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Bill has improved so quickly and successfully, and has maintained such a fantas-
tic attitude and spirit throughout this whole thing, that needless to say, he has most
of the nursing and therapy staff wrapped quite comfortably around his little finger.
Several of them banded together about a month and a half ago, and took him out
for pizza and beer on a Wednesday evening. They so enjoyed themselves with him,
that it became a weekly ritual to get an evening pass and to take him to dinner and
possibly a couple of drinks. Each Wednesday thereafter, they tried to see that each
time was to a different place, and try to show him some of their surrounding area.
And each time, either his special made splint, or a small material device they made
up to enable him to slide his spoon or fork into to feed himself, went along with
him. If he slipped up a time or two, he didn't become embarrassed and quit; but
threw back his head in a fit of laughter which was quickly caught up by everyone
else and the fun continued until it was time to return him to his room at the
hospital.
Last Thursday, on March the thirteenth, Bill was finally taken back to Good
Samaritan hospital to have the earlier tests rerun and reevaulated. The results as
we have been told, were nothing short of amazing. Not only everything in the prior
tests showed considerable improvement, but to put the icing on the cake, the new
tests also showed that he also had nerve sensory motions in his right foot. Now we
are even more convinced and confident that things (miraculous things), are happen-
ing to and within him.
Our son will be coming home this Saturday, March the 22nd, which just happens
to be my birthday, and this time to stay. Whoever thought that this mother would
ever recieve such a very special gift of not only her son's life, but his very being.
And believe me, I don't think there could possibly be a prouder mother or family
than us; for you see, he will be coming home being able to feed himself, brush his
own teeth, shave, comb his hair, partially dress himself, and even bath himself. This
young man who six months ago was being prepared for the possibility of a lifetime
of complete paralyzation. He also can now even operate his manual wheelchair
quite aptly by himself, which he was absolutely unable to do, even just a short
month ago. I'm sure you will agree with me when I say, that indeed an extraordi-
nary event and accomplishment that has been learned humanly, has occurred here
in the form of one Dr. Stanley Jacob and his miracle drug Dimethyl Sulfoxide.
However, my story does not end here. During the time assessed in the above
mentioned account of my son, I have been extremely privileged in being a witness
and a part to the whole DMSO story. Bill and I and our family have been able to
meet and become friends with some of the most wonderful people in the world, who
also share part of this privilege with us.
The first of these is a beautiful young woman by the name of Jennifer Weber,
(Jenny) to everyone. Jenny was involved in a fateful automobile accident in which
the other driver was killed, just three weeks prior to Bill's accident. Through a
similar chain of events, she also was brought to the University hospital very near
death herself. Due to the accident, she sustained three fractures of her neck, a
broken back, and fractures of both legs, plus her internal injuries. Jenny and her
family credit God for giving her the chance to be taken to this particular hospital
and in turn, being one of the very first humans to be given DMSO intravenously,
and credits He and the drug for saving her life. Jenny went home the eighth of
December, still in her halo cast and her right leg in a cast. Today, she no longer
wears the halo cast, and the leg cast remains only because she had to have surgery
to straighten that right leg up. She has graduated from her wheel chair to a walker;
from that to crutches, and just as soon as she gets this new cast off, will be walking
strictly of her own volition, and is otherwise as good as new.
Then there is little "Boo". Boo's real name is Terrence Dean and he was brought
to the hospital the same day as Bill, but earlier. At the time of his admittance,
there was little hope of his surviving. However, they put him on intravenous DMSO,
which immediately took the fluid and pressure off his brain, enabling surgeons to
operate shortly after to get to the crux of the matter. They found that he had a
large mass or network of tiny, miniscule veins covering most of the skull cap and
rooting it's way under the skull and over the brain. They removed what they could
of it the first surgery; followed by it with another with what they thought was the
rest of it a week later, only to find out there was yet more. A week after that, Boo
went through yet another surgery, which made three of them in three weeks time.
With each surgery however, he continued to improve, though his left side still
remained paralyzed. He went home several months ago and is now walking and
using his left side almost to maximum ability. Judy and Bill Dean do not hesitate
for an instant, in letting you know that they believe were it not for God, and for the
DMSO administered upon his admission to the hospital, he would not be with them
today, doing once again, all the things that other normal little five year old boys do.
