Scott's News

September 3, 2007 - Prayer Request

We would like to ask everyone to keep Scott and Pamela in prayer this Wednesday as they spend the day in divorce court. It is finally the trial day, exactly three years from the date of Scott's injury. Please pray that it will go well and that outstanding issues can be resolved. Thank you and God bless!

August 14, 2007 - A note from Pamela

FINALLY ...After fighting for two and 1/2 years for a wheelchair, Scott finally gets his own !

His chair rotates like the last one did , so he is not in the same position for hours. This chair also enables him to lie out completely flat. The head gear is essentially the same as the last one as well. Two head braces if needed for travel. It has been made to fit his body measurements and it is WONDERFUL ! Scott picked out the color ` Candy Blue ' ~ He loves it !!

What a difference this chair makes in his daily living. We are so blessed !

Pictures!

Scott exercising on the bike. Merry Christmas!

January 17, 2007

In answer to requests for more information on Scott's progress, we have the following update. Scott continues to improve daily through hard work and determination on his part. He continues to make all his own decisions about his daily life, what he will wear, what he will eat, etc. One of his latest projects is learning to speak Spanish. One of his caregiver friends is teaching him, and Pamela shared that she listens to the two of them speak in Spanish and has no idea what they are talking about! Scott's main project, though, is to work on motor skills. As mentioned before, he is determined to walk again, and is exercising to strengthen his muscles in preparation. He does arm and leg exercises, including riding a stationary bicycle. It will not surprise anyone who knows Scott to see him get up and walk someday. Keep up the good work, Scott! We're praying for you!

December 23, 2006

Great news from the visitation hearing! The judge awarded Scott twice weekly unsupervised visitation with his son. The visitations will be limited to one hour to start, but the judge assured Pamela that the one hour limit is only temporary. Scott will have time with Logan on Mondays and Thursdays, starting with Christmas Day! What an awesome Christmas present! Thank you for your prayers.

December 17, 2006

Scott is now in the process of filing for divorce from Liza. This Tuesday at 3 pm there will be a hearing concerning visitation for Scott's son Logan. Scott has not seen Logan since March, 2006, because Liza has refused to let Scott see Logan without seeing her also. Scott continues to say that Liza caused his injury, something he has said repeatedly over the last two years. As we reported last time, when asked if he would like to see Logan if it means that he must also see Liza, Scott replied, "I'll wait". Scott is looking forward to spending time with his son.

Liza has recently indicated that she would like to leave the country to return to her native Poland. Her claim is that her father is dying and would like to see her and Logan before he dies. She had previously said that her father was already dead, which was why Logan's middle name is Mitchel, named after her deceased father. It has also been discovered that she has not made the last three mortgage payments on Scott's house, where she has continued to live since his injury. Not paying the mortgage payments could, of course, result in the mortgage being sent to collections and eventually foreclosure proceedings.

On the positive side, Scott continues to show progress in his recovery. He is determined that he will walk again, and is attempting to get up out of his wheelchair. He has had friends visiting from all over the country, and also recently took a trip to see friends in North Carolina. One of Scott's favorite things is "jeeping" with his friends. (See the photo gallery for a photo of one of the jeeps that he retrofitted himself). When he was asked the other day what message he would like to send to his jeeping friends, he said to tell them, "I'll be back."

Scott is still in need of an appropriate wheelchair of his own. The one he is currently using was made for him out of spare parts by the wheelchair company. They were told that he could continue to use it until they had the funds for the new wheelchair. In the meantime, the wheelchair company was sold to a new owner, who set a price on the current one and is now asking for payment in full.

Pamela reported that, although Scott still has a gastric tube in case of an emergency, it has been over a year since she has used it.

Please pray for Scott's continued recovery, for the divorce proceedings, and for him to be allowed to see and enjoy his little boy. Please also see the Fundraising Needs page for information on how you can help.

October 20, 2006

Great news! The judge has signed an order that Pamela can file for divorce on Scott's behalf! Scott has indicated for a very long time that this is what he desires to do. Please pray that this process will be able to proceed smoothly.

Liza has continued to keep Scott from seeing his son unless she is present. When asked if he would like to see Logan if it means that he has to see Liza, Scott's reply is "I'll wait". Please pray that he will soon be able to spend time alone with Logan.

Scott is trying to walk! He is working on exercising his legs and arms while in his wheelchair with the goal of walking. He recently told his mom, "I'm going to go sit on the couch," and then gave her a big smile. Please pray that soon he will be able to get up from his chair and walk wherever he chooses!

July 31, 2006

We have good news to report from today's guardianship hearing. No changes were made to Scott's guardianship, allowing him to remain with his mom. Please continue to pray for them as they work toward his full recovery.

July 26, 2006

New Hearing Scheduled for Monday, July 31st!

From Pamela:

Liza has asked for extra time at the hearing... as she is now fighting for co-guardianship. Scott has indicated that he does not want to see Liza or have any further contact with her, nor does he want her to have anything to do with his guardianship. Scott did indicate that he would still like to see his son Logan, but without Liza present.

Please keep Scott in your prayers, especially this Monday morning @ 10:10 am. May God's will be done in keeping Scott safe and staying where he is now so that his recovery will continue.

Scott is doing great. We are very proud of the progress he's made. He is so funny ~ he's always saying something to make you laugh. Then he gives you a big grin!! I'm grateful he still has that sense of humor he's always had. The other afternoon he whispered to me, "Mom, I'm fixin' to go lay down on the sofa and watch TV." I said "You are?" He answered, "Yep." Then he grinned... I said " Do you want me to get you on the sofa?" "Yep," he replied with an even bigger grin!! He stayed on the sofa for an hour and a half watching a movie. He loved it! We are so blessed.

May 8, 2006

An Evening with the Schindlers

“The suffering our daughter endured and her death over the course of nearly two weeks was horrific. I am pleading with Mrs. Thomas to please reconsider her decision to seek the removal of Scott’s feeding tube and to allow him to receive the therapy and rehabilitation he needs to improve. I beg Mrs. Thomas to give her husband a chance.” Bob Schindler Sr., Father of the late Terri Schindler-Schiavo, May 2005.

Today Scott and Pamela went to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Jacksonville to hear Bob and Mary Schindler speak about their work to spread awareness of the euthanasia issue in America. Their website states that "The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, Inc., (TSSF) is a non-profit group dedicated to ensuring the rights of disabled, elderly and vulnerable citizens against care rationing, euthanasia and medical killing." Scott's case was the very first one that they spoke out about after losing Terri and their statement to the media brought attention to the danger that Scott was in. Tonight was the first opportunity for the two families to meet face-to-face.

Scott was seated next to the Schindlers as they all listened to the Schindler family dear friend and Terri's priest, Monsignor Malanowski. The Schindlers spoke next and then had a time of questions and answers. Their time was ended with a heart-wrenching multi-media presentation about their fight to save Terri.

After the speaking was done, the two families had some time to get to know one another better, and to encourage each other in the battle for LIFE.

April 28, 2006

A Note from Pamela

Scott sang ~(whispering), Happy Birthday to me today - along with friends. You could actually hear his deep voice come thru at times! It was pretty exciting! He had a big smile on his face afterwards. Last year at this time he was in Brooks Rehab... his speech therapist sang the words and Scott mouthed them ~ He has come a long way!! We are all so proud of him.

The other evening when he was ready for bed for the night, I set his TV timer for an hour and told him I would be back, as usual, in two hours to turn him.. he looked at me and said `I'll be here..', then grinned! He put a smile on my face then!

April 12, 2006

Pamela just received word that, on April 10th, the judge signed the paperwork to declare Scott "partially capacitated"! (Please see the January 3rd entry for more info on what was presented to the court.) This is extremely good news for Scott, as he is now legally allowed to be the one to determine his social environment. He can now dictate exactly who he wants to see, where he wants to go, etc. While this is not the end of the battle for Scott, it is a giant step in the right direction. Congratulations, Scott!

April 11, 2006

Scott just received the results from a new brain scan (EEG). In November of 2005, his EEG showed a large, bright red area of trauma that was affecting muscular control. The new EEG shows an area of trauma that is one half the size, and it now shows as light pink rather than red. Dr. Murray said that Scott should be continuing to do more and more all the time - and he is! Some of his latest accomplishments include waving good-bye and raising his arms to shoulder level to demonstrate that he is planning on dancing at his aunt and uncle's 40th wedding anniversary.

The EEG also confirmed that Scott's memory and intellect were not affected, to which Mom can readily attest. He has always done well with answering questions, like his answer about what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He very clearly whispered "Key Lime Pie". Lately, Pamela and Amy have challenged him to several games of Cranium (described as "the brain-tickling game that’s fun for the whole family"). This game features varied questions such as "who designed the Volkswagen" and other interesting bits of knowledge. Scott showed himself to be the more knowledgeable one - handily beating both Pamela and Amy! Sorry Mom!

February 4, 2006

Today Pamela was invited to speak at the quarterly meeting of Florida Right to Life in Orlando. She and Scott and their caregiver/friend Amy made the trip in the rain to come share their experience over the last year and a half since his injury. Pamela shared the story again from the date of his injury on September 4th, 2004, to the news of his imminent transfer to hospice, to her being granted and continuing to receive temporary full guardianship. Many questions were asked, and she was given a standing ovation when she was finished. Scott listened attentively, and then was willing to pose for several photographs to commemorate the day.

The first photo is of Scott and Amy listening to Pamela speak (middle). The last photo is Pam and Scott posing with Robin Hoffman, President of Florida Right to Life.

January 3, 2006

Today was the long-anticipated status hearing on guardianship for Scott. The hearing took place in judge's chambers with Pamela and her attorneys and Eliza and her attorneys. Pamela's attorneys presented the court with information that she has now filed with the court to have Scott declared "partially capacitated". This means, at the very least, that he would then be allowed to indicate his preferences for his social environment, such as who is allowed to visit. He has repeatedly indicated that he does not want to see Eliza, but he does want to see his son. The final item that was presented to the judge is that Scott is scheduled for surgery to close his tracheotomy opening, which should allow him to regain his ability to speak and make sound.

Based on all the above information, Judge Wilkes ruled to grant Pamela another six months of full guardianship of Scott. This will be a crucial time for Pamela and Scott, as they continue to work, not only for Scott's recovery, but for him to regain the right and ability to truly "speak for himself".

Please continue to join us in prayer and other support for Scott and Pamela as they continue the battle for LIFE.

December 29, 2005

Next Tuesday, January 3rd at 9:00 a.m., the guardianship case will again be brought before Judge Wilkes. He ruled in July to continue temporary plenary guardianship in favor of Pamela because of the open investigation into whether Eliza caused Scott's injury. As the investigation has been terminated due to lack of sufficient evidence (only she, Scott and the baby were home at the time and Eliza refused to take a polygraph test.), Eliza is now asking the judge to give her what her attorneys are calling "co-guardianship". According to her attorneys, she is asking for the power to make all the decisions for Scott, medical, financial, etc., while stating that she will continue to have Pamela care for Scott "for the time being." We believe that this is her way of obtaining complete guardianship, as she would then have the legal ability to remove him from Pamela's home and discontinue care for him. She also is asking to be given 100% decision-making ability for their son, effectively cutting Scott out of his son's life forever.

Please keep in mind that Scott continues to say that he does not want to see Eliza at all.

Please help us in getting the word out about his situation and also join us in prayer Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. that the judge will rule in favor of allowing Scott to remain under his mom's care and guardianship.

Friday, December 23, 2005

A Note from Pamela

Scott is feeling much better now. He was very sick with a temp of 103 (normally 95.6), heavy congestion, etc. for almost 2 wks ~ then I got it! We are both doing much better today.

Scott's bills...Dr.'s...Hospitals...therapy...meds...treatments...etc...are well over $30,000. I don't know how I can pay it!! Of course I don't tell Scott anything about the bills...I am honest with him about everything, he knows there are bills, just not how much. I tell him it will be taken care of and he just needs to concentrate on getting better. I tell him everyday how wonderful he is and how proud I am of him. We have been waiting for both of us to get better so we could go outside some evening and roast marshmallows over this great little fire pit we received. I can't wait, either. I had asked Scott how he was feeling today (expecting him to smile or mouth "ok or "fine) and he mouthed, "Fine, Mom, how are you?" I almost fell over! We are so blessed!

Please keep Scott in your prayers for the Jan 3rd hearing. It would be wonderful if the judge would give me permanent guardianship so Scott will have the chance to recover, as he well deserves.

Friday, November 25, 2005

A Note from Pamela

Scottie and I went to Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving with many other members of the family. When asked afterwards if he enjoyed the day, he said yes.. with a big smile! He interacted great with everyone. Scott ate a full plate of turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, squash, stuffing, and dessert!! Whew! When asked if he would like some eggnog, he promptly and emphatically whispered no! We all laughed (he doesn't like eggnog). When we arrived home around 6:30 pm, Scott said he would like to watch a football game and naturally,... wanted that last piece of pie while watching the game... typical male!! What a happy day!

Sunday, October 16, 2005

A Note from Pamela

Scott has indicated on several occasions that he wanted steak -- (that's his favorite meat)! So we had a steak cookout for him last Sunday. It was enjoyed by family and friends alike! And yes, Scott did eat steak .. medium rare, very thin pieces.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2005

A Note from Pamela

Scott is doing very well. I wrote the day, date, and year down on a piece of paper.. showed it to him one time...then in a few minutes I asked him what the day, date and month was...he 'said' (whispered or mouthed) them correctly right away!!! I was sooo excited! I even tried to trick him! I told him he is great !

Monday, September 5, 2005

Scott's mom held a party commemorating the one year anniversary of Scott's injury. Approximately 50 of Scott's family and friends joined him for the afternoon.

The welcome sign. Scott's family. Many friends. Scott and his brother Brett.

Scott's speech therapist (woman on left), Dr. Murray(center), and some close friends.

Dr. Murray helps him communicate. Carrot cake! Time with his sister-in-law.

A special cake especially for Scott.

"Thank God for Miracles. Scott, Never Give Up!"

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Sunday, September 4, 2005

A Note from Pamela

Scott is doing much better now and will be able to start back next week with the hyperbaric treatments. He is very excited about his new room now. At first he did not want to move in there (he loves the Sun Room), but when we explained that he will only be in there at night and for 'private times', he seemed more pleased. He even picked out the colors for the room, beautiful shades of blue and a bright white. I also had it enlarged by knocking out the hall closets. The flooring is going to be bamboo. I take him into the hall area so he can sit and watch the daily progress. We ask his opinion on things ... he likes that. His room will be very nice! His bathroom is now completed and he had his first shower in almost a year last week. I think he kept a smile on his face all day!!

The bathroom and special shower chair are compliments of the Brain and Spinal Cord Registry. Thank you so much!

Sunday, August 7, 2005

Service at Crescent Beach Baptist Church

A Time of Prayer Scott smiles for the camera Family

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