Final Update, by Josh

Hello everybody! Josh here. I've been home for almost a week now and it feels great to be home. I've started doing home therapy with my occupational therapist, but I'll wait until after camping to start things with my other therapists. Yes, thankfully my family didn't go camping without me; we go camping next week. We all enjoy camping and hopefully it's a relaxing time away… and not too hot like the weather we've had this past week!

In a way it was sad saying goodbye last Friday to all my therapists and nurses. We had a pizza party with the nursing staff to show our appreciation of them. The staff seemed happy to see me leaving in good health but also sad to see me go; we all got along well. It was a little emotional for my parents and grandparents. Grandma also made her boter-koek (butter cake) which they loved (and a therapist had even asked for her recipe!). It was a bit of a community there but my family at home now is a nice substitution.

I would like to thank you all for reading and staying in touch with the situation. Thank you also for all the support you've given to my family. Thankfully I don't remember the first few weeks or anything that happened close by the accident but I know it was tough for them and they were appreciative of the support. Thanks also to everyone who came by the hospital and rehab to visit. If I haven't thanked you directly I probably don't remember the visit (my memory just started kicking in about the last month, so any memory outside that is spacey).

Thank you also for all the prayers you've given to God for my situation. God has been so gracious in my recovery, from getting discharged out of the ICU to the kindness/gentleness of the nursing/physio staff. It's only because of God's grace that my life was spared. My recovery isn't complete yet, so I'll still ask you guys to pray for patience as recovery will slow down in the next few months. Any/all prayer is appreciated.

So I'll give you an update with how the next few weeks/months will be going down. Yes, we're going camping next week at McGregor. After that, holidays will hold off for a few weeks, and then we're going to North Carolina with the family to enjoy a cottage on the Outer Banks. When I return, home therapy will fully commence and be underway. I'll be meeting with Occupational Therapy a few times a week, a speech pathologist a few times a week, a rehab therapist running therapy weekly (all at home), and to cap it off some physiotherapy twice a week in Richmond Hill (clearly, not at home). So, while my original thoughts were that I might have too much down-time at home, clearly I'll be busy enough with therapy both at-home and away from home. Hopefully I’ll be busy enough over the next few months and not have too much time sitting with my arms crossed.

Thanks again for all your love and support. It's been great knowing I'm not alone in all this. Have a great summer (what's left of it), and I will try to as well. God bless you all.

Josh

Goodbye Rehab, Hello Home!

Yesterday we received news that Josh is being discharged this Friday, July 24th. It was a day of mixed emotion. We were surprised by the news, as he wasn't expected to leave the rehab till next week. As much as we are looking forward to Josh coming home, we feel a little anxious as we leave the supportive medical and rehab team whom we have grown to love and rely on. For Josh this also means saying goodbye to the people who have had a huge impact on his road to recovery and who have supported him emotionally. It will be a big change for Josh as he moves away from very structured days filled with activity and people to a more relaxed and more self motivating environment. However we are so thankful that Josh is coming home to be with our family once again.

It was three months ago that Josh was in the serious work accident diagnosed with Significant Diffused Axonal Injury which is a sheering of the brain due to the shock waves of the explosion. God spared Josh's life and carried us a family through that very difficult time.

Josh has made a miraculous recovery and we are ever so thankful for the way the Lord has healed him. As we reflect on Josh's progress we see how quickly Josh has moved through his recovery. Physically, Josh looks like his old self, almost like he doesn't belong at rehab at all. Yet he still struggles with his speech, short term memory loss and functioning cognitive issues. His outpatient therapy will address these issues and will focus on Josh's goals of returning to work and learning to drive again etc. We are thankful that the WSIB is going to follow through with all the recommendations of the rehab team and Josh will begin therapy once we return from our camping trip.

Please continue to pray for our family as we begin a new chapter in our life. Please pray for continued and complete healing for Josh. Please pray for the many patients we have come to know who are not making the progress they have hoped or prayed for. Thank the Lord for places like the Toronto Rehab Institute which do incredible work.

As this will be our last post, we wish to thank you all for your continued prayers. Thank you for blessing us with your words of encouragement and deeds of kindness, visits etc. It was wonderful to know we had people who loved us join with us in our very hard journey. Thank you also to Bruce for posting our blog, as it was a great blessing.

The Lord chose to spare Josh's life and heal him in this amazing way for reasons we do not know. We stand humbled and in awe before Him as we know it's not because of anything we or Josh has done to deserve this but it is only for His purpose and for His glory. To Him we give all the praise and thanks.

We will finish off with our wedding verse:

Philippians 4:4-8 "Rejoice in the Lord always. again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Much love to you all,
Phil and Terri and Josh. Joel and Irma, Josh and Meagan, Karina and Stephen

Ten Weeks Since The Accident

We have just passed the ten week mark since Josh's accident. We are so thankful he is home again for his fifth weekend. A few weekends ago Josh was home for Father's Day. Phil could not have asked for a better gift than that of having Josh's life spared. To also have Josh home with the family on that Sunday was not what we would have expected weeks ago, an added blessing.

We have also been so thankful that Josh has been able to attend church for the past two weekends. Then last week Josh was determined to be at his younger brother's grade 12 graduation. He even came to the small celebration afterward. This past week was also special; due to the July 1st holiday, Josh was able to come home for two nights this past week as well. We celebrated Canada Day a day early as we went as a family (minus a few members) to the Blue Jays game. We had a great evening celebrating with Josh, even though the Jays lost. This was a big excursion for Josh as it involved a lot of walking and a lot of people. He did well!! We all enjoyed ourselves, although Josh was very tired on Wednesday.

On Thursday, we took Josh to the Aquarium in Toronto with his grandparents. It was one of the things on Josh's list to do while staying in Toronto. Although Josh is looking good and is doing well physically, we are realizing more and more that he gets very tired easily. Signs of being tired are tremors in his right hand, leg shaking, altered speech, and trouble with memory. We are learning as a family along with Josh that although it is good to push forward and have fun, there needs to be a balance between rest and activity.

Last week Friday, Josh was moved out of his semi-private room into one of the larger rooms that is more like a tiny apartment. He is now responsible to make his own breakfasts, tidy his room and even make his own bed. :) We look forward to Josh moving home again at the end of the month. For now, he is progressing well with the help of all his therapists and he is working hard. They have become dear to us, especially to Josh. We hope to visit St. Michael's ICU in the near future as we promised we would return with Josh one day when he was doing well. Who would have known that it would only be a few months later!

Please continue to pray for Josh and for complete healing. Pray for patience as we wait and for acceptance of what will be. Someone recently sent us a card reminding us that although Josh's accident was so unexpected and so unimaginable for us, it was never unexpected for our God, who is our loving Father. He knows all things and all things are in His hand. Therefore, we echo the song once again... "All is well with my soul, it is God in control, I know not all His plans, but I know I'm in His hands."

Thank you again for sharing in our walk.

Love Phil and Terri and Josh and family

A month at rehab, visits out to family, and steady progress

Josh has been at Toronto Rehab for one month. He has reached a few more milestones in the past week so we are thrilled. Last week Josh went out for his first restaurant meal since his accident. He enjoyed a delicious messy chicken sandwich on an outdoor patio at Swiss Chalet with his grandparents and sister. This past weekend he went on his first outing. He went for a short visit first to his grandma's house to celebrate her birthday and then on to a family engagement party. He really enjoyed himself. We decided beforehand to stay no longer than an hour, but as we made our way to leave the party, we noticed Josh was engaged in a game of bocci ball so we extended our length of stay. Josh was very tired at the end of the evening but he thought it was great to see all the family. On Sunday, Josh slept for a good part of the afternoon after having a busy day on Saturday.


We are enjoying our time together on the weekends as a family. Josh is able to move around the home unassisted and he is enjoying the freedom. He continues to be a great help in the kitchen and loves to help make breakfast such as bacon and eggs or pancakes.

We had our family meeting on Monday with the medical team. This was an important meeting as we were able to discuss Josh's progress at the rehab thus far, as well as make future plans for Josh's continued rehab program as an outpatient after July 29th.

We hope Josh can join us at our church this Sunday. He says he looks forward to seeing our church family and singing praises to God.

We are thankful for Josh's continued healing.

We are thankful for your visits to the rehab as it helps break up the day, especially the evenings.
A very special thank you to all of Josh's friends for all their love and support. It's great to see Josh's smile and hear him laugh with his peers as he plays cards or chats with them.

Please continue to pray for a complete healing for Josh's cognitive and physical abilities.

Please pray that WSIB will approve the hiring of the recommended therapists for Josh's continued rehab. Please thank the Lord with us that Josh has less confusion and is much more aware of his surroundings and day to day activities .

We thank you again for all your prayers, love and support and sharing in our journey. We have been so wonderfully cared for by you all.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Love, Phil and Terri and family

A visit home, a green card, and coffee

It has now been two weeks since Josh came to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Over these past weeks Josh has done well and has made some more huge accomplishments. First, he was able to come home last weekend for a one-night pass. We had a lovely weekend. It was uneventful but it was just good to be together with our family. Josh enjoyed napping on the deck and playing video games with his brothers as well as enjoying some home-cooked meals. Josh will hopefully be coming home again this weekend but for a two night pass instead. He and all of us are very excited!

Second, Josh had an extra special day today as he received his "green card" which allows him to freely walk unassisted throughout his unit. As you may expect, Josh was very happy about this as he has the freedom to get up from his bed without sounding all the bells.

It was a very emotional sight to watch Josh wander down the hall, stopping to wave at his therapists through the windows as they were having their weekly meeting... he was very happy indeed! Today Josh also received the good news that it was finally ok to drink unthickened water and therefore other liquids as well. He enjoyed his first cup of coffee this afternoon since the accident with his mom and grandparents while sitting in the sunshine.

Josh has very busy days with therapy but he never complains and he works hard.

We thank the Lord for all his therapists as they truly want the best for Josh.. they have been a wonderful support not only to Josh but to us as well.

We stand amazed at how the Lord is answering all our prayers and surprising us with the many accomplishments that Josh has made.

Thank you again for all your prayers.

Psalm 91:3. "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart, I will tell of your wonderful deeds."

Phil, Terri and the family

Going home for a night, improving short-term memory, and encouraging words

We received wonderful news yesterday from the medical team that Josh is able to go home for a one night pass this weekend. We are all very excited about this transition and can't wait to get him home!

Josh had a good week so far and is doing well with his therapies. He is able to walk more as his balance is improving. His days are full and he still needs to rest in between therapy sessions but we can tell he is getting stronger. He also keeps busy with homework sheets that we help him with. He enjoys his time with family and friends who come to visit and is often up for a game of cards.

We are very thankful that Josh's short-term memory is improving slowly and at times he remembers some things from a few hours ago or  from the day before.

We have met some very inspiring volunteers and therapists who were once patients at Toronto Rehab and have suffered a severe brain injury. It was very encouraging to hear about their journeys of healing. Through their conversations with us they have shared how much courage, perseverance and determination they needed to endure and succeed.

Once again we thank the Lord for your love, your encouraging words, and your many prayers.
We especially thank our Heavenly Father, who is the great physician, for all the healing that has taken place in Josh's body.

Romans 5:3-5: "...we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

Love to you all,
Phil, Terri and family

One month: Much to be thankful for

One month ago, Josh had his accident at work. During that first week we weren't sure if the Lord would spare Josh's life or if he would come out of his coma. They were days of great uncertainty. But the one thing we knew for certain was the Lord was with us and Josh was in His hands. What great comfort that was for our family. We are so blessed to have known and felt the love of our Heavenly Father in those dark days. We are thankful that the Lord's promises are true when He promises to never leave us or forsake us. We praise the Lord for His mercy for all the prayers that were answered.

Today as Josh is continuing his journey of recovery, we are thankful for the progress made. The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) is an amazing facility where Josh is receiving wonderful care and rehab. It seems one of Josh's greatest challenges is his short term memory. This can be very frustrating for him. We need to constantly reorient him to the present.

What we find incredible is his ability to play card games such as euchre and more recently gin rummy. He's proven to be almost unbeatable in these games. Josh is also struggling with his balance when he walks. After being in the hospital for four weeks, Josh's hair had become quite wild and in need of a cut. He had his first outing as we wheeled him down University Ave. into a hair salon... he is now a new man!

Josh's rehab therapy will be quite intense and therefore it makes him more tired. He is expected to receive treatment at TRI for about ten weeks. We are looking forward to Josh being able to come home for some weekend passes...what a great day that will be!!

Please continue to pray for complete healing for Josh's memory and restored balance. Thank the Lord for the wonderful medical facilities we have available to us in this country.

Thank you again for walking this journey with us. You cannot know what this means to us.

Love to you all,

Phil and Terri and family

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice" Philippians 4:4

Next stop: Rehab!

We received great news today! Josh is being moved to Toronto Rehab tomorrow! He will continue his journey of healing there. We stand amazed and humbled as to how our Father in heaven has answered our prayers.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Love Phil and Terri and family

Long weekend break, and Euchre

We hope you all enjoyed this long weekend and the warm, sunny weather that went with it. The flowering trees and shrubs are especially beautiful this spring. It's good to take time and marvel at the beautiful creation and give thanks to our Creator.

We had a good weekend with Josh. It was good to go outside and sit under the stunning apple trees in front of the Metropolitan a Church and enjoy a smoothie. Since it was a long weekend, Josh had a break from his physio therapy, speech etc.. He was very tired and slept a lot in the past three days. Sleep is very necessary as it allows for healing to take place in the brain. On Friday Phil and I were able to sit in on Josh 's occupational therapy session where he did some sequencing exercises and puzzling. The therapist suggested we do some games with Josh over the weekend as there wouldn't be any organized therapy. Since our family plays a lot of card games, she suggested we start out with Go Fish. Instead we thought we would try a game of War. Josh enjoyed the game but by early evening he was playing Euchre, our family favourite.

Josh is still very confused with regards to his memory in other ways but we are so thankful for the way the Lord has created Josh with a pleasant, friendly and kind disposition. He doesn't get angry or overly frustrated when we constantly reorient him to where he is and to what is reality. Even in his very confused mind he tries to make people feel welcomed when they visit. Josh seems to have a renewed sense of humour and it's wonderful to be able to laugh with him.

We hope that as Josh makes progress this week, he may leave St. Michael's Hospital and go to Toronto Rehab. Please pray for Josh to be more settled in his mind, that he has good nights rest and may move to rehab soon. Pray also for the medical team as they work with Josh.

The Lord has blessed us all through you. Thank you again for your prayers, encouraging words through emails, texts, face book messages and blog responses.

Love Phil and Terri and family

Progress report: three weeks of blessings

It's Thursday afternoon, 2:15 p.m., and Karina and I are having a quiet time in Josh's room reflecting on the past weeks. Today marks the third week since Josh's accident. When we recall recent events we feel overwhelmed by all that has happened. To think that Josh may not have survived or awoken from the deep coma... we stand amazed at how Josh has progressed. Even the medical staff is shocked at how quickly Josh has moved from a deep coma to the state he is in now. (Yes, for those who have been asking, Josh is no longer in a coma. We apologize for not clarifying this earlier)

As of today, he can walk down the hall with the assistance of one physiotherapist, he can read some words and can eat by himself. In addition, Josh has started a cognitive class where he participates in a 45 minute session of brain stimulating activities. This has been a daily routine for the past three days.

Josh also continues to have daily physio sessions. Today he walked to the gym where he practiced some leg exercises and walked between the parallel bars. Although his walking is still staggered, it was such a great sight to see. The occupational therapist and speech language pathologist have also been working with Josh daily to work on simple tasks and brain stimulation. Josh has been talking a lot, he greets and recognizes faces and can carry on simple conversations. Although he often shows signs of confusion or does not always understand or remember certain things, he is always compliant and has a gentle spirit.

Josh has also enjoyed being able to feed himself. He has been upgraded from eating pureed food to minced food such as rice and ground beef. Josh eats all his food and enjoys it thoroughly. We have to keep reminding him to take little bites and to eat slowly, although he often chooses to quickly gobble it all down.

Josh has also appreciated his visits with family, close friends and co-workers. He is able to recognize them and greets them by name and a handshake. He also is ready to give a hug when asked.

Karina and I took Josh outside this afternoon as it was such a beautiful day. Josh seemed to enjoy the busy surroundings. We sat outside the church and enjoyed the church bells ringing, the pigeons, people and traffic. We even stopped to pat a dog.

Phil returned to work on Monday night and is able to visit with Josh in the early evenings before going to work.

We thank you all for the continued prayers and support. We feel so comforted at this time and give praise to the Lord for helping us along this journey.

Phil, Terri and the family

From feeding tube to real food

Monday update:

The Lord answered our prayers again today as Josh's feeding tube has been removed! Actually, Josh removed it himself early this morning before the caregiver, who sits in the room, could reach him. The medical staff were hoping it wouldn't have to be reinserted and thankfully Josh passed the swallowing assessment done by the Speech Pathologist. She was very proactive and decided to put Josh on pureed food and thickened liquid for now. He ate his first meal of applesauce, mashed potatoes and sauce. He said it was good, although he kept wanting our water bottle. Apparently Josh can't have water yet as it can get too easily into the lungs and could therefore cause pneumonia again.

At around 10:00 am the physiotherapists came in to see if Josh could stand and do a two-person transfer from the bed to chair instead of using the hoist. Josh exceeded their expectations and walked with a walker down the hall. Again we are amazed at Josh's progress!

Since Josh had a busy morning, he slept a lot. The medical team warned us that as Josh gets more physio and speech therapy and cognitive exercises etc. it is very important that he gets his rest as he will tire more easily. His brain  needs so much more healing.

Thank you again for sharing in our joy and for all your continued prayers.

Phil and Terri and family

Many improvements, and enjoying the outdoors (Updated)

Josh continues to improve with his speech and his familiarity with people in his life. He remembers the names of family members and friends who have come to visit him. We are amazed how he is able to recall each person by name and have a basic conversation with them. The improvements made from Friday to Saturday were remarkable. We can't even explain it all as so much occurred. It truly has been miraculous and an answer to prayer.

Terri had the best Mother's Day gift on Saturday when Josh said, "Hi mom".

Josh's grandparent's, who just returned from a Liberation concert tour in Holland, were amazed at the progress Josh had made in the short time they were gone.

Sunday was a wonderful day as our entire family could spend time with Josh. Josh was at times confused as to what was happening but appreciated time spent with his siblings. He was able to spend some time outside this morning with some of his family.

As family, we enjoyed spending Mother's Day at a condo near the hospital which Josh's employer McNally International has rented for us. This allows us to spend more time with Josh as well as have some down time.

We are truly encouraged by how God has answered our prayers and all the prayers offered up to our Heavenly Father on our behalf. Please continue to pray that Josh becomes less confused and that complete healing occurs with in his brain. Please also pray that Josh may have a good assessment tomorrow with regards to his swallowing. It would be a wonderful gift if he could have his feeding tube removed so that he can eventually be introduced to "normal food ".

Thank you again for all your prayers and love.

Phil and Terri and family

The photo above was taken Sunday morning outside St. Michael's Hospital with his older brother, Joel.

This is the day that the Lord has made. More firsts!

Where do we begin? It's been a busy few days with lots of firsts.

We started our day in Burlington to watch our youngest son, Stephen, play his first game of the OCSSAA Christian high school soccer tournament. It was a beautiful day and we felt so blessed to enjoy this morning outdoors.

We arrived at the hospital where our daughter, Karina, had been sitting with Josh for the morning. It was a good morning as Josh was awake for his physio therapy session again, two days in a row. Yesterday he stood for the first time with the help of the therapists and he was able to weight-bear a little. He gave his first wave yesterday and gave his first handshake to our son-in-law. Today, he spoke his first words: he said, "Hi Wayne" to his personal support worker.

Josh also had his first outing today. We wheeled him into the elevator and outside onto the grounds of the Metropolitan Church where we were all able to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. We bought some "street meat" just so we could feed the pigeons some bread.

What a glorious day it has been.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!

Please continue to pray for Josh. Pray that his feeding tube will be removed soon.

Pray that we as a family will continually trust in our Heavenly Father for all of our strength, comfort and peace.

Love to you all,
Phil, Terri and family

Wednesday Update - Hugs

After Josh was move out of ICU yesterday we were excited to see what this day might bring. We have been blessed with much progress over the two weeks since his accident occurred. The day proved to be uneventful, however, as Josh slept through most of it showing little response when spoken to by us or his nurse. We took comfort in realizing that God allows healing to occur while his children rest.

Things took a turn for the positive when Josh was visited by his brothers Joel and Steven, together with Irma and Alex. During this visit, Josh was responding by looking towards them as they spoke and appeared to make efforts to follow the conversation.

When Joel was ready to leave he approached Josh and asked his bro to give him a hug. Josh reached out and lovingly wrapped his arms around Joel's neck. It was now Irma's turn. She reached over to say goodnight to Josh at which time Josh reached out and proceeded to give Irma a big hug on his own initiative. What a beautiful moment!

So what was previously a discouraging day was now a very special time for all of us.

Love
Phil, Terri and family

Another step along the way

Today Josh continued to make progress. He had a great physio session where he responded to some commands which is an indication of his ability to use his limbs as directed. They were basic movements but we are very thankful.

Early this afternoon we received news that Josh was being transferred out of ICU and into a high observation room. It's a room with three other patients to one nurse. We will miss the close monitoring and expertise of the staff with the ICU, but are thankful Josh has moved as this is another sign of progress.We will always be so grateful to all the staff in the ICU. The nurses were highly competent and calm. We will miss them.

Josh spent his day listening to music, sleeping and listening to his loved ones trying to capture his attention by talking and reading to him.

Phil, Terri and family

I know I'm in His hands

This is our second post today (Monday) but we had such good news this evening that we felt the need to update the blog and share our joy with you all.

After Josh's ventilator was removed this morning he rested for most of the day. However, this evening he opened his eyes for his nurse and then later for us as well. His eyes remained open for at least 20-30 seconds. To top it off, when we asked him to smile he did. We were so thrilled. You can't believe the emotion we felt to see our son begin to regain some level of consciousness.

We really believe that God has answered the many prayers raised up on his behalf.

Earlier in day we had a chance to discuss Josh's health with the Chief of Neurology at St. Michael's hospital. Although he was encouraged by Josh's progress so far, he reminded us to pace ourselves as this is going to be a long journey. We don't know what the future looks like, but we echo the lyrics to the song, "All is Well With My Soul, He is God in control, I know not all His plans, But I know I'm in His hands."

Thank you again for all your love,
Phil and Terri and family

His mercies endure forever

We arrived at the hospital after receiving a phone call from Josh's nurse that his breathing tube was removed. He is breathing well and doing well. We praise the Lord for answering our prayers!

We are also thankful to the Lord for the wonderful staff at St. Michael's hospital. They bring joy to each day and have been a great blessing to Phil and I and our family.

Love to you all,

Phil and Terri
Joel and Irma, Meagan and Josh, Karina, Stephen and Alex

The Lord is good

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7)

Thank you to everyone for those wonderful nuggets of Scripture we receive daily.

Today we were blessed and supported as we worshiped with our New City - Newmarket church family. We then left for St. Michael's hospital where we found Josh reclining in a chair. He was resting nicely and was not experiencing any discomfort. His breathing continues to improve and we're hoping his ventilator will be removed soon.

Though there was not much visibly going on with Josh today, we are hopeful there is much healing taking place inside his body. The medical staff at the hospital have been wonderful and we appreciate the way Josh is being cared for.

Phil and Terri

Your mercies are new every morning

This morning we arrived at the hospital to find Josh sitting in a chair again. When we greeted him he opened his eyes for a couple of seconds as he appeared to be responding to our voices. His eyes were wandering and he didn't appear to be focusing but we were thankful, as this was the first time we saw them open. We had tears of thankfulness.

Josh's breathing is getting much better and he relies on the ventilator less and less to breathe. These are important steps before the ventilator is removed. His body temperature is now normal and his pneumonia appears to have lessened.

We have so much to be thankful for. The Lord is answering our prayers. You can't know how much we have appreciated your emails, texts and blog messages... and especially your prayers. Each day we, along with our children, are strengthened by all your love and support.

Love Phil and Terri and family

Josh and Victor

Yesterday (Wednesday) as we walked towards Josh's bed we were thrilled to see him in a sitting position in a chair. This brought tears of joy to our eyes. He had a strap around his waist but other than that he was sitting upright with no other straps (apparently gravity holds you in place as this is a natural position to be in). He sat for two hours and was then put back into bed.

The rest of the day was not so hopeful as he continued to battle a fever. He was also less responsive (which was likely due to the fever) and has developed a blood clot in his right arm. Thankfully, there are no clots in his lungs which is something the nurses originally feared. His pneumonia has also worsened.

We felt a little deflated as we left him last night but his sister Meagan and her new husband Josh sat with Josh last night. We were thankful that Meagan and Josh returned from their honeymoon in Mexico the night before. We are so thankful for our children, Josh's siblings, who have stood by us. They too have been so very encouraged by all your love, support and prayers.

We are also thankful that Josh's co-worker, Victor, could be released from the hospital yesterday and go home to his wife Ursula and their two children. Victor was the welder in the hole with Josh. Many of you have been praying for Victor's healing as well. We are thankful these prayers have been answered and we rejoice with them. Before we left the hospital we brought Victor to Josh's bedside to say goodbye.

This morning at 4:30 a.m. we called the hospital and the nurse said she thinks Josh's fever broke for now. We also received some wonderful news: she said that when she turned Josh last night he opened both eyes. Praise the Lord!

We hope and pray for a better day today.

Terri

A marathon, not a sprint

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you on behalf of Phil & Terri and the family for all your love and support. They appreciate all the prayers and encouragement they are receiving in person and in the blog comments. It is such a wonderful blessing to be part of a community who can surround you in times like these. So "Thank You So Much" from the family.

It's been almost a week now since the accident and it is becoming increasingly clear that this is going to be a "marathon" rather than a "sprint". This means that the family is going to have to establish some routines that will allow them to cope over the long run. This includes spending time alone and with each other, both at the hospital and at home. As a family they are trying to figure this out and as their pastor, I see that they are pretty tired right now and need some rest as a family.

One way we can help them as a community is to contact Phil & Terri before we come for a visit to make sure that it is a good time to come. I think this will help them manage their time, including time spent with Josh and time spent with their other children. It is not that they don't want visitors, but this will help to keep them from being overwhelmed by visitors, especially since this will most likely be a long hospital stay for Josh.

Thank you for helping support the family in this way. I can tell you that they definitely feel the many prayers being offered up to God on Josh's and their behalf. It is so special to have such wonderful support. They have told me they are so grateful and I praise God along with them for each and everyone of you.

in Christ,
Pastor Albert

A slow process

Thank you once again for all the comments and especially your prayers.

Apparently last night Josh opened both eyes on command. We were thrilled to hear such news.

Then throughout the day Josh had been battling a fever which is most likely due to the pneumonia. We had little response throughout the day and when there was a response it was slower than yesterday. Josh is responding to pain stimulus which is a great blessing but it is hard to watch. Even though it was a rough day, we were reminded by the doctors that this is part of his healing process and this is a journey that could take months. Although that was very difficult for us to hear, we know that the Lord will be with us every step of the way.

"Those who wait for The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Terri

Further Progress

This morning the physiotherapist asked the doctor for permission to work with Josh which the doctor agreed to. They held Josh into a sitting position with his legs over the side of the bed. The physiotherapist moved Josh's arms up and down to do a few exercises. Josh responded to a few simple commands such as wiggling his toes and squeezing the physio's hand. She said he definitely did that well. This brought tears of joy to our eyes..

We aren't sure how much he hears or how clearly he can hear. Apparently his ear drums were ruptured due to the blast. This isn't too concerning though as they should repair.

Thank you again for all your prayers. 

Love Phil and Terri and family

Sunday evening update

From Phil and Terri:

Thank you once again for all your love and concern. We thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement. We have been blessed by you all.

Today was a day of mixed emotions. Josh still remains in a coma but he did respond a little bit to pain stimulation. His movements and reflexes were a little bit quicker than the day before. Yet it was disappointing as later in the morning we found out that he has developed pneumonia and has a high temperature. As of tonight his temperature has decreased due to cooling methods. Before leaving the hospital he responded to some simple commands such as wiggling his toes. Praise The Lord! We praise God for the answer to prayer with regards to no brain swelling as of today. Please continue to pray for healing for Josh and strength and patience for our family as it seems it will be a long road ahead.

Dear Family and Friends,

This blog has been setup to keep everyone updated on Josh, rather than trying to manage email lists. Josh's parents, Phil & Terri, thought this would be a good idea. They also liked the idea of being able to read comments of encouragement and hope to possibly post some entries as well. Phil & Terri and family are also very grateful for all the prayers, love and support. 

Josh is still in critical condition in the trauma ICU at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. The "shockwave" from the accident has caused damage to his body and brain. Much of the major concern is that Josh's brain experienced damage from that "shockwave", leaving him in a coma and in need of a respirator to breath. What the extent of the damage is, the doctors do not know yet, as it takes time to determine this.

Please continue to pray for healing for Josh, especially for his brain. Pray for the damage to be minimal and for the swelling to decrease. Pray that Josh would begin to show signs of coming out of the coma. And ask that our heavenly Father would give Josh a wonderful sense of His love and nearness.

Pray for Phil & Terri and their children, Joel & Irma, Meagan & Josh, Karina and Stephen (and Alexandra). Pray for comfort in the midst of this painful time. Pray for patience as they wait. Pray for strength to make it through each day. Pray this as well for their extended family. Pray that each of them will know the hope that comes from belonging to a loving and faithful saviour, Jesus Christ, who promises to never leave or forsake them. We are thankful that Josh knows that hope and love in his heart.

Pray for the medical staff at St. Michael's. Pray for wisdom and skill as they care for Josh. Pray also for Josh's coworker in the accident as well as Josh's other coworkers as they come to grips with the results of this accident.

In those time when you are unsure how to pray or struggle to find the words, may this word be of comfort to you, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

Feel free to leave comments for the family to encourage them. Also, please know that while the family would love to respond to texts, calls and emails, there are just too many of them. So, please know they are so thankful for all your support.

In Christ,

Pastor Albert Kooy