Jacob ’s Story

Site created on August 16, 2020

On July 16th 2020 at 4:30 pm our life changed forever. We had been on vacation for 2 days and this was our second day. It was a perfect day.  We had already talked about wrapping it up and getting ice cream later. The sky started to darken very quickly. My husband and I decided it was time to go. So we grabbed our stuff and started walking off the beach. We had probably walked 15 feet when it happened. I was walking next to Jacob but then all of a sudden I was on the ground. I thought what happened did I trip why am I on the ground? There was unbelievable pain and ringing in my ear. I was disoriented and looked next to me Jacob dropped to the ground. I said Jacob are you ok? He didn’t answer but instead started foaming at the mouth. I knew he needed CPR and fast. I started screaming please please does anyone know CPR? Please someone call 911!! Two men Luis Perez and Guillermo Hernandez ran over and started CPR. Three minutes in and Jacob wasn’t responding. I started screaming please God please save Jacob! My husband was next to his body praying as the two men kept trying to save Jacob. Our daughter Ashley started praying.  A man runs towards us and says he is a pre-med student and takes on the chest compressions as we are going 6 minutes without a heartbeat.  The storm is on top of us now and it unleashes it’s fury on us. The wind blows sand all around us and lightning is everywhere. Every time it flashes and thunders my heart stops. We have to get him off the beach my husband picks up his dead body and starts carrying him across the beach. The rain has become torrential. We get to the access path that goes out to the street when a Sarasota deputy named Mark Eve runs up to us. He sees us and says drop him and he starts the compressions again. Then an ambulance golf cart shows up to help Jacob. The lightning is horrific it’s everywhere. As they drive away with Jacob my husband looks back and says where’s Ashley? I realize she’s gone is she back on the beach, did someone take her somewhere, or did she run back to our room? The Sarasota Sheriffs Department Deputy Mike Eve assures me that we will find her. As I stand in a parking garage under a condo near the beach I just cry. Finally the storm let up and we found Ashley in our resort room. We gathered a couple of Items and headed to the hospital. Once at the hospital they walk my daughter and I to a consultation room I see my husband wrapped in a blanket with a doctor and a Sarasota Sheriff’s victim officer I start panicking. I said “no please no I can’t do this!“ My husband immediately drops the blanket and runs over to hug me and tell me he’s alive. I can’t believe it! How could this kid directly hit by lightning without a pulse for close to an hour be alive. 

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for some of our story from dad's view, see the  journal entry made September 7:
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/barbarabrewer/journal/view/id/5f55b8ef6ed8c0b32295bd6b

Newest Update

Journal entry by Barbara Brewer

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer

Romans 12:12

 

Jacob was recently working on his college essay. He talked about his body being in shambles. He woke up to a nightmare of no control over his bowels and bladder, his legs not moving, and being so weak he couldn't even hold a cup to take a sip of water. I remember watching him lay in a diaper, trying to roll over like a baby; it almost broke me. I remember him lying in that hospital bed, asking why God did this to him. It was hard! How do you help your child through it? How do you convince them it will be ok? Jacob was broken! However, he found his purpose with all the love, support, faith, and God. Jacob told me before the accident he wanted to go to college to be an engineer and make lots of money. Now after meeting people all over the country and seeing people dealing with injuries like his, he wanted to help them. He wants to make a difference through research and hopefully find a way to help the future of Spinal Cord Injuries.

 

 Jacob has been working tirelessly to regain leg function. However, he has also put in long hours working on his studies. He was six months behind on his studies yet worked through holidays and summers to catch up. He will be finally caught up and a senior this next month. He started studying the SAT book several months ago, working through it on Saturdays and anytime he had spare time. The College Board told me last month that because of Jacob's disabilities, he couldn't test with the other students. I told them he had worked this hard and that you can't do this to him, but it didn't matter. I made a heartfelt post pleading for anyone who could help us. This amazing God-loving man, Tony Green, saw my post and shared it. He had a friend who actually does disability testing for the SAT in the next district over, and he offered to help. It was incredible what this guy did for us; he had to contact the College Board people personally and finally got it all set up. Jacob takes the SAT next Saturday. You got this, Jacob!

 

 We found out the Vienna device is working! At Jacob's recent neurologist appointment, Dr. Taylor was so excited she just looked at us and said, "You guys did it." We rebuilt the leg muscles but are working on getting the nerves to connect with a medical laser we rent from a nerve specialist for $ 3,500 a month. However, this therapy is challenging! We have to spend two hours every morning stimulating his leg muscles, then running this medical laser up and down his spine, front of his legs, and back of his legs. We keep praying that we can get that nerve to connect. So much to be thankful for! Thank you to everyone for following, cheering, supporting, and praying for us for the past three years. It has been tough on our family; we couldn't have gotten through this without your prayers and support.  

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