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