18 October Stephen Murray update. By Cynthia

Oct 20, 2007

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 5296 times

Hi, this is just a quick update from Denver and California. First of all Stephen would like to say how humbled he is by Shirley and Lyndsey's gesture at Ross's funeral that donations should go to the Family Fund. How Ross's family could actually think of Stephen at the worst time in their lives is a tribute to them and to Ross and neither Stephen or any member of the our Family can express our gratitude for their support at such a sad time.

You will all be pleased to know that Stephen has now been OFF the vent for 7 days!!!!!!!!!!. They took the ventilator out of his room on Tuesday. He still has his trach in his throat and an oxygen mask over it to aid his breathing but during the next month the plan is to reduce the % of oxygen intake and insert smaller trachs until he is only breathing normal air and then the trach comes out altogether.

This is fantastic and it looks like that when he leaves the hospital he will be breathing unassisted altogether. Also he now has controlled movement in his thumb. This may not sound like much but it is a huge step forward as he can command it to move with ease. Hopefully this is the first step to further movement.

He has also been busy learning to write again! He can do this my using a mouth stick which has a pen attachment. He wrote his name and after a few attempts his writing was better that when he was able to write before the accident. I am now in California looking for a house for Stephen, Melissa and the boys for when he is discharged from hospital and I am staying with Neal & Kelly Wood. We are hoping that this will be around the end of November. Dale Holmes and I have been touring the neighbourhood for a suitable home but it's not an easy task and it may take some time. I fly back to Denver on Thursday evening and on Friday Stephen, Melissa, Jeffrey and myself are visiting the Children's hospital to deliver gift bags to the children on the oncology ward there. This has been my most positive trip yet and I feel that we have all turned a corner on his road to recovery.

Thank you to everyone and also a big thank to Milton Keynes Club as I met up with Aaron Cooke, who set up Stephen's fund for him. We were opening Stephen's mail together and out popped your fund raiser cheque. Thank you so much and to everyone else who has made great efforts to help him.

Hopefully we will be able to update you all with even more positive news in the near future.

Thanks

Cynthia