Support Jerry's Journey to Recovery

Hello, my name is Carol Clarkson Timm. My brother, Jerry Clarkson, had a severe accident on his e-bike on April 18th. He hit a railroad track wrong, which flipped him over the handlebars, and he landed on his head. While he was wearing a helmet, this did not stop him from suffering critical damage to his brain. He was taken from Nampa, ID to Boise, ID where an MRI was completed. He was somehow protected from broken bones, but it was found that he had shearing of the axon nerve fibers. This happens when the brain is shaken inside the skull. The axon nerve fibers can be sheared apart, stretched, and twisted, creating many long-term issues. Jerry spent 10 days in the head trauma ICU in St. Al's, Boise, ID. During this time, he was in critical but stable condition. His consciousness score was as low as 4 and as high as 9 on the scale from 3 to 15. On April 20th, there was some movement in his hands and legs. On April 23rd, a tracheostomy tube was placed to make his ventilation easier and to make it easier to move him. At this time, a stomach tube was also placed in his nose to provide nutrition. Both of these made him more comfortable. Jerry started to open his eyes on April 27th. It was pretty clear that he was not seeing clearly, if at all. On Monday, April 28th, Jerry was moved to Vibra Critical Care Hospital, also in Boise, where he is getting physical, speech, and other therapy. He is keeping his eyes open for long periods but still not able to focus. On May 1st, Jerry is more alert, touching his face and eyes. He is breathing on his own for a few hours several times a day. On May 3rd, Jerry is sitting up with his therapist's help. His eyes are open but still not focusing. Every day, there are small signs of improvement. Therapy and sleep go hand in hand. Progress is very slow and will take a long time. They are hoping to start reducing the size of the hole from the trach tube and get his throat started healing. It is unknown at this time how long Jerry will remain in the hospital or how much the total bill will be, even with insurance. Jerry has been the major earner in the household and there is no way to tell if he will be able to work as a teacher in the future. He will most likely need care for some time after he gets out of the hospital. Kerri is planning to stay home with him to provide care. They will appreciate any gift that you are able to bless them with. Saturday May 17. Jerry was taken back to St Al's. He is having some problems with his lungs. One lung is partially collapsed and the other onel looks like it might some pneumonia. He is currently on Oxygen and doing a little better. they will also be checking on his left arm as it is swollen.