^^ Great news!!
Good to hear. I know he has a long road of recovery ahead of him but it's great that he's making good progress.
I would make sure he's cool with that type of thing first, I know when I was in a car accident a few years back (one that totaled a car but luckily didn't cause any injuries) I wanted nothing to do with cars for a little while. Of course that changed, but it was close to a year before I was really back into it. The kids may want nothing to do with sports cars, so I would just be very careful about planning something like that before running it by the involved parties...
Absolutely. It's possible that more than anything, you're reminding Jon that he doesn't have a car any more and something that he put his heart and soul into is gone. It's even more possible that on top of that, the realization that getting a car again is nowhere near a priority because of so many other issues. It would be adding insult to injury.
Guys, excellent input! I completely agree. That's what makes the F chat community so wonderful. People helping each other.
May 1st is Amanda's ceremony at Fullerton. Don't know if her sister will be there. Thanks for your thoughts, Heather....we do have some female members/owners here but your views are very important to balance things. Maybe rlevesque will bring some pictures in from that event.
The Fullerton College newspaper ran a story about Amanda this week. It provides some clear insight into the kind of person she was. Remembering Amanda Walzer - The Hornet
I don't frequent this site anymore so I just saw this. I met Jon and he was one of the first Ferrari guys I met (along with 3Forty8 - Eric). I am stunned and don't even know what to day. Prayers for Jon, and his girlfriend and family. Wow.
Jen, We are so sorry for your loss. I knew Jon but unfortunately never met Amanda. From the light in her eyes from the picture posted in this thread, I can see that she was a beautiful soul. May she RIP and may you and all of you be comforted by our Lord and Savior. Amen.
I visited Jon at the care facility today; physically, he is in rough shape but appears to be mentally alert. He still can't speak, but he was able to laugh at some of my corny jokes - his sense of humor is intact! He recognized me instantly and gave my hand a strong squeeze to welcome me. I also had a chance to visit with his mother, Sheila. She is a real sweetheart and I shared with both Jon and Sheila how our entire community has rallied around Jon and that our thoughts are with them. The care facility neglected to tell me Jon's father, who has POA, has created an "allowed visitors" list. We can't just drop by for a visit without first getting his consent, but I can tell you Jon's eyes lit up at the sight of a friend. I am hopeful Jon's dad will allow more friends to visit, just be aware you can't "drop in" without checking with him first. Jon has not been told about Amanda yet, so anyone planning a visit please be mindful of that fact.
Good work 348. Pardon me for asking such a specific question, but can Jon not talk because he is dealing with a traumatic brain injury, or is it because medical apparatus (i.e trachea tube) prevents him from talking? Just want to better understand the exact nature of his injuries. Asking solely as a fellow FChatter who is very concerned for his well-being and of course quite saddened by this event. If my questions are too pointed or personal, by all means feel free to not answer. Warmest regards. Rob
Cranial impact, swelling of the brain... They will have to establish motor responses, a little at a time. The one word, "No" is a very positive indicator. And the smile... He's "in there" and will have to work his way back to us. Thanks so much Eric....and also to rlevesque, for the link on the Fullerton Memorial.
It makes me sad to think that he doesn't know about Amanda yet, and how difficult that will be to hear about her when he does. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't know whether it's standard protocol or handled on a case-by-case basis, but this makes me cringe. I can't imagine a time in which it's not going to be a huge, tragic shock. But I also don't know real details. Awful either way. Matt
Speaking from first hand experience, what Tex said is pretty much spot on. Even knowing about it would not be understood as well. Post traumatic head injury, the mind does some strange things. Sometimes blocking out memories, some suggest, to protect the person. In the future, there will be the right time to tell him. It's not something to be rushed, nor an important thing to do at the moment. His daily survival and recovery is far more important. One day, he will start to remember, begin to talk, and then he'll ask the difficult questions.
The way I heard it's like a "reset". You have some brain "injury". You have to start learning again. Almost as though you were a toddler. You have to learn how to speak. You know how to pick up the spoon but you lost the connections to make your brain transmit the "pick up" messages to your arm and fingers.
Kevin - exactly! It's difficult to describe. Think of the way you tie your shoes. Do A then B and the results are C. For some reason, you understand that's the process, but for some reason, you do B then D maybe A and you'll get to C. Best way I've relayed it in the past: think about walking in someone else's shoes. "Boy wouldn't it be great to walk in Irishman's shoes right now? His life looks wonderful." One day, you wake up, and you are in Irishman's shoes, but you don't know how the heck he tied his shoes! You don't know how he made connections in his mind to add/subtract/read/write and process information, but you are stuck in Irishman's head now and you have to figure out how things work. I'd like to know where to send a car/flower-fund to, it's probably back on one of the pages. Can someone PM me info?
