Lowcountry Christmas

Christmas is here for the Ingram clan! I’ve been so blessed to get such a good Christmas. I do know that Trevor and Adam my two little brothers are very excited for Christmas. My mom said we are going to have a bigger Christmas than we’ve ever had and I wanted to thank everyone for what they have done for my family this Christmas time of year. Merry Christmas and have a happy new years. Sincerely Jackson.

I love my Momma

Well today I’m back to normal almost. Last week I watched the Gamecock vs Clemson game! Jody my dog aka dingo has been waiting on the porch for me to play with her and I can see it in her face she’s saying to me throw my stick please! My Mom has kept me under her wing for quite a while. I don’t know how long it is going to be before I’m let out of the nest. But I’m happy I have my Mom to be with me.

"my cup runneth over."

It's not thanksgiving anymore, I'm a day late, but whatever. 

I have never been more grateful than I have this year. I suppose that's because each year I have more to be grateful for, and this year is no exception. My gratitude to our Father in Heaven for the great and small blessings he has given me is overwhelming. My family is more precious to me than anything in the world. The older I get the more I realize that I am incredibly blessed and privileged to call them mine for eternity. 

Miracles are not extinct nor are they rare. They happen everyday and they are always predicated by faith and provided by a loving Heavenly Father. I cannot imagine a world without miracles. The more we seek the Savior, the more often we will see miracles happen in our lives. He never leaves us alone. He never fails us. When we feel He has forsaken us, it is because we have failed to see His hand in all things. 

This summer was the hardest period of my young life. However, I never felt abandoned or alone. I felt a constant sense of peace. I testify of this: 

"Strength comes not from frantic activity, but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most."

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I bear witness of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has blessed my family and myself in both seen and unseen ways. Every good thing in my life can be traced back to the Savior and his gospel. He is the way. During this season especially, I give thanks for the Christlike people who have served our family in countless ways. Some of them family and friends, some of them complete strangers. No kind act has gone unnoticed, and each is deeply meaningful to me. I can't adequately express my gratitude in words. I thank God for the love and charity I have felt. Soon I will be on my way back to South Carolina where I belong. To be with my family again and spend with them this Christmas season is a priceless gift. I hope that this holiday brings joy and peace to all of you. We love you!

Love, 

Emalie

Giving thanks!

We couldn't let this day pass without telling all of you how thankful we are for our blessings.  I woke up this morning thinking about the day of Jackson's accident and couldn't help shedding a few tears of gratitude.  We have come so far and have been so blessed.  Today, as we sat around the table, we all agreed that being together as a family is what we are grateful for the most.  The only thing missing is Emalie, and we are getting even more excited about seeing her at Christmas.

Jackson continues to improve and recover.  His oupatient therapy is going well and we are working with the school therapists as well.  He is so glad to be home with his family and friends around him. He is a happy boy and a pleasure to be with.

We are so grateful for all of you, our family, friends, and loved ones, and for the outpouring of love and support and prayers over the last few months.  We have never been alone throughout this experience.  Our Heavenly Father and our Savior are always there for us, and all of you have experienced it with us, too.  Our hearts are so full, words can hardly express what we feel.  Please know that we love you and pray for you every day!

Love,

The Ingrams

Our miracle child.

Today we returned to the Pediatric ICU where Jackson stayed, mostly in a coma, for a month after the accident.  Everyone remembered him and many of them were in tears to see him walking and talking.  It was so good to see them and have Jackson personally thank them all for helping him when he needed it most.  We also had a CT scan and a visit with Dr. Thompson who reconstructed Jackson's skull back in July.  He was grinning from ear to ear and was thrilled to see how well Jackson is doing.  There is good bone regrowth and everything looks good with his skull and brain.  

We are grateful every day for our "walking miracle".  I can't think of any other way to explain what has happened to our family other than to call it a miracle.  The Lord hears and answers prayers and He loves us all very much.  I am a witness that miracles still happen every day.

Love,

Heather

Home.

After nearly four months, Jackson and I returned home a few days ago.  It's still hard to believe we made it through the hardest part of one of the biggest challenges we've ever faced.  And now we have our son home with us again.  I don't even know how to convey the depth of our gratitude to the Lord.  The words from Luke 15:24 keep coming to my mind: "For this my son was dead, and is alive again.". We've been given another chance and every day feels like a gift.

We are trying to get back to a normal schedule around here.  Jackson started outpatient therapy today and we also met with the Special Services team at the middle school.  He will return to Savannah this week to follow up with the Pediatric Neurosurgeon who reconstructed his skull and have a CT scan to see how things are healing.  We plan to stop in at the Pediatric ICU and visit the great people who helped take care of Jackson while he was there.  I have to admit I am very much looking forward to seeing their faces when he walks in and starts talking to them!

There are so many people that have served our family in numerous ways over the last few months.  I can't think of many greater blessings than having true friends and we have been blessed with an abundance.  Our love and thanks to you all!

Love,

Heather

Back at the River

"Back to the Island. Packing up was the easiest part since I knew I would be home early Saturday evening and be able to see the boys, my brothers, and the dog. I got a hair cut in Atlanta last month. I had to get another one in Atlanta and they took two hours each and cost $20 each. Today I went to Shorty in Beaufort- five minutes and ten dollars. I enjoyed my graduation party Friday and seeing my other graduates. We ate out and I had a real plate with real silverware. Now I get to be with my Dad, my brothers, my Mom- allll day long. I'd like to thank everyone for helping me get better, for the prayers that were said and are still being said." -Jackson

Optimism -> success

It was so good for Jackson to make a trip home this weekend.  He enjoyed being in the parade with the other scouts, as well as being able to reconnect with many of our friends and family members.  His Great Grandmother was thrilled to see how well he is doing and he got lots of hugs from everyone.  In other words, it was just what Jackson loves best!

Before we left for the weekend, Jackson's g-tube came out.  Since we don't need to use it for feedings anymore, the nurse just bandaged it up.  He was so happy to have it out and it seems to be healing well. Today we cut down even more on his meds and we might possibly go home without any tubes or medication at all.  Day Rehab continues to go well for him and he seems to improve daily.  He has such a positive attitude and we couldn't be happier with his progress.

We are counting down now.  Jackson continues to work hard so he can be as strong and well as possible when we get home.  We look forward to being home with all the people we love best!  We give thanks in our prayers daily for all of you!

Love,

Heather

Note from Jackson: Thank you all for your prayers.  I'm thankful for Heavenly Father blessing me so I can have a second chance at life.  I love you all.

Family Back on Lemon Island

For the first time in a few months, things are getting back to normal. Jackson and Heather were home for the weekend. He will be home for good in two weeks. Today he helped me cook some grits. We caught some redfish bait (fiddlers) and went on the dock to fish. My nine-toed brother Ed and his look-a-like son Chaz came by and actually caught some fish. My Grand Moma Rebecca aka Ma- Ma stopped by and pulled us away from fishing. Ma-Ma was thrilled to visit with Jackson. She is ninety-four and she couldn’t make it upstairs so I asked he so just sit in the car and I would have Jackson come down. She asked, “He can walk down?” He was in a comma the last time she saw him back in July. Seeing him in good shape made her cry. This morning Jackson and his brothers, Jake and Trevor, were in the Gopher Hill parade. As Boy Scouts, they presented the Colors for the opening ceremony of the festival. Jackson ran into Rev Timmy Padgett and his congregation on their parade float and got to thank them in person for their prayers. This afternoon Jackson helped me cook some wings on the grill. He entertained his good friend Rea this evening. We watched some general conference on TV and this PM Jackson’s prediction came true- the stadium was swaying in Columbia. Sunday morning I have to take Jackson back to Georgia for his final two weeks of rehab and with my South Carolina plates, I’m fearing for our safe passage. Here is a message from Jackson, “I enjoyed fishing and going outside and playing with my dog. We got to see some Marines in the parade. Thank you for talking to me and prayers and messages and putting my name on your prayer rolls.”

We are blessed. So blessed.

We've been granted two more weeks of Day Rehab!  We are so grateful for our special friend from back home who intervened for us and pushed buttons and pulled strings because it wouldn't have happened otherwise. One of the things that has amazed and humbled me throughout this whole experience is the kindness and generosity of those around us.  We couldn't be happier about this opportunity for Jackson to continue to progress in his recovery.

Another exciting event will happen this weekend.  Jackson will go home for the first time since his accident back in June.  We will only be there for the weekend, but we are really looking forward to being home with our family for a couple of days and we hope to see some friends at the Gopher Hill Festival!  Even though it will be a quick trip, I'm sure it will give us a big boost and make us work even harder to be ready to come home for good in a couple of weeks.

I can't express how touched I have been at the outpouring of love and support we have received from so many of you.  Your encouraging words, acts of kindness, and prayers have strengthened and uplifted us more than you can ever know.  We love you all and thank Heavenly Father daily for blessing us so greatly.

Love,

Heather

22 Sep 2012 Atlanta

Jake, Trevor, Heather, Jackson, and Adam

The home stretch, bubba.

Jackson has been doing well in Day Rehab and is very happy there.  He is making great progress both physically and cognitively.  His speech therapist introduced himself to me a few days ago and said that he had been gone a few days and was so amazed when he returned by how much progress Jackson had made in such a short time.  It's harder for me to recognize since I am with him every day, but after his speech therapist said that, I realized how much better he was getting at keeping his train of thought and remembering words.  He also moved from red level to yellow level this week, reflecting his status of being supervised as he walks around at Day Rehab.  That means his balance and coordination are much better.  We hope to find out this week if he will be approved for another 30 day grant, otherwise we are still set to be released October 5th.  This has been an amazing period of growth for Jackson and we are so grateful we have had this opportunity.

We've been very happy living at the Ronald McDonald House and we feel very lucky to be here.  We've made some great friends, including other families who are staying here and the wonderful volunteers who take care of us.  It's nice to feel at home when we are missing our home and family so much.  Ashley and the boys came for a visit yesterday and Jackson was so happy to be with them. He told me he can't wait to be home with his family and to see everyone at church in Ridgeland.  It won't be long now.  I keep reminding him we are in the home stretch!

We love and appreciate all of you and our thoughts and prayers are with you!

Love,

Heather

Wish You Were Here

Jackson, today was a great day for the kayak. We miss you here at home.

Trading places

I arrived back in Atlanta yesterday afternoon and Ashley drove back to South Carolina to be home with the other boys.  I enjoyed spending time with Jake, Trevor and Adam the past few days.  It was good to be home and gave me an opportunity to assess the situation.  Ashley has been doing such a good job of keeping everything together, but even he can't do everything.  All I had to do was mention my needs to my good friends Susan and Lisa, and everything seemed to fall into place.  I am so humbled and grateful for all of the offers of help and assurances of support that we received from our Church friends, neighbors, and "family" at the charter school that Trevor and Adam are attending.  Within a very short period of time, all of my major concerns about the house, yard, and transportation for the kids were resolved.  I can't think of these people as anything but angels who showed up just when we needed them most.  I was able to leave South Carolina with peace of mind knowing that Ashley and the boys were being watched out for.

Jackson looks great and is so happy.  His walking and talking have improved in the five days I was gone. I think he and Ashley really enjoyed being able to spend a few days here together.  The people at Day Rehab want Jackson to stay for 60 days, but the scholarship application only extends for 30 days at a time.  It's possible that when they re-evaluate him in a couple weeks, if he has made significant progress, they might be able to get a grant for another 30 days.  For right now, we have been given a tentative release date of October 5th.  Regardless of what happens, we are thrilled to have had this opportunity.  Jackson has a very positive attitude and wants very much to get stronger and better so he tries very hard in his therapy sessions.  We are so grateful to have gotten this far!

Be assured that our thoughts and prayers are with you all and that we look forward to being home amongst our friends and loved ones.  The Lord has been so good to us and blessed us to have so many wonderful people in our lives.  We love you all!

Heather

Jackson in Atlanta 12 Sep 2012

At the Atlanta Temple with brothers

Nick and Jackson

Jackson wins again at UNO

Stonewall

We've moved on outta there.

We made the big move on Friday from being an inpatient for over 2 months to outpatient rehab (Day Rehab).  We couldn't have done it without the help of our friend Nick, who grew up in Ridgeland and is now living in Atlanta not far from Scottish Rite.  He helped pack us up, run errands and move us into our upstairs room at the Ronald McDonald House.  It was A LOT of work for him but he was so patient and never complained.  Later that day Jackson said, "Nick is our hero."

Ashley and the boys came on Saturday and it was a joyous reunion for the brothers.  Jackson was so happy to get out and spend time with them.  We went to the temple grounds and Walmart and to the barber shop.  He was tired but enjoyed every minute of the silly inside jokes and wild antics.  I felt a cold coming on and didn't want to pass it on to him or anyone else at RMcD House so I came home Saturday night with the boys and Ashley is staying with Jackson in Atlanta for a few days.  I know they are enjoying their time together and I am working on getting things organized and hopefully making life a little easier for Ashley, with a little help from my friends :)

These first few days of Day Rehab will be mostly about assessing how Jackson is doing and what he will need.  By Thursday or Friday, they should be able to tell us how long we can expect to stay in order to meet the goals they set for him.  I am guessing we will stay until about the middle of October, but I will let everyone know for sure when we hear something definitive.

It's been nice to be here with the boys and hear more about their daily life.  I have been out of the loop so long that they have a lot to tell me.  They are being well taken care of and well loved by Ashley, our ward family, and good friends and schoolteachers.  We are so blessed to have so many people looking out for our family!  Thank you for your kindness and prayers in our behalf!

Love,

Heather

SO EXCITED

We get to go to Day Rehab!!!  I went over and toured the facility today and I'm so excited for Jackson to be able to continue his wonderful progress on an outpatient basis.  We will be moving down the street to the Ronald McDonald house when we are discharged on Friday.  Jackson and the other kids will ride the shuttle every morning and stay from 9 am to 3 pm.  It will be even more intensive therapy so that by the time he is done (probably 4-6 weeks) he will be more prepared to start back to school and do all of the things he enjoys.

I have learned so much this past week.  There are some things we can't control.  We have to put our trust in the Lord and have faith that He will do what is best for us.  And that He knows the best timing for everything.  This experience has changed me and my family forever.  We will never be the same.  Our perspective on what is important in life has changed and our understanding of God's love has deepened.

Love to you all,
Heather

Cross your fingers.

Jackson and I have had some great conversations this weekend.  He has had a lot of questions about what happened to him and what has happened over the past two months.  He has no memory of anything that happened the day of the accident up until a few days ago when Ashley came to visit.  Today we were talking about some of the details of what happened on the day of the accident.  Jackson got very emotional when he realized the gravity of his injury and how sad everyone was.  He said through his tears, "Heavenly Father has blessed us."  I couldn't agree more.

Everything has been improving quickly over the past week--balance, walking, talking, eating, cognitive function, and memory.  We are all set to be discharged from the hospital on Friday and we are still praying that the funds will be available for Jackson to stay and do the Day Therapy program.  I think we will know something for sure by tomorrow sometime. Either way, we will always be so grateful for the opportunity we've had to be here and get all the great therapy we've gotten over the past few weeks.

I have been reading to Jackson all of the great emails and cards and notes that have been sent.  He smiles and says "That was nice. Thank you." We are all grateful for our family and friends who have shown such love and support and have offered so many prayers on our behalf.  We thank the Lord for all of you!

Love,
Heather

The Only Thing Missing is You

Chechessee

Lemon Island Fishermen

Jackson, we caught a bunch of fiddler crabs today and we are going to try to get some Sheephead in the morning before school starts. We are thrilled that you will be home soon to catch some with us. We love you and miss you. We have a new giant knife for you to use on the dock... (Jody, Daddy, Trevor, Jake and Adam)

"I love you more."

Jackson is making up for lost time with his eating and his talking.  The doctor suspended all feeds through his tube today because he has been doing so well.  Yay!  Tonight Jackson is sleeping without any machines hooked to him, like a normal boy.  He has been talking more and more and can remember details about things that he knew before the accident, like what happens in his favorite movies.  He loves playing the physically interactive wii games during therapy and talks about wii constantly.  He is working the iPad like he has been using it for years.

Ashley was here visiting today and we so enjoyed having him here.  Jackson didn't want him to leave this evening and told him, "You come back tomorrow.". He is also remembering home and keeps talking about going home to Lemon Island. And he has been talking about his siblings and wants to see them.

Tonight we got ready for bed and I said a prayer with Jackson and told him I loved him and he said,"I love you more.". So grateful for Heavenly Father's blessings.

Love you all,
Heather