Since you are the major point of contact I would encourage you to ask his brother/next-of-kin about what new he knows and can handle: could very well be they don't want to worry his condition by letting him know about his friend....I'd leave that to the docs and/or those in the recovery mix.
That's a good call, IMO. I was in a similar situation in my early 20's --- fortunately my girlfriend (at the time) and I were not injured near as badly as Jon and Amanda. The car was an old Triumph TR6 I had spent years restoring with my Father as a Father-Son project --- I loved that car, it was my pride and joy at the time. But, after the accident, I wanted nothing to do with that car. It was almost one year later until I even went to the storage garage and looked at the wreck. I put it up for sale "as is" 3 weeks later. It sold quickly, and I never looked back.
A thought has occurred to me, and I only pull this mostly from memory of when my father spent 1yr in the ICU and then another 6 months in general. Horrid industrial accident. In any case due to the limited things that can be sent into the ICU all his coworkers got together and pulled a fund not just for our family but notably for providing snacks, drinks and even lunches at times for the staff on the wing of the ICU where my father was. The thought being that it's tough enough to deal with patients on the edge and family/friends that all want to give support and well wishes that it may also help to help those with a small kindness as a show of thanks and support to those who are in the trenches so to speak. Nurses work looooong hrs, happy nurses can make patients, tired unhappy nurses... well.. I think we know how that goes. As to how that is coordinated and pulled off? I think a few members here work in hospitals as Docs and might even be on the admin side. If possible maybe they can chime in and let the group know the best effective way to do something like that. Provided it's something that makes some sense to everyone here. Just a thought. If there's one sucky thing about long stays in the hospital it is the limited escape entertainment available. Audio books are one idea, maybe setting up an account with prepaid credits. Are Jon and Amanda in the same hospital?
Latest news from Jon's brother: He is in and out of consciousness and will be in the ICU for another week. He may not understand the severity of what has happened. Then he will be moved to a general room for a month of care and then rehab for strength, mobility etc. He says that there is not a lot of room where they are so any large items will cause a problem. I think at this time cards of well wishes might be the best bet for support. I also agree that car related items may not be in his best interest for a while. Best to let him circle back to that when he is ready. I will let the group know when he gets a room so bigger support can be shown. Robb
Cheers Robb, I was just going to get something out to him today, but coming from Australia even if I express post it *which is what I was going to do*, I don't think it will make it in time before he gets moved into the general room. Please post up the details of his new room number when you find out or send it via PM. Thanks so much for relaying his condition, we are all thinking of Jon and Amanda everyday.
Wishing both Jon and Amanda speedy recoveries. Everyone is hoping and praying for your quick return to good health.
Depending on how things go if we decide to get some sort of fund going I'm in. I just keep hoping the news will get better.
To what address can we send cards ? Is his brother (or someone else) willing to receive and deliver them ?
Just saw this thread. What a nightmare! I will pray for John and Amanda, and I would be happy to help with anything you guys come up with.
If anyone puts together a donation drive to help offset costs please let me know as I would gladly contribute.
I believe Jon is fully covered in the car and he may well not want to be around it for a while based on the circumstances with Amanda her kids. Let's keep up the good thoughts and support for them. I agree that he can probably use help while recovering. So we will stay on it as he gets out of ICU. He is well liked here and a supportive member with over 20,000 posts. This really could have been any of us in our F-cars. Robb
all the crew at yellow compass is praying for both of you , we are here to help however we can . may god wrap his arms around both of you
when the time is right, please try to post the details in more general areas of the forum for those of us that don't frequent the 308/328 section. With more visibility, I think you will get many more donations.
Jon was my neighbor a few years back before I moved across town. I remember his black 328 and that was before I bought my car. I moved before he had the Speedster I think. Anyway, in all that time we never struck up a conversation, and really regret that. Best wishes for a full recovery.
Jon's brother wanted to thank all for the support. He says there is nothing more to do at this point. They have put him in the doctor's hands and in God's plan. He will keep us updated. Robb
Count me in for what I can do. While I've never met him personally, I've found him a great source of thought provoking writing on this forum. I wish the utter best to him, his family, and his loved one. Keep in mind that he and Amanda are at the beginning of a long trek. They aren't running the 100 yard dash, they are running the 100 miler. So we have time to come up with the best way to help them. As an ER Nurse, and an ex-ICU Nurse, staff loves to see letters and cards for people. It helps remind us that we're doing important work for real, loved human beings. We also like food. When my close friend was on a ventilator in the ICU, I would periodically send the overnight staff food. The pizzas stopped when the pizza guy's car got stolen from the hospital parking lot! Sometimes I would just send a card to the staff that said 'thanks for helping save my pal.' This weekend in my ER, we handed around a postcard sent by someone that said "thanks for saving my friend's life." It was simple and awesome. Jonathan The FiatRN Denver, CO
