Van Kam Family Support
Donation protected
Hi everyone, I am setting this up for Matt and Summer Van Kam. Their 16 year old son Shaun was involved in a terrible car accident on his way to school Friday, October 6th. He was hit by an 18 wheeler and sustained a serious head injury and is in ICU at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, AR. The family will have a long road of recovery ahead of them and will probably be away from home for quite a while. As you can imagine this is an incredibly difficult time for them.
Please consider helping out this wonderful family during this challenging time and keep sending prayers for Shaun’s recovery.
I will post updates as I receive them from the family.
10-27-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun is still in the Intensive Care Unit, but we are getting closer to being moved to the next level of care. All of his IV drips have been stopped & his body is trying to adjust. They want to get some of his symptoms better managed before moving him out of the ICU. Shaun is opening his eyes more and more every day & he is beginning to respond to voices/touch/sounds that are taking place around him. PT/OT has been working with him at the bedside & he is tolerating it well. He has made a few purposeful movements during these sessions and making faces that we recognize! Praise the Lord!!! Thank YOU God ALMIGHTY that our son is still with us!!!!! We realize that we have a long & difficult journey ahead of us, but we are ready to take on this challenge alongside our precious son. We KNOW that God has a plan & are looking forward to seeing how his plan unfolds!!! I know I say this every time, but we are TRULY thankful for each and EVERY one of you!!! We are so blessed for all of the love and support you have shown! We love you all! Please keep the prayers coming!! ❤️❤️
10-25-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun rested a little better last night. He still has struggles with fever off and on & respiratory therapy has been working very hard to maintain optimal respiratory status for him. He had to take a break and go back on the ventilator for a 24 hour period (volume support mode only, so still initiating his own breaths)…… to give him a break. He was placed back on regular oxygen today & has maintained well; pray that continues! Shaun has been opening his eyes a little bit here and there. The process is very slow & has been extremely difficult on us, but we know that we have to be patient while he heals. Thank you to EACH and EVERY one of you that has reached out, prayed, supported, fundraised/donated (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), and just been there for us during this devastating time in our lives. Please keep the prayers going, it’s what has strengthened us most of all! We could not ask to be in a better area where communities & people pull together and show so much love…..we have just been blown away by it! Grateful, Grateful, Grateful. Love you all! ❤️❤️
10-24-23
Update on Shaun: Not much to report other than they are working on slowly getting Shaun off some of the IV medications. Still has had a cough & trying to keep his lungs healthy. This part of the healing process is very slow & we are taking it day by day. Sure do love and appreciate all of you & please keep Shaun and our family in your prayers. ❤️❤️
10-20-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun rested well last night. He is still pretty sedated & will be for the next few days until he recovers from surgery. This morning they took him off the ventilator & he is on high flow oxygen & breathing fine on his own all day. Praising the lord for all of the improvements day by day!!!! We are still feeling the prayers & are so grateful for all of you! Please continue to pray for our sweet boy! Love you all so much!!! ❤️❤️
10-19-23
Update on Shaun: Last night went smooth, he rested well & had eyes open this morning off and on. Went for surgery just before 11 and made it back to room a few minutes ago with good report regarding how Shaun did during surgery. Shaun will be resting & healing for the next several days. Please continue to keep him in your prayers! Love and appreciate you all so much!! ❤️❤️
10-18-23
Update on Shaun: Less coughing, less fever episodes. Vital signs have improved today. Last night was a bit more restful for both of us. Tomorrow he will have surgery for an alternate airway as we transition off of the vent. We are noticing small little movements & eyelid fluttering/slightly opening eyes from time to time. We are celebrating the small changes & still taking it day by day. Thank you all for the love and continued prayers! Love you all so much! ❤️❤️
10-16-23
Update on Shaun: Last night was a struggle with fever & elevated vitals, but improved around 8 AM. He seemed relaxed most of the day with very little coughing. Chest X-Ray looked good this morning. Shaun is still pretty sedated, but will randomly stretch out his arms & legs from time to time. Otherwise he is resting. His day was much better than his night was, praying tonight will go smooth. I appreciate the continued prayers, please keep them coming. Love you all! ❤️❤️
10-15-33
2nd Update on Shaun- Unfortunately Shaun did not tolerate being extubated. He was taking nice strong breaths, but unable to adequately exhale. He is back on the ventilator & sedation for now. Next step is surgery for a tracheostomy. We are being reassured that this is not out of the ordinary for his type of injury & that it is most often only temporary. He needs a stable airway before he can move forward with therapy. That being said, he will be sedated for the next several days to possibly a couple of weeks while surgery and recovery happens. Although our hearts hurt that he didn’t tolerate coming off the ventilator, we realize sometimes we have to take a step back before going forward. We want what is best for Shaun & have to keep being positive for him. We sure do appreciate the continued prayers & support. ❤️❤️
Update on Shaun: Shaun had a better night last night. He is still struggling with episodes of fever, so more blood cultures were drawn. The Dr.’s are trying to determine if the fevers are infection vs. thermo-regulation difficulties. They are still giving him scheduled Tylenol. Chest X-ray looked better this morning & Shaun has a nice strong cough, so they will be extubating here shortly! The Dr. feels good about his strong cough, but has prepared us for the chance of poor tone and potential to have to re-insert tube if he starts having difficulty again. Please pray that he will remain strong & that will NOT be the scenario!! The sedative drips (propofol and precedex) have all been stopped, so we are seeing small movements & fluttering of his eyelids every once in a while. He is still receiving meds to address pain that will still have a sedative effect though. One step at a time & his Dad and I are celebrating the small victories!!!! God is so Good and we are grateful!!!! As always, please please please keep the prayers coming for our sweet precious Shaun!!!! I love you all!!!! ❤️❤️
10-14-23
Updated on Shaun: Lots of coughing last night with copious amounts of mucus. That being said, the Dr.’s have decided to wait one more day to remove the ventilator. A little disappointed, but we want what is BEST for Shaun. The good news is that the ventilator is not breathing for him, it is only providing a little bit of volume support. He is doing great initiating breaths on his own. Respiratory is doing some different breathing treatments to help get him cleared up, so on the right track! He went without any fever episodes during the night, but is having some fever this morning, so he is receiving scheduled Tylenol. He is still pretty sedated & has to remain that way as long as he has the vent in place. We are just eager to get him awake and start getting him moving!!! Praying that will be soon !! Love you all and appreciate the continued prayers!!!!!! Please keep them up because we are feeling them! ❤️❤️
10-13-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun had a good night (other than still having some fever off and on). His vent settings are in a mode that is allowing him to breathe on his own, but will kick in if necessary & so far it hasn’t been necessary. Since he has done well in this trial setting with the vent, the plan is to potentially remove it in the morning. They have decreased some of his meds this morning & will continue with that slowly. Shaun did withdraw a little from painful stimuli this morning…faint, but we will take it! He is still under sedating medication, so I’m hopeful it will be even better once off those meds. God is good!!! My husband and I absolutely appreciate all of the love & support that has been shown to our sweet Shaun and our family! We are beyond grateful! Love you all so much!!!!! ❤️❤️
10-12-23
Update on Shaun: Night went ok. Don’t have much other than they are still trying to clear up his lungs & rule out any other potential sources of infection. Ventilator settings have been decreased & still working to wean off the vent. Hopeful that will happen soon. we have finally been given the permission to start doing some music therapy with him, so we were ALL OVER that! We play the “take turns picking a song or music video” NONSTOP at our house, so his Dad and I have been doing that & picking some of his favorites when it would be his turn. We’ve been talking to him & telling him all about how much love & support he’s been receiving back home from all of you!! Dylan has been calling and telling him all about his day & we have been doing the same; talking to him & encouraging him! This boy has prayers going up all over the U.S. and I found out that Ryan’s good friend Noa Tam (from Isreal) has prayer chains going. Also, our great friends Chaitanya Kenchammanahoskote and Dr. Chandra Yeshlur are in India right now & have prayers going up even over there!! How AMAZING is that!? Chaitanya spoke with Shaun last night too & gave him some big red lipstick kisses on his cheek through the phone (if you know, you know)! These are the next steps, familiar faces, voices, sounds, & touches!! Anxiously waiting for our sweet boy to wake up! My husband and I feel like a simple “Thank You” is just not enough to express our gratitude for all that everyone has done for our family. Thank you for EVERYTHING! We love you all & please keep praying because we can feel them!!! ❤️❤️
10-11-23
Update on Shaun: MRI confirmed what was initially suspected on CT scan as far as the injury he has sustained. The Dr.’s anticipate with his type of injury he will most likely require extensive rehabilitation. That being said, they have also emphasized that imaging is NOT what necessarily dictates his clinical picture. They are saying we will have a better picture of his baseline when he wakes up, so really the MRI didn’t give us much more information than what we already knew. Next step is clearing up his lungs and weaning off the ventilator so that we can start waking our precious Shaun up & seeing where he is at. Please Please Please continue praying !!! I know God is in control! I love each and every one of you & cannot thank you all enough for the support that has been shown to our family through this time! ❤️❤️
Update on Shaun: Last night Shaun struggled a little with his temperature elevating, so had to be placed back on the cooling system (arctic sun). Minimal shivering, so we’re able to manage it without going back on paralytic medicine, thankfully. He has pneumonia, so coming off the ventilator & sedation is being postponed until that improves. They are starting him on Cefepime (antibiotic) to treat the pneumonia. He was just taken to MRI a few minutes ago, so please please please pray! Love you all so much & appreciate the ongoing support!❤️❤️
10-10-23
Update on Shaun: He had a good night with vitals and ICP readings. Bolt came out this morning (device that has been mausuring intracranial pressure). Imaging showed some debris in esophagus and they are concerned about any potential metal fragments. That has to be ruled out before him getting an MRI , so we are disappointed that he will not be getting that until tomorrow. His lungs don’t look great, so now with the bolt out they can get more aggressive with respiratory interventions. They are removing the cooling device, which means they are also able to stop the paralytic drug. They will continue propofol until MRI tomorrow, so I guess another day of brain rest won’t hurt, but the waiting game is hard. That’s all the update I have for now. Thank you for all of the prayers & please please please continue sending them our way. Love you all! ❤️❤️
Please consider helping out this wonderful family during this challenging time and keep sending prayers for Shaun’s recovery.
I will post updates as I receive them from the family.
10-27-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun is still in the Intensive Care Unit, but we are getting closer to being moved to the next level of care. All of his IV drips have been stopped & his body is trying to adjust. They want to get some of his symptoms better managed before moving him out of the ICU. Shaun is opening his eyes more and more every day & he is beginning to respond to voices/touch/sounds that are taking place around him. PT/OT has been working with him at the bedside & he is tolerating it well. He has made a few purposeful movements during these sessions and making faces that we recognize! Praise the Lord!!! Thank YOU God ALMIGHTY that our son is still with us!!!!! We realize that we have a long & difficult journey ahead of us, but we are ready to take on this challenge alongside our precious son. We KNOW that God has a plan & are looking forward to seeing how his plan unfolds!!! I know I say this every time, but we are TRULY thankful for each and EVERY one of you!!! We are so blessed for all of the love and support you have shown! We love you all! Please keep the prayers coming!! ❤️❤️
10-25-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun rested a little better last night. He still has struggles with fever off and on & respiratory therapy has been working very hard to maintain optimal respiratory status for him. He had to take a break and go back on the ventilator for a 24 hour period (volume support mode only, so still initiating his own breaths)…… to give him a break. He was placed back on regular oxygen today & has maintained well; pray that continues! Shaun has been opening his eyes a little bit here and there. The process is very slow & has been extremely difficult on us, but we know that we have to be patient while he heals. Thank you to EACH and EVERY one of you that has reached out, prayed, supported, fundraised/donated (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), and just been there for us during this devastating time in our lives. Please keep the prayers going, it’s what has strengthened us most of all! We could not ask to be in a better area where communities & people pull together and show so much love…..we have just been blown away by it! Grateful, Grateful, Grateful. Love you all! ❤️❤️
10-24-23
Update on Shaun: Not much to report other than they are working on slowly getting Shaun off some of the IV medications. Still has had a cough & trying to keep his lungs healthy. This part of the healing process is very slow & we are taking it day by day. Sure do love and appreciate all of you & please keep Shaun and our family in your prayers. ❤️❤️
10-20-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun rested well last night. He is still pretty sedated & will be for the next few days until he recovers from surgery. This morning they took him off the ventilator & he is on high flow oxygen & breathing fine on his own all day. Praising the lord for all of the improvements day by day!!!! We are still feeling the prayers & are so grateful for all of you! Please continue to pray for our sweet boy! Love you all so much!!! ❤️❤️
10-19-23
Update on Shaun: Last night went smooth, he rested well & had eyes open this morning off and on. Went for surgery just before 11 and made it back to room a few minutes ago with good report regarding how Shaun did during surgery. Shaun will be resting & healing for the next several days. Please continue to keep him in your prayers! Love and appreciate you all so much!! ❤️❤️
10-18-23
Update on Shaun: Less coughing, less fever episodes. Vital signs have improved today. Last night was a bit more restful for both of us. Tomorrow he will have surgery for an alternate airway as we transition off of the vent. We are noticing small little movements & eyelid fluttering/slightly opening eyes from time to time. We are celebrating the small changes & still taking it day by day. Thank you all for the love and continued prayers! Love you all so much! ❤️❤️
10-16-23
Update on Shaun: Last night was a struggle with fever & elevated vitals, but improved around 8 AM. He seemed relaxed most of the day with very little coughing. Chest X-Ray looked good this morning. Shaun is still pretty sedated, but will randomly stretch out his arms & legs from time to time. Otherwise he is resting. His day was much better than his night was, praying tonight will go smooth. I appreciate the continued prayers, please keep them coming. Love you all! ❤️❤️
10-15-33
2nd Update on Shaun- Unfortunately Shaun did not tolerate being extubated. He was taking nice strong breaths, but unable to adequately exhale. He is back on the ventilator & sedation for now. Next step is surgery for a tracheostomy. We are being reassured that this is not out of the ordinary for his type of injury & that it is most often only temporary. He needs a stable airway before he can move forward with therapy. That being said, he will be sedated for the next several days to possibly a couple of weeks while surgery and recovery happens. Although our hearts hurt that he didn’t tolerate coming off the ventilator, we realize sometimes we have to take a step back before going forward. We want what is best for Shaun & have to keep being positive for him. We sure do appreciate the continued prayers & support. ❤️❤️
Update on Shaun: Shaun had a better night last night. He is still struggling with episodes of fever, so more blood cultures were drawn. The Dr.’s are trying to determine if the fevers are infection vs. thermo-regulation difficulties. They are still giving him scheduled Tylenol. Chest X-ray looked better this morning & Shaun has a nice strong cough, so they will be extubating here shortly! The Dr. feels good about his strong cough, but has prepared us for the chance of poor tone and potential to have to re-insert tube if he starts having difficulty again. Please pray that he will remain strong & that will NOT be the scenario!! The sedative drips (propofol and precedex) have all been stopped, so we are seeing small movements & fluttering of his eyelids every once in a while. He is still receiving meds to address pain that will still have a sedative effect though. One step at a time & his Dad and I are celebrating the small victories!!!! God is so Good and we are grateful!!!! As always, please please please keep the prayers coming for our sweet precious Shaun!!!! I love you all!!!! ❤️❤️
10-14-23
Updated on Shaun: Lots of coughing last night with copious amounts of mucus. That being said, the Dr.’s have decided to wait one more day to remove the ventilator. A little disappointed, but we want what is BEST for Shaun. The good news is that the ventilator is not breathing for him, it is only providing a little bit of volume support. He is doing great initiating breaths on his own. Respiratory is doing some different breathing treatments to help get him cleared up, so on the right track! He went without any fever episodes during the night, but is having some fever this morning, so he is receiving scheduled Tylenol. He is still pretty sedated & has to remain that way as long as he has the vent in place. We are just eager to get him awake and start getting him moving!!! Praying that will be soon !! Love you all and appreciate the continued prayers!!!!!! Please keep them up because we are feeling them! ❤️❤️
10-13-23
Update on Shaun: Shaun had a good night (other than still having some fever off and on). His vent settings are in a mode that is allowing him to breathe on his own, but will kick in if necessary & so far it hasn’t been necessary. Since he has done well in this trial setting with the vent, the plan is to potentially remove it in the morning. They have decreased some of his meds this morning & will continue with that slowly. Shaun did withdraw a little from painful stimuli this morning…faint, but we will take it! He is still under sedating medication, so I’m hopeful it will be even better once off those meds. God is good!!! My husband and I absolutely appreciate all of the love & support that has been shown to our sweet Shaun and our family! We are beyond grateful! Love you all so much!!!!! ❤️❤️
10-12-23
Update on Shaun: Night went ok. Don’t have much other than they are still trying to clear up his lungs & rule out any other potential sources of infection. Ventilator settings have been decreased & still working to wean off the vent. Hopeful that will happen soon. we have finally been given the permission to start doing some music therapy with him, so we were ALL OVER that! We play the “take turns picking a song or music video” NONSTOP at our house, so his Dad and I have been doing that & picking some of his favorites when it would be his turn. We’ve been talking to him & telling him all about how much love & support he’s been receiving back home from all of you!! Dylan has been calling and telling him all about his day & we have been doing the same; talking to him & encouraging him! This boy has prayers going up all over the U.S. and I found out that Ryan’s good friend Noa Tam (from Isreal) has prayer chains going. Also, our great friends Chaitanya Kenchammanahoskote and Dr. Chandra Yeshlur are in India right now & have prayers going up even over there!! How AMAZING is that!? Chaitanya spoke with Shaun last night too & gave him some big red lipstick kisses on his cheek through the phone (if you know, you know)! These are the next steps, familiar faces, voices, sounds, & touches!! Anxiously waiting for our sweet boy to wake up! My husband and I feel like a simple “Thank You” is just not enough to express our gratitude for all that everyone has done for our family. Thank you for EVERYTHING! We love you all & please keep praying because we can feel them!!! ❤️❤️
10-11-23
Update on Shaun: MRI confirmed what was initially suspected on CT scan as far as the injury he has sustained. The Dr.’s anticipate with his type of injury he will most likely require extensive rehabilitation. That being said, they have also emphasized that imaging is NOT what necessarily dictates his clinical picture. They are saying we will have a better picture of his baseline when he wakes up, so really the MRI didn’t give us much more information than what we already knew. Next step is clearing up his lungs and weaning off the ventilator so that we can start waking our precious Shaun up & seeing where he is at. Please Please Please continue praying !!! I know God is in control! I love each and every one of you & cannot thank you all enough for the support that has been shown to our family through this time! ❤️❤️
Update on Shaun: Last night Shaun struggled a little with his temperature elevating, so had to be placed back on the cooling system (arctic sun). Minimal shivering, so we’re able to manage it without going back on paralytic medicine, thankfully. He has pneumonia, so coming off the ventilator & sedation is being postponed until that improves. They are starting him on Cefepime (antibiotic) to treat the pneumonia. He was just taken to MRI a few minutes ago, so please please please pray! Love you all so much & appreciate the ongoing support!❤️❤️
10-10-23
Update on Shaun: He had a good night with vitals and ICP readings. Bolt came out this morning (device that has been mausuring intracranial pressure). Imaging showed some debris in esophagus and they are concerned about any potential metal fragments. That has to be ruled out before him getting an MRI , so we are disappointed that he will not be getting that until tomorrow. His lungs don’t look great, so now with the bolt out they can get more aggressive with respiratory interventions. They are removing the cooling device, which means they are also able to stop the paralytic drug. They will continue propofol until MRI tomorrow, so I guess another day of brain rest won’t hurt, but the waiting game is hard. That’s all the update I have for now. Thank you for all of the prayers & please please please continue sending them our way. Love you all! ❤️❤️
Organizer and beneficiary
Amanda Judd
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV
Summer Van Kam
Beneficiary