Zzzzzzzzzzzz

10:00am

Taylor has been sleeping most of the day. Yesterday he went outside and last evening had a new feeding tube inserted, so he was very tired last night. He's had some pain today, so he's on medication to relax him and relieve the pain.

We're not aware of anything new scheduled for him this weekend, so unless he does something new and exciting, we probably won't do any more updates this weekend.

6:45pm

Rip Van Taylor has slept most of the day. He's on some painkillers and something to calm him some, so we kinda expected he'd sleep a lot. We only got to visit with him for a collective 30 minutes or so.

His cat, Frank, made a second appearance and was the hit of the Medical Intensive Care Unit and the 5th Floor Waiting Room. Taylor smiled when he found out Frank was in the house.

Tomorrow, Taylor is likely to get a little unhappy with us. We're going to try and help him shift his sleep schedule so he's awake more during the day and sleeps more at night. He's up quite a bit at night and is sleeping most of the day. We also hope to get him to sit up, if he can. His right side is bothering him and the Dr. thinks he may have a muscle cramping, since he has no injuries in the area where he's complaining. But, after flipping a car 3 times he may just still be sore.

The 30th Day

10:40am

This is day 30 since Taylor's accident. He continues to be referred to by some of the Nurses as the "miracle kid". Having no personal experience with a situation like this, we depend on the medical staff to guide us. Many of them have told us that his recovery is nothing short of a miracle. We know they are not telling us that just to give us some false sense of hope. They tell us because it's true.

The progress he's made since he opened his eyes on March 11th IS miraculous. We've gone from getting excited because held up a finger to now watching him smile, scratch his head and spell out "morphine". Taylor is firing on all 8 cylinders, but there is what we believe to be a temporary disconnect between mind and muscle. We expect therapy to fix all of that.

Part of the problem is that he's been in bed for a month. That has zapped a lot of energy and a lot of muscle mass. Today, we hope to get him up and in a wheelchair for a little spin around the place. Not only will it help strengthen muscles, but he needs a change of scenery. Don't let up on the prayers. Taylor has a long way to go yet. God saved Taylor, and continues to bless him with the healing we've seen. But, his help is needed in getting Taylor through the tough times to come.


LAKELAND POLICE OFFICER PAT GUITY

When we were talking to Taylor's Neurosurgeon about some of the fateful things that have happened to make Taylor's survival certain, he told us of yet another bit of fate that worked in Taylor's favor. (Of course, it may not have been fate after all....there may have been a higher influence)

On Black Tuesday when the Doctor was notified that Taylor had suddenly developed a problem with the pressure, the Doctor headed from his home to the hospital to perform surgery. As he neared Lakeland High School, he got stuck in a traffic jam caused by an accident. On that area of road, there is no way to turn around, and no side streets to take. He called the hospital to check on Taylor and to tell them that if couldn't soon get moving, surgery may have to be performed bedside.

The Doctor saw an ambulance approach from the rear, so decided to take a chance and follow the ambulance on the side of the road. After the ambulance stopped, the Doctor safely passed the accident scene. Lakeland Police Officer Pat Guity stopped the Doctor to find out why he had followed the ambulance. When he heard the story, he sent the Doctor on his way. Some police officers would have been suspicious and caused an unnecessary delay by calling to verify his story. And, I'm sure there are a fair number who would have issued him a citation.

But, Officer Guity didn't do that. His intuition that the Doctor was not using some ruse to avoid a ticket helped the Doctor to get to Taylor faster. It's the kind of quick, smart decision that may have helped save Taylor's life.

Needless to say, Officer Pat Guity is on our long list of people to thank.

Lucky, Taylor and Suzie


4:20pm

Taylor took a trip outside today. He was only able to last about 15 minutes, but he enjoyed the time outside he had. His friends, JP and Lucky, spent most of the day with him and were really encouraging. We think he really gets tired of us sometimes, so getting encouragement from friends does help a lot.

This afternoon, he is to get a new feeding tube. Between that and his trip today, he'll likely go to sleep early tonight.

Taylor stands and gets ready for a roadtrip!

10:55am

Taylor's day started early. We can't see him until after 9am, so when I went in a little after 9 this morning, I learned that the Physical Therapist had him stand beside his bed today. He needed help to do it, but he was able to stand. There wasn't a lot of hope that he could do it just yet, so they were a bit surprised.

He's sleeping now, but as soon as he wakes up he gets to go on a roadtrip outside!!! Today should be a fun day for him. He gets to go for a spin outside, enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. After 28 days of laying on his back, we're sure he's going to like the trip.

Yesterday he sat, today he stood and later he'll ride. PROGRESS!!!!

Taylor's friend, Lucky, is on his way to the hospital now to spend the afternoon with Taylor. We are REAL glad to have friends visit him. I think he's getting a little tired of opening his eyes and always having to look at us, and hear us say the same things.

We're thinking his first words, once he can talk, may be "Will you people shut up already. GEEZ. The same old thing over, and over, and...."

Yesterday afternoon, Suzie got a call from Rev. Len Sweet (www.leonardsweet.com) a world renown minister, author and speaker. We met Rev. Sweet almost 20 years ago when he was a visiting preacher at Suzie's family's annual reunion in Tennessee. Rev. Sweet called to inspire Suzie, who has been feeling a bit down - as you might imagine. As a world wide speaker, Rev. Sweet has very little free time, so hearing from him at this time was just the kick in the behind she needed.

12:55pm

This morning a test was given to Taylor to see if he can swallow liquids. He didn't do too well, so he won't be able to drink right now. We're not sure if they'll put the feeding tube back in, or keep him on the IV with calories, proteins, etc. until he can try again. He'll do it, it's just a little to quick, I guess.

We're not sure about the field trip for today. He's pretty tired from standing, then having to sit during the test. He's using muscles that haven't been needed in almost a month so he gets tired quickly.

10:09pm

The roadtrip was cancelled for today. The swallowing test required that he sit up straight for a long time, using muscles he hasn't used in a month, so it was just too much for him.

He rested most of the day, but was pretty agitated tonight. He finally got to sleep at about 9:45pm. Tomorrow, the staff will try to get him to agree to go outside in a wheelchair. Not only will it do his muscles good, but more importantly it's good for him. He has been feeling down so we hope that he'll feel better getting out of bed and getting a change of scenery. They are also planning to insert a new feeding tube. Hopefully, he won't do another extraction.

03/28 Update

8:30am

We called this morning and learned Taylor slept through the night. His nurse on Sunday night did a lot of work with him, so he must be worn out since he slept most of yesterday.

For those who haven't seen Taylor lately, you'd be really amazed at his progress. Yesterday, his Doctor described his continued recovery as "amazing" and "miraculous". This is the same Doctor Taylor flipped off, so at least he's a good sport!

Some of Taylor's visitors have stopped by when he's sleeping, so they haven't been able to share in the joy of seeing him smile when he sees a friend, or hold on tightly when a friend takes his hand. To be where we were during the first 10 days or so, and to see him now is truly miraculous.

Taylor loves to have company. But, he's probably tired of looking at us all day, every day.

Taylor has become the talk of the Medical Intensive Care Unit. Even the Nurses who haven't been assigned to him come by to check on him, and have all heard of the things he's doing so quickly.

He has already become a success story, and I know that his recovery will be used to inspire other families that will come into the Medical Intensive Care Unit long after we're gone. We were given hope by the staff telling us of other wonderful recoveries of other patients with similar injuries, so we know Taylor will be added to that list.

If you come by to visit, check the 5th Floor Waiting Room (M5) first, so see if we're there. If we're not there, we'll be with Taylor. The only other place we'll be is the cafeteria around lunchtime. Taylor can't have any visitors between 7am-9am or 7pm-9pm. That's shift change and the Nurses all gather to talk about what has happened and what will happen with Taylor.

8:43pm

Taylor sat up today - and he didn't like it. The bed he's in can be adjusted to change into a really big chair. He needs to start sitting up to begin to strengthen some muscles. After 30 minutes, he was spent.

A little later, he tried to tell us something and got real frustrated because we couldn't understand. Using the alphabet printed on a paper, he spelled out "morphine". He was in pain and has learned some of the magic words. He's now resting well.

Tomorrow, he gets the test to see if he can swallow fluids properly. It was planned for Monday, but an emergency at the hospital delayed it until tomorrow. It's a BIG day for him, so pray that all goes well.

Taylor told his Mother today that he wants to go home. She told him he would be going home, but he has to first get stronger. He then asked "How long?". Later, using the alphabet he spelled out "How long do I have to do this?". We can't bring ourselves to tell him the truth just yet. As he continues to come off some of the medication, and begins to talk and reason, we'll talk to him and tell him about the plan for his recovery. It's going to be very difficult for him. He is always "go, go, go" so this sudden stop is going to be depressing for him. But, we're with him every day, and we'll be there every single day until he's out of the hospital, finished with rehabilitation and back home. We'll be depending on his friends to help inspire him to work hard to he can get home sooner.

Thumbs up!

10:00am
Early this morning, we called Taylor's Nurse that was with him overnight. She said she taught him how to use the "call Nurse" button and exercised his right arm some. Taylor's right arm is not nearly as strong as his right, so they've been exercising him some.

The Nurse said after she finished, she told him how well he had done. She said he smiled and gave her the thumbs up.

Now that he's managed pull out his IV and feeding tube, there is not a lot more damage he can do, so the restraints have been removed and he can now move his arms.

Apparently, he got quite a workout last night - he's been sleeping most of the day.

5:43pm

One of the Doctors visited this afternoon and said the pneumomia has cleared up a LOT. She said there is very little "hazing" on his x-ray. That and infection are two things that really concern the Doctors, so we've dodged that bullet, it appears. Infection does not, at this time, look like a big threat.

Taylor writes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10:00am

The Respiratory Therapist tried this morning to get Taylor to talk again, but he wasn't able to quite master it. It is a little tricky, and Taylor was pretty tired, so they'll try it again tomorrow. They'll try the test to see if he can swallow later today.

This morning Taylor was really trying to tell us something, but just couldn't get it out. He pulled the pen from my pocket and I put paper on a clipboard. Using his left hand (he's right handed) he wrote "sleeping pill". I asked if he had tried to sleep but couldn't and he nodded "yes". A few moments later, he took the pen again and wrote "cold". A blanket solved that problem. Adavan solved the can't go to sleep problem.

7:50pm
Taylor has rested most of the afternoon. He's had a rough couple of days, so he really needs it now. The Respiratory Therapist will again try tomorrow to see if he can swallow liquids.

Earlier today, I posted some information about a ticket Lauren got today while en route to the hospital. Her mother was in the seat next to her while Lauren sat at a red light and finished putting on her eyeliner. Once traffic moved, one of Bartow's finest stopped her and gave her a Careless Driving ticket. Strange. If you're stopped at a red light, how can you be "driving"? More importantly, does anyone in their right mind think Taylor's mother would let Lauren drive in traffic putting on eyeliner while en route to visit a child critically injured in a traffic accident?

Later, some anonymous Moron posted a Comment defending the Officer. How bizarre is THAT? On the other hand, I guess I should be touched that whoever the Simpleton is, he/she is checking on Taylor's progress.

So, at the risk of inciting others to make negative comments I deleted his/her comment and my response to him. It's MY sandbox, so I get to make the rules here!!

If you're interested in my original post, email me at alsmith@gate.net and I'll send it to you.....IF I know who you are.

Geez....who would have thought that I'd have to deal with an Anonymous Stalker here? Thanks for the love. Weird.

"I love you"

11:40am

We waited 24 days to hear 3 words that Taylor finally said - "I love you". He said it before the accident every time he left home, or ended a phone conversation. And, he said it out of the blue often. Yesterday, he told his father, mother and sister that he loved them all at different times. The wait was worth it.

This morning, Taylor got to visit with his cat, "Frank". Just like he does at home, as soon as he saw Frank he began to scratch the cat's neck. Taylor smiled, the cat squinted his eyes. It was just like old times.

Taylor continues to do well in an effort to wean him off of the Trach. If he continues at the rate he is now, he should be able to talk to us in a day or so. And, if the test tomorrow goes well, he'll be able to take liquids through his mouth.

He is getting REAL tired real quick of his condition, so we're hopeful that once we can talk to him, and he can talk back, we can give him some comfort and inspire him to cooperate with everyone.

The more aware he becomes of his surroundings, the more we expect to him to get aggravated. But, Taylor is a very smart guy and once he learns what he has to do to shorten his stay, I expect he'll do it....or maybe even over do it.

4:40pm

Since mid morning, Taylor has been breathing on his own. Shortly after lunchtime, he was taken completely off the ventilator and has been doing well in that regard.

But, overall, Taylor is having a rough afternoon. He is able to indicate that his stomach is hurting, but it's likely from the feeding tube that he pulled out yesterday. He continues to grab for the Trach, the collar he is wearing for the fractured neck, and other lines running here and there. His arms are on a tether to keep him from doing any further damage, but he still manages to slide down the bed, or bends to get his upper body closer to his hands. It's one of those "good and bad" things. That he's able to figure out how to solve, or attempt to solve, the problem of his hands being tethered by moving his body to his hands is an great indication of his recovery, according to the staff.

He is getting frustrated, at at times really mad, with his inability to communicate. He was mouthing words that we couldn't understand. He grabbed the pen from my pocket and indicated he wanted to write. The Nurse gave me a pad and I held it as he tried to write something. Twice he wrote the same thing, but I was unable to make it out. I then wrote down the alphabet and tried to get him to spell it out, but he was unable to hold his hand steady enough to point out certain letters.

In the middle of all this, he would get shooting pains that would suddenly hit him causing him to grimace, grit his teeth, clench his fists and bend his legs. The staff was trying to minimize the pain medication, since they were going to fix the Trach so that he could talk, and since he was breathing on his own.

They made the adjustment on the Trach and he tried to talk, but was unable to do so. This is just a temporary problem, mostly likely caused by him being tired. They'll try again tomorrow to get him to talk.

Finger, Friends and Feeding Tube

Yesterday afternoon, Taylor got real aggravated about something. He's unable to speak to us, so we have to ask questions he can shake his head "yes" or "no" to. This makes it very difficult sometimes to determine what he needs. We have a checklist we go through and can usually figure it out. Yesterday we just couldn't figure out what he needed as quickly as he wanted us to. It was obvious he was frustrated. So, he demonstrated his ability to control his left hand by giving us "the finger". We asked if he wanted us to just leave him alone and he shook his head "yes".

His Nurse yesterday, Julie, had seen Taylor flip off the Doctor and us, so she made a warning sign for those who may come to visit. We KNOW Taylor will laugh out loud when he sees the photo and will only be bummed that HE wasn't the one that made it.

We heard from a friend in Tampa that she spoke to a friend of hers in Lakeland who had seen an SUV with "We Love You Taylor" written on the window. Last night Suzie and Lauren stayed home . On the way to the hospital this morning, they spotted an SUV with that message on the back window and stopped to take a picture. Jessica Kent, Taylor's friend, works nearby so Suzie borrowed her camera to take the photo. We've since learned that the SUV is owned by Taylor's friend, Lisa Mohler. We haven't seen it, but we heard Shivani Patel also has something about Taylor written on her car. One of the Pastors that visited Taylor saw it in the parking garagee one evening when Shivani was here.

We'll take positive thoughts any way we can get them!

5:55pm

Taylor: Take me home
Lauren: We can't. You have to stay here and get better.
Taylor: Shut up.

While Taylor can't speak, he can mouth words and we can figure out what he's saying. He's getting more active and more of a challenge for his nurses.

This afternoon, he completely pulled the feeding tube out of his stomach. He removed every bit of it. This coming Monday, the staff is going to give him some tests to see if he can swallow, so they have decided not to reinsert the tube since the test is less than 48 hours away. An IV will give him calories so he'll be OK until then. Cross your fingers that the test goes well.

Typical Taylor

8:00am

Little by little, we see Taylor's personality surfacing.  His arms have to be tied down so he will not try to remove his IV or airway.  He was able to work his arm loose recently and did remove an IV, so he gets the "double knot" now.  He is strong as a bull, so he's a little extra challenge.  When we're with him, we can free one arm so he can move it more, but we have to watch him closely and be ready to grab his hand if he gets near anything.

Taylor has already figured out how to argue with us a little. I never thought I'd be so happy to see him disagree with us about anything.  Sometimes we try to get him to do something and he'll shake his head "no" very definitively.  We tell him every day that he's getting better and he'll be able to go home with us.  It's heartbreaking to see him shake his head "no" and make a very sad face when we tell him that.  It's as if he thinks he'll be in his current state longer than what we tell him.

All the things about Taylor that sometimes runs us nuts are things that will work to his advantage.  He's physically strong and in great physical shape.  He's fiercely independant and when he wants something he wants it "NOW".  Once he gets into rehabilitation, I  suspect he'll try to manipulate the staff into letting him double up so he can get out sooner.  We're not expecting motivation to be a problem.

11:13am    TAYLOR FLICKS OFF THE DOCTOR

OK. NOW we know Taylor is definitely on the mend.  We just visited and the Nurse told us Taylor's Doctor had been in to see him.  The Nurse said "Taylor. Show your parents what you did when the Doctor asked you to hold up a finger".  Taylor quickly formed the international symbol for......oh, you know.  Then, he smiled.  Even now, he's a comedian.

Another nurse that hasn't seen him in a few days stopped in to see him. She reminded him who she was and told him how good he was looking and how well he was recovering.  He gave the biggest smile so far.

Leave it to him to try and flirt with pretty blonde Nurses.

Taylor Talks (sort of)

7:35am
Finally, Taylor rested well last night.

Now that the tube has been removed from his mouth, Taylor definitely wants to talk. The Trach prevents him from actually speaking, but he is able to mouth some words and almost whisper.

Last evening his sister Lauren bent over his bed, looked him in the eyes and said "Hi" several times. He looked at her and said "Hi". After three weeks of no verbal communication, it was a moment to remember. Later in the evening, the Nurse told us that he said "Where am I?". She told him he had been in an accident, that he was in the hospital in Lakeland and that his parents and friends had been with him the whole time. She asked him if he remembered the accident and he shook his head "no". She also asked Taylor to hold up 2 fingers, then 3. He was able to follow her directions.

Last night, Taylor's friend Ryan and his girlfriend Kendall stopped by to see Taylor. I've seen Taylor make a lot of facial expressions in the past 10 days, but had not seen anything I thought was a smile. But, when Ryan told him he was there, and held Taylor's hand, he sure seemed to smile, if only for a couple of seconds.

Taylor's nurse last night had been off for 3 days. She said that she was "surprised" at how much he has improved since she last worked. Everyone tells us that and we know that it's not done just to make us feel good. I'm convinced that Taylor will be one that they will remember and talk about to other families when they give them hope of improvement for their loved ones.

2:10pm

Taylor is off the ventilator and breathing on his own!! The staff began this morning to wean him off of it, and he was breathing 5 times per minute and the machine was doing 8. He did so well that when given the chance to show he could do it by himself, he did.

He is still pretty agitated sometimes. He may be getting conscious enough to realize the situation he is in. We continuously reassure him that he's safe and being taken care of.

Day 21

7:10am

Taylor had another rough night. He pulled out an IV and threw a pillow his arm was resting on to the floor. The more aware he becomes of his situation, the more frustrated he seems to get.

We spend a lot of time reassuring him that things will get better, and that the medication is making him feel funny. It's very difficult for us not to be able to communicate with him. Depending on the moment, we can often get him to answer "yes" or "no" by him shaking his head so through process of elimination we can sometimes determine pain levels or if he's cold or hot.

We REALLY cannot wait until he can talk to us and tell us what will make him more comfortable, although there are few things that can be done for him right now to make that happen.

In spite of this, he still makes a little progress each day.

7:45pm
Taylor hasn't thrown any more items around his room today. Seeing him cop a little attitude is a good thing. Even the Dr. said it was "good" that he pulled out the IV. Not really good that he did it, but good that he was aware it was there, didn't like it and wanted to do something about it.

The Dr. commented on well Taylor has done, and was obviously very pleased at how well Taylor had done in such a short period of time.

He was given some medication to help him rest and at 10:00pm he was still sleeping well.

Surgery Update

Taylor did well in surgery. He's not back to his room yet, but the Doctor said he did well.

One of the procedures that was planned was to replace a small portion of skull that was previously removed to allow for swelling. The Doctor said that he found a little swelling, so he decided to wait to a later date to complete that procedure.

We can't see Taylor until at least 3pm today.

5:45pm

We did visit Taylor and he looks a LOT better with the airway out of his mouth. He did have an airway that was in his mouth and down his throat, but that was replaced with a Trach so his mouth is now clear. I know he will be very happy not to have that anymore. He REALLY didn't like that airway. He will also be able to try to talk some now whenever he feels a little better.

He's now resting, although he is really groggy.

Nice vs. Mean

Taylor was sedated most of yesterday and last night to give him some rest after a rough Saturday night. When he was awake, he was able to indicate that he had some pain, so the Nurse tweaked his pain medication.

Since March 1, we have seen the good and bad in people. Suzie's sister flew from Ohio 2 days after the accident to be with Suzie. The day after she left, Suzie's sister-in-law flew down to take week 2 of helping out. We've had many friends offer to do everything from sitting with Taylor through the night to mowing our yard. We've met other families that are experiencing similar tragedies, and hospital staff that have gone out of their way to help make our stay at the hospital more comfortable. We've heard from Suzie's "Camp Meeting Cousins" from around the country and world, and they keep a close eye on his progress. Taylor's Nurses are all Angels. For many nights they sat at his side, 12 hour shifts at a time, working to keep him alive. They are incredible people.

We've also seen the mean side of people. We've found a few Security employees and a couple of Pink Ladies seem to enjoy bullying people over embarrassingly minor issues. A typical case of some folks who abuse their 15 minutes of power. Fortunately, they are not representative of this hospital.

A few days after Taylor's accident, a former quasi-boyfriend of Lauren's told her at a school function that he was glad that Taylor was clinging to life, then spit on her. She slapped him. Others with Lauren were so incensed that they chased the boy down and smacked him around. Along with those who actually fought, Lauren was given a 5 day suspension for initially slapping the boy. She was given the same punishment as everyone else. I personally thought her actions were less egregious than the others. She's a 5'2" little girl, he's a 6'0 bully. Hardly a fair contest.

For a second, I was almost thrilled that Lauren's friends defended Taylor's honor. But, that is not something that Taylor would have supported. The Administration at Lauren's school could not have been any more cold and heartless to us than they were. I received a phone call from one of the Deans of discipline the next school day, and found his attitude and demeanor to be so void of any sympathy for our family that it almost made me nauseous. To drop that bomb on us at that time, without the option of dealing with Taylor first, really demonstrates just how mean some people can be.

But, in spite of him and people like him, it really doesn't matter.

We have readjusted our Matter Meter. There are so many things that I thought mattered prior to 3/1/07 that are now so far off the radar that I'm not sure I'll really care about some of those issues any more....ever.

What matters most is that Taylor does better each day, and he's been given a second chance at life. I know he'll make the most of it.

A day of rest

Taylor had a pretty restless night. Late last night, his friends Nick and Nate Valdez came to visit. He was wide awake when we went in around 11pm. Nate is in the Navy and was able to get a couple of days leave to come to Florida from Illinois to visit him. Nick has driven up several times from Sarasota to be with Taylor. One night, Nick slept over night with us on the floor of the ICU waiting room so he could be "close to my Buddy". Taylor held their hands and they told him they love him. It was obvious that Taylor knew they were there, and I know he was glad to have them visit. Adults could learn a lot about love and loyalty from some of Taylors' friends.

Throughout the evening, Taylor's Nurse "held his hand a lot". She said he didn't sleep much and wanted her nearby. We're still sleeping at the hospital, but our presence sometimes gets Taylor worked up, and his pressure rises. He doesn't get as emotional with the staff, so it's better sometimes for them to comfort him. The staff decided he really needed to rest some today, so he was given some medication that will allow him to get some well deserved sleep and rest.

Taylor had a big week. He opened his eyes, moved his limbs, squeezed hands, held up a finger at the Doctor's request, shook his head "yes" and "no".

We've had nothing but good news this week from the Doctor and staff. It's been a great week.

This coming Tuesday, Taylor will have surgery again to do a few maintenance procedures that will aid in his recovery. We expect this will be the last of the surgeries. Please keep Taylor in your prayers for Tuesday.

Taylor has a big day coming up this Tuesday, and has had a busy week so he's earned taking today off.

The Doctor Speaks

Taylor's Neurosurgeon is a man of few words. While he has kept us posted on what he's done and what he planned to do, he's just not a guy who blows smoke up your skirt to make you feel better. That's certainly no criticism - we'd rather have that than a bunch of doom and gloom or him saying "don't worry" when we knew the kind of trouble Taylor was in.

Today he spoke more than he has in a week. He said he was "very, very happy" with Taylor's progress and that "if he had to have a head injury, he had it in the right place". He said he saw nothing at this point that should interfere with a full recovery. We were also reminded just how close to the edge Taylor came. We realize nothing is guaranteed, but if this Doctor is that positive about his future then we are convinced now more than ever that we'll get all of Taylor back.

God, friends and family

Since Black Tuesday, we have learned just how close Taylor came to not surviving. We have been reminded just how important God and friends are.

God answered our prayers to save Taylor. I can't begin to imagine how many prayed for him. His friends sent their Pastors to visit with us and pray for Taylor, friends added him to prayer lists at their churches and on the Internet, and others at the hospital who learned of Taylor's injuries prayed for him. Even Nurses joined us at Taylor's bedside praying for his recovery. We know prayer brought Taylor back to us and we thank God now for saving him.

Friends have helped us in immeasurable ways. Taylor has had friends visit every day for the past 17 days. Some have stayed the night with us at the hospital just to feel a closeness to him. Others who don't get off work until midnight or after come to the hospital if only to watch him sleep. They check in daily for his progress and have been a huge help in helping Lauren cope with the temporary loss of companionship with her brother. Taylor really has great friends.

Our friends have helped us keep our sanity. From caring for our animals to picking up relatives at the Orlando Airport, we would be in real trouble without them. Sometime around 3:30am while we were traveling to the hospital after learning of the accident, we called Mary Toothman, Tommy Ray and Larry Ashley. They were dressed and headed to the hospital within minutes. We feared the worst and knew we would need to have someone with us. Lauren, too, called her friend Rachel, who didn't hesitate to come.

Since then, we have had friends with us either in person or by phone, offering or helping to do anything to make our time with Taylor easier to manage. The Ledger has been incredibly supportive and Suzie's co-workers have been very generous to us. From Pat and Bill Rufty's fried chicken runs to Lynne's everpresent shoulder and Robin's comfort and encouragement, you all have been amazing. My friends at the Sheriff's Office have been great. It's been 18 years since I worked there, but their caring and support has been humbling. Sam McGuirt, who's been our spiritual rock through all this, never hesitated when we called, and her coworkers at the Sheriff's Office held down the fort so she could be with us. We've had so many angels in our midst throughout this seemingly unbearable time - we feel so unworthy of such a generous outpouring of love and support.

There is really no way to properly thank our friends for all they've done. We will eventually get around to thanking each of them personally, and when Taylor is able, he also will be wanting to thank everyone who made his recovery, and our time in this crisis, so much easier.

My family is pretty small. I have a sister and Mother that live in Winter Haven and two Aunts in Tennessee. My Mother and sister visit often and my Mother has already volunteered to stay with Taylor each day when he comes home. Suzie's sister, Lynne, came down from Ohio two days after the accident and stayed for a week. The day after she left, Suzie's sister-in-law, Patrice, came down and remains here until this coming Monday. They have been great support for Suzie while I was busy losing control.

Suzie's extended family - the "Camp Meeting Cousins" - (LONG story, but trust me when I say she has hundreds and hundreds of cousins) continuously check on his progress via email and phone calls.

God, friends and family. It's what made the difference.

Day 16

Taylor had a fairly restful night. He was given a bath at about 4:00am and did ok. I visited him at 6:15am and he was sleeping. His ICP (intracranial pressure) was at 10, which is a very good sign.

This morning, the Doctor asked Taylor to hold up 1 finger and he did. Knowing Taylor, we were curious which finger he held up. We were relieved to learn it was his index finger.

This afternoon we visited Taylor. He was awake and seemed pretty alert. I asked him some questions, not really thinking he was going to respond, but he slightly shook his head "yes" to some and "no" to others. He can indicate "no" pretty well. He's not bashful about telling you something he doesn't like.

His mother asked him if he was scared and he shook his head "yes". We constantly remind him that he's going to be OK, that we will not leave the hospital until we take him home with us, that he's done nothing wrong and that he's not in trouble.

We know he must really be frightened, so constantly reassuring him and comforting him is important.

This evening, a feeding tube was inserted directly into his stomach. This was to have happened this coming Tuesday, but the staff decided to do it now. Taylor did well and showed little reaction. We visited with him later in the night and although he was groggy, he knew we were there.

Two week anniversary

It's been two weeks since Taylor's accident.

While Taylor improves a little each day, his condition is still critical. He is in the Intensive Care Unit and is being closely monitored by a Nurse 24 hours a day.

Today, he moved his right arm for the first time. That is a BIG deal, since we really didn't know whether or not he could move it. He also followed directions to point his toes downward when told to do so. We were REAL glad he did that. He had previously moved his right leg and foot, but not the left.

The Doctor asked Taylor to indicate whether or not he was in pain by closing, then opening, his eyes when told to do it. Taylor was able to signal that he was in pain by following those directions so the Doctor had the pain medication increased.

We also learned today that Taylor will likely undergo surgery next Tuesday to do several procedures. Please think about Taylor next Tuesday ( and every day, for that matter) , and pray for his recovery.

Tonight several of Taylor's friends came by to see him. Shortly after 9pm we all went in to say hello and tell him goodnight. As his sister, Lauren, spoke to him he raised his left hand and held it out. Lauren took his hand and told him how much she loves him.

Later when Taylor's friend Billy told him he was there, he lifted his left arm and held his hand out again. Billy took Taylor's hand and told him he loved him. We certainly believe that Taylor's actions were intentional. It's moments like that when we firmly believe that inside his broken body is Taylor - the loving friend, and wonderful son.

Eye Contact!!!

Today was another good day.

Taylor has not yet been able to focus his eyes or to fix them on an object. But, that changed this afternoon.

While Taylor's Mother, Suzie, talked to Taylor she said "Taylor, can you look at me?" She repeated it several times. Taylor then moved his eyes and looked directly into hers. He looked at her as she talked to him and it was clear that he knew who she was. We don't know how long he may have looked at her.....she got so emotional she had to leave the room. But, it lasted long enough for his Mother to know that he heard her and wanted to look her in the eyes.

Lauren, Taylor's sister, then stood beside his bed and talked with him and he made direct eye contact with her too. It was very emotional and reinforced our belief that he hears us and understands what we're saying to him.

It was another very good day.

Taylor responds to verbal requests

Today Taylor squeezed the Nurses hand when directed to, as well as opened and closed his eyes as directed. The staff and Dr. were very happy. We were REALLY happy.

He continues to shed tears when talking to him, telling him that he's safe and will be OK and taken home one day soon. It's clear now that those were tears of emotions - he understands what's being said.

We are continuously warned not to expect the rest of his progress to go as fast, and that this will take a very long time. But, we are encouraged by what everyone in the Intensive Care Unit has described as a fast recovery from a major surgery.

HE'S AWAKE!!!!!!!!!

This morning, Suzie and I wen to visit Taylor and learned from his nurse that he had opened his eyes!! After 10 days he opened his eyes!

I stood on his right side and Suzie on his left. We each held his hands and told him we were there. He opened his eyes and we instantly knew we had our son back. The rush of excitement was overwhelming. It's just impossible to describe how badly we wished for that day.

We told him he was safe, and told him not to be scared. We told him he had been in an accident and that he was feeling funny because of the medication. We assured him we would not leave until we took him home.

While we talked to him, his eyes filled with tears that ran down his cheek. We were never as happy to see tears on his face than at that moment. We knew then he knew we were there.

Seconds after he opened his eyes, my cell phone rang. I quickly sent it to voice mail, but later checked the time of the call. It was 10:39am. We have marked this date and that time as his second Birthday. This date will always be a day of celebration for us. It was the beginning of a second chance of life with Taylor.

Black Tuesday

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 will always be the worst AND the best day of our lives.

Taylor had been responding well to the medication, but something went wrong late in the day. His Intra Cranial Pressure began to rise, and efforts to reduce the pressure didn't appear to work. A decision was made by Taylor's Doctor to perform surgery to remove part of Taylor's skull to give room for Taylor's brain to continue to swell.

We had discussed treatment options earlier, and we knew that this procedure was one that they might do if Taylor got into bigger trouble. But, we also knew that it was a procedure that was the last of the options available. We were asked to leave Taylor's room while they prepared him for surgery. We hated to leave his side, but knew that he was in very real trouble.

Immediately, we called for our relatives and close friends to come to the hospital, and we called 4 of Taylors friends and told them what was going on. We told them that Taylor had suddenly gotten much worse, and may not make it through the night. We asked that they contact those friends of Taylor that they knew Taylor would want to be there, or that they felt would want to be nearby Taylor if he did not survive the surgery, or if he did not survive after the surgery.



Those 4 phone calls resulted in dozens of his friends coming to the hospital within an hour. Some came from Tampa, and one from as far away as Sarasota. So many showed up that the crowd had to move to the Chapel. We prayed that Taylor would survive, and that we would one day be able to bring him home. And, then we waited. Taylor really has the best friends.

Taylor was out of surgery in less than an hour. We stayed with him in his room, and continued our hour-by-hour vigil. We knew this was probably the big turning point.

ICP's and a medically induced coma

One of the big issues Taylor is facing is intracranial pressure (ICP). The head injury Taylor suffered caused the pressure to rise, so it's something the medical staff constantly monitors.

Several procedures were done, and certain medications given, to reduce the pressure.

One of the procedures was to put Taylor in a medically induced coma so that he would have as little stimulation as possible. We were told that we should not talk to him, stroke his hands or do anything that might stimulate his brain. Doing so may increase the pressure.

This is just a temporary situation until the pressure subsides.

The Accident

It's every parents fear - learning from a police officer that your child has been injured. We had that dreaded phone conversation on Thursday, March 1, 2007.

We learned that Taylor had been involved in a single vehicle accident on SR 60 just east of Mulberry, and that he was being transported by helicopter to Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Lakeland. We grabbed Taylor's sister, Lauren, and went to the hospital where we met with the medical staff and learned Taylor had been critically injured.

Taylor suffered no internal injuries, no broken bones and no lacerations. We've seen more scratches on him after a long day of skateboarding. But, he did suffer a head injury and the Doctors had him heavily sedated.

We were able to visit Taylor in the Emergency Room for a few minutes. We told him he was safe, that he was being taken good care of and that we loved him very much.

We then began an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute watch to monitor his progress.