Waukesha Parade Attack - Kohnke Family
Donation protected
June 5th, 2022
"Listening to all these alarms going crazy is driving me crazy.
My childs face is beat red since she is so hot with this damn fever.
Im sick of all the shit this poor girl has to go through because of that piece of shit guy.
I’m just so angry.
All i want to do is just cuddle my girl but i cant because there are tubes coming from every part of her body.
I want to talk to her so she can tell me whats wrong so i can fix it. I want her to be happy and at home again." - Amber
June 5th 2022
"Jessalyn had a great morning! Her xray shows that there was improvement and is looking so much better.
Around 2-230pm jessalyn’s fever shot way up to 104.5* and heart rate was racing in the 170s. We had multiple cultures sent to lab to see what we can find. The last set of cultures sent 2 days ago came back clear. She has not dropped too much in temp.
At 830pm, She is still around 103.2 with ice packs everywhere, heart rate is still racing, blood pressure is dropping extremely low.
Doctor is giving bolus and changing antibiotics as they feel an infection has aroused or possible sepsis.
Im just sick to my stomach. Why can nothing just go right.
Come on jessa you got this, im here with you. #jessalynstrong," -Amber
June 4th, 2022
"This will be a sleepless night. Jessalyn’s stats were sky rocketing. Bp was ranging anywhere from 170s/115 to 180/120s. Pulse was 160s alarms just blaring. As soon as she passed some gas she started to calm a little but because it was so prolonged, the dr decided to give her some meds to make her more comfortable. After some time, jessalyn’s stats started going the other direction. Oxygen levels in the 80s, slower heart rate, lower blood pressure.
This girl is just not having it tonight and its torture to the sole to listen to the machines going crazy. She will keep fighting through this and i will try to rest for an hour or so before they do x-rays at 4am and ask me to leave her room until they are done.
Ohhh my dear girl we got this. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 3rd, 2022
"This morning’s x-ray came back that her right lucg was worse today than yesterday’s and her magnesium levels were low. So we gave magnesium and the team of doctors decided to use a scope to look into jessalyns lung to see whats going on. Her WBC levels were not elevated so they decided going in to look is the best option.
We discovered there was a ton of mucus built up which they suctioned out. After multiple destats and lots of suctioning, another xray was done. It came back clearer but we are not out of the woods for the risk of pneumonia. Also, jessalyn is retaining more fluid so there were changes made to her intake and is on lasix. She has been pretty comfy with her new med changes and has has a good day for the most part.
Her temperature has fluctuated between 100-101.5 so not horrible but there is definitely still room for improvement!
My girl is a fighter and now another day behind us. Getting closer to the tuesday scope surgery to see how things are looking with hopes of waking her up and a great healing outcome! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 2nd, 2022
"Ok today was a little rough. At morning rounds the doctor informed me that jessalyn’s x-ray shows that she has atelectasis in the lower lobe of her right lung.
This means that the lower lobe in her right lung has collapsed.
She was still running a fever, she had lower urine output, her urine became a dark amber color, and the mucus coming out of her nose was a thick tan/pink color.
There was also some changes in her meds in which jessalyn start to become too coherent for our liking. The nurse would ask her questions and she would eespond with jodding her head yes or no. Jessalyn was very much unhappy by showing tears and her stats would shoot up when touched. So we had to adjust meds again to get her at a more comfortable state.
Around 12 jessalyn made a turn for the better. Her fever started to drop which she has been around 100*, her urine output has increased and changed in color and her muscus that is suction out has started to thin up and has a better color to it.
The ventilator has been turned up so that it can help stretch the collapsed part of the lung to prevent pneumonia. She has been stable, comfortable, and back to her sleeping beauty self. I had a nice conversation with jessalyn when she was stressing earlier today. I told her that she was not allowed to go back on her promise she made before her surgery. She promised we were going to do this surgery, sleep for a week or so and then we are going to get out of here with no complications. Lol.
Just had to bring it to her attention that we dont break promises. Not sure if she really heard me or not but man or man i was not expecting this type of curve ball today. If anyone knows my dear jessalyn, they know she will throw a curve ball just to keep me on my toes because she is a stubborn soul.
To end on a positive: her vitals are stable and she is in a much more comfortable state. Pressing forward to another day of healing. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 1st, 2022
"Jessalyn has had a calm day for the most part. There was a bit of a struggle with getting her tube feeding in but the nurse was finally successful after a couple trys. The skin care service team came in to make sure everyone has a game plan on jessalyn’s cares, positioning, ect. Just so she does not have any skin breaking down.
Unfortunately, jessalyn has been running a fever all day. It is normal to have a higher temp after a surgery but jessalyn’s temp has not dropped at the 24 hour mark but instead has gotten higher. Her temp has not responded to the meds at all today. Since she had a jump to 102.4 we are sending cultures. Hopefully we can kick this fever out over night and keep pushing in a positive direction.
There has been some changes in paralytics, fentanyl, and other meds.
Positive thought: she has not been able to move which is very comforting and we are not risking her tracheal sutures to tear. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
May 31, 2022
"Surgery went well. Jessalyn was brought up to ICU at 8:25pm. She is stable and doing well at the moment. Surgeon was very happy with the procedure. His game plan is to take her to OR next tuesday and see how things are healing with the hopes that we can extubate on Wednesday.
"Listening to all these alarms going crazy is driving me crazy.
My childs face is beat red since she is so hot with this damn fever.
Im sick of all the shit this poor girl has to go through because of that piece of shit guy.
I’m just so angry.
All i want to do is just cuddle my girl but i cant because there are tubes coming from every part of her body.
I want to talk to her so she can tell me whats wrong so i can fix it. I want her to be happy and at home again." - Amber
June 5th 2022
"Jessalyn had a great morning! Her xray shows that there was improvement and is looking so much better.
Around 2-230pm jessalyn’s fever shot way up to 104.5* and heart rate was racing in the 170s. We had multiple cultures sent to lab to see what we can find. The last set of cultures sent 2 days ago came back clear. She has not dropped too much in temp.
At 830pm, She is still around 103.2 with ice packs everywhere, heart rate is still racing, blood pressure is dropping extremely low.
Doctor is giving bolus and changing antibiotics as they feel an infection has aroused or possible sepsis.
Im just sick to my stomach. Why can nothing just go right.
Come on jessa you got this, im here with you. #jessalynstrong," -Amber
June 4th, 2022
"This will be a sleepless night. Jessalyn’s stats were sky rocketing. Bp was ranging anywhere from 170s/115 to 180/120s. Pulse was 160s alarms just blaring. As soon as she passed some gas she started to calm a little but because it was so prolonged, the dr decided to give her some meds to make her more comfortable. After some time, jessalyn’s stats started going the other direction. Oxygen levels in the 80s, slower heart rate, lower blood pressure.
This girl is just not having it tonight and its torture to the sole to listen to the machines going crazy. She will keep fighting through this and i will try to rest for an hour or so before they do x-rays at 4am and ask me to leave her room until they are done.
Ohhh my dear girl we got this. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 3rd, 2022
"This morning’s x-ray came back that her right lucg was worse today than yesterday’s and her magnesium levels were low. So we gave magnesium and the team of doctors decided to use a scope to look into jessalyns lung to see whats going on. Her WBC levels were not elevated so they decided going in to look is the best option.
We discovered there was a ton of mucus built up which they suctioned out. After multiple destats and lots of suctioning, another xray was done. It came back clearer but we are not out of the woods for the risk of pneumonia. Also, jessalyn is retaining more fluid so there were changes made to her intake and is on lasix. She has been pretty comfy with her new med changes and has has a good day for the most part.
Her temperature has fluctuated between 100-101.5 so not horrible but there is definitely still room for improvement!
My girl is a fighter and now another day behind us. Getting closer to the tuesday scope surgery to see how things are looking with hopes of waking her up and a great healing outcome! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 2nd, 2022
"Ok today was a little rough. At morning rounds the doctor informed me that jessalyn’s x-ray shows that she has atelectasis in the lower lobe of her right lung.
This means that the lower lobe in her right lung has collapsed.
She was still running a fever, she had lower urine output, her urine became a dark amber color, and the mucus coming out of her nose was a thick tan/pink color.
There was also some changes in her meds in which jessalyn start to become too coherent for our liking. The nurse would ask her questions and she would eespond with jodding her head yes or no. Jessalyn was very much unhappy by showing tears and her stats would shoot up when touched. So we had to adjust meds again to get her at a more comfortable state.
Around 12 jessalyn made a turn for the better. Her fever started to drop which she has been around 100*, her urine output has increased and changed in color and her muscus that is suction out has started to thin up and has a better color to it.
The ventilator has been turned up so that it can help stretch the collapsed part of the lung to prevent pneumonia. She has been stable, comfortable, and back to her sleeping beauty self. I had a nice conversation with jessalyn when she was stressing earlier today. I told her that she was not allowed to go back on her promise she made before her surgery. She promised we were going to do this surgery, sleep for a week or so and then we are going to get out of here with no complications. Lol.
Just had to bring it to her attention that we dont break promises. Not sure if she really heard me or not but man or man i was not expecting this type of curve ball today. If anyone knows my dear jessalyn, they know she will throw a curve ball just to keep me on my toes because she is a stubborn soul.
To end on a positive: her vitals are stable and she is in a much more comfortable state. Pressing forward to another day of healing. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
June 1st, 2022
"Jessalyn has had a calm day for the most part. There was a bit of a struggle with getting her tube feeding in but the nurse was finally successful after a couple trys. The skin care service team came in to make sure everyone has a game plan on jessalyn’s cares, positioning, ect. Just so she does not have any skin breaking down.
Unfortunately, jessalyn has been running a fever all day. It is normal to have a higher temp after a surgery but jessalyn’s temp has not dropped at the 24 hour mark but instead has gotten higher. Her temp has not responded to the meds at all today. Since she had a jump to 102.4 we are sending cultures. Hopefully we can kick this fever out over night and keep pushing in a positive direction.
There has been some changes in paralytics, fentanyl, and other meds.
Positive thought: she has not been able to move which is very comforting and we are not risking her tracheal sutures to tear. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
May 31, 2022
"Surgery went well. Jessalyn was brought up to ICU at 8:25pm. She is stable and doing well at the moment. Surgeon was very happy with the procedure. His game plan is to take her to OR next tuesday and see how things are healing with the hopes that we can extubate on Wednesday.
Lets just keep with that positive plan and pray nothing comes up in the next week. As for now, my girl is getting some rest and i will start to settle in with her. #jessalynstrong." - Amber
May 24th, 2022
"The closer we get to Jessalyn’s surgery the more heavily it weighs on me.
Trying to make sure i have everything and everyone in order along with spending time with all the kids.
I accomplished all my goals to have all my big projects done and to have the week to spend more relaxed and be with the kids.
Im more than proud of myself but now i have more time just think which is not the best for me.
Tried to put my flowers back that were tore out to put in jessalyns ramp, but i became overwhelmed with anger. People who know me, knows i love gardening and adding new plants to my flower beds but trying to rebuild them has brought back so many memories and so much annoyance that i had to walk away. Instead i took averie for a long walk.
But i know i need to just push through it and maybe add some new plants for a fresh start. Looking forward to a fresh start and strength to rebuild my flower beds." Amber
May 11th, 2022
"Had to bring Jessalyn into Children’s Hospital last night since she was struggling more with breathing.
We were admitted last night and are waiting for her balloon dilation surgery at 3:30.
Once I talk with the surgeon he will make the decision to go forward or not with the resection scheduled on the 31st.
I will keep people posted as to what is going to happen. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
May 10th, 2022
I know I haven’t given an update on jessalyn in a while. Since so many people have been asking….
Jessalyn has a balloon dilation surgery this Wednesday.
The tracheal resection is scheduled for May 31st.
This Wednesday the surgeon will go in and look at how much her trachea has closed off and decided if he will go forward with the resection or cancel it.
As of to day, jessalyn walked over to me and said, “mom, I think we might have to go to the hospital early.”
Which i have noticed in the last week that her breathing has gotten worse every day. I have a feeling the surgeon will make the decision to go forward with the resection which scares me to death but i know the reality.
We have tried 8 surgeries, with multiple different approaches already, her stenosis is not getting better over time. We are fighting a loosing battle. I hate every moment of this but i am grateful my daughter is alive and am amazed at how strong she is. I just love her preteen attitude #jessalynstrong - Amber
April 25th, 2022
"Jessalyns trachea is open more than they expected and are going to wake her up. So no major surgery today!
She does have some inflammation from the sinus drainage and they are giving her some antibiotics.
They will do another scope surgery to check things in 3 weeks and we will monitor her breathing in the meantime.
This is the best birthday present I could be given. Lets just say im more than happy and i am hoping the next view of her trachea shows that her trachea stays open and we can eventually move forward in life.
Im so grateful for the positive news today!
I am taking the win today!" #jessalynstrong
April 25th, 2022
"9:08am-Jessalyn heading back for surgery. " - Amber
April 8th, 2022
Jessalyn was discharged on the 6th after her surgery. She did well but was closed off more than the last time.
Her team of doctors have decided to do the tracheal resection on April 20th.
I am very saddened by this. Its like we are starting all over again and will be back in the icu for weeks and then transfer to the floor to rehab out.
Doctors are saying it will be at the least a month in the hospital, could be a little less or more depending on her or any complications.
For now, we are spending as much time together, enjoying family and friends.
Poor jessalyn is upset, scared, and has spent a ton of time crying. I know she is strong and she can get through this.
My other children are just as hurt and are struggling with the thought of having a distant mom all over again.
We will all push through and i know we will become stronger together. #jessalynstrong
April 6th, 2022
Jessalyn went in for her balloon dilation surgery this morning. She will be looked at by both the heart team and the ent team to map out the next steps. Doing the balloon dilation will give the team some time to come up with a game plan and buy my family some time to spend with eachother before they schedule her tracheal resection. Knowing how extreme the next phase will be for jessalyn and my family, im not looking forward to any part of this. I am hurt, mad, and upset. For now, i will enjoy the time i will be given with my family as a whole. #jessalynstrong
April 5th, 2022
We have been moved from the regular floor to the icu. They need to monitor jessalyn much closer. They were not expecting her trachea to be as closed off as it is. They are discussing a game plan and once i hear from them i will keep everyone updated. #jessalynstrong
April 4th, 2022
At childrens with jessalyn. Unfortunately her breathing is worse and surgeon wanted her in asap. Thank you Melissa Coello for taking averie! I just want all of this medical care to come to an end and jessalyn can go on living her normal preteen life again.
March 11th, 2022
Jessalyn’s trachea was 80% closed off. This is the worst the surgeon has seen it. So he used his last option and used the Mitomycin C. This is not what i wanted to hear happen for her. She also had a hard time after the procedure in the waking up process. Her stats kept dropping and she wasnt able to keep her oxygen levels stable. Took her some time but was able to finally stablize. Unfortunately, we are at the stage that he is scheduling a ct scan of her trachea and planning for a tracheal resection as her next steps. We have exhausted all other options and this is not an option i wanted for my daughter. I do not want to see her in the icu again. I do not want to upset my other children with the scare factor of their sister’s health or loosing their mother again for 2+ weeks. I hate every part of this and im just angry at the world right now. For now I am going to hope and pray we dont have to do the resection. I am going to enjoy as much time with my children possible. We need a positive healing in the next 2 weeks for us to not have this huge procedure. Jessalyn is strong and we will fight as hard as we can. #jessalynstrong
***UPDATE 41*** Thursday, February 24, 2022
"Jessalyn is going in tomorrow morning for another surgery on her trachea. I believe this is surgery #5…i have lost count.
I wish this would heal correctly so we can end all the surgeries already. Her breathing gets so bad very quick. I hate this all for her.
Otherwise the rest of her injuries seem to be healing nicely.
We did find out that she has scoliosis now from either the impact of the vehicle hitting her or her body hitting the ground. Its just another thing on her injury list and something more to deal with.
Jessalyn is progressing nicely with her walking.
Still having a ton of pain and struggles using her left leg but she will get through it. I just wish she would take the ibuprofen or tylenol to help with the pain.
She refuses everything, gets irritated, and takes her frustration out on me.
She hates PT and how painful her body feels after.
She is at 3 hours of school a day now! Apparently she did great on her MAPS test for math and raised her score by 8 points. I found this amazing since she hasnt been in school for so long and hasn’t learned any of the new math that was being taught. I will have to wait for her reading and writing scores to come back.
Off to disney world this coming week with the dance team!!!! I cant wait for the break, sun, heat, and palm trees!!! #jessalynstrong. - Amber
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/11-year-old-waukesha-parade-victim-making-significant-progress-following-hospital-stay
**MEDICAL UPDATE 40** Tuesday, January 11
"Today we had multiple appointments for Jessalyn. Her first was an ultrasound for her kidneys and bladder. Next was urology. The urologist explained what her expectations are for foods and amout of salt intake.
Her left kidney is within normal range for size and her right kidney is half the size it should be with little to no blood flow. It is slowly shrinking and non functional as to be expected. She can live with the one kidney but will be watched for any high blood pressure issues that may possibly come with only having 1 kidney.
After urology was the appointment with the general surgery team that watched over her in the hospital. We talked about all her injuries as a whole. He was not concerned about her liver any longer and was happy with her results this far.
He said there was no reason to come back and is discharging her from his services!
If there were any new problems that arose then i can contact them but as of right now she is healing nicely!!
Jessalyn is doing great guys!
We still have other injuries that will take a longer healing but as of right now when are sticking to the positive news we were given today!
Thank you to everyone who has sent prays and blessings our way! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 39 ** Friday, January 7
"Jessalyn’s surgery went well. An hour longer than last time.
Hopefully she wakes up much nicer this time. She is extremely sleepy so not really waking up yet.
Today the surgeon used a laser to break away some of the scar tissue and the balloon dilation and said scaring was worse this time than the last.
Apparently her trachea was about the size of a mcdonalds straw and normally it should be a garden hose size.
He is putting another surgery on the books in 2 weeks and if it doesnt look any better than he will use a chemo med that is used to reduce scar tissue.
If that doesnt work then a much larger procedure will have to be done.
Lets just hope and pray we dont have to get that far and everything heals nicely this time. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 38 ** Tuesday, January 4
"Jessalyn's breathing started to get much louder and had a whistle sound every time she inhales.
Sleeping sounds much worse and kept me up last night.
So I took Jessa into the ED at Children’s and we found that she will need to have the surgery done again on her trachea.
We are scheduled this Friday and will use some steroids in the meantime." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 37 ** Wednesday, December 29
"Jessalyn’s eye appointment went great yesterday. Hematoma is gone, eye damage has healed, and her vision is back to 20/20.
Todays PT visit went great. She was able to walk with her one leg and walker much further than last week.
Tonight she is exhausted, moody, and impatient.
If i walk away to help another child then she starts her crying and if i tell the other child to wait so i can help jessa then they start their whining too. I just cant win tonight with any of them.
Deep breath and getting everyone to bed so i can have some quiet time.
Have a good night everyone….peace of mind coming to myself soon. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 36 ** Monday, December 27
"Today jessalyn started to take charge in life. She decided she was going to be more independent with her personal cares and try to do more for herself. She did give me a little scare today but at least she is trying.
Tomorrow is the eye appointment to see how her right eye has healed. Im not looking forward to taking her out in the snow and cold with all the equipment but it has to be done either way. It takes around 30 minutes to get her in the car along with folding and lifting her wheelchair in.
She has been so positive lately with saying that she will be walking right away when her doctor says she can and that she will be getting back to dancing as soon as she walks.
I didnt have the heart to tell her that it will be awhile before she will be able to start dance again.
But i know jessa, she will be trying to do what ever it is she wants when she wants. She is bull headed just like her mom….haha.
Have a great night everyone! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**December 25**
"Merry Christmas everyone!
Today was exhausting and i am wore out. But i am just so thankful we are home for the holiday. Although this Christmas didnt feel the same as usual, i still made the best of it and am glad we were able to celebrate as a family.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and family! " - Amber
Merry Christmas from all of us! Another great day and excited for many more!!!! #jessalynstrong
**MEDICAL UPDATE 35 ** Friday, December 24.
Jessalyn is doing great today. Her breathing is much quieter and she is able to move around without getting so winded or out of breath.
Best part is that im not scared to sleep now.
Its been a pretty chill day.
I am more than grateful for all the support and people reaching out by sending cards, dinners, uplifting messages, gifts ect.
Thank you to everyone! Words cant express the amount of appreciation i have.
I can not get to every person individually as there have been so many people who have went above and beyond. So I wanted to make sure I posted here for everyone to know. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 34** Wednesday, December 22. 3:30- p.m.
"Jessalyn’s surgery went great!!!! She was back within an hour.
She was pretty mad at everyone and was beyond angry about taking liquid ibuprofen. Unfortunately we will have to go in again in about 2-3 weeks to have a scope put in to see if her trachea is still open and/or the same surgery done again.
All this on going care is so much to deal with but we will get through it together as a family. #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 33** Wednesday, December 22. 3 a.m.
"No pulmonary embolism! Staying in ICU until her surgery in the morning then we will see how she does after surgery to determine if she is going home or staying longer. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 32** Wednesday, December 22. Midnight
"Jessalyns breathing got worse. Rushed her to childrens. Doing CT scan to rule out pulmonary embolism and/or possibly doing her surgery early. I will keep you posted." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 31** Tuesday, December 21
"MMM (Mommy mental moment):
Let me just start by saying I absolutely hate giving jessalyn her lovenox injections 2x a day.
I feel horrible when she cries because the medication burns and the needle hurts.
Her belly is filled with small poke hole-red marks and bruses still from the hospital and from home.
I know it is needed to keep her from blood clots but man does it hurt me internally.
Also, my 15 year old is cleaning her room…..not sure if i should check on her lol. nahhh im going to just let it happen.
Going to bed with a smile on my face! Good night everyone." -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 30** Tuesday, December 21
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so i knew today would be rough with all the appointments and it being the first time having to pack for both jessalyn and my 2 year old. Woke up late to start but i was able to get myself and the 2 year old ready in time to get my oldest to school. Stopped and got my morning coffee and headed back home to get jessalyn.
Ok went down the check list of everything needed. Took jessa and the 2 year old out to the car. Got jessalyn in the car, buckled my 2 year old, and started to load everything else. Folded the wheelchair, put it in the back, folded the walker and set it up against the back of the car. Phone rang and it was the PT asking about info. I put the diaper bag, jessalyns bag, the legs to the wheelchair, jessalyns back brace and walked to my seat to look for info PT was asking for, sat down and finished conversation. Put in address of where we were going on gps and started to back up.
All of a sudden i heard a weird noise. Looked at jessa and said….what was that? It hit me….i never put her walker in the car….yup ran over her walker. All i could do was laugh. Jessalyn also though it was hilarious. Shattered the wheel off her walker. What else could have happened this morning other than destroying my daughters well needed medical equipment. Lol, still funny to this moment.
Took her to one appointment and made calls to find her a walker. Just so happened a friend of mine messaged me at the right time and was able to get ahold of someone at katys kloset. Got jessalyn to her other appointment and then stopped at the school for her to say hi to all her friends from a distance.
It was a great experience. All the kids had so many questions and were so happy to see her. Jessalyn had little break down moment. She expressed how she was mad that she cant walk, move, dance, get shots 2x a day, or do anything like she used to. She said she doesnt like any of this and its not fair.
Yeliana and I gave her big hugs and we talked it out. Its great to have each other for the support she needs along with everyone else’s needs. The love and support starts at home. Most important here.
The rest of the day went great. Had some good conversations and laughs with all the kids. Im just so grateful we are able to have these good memories.
As i sit here now, i think about all the injuries this girl indured. It really is a miracle she is alive and is doing as well as she is so soon. No matter what bad could happen on any given day….my kids make my life complete. Yeliana can be late to school, a walker is replaceable, and break downs are allowed. Blessed more than i know. #jessalynstrong"- Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 29** Monday, December 20
"Jessalyn is doing great. Starting to move around more without as much of a struggle. Her breathing still sounds horrible but it will until her surgery is done on Wednesday.
Today I decided to make my first run to the store for a couple things we needed plus i felt it would be a good break for an hour. I was wrong.
When putting my cart away the was a car backing out behind me and another that sped past.The sounds hit me hard. It was like a lightning bolt struck me in the back and then i froze. The pain that went through my body hurt every muscle. I was replaying the whole parade scene in my head. Thank God I didnt have any of my children with me. I needed to pull myself together. In the car I took some deep breaths, talked myself through the situation and cried a couple tears. I know I will have PTSD. And I will have to deal with this for a long while. The timing for this wasnt the best as it was supposed to be my moment to breathe for once. I will be ok, i am taking things one day at a time. maybe i just wasnt ready to venture out where there are vehicles all around while im walking.
The rest of the day was a great. Did some well needed organizing and some good packer game time. On to a new day. This week will be challenging with all the appointments and her surgery. I need to give jessalyn her daily shot and then its time for bed soon. Have a great night, thank you to everyone for all the prayers and healing words. #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 28** Friday, December 17, 10:25 pm
"Found out today that jessalyns lungs are looking great.
What we did find is that she has tracheal stenosis. So what we are figuring is that the intubation tube must have caused a build up scar tissue that is now causing more difficulty for her to breathe.
So Jessalyn will need another surgery on Wednesday for them to open her trachea again.
Not the news i wanted today but I have no choice but to accept it.
Had my mommy break down moment. So much of me wants to scream and so much is so happy and grateful that she is here with us.
At what point am i allowed to have a break from being strong.
The best part of the day was being able to see our dance friends at the Christmas party.
It was great to talk to everyone and actually feel all the love that was sent our way while we were at the hospital all those weeks.
Tomorrow is a new day! #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 27** Friday, December 17
"Jessalyn’s breathing sounds like a hundred year old smoker.
We are heading back to childrens hospital. I want to cry but im staying positive its just a need for breathing treatments.
I know she had a ton of damage to her chest from the vehicle so we have to be cautious. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
** UPDATE 25** Tuesday December 14
"We are finally home!!!!! So many emotions!!!!!! #jessalynstrong" - Amber.
Thank each and everyone of you for everything ... your caring thoughts, prayers, wishes, positive vibes, donations, stories, letters and cards. Thank you for holding our hands through this nightmare. For giving us your powerful support. For keeping us in your hearts. For shining the light. We are humbled by your loving support and eternally grateful to you! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 25** Monday, December 13
"Today was a busy day with multiple people/teams. She started off with speech therapy which she passed with flying colors. She is now discharged from speech therapy. Then we had neuropsych eval. I will get the results from that tomorrow.
Although Jessalyn is doing well, with the fractured skull and the fact that she was thrown, it is obvious that her brain was bounced around so we are covering all bases with that.
Physical therapy came and we worked with them over and over on the proper positioning and maneuvering of her body per the surgery she had. She was cleared from physical therapy also today!
There will be plenty of on going physical therapy once we get home along with a thousand other appointments for each specialty per the type of injuries she endured. This after care will be no joke.
We were also able to have the feeding tube removed today! Jessaly actually removed it herself with the assistance of the nurse. I never gagged so hard in my life. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Otherwise the rest of the day went great! At the end of the day we got to see our ICU nurses!!! The amazment and smiles on their faces when they saw jessalyn, there’s just no words.
There are just some amazing people here. These nurses and staff members never left the room without asking if there is anything she needed and asked if there was anything I needed. It wasn’t just about my child but they also cared for me.
Positive: getting home is sooooo close!!!!#jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 24**Sunday, December 12
"I missed yesterday’s update since we fell asleep during the packer game. Yesterday was a laid-back day.
Jessalyn is doing much better with standing and swiveling her foot to get into another chair. She was able to see her friend for the first time and do some tik tocs with her!!! It was great to to see these two laughing again! Jessalyn did great with eating more. We were also able to see our dance friend here in the hospital! It was nice to have the freedom to do as we wanted.
Jessa hasn’t taken any of her heavey pain meds and is tolerating without them just fine. We did need some over night because the bed is “uncomfortable.” I will update later today on what the day brings with all her therapys. Otherwise, we are doing great!!! Im so proud of her. #jessalynstrong." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 23**Saturday, December 11
"Finally!!!!!! Jessalyn has made a huge turn for the better! This girl had her last 2 drains taken out and the IV disconnected. She has ate more today than yesterday! PT was amazed at how well she did with moving on 1 foot with the walker. She was able to stand and swivel her foot without the help of her mother or the therapist.
Her words today…..”i’m ready to go home.” That is my girl. She is just doing amazing. Now we just need her to eat the correct amount of calories to have her tube feeding out and we will be out the door!
As much as I am so grateful for all the staff here, i miss my house and other children. I miss playing with my 2 year old everyday and wrestling around with the older kids.
Never in my life would i have ever thought this amount of tragic would have ever happened. We have overcome one giant hurdle after the next.
I can not express how amazed I am with jessalyn along with my other children who were also there in the parade handing out candy to start and in a blink of an eye they were holding other children in their arms, wiping blood from their heads, screaming for help.
Jessalyn, along with my other children will not only have to clear this hurdle but once we finally get home, there will be many,many, many more.
We will all be strong together and overcome what comes our way. Now if someone could please get this girl an appetite, i would greatly appreciate it!
Positive thought to end my night: Im glad we were able to see our ICU dance moms and girls today. We are the best team mates to have ever been together at such a horrible time for support. Blessed with the best. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
Thank you all for your loving support! You held this family up in their darkest days. Thank you!
***Saturday, December 11***
"I am looking for a recliner lift chair for Jessalyn if you or anyone you know has one they are not using and are willing to get rid of or sell. Please message me" -Amber. Anyone is Milwaukee or surrounding area let us know, we can pick it up! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 22**Friday, December 10
"Last night was a sleepless night. Jessalyn had me up every hour on the hour.
Around 130ish the nurses came in to take her the bathroom and let me sleep but just as they got her in bed, her drink spilt everywhere and they had to get her back up, washed,changed, and bedding changed. After all that was said and done jessa woke me again at 2 because her toes were cold.
At 235 a doctor came in and asked me to get up because her IV in her hand was no longer working and they needed to place a new one. Of coarse this brought her to tears. The man who placed her IV did an amazing job and was able to get it in on the first try! Jessalyn is a hard poke and i was dreading this for the both of us. Thank god this time it went so well.
At 330 I looked at the clock and took a deep breath. All i could think was how i could try and get atleast 2 hours of sleep before doctors started to roll in but apparently my body was not going to let me sleep.
The doctors came around 6am and the room was like a revolving door until about 3pm.
She did an amazing job with her therapys today. She started to push herself harder to help with getting in and out of bed or the recliner. Jessalyn also started to actually eat some food today!!!! It was like she finally woke up and came back to life! She also declined all her pain meds for the afternoon and still was able to handle herself fairly well. Im just amazed with this girl.
Talking over things with the physical therapist, im thinking i will need a lift recliner so that she can sit at the correct angle and help me get her to standing incase there is no one at home other than myself.
Jessalyn has come a long way in the last 3 weeks. Im so grateful for everyone and for the fact that my child is still alive. The nurses and staff are more than nice and always ask if i need anything.
Positive thought: we are doing it! We have made some great changes today and we have become stronger together! So much love for all my children! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 21** Thursday, December 9
"Jessalyn’s night and day schedule is way off. Tried so hard to keep her awak today and yesterday but she still went to sleep at 5pm. This girl is going to have me up at 1 am again.
This morning she was up puking her brains out. I really don’t understand what she could be puking out considering that she hadn’t ate anything. We are on day 3 with no food. She will drink some sips but will not eat.
She has a new love for water which is great but i need her to eat.
So tonight we have decided to start her tube feeding back on with hopes that maybe she will start to want to eat during the day and that she can hold it down without puking.
All her therapy’s went well today, no drastic changes. She is not her normal goofy self these last 2 days. Surgeon came to the room today and showed me the scan of Jessalyn’s pelvic break….i was speechless. I did not know how bad the break really was.
We were also able to visit with some good friends downstairs today! Felt great to get out of the room.
Positive: jessalyn was actually trying to help her transferring in and out of the bed today. May not be very much and I am killing my back and shoulders to help her but she is trying and thats all i can ask for. Hopeful for a better day tomorrow. Love for all the dance girls and our wonderful dance friend still here with us. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 20** Wednesday, December 8
"Jessalyn had a rough day.
I gave an update earlier on how our morning was. She has not ate anything since yesterday at 4am before her surgery. I ordered her lunch and she nibbled a piece of fruit and ended up puking. Which then caused more pain issues with her broken ribs and her incision sites. After that hurdle we still had PT, speech therapy, and OT. This girl faught through the most of it while still running a fever. She even stood up with a walker and sat in the wheelchair for a bit today. Her fevers have been off and on throughout the day. She still has no appetite but has been able to drink plenty of water.
She was able to enjoy watching the dance fundraiser today by using FaceTime. I could tell a part of her was upset that she wasnt able to be there. My heart breaks for her. That man took away the one thing my daughter truly enjoyed in her life. Dance. I have high hopes that we will be able to get back to dance again but it will be a long time from now and she will have to work hard just to get back to the basic moves.
Well now that my anger was released….my positive for the day: this girl STOOD UP the next morning after her long surgery yesterday. She fought through all the pain, fever, and upset. That is my girl! I hope everyone enjoyed the dance fundraiser and so much love for all the dance team girls from this hospital room! Thank you to everyone who is praying for my girl! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 19** Wednesday, December 8
"Jessalyn’s blood pressure was low, she has a fever and her blood counts were low so she had to get more blood this morning. She has been up all night. We are waiting on lab work to come back to see if she will need more blood or not. The nurses were nice to let me sleep as much as possible. I just want to wake up from this constant nightmare already. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 18** Tuesday, December 7
"This girl was up at 130 in the morning screaming to use the bathroom. After that whole event she decided she was no longer tired and was going to stayup all damn night yelling for me to help her with anything that could cross her mind. She’s hot, she’s cold, thirsty, mom look at this…omg im sooo tired jessa! 630 rolls around and theres a room full of doctors.
We go over everything just to met by the next team of doctors to go over all the surgery info. 8am we headed down for surgery. She was not happy, my poor girl was in tears. I threw in a funny joke just to see her beautiful smile before she left. Gave her a giant kiss and an “I love you”and she was off. I received all the updates from the OR as the procedure is happening. Around 1:50pm the message said something about closing the incision site and i felt relief. But then 3:00pm rolls around and no message or call from OR so i called the nurse into our room to get ahold of someone downstairs. 10 min later the surgeon called me and explained that she was going to reopen jessalyn to redo a couple things.
The mom in me was irritated and pissed and the medical part of me was understanding and accepting of the situation. The surgeon was only doing what was best for my daughter. So here I am waiting longer with my stomach in knots. Finally, around 630 I received a message that she was headed to recovery! We finally got back to the room around 8-830pm.
What a damn day. This girl is wide awake talking on the phone to family….high as a kite lol. she had to receive blood and platelets in the surgery, she has 4 JP drains in her abdomen and multiple incisions, she is also on a PCA pump filled with meds she can give to herself every 8 min.
Positive thought to end the night: one more step completed in her recovery. She will not be able to use that leg for 6 weeks and I will have to get multiple things of equipment for the house when we finally get to that point. Have a great night everyone and tons of love all those affected, our dance team and my children! #jessalynstrong" Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 17** Monday, December 6
"First day with having all her therapys today! It was like a revolving door, one person after the next all day. Everyone has been wonderful and very kind to jessalyn. Physical Therapy was definitely not her favorite but she made some big changes and decided she was going to try using a walker. The difficulty with this is that she can only use one leg . But jessalyn did it! She did her hop to the chair next to her! Im pretty proud of this girl! Only day 2 of PT and she is already willing to get up and work this hard.
Unfortunately today we found that her mouth is covered in thrush so we had to start a new med for that. She hated the taste and thickness so bad that she ended up vomiting everywhere. Poor girl. So now we are just swabbing it in and listening to her gag which then sets me off and im joining in. Lord help me.
After all the wonderful visits, I decided we were getting out if the room and were going down to starbucks but when we got there it was closed. So we made a trip to the beautiful aquarium and to the gift shop. Jessalyn was exhausted and really didnt want anything until we were leaving and she saw a long stuffed snake. When i went to pay for it a wonderful lady recognized her and asked if she could buy it for her. She had a smile on her face behind her mask! It felt great to actually experience how amazing people are out there in the world!
Uncle ryan and grammy came for a visit along with her pediatrician. I just sat her and watched this girl laughing, smiling and being her goofy self. Just think, 2 weeks ago my child was lifeless on a bed with a tube down her throat and to see her today….mind blowing.
Tomorrow morning is her pelvic surgery. Jessalyn has expressed all day how she doesnt want to do it and how scared she is. I dont blame her. But at this point this is just a bump in the road compared to what she has been through. I have faith in her to overcome this hurdle with hopes of getting home soon! I know we will leave with a walker and a wheelchair and there will need to be a ramp built to the porch. Luckily we have someone working on the ramp soon.
I am also planning an Amber day to get my hair done and man all i want to do is sit in a hot tub and have a day filled with a body massage. This amount of stress has tore up my body and i have never had so many grey hairs in my life hahaha. Ok its late and we will be up early for surgery prep ect and i need to get a little sleep. Still have all the dance girls in our hearts and miss my beautiful children dearly!
Grateful for another day of being able to see my daughter smile and laugh outloud again! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 16** Sunday, December 5
"Today was a good day! Started off with an early morning, crack of dawn, raspy voice screaming MOoooM. All for a bathroom trip lol. This time this girl pushed through all the pain without me having to tell her to. It was like she woke up a different person. OK!!! YES GIRL!! Doctors and physical therapy came shortly after.
Jessalyn rocked her PT. But it wore her down fast. She was able to sit in a recliner today for the 1st time! Daily goal is to make her sit in the recliner 3x a day for 30+ minutes. I cant wait for her to get stronger because this is a huge, exhausting process. Shortly after our recliner time, we went in the wheelchair to go see uncle Ryan, the cousins, and grandpa.
Unfortunately, sitting in the wheelchair is way too painful for her. Her small visits are overwhelming, and too painful for her to enjoy family. Im glad my dad and nieces were able to come either way! After our visit we headed back to the room and we just layed around, having random conversations, and relaxed.
This girl is still very fixed on the parade, her dance friends, and the trauma of it. She is trying to catch up on the last 2 weeks of her life and its great to see her coping. She is very nervous for her surgery Tuesday and is definitely not looking forward to all the therapy’s tomorrow.
To end our night on a positive: this is the first day i was able to just lay back and relax with jessalyn. Can’t believe it! I’m trying to cherish every moment that I can. Especially since I have realized how fast time passes by and how fast life can be taken away. Sending strength to my dance friends in and out of the hospital, love to all my beautiful children, and please someone find my sanity!!!! " - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 15** Sunday, December 5
"Being on this floor is much more different than the icu. The nurses here are also very nice caring people but i miss my icu nurses, they started to feel like family.
This morning jessalyn and I met with the ortho team and they said that her X-ray shows that her pelvic fractures are not healing properly and has spread apart more.
Unfortunately, she will have to have surgery on Tuesday to put in some plates and screws.
This is not the news I wanted to hear. I knew this was a possibility once she was stable but was hopeful she would not have to go through any surgeries. I feel like we went 10 steps forward and 50 steps back.
Its been rough dealing with the med changes and bringing her off certain meds and the delirium is no joke. Why dont people talk about this more. Its like dealing with a toddler in a grown body. Exhausting. Its funny how people seem to think that once a person comes off life support, they are just their normal, chippy self.
Although jessalyn still has her spunk, she is still not normal, she is in pain everywhere, her thought process is on and off, and she gets fixated on things. Today was her first day up and out of the bed. Makes it a full 11 days in a bed. It was a very difficult process but she did it! I was happy seeing her just sitting up for the 1st time! Lots of tears and cheering her on the whole way but she did it!
We threw together a special surprise and i wheeled jessalyn down to see her siblings! The looks on their faces were priceless when we came around the corner. You could just feel all that weight lift off their shoulders once they were able to see her. There were so many great laughs, jokes, and just the biggest smiles. Such a great moment! They even did a little tik toc before we went back upstairs.
Ended our night with grammy visiting… which she brought a must have little fan for jessalyn. I was not doing another night with her having me get up every 2 min because she is too hot or too cold.
Positives: all the kids were able to be together again for the first time since the parade. It was amazing to see everyone happy for once in the last 2 weeks. This girl along with my other children are so strong to fight through all this. They have found a piece inside themselves they never knew they had.
Thank you for all the support from everyone out there, our nurses, friends, and family. You will never know how much it is truly appreciated! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**STUNNING NEW REVELATION** Friday, December 3
*********. “This young lady is a TRUE HERO! I believe she is 11. I hope she knows she is a HERO! This amazing hero saw/sensed danger and had the foresight to push my cousin’s 5 year old granddaughter out of harms way and Jessalyn took the brunt of the vehicle herself. What a selfless thing to do. She thougth of the smaller child before herself. I am praying for your Jessalyn, praying for a speedy recovery, praying for everyone on your Extreme Dance Team, for all the families involved. I am so sorry this happened to you, but young lady, you saved a little girl’s life and my family is so grateful to you! Please if you can, donate. To either Jessalyn or to the Team. These young ladies are some kind og wonderful! God Bless you all.” - Trinette Hernandez ************
"MMM(mommy mental moment): Someone sent me a message today where they screenshot a comment/post about my daughter.
This absolutely brought me to tears. The feelings I feel are so overwhelming.
The fact that my daughter saved another girls life before getting hit by the vehicle says a ton as to who she is as a person. It kills me imagining and feeling what she felt before she was hit.
I barley saved my 2 year old and myself from the vehicle and saw everything else as it happened.
I have this huge guilt that i couldnt save Jessalyn’s life too. I know I will need some therapy ect once i get to that point, But now that i have read this, i am so proud of my daughter for being as strong as she is." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 14** Friday, December 3 ♥♥♥
"What a day. Jessalyn had her tube removed at 11am today!!!!!
I was a nervous reck on the inside but held it together. I stood by her side and held her had the whole time! Once it was removed the team had the c-pap all set and reafy to put on her but her stats never dropped and the doctor said hold off on it and lets see what happens. Her stats never did drop!!!
This girl held her chest coughed up a bunch of mucus and acted like nothing ever happened. She rested for moments and then talked a bit!
It was the best feeling in the world! So much weight lifted off my shoulders.
The team was amazed at how well she was doing they expressed how she was doing better then they ever imagined. I spent the majority of the day just hanging by her side listening to her random comments. The best was when someone walked in and we had her turned on her side washing her back, her sassy self said….ive been dealing with this for hours. We all laughed. Then i told her well jessa you have only been awake for an hour and a half . Oh this girl.
She was able to video chat with her siblings and cousins. They werent long chats but just a hello made everyones day. When video chatting with her brother she told him to say I love you to her, hahaha then puckered her lips and so did he for a kiss. She looked at me and said no one kisses like jaden with his big o fat lips. Oh this girl!!!!
She was so excited to talk yeliana and just gave her the biggest smile and was full of the I love yous! Big sister was the first person she was able to see on video chat today. Yeliana was so happy and just the look on her face was priceless. These kids are just so filled with love for each other.
Unfortunately she has been a little delirious but is still recalling events from the parade. She said…”i turned around and i got hit by the car.”
A part of me was hoping she would have lost that memory but she clearly remembers parts. With her delirium she has been keeping me busy.
Very fixated on a glass of ice water, lights, sounds, and the monitors around her. Freaks out when she sees the number 0 on there and tells us to plug it back in. Deep breath. She was such a hoot.
Im just so speechless as to what to say. All the great feelings are so overwhelming. Its been an emotional roller coaster today! Tomorrow will be busy day with getting her body brace put on and much more.
To end the night on a positive….she is finally back. Sassy as all hell, and is breathing on her own with just the nasal canula. This girl is more than strong. I am so excited for the next phase of recovery and to get our family back together again. So thankful for our team of people today! Love all my children to death, they are my inspiration. #jessalynstrong
Thank you to all! Your prayers worked! You made this possible. Eternally grateful for your support! Thank you. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
**MEDICAL UPDATE 13** Thursday, December 2, 11 a.m. ☺ Ryan Kohnke, uncle
"I literally just spoke with Jessalyn after she was taken off the ventilator. She's doing real well. They only have her on some oxygen at her nose and some pain killers, no sedation. This is one of the best moments of my life. Thank you for everyone who has been supporting our family through this. Jessa has a long road ahead of her but this is a major milestone."
Here is a list of what Jessalyn has suffered through in the last week and a half.
1. Direct hit by an SUV - thrown 20-30 feet
2. Three fractures in the pelvic
3. One kidney ripped from the artery and vein. unable to save it.
4. Skull fracture
5. Eight broken ribs
6. Liver damaged
7. Lungs damaged
8. Three vertebrae compression fractures -L1, L2, and L3
9. Lung infection
10. UTI
She is a fighter! Thank you all!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 12** Wednesday, December 1, 9 p.m. ☺
"First, let me just say how amazed i am to see,hear and receive messages from people who are reading my daily updates. I appreciate all of the support and prayers coming from every direction! I do read the comments when i have a moment, i just can’t respond to everyone.
Now for jessalyn…..ahhhhh what a day. We decided not to pull out her breaghing tube today right away in the morning . Although she is passing the tests, there is more planning that needed to happen per her pain management ect. We can do a nerve block for one area to control pain but she has multiple areas of trauma and needs to be in a better place to handle her pain and awake to start the breathing process without the machine.
So about an hour later jessalyn decided she was going to be more coherent. Great! We were asking simple questions to figure out what she wanted but then she was getting so frustrated because we weren’t getting it right.
At that point she looked me dead in my eyes and just started pouring tears. At that point I lost it. I have been so strong all this time, and i would have to say that was my weakest point so far. My poor child is trying so hard to tell me what she wants and we are trying to understand but are failing and now she is frustrated to the point of crying and im crying. I felt helpless, and weak and I hated every moment of it. I could not help my child, that is my job as her mother. I’m supposed to help, guide, teach, love, make things better, ect. DEEP SIGH. I broke down today…yes i sure did. And i am allowed to break damn it, we have been through more than enough for the last week and a half.
With her being so aware the doctor then decided that it might be a possibility to remove her tube. Then the other came in and didn’t like the breathing stats as much as we did before so then decided it was not a good idea to remove the tube because she would have the higher chance to have it put in. OK so then lets give her more meds and let her rest for the day and night. Which she has up til about an hour ago. Jessalyn was more aware than earlier. She coughed, i asked if she needed to be suctioned, she shook her head yes and pointed at the nurse. This girl is now accepting the help and is responding without a fight. 10 minutes later she started to cough again and we did the same thing with the suctioning and nodding. This time the nurse told her she was using the smaller tube to go in her mouth and jessalyn shook her head no, turned it toward me and gave her an evil ass eye. I said….”ummm she said no to the mouth suctioning.” All while i was standing there thinking oh my god my child is going to kill this nurse with her eye balls. Now I truly understand the old saying….”if looks could kill”
Jessalyn is consolable and cooperative tonight. So tonight we are praying for comfort, healing, and sleep. Tomorrow will probably be her big day!!!! Im pretty sure she will have the tube out and i know they are planning for a 9 or 11 o’clock time frame.
To end my day on a positive note….my baby is finally coming back!!!!! Thank you to all the nurses and staff for all the help and support. Prayers to all the dance girls and other people affected from this. There will be rough days but im still standing tall. Love my children more than words can speak. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 11** Tuesday, November 30, 9 p.m. GREAT NEWS! ☺☺☺☺☺☺
"Ok we are doing this earlier today. Lung x-ray looks about the same with a little improvement. Temperature has come down! She had her central line removed and had a PICC line put in instead.
She had a great night last night and let me get some sleep finally. But she saved all that energy for the morning. This girl opened her eyes and was definitely responding to questions such as, “are you in pain?” And “do you want to lay on the other side?” She was clearly uncomfortable in her hip area and kept trying to move her bottom around to find a good spot. Great news is that she finally passed her ERT extubation ready test this morning! Wooohoooo!!!!!! And again in the afternoon! We will do another in the morning to see how she does.
Tomorrow might just be a big day for us … breathing tube might just come out!!!!!! So excited and nervous all at the same time! Not sure how i will sleep with this excitement on my mind.
Now to get to the worst part of my day.
Doctor informed me that on both sides of her rib cage, ribs 5,6,7,8 are broken. Thats a total of 8 uggh. I always had the feeling there were some but not this many. No wonder she has had so many issues with trying to get off the vent, im sure the pain and mucus build up is horrible.
Also, i was told that vertebrae L1, L2, and L3 have compression fractures so she will be wearing a back brace once she is sitting up and stand on her own. This girl has trauma in every direction of her body. She cant catch a break. God i just am trying to imagine the rehab and therapy this poor child will have to go through.
Deep breath***** To keep my spirits up I always end my night on a positive note and well im just glad we are finally getting ready to take this tube out. We will be one step closer to getting home!!!!
Many prayers for all and i cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!!! Good night everyone!!!!- Amber
THIS IS HUGE! Progress is finally here, an amazing feeling! All of your prayers and letters of support are working. Each and everyone of you are helping her heal. Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 10** Tuesday, November 30, 12 a.m.
"Where to begin….
Let me just start with the facts first. X-ray looks better but very similar to yesterday’s. The amount of trauma is still visible but the amount of mucus that has cleared from her lungs is amazing. But we will constantly battle mucus until her tube is out and her lungs are fully healed. Great thing is that her mucus does not look as thick, discolored, or infectious like.
Fever finally broke this morning!!!!!! But we are back to it getting higher again. Last night was scary as it got to an all time high of 104f and we were putting ice packs all over her. She is currently at 100.3f which makes me much happier to manage mentally.
A new plan with all the meds made this morning.
Ultrasound of legs shows no clots so theres another positive. CT scans of her abdomen did not show anything more concerning than we already knew. Which is great to hear.
Liver pretty much the same and the detached kidney is starting to shrink as it’s supposed to. Crazy to think the kidney will just shrink like a raisin and can just be left in the body. Mind blown.
Ok now for the hardest part … my dear daughter was not my daughter last night. She was fighting through the pain meds she was on and was pissed. Literally. She is not the type of child who gets mad and wants to kick someone’s ass. Excuse my language but being a parent that was by far one of the hardest things I have ever seen. It was as if she was possessed and was going to try and cough and choke her tube out any way that she could. I will never forget the look on her face.
Nice thing is that she is responding well with her new meds today. She has been peaceful throughout the day until she needs to be suctioned and is trying to cough up the mucus. At that point her vitals drop but comes back nicely once the mucus is cleared.
I can’t express how much I appreciate the nurses and staff here. They are always right here in a blink of an eye and take care of my daughter’s needs.
Deep breath ... today is finally the 1st day I can breath.
Now to end my night with a positive thought ... she has been relaxed all day, I have been able to just BE here with her comfortably and she is healing peacefully. Love my girl and my other children more than words can speak.
Many prayers to all the people hurt in the parade, love for our team members and grateful for the amazing staff here." - Amber
Thank you to everyone who is following this story as it unfolds. Thank you for your continued support, prayers and donations. Your support has taken off a huge burden off moms shoulders. It has allowed her to keep focused on Jessalyn 100%! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 9** Monday, November 29.
"Ok so today was pretty eventless. X-ray was very similar to the day before and labs are still the same. Im not mad about this at all. Jessalyn needs time to let her lungs heal.
But because of the last couple of exhausting days the team of doctors decided to change a ton of her meds which has made her more comfortable, but she is still semi responsive to me talking to her by moving her hand toward me and calming down when i tell her im here.
All in all it was a great day. My positive for the day: when i was on video chat with my 2 year old telling her good night, the nurse said, “hey jessalyn is moving her hands.” So i went over next to jessa and i sang all of our good night songs averie and I sing every night. The whole time I was next to jessalyn with the phone, she was moving her eyes side to side when she heard her sister’s voice. I almost cried. Jessalyn can hear her little sissy. Just a great way to end the night!
Greatful, thankful, blessed #jessalyn strong
Many thoughts and prayers to all the dance girls and other familys." -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 8** Sunday, November 28, 12 a.m., Amber.
"So the morning started off rough.
Yesterday’s chaotic events followed through the morning. X-ray showed her lungs are clearer than the day before! Great news but the amount of trauma to her lungs is still very visable on the xray.
Tried the testing the lungs trials and she failed in seconds this time. She didnt like it at all, vitals were dropping and she tried to jump out the bed and rip all her tubes and bandages off.
So with the events from the day before and morning they decided to stop all the lung trials and to just keep her more sedated for a couple days to give her lungs more time to heal. Then there was the trial of amount and type of meds. This girl surprised all of us and would just fight through what she was given. It was just amazing. Yup she is strong and a fighter.
She is still running 102-103 degree temp again for the 2nd day. She has been peacefully resting for the majority of the day. Some slight moment but nothing too major.
So all in all we are back at square 1.
Starting all over again but im ok with it. I always had a feeling that she needed more time to heal. Who wouldn’t. My poor child was literally hit by a truck dead on (she has the marks from the vehicles grill across her chest) and was thrown around 20-30 feet or so.
My baby may be strong but there are times in our lives when we need to just sit back and heal. This is that time for her. Although she is back to being a sleeping body filled with tubes and a machine that is breathing for her, she is comfortable.
To leave the night with my positive, she is still fighting, she is comfortable, and she has some amazing nurses/care team by her side. So greatful for them all!"
Thank you all for your continued prayers, letters and donations of support. We are humbled by your generosity.
I want to start this update by thanking each and everyone of you who has sent in many letters of support, encouragement, prayers and donations from all over the country and the world. We are in awe! Thank you! ♥♥♥
*MEDICAL UPDATE 7** Saturday, November 27, Amber.
"It is now 10:40 pm and I have been up since 2:30 am … its been a long rough day and I'm exhausted.
Started off normal with the 3am breathing treatments. Usually shortly after when go through a series of suctioning out a ton of mucus which is torture to her and myself just watching. She gets very agitated moves her arms around, kicks her legs, vitals go down and she lets out some tears. Its just heartbreaking. I stand by her side and hold an arm and let her know that im there and she calms shortly after. Around 4-430 we are now doing xrays of her lungs. There was no change from yesterday’s xray. Not the news i wanted to hear but she needs time to heal. I can accept that. Shortly after she is finally comfortable and in comes the multiple doctors at different times to see how she’s doing, check labs, ect and we discuss the days goals. Dr decided we would try turning down vent again and test her abilities. She failed the test right away. Ok ... again she needs more time to heal. Little while later dr comes in and says he wants to try the vent lowering test again and says, “This time we will let it run for about an hour and see how she does.” I was not enthusiastic. But again we have to keep working those muscles so lets go.
Wasn’t 5 minutes before she destated. And had a bunch of nurses, doctors, rushing in. After all said and she stayed pretty happy for awhile. Labs came back with e-coli in her urine … great. Now a new set of antibiotics to start.
So again with the breathing treatments and the whole throwing of arms and legs and mucus and the heartbreak throughout the day. Also discovered her body starting to be covered in rash … yup she is allergic to the new antibiotic. Just another thing to add to the list.
So around dinner time I was sitting there and out of nowhere she decided to just sit herself up and fight through all the tubes. I jumped and ran to grab her head to support her head and neck. Nurse was running along with me. Total shock. This girl went crazy an I held her and talked to her while nurse gave Adavan. What an adrenaline rush. She coughed up more mucus. Tons of it. Sorry if this is disturbing/disgusting to read but this day has been hell. Finally she is comfortable again.
Did dressing changes, bed change, washing out wounds ect and she was semi reponding to the pain of rolling on her side with the breaks in the pelvic. Then respiratory again. Big sigh. I already know whats coming next. And I was right except this time she was responding to my words. She hit the side rail and lifted her hand for me to grab. Ok Jessa I got you, mommy is right here. She let go and hit her sore pelvic side and I said ok Jessa you are hurting, I understand we will give you some medicine for pain. Then all the “coughing” up mucus started so now we are suctioning except this time she bit down on her breathing tube and wouldnt open her mouth to put the bite block in. Respiratory lady was trying to talk her through it and joking with her she said she wasnt the one making her upset its the other nurses. Jessa lifted her hand shook her head no and pointed three times at the respiratory lady. We all laughed and I simply told Jessa ... if you open your mouth I promise the lady will leave you alone. And she did. She opened her mouth. Jessalyn is finally back to being happy. No she is not off the vent but she gave me the positive I needed for the day in knowing that she is truly a fighter. Yes today was a very rough day but on a positive note I was able to see my baby respond to me finally. She is comfortable now and I am going to rest because 3 am is going to come fast.
I absolutely hate these trial with the breathing and it takes strength to watch your child going through all this and you feel helpless because you cant just take all the pain away. None of this is fair to her, me, my other children, family members, or any one else who was hurt in the parade. I give praise to the nurses and other staff for the amazing job they do. Prayers for all the families and other dance team members. Now to leave on a positive note ...I got to actually SEE my child today. Not in the best of circumstances but she was there and was still being her very forward, feisty self. So much love for her and all my children. Have a good night.
Please note there are 2 pages for Amber. Her cousin Nathan set one up as well, he wanted to help out through his circle of friends and beyond. Both pages are verified through GoFundMe. I am in communication with the representatives from GoFund Me. They have been very supportive and helpful in navigating through this crisis. Thank you to Angelic and Jared at GoFundMe.
**MEDICAL UPDATE 6 ** Friday November 25, Amber.
"She still has 103-104 temp and lung cultures came back with gram positive staphylococcal clusters so she is on an antibiotic. The last 3 hours has been a huge change.
Jessalyn is showing a patten in her breathing more than the machine!!!!! Let me say this again … she is a fighter!
I sat here and held her hand, kissed her head and just watched and cried and told her I was so proud of her. I know this is going to be a roller coaster but I'm going to end this night with the positive my baby is giving me! This girl right here is amazing. Love her more than words can speak along with all my other children. My heart is also with all the other dance teammates. Happy thanksgiving to everyone."
**MEDICAL UPDATE 5** Wednesday, Nov 24th, 9:45 pm. Amber. ♥♥♥
"Its been a battle again today. Lots of vital up and downs and running high fevers. 103.8 F is the current. Unfortunately we are not able to use too much tylenol because of the liver damage.
Xray showed that her lungs were worse today than they have ever been. Started some nebulizer treatments to help break up all the mucus in her chest. They also lowered the amount of work the machine is doing to help her breath and lowered the amout of sedative to see how much Jessalyn is willing to do herself. Fortunately, she is trying to breath here n there but she is not showing any evidence of a pattern in her efforts so it will be a much slower process to get her off the ventilator.
She also had a tube feeding put in today.
This battle my daughter is going through is more than overwhelming and is mentally exhausting. My heart breaks for her and the other girls.
Its hard being strong but im doing it. My girl is strong … mommy built her tough."
** UPDATE 4 ** Wednesday, Nov 24th, 12:30 am. Amber's update.
"Jessalyn is strong. This girl amazes me more than I could imagine. Yes she is still critical condition and will be for awhile.
May 24th, 2022
"The closer we get to Jessalyn’s surgery the more heavily it weighs on me.
Trying to make sure i have everything and everyone in order along with spending time with all the kids.
I accomplished all my goals to have all my big projects done and to have the week to spend more relaxed and be with the kids.
Im more than proud of myself but now i have more time just think which is not the best for me.
Tried to put my flowers back that were tore out to put in jessalyns ramp, but i became overwhelmed with anger. People who know me, knows i love gardening and adding new plants to my flower beds but trying to rebuild them has brought back so many memories and so much annoyance that i had to walk away. Instead i took averie for a long walk.
But i know i need to just push through it and maybe add some new plants for a fresh start. Looking forward to a fresh start and strength to rebuild my flower beds." Amber
May 11th, 2022
"Had to bring Jessalyn into Children’s Hospital last night since she was struggling more with breathing.
We were admitted last night and are waiting for her balloon dilation surgery at 3:30.
Once I talk with the surgeon he will make the decision to go forward or not with the resection scheduled on the 31st.
I will keep people posted as to what is going to happen. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
May 10th, 2022
I know I haven’t given an update on jessalyn in a while. Since so many people have been asking….
Jessalyn has a balloon dilation surgery this Wednesday.
The tracheal resection is scheduled for May 31st.
This Wednesday the surgeon will go in and look at how much her trachea has closed off and decided if he will go forward with the resection or cancel it.
As of to day, jessalyn walked over to me and said, “mom, I think we might have to go to the hospital early.”
Which i have noticed in the last week that her breathing has gotten worse every day. I have a feeling the surgeon will make the decision to go forward with the resection which scares me to death but i know the reality.
We have tried 8 surgeries, with multiple different approaches already, her stenosis is not getting better over time. We are fighting a loosing battle. I hate every moment of this but i am grateful my daughter is alive and am amazed at how strong she is. I just love her preteen attitude #jessalynstrong - Amber
April 25th, 2022
"Jessalyns trachea is open more than they expected and are going to wake her up. So no major surgery today!
She does have some inflammation from the sinus drainage and they are giving her some antibiotics.
They will do another scope surgery to check things in 3 weeks and we will monitor her breathing in the meantime.
This is the best birthday present I could be given. Lets just say im more than happy and i am hoping the next view of her trachea shows that her trachea stays open and we can eventually move forward in life.
Im so grateful for the positive news today!
I am taking the win today!" #jessalynstrong
April 25th, 2022
"9:08am-Jessalyn heading back for surgery. " - Amber
April 8th, 2022
Jessalyn was discharged on the 6th after her surgery. She did well but was closed off more than the last time.
Her team of doctors have decided to do the tracheal resection on April 20th.
I am very saddened by this. Its like we are starting all over again and will be back in the icu for weeks and then transfer to the floor to rehab out.
Doctors are saying it will be at the least a month in the hospital, could be a little less or more depending on her or any complications.
For now, we are spending as much time together, enjoying family and friends.
Poor jessalyn is upset, scared, and has spent a ton of time crying. I know she is strong and she can get through this.
My other children are just as hurt and are struggling with the thought of having a distant mom all over again.
We will all push through and i know we will become stronger together. #jessalynstrong
April 6th, 2022
Jessalyn went in for her balloon dilation surgery this morning. She will be looked at by both the heart team and the ent team to map out the next steps. Doing the balloon dilation will give the team some time to come up with a game plan and buy my family some time to spend with eachother before they schedule her tracheal resection. Knowing how extreme the next phase will be for jessalyn and my family, im not looking forward to any part of this. I am hurt, mad, and upset. For now, i will enjoy the time i will be given with my family as a whole. #jessalynstrong
April 5th, 2022
We have been moved from the regular floor to the icu. They need to monitor jessalyn much closer. They were not expecting her trachea to be as closed off as it is. They are discussing a game plan and once i hear from them i will keep everyone updated. #jessalynstrong
April 4th, 2022
At childrens with jessalyn. Unfortunately her breathing is worse and surgeon wanted her in asap. Thank you Melissa Coello for taking averie! I just want all of this medical care to come to an end and jessalyn can go on living her normal preteen life again.
March 11th, 2022
Jessalyn’s trachea was 80% closed off. This is the worst the surgeon has seen it. So he used his last option and used the Mitomycin C. This is not what i wanted to hear happen for her. She also had a hard time after the procedure in the waking up process. Her stats kept dropping and she wasnt able to keep her oxygen levels stable. Took her some time but was able to finally stablize. Unfortunately, we are at the stage that he is scheduling a ct scan of her trachea and planning for a tracheal resection as her next steps. We have exhausted all other options and this is not an option i wanted for my daughter. I do not want to see her in the icu again. I do not want to upset my other children with the scare factor of their sister’s health or loosing their mother again for 2+ weeks. I hate every part of this and im just angry at the world right now. For now I am going to hope and pray we dont have to do the resection. I am going to enjoy as much time with my children possible. We need a positive healing in the next 2 weeks for us to not have this huge procedure. Jessalyn is strong and we will fight as hard as we can. #jessalynstrong
***UPDATE 41*** Thursday, February 24, 2022
"Jessalyn is going in tomorrow morning for another surgery on her trachea. I believe this is surgery #5…i have lost count.
I wish this would heal correctly so we can end all the surgeries already. Her breathing gets so bad very quick. I hate this all for her.
Otherwise the rest of her injuries seem to be healing nicely.
We did find out that she has scoliosis now from either the impact of the vehicle hitting her or her body hitting the ground. Its just another thing on her injury list and something more to deal with.
Jessalyn is progressing nicely with her walking.
Still having a ton of pain and struggles using her left leg but she will get through it. I just wish she would take the ibuprofen or tylenol to help with the pain.
She refuses everything, gets irritated, and takes her frustration out on me.
She hates PT and how painful her body feels after.
She is at 3 hours of school a day now! Apparently she did great on her MAPS test for math and raised her score by 8 points. I found this amazing since she hasnt been in school for so long and hasn’t learned any of the new math that was being taught. I will have to wait for her reading and writing scores to come back.
Off to disney world this coming week with the dance team!!!! I cant wait for the break, sun, heat, and palm trees!!! #jessalynstrong. - Amber
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/11-year-old-waukesha-parade-victim-making-significant-progress-following-hospital-stay
**MEDICAL UPDATE 40** Tuesday, January 11
"Today we had multiple appointments for Jessalyn. Her first was an ultrasound for her kidneys and bladder. Next was urology. The urologist explained what her expectations are for foods and amout of salt intake.
Her left kidney is within normal range for size and her right kidney is half the size it should be with little to no blood flow. It is slowly shrinking and non functional as to be expected. She can live with the one kidney but will be watched for any high blood pressure issues that may possibly come with only having 1 kidney.
After urology was the appointment with the general surgery team that watched over her in the hospital. We talked about all her injuries as a whole. He was not concerned about her liver any longer and was happy with her results this far.
He said there was no reason to come back and is discharging her from his services!
If there were any new problems that arose then i can contact them but as of right now she is healing nicely!!
Jessalyn is doing great guys!
We still have other injuries that will take a longer healing but as of right now when are sticking to the positive news we were given today!
Thank you to everyone who has sent prays and blessings our way! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 39 ** Friday, January 7
"Jessalyn’s surgery went well. An hour longer than last time.
Hopefully she wakes up much nicer this time. She is extremely sleepy so not really waking up yet.
Today the surgeon used a laser to break away some of the scar tissue and the balloon dilation and said scaring was worse this time than the last.
Apparently her trachea was about the size of a mcdonalds straw and normally it should be a garden hose size.
He is putting another surgery on the books in 2 weeks and if it doesnt look any better than he will use a chemo med that is used to reduce scar tissue.
If that doesnt work then a much larger procedure will have to be done.
Lets just hope and pray we dont have to get that far and everything heals nicely this time. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 38 ** Tuesday, January 4
"Jessalyn's breathing started to get much louder and had a whistle sound every time she inhales.
Sleeping sounds much worse and kept me up last night.
So I took Jessa into the ED at Children’s and we found that she will need to have the surgery done again on her trachea.
We are scheduled this Friday and will use some steroids in the meantime." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 37 ** Wednesday, December 29
"Jessalyn’s eye appointment went great yesterday. Hematoma is gone, eye damage has healed, and her vision is back to 20/20.
Todays PT visit went great. She was able to walk with her one leg and walker much further than last week.
Tonight she is exhausted, moody, and impatient.
If i walk away to help another child then she starts her crying and if i tell the other child to wait so i can help jessa then they start their whining too. I just cant win tonight with any of them.
Deep breath and getting everyone to bed so i can have some quiet time.
Have a good night everyone….peace of mind coming to myself soon. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 36 ** Monday, December 27
"Today jessalyn started to take charge in life. She decided she was going to be more independent with her personal cares and try to do more for herself. She did give me a little scare today but at least she is trying.
Tomorrow is the eye appointment to see how her right eye has healed. Im not looking forward to taking her out in the snow and cold with all the equipment but it has to be done either way. It takes around 30 minutes to get her in the car along with folding and lifting her wheelchair in.
She has been so positive lately with saying that she will be walking right away when her doctor says she can and that she will be getting back to dancing as soon as she walks.
I didnt have the heart to tell her that it will be awhile before she will be able to start dance again.
But i know jessa, she will be trying to do what ever it is she wants when she wants. She is bull headed just like her mom….haha.
Have a great night everyone! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**December 25**
"Merry Christmas everyone!
Today was exhausting and i am wore out. But i am just so thankful we are home for the holiday. Although this Christmas didnt feel the same as usual, i still made the best of it and am glad we were able to celebrate as a family.
I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and family! " - Amber
Merry Christmas from all of us! Another great day and excited for many more!!!! #jessalynstrong
**MEDICAL UPDATE 35 ** Friday, December 24.
Jessalyn is doing great today. Her breathing is much quieter and she is able to move around without getting so winded or out of breath.
Best part is that im not scared to sleep now.
Its been a pretty chill day.
I am more than grateful for all the support and people reaching out by sending cards, dinners, uplifting messages, gifts ect.
Thank you to everyone! Words cant express the amount of appreciation i have.
I can not get to every person individually as there have been so many people who have went above and beyond. So I wanted to make sure I posted here for everyone to know. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 34** Wednesday, December 22. 3:30- p.m.
"Jessalyn’s surgery went great!!!! She was back within an hour.
She was pretty mad at everyone and was beyond angry about taking liquid ibuprofen. Unfortunately we will have to go in again in about 2-3 weeks to have a scope put in to see if her trachea is still open and/or the same surgery done again.
All this on going care is so much to deal with but we will get through it together as a family. #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 33** Wednesday, December 22. 3 a.m.
"No pulmonary embolism! Staying in ICU until her surgery in the morning then we will see how she does after surgery to determine if she is going home or staying longer. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 32** Wednesday, December 22. Midnight
"Jessalyns breathing got worse. Rushed her to childrens. Doing CT scan to rule out pulmonary embolism and/or possibly doing her surgery early. I will keep you posted." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 31** Tuesday, December 21
"MMM (Mommy mental moment):
Let me just start by saying I absolutely hate giving jessalyn her lovenox injections 2x a day.
I feel horrible when she cries because the medication burns and the needle hurts.
Her belly is filled with small poke hole-red marks and bruses still from the hospital and from home.
I know it is needed to keep her from blood clots but man does it hurt me internally.
Also, my 15 year old is cleaning her room…..not sure if i should check on her lol. nahhh im going to just let it happen.
Going to bed with a smile on my face! Good night everyone." -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 30** Tuesday, December 21
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so i knew today would be rough with all the appointments and it being the first time having to pack for both jessalyn and my 2 year old. Woke up late to start but i was able to get myself and the 2 year old ready in time to get my oldest to school. Stopped and got my morning coffee and headed back home to get jessalyn.
Ok went down the check list of everything needed. Took jessa and the 2 year old out to the car. Got jessalyn in the car, buckled my 2 year old, and started to load everything else. Folded the wheelchair, put it in the back, folded the walker and set it up against the back of the car. Phone rang and it was the PT asking about info. I put the diaper bag, jessalyns bag, the legs to the wheelchair, jessalyns back brace and walked to my seat to look for info PT was asking for, sat down and finished conversation. Put in address of where we were going on gps and started to back up.
All of a sudden i heard a weird noise. Looked at jessa and said….what was that? It hit me….i never put her walker in the car….yup ran over her walker. All i could do was laugh. Jessalyn also though it was hilarious. Shattered the wheel off her walker. What else could have happened this morning other than destroying my daughters well needed medical equipment. Lol, still funny to this moment.
Took her to one appointment and made calls to find her a walker. Just so happened a friend of mine messaged me at the right time and was able to get ahold of someone at katys kloset. Got jessalyn to her other appointment and then stopped at the school for her to say hi to all her friends from a distance.
It was a great experience. All the kids had so many questions and were so happy to see her. Jessalyn had little break down moment. She expressed how she was mad that she cant walk, move, dance, get shots 2x a day, or do anything like she used to. She said she doesnt like any of this and its not fair.
Yeliana and I gave her big hugs and we talked it out. Its great to have each other for the support she needs along with everyone else’s needs. The love and support starts at home. Most important here.
The rest of the day went great. Had some good conversations and laughs with all the kids. Im just so grateful we are able to have these good memories.
As i sit here now, i think about all the injuries this girl indured. It really is a miracle she is alive and is doing as well as she is so soon. No matter what bad could happen on any given day….my kids make my life complete. Yeliana can be late to school, a walker is replaceable, and break downs are allowed. Blessed more than i know. #jessalynstrong"- Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 29** Monday, December 20
"Jessalyn is doing great. Starting to move around more without as much of a struggle. Her breathing still sounds horrible but it will until her surgery is done on Wednesday.
Today I decided to make my first run to the store for a couple things we needed plus i felt it would be a good break for an hour. I was wrong.
When putting my cart away the was a car backing out behind me and another that sped past.The sounds hit me hard. It was like a lightning bolt struck me in the back and then i froze. The pain that went through my body hurt every muscle. I was replaying the whole parade scene in my head. Thank God I didnt have any of my children with me. I needed to pull myself together. In the car I took some deep breaths, talked myself through the situation and cried a couple tears. I know I will have PTSD. And I will have to deal with this for a long while. The timing for this wasnt the best as it was supposed to be my moment to breathe for once. I will be ok, i am taking things one day at a time. maybe i just wasnt ready to venture out where there are vehicles all around while im walking.
The rest of the day was a great. Did some well needed organizing and some good packer game time. On to a new day. This week will be challenging with all the appointments and her surgery. I need to give jessalyn her daily shot and then its time for bed soon. Have a great night, thank you to everyone for all the prayers and healing words. #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 28** Friday, December 17, 10:25 pm
"Found out today that jessalyns lungs are looking great.
What we did find is that she has tracheal stenosis. So what we are figuring is that the intubation tube must have caused a build up scar tissue that is now causing more difficulty for her to breathe.
So Jessalyn will need another surgery on Wednesday for them to open her trachea again.
Not the news i wanted today but I have no choice but to accept it.
Had my mommy break down moment. So much of me wants to scream and so much is so happy and grateful that she is here with us.
At what point am i allowed to have a break from being strong.
The best part of the day was being able to see our dance friends at the Christmas party.
It was great to talk to everyone and actually feel all the love that was sent our way while we were at the hospital all those weeks.
Tomorrow is a new day! #jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 27** Friday, December 17
"Jessalyn’s breathing sounds like a hundred year old smoker.
We are heading back to childrens hospital. I want to cry but im staying positive its just a need for breathing treatments.
I know she had a ton of damage to her chest from the vehicle so we have to be cautious. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
** UPDATE 25** Tuesday December 14
"We are finally home!!!!! So many emotions!!!!!! #jessalynstrong" - Amber.
Thank each and everyone of you for everything ... your caring thoughts, prayers, wishes, positive vibes, donations, stories, letters and cards. Thank you for holding our hands through this nightmare. For giving us your powerful support. For keeping us in your hearts. For shining the light. We are humbled by your loving support and eternally grateful to you! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 25** Monday, December 13
"Today was a busy day with multiple people/teams. She started off with speech therapy which she passed with flying colors. She is now discharged from speech therapy. Then we had neuropsych eval. I will get the results from that tomorrow.
Although Jessalyn is doing well, with the fractured skull and the fact that she was thrown, it is obvious that her brain was bounced around so we are covering all bases with that.
Physical therapy came and we worked with them over and over on the proper positioning and maneuvering of her body per the surgery she had. She was cleared from physical therapy also today!
There will be plenty of on going physical therapy once we get home along with a thousand other appointments for each specialty per the type of injuries she endured. This after care will be no joke.
We were also able to have the feeding tube removed today! Jessaly actually removed it herself with the assistance of the nurse. I never gagged so hard in my life. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Otherwise the rest of the day went great! At the end of the day we got to see our ICU nurses!!! The amazment and smiles on their faces when they saw jessalyn, there’s just no words.
There are just some amazing people here. These nurses and staff members never left the room without asking if there is anything she needed and asked if there was anything I needed. It wasn’t just about my child but they also cared for me.
Positive: getting home is sooooo close!!!!#jessalynstrong" -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 24**Sunday, December 12
"I missed yesterday’s update since we fell asleep during the packer game. Yesterday was a laid-back day.
Jessalyn is doing much better with standing and swiveling her foot to get into another chair. She was able to see her friend for the first time and do some tik tocs with her!!! It was great to to see these two laughing again! Jessalyn did great with eating more. We were also able to see our dance friend here in the hospital! It was nice to have the freedom to do as we wanted.
Jessa hasn’t taken any of her heavey pain meds and is tolerating without them just fine. We did need some over night because the bed is “uncomfortable.” I will update later today on what the day brings with all her therapys. Otherwise, we are doing great!!! Im so proud of her. #jessalynstrong." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 23**Saturday, December 11
"Finally!!!!!! Jessalyn has made a huge turn for the better! This girl had her last 2 drains taken out and the IV disconnected. She has ate more today than yesterday! PT was amazed at how well she did with moving on 1 foot with the walker. She was able to stand and swivel her foot without the help of her mother or the therapist.
Her words today…..”i’m ready to go home.” That is my girl. She is just doing amazing. Now we just need her to eat the correct amount of calories to have her tube feeding out and we will be out the door!
As much as I am so grateful for all the staff here, i miss my house and other children. I miss playing with my 2 year old everyday and wrestling around with the older kids.
Never in my life would i have ever thought this amount of tragic would have ever happened. We have overcome one giant hurdle after the next.
I can not express how amazed I am with jessalyn along with my other children who were also there in the parade handing out candy to start and in a blink of an eye they were holding other children in their arms, wiping blood from their heads, screaming for help.
Jessalyn, along with my other children will not only have to clear this hurdle but once we finally get home, there will be many,many, many more.
We will all be strong together and overcome what comes our way. Now if someone could please get this girl an appetite, i would greatly appreciate it!
Positive thought to end my night: Im glad we were able to see our ICU dance moms and girls today. We are the best team mates to have ever been together at such a horrible time for support. Blessed with the best. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
Thank you all for your loving support! You held this family up in their darkest days. Thank you!
***Saturday, December 11***
"I am looking for a recliner lift chair for Jessalyn if you or anyone you know has one they are not using and are willing to get rid of or sell. Please message me" -Amber. Anyone is Milwaukee or surrounding area let us know, we can pick it up! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 22**Friday, December 10
"Last night was a sleepless night. Jessalyn had me up every hour on the hour.
Around 130ish the nurses came in to take her the bathroom and let me sleep but just as they got her in bed, her drink spilt everywhere and they had to get her back up, washed,changed, and bedding changed. After all that was said and done jessa woke me again at 2 because her toes were cold.
At 235 a doctor came in and asked me to get up because her IV in her hand was no longer working and they needed to place a new one. Of coarse this brought her to tears. The man who placed her IV did an amazing job and was able to get it in on the first try! Jessalyn is a hard poke and i was dreading this for the both of us. Thank god this time it went so well.
At 330 I looked at the clock and took a deep breath. All i could think was how i could try and get atleast 2 hours of sleep before doctors started to roll in but apparently my body was not going to let me sleep.
The doctors came around 6am and the room was like a revolving door until about 3pm.
She did an amazing job with her therapys today. She started to push herself harder to help with getting in and out of bed or the recliner. Jessalyn also started to actually eat some food today!!!! It was like she finally woke up and came back to life! She also declined all her pain meds for the afternoon and still was able to handle herself fairly well. Im just amazed with this girl.
Talking over things with the physical therapist, im thinking i will need a lift recliner so that she can sit at the correct angle and help me get her to standing incase there is no one at home other than myself.
Jessalyn has come a long way in the last 3 weeks. Im so grateful for everyone and for the fact that my child is still alive. The nurses and staff are more than nice and always ask if i need anything.
Positive thought: we are doing it! We have made some great changes today and we have become stronger together! So much love for all my children! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 21** Thursday, December 9
"Jessalyn’s night and day schedule is way off. Tried so hard to keep her awak today and yesterday but she still went to sleep at 5pm. This girl is going to have me up at 1 am again.
This morning she was up puking her brains out. I really don’t understand what she could be puking out considering that she hadn’t ate anything. We are on day 3 with no food. She will drink some sips but will not eat.
She has a new love for water which is great but i need her to eat.
So tonight we have decided to start her tube feeding back on with hopes that maybe she will start to want to eat during the day and that she can hold it down without puking.
All her therapy’s went well today, no drastic changes. She is not her normal goofy self these last 2 days. Surgeon came to the room today and showed me the scan of Jessalyn’s pelvic break….i was speechless. I did not know how bad the break really was.
We were also able to visit with some good friends downstairs today! Felt great to get out of the room.
Positive: jessalyn was actually trying to help her transferring in and out of the bed today. May not be very much and I am killing my back and shoulders to help her but she is trying and thats all i can ask for. Hopeful for a better day tomorrow. Love for all the dance girls and our wonderful dance friend still here with us. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 20** Wednesday, December 8
"Jessalyn had a rough day.
I gave an update earlier on how our morning was. She has not ate anything since yesterday at 4am before her surgery. I ordered her lunch and she nibbled a piece of fruit and ended up puking. Which then caused more pain issues with her broken ribs and her incision sites. After that hurdle we still had PT, speech therapy, and OT. This girl faught through the most of it while still running a fever. She even stood up with a walker and sat in the wheelchair for a bit today. Her fevers have been off and on throughout the day. She still has no appetite but has been able to drink plenty of water.
She was able to enjoy watching the dance fundraiser today by using FaceTime. I could tell a part of her was upset that she wasnt able to be there. My heart breaks for her. That man took away the one thing my daughter truly enjoyed in her life. Dance. I have high hopes that we will be able to get back to dance again but it will be a long time from now and she will have to work hard just to get back to the basic moves.
Well now that my anger was released….my positive for the day: this girl STOOD UP the next morning after her long surgery yesterday. She fought through all the pain, fever, and upset. That is my girl! I hope everyone enjoyed the dance fundraiser and so much love for all the dance team girls from this hospital room! Thank you to everyone who is praying for my girl! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 19** Wednesday, December 8
"Jessalyn’s blood pressure was low, she has a fever and her blood counts were low so she had to get more blood this morning. She has been up all night. We are waiting on lab work to come back to see if she will need more blood or not. The nurses were nice to let me sleep as much as possible. I just want to wake up from this constant nightmare already. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 18** Tuesday, December 7
"This girl was up at 130 in the morning screaming to use the bathroom. After that whole event she decided she was no longer tired and was going to stayup all damn night yelling for me to help her with anything that could cross her mind. She’s hot, she’s cold, thirsty, mom look at this…omg im sooo tired jessa! 630 rolls around and theres a room full of doctors.
We go over everything just to met by the next team of doctors to go over all the surgery info. 8am we headed down for surgery. She was not happy, my poor girl was in tears. I threw in a funny joke just to see her beautiful smile before she left. Gave her a giant kiss and an “I love you”and she was off. I received all the updates from the OR as the procedure is happening. Around 1:50pm the message said something about closing the incision site and i felt relief. But then 3:00pm rolls around and no message or call from OR so i called the nurse into our room to get ahold of someone downstairs. 10 min later the surgeon called me and explained that she was going to reopen jessalyn to redo a couple things.
The mom in me was irritated and pissed and the medical part of me was understanding and accepting of the situation. The surgeon was only doing what was best for my daughter. So here I am waiting longer with my stomach in knots. Finally, around 630 I received a message that she was headed to recovery! We finally got back to the room around 8-830pm.
What a damn day. This girl is wide awake talking on the phone to family….high as a kite lol. she had to receive blood and platelets in the surgery, she has 4 JP drains in her abdomen and multiple incisions, she is also on a PCA pump filled with meds she can give to herself every 8 min.
Positive thought to end the night: one more step completed in her recovery. She will not be able to use that leg for 6 weeks and I will have to get multiple things of equipment for the house when we finally get to that point. Have a great night everyone and tons of love all those affected, our dance team and my children! #jessalynstrong" Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 17** Monday, December 6
"First day with having all her therapys today! It was like a revolving door, one person after the next all day. Everyone has been wonderful and very kind to jessalyn. Physical Therapy was definitely not her favorite but she made some big changes and decided she was going to try using a walker. The difficulty with this is that she can only use one leg . But jessalyn did it! She did her hop to the chair next to her! Im pretty proud of this girl! Only day 2 of PT and she is already willing to get up and work this hard.
Unfortunately today we found that her mouth is covered in thrush so we had to start a new med for that. She hated the taste and thickness so bad that she ended up vomiting everywhere. Poor girl. So now we are just swabbing it in and listening to her gag which then sets me off and im joining in. Lord help me.
After all the wonderful visits, I decided we were getting out if the room and were going down to starbucks but when we got there it was closed. So we made a trip to the beautiful aquarium and to the gift shop. Jessalyn was exhausted and really didnt want anything until we were leaving and she saw a long stuffed snake. When i went to pay for it a wonderful lady recognized her and asked if she could buy it for her. She had a smile on her face behind her mask! It felt great to actually experience how amazing people are out there in the world!
Uncle ryan and grammy came for a visit along with her pediatrician. I just sat her and watched this girl laughing, smiling and being her goofy self. Just think, 2 weeks ago my child was lifeless on a bed with a tube down her throat and to see her today….mind blowing.
Tomorrow morning is her pelvic surgery. Jessalyn has expressed all day how she doesnt want to do it and how scared she is. I dont blame her. But at this point this is just a bump in the road compared to what she has been through. I have faith in her to overcome this hurdle with hopes of getting home soon! I know we will leave with a walker and a wheelchair and there will need to be a ramp built to the porch. Luckily we have someone working on the ramp soon.
I am also planning an Amber day to get my hair done and man all i want to do is sit in a hot tub and have a day filled with a body massage. This amount of stress has tore up my body and i have never had so many grey hairs in my life hahaha. Ok its late and we will be up early for surgery prep ect and i need to get a little sleep. Still have all the dance girls in our hearts and miss my beautiful children dearly!
Grateful for another day of being able to see my daughter smile and laugh outloud again! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 16** Sunday, December 5
"Today was a good day! Started off with an early morning, crack of dawn, raspy voice screaming MOoooM. All for a bathroom trip lol. This time this girl pushed through all the pain without me having to tell her to. It was like she woke up a different person. OK!!! YES GIRL!! Doctors and physical therapy came shortly after.
Jessalyn rocked her PT. But it wore her down fast. She was able to sit in a recliner today for the 1st time! Daily goal is to make her sit in the recliner 3x a day for 30+ minutes. I cant wait for her to get stronger because this is a huge, exhausting process. Shortly after our recliner time, we went in the wheelchair to go see uncle Ryan, the cousins, and grandpa.
Unfortunately, sitting in the wheelchair is way too painful for her. Her small visits are overwhelming, and too painful for her to enjoy family. Im glad my dad and nieces were able to come either way! After our visit we headed back to the room and we just layed around, having random conversations, and relaxed.
This girl is still very fixed on the parade, her dance friends, and the trauma of it. She is trying to catch up on the last 2 weeks of her life and its great to see her coping. She is very nervous for her surgery Tuesday and is definitely not looking forward to all the therapy’s tomorrow.
To end our night on a positive: this is the first day i was able to just lay back and relax with jessalyn. Can’t believe it! I’m trying to cherish every moment that I can. Especially since I have realized how fast time passes by and how fast life can be taken away. Sending strength to my dance friends in and out of the hospital, love to all my beautiful children, and please someone find my sanity!!!! " - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 15** Sunday, December 5
"Being on this floor is much more different than the icu. The nurses here are also very nice caring people but i miss my icu nurses, they started to feel like family.
This morning jessalyn and I met with the ortho team and they said that her X-ray shows that her pelvic fractures are not healing properly and has spread apart more.
Unfortunately, she will have to have surgery on Tuesday to put in some plates and screws.
This is not the news I wanted to hear. I knew this was a possibility once she was stable but was hopeful she would not have to go through any surgeries. I feel like we went 10 steps forward and 50 steps back.
Its been rough dealing with the med changes and bringing her off certain meds and the delirium is no joke. Why dont people talk about this more. Its like dealing with a toddler in a grown body. Exhausting. Its funny how people seem to think that once a person comes off life support, they are just their normal, chippy self.
Although jessalyn still has her spunk, she is still not normal, she is in pain everywhere, her thought process is on and off, and she gets fixated on things. Today was her first day up and out of the bed. Makes it a full 11 days in a bed. It was a very difficult process but she did it! I was happy seeing her just sitting up for the 1st time! Lots of tears and cheering her on the whole way but she did it!
We threw together a special surprise and i wheeled jessalyn down to see her siblings! The looks on their faces were priceless when we came around the corner. You could just feel all that weight lift off their shoulders once they were able to see her. There were so many great laughs, jokes, and just the biggest smiles. Such a great moment! They even did a little tik toc before we went back upstairs.
Ended our night with grammy visiting… which she brought a must have little fan for jessalyn. I was not doing another night with her having me get up every 2 min because she is too hot or too cold.
Positives: all the kids were able to be together again for the first time since the parade. It was amazing to see everyone happy for once in the last 2 weeks. This girl along with my other children are so strong to fight through all this. They have found a piece inside themselves they never knew they had.
Thank you for all the support from everyone out there, our nurses, friends, and family. You will never know how much it is truly appreciated! #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**STUNNING NEW REVELATION** Friday, December 3
*********. “This young lady is a TRUE HERO! I believe she is 11. I hope she knows she is a HERO! This amazing hero saw/sensed danger and had the foresight to push my cousin’s 5 year old granddaughter out of harms way and Jessalyn took the brunt of the vehicle herself. What a selfless thing to do. She thougth of the smaller child before herself. I am praying for your Jessalyn, praying for a speedy recovery, praying for everyone on your Extreme Dance Team, for all the families involved. I am so sorry this happened to you, but young lady, you saved a little girl’s life and my family is so grateful to you! Please if you can, donate. To either Jessalyn or to the Team. These young ladies are some kind og wonderful! God Bless you all.” - Trinette Hernandez ************
"MMM(mommy mental moment): Someone sent me a message today where they screenshot a comment/post about my daughter.
This absolutely brought me to tears. The feelings I feel are so overwhelming.
The fact that my daughter saved another girls life before getting hit by the vehicle says a ton as to who she is as a person. It kills me imagining and feeling what she felt before she was hit.
I barley saved my 2 year old and myself from the vehicle and saw everything else as it happened.
I have this huge guilt that i couldnt save Jessalyn’s life too. I know I will need some therapy ect once i get to that point, But now that i have read this, i am so proud of my daughter for being as strong as she is." - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 14** Friday, December 3 ♥♥♥
"What a day. Jessalyn had her tube removed at 11am today!!!!!
I was a nervous reck on the inside but held it together. I stood by her side and held her had the whole time! Once it was removed the team had the c-pap all set and reafy to put on her but her stats never dropped and the doctor said hold off on it and lets see what happens. Her stats never did drop!!!
This girl held her chest coughed up a bunch of mucus and acted like nothing ever happened. She rested for moments and then talked a bit!
It was the best feeling in the world! So much weight lifted off my shoulders.
The team was amazed at how well she was doing they expressed how she was doing better then they ever imagined. I spent the majority of the day just hanging by her side listening to her random comments. The best was when someone walked in and we had her turned on her side washing her back, her sassy self said….ive been dealing with this for hours. We all laughed. Then i told her well jessa you have only been awake for an hour and a half . Oh this girl.
She was able to video chat with her siblings and cousins. They werent long chats but just a hello made everyones day. When video chatting with her brother she told him to say I love you to her, hahaha then puckered her lips and so did he for a kiss. She looked at me and said no one kisses like jaden with his big o fat lips. Oh this girl!!!!
She was so excited to talk yeliana and just gave her the biggest smile and was full of the I love yous! Big sister was the first person she was able to see on video chat today. Yeliana was so happy and just the look on her face was priceless. These kids are just so filled with love for each other.
Unfortunately she has been a little delirious but is still recalling events from the parade. She said…”i turned around and i got hit by the car.”
A part of me was hoping she would have lost that memory but she clearly remembers parts. With her delirium she has been keeping me busy.
Very fixated on a glass of ice water, lights, sounds, and the monitors around her. Freaks out when she sees the number 0 on there and tells us to plug it back in. Deep breath. She was such a hoot.
Im just so speechless as to what to say. All the great feelings are so overwhelming. Its been an emotional roller coaster today! Tomorrow will be busy day with getting her body brace put on and much more.
To end the night on a positive….she is finally back. Sassy as all hell, and is breathing on her own with just the nasal canula. This girl is more than strong. I am so excited for the next phase of recovery and to get our family back together again. So thankful for our team of people today! Love all my children to death, they are my inspiration. #jessalynstrong
Thank you to all! Your prayers worked! You made this possible. Eternally grateful for your support! Thank you. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
**MEDICAL UPDATE 13** Thursday, December 2, 11 a.m. ☺ Ryan Kohnke, uncle
"I literally just spoke with Jessalyn after she was taken off the ventilator. She's doing real well. They only have her on some oxygen at her nose and some pain killers, no sedation. This is one of the best moments of my life. Thank you for everyone who has been supporting our family through this. Jessa has a long road ahead of her but this is a major milestone."
Here is a list of what Jessalyn has suffered through in the last week and a half.
1. Direct hit by an SUV - thrown 20-30 feet
2. Three fractures in the pelvic
3. One kidney ripped from the artery and vein. unable to save it.
4. Skull fracture
5. Eight broken ribs
6. Liver damaged
7. Lungs damaged
8. Three vertebrae compression fractures -L1, L2, and L3
9. Lung infection
10. UTI
She is a fighter! Thank you all!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 12** Wednesday, December 1, 9 p.m. ☺
"First, let me just say how amazed i am to see,hear and receive messages from people who are reading my daily updates. I appreciate all of the support and prayers coming from every direction! I do read the comments when i have a moment, i just can’t respond to everyone.
Now for jessalyn…..ahhhhh what a day. We decided not to pull out her breaghing tube today right away in the morning . Although she is passing the tests, there is more planning that needed to happen per her pain management ect. We can do a nerve block for one area to control pain but she has multiple areas of trauma and needs to be in a better place to handle her pain and awake to start the breathing process without the machine.
So about an hour later jessalyn decided she was going to be more coherent. Great! We were asking simple questions to figure out what she wanted but then she was getting so frustrated because we weren’t getting it right.
At that point she looked me dead in my eyes and just started pouring tears. At that point I lost it. I have been so strong all this time, and i would have to say that was my weakest point so far. My poor child is trying so hard to tell me what she wants and we are trying to understand but are failing and now she is frustrated to the point of crying and im crying. I felt helpless, and weak and I hated every moment of it. I could not help my child, that is my job as her mother. I’m supposed to help, guide, teach, love, make things better, ect. DEEP SIGH. I broke down today…yes i sure did. And i am allowed to break damn it, we have been through more than enough for the last week and a half.
With her being so aware the doctor then decided that it might be a possibility to remove her tube. Then the other came in and didn’t like the breathing stats as much as we did before so then decided it was not a good idea to remove the tube because she would have the higher chance to have it put in. OK so then lets give her more meds and let her rest for the day and night. Which she has up til about an hour ago. Jessalyn was more aware than earlier. She coughed, i asked if she needed to be suctioned, she shook her head yes and pointed at the nurse. This girl is now accepting the help and is responding without a fight. 10 minutes later she started to cough again and we did the same thing with the suctioning and nodding. This time the nurse told her she was using the smaller tube to go in her mouth and jessalyn shook her head no, turned it toward me and gave her an evil ass eye. I said….”ummm she said no to the mouth suctioning.” All while i was standing there thinking oh my god my child is going to kill this nurse with her eye balls. Now I truly understand the old saying….”if looks could kill”
Jessalyn is consolable and cooperative tonight. So tonight we are praying for comfort, healing, and sleep. Tomorrow will probably be her big day!!!! Im pretty sure she will have the tube out and i know they are planning for a 9 or 11 o’clock time frame.
To end my day on a positive note….my baby is finally coming back!!!!! Thank you to all the nurses and staff for all the help and support. Prayers to all the dance girls and other people affected from this. There will be rough days but im still standing tall. Love my children more than words can speak. #jessalynstrong" - Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 11** Tuesday, November 30, 9 p.m. GREAT NEWS! ☺☺☺☺☺☺
"Ok we are doing this earlier today. Lung x-ray looks about the same with a little improvement. Temperature has come down! She had her central line removed and had a PICC line put in instead.
She had a great night last night and let me get some sleep finally. But she saved all that energy for the morning. This girl opened her eyes and was definitely responding to questions such as, “are you in pain?” And “do you want to lay on the other side?” She was clearly uncomfortable in her hip area and kept trying to move her bottom around to find a good spot. Great news is that she finally passed her ERT extubation ready test this morning! Wooohoooo!!!!!! And again in the afternoon! We will do another in the morning to see how she does.
Tomorrow might just be a big day for us … breathing tube might just come out!!!!!! So excited and nervous all at the same time! Not sure how i will sleep with this excitement on my mind.
Now to get to the worst part of my day.
Doctor informed me that on both sides of her rib cage, ribs 5,6,7,8 are broken. Thats a total of 8 uggh. I always had the feeling there were some but not this many. No wonder she has had so many issues with trying to get off the vent, im sure the pain and mucus build up is horrible.
Also, i was told that vertebrae L1, L2, and L3 have compression fractures so she will be wearing a back brace once she is sitting up and stand on her own. This girl has trauma in every direction of her body. She cant catch a break. God i just am trying to imagine the rehab and therapy this poor child will have to go through.
Deep breath***** To keep my spirits up I always end my night on a positive note and well im just glad we are finally getting ready to take this tube out. We will be one step closer to getting home!!!!
Many prayers for all and i cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!!! Good night everyone!!!!- Amber
THIS IS HUGE! Progress is finally here, an amazing feeling! All of your prayers and letters of support are working. Each and everyone of you are helping her heal. Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 10** Tuesday, November 30, 12 a.m.
"Where to begin….
Let me just start with the facts first. X-ray looks better but very similar to yesterday’s. The amount of trauma is still visible but the amount of mucus that has cleared from her lungs is amazing. But we will constantly battle mucus until her tube is out and her lungs are fully healed. Great thing is that her mucus does not look as thick, discolored, or infectious like.
Fever finally broke this morning!!!!!! But we are back to it getting higher again. Last night was scary as it got to an all time high of 104f and we were putting ice packs all over her. She is currently at 100.3f which makes me much happier to manage mentally.
A new plan with all the meds made this morning.
Ultrasound of legs shows no clots so theres another positive. CT scans of her abdomen did not show anything more concerning than we already knew. Which is great to hear.
Liver pretty much the same and the detached kidney is starting to shrink as it’s supposed to. Crazy to think the kidney will just shrink like a raisin and can just be left in the body. Mind blown.
Ok now for the hardest part … my dear daughter was not my daughter last night. She was fighting through the pain meds she was on and was pissed. Literally. She is not the type of child who gets mad and wants to kick someone’s ass. Excuse my language but being a parent that was by far one of the hardest things I have ever seen. It was as if she was possessed and was going to try and cough and choke her tube out any way that she could. I will never forget the look on her face.
Nice thing is that she is responding well with her new meds today. She has been peaceful throughout the day until she needs to be suctioned and is trying to cough up the mucus. At that point her vitals drop but comes back nicely once the mucus is cleared.
I can’t express how much I appreciate the nurses and staff here. They are always right here in a blink of an eye and take care of my daughter’s needs.
Deep breath ... today is finally the 1st day I can breath.
Now to end my night with a positive thought ... she has been relaxed all day, I have been able to just BE here with her comfortably and she is healing peacefully. Love my girl and my other children more than words can speak.
Many prayers to all the people hurt in the parade, love for our team members and grateful for the amazing staff here." - Amber
Thank you to everyone who is following this story as it unfolds. Thank you for your continued support, prayers and donations. Your support has taken off a huge burden off moms shoulders. It has allowed her to keep focused on Jessalyn 100%! Thank you!
**MEDICAL UPDATE 9** Monday, November 29.
"Ok so today was pretty eventless. X-ray was very similar to the day before and labs are still the same. Im not mad about this at all. Jessalyn needs time to let her lungs heal.
But because of the last couple of exhausting days the team of doctors decided to change a ton of her meds which has made her more comfortable, but she is still semi responsive to me talking to her by moving her hand toward me and calming down when i tell her im here.
All in all it was a great day. My positive for the day: when i was on video chat with my 2 year old telling her good night, the nurse said, “hey jessalyn is moving her hands.” So i went over next to jessa and i sang all of our good night songs averie and I sing every night. The whole time I was next to jessalyn with the phone, she was moving her eyes side to side when she heard her sister’s voice. I almost cried. Jessalyn can hear her little sissy. Just a great way to end the night!
Greatful, thankful, blessed #jessalyn strong
Many thoughts and prayers to all the dance girls and other familys." -Amber
**MEDICAL UPDATE 8** Sunday, November 28, 12 a.m., Amber.
"So the morning started off rough.
Yesterday’s chaotic events followed through the morning. X-ray showed her lungs are clearer than the day before! Great news but the amount of trauma to her lungs is still very visable on the xray.
Tried the testing the lungs trials and she failed in seconds this time. She didnt like it at all, vitals were dropping and she tried to jump out the bed and rip all her tubes and bandages off.
So with the events from the day before and morning they decided to stop all the lung trials and to just keep her more sedated for a couple days to give her lungs more time to heal. Then there was the trial of amount and type of meds. This girl surprised all of us and would just fight through what she was given. It was just amazing. Yup she is strong and a fighter.
She is still running 102-103 degree temp again for the 2nd day. She has been peacefully resting for the majority of the day. Some slight moment but nothing too major.
So all in all we are back at square 1.
Starting all over again but im ok with it. I always had a feeling that she needed more time to heal. Who wouldn’t. My poor child was literally hit by a truck dead on (she has the marks from the vehicles grill across her chest) and was thrown around 20-30 feet or so.
My baby may be strong but there are times in our lives when we need to just sit back and heal. This is that time for her. Although she is back to being a sleeping body filled with tubes and a machine that is breathing for her, she is comfortable.
To leave the night with my positive, she is still fighting, she is comfortable, and she has some amazing nurses/care team by her side. So greatful for them all!"
Thank you all for your continued prayers, letters and donations of support. We are humbled by your generosity.
I want to start this update by thanking each and everyone of you who has sent in many letters of support, encouragement, prayers and donations from all over the country and the world. We are in awe! Thank you! ♥♥♥
*MEDICAL UPDATE 7** Saturday, November 27, Amber.
"It is now 10:40 pm and I have been up since 2:30 am … its been a long rough day and I'm exhausted.
Started off normal with the 3am breathing treatments. Usually shortly after when go through a series of suctioning out a ton of mucus which is torture to her and myself just watching. She gets very agitated moves her arms around, kicks her legs, vitals go down and she lets out some tears. Its just heartbreaking. I stand by her side and hold an arm and let her know that im there and she calms shortly after. Around 4-430 we are now doing xrays of her lungs. There was no change from yesterday’s xray. Not the news i wanted to hear but she needs time to heal. I can accept that. Shortly after she is finally comfortable and in comes the multiple doctors at different times to see how she’s doing, check labs, ect and we discuss the days goals. Dr decided we would try turning down vent again and test her abilities. She failed the test right away. Ok ... again she needs more time to heal. Little while later dr comes in and says he wants to try the vent lowering test again and says, “This time we will let it run for about an hour and see how she does.” I was not enthusiastic. But again we have to keep working those muscles so lets go.
Wasn’t 5 minutes before she destated. And had a bunch of nurses, doctors, rushing in. After all said and she stayed pretty happy for awhile. Labs came back with e-coli in her urine … great. Now a new set of antibiotics to start.
So again with the breathing treatments and the whole throwing of arms and legs and mucus and the heartbreak throughout the day. Also discovered her body starting to be covered in rash … yup she is allergic to the new antibiotic. Just another thing to add to the list.
So around dinner time I was sitting there and out of nowhere she decided to just sit herself up and fight through all the tubes. I jumped and ran to grab her head to support her head and neck. Nurse was running along with me. Total shock. This girl went crazy an I held her and talked to her while nurse gave Adavan. What an adrenaline rush. She coughed up more mucus. Tons of it. Sorry if this is disturbing/disgusting to read but this day has been hell. Finally she is comfortable again.
Did dressing changes, bed change, washing out wounds ect and she was semi reponding to the pain of rolling on her side with the breaks in the pelvic. Then respiratory again. Big sigh. I already know whats coming next. And I was right except this time she was responding to my words. She hit the side rail and lifted her hand for me to grab. Ok Jessa I got you, mommy is right here. She let go and hit her sore pelvic side and I said ok Jessa you are hurting, I understand we will give you some medicine for pain. Then all the “coughing” up mucus started so now we are suctioning except this time she bit down on her breathing tube and wouldnt open her mouth to put the bite block in. Respiratory lady was trying to talk her through it and joking with her she said she wasnt the one making her upset its the other nurses. Jessa lifted her hand shook her head no and pointed three times at the respiratory lady. We all laughed and I simply told Jessa ... if you open your mouth I promise the lady will leave you alone. And she did. She opened her mouth. Jessalyn is finally back to being happy. No she is not off the vent but she gave me the positive I needed for the day in knowing that she is truly a fighter. Yes today was a very rough day but on a positive note I was able to see my baby respond to me finally. She is comfortable now and I am going to rest because 3 am is going to come fast.
I absolutely hate these trial with the breathing and it takes strength to watch your child going through all this and you feel helpless because you cant just take all the pain away. None of this is fair to her, me, my other children, family members, or any one else who was hurt in the parade. I give praise to the nurses and other staff for the amazing job they do. Prayers for all the families and other dance team members. Now to leave on a positive note ...I got to actually SEE my child today. Not in the best of circumstances but she was there and was still being her very forward, feisty self. So much love for her and all my children. Have a good night.
Please note there are 2 pages for Amber. Her cousin Nathan set one up as well, he wanted to help out through his circle of friends and beyond. Both pages are verified through GoFundMe. I am in communication with the representatives from GoFund Me. They have been very supportive and helpful in navigating through this crisis. Thank you to Angelic and Jared at GoFundMe.
**MEDICAL UPDATE 6 ** Friday November 25, Amber.
"She still has 103-104 temp and lung cultures came back with gram positive staphylococcal clusters so she is on an antibiotic. The last 3 hours has been a huge change.
Jessalyn is showing a patten in her breathing more than the machine!!!!! Let me say this again … she is a fighter!
I sat here and held her hand, kissed her head and just watched and cried and told her I was so proud of her. I know this is going to be a roller coaster but I'm going to end this night with the positive my baby is giving me! This girl right here is amazing. Love her more than words can speak along with all my other children. My heart is also with all the other dance teammates. Happy thanksgiving to everyone."
**MEDICAL UPDATE 5** Wednesday, Nov 24th, 9:45 pm. Amber. ♥♥♥
"Its been a battle again today. Lots of vital up and downs and running high fevers. 103.8 F is the current. Unfortunately we are not able to use too much tylenol because of the liver damage.
Xray showed that her lungs were worse today than they have ever been. Started some nebulizer treatments to help break up all the mucus in her chest. They also lowered the amount of work the machine is doing to help her breath and lowered the amout of sedative to see how much Jessalyn is willing to do herself. Fortunately, she is trying to breath here n there but she is not showing any evidence of a pattern in her efforts so it will be a much slower process to get her off the ventilator.
She also had a tube feeding put in today.
This battle my daughter is going through is more than overwhelming and is mentally exhausting. My heart breaks for her and the other girls.
Its hard being strong but im doing it. My girl is strong … mommy built her tough."
** UPDATE 4 ** Wednesday, Nov 24th, 12:30 am. Amber's update.
"Jessalyn is strong. This girl amazes me more than I could imagine. Yes she is still critical condition and will be for awhile.
Today we had a good day. They took her off a blood pressure med and she was able to maintain stable vitals.
I will take even the smallest of accomplishments as a positive and be greatful.
She is still running fevers but once some labs come back we can hopefully have some answers or maybe her body is just responding to the trauma. I will update daily when I can.
Please keep everyone who is apart of this horrible tragedy in your prayers. Much love to all the Waukesha Xtreme team members."
Thank you to everyone for your donations, prayers, letters of hope! Each and everyone of you is playing such a powerful healing role for every child, parent and the community as it struggles to heal from this tragedy. Know that we are eternally grateful for you!
We are overcome by your eloquent words, they are beautiful and inspire us!
**UPDATE 3** Tuesday, Nov 23rd, 11:30 am. Amber released a statement.
"I first want to say how greatful I am to have all this support for my family, especially Jessalyn. Thank you to everyone who has donated, put together meals, brought anything to the hospital … anything, no matter how big or small.
My beautiful Jessalyn is a fighter. She was always full of spunk and sass, but has a huge heart.
Jessalyn is still in critical condition.
She has multiple internal injuries and her face and body is covered in road rash. Jessalyn has 3 fractures on her pelvis, a fractured skull, lacerated liver, left kidney was ripped from the artery and vein so it is no longer functional (thank you Lord for 2 kidneys), she has damage to her intestines, she has lung contusions and was put on the ventilator yesterday morning. She has received multiple bags of blood and platelets.
Yesterday was a very rough day with keeping her vitals and everything as stable as possible. It will be a roller coaster for a while yet and she will have a long road of recovery ahead.
This girl, along with all my other children, they are my world.
Trying to stay strong is not even close to what the last 30+ hours have been for me. No child or parent should have to endure this amount pain and suffering. As of right now, I will not be leaving my child's side and I will update people when I am able.
My heart also goes out to all the other families who are also going through a hard time right now, especially the Waukesha Xtreme Dance teammates."
I will take even the smallest of accomplishments as a positive and be greatful.
She is still running fevers but once some labs come back we can hopefully have some answers or maybe her body is just responding to the trauma. I will update daily when I can.
Please keep everyone who is apart of this horrible tragedy in your prayers. Much love to all the Waukesha Xtreme team members."
Thank you to everyone for your donations, prayers, letters of hope! Each and everyone of you is playing such a powerful healing role for every child, parent and the community as it struggles to heal from this tragedy. Know that we are eternally grateful for you!
We are overcome by your eloquent words, they are beautiful and inspire us!
**UPDATE 3** Tuesday, Nov 23rd, 11:30 am. Amber released a statement.
"I first want to say how greatful I am to have all this support for my family, especially Jessalyn. Thank you to everyone who has donated, put together meals, brought anything to the hospital … anything, no matter how big or small.
My beautiful Jessalyn is a fighter. She was always full of spunk and sass, but has a huge heart.
Jessalyn is still in critical condition.
She has multiple internal injuries and her face and body is covered in road rash. Jessalyn has 3 fractures on her pelvis, a fractured skull, lacerated liver, left kidney was ripped from the artery and vein so it is no longer functional (thank you Lord for 2 kidneys), she has damage to her intestines, she has lung contusions and was put on the ventilator yesterday morning. She has received multiple bags of blood and platelets.
Yesterday was a very rough day with keeping her vitals and everything as stable as possible. It will be a roller coaster for a while yet and she will have a long road of recovery ahead.
This girl, along with all my other children, they are my world.
Trying to stay strong is not even close to what the last 30+ hours have been for me. No child or parent should have to endure this amount pain and suffering. As of right now, I will not be leaving my child's side and I will update people when I am able.
My heart also goes out to all the other families who are also going through a hard time right now, especially the Waukesha Xtreme Dance teammates."
- Amber Konhke.
**UPDATE 2** Jessalyn woke up a little yesterday afternoon.
**UPDATE 2** Jessalyn woke up a little yesterday afternoon.
She is not fully aware of the severity of her injuries but managed to say, "just glue me back together". Only a child could reference themselves as a little doll in this situation. The innocence of a young girl. Due to her injuries the medical team sedated her again to keep her calm and let her body heal. The family is still at the hospital.
**UPDATE 1** Amber texted me last night that Jessalyn is “steady at the moment. She has ups and downs”. Your prayers and thoughts of hope and healing are working! Thank you.
Hi Everyone,
**UPDATE 1** Amber texted me last night that Jessalyn is “steady at the moment. She has ups and downs”. Your prayers and thoughts of hope and healing are working! Thank you.
Hi Everyone,
By now we have all seen the horrific videos of a car mowing down innocent people, including children at the Waukesha Holiday Parade. It was horrifying and shocking to see bodies flying in the air as a person, without any care for life or limb, ran over many people at a high speed.
Through the chaos yesterday, I finally got a text from Amber, my friend and a mom. Her daughter Jessalyn, pictured moments before the attack, was one of the girls that was directly hit!
She is the group Waukesha Xtreme Dance and they were performing in the parade when they were struck.
Right now as Monday morning, Jessalyn is fighting for her life.
She is in ICU under heavy oxygen, having lost a kidney, broken pelvic, liver lacerations, lung damage, tachycardia and many blood transfusions.
Prayers, hope and faith are being called upon right this minute!
Through the chaos yesterday, I finally got a text from Amber, my friend and a mom. Her daughter Jessalyn, pictured moments before the attack, was one of the girls that was directly hit!
She is the group Waukesha Xtreme Dance and they were performing in the parade when they were struck.
Right now as Monday morning, Jessalyn is fighting for her life.
She is in ICU under heavy oxygen, having lost a kidney, broken pelvic, liver lacerations, lung damage, tachycardia and many blood transfusions.
Prayers, hope and faith are being called upon right this minute!
Undoubtedly, this will cost a lot of money in medical bills and lost wages. Amber is a single mom with 5 loving kids. I know the family and these are wonderful, awesome kids!
Any help would be greatly appreciated. 100% of your donation will do directly to the family, minus the GoFundMe fees.
This holiday season will be a brutal one for them.
My name is Oscar Luna, I am a friend of the family, I have know them for 6 years when I lived in downtown Waukesha. I used to stop over with their uncle Tyler and grill delicious tacos for the family. These are wonderful kids and a great family!
My name is Oscar Luna, I am a friend of the family, I have know them for 6 years when I lived in downtown Waukesha. I used to stop over with their uncle Tyler and grill delicious tacos for the family. These are wonderful kids and a great family!
Thank you for your help.
P.S. We are receiving hundreds of prayers and know that each and every single one is deeply appreciated! The family is overwhelmed by your kindness, charity, compassion and love. Your words of hope and love is proving comfort during this difficult, painful time. Thank you for your donations and letters of encouragement and support. We are truly grateful.
P.S. We are receiving hundreds of prayers and know that each and every single one is deeply appreciated! The family is overwhelmed by your kindness, charity, compassion and love. Your words of hope and love is proving comfort during this difficult, painful time. Thank you for your donations and letters of encouragement and support. We are truly grateful.
Organizer
Amber Kohnke
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI