear Justyn just shouting “Hey Arnold” all the time. The nurse giving the test then started whispering words such as “pool” and “horse” and Justyn was required to repeat them back to her. He did this perfectly too and the nurse was pretty shocked because at some points she was talking really light. So as always the surprises from Justyn never end! Today is a very important appointment at Sunny View. It is the Family Meeting with the case worker, psychologist and all the therapists to determine if Justyn requires more outpatient therapy or if she will be able to continue with it at school. The psychologist and the case workers have all their tests and progress reports finished so today just might be Justyn’s last therapy session at Sunny View. Justyn has been cleared for school and is allowed to go back full-time if he can handle it. School starts on Wednesday September 8th and Sunny View will coordinate things with school. The Neurosurgeon wants Jenny to fax him a copy of the Physical Education activities for the year so he can check off the ones Justyn can participate in so at least Justyn will be able to do some of the activities. So these are all great signs … I PROMISE to update later tonight when I get the results from the Family Meeting. Everything is going as scheduled and the summer is winding down. We are forever thankful that Justyn is even with us! He does have one more VERY important Dr’s appointment coming up and that is with the Ophthalmologist on September 10th. This appointment will hopefully determine if Justyn sustained any permanent vision damage from the head trauma and the accident itself. So please pray that the tests come back normal and Justyn can yet amaze us all again with his progress! You are all amazing people and I continue to thank every single one of you that have stayed with us throughout this ordeal! I will never go this far in between updates again! I hope everyone is enjoying the ending of summer … it is still pretty warm here in Minnesota so we can still be out swimming at the Lake! Oh and for those of you wondering … I am -35pounds and -26.25” all together! Thanks for caring so much!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, August 17, 2004 3:56 PM CDT

UPDATE: 3:56 pm (Central)
Long time no type! Sorry as always for the delay in updates … Justyn is still doing very well and is surviving therapy. I would like to start this entry by thanking Pam for sending Amanda, Zachary and Justyn all care packages filled with fun goodies for them. It brought smiles to their faces and as always amazes the rest of us with the fact that complete strangers go out of their way to make others smile. You are a wonderful person and thank you once again! Now on with the update … Justyn has an Ophthalmologist appointment scheduled for September 10th at 10:30 am so please pray that he hasn’t suffered any permanent vision damage and he will heal completely. Today was his appointment with Dr. Hess (his psychologist), I will be sure to fill everyone in on the results from that meeting as soon as I find out. The meeting did consist of some tests to get Justyn ready for school to start. Justyn will be staying in the 1st grade again this year and will be in the accelerated special education program where there is a 5:15 teacher ratio … this will provide him with some great hands on and one on one teaching to help him achieve his goals. Justyn puts it this way – going through 1st grade again will make him even smarter … how true! Jenny did let me know today that Justyn has absolutely no memory of the accident (which is a good thing). He does know he fell off the quad and hurt himself really bad but that is about all he remembers. In fact he doesn’t remember the ICU or even the first 3 days at Sunnyview. We have all come to the conclusion that he “woke-up” on the 22nd of July when his best buddy Zachary and the 2 Amanda’s visited him. That was his turning point and when he came back to us. His therapy sessions are coming along well … his Physical Therapy has been cut from a full hour session to a half hour session which is an excellent sign. He is also doing very well with the two full hour sessions of Speech and Occupational. Yesterday’s Occupation Therapy consisted of a grocery list. Justyn was given the list and sent to go “shopping”. He was asked to get his dad’s soda and Jenny said what color if the bottle and Justyn said “blue” and she said what letter does it start with and he said “p” and promptly found the Pepsi on the shelf. Then he was asked if the Pepsi was to the left or right of the Sprite and he answered that correctly. Then he was asked if the Pepsi was above or Below the Root Beer and once again he passed that question to. This went on with various objects such as bread and other goods and OF COURSE Justyn answered them all correctly. We are no longer surprised with how well he does … he is amazing and we all know that so e continue to be there for him and to be proud at every step he makes (even if some ore backwards!) Jenny is hoping to get him all cleared for school which will probably be ½ days for a few weeks until he gets the hang of it all again. I will update you all sooner I promise … until then THANKS as always for sticking with us along this journey … your prayers are felt everyday …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Thursday, August 12, 2004 9:00 AM CDT

~*~ NEW "WELCOME HOME JUSTYN" PHOTOS ADDED TO THE PHOTO ALBUM - CLICK ON SEE PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE NEXT TO GUESTBOOK AREA ~*~

UPDATE: 9:00 am (Central)
Good morning to everyone still keeping up with us! Sorry for the lack of updates but that only means things are getting as close to normal as they have been in 4 ½ weeks. Can you believe it has been that long but yet it feels like it happened just yesterday! Luckily Justyn has come a LONG way in this short amount of time and is looking really good. He had his 1st Dr’s appointment yesterday at 5:15pm with his regular Pediatrician Dr. Murti. Dr. Murti was very surprised to see how well Justyn looked. He had only heard of the accident and thought the worst and figured Justyn would need to be carried through the door. So needless to say Dr. Murti was VERY happy Justyn looking and acting like his normal self. He had a complete body check-up and he passed with flying colors. There were some questions raised about a few “bumps” visible on Justyn’s forehead and lip. Dr. Murti said that sometimes when a head injury occurs and there is a bleed in the brain the blood starts to form a calcium build-up. That is exactly what Justyn has on his forehead and lip. These “bumps” could go away on their own or they may never go away. It is a wait and see thing but it is nothing serious. Justyn also had to have his eye “strength” looked at briefly. He was told to close his eyes real tight and then open them WITHOUT lifting his eye brows up. Of course his left eye opened with no problems but his right was lacking the strength to do it on its own so the eye brow did move. Dr. Murti did get a referral for Justyn to see the Ophthalmologist and hopefully sometime today Jenny will get the appointment scheduled so we can determine if there is any eye/vision damage. He also checked his balance with a simple test which was standing on one leg for a brief amount of time. Once again his left leg passed with flying colors but he was a bit weaker on his right side and couldn’t stand on one leg for a long time. Dr. Murti is confident that these issues will resolve on their own with time. After all he comes from a family of strong fighters’ right? His therapy sessions are going fine; however, Justyn really doesn’t like going to them. He is given a few tests daily … one is being shown a card with the same image on it and trying to find the one that is slightly difference. Well, Justyn is answering the questions pretty fast and not really looking so he gets the answer wrong. That all gets put in his folder so when they have a meeting on his progress they will refer to these tests. If it shows he repeatedly gets them wrong his therapy would be extended. So Jenny had to sit down with him and inform him that he needs to take his time or else he will have to keep coming to therapy. He understood what she was saying lets just pray he takes his time and passes these tests so he can get back to being a “normal” kid. His physical therapy is going extremely well and the therapist is thinking about cutting his time back from 1 hour to a ½ hour. That would make his very happy. Oh and Justyn’s appetite is still going strong. Jenny said that the ER weighed him in at 70# when he was first admitted. During his hospital stay he got down to 63# and while he was staying at Sunnyview he got back up to 70#. So that part of his body is happy and healthy. Everything else on the health side is great and everyone is enjoying their time with him. As always he finds a way to make everyone smile. He has a few Dr’s appointments scheduled for the rest of this month so please pray all goes well. His appt with his Case Worker Dr. Furlong was Tuesday and that was pretty informative. Dr. Furlong is responsible for answering Sunnyview questions and to take care of the bills that may arise on the insurance side of things. That will take a lot of pressure off of Jen and Dave so we thank Dr Furlong for being there. Justyn’s next Appointment is today with Dr. Cowen – he is the pediatric surgeon who took care of Justyn during those critical hours and days. He has an appt with the Neuro Surgeon on August 24th and then with the ENT on the 30th. We all know how strong Justyn is so these appointments should go well. Thanks as always for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers. You are ALL an amazing strength for the family ….

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:13 AM CDT

UPDATE: 10:13 am (Central)
Good morning to all of you! I am sorry for the lapse in updates once again! Justyn’s Welcome Home Party was a wonderful success on Saturday and fun was had by all who attended. There were about 80 people who showed up to welcome our Little Man Home. The weather wasn’t the greatest BUT thankfully the rain held off until after sunset so it wasn’t a total rainout. A few of the “braver” kids did go swimming despite the cooler temperatures. There was a ton of food made and brought by quite a few people … as well as deserts which tend to be everyone’s favorite dish anyhow. Justyn’s cake was great and HUGE! It was covered in a big Green Balloon welcoming him home. He had a really fun time and enjoyed being the center of attention. He knew from the get go that the party was for him and it made him proud. He did fall asleep as soon as he got home at 11:00 that night so he did get exhausted. It was a really good experience to have most of our family all together again … I am still amazed at home we all came together during this awful time and personally it has helped me appreciate what I have a little more … family and friends (and even strangers) helped get us all this far and thanks to all of you the Miracle Justyn has broken through this wall and he will be back to his old self in no time. He did start therapy (reluctantly) yesterday and stated that he didn’t want to go but understands it will make him all better and “perfect”. I will be sure to update everyone later tonight with Justyn’s progress as well as the information gathered at his Dr’s visit today … as always we are forever grateful for your continued support and prayers … who knows where we’d be without all of you … Have a GREAT DAY!

Love,
Aunt Bekah

Friday, August 6, 2004 9:12 PM CDT

UPDATE: 9:12 pm (Central)
Hi everyone! I apologize for the lapse in writing but like they say NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS right? Well yesterday Justyn had a good day and stayed pretty busy. His Aunt Betty was at his house to watch him and that was a nice change because he got to stay at home in his familiar surroundings and play with all of his toys and just relax like he should be. He has to get lots of rest to gear up for next weeks therapy sessions! When Jenny got home she took Justyn to visit some VERY special and important people ... The Hoosick Valley Rescue Squad and The Speigletown Fire House. Both of these amazing facilities were there for Justyn right after his accident and helped save him. There were lots of hugs to go around from everyone! At the Firse House Justyn got to see Dick Brown and the Chief. These were the guys who drove the pick-up truck into the woods to get him out of there so of course we owe them a ton of thanks. Justyn's visit was very surprising and made them all happy to see him doing so well! Of course Justyn and Jenny (as well as the rest of us) were grateful that they are the heroes we always knew they were! Well that is about all I have for you tonight! Justyn's Welcome Home Party is tomorrow and I tried VERY VERY hard to get a plane ticket to get there and surprise everyone but due to the late notice the prices were atroscious! So needless to say I will rely on my brother Harry's videotape of the special event and all of those who bring a camera make sure you send me copies or the digital pictures ... I am heartbroken I won't be there but I will be there in spirit! Once again thank you all for your continued support and never ending love ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, August 3, 2004 9:05 PM CDT

UPDATE: 9:05 pm (Central)
Well everyone! Justyn’s chariot has arrived at its FINAL Destination --à HOME! He had a very busy day today and was very excited to be home! Once everyone woke up this morning the Dr’s came in with their discharge paperwork and Justyn was out of Sunnyview by 8:30 am (Eastern)! Can you believe that? That might be record time when it comes to being discharged! Right after they left he wanted to go to breakfast at none other than … you guessed it … McDonalds! He promptly ordered pancakes with EXTRA bacon and a Sprite! After breakfast everyone headed back to Home-Sweet-Home and it was then that Jenny enjoyed doing what she likes best … yup, after 3 LONG weeks away from home she cleaned and cleaned and cleaned! Justyn had a fun time playing with all the toys that were on withdrawal without him around! After the powerhouse cleaning it was visiting time with some special friends. He visited his counselors at camp and hugs were plentiful. He then visited his babysitter Sharon and that was a nice surprise and YUP, MORE hugs all around. Later in the day his Grandma called and said she was having a BBQ so Justyn, Jenny and Dave headed there and enjoyed a nice cookout with aunts, uncles and cousins Erica, Tyler and Bodeen. Swimming was also on his list of things to do today and he accomplished that at Grandma’s house. His day tuckered him out and by the time they got home at 8:00 pm tonight he was fast asleep on the couch! Jenny’s first day back to work is tomorrow so wish her luck! Aunt Betty and Grandma will be watching Justyn for the rest of this week until his therapy sessions start up again on Monday! Thursday will be another fun filled day because there is a Drill Day at the Speigletown Fire Dept. and Justyn is excited to pay those amazing lifesavers a visit! Without their speedy reaction time we could have lost precious minutes! Like I said a bit ago his Therapy goes into FULL SWING starting Monday so he has the rest of this week off to relax and enjoy being back home. Monday he has therapy from 1:00-4:00pm and Aunt Betty and Grandma will be taking him. Tuesday he has therapy from 12:00-3:00pm and Jenny will be going with him because they have a meeting the same day with his caseworker at Sunnyview. Wednesday he has therapy 2:00-4:00pm and Uncle Scott will be taking him. Thursday and Friday he has therapy from 2:00-3:30pm and Aunt Niki and Nanny will be taking him those days. He will be busy and tired but hopefully he will continue to SHOCK everyone with his accomplishments! Like I said he has a meeting Tuesday with Joe Furlong at Sunnyview … he is the caseworker for outpatient neurological programs and will be monitoring Justyn’s progress. There has yet to be an eye exam scheduled BUT he is chuck full of Dr’s appointments for the next month and it is then that he will get a referral to an Ophthalmologist. He has a Pediatrician Appt. on August 11th and he will get his referral then. His next appointment is on August 12th with Dr. Cowen. He is the Pediatric Surgeon that reviewed Justyn’s CT Scans so hopefully Jenny will be able to view those scans also. Then on August 24th he has a Nero-Surgery Follow-up at Albany Medical Center. THEN on August 30th he has an appointment with the ENT to examine his sinuses. And FINALLY on September 3rd he has his 1-month discharge appointment with Dr. Crowl from Sunnyview. So NEEDLESS to say he will be busy for the next few months BUT thanks to all of your prayers and support he is here with us, which is the MOST important thing. I will update you all again tomorrow with MORE good news on Justyn’s “ESCAPE FROM SUNNYVIEW” and of course to spread some more great cheer and thanks for ALL OF YOU!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Sunday, August 1, 2004 8:37 PM CDT

~*~ NEW PHOTOS ADDED MONDAY AUGUST 2, 2004 ~*~ FROM HIS "GET OUT OF JAIL" WEEKEND!


UPDATE: 8:37 pm (Central)
Hello all! I hope everyone had a good weekend and was able to escape the Heat and Humidity! It is pretty nasty where I live too! Well on with the update of Day #2 to Justyn’s “Get Out Of Jail” adventure! My mom was there to pick him and Jenny up at 9:15 this morning and that began the start of a busy day! Uncle Harry visited as well as Aunt Niki, Zachary, Amanda and a few of Manda’s friends. There was some swimming involved and some good food, fun and laughs. Justyn also got to visit a few of his “fans” while he was there as well. My dad took him to visit Joe and Joanne who live at the bottom of the hill. They were two of the many people who came to Justyn’s aid 3 weeks ago today. There were some hugs and tears but thanks to so many of your prayers those tears were happy ones. We are grateful for their support. He also got to visit with Helen and Harvey from across the street. They have sent Justyn cards and today he got a gift from them. A green remote control PT Cruiser … thank you SO much Helen and Harvey for being so thoughtful! Uncle Harry transferred LOTS of video today onto VHS so everyone can see the amazing SPIRIT our little Justyn has in him. The video taken over the past 3 weeks filled 2 whole VHS’. So Justyn and everyone around him had a wonderful weekend and had a fun-filled happy day today! We are still amazed at the turn around we’ve seen in just 3 weeks and will forever be grateful for your continued support! Oh and the Justyn Fan Club is invited to his welcome home party scheduled for Saturday August 7th, 2004 at 3:00pm … I will be sending out email invitations tomorrow with more details on the rest later so mark your calendars and be sure to bring open arms ready to HUG and lips puckered to smooch! I hope to update everyone tomorrow on the schedule for his “outpatient” therapy as well as when/if there will be an Ophthalmologist Appointment to determine his vision damage … but until then have a great rest of the evening and I will “talk” to you all tomorrow! Thank you all again for all of your prayers!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Saturday, July 31, 2004 9:21 PM CDT

UPDATE: 9:21 pm (Central)
Good evening everyone! Well I apologize for the "late" update but I did speak to Jenny a little earlier this evening and they had a very good day. Justyn ended up spending the WHOLE day with his mom and dad and had an enjoyable time together uninterrupted with nurses and therapy. The three of them went out to eat at Friendly's and OF COURSE Justyn ate well ... his appetite is very strong and that is a great thing. I am sure he loved his ice cream ... then they all headed to play miniature golf. Justyn did very well and although Jenny didn't say yes or no I am sure he won ... then the three of them headed home to a very excited puppy named Snoopy! Snoopy was thrilled and excited and wouldn't leave his tongue off of Justyn's face! What a great homecoming huh? Then after a busy morning the three of them took a nap in mom and dad's bed with the AC running full swing ... what a way to spend your 1st day home in nearly 3 weeks huh? I wish I was a fly on the wall to see the smiles on all of their faces! I am sure their smiles resulted in a beautiful sunset! Justyn had to be back at Sunny View by 8:00 pm (Eastern) and was pretty tired from his busy day but I did hear him ask Jenny if Nanny was coming to get them tomorrow morning so he could see everyone and OF COURSE go swimming at Nanny's house! I also talked to Justyn and he sounded pretty good but like I said tired ... I got another great heart warming "I Love You" and then he went on with what he was doing! Tomorrow I am sure will be filled with tons more smiles and buckets full of laughter ... I will post again once I hear more news ... Oh and the scheduling for his "out-patient" therapy sessions will he taken care of some time on Monday so I will be sure to fill everyone in on that too! Once again THANK YOU SO MUCH for being there for Jenny, Dave and Justyn! You are ALL amazing ... a personal THANK YOU To Karri and Little Miss Libby from Just and Every Day Mom in Ohio ... The card Libby sent Justyn was precious and such a beautiful surprise ... thank you for being such a great friend out there in cyber space! Have a great night everyone!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Friday, July 30, 2004 8:53 PM CDT

UPDATE: 8:53 pm (Central)
HI EVERYONE! I am back and first off I would like to thank everyone for your continued prayers for Justyn PLUS the amazing amount of love and support sent my way. My mother-in-law Carol printed out the updates and guest book entries and brought them to the hospital so I could read them and they made me feel so proud to know so many amazingly wonderful and caring people … once again THANK YOU is not enough! Now onto what you all have come here to read about … our Little Man Justyn! Well it seems as though he had yet another excellent day of therapy today. His Physical Therapist Jennifer was very impressed with the motor skills her performed today. He was using a bad mitton racket to hit a balloon around and when she asked him to hit it to a certain place he followed her without any directions. He does seem to be getting a little restless and bored so to speak and is looking forward to getting out of jail free this weekend. He gets out tomorrow at noon after his morning therapy sessions and is due back by 8:00 pm (eastern). The number one thing on his list to do is to go SWIMMING! He has plenty of choices to choose from on where to go but no matter where he will make his wish come true. He gets out again Sunday morning as soon as he is ready and is due back again Sunday night by 8:00 pm (Eastern). BUT I am so excited and proud to say that he will have only 1 more full day of therapy on Monday and then on Tuesday August 3rd, 2004 at 10:00 am (Eastern) he will be RELEASED from Sunny View Hospital and will be allowed to go H-O-M-E! How exciting is that? I am so proud to be the one to report the news I have been aching to write since the day this site started! I am so proud of how far Justyn has come in these short – yet LONG weeks and I can’t wait to see pictures of his face when he goes home to his house and his room and OF COURSE to see Snoopy! That day will be beyond priceless! Thanks to MVP Insurance he has been given 30 days of “outpatient” therapy and that makes his “team” at Sunny View very happy to hear. They still feel as though he needs the 18 hours a day of one-on-one help so that is what he will get. I will obviously give more details of his “outpatient” sessions as soon as they start but as of right now his Dr’s all say he is a remarkable patient and very cooperative … which surprised quite a few people … So the countdown has begun! Friday Night, Saturday Night, Sunday Night and Monday Night and then he can GO HOME! There will be quite a few restrictions on him, which Beth has previously stated in the other updates but having him at home is an amazing step! I will post another update tomorrow with a “HOMECOMING PARTY” invites scheduled for Saturday August 7th, 2004 so keep your calendars open … until then … thank you ALL for your continued support for ALL of us … oh and for those of you interested in my “journal” you can visit my website at the following address … thank you all again!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Rebekah's Site ----> http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=C1051133485&NoStatic=1

Thursday, July 29, 2004 9:17 PM CDT

Rebekah isn't feeling quite well enough to update yet. I hope she is getting the rest she needs and is back soon! Until then, I'll will continue to try and keep everyone updated.
The discharge committee met today to discuss Justyn's progress and needs. The committee (consisting of therapists and a psychologist)haven't committed to a date yet, but are talking about possibly discharging Justyn next week. YEAH!!! They feel that he will need the psychologist for a couple of years at least. They also discussed damage to an area in Justyn's brain. The way that I understand, a small area has sustained damage, therefore signals that are normally sent to that area of the brain are trying to find a new part of the brain to use. Justyn needs the therapy to help "practice" using those other areas of the brain. It seems that he will be going through some "re-learning" therapy to help him. His play activities will need to be restricted to be very careful not to bump his head. Justyn's psychologist mentioned that Justyn is one of the most determined children he's ever met. Justyn puts a lot of effort into getting better. He also says that the love and encouragement from his Justyn's family seems to be what really keeps Justyn trying his best.
So, three cheers for Justyn - and his family and friends that have kept him in their thoughts and prayers!

Thursday, July 29, 2004 8:15 AM CDT

Yesterday afternoon, when Rita (Nan) arrived at the hospital and was getting off the elevator on 3rd floor, she heard this little voice say, “Hi Nan!” Justyn was walking down the hall in his Scooby doo bathing suit, wrapped in his grandfather's TAZ towel. Justyn’s went swimming for physical therapy. He was really excited about the pool because the bottom goes up and down – it’s a therapy pool. He made a lot of friends in the pool - there were some "older" woman who were calling him their boyfriend. His occupation therapist Tracey was late for her session so Justyn was getting a little tired and let her know about it. The session did not start until 3:45, he was working on left/right and calendar numbers, we think he did pretty good. After therapy, they went outside for awhile. Because of all the rain there were a lot of puddles and he remembered quickly how to jump in the puddles and splash. He found amusement in trying to get everyone wet.

The team evaluation is today at 1:30 and they will discuss the "expected" discharge date. This is our question/answer period so, if any of you have any questions jot off an email to Nan at thompr@rpi.edu and she will ask the question at the meeting.

Another great day in the Amazing healing process of Justyn John.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 8:03 PM CDT

Justyn’s therapists have determined that his cognitive skills are lower than normal and he continues to need intensive therapy. Considering Justyn’s accident was only two weeks ago, this shouldn’t be considered a set-back. He’s made remarkable progress and continues to amaze everyone. The therapists also explained that Justyn will be classified as TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Therefore, by law, he will be able to continue to get the assistance he needs when he returns to school and the rehabilitation center will monitor his therapy. AND, some GREAT news is that he’s been given permission to leave the rehabilitation center during the weekend! He can go home for the afternoon on Saturday and most of the day on Sunday. Of course, the insurance companies have their hand in ruling that he can’t have any over-nighters yet. But, that’s okay. Justyn still needs lots of rest to stay strong and these are baby steps to recovery!
I think Justyn’s courage and his remarkably strong, loving, devoted and supportive family has been an inspiration to all of us. Rebekah comes home from the hospital tomorrow and will be back posting. Please continue to keep them all in your prayers...Good night.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 6:54 AM CDT

Justyn continues to progress. He had a very busy day yesterday. He met with the psychologist as well as the speech therapist. It’s been determined that Justyn does have some nerve damage from the facial fractures. He’s been given a “bumpy” glove to rub around his cheek area to help stimulate the nerves and help them heal. He will also start to use an electric toothbrush to help stimulate the area.

He had some ice cream with his Nan yesterday afternoon and talked a little about the accident. Fortunately, he doesn’t remember it happening. Then he played some ball, did some finger painting, and drew a picture of a race car. What a remarkable difference from two weeks ago and thousands of prayers!

Justyn is beginning to mention that he wants to go home. The discharge committee will meet this afternoon and give an expected date of when that can happen.

Rebekah spoke with her mom, Rita, last evening. She is in a lot of pain, but the surgery went well. Please keep Rebakah, Jaden, and Jason in your prayers as well. I’ll be back as soon as I hear some more news….

Monday, July 26, 2004 12:50 AM CDT

I have an update on the happenings so far today... During Justyn's Occupational therapy they worked on the days of the week, and he wrote today's day and date. During physical therapy he went outside with his therapist Jennifer, and played ball. She told Justyn’s mom, Jen, that he will be able to play like the other kids. He will just need to protect his head for awhile. So, if he’s playing ball, an adult should be around to make sure he doesn't bang his head.

Justyn also worked with his speech therapist, Kimberly. Kimberly took him to her office so the two of them could converse.

Justyn will be meeting with Dr Hess at 1 pm, so I should have more to report later.

By the way, Rebekah is out of recovery and in her own room at HCMC in Minneapolis. Her husband,Jason called and said she was doing very good. She is on pain medication, but that is all. Get well soon and hurry back, Rebekah!

Monday, July 26, 2004 7:37 AM CDT

Hello all you Justyn well-wishers! I’ll be updating for Rebekah while she’s having her surgery. Let’s wish her a speedy recovery as well.

Rita (Nan) has just spoken with Jen – Justyn had a good night. Matter of fact…he is on his 3rd breakfast this morning. Sticky bun, egg & sausage, & cereal! Tracey, his occupational therapist, is already in his room to watch him get himself dressed and brush his teeth.

The weekend was again filled with “can you believes”. On Saturday he was visited by 3 of his cousins, aunt Sue & uncle Brian, and of course his grandparents on both sides. We took him outside to play on the grass and he really enjoyed throwing it at everyone.

On Sunday-again going out to play-we ran into Dr. Hess (psychologist). He was talking with Justyn, saying how good he was doing. Justyn said, “Thank you.” He will be meeting with Justyn at 1:00 pm today.

Aunt Marilyn sent pictures she had taken on Saturday the 17th. Comparing them to how he looks now is truly a miracle! Again, thanks for all your prayers. It won’t be long before Justyn is home with us.

Sunday, July 25, 2004 9:00 PM CDT

UPDATE: 9:00 pm (Central)
Sorry ONCE AGAIN for the late update ... Justyn is doing well and had a great weekend! HE had a lot of family visitors that made him laugh and have fun! He did well at his physical therapy and accomplished some great things. The Dr's said he is still in a confused state. He knows his colors and letters BUT he does get confused when he gets to the letter "T" but he can get there on his own. He also has a bit of trouble with his colors too but does know a majority of them. He had a visitor come yesterday; it was his friend Paulie, he was getting fitted for the upcoming football season and he stopped with a few gifts for Justyn. He was handed a football signed with all the team's signatures PLUS a Hoosic Falls Stampede jersey ... Justyn is now officially the #70! That made him very excited. There was a little mention on Friday regarding Justyn's right eye and some possible vision damage SO tomorrow he will visit an Opthamologist to check the extent of the damage. There was also some question about some possible nerve damage on the right side of his face so they will check for that as well. It seems as though when he smiles his lips don't smile "up" like it normally should so please pray that it will "mend" itself and hopefully heal on its own. Other than that, thanks to ALL your prayers and thoughts he is on the right track. I look forward to the day that I can post and update and say "JUSTYN IS HOME" ... until then ... My mom's friend Beth will be updating the site until Wednesday because I will be having surgery tomorrow. I will be out of the hospital on Wednesday morning so I will "talk" to all of you then ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Saturday, July 24, 2004 10:32 AM CDT

UPDATE: 10:32 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! I should have updated last night but I was not at home so, therefore; no computer … yesterday was yet another excellent day for Justyn. He was a little whiney and crying during his first therapy session so after his mom made him promise that he would not cry when his therapy was going on or else she would wait in the room during his sessions. Well he promised all right because a few minutes later and his Occupational Therapist came in and he was laughing and smiling and NO TEARS! So that was a good thing to hear. He did wonderfully during his Physical Therapy Session and since my mom left work at 2:00 to go see him she decided to stop and get Amanda and Zachary so he could see and play with them. He was thrilled to be around his best friends and I think it motivated him to do well during Physical Therapy. He was put on the arm “bike” and was on it for 3 minutes and then he switched to the stationary bike and did great for 4 minutes. He then was able to get into the “model” car again and put on his seat belt AND roll down the window manually. While he was in the car with Zachary he was pretending to drive to Chuck E Cheeses and he was waving at all the “hot girls” as he drove by … his personality hasn’t changed a bit huh? He didn’t get too much sleep yesterday because he was SO busy but he wasn’t cranky either which was great see. While I was on the phone with my mom I talked to him and he OF COURSE said “What’s under there?” To which my reply was “Under wear” … now that, if you don’t know already, get him laughing hysterical with a “GOTCHA” soon to follow. It was music to my ears to hear him laugh. Dinner came while I was talking to my mom and he quickly got up off of Amanda’s lap and got ready to eat … his appetite is pretty strong which is a good things since they say he weighs around 65-70 pounds. So that was the news from yesterday … NOW onto the news of this morning!

DRUMROLL PLEASE! …………………………………………………………………………………………
It is official … Justyn’s CT Scan came back showing no permanent damage to his neck so his collar was taken off this morning! Now that is amazing news! I am sure he is feeling better now that the collar isn’t bugging the heck out of him. I hadn’t heard too much about his therapy sessions this morning but I will be sure to call Jenny when I get home from work … Oh my mom did say that Dave asked Justyn what he wanted to do today and Justyn’s reply was “I want to go home!” Now that is a heart breaking reply but we all know thanks to the love and amazing support we have through family, friends and complete strangers that Justyn’s wish will come true soon enough. So once again THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for continuing to stick with us and be by our sides …

Love
Aunt
Bekah

Friday, July 23, 2004 10:28 AM CDT

UPDATE: 10:28 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! Well I spoke to my mom a few minutes ago and she said that Justyn was having a good morning so far. He ended up having a really good night last night and enjoyed spending time with nanny. Jenny and Dave went out alone for a little while so when hey left Justyn had his dinner which consisted of a Hamburger, French Fries and Corn and apparently he ate it in record time. Then he and nanny colored for a little while until he started to look tired. My mom asked him if he wanted to lie down and he shook his head “yes”. She asked him if he wanted to lie in the bed or in the chair. He pointed to the chair and it was there that the two of them sat and cuddled for a little while … which of course made my mom’s heart smile! He had some “little” visitors last night which makes him very happy. His Grandma Diane, Grandpa Don and Cousin Erika all stopped by to visit him and it made him very happy. Jenn and Dave returned a little while later with some more friends and Justyn had a very good time. He did get a little whiney towards the end of the night but it was because he was tired. My mom also mentioned that he had a CT Scan yesterday around 4:30 pm (Eastern) to determine if they can take his neck brace off or not. Keep your fingers crossed that everything turns out PERFECT and Justyn can finally take the thing that bugs him the most OFF! This morning he was in a pretty good mood when poppy got there after work. He brought along some fruit Danishes and along with those he ate French Toast Sticks … he will be putting on weight in NO time! I promise to update again after I hear how his therapy sessions went this morning. Thank you all again for sticking with us …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Thursday, July 22, 2004 9:21 AM CDT

UPDATE: 7:35 pm (Central)
Well as they say no news is good news and that is the case. Aside from Justyn being VERY tired he had a good day today. Amazingly his agitated state ended once his therapy sessions did so take that how you will ... he is probably thinking "I am supposed to be on summer vacation!" We hope he will be able to enjoy what's left of it soon enough. Jenny and Dave got a much needed NIGHT out tonight while nany watched Justyn. They headed out to dinner and hopefully enjoyed their time alone ... and I am sure they talked about Justyn most of the time! Justyn's overall day went well and he accomplished what he needed to do in therapy. He is on his way and we are all there to cheer him on. So I will update tomorrow with some more great progress and smiles ... until then ... have a wonderful night and as always THANK YOU for being there for us!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 12:15 pm (Central)
Well all you Justyn Fans out there I just spoke with my sister and she said Justyn was napping until his Speech Therapy starts at 1:00 pm (Eastern). She said he is having some trouble going potty which is causing him to be a little cranky but other than that he is just in the same agitated state he was in this morning. Remember he Dr’s evaluated his injury at a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the worst) … a 5 represents a confused and agitated state so the way he is behaving is perfectly normal for the healing right now. During his physical therapy this morning he walked up AND down a flight of stairs with the guidance of his mom. He is not quite stable enough to hold himself up yet so he needs a little help but he did very well walking up the stairs and then back down. When my dad left this morning Jenny and Justyn walked him out and my dad says “See you tomorrow bud” and Justyn said “Bye Pop – I Love You”. How sweet is that? He also had his Occupational Therapy this morning as well and he did really well playing with some games and some puzzles. He also dressed himself and brushed his teeth again all by himself. OH and the therapist asked him to write his name and he was able to write it ALL BY HIMSELF without any help with the spelling and writing. Now that is the way to show everyone what you remember huh? Jenny did tell me that the Dr’s said if he doesn’t start talking on a more regular basis they will do an MRI on his neck to detect soft tissue and ligament damage and determine if they can take the collar off of him. You can tell that it is driving him crazy and it would be nice to be able to get it off so he could be more comfortable. Well that is the news so far for today … I have been asked by some people via email as to wheter or not Justyn has a “Donation Account” … well my sister Niki and I are in the process of setting one up through Fleet Bank so as soon as we get the Account Number set-up I will post them at the top of the page. Obviously a situation like this is horrible to deal with but it is made even worse once your funds run low and you start to get concerned about the “other” things … All the money donated and raised for Justyn will be used towards his direct medical costs as well as the everyday expenses (food, rent, car payment etc.) Oh and speaking of money being raised … there will be a Benefit in Justyn’s Name being put on by Dave’s co-workers … It is tentatively scheduled for August 7, 2004 and I will post more information on it as soon as I get it … once again the outpouring of love, prayers and overall concern is a great strength for all of us during the past week and a half … you are truly wonderful! Thank you all again for your love!

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 9:21 am (Central)
AHHHHHHH! Music to my ears … I got a phone call from my niece Amanda last night and she put Justyn on the phone … she said “Say hi to Aunt Bekah” and GUESS WHAT … it was music to me ears to hear his little voice say “Hi Aunt Bekah” … boy did the tears start flowing like Niagara Falls! I told him hello and said “I LOVE YOU JUSTYN” and then GUESS WHAT … he must have thought I wasn’t crying hard enough so he said “I LOVE YOU AUNT BEKAH” … yup that was all I and everyone else needed to hear and we were all crying like babies … it was so amazing to hear him and to imagine him! I have never felt so happy (well aside from my own baby’s first words) this was just as special … he is currently in his therapy sessions and feeling a bit agitated … who could blame him? My mom will be sending me great photos from the “laughing session” yesterday so I am eagerly awaiting some smiling faces … Amanda is healing well, aside from the wound on her leg she seems to be doing well. The numbness is gone in her hip and instead she can now feel the deep bruise she has … I wonder which is worse! She is still restricted as far as swimming and sports BUT she is doing pretty well otherwise. Thank you all for praying for her healing too! I have a pretty amazing family and this has made us even stronger … thank you all for your CONTINUED and UNWAVERING support … I will update later today with Justyn’s therapy sessions!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 9:08 AM CDT

~*~ NEW PHOTOS ON PHOTO PAGE ... CLICK AT THE BOTTOM "view photos" ~*~

UPDATE: 3:35 pm (Central)
Well I am back with some more “Make you smile” news. Justyn did well at his physical therapy session and was able to climb a few steps so that was a first for him. He was also able to open a car door (they have a model of a car in the therapy room) and he was able to climb in and out of the car without too much help. He also did very well sending the toy car down the ramp and repeating over and over. After therapy he was quite tired and didn’t want to “talk” or look at anyone and then GUESS WHO came to see him? That’s right his best buddy Zachary … well apparently Justyn’s face LIT up and the biggest SMILE came across his face. Along with Zachary came Amanda, her friend Amanda, Aunt Niki and Uncle Scott --> well Justyn decided that was the perfect time to catch up on some much needed kisses and 20 minutes later he decided he was done … As I was on the phone with my mom alls I could hear in the background was immense LAUGHTER! That is something we haven’t heard in a while and you can’t even begin to imagine how sweet it sounded to everyone's ears. Justyn, Amanda, Amanda V. and Zachary were sitting on the floor and throwing the ball around … Justyn was not being as “gentle” as everyone else and he ended up CHUCKING the ball so hard with his right arm that it bounced off of Zach’s head … now that brought on some more laughter as well as a new game of “Hit Zachary in the head so I can crack up over and over and over” … I tried to ask about the rest of Justyn’s day BUT with all the laughter you could hardly hear anything so I will brief everyone on the rest of his day later … but all in all it was an amazing sound to my ears and I am so proud of Justyn … thank you all again for being there for us and sharing in this tragedy which has brought us all that much closer …

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 9:08 am (Central)
Okay this may be the best update ever … I feel all giddy typing this … ready? Well Justyn had his Occupational Therapy this morning with Tracy. He was able to get dressed ALL by himself PLUS he stood at the sink and brushed his teeth and then washed his face. Now that is some amazing improvement since yesterday when he struggled to get his legs in the pants. THEN came Speech Therapy with Jennifer. Well she was throwing the ball to Justyn and was saying “1-2-3 GO” and guess what … JUSTYN REPEATED WHAT SHE SAID! That’s right he finally talked and it was as though he never stopped. Then (that’s right there is more!) Jennifer the therapist asked Justyn to throw the ball to pop and said “Can you say Pop?” and guess what …. JUSTYN SAID POP … and then he threw the ball to his mom and guess what …. JUSTYN SAID MOM! I do not truly know if there is anything else that could make this day the best ever! Jenny said she was in the bathroom putting make-up on and heard a little voice and when she came out she heard him talking and then she said her make-up was off, washed away by the tears! How wonderful … now those are the tears we enjoy! Jenny also said that he was on the floor playing with his matchbox cars and kept saying “Crash” … so beyond the fact that Justyn is one of the strongest little guys around he is now shocking us again with his words and the amazingly quick recovery he ha had so far … we can only thank all the caring people who have been there since the beginning … we truly do not know where we’d be without your strength to lean on … thank you ALL again for your amazing and wonderful prayers … OH and I will post an update on how Amanda is doing at the end of the day … Until then HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, July 20, 2004 10:45 AM CDT

UPDATE: 7:30 pm (Central)
OKAY ... I did do an Update at 11:30 this morning BUT I have no idea why it is not posted on here ---> well sorry this is 8 hours later but Justyn's speech therapy went well. Though he isn't talking yet she said today was more of an evaluation day versus a therapy day. She said he is comprehending the words that are being said to him so that is a good sign. While the therapist was there my mom found a ball and she handed it to Justyn. Well he knew just what to do and he threw it to her. They played this game for a while and it must have been great to see! The therapist says that when you see Justyn you should ask him to do things ... like "Get the ball" and if he doesn't get the ball you should pick it up and put it in his hand. Sort of a way to "jog" his memory with words he knows but maybe can't place with their objects. We are obviously ALL hopefull Justyn will recover completely and will be up and talking in no time. I do have a new address for Justyn listed at the bottom of the webpage. He should be at this address for a few weeks so you can send him cards to that address if you'd like. Oh and after my dad got back with lunch my mom asked Justyn if he wanted a bite of her hamburger ---> well he decided a bite wasn't enough and grabbed for the whole thing AND ate it along with her milkshake! So it is safe to say his appetite is back! Oh and some more good news ... he used the bathroom today 3 times ... so we all know he understands when he has to go and has control over that part ... so once again we are forever hopeful in the future and thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers ... it still amazes me each and every time I read the guestbook! You are all an amazing strength for the entire family! Have a great night everyone!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 10:45 am (Central)
I am ready to give out more great news to all those sitting by their computers! My mom called from Sunny View with some feel good updates when she walked in his NEW room at 8:30am he was sitting up in bed eating oatmeal ALL BY HIMSELF he was holding the spoon with his right hand and putting it in the bowl and then putting it to his mouth! How amazing is that? This morning he was transferred to a brand new (just opened today) wing at Sunny View and it is there that he now has his own private room with a bathroom and even laundry facilities. Now Jenny and Dave can stay with him and be un-interrupted. By 8:30 am (Eastern) this morning he had already had his first session with the Occupational Therapist. His therapy included simple tasks such as dressing himself. He struggled getting his legs into his pants BUT he pulled them up himself and even was able to get half of his shirt on too. When it came to his socks he didn't put them on but it was because he HATES wearing socks so the therapist put them on for him. Then at 10:15 am (Eastern) this morning he had his first Physical Therapy Session. The therapist (Jennifer) put his sneakers on him and got him out of bed and on his feet for the 1st time in over a week and that is when the AMAZING thing happened he WALKED 5 steps to poppy. Can you believe that? I am in awe of his strength. They said his legs were a little weak but that he was able to do it all on his own! He was then fitted with his own GREEN wheelchair (his favorite color) and then he was given a tour of the Pediatric Head Trauma Area by his therapist. He even toured the playroom and looked all around at the new areas. Then he was taken back to his room when his mom took out a box of Goldfish Crackers. Apparently he was hungry because he reached into the box, grabbed a handful and stuffed them ALL into his mouth typical Justyn! Then he played the game with Pop where Pop takes a cracker and puts it in his mouth and then Justyn went over and kissed him and took it out of pop¡¦s mouth so at least we know his memory is still in tact. My mom was heading out to the car to get Justyn his balloons and other things to personalize his room. He is scheduled for his first Speech Therapy Session this morning at 11:30 am (Eastern) so my mom will be calling back with that update. He will get a break between sessions around 2:30-3:00 pm to get some rest and then they will repeat the sessions until 4:30 pm (Eastern). He will continue on with the same schedule until Thursday July 29th and then they will have a family meeting with his therapists, his Dr. (Dr. Crowl) and his psychologist (Dr. Hess) it is then that they can make a determination as to his length of stay these are all incredible updates for this morning and as I type I have goose-bumps! I am still in awe at how far he comes in a week! Thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts come back soon as I am sure I will have a speech update! Cross your fingers on some great progression the speech department! Thank you all again SO much!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Monday, July 19, 2004 8:24 AM CDT

UPDATE: 5:50 pm (Central)
Well Justyn has been fully transferred to Sunny View and he is rooming with a 13 month old little boy. He did well with the transfer and is still getting acclimated with the new surroundings. There are plans for him to be evaluated by the physical, occupational and speech therapists tomorrow. They are planning on at least 3 hours worth of therapy in all for his first full day. He did do some great things today though, one being that he actually held the spoon while my dad was feeding him and brought it right to his mouth so that was a great thing to see. They also broke his PB & J into pieces and he fed himself ... how great are those accomplishments? We are all so proud of him! They are tentatively saying that an injury such as his requires an average stay of 4 weeks so that is what we are looking at right now ... it is still amazing to me how far Justyn has come in just one week! We all knew he was a strong fighter BUT this goes beyond words ... what an amazing little guy! We ALL look forward to a BIG Recovery Party where he can truly understand how many people were and are there for him! Thank you all again SO much for your prayers ... we could never have SANELY crossed these bridges without your help!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 11:45am (Central)
Okay ready? Justyn’s chariot will be arriving at 2:00 pm (Eastern) to take him to Sunny View. That is great news. He has been medically released so they are just awaiting his paperwork to clear. When my mom and dad got there Justyn was on his mom’s lap being pushed around in a wheel chair by Dave. They said he was looking all around at the surroundings. He still is not talking (aside from the occasionally Owie). Dr. Field put his injury into these words … the blood that clotted on his brain has cut off the connection to the optic nerve so until the clot disappears he will continue to look off and seem like he is in a daze BUT his vision is not damaged. Nan and Pop showed up with some new Spider Man sneakers that zip up so they will be easier for him to put on and take off and those made him smile. There will be no therapy sessions planned for today, instead they will be acclimated with the new surrounding and will be given a “tour” of the center. Once again thank yous are not enough to show how grateful we truly are for all the wonderful support, love, and prayers being sent our way during these times. It still amazes me at the outpouring of love from our wonderful family and complete strangers … thank you all again for your continued prayers … I will update you all again in a few hours I am sure so until then …

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 8:24 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! First off I would like to wish my Mom (Rita) a VERY Happy (29th) Birthday! Here’s hoping your day is as wonderful as you are! Now on to the update … I spoke to my mom a ½ hour ago and she mentioned that Justyn may not be transferred to Sunny View today … not because he took a step back or because the Dr’s wouldn’t release him it is because of the insurance company … now that doesn’t surprise me one bit but sometimes you just HOPE you’ll catch a break somewhere right? Other than that little bit of info he is doing pretty well. He was awake quite a bit yesterday and showed off all his progress. He was crying of some pain here and there but he did not require any pain medication which is AMAZING! My mom and dad were going to be heading there this morning and then I would get a call on how his night went. Some other good news is that Jenny and Dave were finally able to hold him and do the much needed cuddling that they have wanted to do for a week … I once again wanted to thank each and every one of you for sticking with us and for being so supportive. I am not sure how well we would all be if we didn’t have the family support that we have. Not to mention the amazing support we have gotten from so many friends and strangers. I thank you all again from the bottom of my heart. I will be back later today to update you all with some more news …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Monday, July 19, 2004 8:24 AM CDT

UPDATE: 8:24 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! First off I would like to wish my Mom (Rita) and VERY Happy (29th) Birthday! Here’s hoping your day is as wonderful as you are! Now on to the update … I spoke to my mom a ½ hour ago and she mentioned that Justyn may not be transferred to Sunny View today … not because he took a step back or because the Dr’s wouldn’t release him it is because of the insurance company … now that doesn’t surprise me one bit but sometimes you just HOPE you’ll catch a break somewhere right? Other than that little bit of info he is doing pretty well. He was awake quite a bit yesterday and showed off all his progress. He was crying of some pain here and there but he did not require any pain medication which is AMAZING! My mom and dad were going to be heading there this morning and then I would get a call on how his night went. Some other good news is that Jenny and Dave were finally able to hold him and do the much needed cuddling that they have wanted to do for a week … I once again wanted to thank each and every one of you for sticking with us and for being so supportive. I am not sure how well we would all be if we didn’t have the family support that we have. Not to mention the amazing support we have gotten from so many friends and strangers. I thank you all again from the bottom of my heart. I will be back later today to update you all with some more news …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Sunday, July 18, 2004 12:08 AM CDT

UPDATE: 6:47 pm (Central)
Where'd the week go? It is almost exactly a week ago today when this nightmare started and I am in awe at the amazing improvement in Justyn. I am also amazed and so thankful for the amount of prayers and caring coming out of so many people. We will be forever grateful! My mom did just call and said that he had a great day and that he was able to pull himself up to a sitting position all on his own which is a grat thing. She also said he is awake a bit more but in a haze. She also said he has not been on any pain medicine since Tuesday ... what a fighter. We still have a long way to go but with all your thoughts and prayers he will come out strong! Thank you all again and have a great night!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 12:47 pm (Central)
Well it is OFFICIAL! Justyn is now transferred from the PICU to Pediatrics. He has a new room number and it is C703. He is still scheduled to be transferred to Sunny View tomorrow so if you wish to send cards or well wishes you can send them to my mom's address c/o Justyn Beaulac. I will post the address at the end of the update. When my mom called she said he is awake a little more today and is eating really well. My dad (poppy) was feeding his Apple Cobbler a little while ago ... seems like Justyn is getting plenty of desserts huh? Whatever he wants at this point he gets! Well thank you all again for all your prayers.I will update again in a little while ...

Justyn Beaulac
c/o Rita Thompson
30 Starr Road
Troy, New York 12182

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 10:30 am (Central)
**ALREADY more Great News **
~Don't forget to read the update below~
Niki just called and told me MORE great news ... they plan on moving him to Pediatrics within the hour which is a great thing! That means he will be left alone for more time and will be able to sleep more uninterrupted! He will be un-hooked from the "poles" and will be monitored less by the Dr's. Dave was trying to make Justyn finish his french toast and apparently Justyn was done and pushed the spoon away! SO AGAIN true Justyn character ... Aunt Niki was there resting his hand in her palm and Justyn decided to interlock his fingers with her and hold her hand ... now for those that know Justyn's chauvenistic side this is a BIG step for him! Oh and Niki did mention the nurses said the "Crisis is OVER" once he is moved out of PICU the crisis is considered over in his situation! So once again thanks to all your prayers and support ... it works miracles! Thank you all again!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 10:00 am (Central)
Good morning (again) everyone! Well I seemed to have slept in but was woken up by my mom's phone call. It seems as though Justyn is having a better breakfast than most people this morning. He has already had some oatmeal and was able to CHEW some french toast sticks. How great is that? Being able to chew is a wonderful sign. Although he isn't sitting up and talking yet he is sitting up with his eyes open a lot more. Jenny and Dave are hoping to get the Dr's clearance to hold him some time today. That would be great and a much needed step for all three of them. It seems like today will be another good day with steps forward and it is thanks to SO many of your prayers and prayers and prayers. I am still amazed at the love and care from so many strangers out there. I was hoping that if you have signed Justyn's guestbook can you email me with your mailing address so we can send you out thank yous! You all have been a great source of strength for my entire family and in a way have made things so much easier to cope with. Dave relies on the guestbook entries and they lift him up and comfort him. My sister Niki gets yelled at if she doesn't print off the guestbook for Jen and Dave to read to Justyn. Obviously you are all appreciated beyond words but a thank you is needed! I will update again in a few hours and since I am home all day today I promise to post it right away! Thank as always for your continued support!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 12:08 am (Central)
Good morning (early) everyone! I apologize for not giving an update but I was away from my computer all day! Jenny did call me around 3:30pm and told me some great news. First he ate a bowl of Ice Cream which is a good sign. Second he was crying "OWIE" in pain and called for his mom~ That's right he said "MOM!" Well Jenny reached towards him when he called her and he put his arms around her neck and squeezed! Now to me that would be the greatest gift of all! So that is a great ending to the day wouldn't you say? Jenny said that he is looking so much better and has been keeping his eyes open a lot more. He seems to be sleeping more restful than he has since the accident. She also said that they went ahead and took the hard plastic collar off his neck and replaced it with the foam one. That should make it a lot more comfortable for him to sleep and just get better in general. My mom mentioned that since the collar was bigger than he was it pushed up on his face and made his face look more swollen than it actually is so once the plastic collar was removed the swelling seemed to have lessened! These are all great signs so they are (as of right now) still planning on transferring him to Sunny View on Monday. I do not have an address there yet so if you wish to send any cards please send them to my mom's house at:

Justyn Beaulac
c/o Rita Thompson
30 Starr Road
Troy, New York 12182

Thank you all again for your thoughts and continuous prayers ~ Thank you to my Aunt Marilyn, cousin Lisa and Orlando and Nicki, Lizzy, Anna and Carlos for making a surprise visit from NJ today! You don't know how much that truly means to everyone! I Love you all and will post again tomorrow ~ I mean later today!

Love
Aunt Bekah

Saturday, July 17, 2004 10:10 AM CDT

Good morning Everyone! Well there isn't an "official" update yet since everyone is still either on the way to visit or can't use their cell phones in the hospital room. BUT my mom didn't leave until 12:30 this morning and she said that while she was there he was actually sleeping peacefully and sound. He was only waking 2-3 minutes every half hour so that would mean his body managed to get some rest. He had a hard day yesterday and was worked pretty hard with everyone asking his questions and his eyes being open so much so we are glad he got some sleep. My mom said he had a good day yesterday - it was slower paced but no steps backward. She also said he managed to drink 2 cups of juice and ate a popsicle from a spoon. She also said that everytime a drop of juice landed on his face he had to have it wiped off before he drank anymore ... so for those of you who know him that is in total Justyn character ... my mom will be calling in a few hours to give me a better update for the day but as of now things are looking good! Please continue to pray and keep Justyn in your thoughts ... thank you to Pam for putting together the care packages for Justyn, Amanda and Zachary - your organization is amazing! Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to read this journal ... oh and don't forget to turn up your volume and watch the photo slideshow above ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Friday, July 16, 2004 8:33 AM CDT

UPDATE: 9:15 pm (Central)
I spoke with my sister Niki a bit ago and she said that aside from being tired Justyn is doing about the same. Everyone is commenting on how good he looks and though I haven't seen him he couldn't look worse than he did Monday right? Let's hope tomorrow will be a strong day for our buddy! Amanda is doing well and thank to all your prayers we all are .... thank you all again for your prayers ... sleep tight bud!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 3:15 pm (Central)
Well my mom just called with some more progress on Justyn! He is opening his eyes more and more and was being fed a popsicle on a spoon by his dad. He does stare off into space a bit and then he realizes he is somewhere strange so he starts to cry but not because of pain. He does however HATE the neck brace he is wearing and is pulling at it to get it off. The nurses say it needs to stay on until he responds a little more. The thrashing has also subsided a lot and the restraints have been removed. His right eye (which is the worst of the two) is opening now too and aside from it being swollen and bloodshot it looks so much better than it did. He is able to lie on his side a little more and just recently had both of his hands resting on the same side of the bed so he is starting to get into a more comfortable position. My dad (poppy) was in there a little while ago and Justyn had his hand on top of pop’s and then he intertwined his fingers with pop’s so he could hold his hand ~(tears flowing)~ They are talking about possibly moving him to Sunny View Rehabilitation on Monday. If this is the case he will be transferred over by ambulance and will have his own room. Jenny and/or Dave can stay there with him. He will undergo 8 sessions of therapy per day practicing on small motor skills. He has been in bed for a while so they will also do therapy to strengthen his limbs. He will go through routine type of lessons such as throwing a ball, sorting shapes etc. His “little” friends that he is used to playing with are encouraged to visit him after therapy each day so he can remember them and visit. Although he isn’t speaking yet we are hopeful he will start again soon. Dave is going to be heading home today to take a shower at home and to pick up a few things so my mom will be staying with Jen a while (hopefully she can encourage her to get some rest since Jenny is starting to get worn out). My mom also mentioned that the coloring has come back to Justyn’s face and that he looks more like the Justyn we all know and love.

Amanda’s Dr’s appointment went well although Dr. Murti is concerned about the deep gash on her shin. He is worried that it is not healing properly so he will continue to monitor that. Other than that she is doing well and is infection free. He did not prescribe her an antibiotic but he did say no sports or even swimming for the next week. He said the reason she is experiencing “numbness” on her hip is because she has a “deep” bruise from when Justyn’s helmet hit her … along with a slice in her hip from the helmet visor. We are all hopeful she will recover in good time. Thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts for all your concern and prayers. We don’t know how far we’d be without all the support from so many … I will update again tonight … and change out some more pictures of Justyn!

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 12:00 pm (Central)
Are you all ready to start clapping? Well Aunt Susie Dinon just called and told me some GREAT news. Apparently she was in the room with Jenny and they asked Justyn if he wanted a drink. Well he opened his eyes so they put a STRAW up to his lips. It took him a bit to figure it out but he managed to drink Apple Juice from a STRAW! The nurses are as thrilled as we are … they said a straw is better than the popsicle because Justyn actually had to use his memory to try and figure out how to suck out of the straw. He isn’t talking at all yet but in good time! We can call all this baby steps towards his full recovery! My Aunt also said that my mom was rubbing his ears and he opened his eyes and gave her a dirty look ~ It is amazing how Justyn can still torture my mom, even in this situation! So we are on our way – it will take lots more time and a ton more prayers but eventually Justyn will be running around and playing like he should. Once again thank you all for your thoughts and prayers ~ They truly are an inspiration to the entire family! Aunt Susie – thank you for updating me! Oh and don’t forget my niece Amanda ~ Her Dr’s appointment is at 2:00pm (eastern) today! My sister (her mom) mentioned that Amanda’s wounds are still pretty bad and they are wondering if she should be on an antibiotic to prevent infection. Amanda is starting to feel pretty crummy – body wise so we are hoping and praying she will be back to her normal self again (well most of us are right Amanda!) Zachary could also use your prayers – remember he and Justyn are best buds and it breaks Zach’s heart to see Justyn in pain! Thank you for your prayers once again and of course I will be back with some more GREAT news later today ~

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 8:33 am (Central)
Good morning everyone! I am sorry for not posting an update last night but as they say No News is GOOD News. There was really nothing new to report. Justyn is still progressing about the same although his eyes have been opening a bit more but he is still in a somewhat “sleep-state”. I did; however, finally ask about the wounds to his face and it is amazing that he only required a handful of stitches to his eye lid but those will dissolve on their own. My mom did just call and thankfully she and my dad got some much needed rest. She spoke to Dave and he said that Justyn recognizes his mom and dad’s voice and opens his eyes in response to them. They are expecting a slower day today simply because yesterday was a good day of progression for him. Remember 2 steps forward 1 step back. They have been putting a wet washcloth on his lips to keep them dry and the wetness shocks him and he opens his eyes in response. Please continue to pray for a full recovery for Justyn. Thank you to ALL of my mom’s friends and co-workers for supplying my mom with some wonderful meals. Like she said, it is amazing that someone has been able to feed OUR family. I will post again later today. Thank you again for your continued support. Please also say a prayer for my niece Amanda as she has a Dr's appointment today at 2:00 ... she is still in a bit of pain and is still struggling with some guilt issues so if you see her give her an extra squeeze okay ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Thursday, July 15, 2004 8:46 AM CDT

UPDATE: 3:00 pm (Central)
Ready for another Justyn Update? Well here goes … it seems as if he is more “awake” than sleeping but that doesn’t mean his eyes are open BUT whenever someone walks in the room and they say “Hey Justyn it’s Pop/Nan!” He lifts his head up and opens his eyes. The Occupational Therapist is telling everyone when they go in the room to say who they are to try and jump start his memory. She also recommends taking a few pictures of him to show him what he looks like. I guess that while my dad (pop) was in the room my mom (nan) walked in and pop said “Hey Justyn, Nan’s here.” Well once my mom walked over to him he turned his head away and looked at pop … leave it to Justyn to tease my mom even after an accident like this. My mom is reminding him that he needs to get better because he left the floats and goggles in the pool and he needs to help her collect firewood … these are all good things to say as they will jog his memory and hopefully help him remember things. Another TRUE Justyn moment … while he was eating his popsicle this morning it was dripping onto his chin. Well he didn’t like that one bit so he reached for something to wipe his face with and then he was DONE with the popsicle. Hmm, I wonder where he gets that from ~ Jenny! My mom told me that Sunday night when they were at the baseball game he was eating a popsicle and it was dripping onto his hands and chin and he got so frustrated and said “I hate that” so my mom said well just go throw it away … so we at least know the good ol’ Justyn we love so much is still there … Another sweet note … when the X-ray techs went in on Tuesday to do a chest x-ray one of them noticed Jenny and vice versa … well it so happens that the SAME X-Ray tech taking care of Justyn was the one who took an X-Ray of Jenny’s cabbage Patch Doll back when she was an oncology patient. The tech said I remember you – you were one of my oncology patients. Later that day the lady returned with a photo of Jenny back when she was a patient ~ How ironic is that? It made Jenny feel more comfortable knowing someone who took such great care of her was also there to take great care of Justyn. While I was on the phone with my mom she mentioned that the therapy dogs were there today putting smiles on the children’s faces … God Bless them all. As always thank you for taking such great care of Justyn and for praying SO hard … we don’t know where he would be without all the amazing support … and Thank You Dr. James Field ~ My sister loves you for taking such great care of Justyn and for taking the time to show you care … talk to you all soon! * Oh and a special prayer for a 4 month old baby at AMC … Jenny has become friends with Baby Zian’s mom and he just had his 2nd heart surgery yesterday so he could use a few prayers sent his way …

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 10:33 am (Central)
My mom just called with some excellent news ... she called and spoke to Dave and he said that Justyn (even though he is NOT awake) is eating a popsicle ... how exciting is that? He said his eyes are opening but she wasn't sure if he was doing it on his own or on command and that Jenny is feeding him a popsicle ... the Nutritionist has been in and out wondering when he might eat and she is so excited that he is sucking on a popsicle ... it is almost similar to a sleep state ... when Uncle Harry was little he got out of bed, sat at the dining room table and ate a peanut butter cup ASLEEP and returned to bed ... so I guess it is sort of like that ... ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU all so much for your kindness and prayers ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 8:46 am (Central)
Well after a so-so restful night my mom called me to give me this morning’s update. Her and my dad stayed over night so Jen and Dave could get some much needed sleep. She sent them to the parent’s room around 9:00 last night and aside from Jenny flying into the room around 1 this morning because she thought she was paged she slept until 6:00 this morning so that is a PLUS and as needed for the family as Justyn’s recovery. My mom said that last night the Flight Care nurse stopped in to see Justyn because as storm had them grounded. She was so surprised to see how well he looked since she saw him last (which was Sunday). He got a bath and the flight nurse was there to help which was nice. My mom said that since his neck brace is causing his shoulders to get raw they took it off for a bit while he was being bathed and now it is back on but with a lot of added padding and gauze in hopes to reduce the rubbing against his skin. My mom also mentioned that the thrashing was a bit less last night so we hope that means Justyn got some rest. The Dr’s have said that even though he has yet to “wake-up” he is NOT in a coma but instead is in what he refers to as a deep sleep. He does respond when his hands and feet are “tickled” so they know he has no damage towards those areas. She also said that yesterday they cleaned his mouth out and he liked that BUT when they tried to do it again he promptly spit it out … NOW that’s the Justyn we know … head-strong! They did not re-scan him yesterday and we are not sure if there are plans to do so today but I will be sure to update everyone as soon as I know. Justyn’s nurse last night mentioned to my mom that she would be surprised if he was still in the PICU when she was back on Saturday so that is a GOOD sign too! He would either be transferred to Pediatrics or to the Rehab area of the hospital. As always we want to thank you all for taking the time to pray for Justyn and my entire family … Our family has become even more close due to this event and we are so happy to have so many caring people out there to help us … we would also like to thank the Spiegeltown Fire and Rescue Depts. for the amazing care they gave to Justyn, Amanda and Jennifer … not to mention the AMAZING care so many of my parent’s neighbors have shown, especially so many that ran down the hill to help … without so many people helping we could have lost valuable time … also … we can’t forget the fact that Amanda also received some injuries to herself and although she was discharged that night she does have some serious road burn/rash along with the guilt she has for the accident itself … she is an amazingly strong person but could use some prayers as well … and one more thing … (long winded today huh?) I wanted to personally thank my nephew Zachary for getting back to the top of the hill so fast to get some help … if he wasn’t there Justyn could have lost some very precious time … Zachary has always been Justyn’s Hero and this time he was … Thank you all again for your prayers … Justyn is getting there … and so are we …

Love
Aunt Bekah

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 8:09 AM CDT

UPDATE: 7:30 pm (Central)
Good evening everyone! Well I figured I would give one last update for the evening so here goes. My mom called and said that he is doing pretty good tonight and that the Dr's decided to take the restraint off his left leg to see how he responds. When I was speaking to her he had yet to notice it was off so I am not sure how he has responded so far so keep your fingers CROSSED. The Dr's have also commented on the temperature he had this morning and the conclusion is that he has worked himself up so much with the thrashing and the stress his body is under that his body caused the fever on its own MEANING they have ruled out infection as of right now so that is a good sign. His neurosurgeon was a bit disappointed that he didn't really wake up much today but he did tickle the bottom of his feet and Justyn's response was normal so another GOOD SIGN. The Doctors are hoping and thinking he may be awake within the next few days - meaning he will start to spend more of the day awake rather than asleep ... not so much up and talking like normal but still that is a great sign too! The Neurosurgeon also said that they will re-scan him within the next few days to see how the swelling is. He breaks head injuries down like this ... Justyn has a bruise on his brain and it typically takes a bruise 3-4 days to peak and then it will start to fade away. It is at that point that they will re-scan to see the progress of the bruise ... Justyn could have possible memory loss and/or forget simple tasks such as how to tie his shoe and things like that but we are ALL hoping that he makes a FULL recovery ... As always we are so thankful for the outpouring of love, support and prayers coming from all over the country ... we feel so blessed to have such a wonderful network of caring people out there ... you honestly are ALL making a difference! Well that is it for now ... I will post an update tomorrow OF COURSE so until then ...

* I added the link to a few of MY special friends that have been so kind to add Justyn to their prayer lists ... I have been keeping up with these beautiful children for quite a while and they are all wonderful so I thought we could all visit them to give some prayers back ~
THANK YOU ALL!

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 1:00 pm (Central)
I just got off the phone with Jenny and she sounds pretty good. She got some sleep last night from 11-7 so she feels a bit better with some sleep in her. Dave, on the other hand, stayed in Justyn’s room and since Justyn didn’t sleep well neither did Dave. They both (Jen and Dave) did get food in them this morning at the hospital lunch room so that is a plus. Jenny said Justyn is doing “okay” and that his body is just very tired. The Dr’s said that some children react to sedation different and he just happens to be one of the few that take a while to come off the sedation. He is on pain medication which is just Tylenol and it as only given as needed so he is not on a continuous drip. He gets an antibiotic 4 times a day and is on saline for hydration. They don’t want to remove his neck brace until they know the extent of neck damage and because of the thrashing around he is still doing. Jenny did say that he is playing with his thumb and pointer finger on his right hand and keeps rubbing them together. Well he was rubbing so much they became sore so they decided to put tape on them … well he is concentrating SO hard that every time they replace the tape he eventually gets it off on his own so we can all say he is a determined Little Guy. She also said that they took his catheter out so I am sure he feels better because of that but she did mention that occasionally he feels down there as if he is making sure everything is okay. My mom is planning on staying the night with them so HOPEFULLY Dave and Jenny can both get some much needed and deserved sleep. As always please continue praying for everyone … Justyn is a lot like his mom and we all know how strong of a fighter she was battling cancer so we know Justyn will fight and fight and BEAT this …

Love
Aunt Bekah


UPDATE: 11:00 am (Central)
My mom just called to let us know that Justyn's temperature has been lowered to 101. The Dr's have said that basically he had a lot of advancement yesterday and today will be a slow day for him and they plan to let him rest quite a bit. I look at it as the 4 steps forward 2 steps back. Which in reality is how he should progress ... slowly. He is thrashing around quite a bit and because he is being restrained to prevent further damage it is heartbreaking to watch. My mom was in there doing what he loves the most and rubbing his back and he was relatively calm with no thrashing during that time. Basically his poor little body is tired so today will be a day of rest for him ... please continue to pray for Justyn, Jenny and Dave ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 8:14 am (Central)
Hello everyone ... well after a pretty amazing day yesterday we have come to a stand still and the result is that Justyn had a very restless night with the thrasing and aggitation. He now has a temperature of 103 and the Dr's aren't sure quiet yet where or what the infection is but he has been on an antibiotic since Monday. The Dr's have said that he is not responding like they would like to see today but then again yesterday he shocked them with his improvements. My sister is now at the Ronald McDonald house with my mom taking a shower and we are hoping to get her down to the cafeteria to get some food in her. Please pray for Justyn today ... even though he had great strides yesterday he is still far from being out of the woods yet. His body is probably very tired as are his parents. Please continue tp pray for Justyn and his mom and dad ... THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the amazing amount of prayer that came through yesterday ... let's pray for today to have the same results ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 6:15 PM CDT

Here is probably the last update for the night and it goes out to EVERYONE who has been here and who has visited at the hospital and who has been praying on their own ... My mom (Rita/Nanny) said it best when she said the remarkable improvement in Justyn just since this site was started has been beyond amazing ... the Dr's never thought he'd be this far already and in fact they are starting to sit the bed up a bit ... he can open his left eye and he knows who people are. The Dr's said he has brain damage AKA as brain bruising and the extent of the injury won't be known until Justyn can respond a little better. He does go into a bit of thrashing and aggitation with shaking of his arms and legs but the Dr's have assured us that is normal with all head injuries and it will subside but the length it takes to do so is unknown. I want to thank EVERYONE from the bottom of my heart ... the prayers and time that everyone has taken to pray for this Little Guy is so heart warming and amazing that we don't know where to start with the Thank yous ... you're all amazing people and show the goodness in our world and again we THANK YOU so very much ... I will be back to post updates tomorrow so until then ... GOD BLESS you all ...

Love the Beaulac's, Thompson's, Courter's and Clark's along with all of our family members ... we thank you!

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 6:15 PM CDT

Here is probably the last update for the night and it goes out to EVERYONE whoe has been here and who has visited at the hospital and who has been praying on their own ... My mom (Rita/Nanny) said it best when she said the remarkable improvement in Justyn just since this site was started has been beyond amazing ... the Dr's never thought he'd be this far already and in fact they are starting to sit the bed up a bit ... he can open his left eye and he knows who people are. The Dr's said he has brain damage AKA as brain bruising and the extent of the injury won't be known until Justyn can respond a little better. He does go into a bit of thrashing and aggitation with shaking of his arms and legs but the Dr's have assured us that is normal with all head injuries and it will subside but the length it takes to do so is unknown. I want to thank EVERYONE from the bottom of my heart ... the prayers and time that everyone has taken to pray for this Little Guy is so heart warming and amazing that we don't know where to start with the Thank yous ... you're all amazing people and show the goodness in our world and again we THANK YOU so very much ... I will be back to post updates tomorrow so until then ... GOD BLESS you all ...

Love the Beaulac's, Thompson's, Courter's and Clark's along with all of our family members ... we thank you!

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 6:15 PM CDT

Here is probably the last update for the night and it goes out to EVERYONE whoe has been here and who has visited at the hospital and who has been praying on their own ... My mom (Rita/Nanny) said it best when she said the remarkable improvement in Justyn just since this site was started has been beyond amazing ... the Dr's never thought he'd be this far already and in fact they are starting to sit the bed up a bit ... he can open his left eye and he knows who people are. The Dr's said he has brain damage AKA as brain bruising and the extent of the injury won't be known until Justyn can respond a little better. He does go into a bit of thrashing and aggitation with shaking of his arms and legs but the Dr's have assured us that is normal with all head injuries and it will subside but the length it takes to do so is unknown. I want to thank EVERYONE from the bottom of my heart ... the prayers and time that everyone has taken to pray for this Little Guy is so heart warming and amazing that we don't know where to start with the Thank yous ... we would like you all to email the address on the from page with your mailing addresses so we can send out a proper thank you if you are comfortable with that ... there is no other way to show you thanks .... you're all amazing people and show the goodness in our world and again we THANK YOU so very much ... I will be back to post updates tomorrow so until then ... GOD BLESS you all ...

Love the Beaulac's, Thompson's, Courter's and Clark's along with all of our family members ... we thank you!

Tuesday, July 13, 2004 8:41 AM CDT

Hospital Address and Room Number added at bottom ... no flowers at this time because he is in the PICU ... cards are okay!

UDPATE: 2:30pm (Central)
My mom (nanny) just called me and said that they took the respirator out about 15 minutes ago. He is complaining of pain and actually is saying "OWE!" So that is a good sign. His eyes have opened a bit and he is aware of his surroundings and the people there. His arms are still being restrained to prevent him from thrashing about and touching his tubes and especially his face and head. So the power of prayer is beyond amazing at this point. The critical 72 hours are fast ending and the improvements in our little fighter is amazing ... thank you ALL for being here for our family ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 11:30am (central)
My sister Nicole called a bit ago with some preliminary CT results. The swelling has gone down considerably to the point that they have reconsidered drilling in to relieve pressure. She also said that after the scan he opened one of his eyes for the first time and was absolutely terrified ... once his mom told him he was okay and she was there he fell back to sleep ... I want ALL of you to know that the power of prayer at this point is BEYOND amazing ... thank you ALL for being there for our family it means SO much! I am working on getting Justyn's room number and phone number on the site so anyone can send him a few cards or a phone call ... thank you all again and I will update some more later ... I can't believe his site has been visited almost 1200 times in less than 24 hours ... I think storming heaven would be an understatement!

Love Aunt Bekah

UPDATE: 8:41am (central)
I am beyond amazed at the response we have gotten from SO many people who care. I can't wait for Justyn to be able to read his guestbook and see how many people from ALL over are praying for him. Thank you everyone for rallying around us with your support. Well Justyn made it through another night and is scheduled for a CT scan this morning. Last night we had a hint of good news regarding his facial fractures. We were told that the bones in his face are aligned therefore they will heal on their own and he will not require plates to mend them. His neurosurgeon also had an uplifting remark and said Justyn is better than he thought he would be BUT they are still concerned about the weakness on his right side. His sinuses are better off after further review and we were told that they are more torn than crushed and with time will mend on their own as well. He will be prone to more sinus infections and trouble breathing through his nose than the average person BUT at this point that is the least of our concerns. My sister Jennifer finally got a little sleep and a bit to eat and is doing as best as she can. My brother in law Dave is in need of some prayers as well ... he is in rough shape so if anyone sees him he could use some hugs. I wanted to personally thank all of my relatives who have made it to visit Justyn and those that have visited this site to offer your support... My mom truly appreciates you all being there for her and the rest of us and since I am not able to be there I appreciate it the most. I will be sure to post an update as soon as the CT results come back ... as always THANK YOU all and Thank you for signing Justyn's book ...

Love
Aunt Bekah

Monday, July 12, 2004 12:43 AM CDT

This page is being created by Justyn's Aunt Rebekah to keep family members updated on his condition. Last night (July 11th) Justyn and his cousin Amanda were in an ATV accident. The ATV tipped and Justyn was thrown from the vehicle. Amanda was able to get the vehicle off of her and suffered minor injuries and was discharged later that night. Justyn, despite wearing a helmet suffered severe facial injuries, a broken neck at or around the C4 vertebrae and a fractured skull. He was unconscious after the accident but never stopped breating. He was airlifted to Albany Medical Center and has been sedated and intubated ever since. He has some pain which we've been told is a good thing and he is able to breate on his own. The respirator is breating 8 out of the 30 times and Justyn is doing the rest on his own. He was able to lift his eye brows when asked questions and he has been able to squeeze hands and move his fingers. We ask that you pray for Justyn and his mom Jennifer and dad Dave along with all who love him. The next 72 hours will be critical and we pray he can pull through. He has a lot of fight in him and we need him with us ... I will continue to update everyone with Justyn's condition as soon as I know. We love you all ...

Aunt Bekah

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