The Miracle of Birth

If you haven't already heard Jason is a Daddy!!  Sage was born on Monday morning and she and her new Momma are doing great.  Jason saw his little girl shortly after she arrived and was thrilled and we heard he has had a big grin on his face ever since.  :D

David has been saying for weeks that he felt Jason would have a big positive change once he saw his daughter and it appears he is right!  When we spoke to Jason Tuesday night he sounded almost like himself.   He is so proud and you could hear the happiness right thru the phone.  He told us things were only going to go up again from here and we pray this will give him the next jump start.
(Not that he hasn't continued working hard in therapy but it isn't easy and he still has far to go.)  When we asked about Sage's  hair he tickled us by saying, "She's a good combination of her parental influences."  Carolin told us he is holding her like a pro and wants to be at the hospital with his new family alot of the day.

Last night we got to go up to the hospital and see them in person.  We ran into Jason in the hallway and he very steadily led us right to Carolin's room.  As soon as we saw our new granddaughter bundled up in Carolin's arms we were in love!  She is 8 lbs of sweetness!  Though Carolin is having some pain from the surgery she overall feels good and she looks wonderful. Carolin agrees there is a lot of Jason in her face and apparently she is already sleeping with her arms up by her head just like he does!  David and I both got to cuddle Sage and then it was time for a few pictures.  It was very emotional to see Jason holding his daughter.  To think that less than three months ago we were sitting by Jason's bedside at the hospital Brain Trauma Unit praying so longingly for him to wake up and get to this moment in unbelievable.  These are truly miraculous pictures and a testament to his strong will to be there for Carolin and his child.

We have pictures with David and each of his children with their newborns in the hospital but up until recently it was still uncertain if we would get to have one with our beloved Jason.  After so much pain and so many prayers these past few months the feeling of joy to have these happy moments is almost overwhelming.

 

 

With each new life comes the promise of a new start.  And I thought what one of Carolin's close friends said is perfect - this isn't the start of a new chapter but the start of a whole new book for Jason and Carolin!

 

 

 



So Thankful

I am so thankful that everyone we know has come through Hurricane Sandy safely!  Perhaps some structural damage,  loss of trees,  loss of electricity, etc. - but nothing that can't be replaced.  My heart goes out to those who lost entire homes and even more the loss of loved ones.

Jason is doing well physically and will soon have his opthomology appointment to determine if there is permanent damage to his right eye or if it on the path to hopefully full use again.   The paper work for Acadia looks like it's gone thru and any day the letter should arrive to confirm that.  This afternoon Jason had a tour of the facilities and hopefully he will be as excited as we are with all of the wonderful  things they offer.  As he has been regaining more and more understanding, one of the biggest things at the moment is helping him deal with feeling badly about what he's lost and the hard work ahead of him.   Acadia specializes in TBI patients and knows this is common and normal and Jason will be going to some of the sessions geared towards helping him to cope with this.
It's very painful watching him begin to go thru what we know, from reading and talking to other TBI patients, is normal.  We try to tell ourselves this is actually a good sign but it is so hard knowing the frustration he is feeling.

Last Saturday Allison, Mia, and my Mom, (Jason's Grannie), drove up to see him for a little while.  It was a little sticky at first when he decided he didn't want to see anyone that day but eventually he did visit with them.  He especially seemed to enjoy playing with Mia.

 

David and I are hoping to take him and Carolin to brunch this Saturday at one of their favorite restaurants, (Cracker Barrel), and hope that will be something he will want to do and enjoy.

With all of the devastation from Sandy it's been hard to ask for prayers and financial help but this is the weekend of Ruby's Give Back fundraiser for Jason - Nov. 3-4-5 so perhaps knowing you are getting a meal at the same time you are helping Jason will encourage everyone to come for a meal - or several meals - at one of the Frederick locations.  We are probably going to be there at 6:30 this Saturday night if anyone wants to join us.   Don't forget to go to the fan page to download a flier to bring along so your 20% gets donated!

And please add some prayers for Jason's continued growth and to give him the strength and courage to keep fighting this tough battle!

SEEING IS BELIEVING

If anyone doubted that all of your prayers work I hope this next piece of awesome news keeps you going - Jason's right eye has greatly improved!  We were so excited to see him yesterday and once we pulled up I let Carolin know we had just arrived and the next thing we know there is Jason walking out the front door standing tall and walking straight with confidence.  After seeing how much the loss of his peripheral vision in that right eye had been affecting his walking last time we saw him,  we were so happy!  It's been obviously getting better the past week or so and in hopes of this progress continuing they are waiting another week to see the opthomologist to give that eye even more time to heal on it's own.  How cool is that???  With all my heart I truly thank everyone who have been Jason's Prayer Warriors!

We had a good visit and got lots of chatting in.  When I asked if he watched any good shows lately he remembered watching, "Revenge", the night before which was great as it's his short term memory that he is having problems with.  He is really working so hard to improve everything - during that day's PT he had not only leg pressed a good amount of weight but when told he could stop he wanted to keep going.  Go Jason!  Hopefully it will only be another few weeks for the paperwork to be completed and he can start at the Acadia Neuro Rehabilitation which is about 20 minutes or so from the house.  There he will go full time Monday-Friday from 9-3.  When I said to Jason it will be just like a school day he said, "Oh boy."  Oh yes I love every sarcastic comment!  :D

At the end of last week he started telling people he wanted to go to Frederick which was another big moment - in fact David got a suprise phone call from him last Thursday which he started by saying, "Hi Dad this is your son Jason."  David was so thrilled and Jason sounded very enthusiastic through out the phone call.  At one point he asked his Dad if he was going to be home that evening as he wanted to drive down that night.  With his eye improving and continued memory gains that will hopefully be a reality sooner rather than later! 

A few weeks ago I had told everyone about the box O.A.R. had sent for Jason and Brian had delivered to him.  Here is a picture of some of the generous gifts they sent:

Today he had a follow up with his main overall Dr. from Bryn Mawr who was very happy with his progress.  In fact Jason is eating and drinking so well now that he took the PEG tube out of his stomach - Jason is totally tube free at his 10 week mark!

The flyers are up on Jason's Fan Club page on FB for the Ruby's Give Back event going on November 2, 3, and 4th so make sure to print a bunch out for the Frederick location(s) of your choice and mark your calendars for another weekend of no cooking!  (Give them to everyone you know so they can enjoy staying out of the kitchen too!)

Updated Updates

Jason may be at home in Lancaster but that doesn't mean he has had any easing up of his hard working therapy.  Yesterday he began with doing simple daily tasks such as throwing trash away, using scissors, and putting the leash on the dog.  He also did some speech therapy - practicing opposites, finishing sentences, matching the words with the pictures - and he did very well.   Of course he was a bit confused when he first got out of Bryn Mawr - totally normal for someone with a TBI - but he is doing much better with the familiarity of therapy once again started. 

This morning he began part time outpatient therapy where they began evaluations for his new outpatient treatment.  (He will switch to full time but of course there is paper work they are waiting on!)  Even while doing evaluations his progress is evidenced by improvement with reading and directions.

I did talk to Jason on the phone this afternoon and that was awesome!  (Not to say that my heart wasn't wrenched when first talking to him just realizing we have so far to go until he sounds like himself.  And yes worrying if he ever will.)  I told him how much I missed him, loved him, and couldn't wait to see him again.  Seeing him and speaking to him no matter in person or by phone gives me such an elated feeling - as silly as it may sound it's almost like I'm holding my breath the whole time!

Hopefully it won't be too long until Jason's right eye can be assessed in full.  Basically they need to make sure he can accurately tell them what he sees and doesn't see before making any diagnosis. (Or perhaps by the time this happens he will be seeing just great out of that eye!)

Hopefully too, over the next several weeks, Jason can get to the point where he can begin to understand the magnitude of what together,  all of us who love him and admire him so much, accomplished together last Friday night at the benefit.  If you haven't gotten word yet the www.thejasonshepardbenefitfund.com is staying up and the donate button has been changed from ticket sales to regular donations so those of you who want to can continue to use that. Also if you didn't get a Livin on a Prayer benefit band and would like to purchase one please let me or one of his siblings know and we will get one right out to you!  There are some other ideas out there for further updates to the site so keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime keep the weekend of November 2, 3, and 4 open for another Ruby Tuesday's benefit at both of the Frederick locations who did a great job last time they so generously donated 20% of profits to Jason.  I'm sure the Shepard clan will once again be there in force one of the nights and will let you know if anyone is interested in joining us at that particular time(s). (The two Frederick locations reported almost $450 from the last donation weekend and perhaps there will be even more once Lancaster gives their report.)

As usual I will end by asking everyone to please continue your prayers for fast growing brain cells, healing of his right eye, continuance of Jason's building his strength up, and peace and understanding between all of us who love him with all of our hearts!

WORDS CAN NOT EXPRESS

There are no words to express how grateful and astounded our family was by the turn out and generosity of Jason's incredible friends and family at the benefit on Friday evening. There were people there who had come from Maine to Florida!  Every one of the awesome items for the silent auction and raffle were donated in full so that all the raised funds could go to Jason.  The beer kegs were donated by Barley & Hops and two of The Prime Choice's best, Jose and Diana, donated their time in Jason's honor to make sure everyone enjoyed yummy food all evening.  We also want to give a shout  out to Rabbi Dave Finkelstein who donated the use of Shoresh Ballroom.

Jason's brothers and sister and spouses all worked extremely hard in a little over a month to pull this fabulous evening together.  There is nothing worse than the helpless feeling we all had after Jason's accident and Jason's siblings and their spouses put all their energy and love into doing something positive they knew they could do for him.  I can not be prouder of the love and commitment they have for their brother and each other.

Brian and Jenn , Aaron and Lindsay, Andre and Allison

 

 

They all spent the whole day getting things ready and setting up

 

 

 Jenn designed the centerpieces herself

 

 

 

 

Next to set up were the raffle items.  Thank you again for opening your hearts and buying so many raffle tickets!  What a great idea to be able to put tickets towards only the items you wanted.  Lots of people went home happy with Vera Bradley wallets, Chipolte gift cards, Ruby Tuesday gift cards, baskets filled with special items, passes to Skate Frederick, assorted other certificates to local restaurants, and more.

 



Even before 7:00 people started arriving and Shirley Moore and I were busy checking the pre bought ticket guests in, helping people who were paying at the door, and selling additional wrist bands, raffle tickets, and giving out auction numbers.

 



A highlight of the evening was being able to tell everyone of you who have been prayer warriors for Jason that he had arrived at Carolin's parents house in Lancaster that morning and would be sleeping in his own bed that very evening.   When Brian made the announcement it was awesome to listen to the cheers and yells!

 

Next up were two performances choreographed by Jason's cousin, Chrissi Shepard Haines, who is the second oldest of the 9 Shepard cousins.  Just as all of them, she has been praying hard as well as starting prayer chains at her church.  Her team of dancers from the Mid Maryland Performing Arts Center did a great job with a jazz number.

 

  

 

But it was the second lyrical piece that had me crying from the moment it began.  Especially when  Chrissi introduced it by saying she had choreographed it in honor of a student at the dance studio who was fighting against cancer last Spring.

 

 

Brian was a phenomenal Master of Ceremonies who kept the evening lively and moving and used his DJ skills as people danced in between the dancers and Rich Cook's moving performances.

 

 



Rich Cook has been friends with all three of our boys since elementary school.  He graduated from high school with Jason and even beyond that stayed friends with him.  He and Brian shared a townhouse together for several years and even now he and Brian play softball in a league together.  Rich is an incredible singer and made for another emotional part of the evening when for his 3rd song he surprised us with turning the Shepard family "anthem" - Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi - into a very moving acoustical performance. 

 

 

 

Everyone next had fun with a live auction for three huge baskets put together by Katie Schwartz who sells Tastefully Simple items - yet another friend of Jason's since high school who also did a Disney internship with him.  I had my heart set on one with all kinds of sweet cookies and brownie mixes and drinks such as Hot Chocolate and Chai tea and ended up in a bidding war for a bit - I was so relieved when I won it!  ;)

 

Our awesome auctioneer, Jon, and his wife, Krasi, are old high school and college friends of David's and mine.  We hadn't seen each other for many many years but reestablished a connection thru FaceBook.  As soon as Krasi read about Jason's accident she has been emailing and messaging me almost daily with support and prayers.  Once they learned about the kids doing a Silent Auction they insisted on donating their time and experience as this is something they have done for many large events.

 

The silent auction was a huge success - all of you were so truly giving and our hearts were full of excitement as totals were added up and the realization of just what had been accomplished for Jason hit!  Here are just a very few items that were being bid on along with 3 and 4 day weekend trips, signed Broadway memorabilia, a beautiful original painting of our cottage in Maine, and on and on.

 

 

Signed Redskin Mini Helmets donated by Brian Shepard

 

 

 Since Jason was so active in both high school and college in theater it's no surprise that several friends went on to work on Broadway.  One of his college friends, Ariane, was able to get us two tickets to see Wicked on Broadway.

 

 Jenn was able to get the Redskins to send a signed football and there was a lot of beautiful jewelry donated by a friend who didn't even know Jason who sells Cookie Lea jewelry.

 

 

There were Vera Bradley purses donated by Catherine, who works for a PR company in Seattle, WA, who David has worked with, (she also very generously donated the VB wallets).  Amongst other collectibles there was also retired Disney memorabilia.

 

 



 There were so many times I was brought to tears, as I'm sure many others were.  It really hit me hard when seeing Aaron and Brian doing things together through out the evening and not seeing Jason's familiar face with them as it usually is.  It was especially moving when Kevin Moore took the mike.  The Moores and the Shepards have been like family since Jason's freshman year of high school when he and Kylene Moore (Beshore), did their first theater production together and then went on to also do a Disney College Internship together.  He tearfully described how much he was affected when hearing about what happened.  He was temporarily working out of the country at the time and he described the nights he stayed awake praying for Jason's life and recovery. 

We will never be able to come close to showing our appreciation for all of your selfless giving, prayers, and thoughts.

Jason is really just beginning the hardest part of his journey.  His fight for full recovery is far from over and we continue to need your prayers and support. Starting Tuesday he will be going to outpatient rehab all day five days a week.  Jason's brothers and sisters have decided to leave the donation button up at www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com,  and Matt Kinney, who started the Jason Shepard Fan Page, as well as pulling together the last Ruby Tuesday's fund raiser has done it again and the first weekend in November Ruby Tuesday's will once more be donating 20% of all sales at both Frederick locations.  (I'll post more information up in the next day or so and it will also be on the Jason Shepard Fan Club page.

I promise to keep you all updated on his progress every few days.  Here's to all of you who continue to stand by Jason's side and believe me he can feel it!

Healing Prayers Still Needed!

Walking into Jason's room there is always a little apprehension for us wondering how he will be doing.  Saturday morning we walked in just after his first physical therapy appointment of the morning and the apprehension disappeared immediately - he looked great!  Right away was the familiar, "Hi Mom", "Hi Dad".  It feels so good to give him a kiss and feel him give a kiss back.  Such normal things in the past are now enough to make us sky high!  We had brought up some benefit bands and Carolin put hers on right away.  We've been wearing ours non stop and it really gave us a feeling of solidarity at being united for Jason.

  We spent the morning chit chatting with him and Carolin.  This week we really felt more like he was connecting with most of what we were saying.  At times he does answer a question with something that is just out of the blue and makes no sense or tell us something that Carolin then has to remind him didn't actually happen.  It's unnerving, (though sometimes you just have to laugh), but then we remind ourselves how just a few weeks ago he was only saying a few words and seemed unable to concentrate for more than a short time and then would be exhausted.  We remind ourselves it's only been 7 weeks and how determined and hard working he is that he's already at this point.  We remind ourselves that the power of healing prayers still surrounds him and helps keep his momentum going.

At lunch time we told him we would get anything he wanted to eat.  We discussed some options but as soon as Carolin mentioned Chipolte that was the end of the discussion - he was definite about that being his choice!  Yet another normal thing that thrilled us - getting to eat our first meal with him since mid July.  He even choose to walk to the patient dining room on his floor rather than using his wheel chair - another first for us to see!  He was tending to walk towards the right and needed just a little guidance from Carolin but how cool to see him walk in, sit down on a regular chair, and use a fork!  He had half of a burrito bowl on his plate so it was hard to see him only eat a few bites before putting his fork down and saying he was full.  He is so painfully thin I had to bite my tongue not to urge him to eat more.  After lunch it was almost time for his next physical therapy session and again he chose to walk to the therapy room which was down the other end of the hall rather than have Carolin get his wheelchair.  They really have him do alot during the 30 minute PT!  They started out doing a lot of walking and then twisting towards the therapist to hand her the ball while walking.  During this is was very evident he was pulling towards the right and would have walked into the wall if she hadn't guided him away from it.  Carolin told us this was all part of the worry about his right eye as they think he can't see from certain angles or it may be his right peripheral vision.  Since he can't always find the correct words to communicate they haven't done any complete checks on this but plan to in the next week or so.  It was even more worrisome when cones were set up in front of him to walk between and he missed the ones closest to him on the right side.  When asked to count the number of cones he got that immediately as well as the colors of the cones but when asked to count how many were on the right he again missed the closest two.  It was painful for us to witness this though Carolin had already told us about it.  We are praying like crazy this is a temporary problem that will resolve itself and not any permanent damage.

After physical therapy we walked back down to the patient dining room for his speech therapy.  He gets very distracted when others are around so we sat behind him at another table where we could still hear what was being said.  Just as in PT - his speech therapy session had a lot packed into it.  They did some matching of pictures and words, (not easy for him), some flash cards where the therapist shows him objects he has to name, (some came easy and some were far harder for him), and she also goes thru a lot of verbal questions for him to answer.  It really hits you how far he still has to go when she asked him if his parents were visiting today and he answered he didn't think so.  However when asked his mother's name he immediately said, "Amy", and asked his father's name, again he immediately said, "David".  We were glad to stay a few extra minutes with her afterwards to get some reassurance that his was normal and he had come a long way from a few weeks ago.  We can only once again pray that he is the exception to the rule and regains his short term memory much quicker than normal.

Back in his room he was in bed for a well deserved rest.   It was neat to see him watching TV as before this past week he was not even interested in turning it on as it was too confusing for him.  Who would ever think you would be happy to see someone watching TV while you were visiting!  We talked about the baby and he said he was excited - again a change from a few weeks ago when we were afraid to even talk about it in front of him.

Carolin told us that today he again talked about how excited he is about the baby and has remembered for several days now that he is at Bryn Mawr.   They've also started working with him with money and though he gets some of the coins mixed up he's doing pretty well.

It is astounding how much can happen with a head injury - and from just where that head injury occurs.  There is so much excitment at the progress Jason has made and watching his determination to do all he can and push himself farther.  And yet there are days I have to stop myself from crying with longing to have him talk to me the way he did before the accident and worry if he will ever be the same again.  Those are the times to quickly turn to the miracles that have happened in only 7 weeks - a long 7 weeks to be sure - but Jason is amazing people who see this every day and that is something to hold on to. 

There continue to be auction and raffle items arriving.  Thank you so much to those who have pounded the pavements, been putting fliers up, and emailing anyone who has known Jason to join us in our effort to make sure his only concern is continuing the fight to get himself back.  He and Carolin have many long hard months ahead and this benefit is so important!  Please click on the link and buy your tickets!

 www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com.

 

My cousin, who owns a large PR firm, helped the kids send out a press release last week and it's been picked up by the Lancaster Daily newspaper.  She will be interviewing Carolin today so those of you in the Lancaster area keep a look out for the article in the next few days highlighting Jason and the benefit.  (If there is anyone who has connections to the Frederick News Post or Gazette, or radio stations, we would love to get them to cover the event!)

Your prayers have done so much for Jason - please please continue to send them up for him and especially his right eye to be healed soon!



Jason and Carolin September 2012

Making it Happen

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog and continues to spread the word!  We are constantly hearing of someone who knows someone who tells someone and Jason is added to yet more prayers for continued healing.  Carmen, one of Jason's college roommates, loved that Jason has wanted Chipolte so much and was inspired to write and send the blog post about it being his first solid meal on to the company.  Within a day they had written him back wanting to help! (Hmmm guess what some items being raffled/auctioned off might be!)

This week Jason has also been enjoying some other treats.  Carolin has been going out to get foods to tempt him and on Monday he had pizza and cheesecake.  At this point they are lowering the food he is receiving thru his PEG tube, (though they feel he's not drinking enough so he is getting additional water thru it).  They've also started to give him his meds orally with some applesauce which is great news in terms of a step towards going home.  It was great to also hear that he no longer needs his 4x daily nebulizer treatments and he's now on an as needed basis only.  Hurray!

His walking is going great!  A few weeks ago he was leaning too far backwards and really having trouble being upright to move forward - now he is capable of walking the length of a football field and yesterday was given permission to walk around his floor with Carolin.  (Although she did say he is still a little hesitant about that and tends to feel more comfortable in the wheelchair - but that is very temporary feeling I'm sure as he gains more and more confidence.)  His physical therapists have been working hard with him on balance, reaching things on his knees, and continuing stair climbing both up and down.  He's also making great strides in reading and writing.

We were amazed to hear he is tying his own shoes and getting dressed by himself.  More steps towards being able to go home! 

His short term memory - as is so common in traumatic brain injuries - is not where it needs to be yet. Now that the physical daily things seem to be moving forward at such a rapid pace we are praying like crazy that he will be able to retain day to day memories soon.  He did tell Carolin he knows he was hit in the head and we have been told that most accident patients don't remember the actual accident or their hospital time.  (Which I'm thinking is a good thing!)

So as we edge closer to Jason being able to leave the rehabilitation hospital there are so many new things to think about.  While it looks like he will be able to go up and down the steps so he and Carolin can stay in the bedroom and bathroom upstairs where they had been  - he will most likely need a wheelchair for longer trips for awhile until his strength and stamina is back to normal.  For that he will need to be going to daily physical therapy.  He will also need daily outpatient sessions to help improve his memory amongst other things.  All of this is going to be tough on both of them once our next sweet baby granddaughter is born.  There is no way to know when Jason will be able to work again and for him that is going to get more and more frustrating as he realizes it we're sure.  He's already made some comments which we try to reassure him not to worry about.  Meanwhile Carolin is really going to have her hands full with a newborn and a husband who needs her attention.  She will have help from her family, our family, and friends, but what a daunting thing to face!  That's why we feel so passionate about the benefit on October 12.   With so much on their plates it is a wonderful gift we can give to them to at least be able to tell Jason - just get better and don't worry about anything else!   It's time for Team Jason to make miracles happen again!

www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com



In Other Words

When Brian called me last night the excitement in his voice was contagious!  Though he had talked to his brother on the phone, yesterday was his first time seeing Jason in person since the awful trauma center days, so he wasn't sure how he would look or how things would go.  He and Jenn, and their 3 kids, Alyssa, 6, Mason, 18 months, and Audrey, 3 months, drove up to Bryn Mawr yesterday morning and arrived just after Jason's Saturday morning therapy session.  Carolin brought Jason downstairs to where the Ronald McDonald family room was and caught up to them just as Jenn was wheeling the stroller in.  Because it's still hard to know just what Jason remembers and doesn't it's such a feeling of relief when he says a name and we all especially wondered if he would remember all his nieces and nephews.  So it was awesome to them when he greeted Jenn and then said, "Hi Mason!".  Here is Jenn's account of their happy visit:

Once in the room, we all got comfortable along with Jason who (with Carolin's help) sat in a regular chair. We all chatted and Jason engaged in the conversation with us. Alyssa made Jason two pictures that she gave to him and he complimented them and thanked her. He read her picture that said "I like Jason Shepard, from Alyssa." We then gave him the box of stuff that we got from O.A.R. The box included an autographed album poster, a limited edition album collector set which had a CD, a DVD, a photo CD, a compass, individual photos of the band members, and a signed lyric book. There was also a certificate in the box authenticating the limited copy. The band also sent him a picture that they personally signed for him telling him to "get well soon" and we framed it for him. Jason kept saying that he wasn't worthy of such a gift and we kept telling him that he was more than worthy! 

We sat and talked with Jason and Carolin where she told us about his therapies and how far he has come. He would chime in and say, "it's a work in progress", when we would talk about all the things he has accomplished. Every once in a while, Jason's humor would come out and he would crack jokes or make his usual sarcastic comments.

We told Jason how Alyssa was just like him and loved to draw and read. She picked a book out from the little library they had there so she could show her Uncle Jason how well she reads. She picked a book about being a big sister. She sat on the little coffee table in front of him and read him the entire book. He was fascinated with her reading to him and just watched her intently while smiling every so often.

He then kicked his shoes off and got comfortable while we all settled into random conversation and watching the kids play. Another patient came in and put football on the TV which Jason seemed to enjoy. We started talking about how Carolin's due date is just around the corner. Brian asked Jason if he felt the baby kick yet and at first he said no but when Carolin reminded him that he has he said, "I probably have but don't remember", and then he said, "it felt weird".   Brian agreed!

Around 1:30 we all decided that we needed to have lunch. We asked Jason if we could have lunch with him and he said yes. Carolin made sure that it was okay with him and asked him if he wanted to have lunch downstairs or upstairs in his room. He decided he wanted to have lunch with us downstairs. So we all went upstairs to his room to grab his lunch. It was nice to see all the pictures and personal stuff crowding the ledge next to his bed.

As we were waiting for the elevator to go back downstairs, the doors open and Carolin's dad, Fred and brother, Maddock, came out.  So they went back in and came down with us. We walked to the cafeteria to find that it had closed 3 minutes before we got there. We went and sat at a round table in one if the common areas and Fred and Maddock offered to pick us all up lunch. Carolin asked Jason if he wanted to eat his sandwich or share a bowl from Chipotle with her. He kept saying "sure" and then he said "I don't know, I'll let my body decide." Once they left to pick lunch up, it was time for Jason to have his meds so Carolin took him up for that.   When they came back, we all sat around and Alyssa came to sit at the table across from Jason and started reading her book. He, once again, watched her read while the rest of us chatted.

When lunch came, he enjoyed spoon fed bites of Carolin's chicken bowl. Mason was enjoying some pieces of bread when he randomly passes gas and starts laughing. All of a sudden this HUGE smile spreads across Jason's face and he started laughing out loud and Mason joined him in his laughter. Then Mason did it again and sure enough, Jason started laughing again!  Mason kept laughing while watching Jason laugh. Mason reached his hand out to Jason to give him a high five and Jason did, then Mason gave him "pounds".  It was awesome! Then Mason got down and started running around playing and Jason watched him smiling.  When we were all done, Carolin asked him something to the extent of whether he was full or not and he said "I am pleasantly full".

 

Carolin asked Jason a few times if he wanted to go upstairs to rest and he kept telling her no. After a while, we could all see that he was getting tired and even though he didn't want to he agreed to go up and rest. He said, "I'll see you soon", before heading up to his room and we headed back to the Ronald McDonald room. After a few minutes, Carolin came in to see us before heading out to run errands. She told us how much she enjoyed our being there and that it was the best visit Jason has had and that he has never eaten with anyone so that was a wonderful first!

 

Jason rested for a while but Mason, (who hadn't had either of his naps he usually does), was starting to get fussy around 5:30.   Brian went upstairs to say bye to Jason. When getting up there he was greeted by Jason and he told him we were going to head out and that we had a great visit and how awesome he's doing. He told Jason he can't wait to see him again and that he loved him. He also told Jason he missed him. Jason told him he loved him and that he missed him too.

We had a wonderful visit and couldn't have asked for anything better!!!! We were so amazed with how well he's doing and everything he has accomplished in this short amount of time.


Who knows what miracles can occur by October 12 with your help! 

www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com

 

Attention, Attention, Read All About It!

www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com

We saw Jason on Wednesday afternoon and when we walked in we were excited to see him playing a card game with Carolin and her parents.  They were playing a simple game of poker but what a great eye hand coordination as well as brain skill for him!  He also had had not only had a full day of various hard working therapies, but had just come back from horseback riding, which he continues to really like.  For some unknown reason people with traumatic brain injuries are able to realign their bodies better and quicker through riding.  At the stables they do use an older mare with a wide back so it's easier for patients.   They go around an indoor rink and there are a number of therapists on each side of him so he is safe and secure.

Before the accident Jason would sometimes call me on his way to or from work and when I answered the phone I would hear, "Hi Momma!".  I don't think it will ever sound as good as it does now when I walk in his room.   He is starting to get back more and more of an inflection in his voice rather than the monotone he had been speaking with, and this visit we really noticed his sense of humor creeping back in which I know all of his friends will be happy to hear!

Jason has lost quite a bit of weight and his appetite hasn't been great so he isn't putting much back on.  Now that they started him on solids I did bring him one of his favorite meals - twice baked potatoes with ham and lots of cheddar cheese in them.  I've felt so helpless to do anything for him so it sure felt good when he finished all the potatoes on his plate!  Then today Carolin said he had his first full regular meal and she brought him Chipolte.  :D

Many TBI patients go thru various stages one of which is an "anger" stage where they lash out at people around them and can be very hurtful.  David and I kept saying we just couldn't see Jason being that way, (to which we were told even the best people can go thru it), and sure enough we were told on Wednesday that he has passed that point!  What a relief!  We were also told that Jason is one of the most cooperative and polite patients they have had on the floor and he apparently has been very loving to his caretakers.  I know anyone who knows him wouldn't be surprised to hear any of this!

The problem with Jason's right eye has been hard to decipher due to his inability to reliably tell anyone what problems he may be having but it appears that the suspected right side vision field is improving based on observations.  We continue to pray this is the case and he will be able to see as well as he did before the accident.

Another stage we were told and read about was once he worked to get to this point he would start wanting to leave the hospital.  He indeed has started asking Carolin when he can go home with her.
Right now he is still needing the care of the hospital but one day - maybe soon! - he will indeed get to go home with his wife.  We all want that as badly as he does!

Today is the two week mark until the, "Livin On A Prayer", fund raising event.   I know people tend to put off responding to things but it would be so amazing to get to the goal attendance this weekend and be able to plan even more for that night!  All proceeds go directly to Jason and it'll be an awesome evening full of fun, celebration, entertainment, and great food and drinks!  Please come, (donations always welcome if you can't attend), and help us make this a success!

 

www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com

Just a few highlights:

-Dancing to the sounds of Excessive Beats (www.excessivebeats.com)

-Delicious cocktail food during the evening by The Prime Choice Caterers
(www.theprimechoicecaterers.com)

- On stage entertainment at various times during the evening

- Card Tables

- Raffles through out the evening( where you can put your tickets towards the prizes you want)

- Cash Bar

- Silent Auction
   Example of some items:  3 night stay at Wyndham Resort of your choice
                                            4 night stay at Wyndham Resort of your choice
                                            Redskin Tickets & Parking Pass
                                            Sports Memorabilia
                                            Retired Walt Disney Collectibles
                                            Jewelry
                                            Art Work
                                            Signed Broadway Items
                                            Food and Wine Pairing for Two and a tour of Linganore Winery
                                            Vera Bradley Purses and Wallets
                                            Gift Certificate for Professional Photo Session                         
                                            Gift Certificate for 30 Cupcakes from local Cake Artist from TLC
                                            And much more!!!

SMILES!

It's hard to believe that a week from today will be October 1 but that means it's less than 3 weeks away until the Jason Shepard Benefit -" Livin' On A Prayer" on October 12 at 7 p.m. You can find out more info and purchase your tickets at:

www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com

Both raffle items and silent auction items continue to come in with the promise of many more and the website will soon be updated with auction items that have arrived. After the blog plea for sports tickets it was so amazing to find out two Redskin tickets, which include a parking pass, were donated! (And it's for the Redskins/Ravens game!) How incredible is that?   It would be so awesome to have more sports events to offer so don't hesitate to keep them coming in!

Not only was this a great Fall weekend weather wise but we had a great visit with Jason in every way!  Aaron, Lindsay, and their two boys drove down from MA on Friday afternoon and once they arrived Aaron went right up to see Jason.  As soon as Aaron walked into his room Jason said, "Hi brother!".  Though Aaron had been hearing the incredible progress Jason has been making,  it's another thing to see it in person - especially when the last time he saw him, (was it really only 3 weeks ago?), he couldn't hold his head up without support, his wheelchair was specialized to tilt him back, he was wrapped in blankets, and his only communication was an occassional nod yes or no.

Saturday morning David got a huge grin from Jason when he saw his Dad walk in.  It was the first time seeing more than a little half smile so you can just imagine the feelings David felt seeing how happy Jason was to see him.  It's so hard only getting to see him once a week - we can't wait til he is closer so we can see more of those smiles!

Early afternoon Carolin wheeled Jason out to a big grassy area by the hospital. We sat by a big beautiful tree in a little semi circle around Jason while both of the little guys ran around with David and Aaron.  We saw plenty of grins from Jason as he watched David kick a soccer ball way high in the air and Cole run to get it and then tumbling around with his Grandpa.  It was so perfect and relaxed - Jason interacted with our conversation when he wanted to and otherwise there was no pressure on him to "visit".    At one point Cole gently threw a rubber ball towards Jason, which landed in his lap, and Jason was able to throw the ball back to Cole - it was a memorable moment for me.  He was out with us for about an hour and a half when Carolin said it was time to go in for his meds and a nebulizer treatment.  Before this when we would visit him, Jason would be exhausted and ready for a nap after about 45 minutes, but this time he told Carolin he wanted to come back out afterwards.  We were so tickled!

And sure enough about 30 minutes later he was right back under the tree with us.  Kids are so incredible with any kind of change in people - even the previous visit 3 weeks ago the boys, (3 1/2 and 1 1/2),  just seemed to accept that Uncle Jason couldn't interact with them the way he usually did and played at his feet.  This time Cole was chattering away and a few word answer from his uncle was fine with him.  Meanwhile Owen would toddle over and line his little plastic dinasours up on the bottom of the wheelchair.  It was very healing for all of us I think.

Later in the car ride to go to dinner Cole excitedly said to me, "Mimi, Uncle Jason was talking to me!  Last time he couldn't talk and now he talked to me!" At dinner he talked about it again and said now he would change his prayers from please make Jason get better to please make Jason, "keep", getting better.  Even the little ones are gaining so much more of a sense of faith through this awful experience!  (Cole was even more excited on Sunday to tell his Dad that Jason called him, "little dude".)

Though Jason still has alot more to accomplish we truly saw our son this time.  His smile is almost in his eyes and a few times he said things that were typical Jason humor.  Even sitting in his wheelchair he had his legs crossed in the way he has always crossed them.  Best of all - though in the past it drove me crazy - he was cracking his knuckles!  That really reassured me he will come back to us the Jason we know and love.  (Anyone who has spent much time with J knows he frequently cracks not just his fingers but other parts of his body as well such as his neck, etc.)

Because his appetite is still not there the therapists decided to go ahead and see if he could chew okay at the end of last week.  Sure enough he did fine with a graham cracker and tonight he will get his first taste of a meal not pureed.  He will be alot more interested we're sure!

Also at the end of last week we found out his right shoulder and collar bone are pretty much all healed and his ribs are looking pretty good as well so today he was started on strengthening exercises for his right arm.  Unfortunately that made those areas pretty achy but once he builds his arm back up it will be much easier for him to do things.  In therapy he is also continuing to work on his speech and reading.  We haven't heard anything more about his right eye but we will be with him Wednesday afternoon and will hopefully find out more then.

We are so humbled that this miracle is happening to Jason - and so to all of us and all of you as well.  At times we are just speechless.  He still needs round the clock care but it is seeming with each passing day that the prayers that someday he will be able to resume a "normal" life may indeed be answered.  One of the worries is that people will forget and think he is okay and not needing those uplifting prayers - he still has a long way to go and even after he one day leaves the rehab hospital will need daily therapy to continue on his journey.  So please keep praying for him because God is listening no matter what religion or belief system you have!

This was one of Jason's - as well as all my boys - favorite songs growing up and the words seem to fit right now too.

HORSE SENSE

Jason has always had been very allergic to cats, and as a child, dogs as well.  When we went to a relatives farm and he got a close up visit with their horse he ended up with a very bad asthma attack.  When he was in 5th grade we got two rabbits and he ended up in the hospital twice til we realized they were the cause of more breathing issues.  So we were amazed when Carolin texted us yesterday that they had taken Jason horse back riding!  She said he had no allergic reaction and seemed to really enjoy it.  We were just tickled at the thought of him up in the saddle!  Later when Carolin asked him if he liked it he said he loved it, and today he told Carolin he wanted to do it again! How cool is that!

Food wise he is still not all that interested in eating but they will be decreasing the tube feedings in hopes that will give him more of an appetite.  I'm going to make him one of his favorite meals and though it will have to be pureed hopefully the taste will be tempting to him.

He continues to do more walking outside and the physical therapist has him doing stairs almost everyday.

A really big step has been that Jason seems to be becoming more independent during parts of his therapy and is just wanting Carolin's reassuring presence during the afternoon sessions.

Carolin says she's doing great and feeling good and all is well with baby girl Shepard.  With Jason not needing her during his morning sessions it will give her a bit more free time and maybe she can even get out for a meal!  :)

Today I found out about two more prayer chains going for Jason in New Jersey through his college roommates mother's co workers.  And so the healing and love just continue to spread.

The benefit for Jason on October 12 is fast approaching and I've heard some pretty incredible auction items should be arriving soon so keep an eye on that page. 
www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com

New Prayers Needed!

Wow this is getting really, "crazy", as Jason has been saying!   Carolin usually texts us after Jason's therapy around 4:30ish each day to give us an update but today it was 10:30 when she excitedly texted us that Jason had just walked into the room where she was sitting, walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, with his therapist only helping him keep his balance!  I told her it was all the prayers that went up last night after people read the blog.  :D

Unfortunately this afternoon there was some indication that Jason may be having some issues with his right eye though it's hard to tell what the problem is since he hasn't been able to communicate exactly what is wrong.  Please direct those healing prayers towards his beautiful brown eyes for now that perhaps this is just a temporary problem and they can figure it all out.

This past weekend we came up with some guidelines for visiting that will make things easier on Jason.  I know everyone already knows this but please make sure to email Carolin as soon ahead as you know at cares1218@gmail.com.  She is coordinating visits as it's really important not to overwhelm Jason with too many different faces and lots of assorted conversations.

The best time to visit Jason is week nights between 4-6 and then Sundays after 11.  Saturdays he has varying times for therapy so it's hard to plan times.  (We are going to reserve that day mostly for us and his siblings.)

As of right now he definitely gets tired with visitors after a while and again too much conversation overloads his thought process so visits are going to be limited to two people for 30 minutes at a time.  There are several really nice lobby areas on the first floor, and especially for people driving long distances, you can always wait there for awhile to give him some break time and then have another visit. 

For the rest of this month the only weekend day available is this coming Sunday, September 23 and Carolin says that is depending on the time as there are already people coming for parts of the day.  Jason has a very busy social calendar!

To help Jason and Carolin even more please make sure to get your tickets for October 12 at www.thejasonshepardbenefit.com.  It's going to be a really great night out and if Friday night at Ruby Tuesday's is any indication a great reunion of old friends from each segment of Jason's life with lots of catching up, laughter, yummy food, music, (which of course means dancing!), live entertainment, awesome raffle items,  and of course the silent auction with all kinds of cool items still arriving. (And hoping they keep arriving!  With the Capitols season in jeopardy those hockey tickets might not be coming so it would be great to get Skins, Nationals, Orioles, etc. tickets.  Of course you all coming from surrounding states might want to put in a word to your local sports teams for some tickets to donate to the auction too!)

Get Your Glasses Out!

It is absolutely remarkable to see Jason from one weekend to the next.  It's almost like he doubles what he can do each time we see him!  Carolin told us the therapists are no longer saying maybe he will be one of their miracles but that HE IS a miracle and they are now wishing they had taped his progress from his first day.  Too bad they didn't ask us because we could have all told them this wasn't going to go in any kind of typical way!

We arrived Saturday morning to find him in the front lobby where he was in his wheelchair all ready to get outside in the sun.  As soon as he saw us come in he said, "Hi Momma!"  I was thrilled!  Brian had given David a RG3 jersey, (for those not Redskin fans that stands for Robert Griffin III, who is the Redskins new player who is supposed to be awesome), for Father's Day but they talked it over and decided David would give it to Jason.  So David told Jason he had something for him and explained and held up the jersey.  Jason read the name, "Griffin" out loud and then within seconds said, "Cornelius?".  Again for those who aren't big Redskin fans, Cornelius Griffin, was a very good player on the team a few years back.  So this was amazing that Jason related Griffin to a past player he remembered!  RG3 is new this year so that really wasn't as important to us as him remembering something from a few years ago.  He thanked his Dad several times.  :D   We strolled outside for awhile then sat and had a very pleasant time chatting with him and Carolin.  As David describes it it's like talking to different parts of Jason at different moments - sometimes he sounds like a little boy needing reassurance - especially from Carolin - that everything is okay and she is happy.  At other times he sounds almost like the Jason we know and then at others like someone very old.  He is starting to have more expression on his face and not sounding as monotoned as he did the week before.  Though his eyes don't have his usual bright twinkling light you can see the change coming and maybe when we go back this weekend we will see it even more.  It was so nice to hear him say, "I miss you too", and "I love you too", a number of times and a few times without me saying it to him first.  At one point when we were back up in his room I caught him staring at me and when I smiled at him I got a smile back - mind you not full teeth - but it made my heart soar none the less - and tears came when he then spontaneously said, "I love you".  Oh what a highlight of the whole day!

All of the talking really wears him out and he was exhausted after a while - especially since he had done a lot in therapy earlier, so while he took a nap we got some lunch and by then Allison and Andre had arrived.  I took Mia for a walk while they went up with David to visit.   He recognized them and they were thrilled with how great he looked and seeing him awake and talking since they hadn't seen him since he was in the Trauma Center.
After he took another little rest Carolin brought him back downstairs and we strolled Mia along next to him.  We eventually ended up inside where he sat with us, Carolin, Andre and Allie, and Mia, and Carolin's Dad was there as well.  Clearly it was too many people and too much input coming into his brain as you could see him pretty much shut down right in front of us.
It's so hard when he's doing so well, and you want him to be himself, to remember he is still on a long journey - even if a miraculous one - and he easily gets overloaded with too much stimulus.  As someone said it's like a computer that got a virus and is slowly recovering lost information.  Start trying to do too much at that time and the computer will freeze and shut down.  It was obvious he needed a break and he and Carolin headed back to his room for some quiet time.  Unfortunately that was the exact time his Uncle Doug, Aunt MaryK, and cousin Phil arrived from Frederick.  We explained what was going on to them and they were, of course, very understanding though disappointed and decided to stay as long as possible in hopes they would still get to see him.  After about an hour and a half Allison and Andre really needed to head home but Allie just felt she couldn't leave without saying good bye to her brother. 

Just a word about Allie and Jason - Allison and Jason have always been close.  They got along great and it was Jason who at times would patiently help her with her homework if we felt like we couldn't get an idea across.  I clearly remember one time when she had to memorize all the state capitols and he knew a song to help remember them and he sat and over and over sang it with her so she would remember it.  She would talk to him about her boyfriends and though her other two brothers would tease her friends everyone always said Jason was their favorite brother because he never did.  When it came to trips or even sitting at the dinner table we always had the two of them sit together because we knew there would be no trouble.

 

 

It turned out they had the best visit of the day with Jason!  As they walked in Jason said to Andre, "Hey what's up Dre!".  Later Allison was sitting at the end of his bed and he looked at her and told her, "I just can't believe my little sister is here."  It was very touching for Allison.  During that time he also told her, "I'm jealous of you, and Aaron, and Brian."  We are only guessing that he said that in realizing just what hurdles he has ahead of him. 

He also spoke of things being expensive and costing a lot so it also seems he realizes at times the financial burden.  While we were with him we watched him turn to Carolin and ask, "Whose fault was it?"  She told him it was an accident and no ones fault but he insisted it had to be someone's fault.  Most of these thoughts are fleeting and I'm sure overwhelming to him and his mind naturally doesn't let him dwell more than a few minutes on them.  I can't tell you what an awesome thing you all are doing by so generously donating to his fund - thru the Donate button, by going to Ruby Tuesday's this past weekend, and by purchasing your tickets for the upcoming Oct. 12 fundraiser.   It will be so good when he can understand that is one thing he doesn't need to worry about for a little while and to just concentrate on getting better!

Sunday he had some morning therapy where they actually got him on his knees and practiced reaching while kneeling.  He also practiced eating.  He is getting mostly pureed food and Carolin said he is willing to try everything but still not too enthusiastic.  (Of course who can blame him!)

After a little rest his Aunt Cathy and Uncle Richard arrived and he gave them a big smile.  He told them, "Wow I haven't seen you in a while."  They had a quiet visit and he kissed Cathy goodbye and as Richard went to leave Jason said, "Go Skins."  So cool! 

Just before the Redskin game started yesterday Brian's phone rang and though it was Carolin's number showing up it was Jason on the other end when Brian answered it.  He told Brian he missed him and wished he could be with him.  They chatted for a few minutes before hanging up and Brian's eyes shone with tears of happiness and he had the biggest grin on his face ever!

It feels like such a gift each time Jason is lucid and says something he normally might - it's like this bubbling happy excitement! 

Carolin texted us today that he is stood straight up with some assistance while walking and for the first time the physical therapist took him outside to walk and it was the longest one he has taken so far.  He clearly loves being out!  He also did more practicing with sitting and reaching and eating.

It is flabbergasting to think it has only been a month since his accident.  To go in that short a time to being on life support, with many broken bones, laying unconcious, not moving his head, his prognosis of what he would regain uncertain to now sitting upright in a wheel chair, walking with assistance, talking more and more often cohesively can only be attributed to both his spirit and the healing prayers he feels surrounding him from all of you continuing to send messages of faith his way.  With each day that passes he seems to get closer and closer to being able to come home and the dream that he will hold his baby daughter when she is born coming true!

Please don't forget to buy your tickets early for the Jason Shepard Benefit and also remember they are still accepting donations for the Silent Auction!