- J
- M
Hey All,
First off, the outpouring of support our family has received following Jay's accident has been beyond heartwarming. Your love for him and shared with us is above and beyond. We're incredibly grateful for each of you.
Jay's accident and the preceding weeks went by fast, yet so slowly at times. Not many of you have been in the loop, so I'll fill you in as best I can here.
Jay slipped at Mai Pai sometime around 3 am. Luckily, Salar was there at 7 am and found him. Usually, someone isn't there until 4 pm or later, so we are eternally grateful for this and will never be able to express that enough to Salar.
Jay was taken to Hamilton General, where he underwent a craniectomy with Jeannie and his love Shea looking out for him on the sidelines until we, his family, got there.
He was moved to ICU for a few weeks. We were told the worst-case scenarios, never the good ones, as it was touch and go daily. A squeeze of the hand was a miracle; opening his eyes was another. We counted every blessing as they came.
Eventually, he was in a wheelchair and able to be moved to a less intense ward, where he became more aware of his surroundings and less happy with being in the hospital. Mom brought him a guitar, and I cried when he plucked away at it.
Jay's now housed at a rehabilitation facility where he'll be doing physio, behavioural therapy and more to prepare him for outpatient services.
There's way more detail about the days that have gone by over the last six weeks, but at this point, we're just so happy he's in the state he is with the incredible team at Hamilton General that has helped us along the way.
I've received many messages from Jay's friends, who in reality are his chosen family, asking what they can do, and how they can help. We know some fundraisers are ongoing and in the works at this time.
I must say this, though. Jay's accident occurred at work, so WSIB is taking care of the vast majority of the expenses, including anything we need going forward. We'll have financial compensation for Jay, so please don't worry about this. We know that the service industry was hit hard during Covid, and we don't want anyone putting themselves out in terms of donations. In place of money, we ask that you come to visit him instead. However, any monetary funds we receive will be put aside in a bank account for when and if he is ready to live under different circumstances. We aren't sure what the timeline will look like for the future.
We are beyond blessed to have his wonderful girlfriend, Shae, who brings him peace and knows just what he needs to hear. She has been a source of strength and love for Jay. We only met her once before this, so we're lucky to have her on our side and vice versa.
Thank you again, all.
Here is the link to Jay's facility. He is on the 3rd floor.
https://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/about-us/our-organization/our-locations/regional-rehabilitation-centre/
Here is some information on Traumatic Brain Injuries as well. Symptoms show differently in everyone, but this will assist before you visit, as it can be shocking to see a loved one acting differently.