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Health & Fitness

Team Jacob Chronicles

Wondering how Jacob Marion, the teen struck by a train in Wyandotte, is doing? This is the place to get up-to-date, accurate information on his condition and progress.

What a difference a day makes!

 

I thought of Jacob all day Wednesday, antsy with worry.  I couldn’t concentrate for anything! His mother, Monica, a close friend from grade school for 35 years, was supposed to talk with the neurosurgeon about the recent seizure and what that meant in regards to Jacob’s recovery. I had to leave the hospital to return to work before that happened, and I felt ‘off’ the rest of the afternoon.

I could wait no longer, and texted Monica, Well!? What?! Good? Or Bad?  She called me right away to share the unexpected news! Seems the expert opinions were very favorable! The doctor told her they all were “really, really, really, really, really, (Yes, I said FIVE reallys)” amazed at the progress he’s made in such a short amount of time!!!!! I breathed a sigh of relief, thanked God and those who’ve prayed for Jacob, and then dance a little jig of happiness!!

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More great strides were revealed when Monica and I went up to see him Thursday. I asked Jacob’s wonderful nurse if his respirator settings have been able to be dialed down and whether or not he was taking some breaths on his own. She said, “Oh yes, he’s taking a total of 26 breaths per minute, and of those, only 6 are taken with help of the respirator, Jacob takes 20 on his own.” His oxygen setting on the respirator was down to 30%, the rest he was breathing was room air! (More jig dancing) This means he is successfully being weaned off the respirator!!!!!

The plan is to continue to decrease those settings, and to administer steroids to shrink any swelling in his lungs to prepare him to breathe using a CPAP machine that doesn’t require a tube down into his lungs, much the same as the machine used by people who have sleep apnea. We are hopeful Jacob is turning the corner from critical to serious condition!

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My own eyes have watched Jacob tightly press his lips together to keep his nurse from cleaning out and suctioning his mouth and throat; a very uncomfortable procedure.

Now to nudge his brain awake. Jacob has devoted siblings that have been by his side from the beginning. Nicole, Jessie, and Brittani spend 95% of their time at the hospital. They tell their brother he can do this! That they are right there waiting, and they will always be right there for him. They read him all the cards he receives from Roosevelt students, and hit the airwaves asking everyone to please pray for Jacob, doing whatever it takes to will their brother to keep fighting, to help him awaken.

Something inside me feels confident we will see him do so very soon!

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