THANK YOU

Thank you to all of the wonderful friends and family members who continue to pray for our family and Jordan daily. We are still reading all the comments, cards, and prayers to Jordan. I am sure it gives him comfort to know so many people reach out to him with their love. Even people that we have never met personally write the most beautiful words of encouragement to us. Often if one of us is discouraged we will go to Jordan's petition and read the comments. I can not read them without shedding a few tears. I have seen firshand the incredible power of prayer. Foolishly I once told someone that all I could do to help them was...to pray. Silly girl!!! What a huge blessing it is to have others pray for you. We can quite literally see the results of prayer in Jordan's healing almost daily. When there are lots of prayer warriors doing battle for Jordan, the increase in Jordan's healing becomes hugely apparent. I used to scoff when someone would tell me that, but now I have seen it for myself. As a family, we are continually blessed by your prayers. Please don't ever stop praying for Jordan and us. God hears your prayers and answers them. We also pray that you all are greatly blessed for your part in Jordan's miraculous story.
Love and Blessings,
Pam, Bobby, Erin, Jeannie, Ashton, Kayleigh, Brandon, and Jordan

More Steps toward Recovery

Lots of things have been happening in our lives lately. Jordan got his first report card from pre-school. He qualifies for summer school and in his case that is good. That means that he has made enough progress in the short time that he attended school, that his teachers feel that summer school would be beneficial to Jordan's recovery, not only physically but also educationally. He will be using an adapted computer to help him better communicate until he can talk more understandably. That is such a wonderful thing.
Also Jordan got a walker!!! And he can make it move as much as six inches with a single push. He only has the strength to do a few pushes at one time, but he will build up his strength. He is also able to hold his head up most of the time that he is in the walker. He also has begun to make larger movements with his head, arms and legs. I was holding him in my lap a few days a go. I looked down and noticed that Jordan was swinging his legs. He loved to do that before the accident. I was thrilled. His recovery is not always consistent. He has days that he does not seem to be able to do much at all. Then sometimes the very next day, he does a whole bunch of new things all at once. However unpredictable, I am thankful that he is continuing to make progress. It is easy to forget just how far we have already come. I praise God for the gift of every day that we have together as a family. None of us are promised tomorrow.

Jordan's Mom at ER

Recently Jordan's mom, Jeannie had been feeling overtired and noticing that her heart seemed to be beating erratically. On Friday, May 25, she was taken to ER at the same hospital where Jordan was resusitated following his near-drowning accident last June. There was concern that Jeannie might be having a heart attack triggered by PVC's. They kept her for observation for several hours and then released her. While she was there, she talked with one of the men who helped with Jordan's care. He remembered the prayers said over Jordan and the miracle of Jordan's heartbeat returning. What a comfort that was to her to be able to speak with him.
We are all thankful to the ER team for their efforts in helping Jordan.
Jeannie unfortunately had a repeat heart incident on Saturday and was subsequently hospitalized for her heart condition. She is now on medication for her heart and has been given strict instructions to try to rest more and follow a more cardiac-friendly lifestyle. We have asked for more nursing hours to allow Jeannie recovery time, but so far have not gotten the additional hours. Due to a lack of weekend nursing hours for Jordan, I could only leave Jordan one time to visit Jeannie in the hospital or to take her other three children to visit her. I was unable to even go to ER with her either time. This has been a very difficult time for our family, but the help and prayers of our family and friends have sustained us. Without them, I do not know what we would have done. God's hugs do have human arms. Thankfully Jeannie was released from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon and is recovering at home. Please pray for not only Jordan's recovery, but also his mother, Jeannie's recovery as well.

The Twins: Field Trips and Potty Training

Jordan and Brandon got to go on their first field trip together with Jordan's preschool class. They went to the park by the lake. There were swings, slides, and monkey bars. Together they enjoyed seeing the ducks and the beautiful lake scenery at the park. After only a couple of hours, both boys were worn out and ready to return home for a nap.
Another first this week...potty training began. Earlier this week, Jeannie was talking to Jordan as she was changing his diaper. She asked him if he would like to try sitting on the potty instead of using the diaper. He seemed to dislike the feel of the soiled diaper. He indicated by clucking his tongue for "Yes" that he would like to try using the potty. It was a sucess the very first time. We waited several days to make sure that it wasn't just a fluke. Since that time, Jordan has successfully urinated and had bowel movements in the potty numerous times. He urinates almost every time that he sits on the potty and he doesn't waste much time either. He gets right down to business. The bowel movements are more difficult for him to master with the same level of skill. What can I say? Brandon, Jordan's twin brother, still hasn't mastered that one either.

Learning New things at School

Jordan has accomplished feats at school that I thought were impossible at this stage of the game. He actually cut out three shapes with switch-operated scissors and held the glue stick while his teacher helped him apply the glue and stick it to the paper. He used paint dots to paint his art project. What an amazing accomplishment for Jordan!!! We are so very proud of him. He worked very hard. His twin Brandon still has difficulties with scissors and glue. Jordan's artwork now adorns my refrigerator door, along with his twin brother Brandon's artwork.

Kelly

Our family has been blessed beyond measure with loving friends. One of my dearesst and most precious friends, Kelly Hall, suffered a tragic accident on Thursday night. She was mixing pool chemicals to get her above ground pool ready for the season. A freak accident occurred and a chemical explosion resulted. She was home alone with her two sweet children who ran to a neighbor's house to get help. Kelly was rushed to ER at a local hospital and then life-flighted to Vanderbilt Burn and Trauma unit. She has severe burns and her vision has been greatly compromised in her right eye and her left eye has a poor prognosis at this point. Please pray incessantly for her and her wonderful family!!! Prayers work!!!

You can find updates on Kelly's healing at the CaringBridge.org website under the name kellyhall.

Jordan's First Day of School

Jordan did actually go to school even before his twin. He attends Beech Elementary School. His classmates are both handicapped and non-handicapped children. His nurse, Patti, went with him since Jordan still has very real medical concerns. Some of which are a pre-disposition for seizures, sleep apnea, cardiac and respiratory irregularities, a tracheostomy, and a "mickey button" style feeding tube. I firmly believe that all these medical concerns are temporary and that he will continue to heal as he shows us daily. At this time, however Jordan still requires additional medical equipment and emergency supplies to be with him at all times. He cannot even maneuver his own wheel chair yet, so going to school was a huge endeavor and a breakthough for Jordan's recovery.
Jordan was very comfortable at school. He was able to use the computer to play learning games himself. He was able to discern colors at group time and to know which color that he had. He participated in story-time by making eye contact with the teacher and then using his eyes to indicate answers by looking at the card with the correct answer. He even spontaneously raised his own hand slightly to show that he wanted to answer the question, as in a regular classroom setting. The teacher knew that Jordan loves Barney, the purple dinosaur, so she found dinosaurs for him to use during playtime. He was able to hold the dinosaurs and to let go of them on command. I know all this may sound like small accomplishments, but for Jordan these are huge feats. Please remember that a very short time ago, Jordan was predicted to be "in a permanent vegetative state" that would most likely proceed to "brain death".
As Jordan's Granny, I was apprehensive about Jordan going to school. Jordan far exceeded my expectations for the first day. I believe tht he actually enjoyed it. I was also concerned about him being too tired for his therapy session afterward. He was a little tired, but he still had an awesome day at therapy as well. He not only was able to accomplish his usual goals but to add new accomplishments as well. I am sure that he will build up his strength and rise to meet all the new challenges before him. Jordan has always had a fighting spirit. He continues to exhibit that quality every day.