Hi, my name is Sue and I am one of the grandma's of this family. It's been about 6 weeks since this all came about. Lucas is suffering brain damage and is in Primary Care in Salt Lake. Trying to be there and also here is taking its toll on their business they started about a year ago. This is the sole support of their family of 6. Your prayers have brought Lucas so far! He has done more than the doctors ever predicted. But we also need help keeping this family from losing what they've worked so hard for. Thanks for everything! Love conquers all!

**Edit from Lucas mom

Lucas was struggling in high school, although he wouldn't come outright and say it, he kept mentioning "I don't like this school, there are bad kids". Lucas went from being an A and B student to having D's and Fs. We grounded him, and I (his mom) worked with him almost every night to help him get his grades back up. He worked super hard and had finally earned his freedom back.

He went to spend the night at his grandma's house (my ex husband's mom's) and unknown to my husband and I, went out that Friday night with some older cousins. From that moment life as we knew it changed forever. The teens ended up at an adult's house who was on probation, who was giving them whiskey. I know all mother's say this, but I truly believe this was one of Lucas first times drinking. Pent up in the house for months, Lucas let loose and took it too far.

Later back at his grandma's, he was found in a pool of his own vomit by his cousins and his aunt rushed him to the hospital. This is a rural access hospital that doesn't deal with critical patients often, and when I arrived he was still vomiting, laying on his back as vomit went into his lungs. As a former ER nurse, I rushed to have him transferred to the larger hospital where I previously worked, about 25 minutes away. When he arrived, he had stopped vomiting, but lost some of his reflexes. The ER doctor made difficult the decision to intubate him (place a breathing tube) and transfer him to yet another hospital an hour away where he could metabolize the alcohol from his system.

At the third hospital in less than 24 hours Lucas was doing well. He would wake up when the sedation was turned down and he would follow commands (squeeze hands, blink, etc). In less than a day when all the alcohol was gone from his body, the tube was removed from his throat. He walked the halls, ate food and seemed okay, just a little tired. The doctor decided to let him go after 8 hours of having the tube removed. No doctor or nurses assessment was performed on him prior to discharge.

He went home, rested and the next morning is when he came out of the room unable to breathe. After laying down all night, the tube that was placed had irritated his throat so much it had completely swollen shut. He also had at least 6 bags of IV fluids between hospitals, which may have contributed to the swelling. There in our arms, my son slowly passed out and lost his heart rate. He died in my arms. No mother should have to perform CPR on their child, yet I did. It took 10-15 minutes for paramedics arrive and re-intubate Lucas. During all that time, he didn't receive oxygen to the brain due to the throat being swollen shut. The entire time he received CPR from me, he received oxygen and blood to his organs, but not to his brain.

Lucas was transferred to Primary Children's hospital and doctors said Lucas was brain dead. Refusing to accept the diagnosis, and by the grace of God we continued to treat Lucas. Since then many miracles have happened. He started to breathe on his own again, he started to have pupil reflexes, and after 3 months he has started to move his upper body in response to our voices and to pain. I truly believe God has a special calling for Lucas life and that he will wake up and make a full recovery. He will be a living testimony and will witness to youth and bring others to know the Lord.

At first, we were very proud, not wanting to accept donations, but as the medical bills have been rolling in and the looming financial burden of getting Lucas home I am setting aside my pride. Lucas needs to be home to let him recover in familiar surroundings. If everyone donated at least a dollar, it would ease part of the burden. There are things I need in order to care for Lucas that insurance won't pay for, including an end tidal carbon dioxide monitor and an istat lab machine to check Lucas sodium levels which are currently unstable (diabetes insipidus). My husband Josh and I own a business, which has had to be shut down more than half the normal days, in order for Josh and I to switch places to help take care of him at the transitional facility two hours away. Please help us care for Lucas and help him heal and fulfill the plan God has for his life.