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The website received this urgent and heart-felt request from a 1982 FHS graduate.
Please take a moment to read it and take any loving and supportive action you feel inspired to take.
That we may not know Josh is of no consequence. Each of us can make a difference and sometimes all it takes is a silent moment, alone with our thoughts and our prayers.
Namaste -- wm
If you'd like to send your wishes in a more physical form, drop me an email and I'll provide you with a postal address.
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My 19 year-old stepson, Josh, was in a tragic car accident early Sunday morning in Bloomfield. He was airlifted by Mercy Flight to Strong's Trauma Unit and remains in guarded condition. He cannot breathe on his own, has a brain injury, a spinal fracture, a badly damaged right lung, 4 broken ribs, a broken eye socket and a cheekbone that will have to be reconstructed.
The most frightening and sad thing about all of this is that Josh was with two friends in the car, however, they chose to flee the accident scene, leaving Josh to (almost) die. Luckily there was a house very nearby and the owners came out and called 911. If the accident had just been 1 mile up Taft Rd, no one would have heard or seen (very rural).
I'm asking all FHS classmates to please keep Josh and our family in their prayers this week. I know in times like these there are no words, but I am finding strength in talking to and emailing old friends.
Hi Everyone, Joshua is making steady, but slow gains and remains in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Strong as of Friday, 7/25. This is day 6 of his recovery. Josh is able to communicate with us via hand signals and is awaiting the "all clear" MRI so that surgeons can begin to repair (bone) structural damage done to his face. Josh remains on a ventilator, chest tube and numerous IVs. Additionally, they continue to remove foreign material from his right lung via a type of a pump as a result of the aspiration that occurred when he fell unconscious during and just after the accident. I don't believe the ventilator will be coming out until his lung is all clear. Josh has developed a type of pneumonia but his body is responding well to the antibiotic. We are told by the physicians that this is to be expected when aspiration takes place. I am very happy to report that he is very cranky and continues to show us that he can move his arms and legs, that he can sit up, and that he wants to go home. We have to repeat over and over again, due to short term memory loss, that he is in the hospital and needs to stay still because of his injuries. The Trauma Unit will allow balloons, stuffed animals and cards in but no flowers. Mercy Flight was instrumental in Josh getting to SMH quickly. The individuals who were volunteering when Josh was flown in were Dan Hujar (paramedic), Sue Breese (nurse -- and sister-in-law of our very own Ann Breese Dokus!), Gary Campbell (pilot). Donations can be sent to:
I believe our prayers are being answered and want to thank all of you for them, as well as your kind words and gestures of friendship.
Hello Everyone, I am happy to report that Josh has made steady gains since the last update and his condition was significantly downgraded Tuesday, July 30th and was released from Strong this past Thursday. He still has somewhat of a large road to full recovery ahead as he still needs to be evaluated by St. Mary's Brain Injury Unit for the trauma that occurred to his head. He still does not remember the accident, and although we have shown him the photos of him hooked up to the ventilator, the chest tube, etc., he still believes he is invincible and wants to remain friends with those that left him to die. We still pray that he finds the right path and chooses to take it, when the time is right. Thanks to all for your continued prayers, kind words and well wishes. Fairport Alumni are one of a kind and I am so grateful to be part of our wonderful group.
Hello Everyone, The latest is that Josh has been given a clean bill of health from St. Mary's brain injury unit, which is truly a miracle given the trauma his body sustained. He still tires easily because of the lung damage and sleeps quite a bit; also, he does not remember the accident or his hospital stay.
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