Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Justin's Journey

On Thursday January 2nd, just like every other night, Justin stood outside gazing up at the stars in the sky. Like most children with Autism, he became very excited about the beautiful stars shining through that night and flapped this arms around in excitement. Justin lost his balance and fell from the top of the step to the hard concrete, directly smashing the side of his head. He immediately lost consciousness and stopped breathing. His Dad called the ambulance while CPR was given by his sister. Justin was taken to Blackford County Hospital and diagnosed with a fractured skull and brain bleed in his frontal lobe. He was transferred to Lutheran Children's Hospital where he began having seizures. His eyes weren’t responding to light stimulation. After another stat CT, the neurosurgeon came in and said the sentence no family ever wants to hear, “I do not know if he will make it.” Around 1:00 am, Justin was taken into emergency surgery to remove the blood on his brain and insert a catheter to continuously decrease the pressure (ICP). Around 4:00 am the neurosurgeon came out and said that the surgery was successful, however, Justin was still in a deep coma. We’re now just waiting for our little buddy to wake up. It could be days or it could be weeks. We’re not sure but all we can do is just trust God. No one expects these things to happen. Justin just wanted to look at the stars. Anyone who knows Justin, knows how excited he gets about fans, rainbows, Christmas trees, and the starry sky. Anyone who knows Justin also knows what a prayer warrior he is. It doesn’t seem real to see him lay in the hospital bed. He should be home, taking a fan apart or putting up a small Christmas tree. Holding his favorite blanket and rocking back and forth. Not this. Justin is the sweetest kid in the world. We always say anyone who meets Justin instantly loves him. He’s definitely a tough little guy. We appreciate all of the prayers you guys are sending up. As with any emergency, we were not financially ready for such an impact. We are trying to cover the cost for food, a place to stay while we wait, gas money, basic necessities, etc. Every penny will greatly help our family. We really appreciate everyone’s kindness during a time like this. We can’t thank everyone enough. We know that when Justin wakes up, he will love to hear that so many people were praying and trusting God. We will continue to post updates as soon as possible. Thank you, the Plumley family.