Please support the Bouchard family

Please help me support my dear friend Carla and her family during this time of need. No-one truly prepares for these dark times. If you cannot help monetarily, please share this post, and pray hard for the Bouchards. The power of prayer is an amazing thing. 

From John and Carla:
For those of you that have not heard, last night our son, Johnny Bouchard first had a four wheeler accident and then while trying to upright the four wheeler was hit by a pickup truck on 127 by the oak grove church. Please keep our family in your prayers. John is in for a long battle and longer recovery. He has Head trauma and brain injuries. The prognosis is good, but we won’t know the extent of his injuries until they can bring him out of sedation. He is responding to verbal commands, which is a very good thing. He broke both wrists, which will need surgery with plates and screws. He is covered in road rash as well. Our son is one of the toughest young men I know, but he needs all the prayers and well wishes he can get. He is in St. Louis University Hospital. Intensive care unit room 643.

Edit..Today Johnny Bouchard is doing well. The respiratory therapist shut down his ventilator and Johnny was able to breathe on his own. That’s a great improvement over yesterday when he would only take short shallow breaths. He is still on the ventilator until after his scheduled surgery today. He is still following commands during his sedation breaks, though he is not moving his right hand as he should be. I want to thank everyone who is sharing, caring and praying for our son. Your prayers are being heard and he is growing stronger by the moment!

Edit 9/9...Johnny is doing his best for us, he is breathing of his own accord now with just a bit of air pressure. His sedation is minimal just enough to keep him comfortable. He is still waiting on that surgery for his arms and has been rescheduled for today at 2pm tentatively. He is moving on command now with the exception of his left foot which only responds to stimulation. He gives us glimpses that he is in there wanting to come out, but he fades back out quickly. Please keep praying for our son. Thank you all for your comments and thoughts.

Edit 9/10...Yesterday evening Johnny had his surgery on his wrists. They put plates and screws in his right wrist and pinned his left wrist. After surgery they shut off his sedation meds and his pain meds to flush his system of everything. They kept him off sedation and pain meds until one am. That's when he really woke up. He really was agitated and trying to get that tube out of his throat. They had to restrain his left arm. During all this he never moved his right arm or left leg. He was however actually looking at the nurse not through the nurse. They started his pain meds and sedation back up because he was trying to force the tube out of his throat with his tongue. Hopefully, they get this tube out of him this am. Johnnys strength is helping him towards recovery, but his mom and I both are amazed at the amount of love and support he is receiving from all of you! Please warriors keep praying for our son or wishing him well. He still has a long, hard road ahead of him.

Edit 9/11....yesterday was a difficult day for Johnny and us as well. They attempted to remove his breathing tube. But, John wouldn’t answer any commands at all. He then started fighting extremely hard against us. He wanted to pull the tube out himself. As hard as he fought he never one time moved his left leg. Finally they sedated him again and took him off his heavy pain meds and put him on a lighter drug that causes less fatigue. They will be attempting the same thing again later today. At the beginning, they said three steps forward and then two steps back. Couldn’t be more accurate.

Edit 9/12...yesterday, Johnny had a good day. First thing in the morning he answered all the commands they gave him. Open eyes, close eyes, thumbs up, wiggle toes! So, because he was able to do that, they pulled his vent tube! They gave him a few sips of water, but his swallowing wasn’t up to par. So today he has a follow up with his speech therapist (who also works with swallowing). Speaking of speech, he actually began talking yesterday. Not full sentences, but a word here and there. Hi mama was the first thing he said. The night last night was tough on us as he is fighting us. He is continually pulling his O2 line and tugging at the neck brace. But he also is talking more and more. He said at one point, “This sucks, Dad This sucks!” And a moment ago he said,”I’m tired of this.” You’re prayers are being heard and answered! Please keep praying, it’s a long road and we are only at the beginning!

Edit 9/13...Yesterday was a massive day for Johnny. They really worked him hard. He has begun speaking, sometimes coherently, sometimes incoherently. But this is BIG news as it will help us to see what kind of damage he has in his brain. Physically, the boy is healing very well. This morning they took his neck collar off. So he is finally free from that restraint. Yesterday the speech therapist cleared him for puréed foods. And the first meal they tried feeding him was puréed sweet potatoes, which he promptly spit out. Second dish was puréed cauliflower, which he promptly spit out! But, he loved the chocolate pudding! Lol. Mom and I have to feed him, he can drink through a straw and the sweet tea is flowing. Biggest news of the day, physical and occupational therapist cane to see him. They worked his body hard for a half hour. At the end of the session, with great assistance from the two of them and myself Johnny was able to stand up for a few seconds. His legs and hips shook. He was in tremendous pain, but HE STOOD.