Elyias Strong
Donation protected
On Sunday December 27th my 14 year old nephew was stuck by a drunk driver while riding his 4-wheeler in front of his house. He was airlifted to a trauma hospital that can treat him best. We know he will wake up and we know he has a long road ahead, we just don't know when or how long the road is. We aren't sure what type of therapy he will need or how much. We don't know how long my sister and my brother-in-law will be out of work so they can be by his side every minute while he is in the pediatric ICU. We are forever grateful for the medical team taking care of Elyias and allowing both of his parents to stay by his side. Since being in the hospital he has tested positive for COVID so his body is working against that too. We have faith in God and know that God is with each and every doctor and nurse during this time. God works miracles and we know Elyias is nothing short of a miracle... we know God is working! Elyias has 2 beautiful sisters (6 and 16) who love him and pray for him constantly. the girls are with me, my husband, my kids and my mom. I know this explanation is all over the place but my brain just as sporadic right now. We know the power of prayer so please just keep praying... if you read this, PRAY!
these are some updates from my sister through this:
"As I sit here with my son and my husband and listen to the sounds of my Prince breathing by machine, I am praising and praying.
I'm so grateful that God picked me to be his mommy and I'm praying I get so much more time here on Earth as such.
I'm so grateful that he was airlifted to a hospital with trained people to heal him and I pray for these people.
I'm so grateful for my husband and his strength in all this and I pray for his continued strength for our boy.
I'm so grateful for my family and friends who jumped in to help in a million ways and I pray they forever feel my gratitude.
I'm grateful for faith and I pray I am able to keep it as I face what lies ahead.
Elyias is so strong and so determined. He is such an amazing soul. I have faith he will wake up and be home with the 5 Family in no time.
I ask that you all continue to pray for Elyias.
Please pray for healing of his brain and body.
There is power in prayer and he needs that now more than ever.
Thank you all!"
* Update as of 8:44am on 12/29/29
He did well yesterday.
This morning he did not do as well. They are going to repeat the neurological tests, but if he does not respond the same or better then yesterday he will need a pressure monitor implanted in his brain.
We continue to pray as keep faith for the best.
Please do the same.
Update as of 3:09am on 12/ 29/20
First, thank you all for your prayers. The power of love and well- wishes is evident, felt, appreciated, and encouraged. My Prince is making progress towards recovery.
We celebrate every victory, even when they may seem so tiny. He remains in the critical stage until about 4:00 this afternoon.
Elyias is still well sedated. The doctors have ordered he be weaning off the one medication and onto another sedation drug because the one drug causes him to have to breathe less in his own. The goal is to get him ready to remove the vent and for that he needs to be able to independently breathe.
We are not the medication type, so he is responding very well to the lesser dose.
He remains sedated for the most part while being adjusted to prevent sores and/ or clots. He is given a drug to help prevent clotting 4 times a day through IV.
He had received 2 breathing treatments the first day we were here. Now, they listen and hear clear sounds so he'll only get those as needed going forward.
He was running a fever. We were told that is common with head trauma. They gave him IV Tylenol yesterday morning and again last night. He responds well to it and his fever has come down. He is also in a room that is 60 degrees. Yes, I'm freezing, but I'm not moving.
His blood pressure and heart rate are stable.
Yesterday he did give us a thumbs up and a peace sign on 2 different occasions when they lessened the sedation for testing. The entire assessment lasts less then 4 minutes, but those 4 minutes were enough to have Jessie and I burst into tears of praise. My Prince is in there healing! He did squeeze Jessie's hand also. When Jessie ran his finger gently on the bottom of his left foot, he moved his toe. I cried and celebrated and thanked the Lord.
His heart rate and breathing seem to go up a slight bit when we talk to him. We were strongly encouraged to limit stimulus to those times when the sedation was lessoned to allow him the rest he needs. That's hard because I want to talk to him all the time.
They have increased his sodium to help draw fluid from the body. This is to help with the swelling in his brain as well. He is given anti- seizure medication through the IV as well. I believe it’s twice a day.
He also tested positive for COVID. He has shown no symptoms and I feverishly pray he continues to be asymmetric. I can't fathom trying to fight that and the other things going on from the accident. Jessie and I are not allowed to leave the room other than to walk near door to a restroom designed for just us. We have to announce when we want to leave and be sure the area is clear and are masked 24/7. We have what we need brought to us. The hospital is wonderful to allow us to be here and pray for all the staff multiple times a day.
We sleep sitting-up or curled in a corner. Neither of us would have it any other way. We cannot leave his side. I believe he knows we are here and that comforts him.
The girls are in great hands and we are blessed not to have that worry. We are also blessed for the community we have that has rallied together to pray and offer help in any and every way.
Our Prince is nothing short of amazing. I'm sure this journey of recovery will follow his trend.
Thank you all! "
* Update as of 12/30/20 2:17am
Elyias had a busy day. He went for a CT scan in the afternoon. Transporting him has proven to be an event in itself. He requires a team of people to ensure his vitals are stable to and from. We have not been made aware of those results. The MRI that was scheduled for tonight was moved to the morning. I hope when the neurosurgeon comes at 8:00, he’ll give a positive report.
The excitement makes him cough and the coughing is really scary for him and for us. With the vent it is almost like he is choking. We reassure him that he is safe and that we are here while the team suctions the tube.
He “wakes” from sedation and is very agitated. He moves his right side and reaches and kicks. His dad and I find this so hard to witness because we see tears and want to help him, but feel so totally helpless.
His blood pressure has been unstable tonight. We are told this could be due to pain he is feeling or more swelling in the brain. Either way we prayed and cried and prayed some more. The nurses have have had make adjustments to his sedation regimen to help stabilize him. He is getting fentanyl as an addition now. This combination helps him rest peacefully. We are thankful for that.
They have begun giving him liquid nourishment through a tube directly to his stomach. We are also thankful that his body is getting the much needed vitamins it needs.
The ac in the unit is not working as it should. The hospital has called in a repair and it will be fixed soon I’m told. In the meantime, he has a fan blowing and the ac running as best as it can presently.
He is still running the low grade fever. Again, I’m told this is normal with brain injuries.
Jessie and I finally showered while he was at his scan. Neither of us want to be away from him for a second. At about 2:00 this morning the hospital arranged a room for us just down the hall that will be a place we can go to rest and/ or shower as we need to. This will be a nice change to curling up under the sink of the floor. We will now just bicker over who will be the one to leave our boy to rest in the room. It is so, so hard to walk out of the room with him in the bed.
Please don’t stop the prayers. Despite the setbacks of the day, there has been signs of hope sprinkled throughout. He did give a thumbs up, did move his foot, and did squeeze his dad’s hand when asked.
We know our Prince is there. We know he is fighting to come home.
I see every message and I tell him that there is an army of prayer warriors behind him. Thank you from the bottom of my broken heart for every single word!
The power of prayer is working. The miracles of the Lord are in this place.
God is good!
Thank you all!
* Update as of 11:04am on 12/30/20
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep the prayers coming for our Prince.
This morning’s x-Ray found pneumonia on his lung.
The doctors don’t know if it is bacterial or COVID related so they are treating both. The hope is to break the fever he’s had since last night.
His BP is up and down and being monitored closely.
They have taken several cultures to test for any other possible infections.
They put a water cooling system on him and altered his medicine to prevent shivering bc that is not good for the brain.
We are forgoing attempting to take him off the vent bc of all the other things happening now.
God showed us his presence again when Elyias did a thumbs up for the doctor even with all this going on.
PLEASE pray. Things do seem darkest before the dawn.
Thank you all!
these are some updates from my sister through this:
"As I sit here with my son and my husband and listen to the sounds of my Prince breathing by machine, I am praising and praying.
I'm so grateful that God picked me to be his mommy and I'm praying I get so much more time here on Earth as such.
I'm so grateful that he was airlifted to a hospital with trained people to heal him and I pray for these people.
I'm so grateful for my husband and his strength in all this and I pray for his continued strength for our boy.
I'm so grateful for my family and friends who jumped in to help in a million ways and I pray they forever feel my gratitude.
I'm grateful for faith and I pray I am able to keep it as I face what lies ahead.
Elyias is so strong and so determined. He is such an amazing soul. I have faith he will wake up and be home with the 5 Family in no time.
I ask that you all continue to pray for Elyias.
Please pray for healing of his brain and body.
There is power in prayer and he needs that now more than ever.
Thank you all!"
* Update as of 8:44am on 12/29/29
He did well yesterday.
This morning he did not do as well. They are going to repeat the neurological tests, but if he does not respond the same or better then yesterday he will need a pressure monitor implanted in his brain.
We continue to pray as keep faith for the best.
Please do the same.
Update as of 3:09am on 12/ 29/20
First, thank you all for your prayers. The power of love and well- wishes is evident, felt, appreciated, and encouraged. My Prince is making progress towards recovery.
We celebrate every victory, even when they may seem so tiny. He remains in the critical stage until about 4:00 this afternoon.
Elyias is still well sedated. The doctors have ordered he be weaning off the one medication and onto another sedation drug because the one drug causes him to have to breathe less in his own. The goal is to get him ready to remove the vent and for that he needs to be able to independently breathe.
We are not the medication type, so he is responding very well to the lesser dose.
He remains sedated for the most part while being adjusted to prevent sores and/ or clots. He is given a drug to help prevent clotting 4 times a day through IV.
He had received 2 breathing treatments the first day we were here. Now, they listen and hear clear sounds so he'll only get those as needed going forward.
He was running a fever. We were told that is common with head trauma. They gave him IV Tylenol yesterday morning and again last night. He responds well to it and his fever has come down. He is also in a room that is 60 degrees. Yes, I'm freezing, but I'm not moving.
His blood pressure and heart rate are stable.
Yesterday he did give us a thumbs up and a peace sign on 2 different occasions when they lessened the sedation for testing. The entire assessment lasts less then 4 minutes, but those 4 minutes were enough to have Jessie and I burst into tears of praise. My Prince is in there healing! He did squeeze Jessie's hand also. When Jessie ran his finger gently on the bottom of his left foot, he moved his toe. I cried and celebrated and thanked the Lord.
His heart rate and breathing seem to go up a slight bit when we talk to him. We were strongly encouraged to limit stimulus to those times when the sedation was lessoned to allow him the rest he needs. That's hard because I want to talk to him all the time.
They have increased his sodium to help draw fluid from the body. This is to help with the swelling in his brain as well. He is given anti- seizure medication through the IV as well. I believe it’s twice a day.
He also tested positive for COVID. He has shown no symptoms and I feverishly pray he continues to be asymmetric. I can't fathom trying to fight that and the other things going on from the accident. Jessie and I are not allowed to leave the room other than to walk near door to a restroom designed for just us. We have to announce when we want to leave and be sure the area is clear and are masked 24/7. We have what we need brought to us. The hospital is wonderful to allow us to be here and pray for all the staff multiple times a day.
We sleep sitting-up or curled in a corner. Neither of us would have it any other way. We cannot leave his side. I believe he knows we are here and that comforts him.
The girls are in great hands and we are blessed not to have that worry. We are also blessed for the community we have that has rallied together to pray and offer help in any and every way.
Our Prince is nothing short of amazing. I'm sure this journey of recovery will follow his trend.
Thank you all! "
* Update as of 12/30/20 2:17am
Elyias had a busy day. He went for a CT scan in the afternoon. Transporting him has proven to be an event in itself. He requires a team of people to ensure his vitals are stable to and from. We have not been made aware of those results. The MRI that was scheduled for tonight was moved to the morning. I hope when the neurosurgeon comes at 8:00, he’ll give a positive report.
The excitement makes him cough and the coughing is really scary for him and for us. With the vent it is almost like he is choking. We reassure him that he is safe and that we are here while the team suctions the tube.
He “wakes” from sedation and is very agitated. He moves his right side and reaches and kicks. His dad and I find this so hard to witness because we see tears and want to help him, but feel so totally helpless.
His blood pressure has been unstable tonight. We are told this could be due to pain he is feeling or more swelling in the brain. Either way we prayed and cried and prayed some more. The nurses have have had make adjustments to his sedation regimen to help stabilize him. He is getting fentanyl as an addition now. This combination helps him rest peacefully. We are thankful for that.
They have begun giving him liquid nourishment through a tube directly to his stomach. We are also thankful that his body is getting the much needed vitamins it needs.
The ac in the unit is not working as it should. The hospital has called in a repair and it will be fixed soon I’m told. In the meantime, he has a fan blowing and the ac running as best as it can presently.
He is still running the low grade fever. Again, I’m told this is normal with brain injuries.
Jessie and I finally showered while he was at his scan. Neither of us want to be away from him for a second. At about 2:00 this morning the hospital arranged a room for us just down the hall that will be a place we can go to rest and/ or shower as we need to. This will be a nice change to curling up under the sink of the floor. We will now just bicker over who will be the one to leave our boy to rest in the room. It is so, so hard to walk out of the room with him in the bed.
Please don’t stop the prayers. Despite the setbacks of the day, there has been signs of hope sprinkled throughout. He did give a thumbs up, did move his foot, and did squeeze his dad’s hand when asked.
We know our Prince is there. We know he is fighting to come home.
I see every message and I tell him that there is an army of prayer warriors behind him. Thank you from the bottom of my broken heart for every single word!
The power of prayer is working. The miracles of the Lord are in this place.
God is good!
Thank you all!
* Update as of 11:04am on 12/30/20
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep the prayers coming for our Prince.
This morning’s x-Ray found pneumonia on his lung.
The doctors don’t know if it is bacterial or COVID related so they are treating both. The hope is to break the fever he’s had since last night.
His BP is up and down and being monitored closely.
They have taken several cultures to test for any other possible infections.
They put a water cooling system on him and altered his medicine to prevent shivering bc that is not good for the brain.
We are forgoing attempting to take him off the vent bc of all the other things happening now.
God showed us his presence again when Elyias did a thumbs up for the doctor even with all this going on.
PLEASE pray. Things do seem darkest before the dawn.
Thank you all!
Organizer and beneficiary
Krista Pollina
Organizer
Albany, GA
Heather Rivera
Beneficiary
