Andrew had a seizure last night, lasting 2 or 3 minutes. Ed indicated it was
not a severe episode. He was on the tail end of a dose of medication used to
prevent seizures. They gave him another dose, however, they would like to
ween him off of it.
They had wanted to do an MRI this morning, however, his braces would
interfere with what they're trying to see. They would like to remove the
braces, however, he gets very aggitated when they mess with anything around
his mouth. They do not want to give him a seditive, so they are postponing
the removal of the braces. They hope to remove them later this week.
Andrew's orthodontist from back home will likely come up and remove them,
when appropriate.
They did perform an EEG this morning. We are still awaiting those results.
Although Andrew has been somewhat responsive to loved ones, the doctors
would like to see more deliberate movement, such as scratching an itchy
nose.
The doctors would like to see him exhaling more carbon dioxide, so they have
adjusted the ventilator to breathe 12 times per minute instead of 10.
Ed has suggested 3 specific prayer points:
Pray for deliberate movement
Pray for end of seizures
Pray to be removed from ventilator
They are still restricting access to Andrew's room. Any visitors (beyond
family) are to remain outside of the PICU in the PICU waiting area or
corridor.
Thanks,
Joe
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE FAMILY VIA CARDINAL GLENNON'S
WEBSITE, HERE IS THE ADDRESS:
http://www.cardinalglennon.com/inte...10hom.nsf/?open
HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU!
KEEP PRAYING-
JONI OBERHAUSER
us. sorry if this is old news to you! anyway, we were able to go up to the
hospital last night in response to seemingly bad news. after a phone call
we received yesterday afternoon, we honestly thought that andrew was not
going to make it and that the family was preparing for the very worst.
well, praise the Lord, He has other plans! the docs told the fam that
andrew's brain WOULD swell and that it was just a matter of how much and to
what extent the damage would be from that inevitable swelling. from what i
understand, they even went so far as to say that ed and becky should
possibly expect the swelling to cause such damage that andrew's brain would
die.
30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital last night, ed and becky
consulted with docs over andrew's CT scan, and the docs were basically
dumb-founded at the fact that no changes had occurred in andrew's brain- NO
SWELLING. praise the Lord!
while we were there, andrew's best bud- sam- was back in andrew's room and
told andrew, "if you can hear me, blink twice." andrew not only blinked,
but he squinted his eyes shut hard twice in a row! what an encouragement
that was to everyone... this morning, andrew has been trying very hard and
has successfully moved his feet and fingers in tiny amounts. ed said that
the nurses are limiting people in his room to two at a time because andrew
is starting to get frustrated with not being able to move and talk, and he
is crying a little from being in pain. lets pray that God will ease his
pain and frustration!
ed and becky looked absolutely wonderful- as if the weight of the world has
been lifted off of their shoulders! God is providing them with strength and
courage and they have been an outstanding example to everyone around them.
however, i am sure that you are not surprised by that.
i hope that this is not a repeat of what you already know, and i probably
don't know as much as some of you. sorry about that! i will continue to
relay what we find out, though.
God bless and KEEP PRAYING! the group at the hospital was focusing on james
5:13-16 last night, and i shall close with the end of verse 16:
"the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
we certainly have seen the promise of this verse unfold before our very
eyes...
those docs may have been blown away and dumb-founded by andrew's miraculous
recovery and progress, but those of us who know the great God of this
universe and the healing power of Jesus Christ, it was really no surprise at
all, huh?
ed asks that people continue to pray for protection from brain swelling and
continued progress neurologically as andrew regains strength and ability to
obey simple commands such as "squeeze my hand, move your foot, etc"
all glory to God-
joni oberhauser/friend of Ed and Becky's
Family Keeps Faith After Drowning
Family Keeps Faith After Drowning
By: Susan Stiegman
JACKSON, MO --One Heartland community is pulling together in prayer and support for an 11-year-old boy. Andrew Tyler of Jackson is in a Saint Louis hospital after nearly drowning during a morning swim team practice on Thursday. Andrew is breathing with the help of a ventilator. He's not responding to the people around him, but his family, who's by his side, is hoping that will change.
"We are praying for Andrew," says his uncle Dave Tyler. "We are so grateful for all the support we're getting from people. We hope everyone will keep praying."
Andrew is on the minds of his family and just about everybody in the community. His ordeal began Thursday.
"We received a 911 call at eight-zero-six hours," says Sergeant Scott Eakers. "We were on the scene by eight-zero-seven hours. We helped stabilize the area while they were doing CPR -- rescue breathing."
A healthy, vibrant young swimmer, Andrew showed no signs of any type of health problem. But after jumping off of the blocks during swim team practice, he lost consciousness. Doctors are not yet certain why. What they do know, is that the next 48 hours are critical. The amount of brain-swelling could mean life or death for Andrew. It could also determine whether Andrew will be able to function well mentally and physically in the future. His family is praying he will. And as they wait and pray by his side, Andrew's friends in Jackson also are pulling together in support.
"We have a swim meet tomorrow," says his swim team coach Kyleigh Maevers. "And we are all going to tie red ribbons around our ankles. We're also going to paint 'this is for you Andrew' on our backs in support for him."
Andrew's friends and family say no matter what his medical outlook is right now, they have faith that it can change for the better.
Southeast Missourian
Doctors and family members are encouraged by the steady improvement 11-year-old Andrew Tyler is making after a near fatal accident Thursday.
The Jackson boy continues to show small signs of improvement, his grandfather, Jim Tyler [This is my dad], said Sunday evening.
"His eyes are clearing up and that's a sign of improvement,"Jim Tyler said. "It sounds like small things but to us he's making great strides."
Andrew, who isn't fully conscious, is able to move his hands and feet and make some voluntary movements. Nurses at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, where he is being treated, were able to turn him to his side for a while this afternoon, Jim Tyler said after returning from the hospital.
"Some of the things that he can do seem a long way from where we were Thursday morning." Doctors were not originally optimistic about the child's recovery, but say now he's doing better than expected, he said.
Andrew had been practicing with the Barracudas swim team Thursday morning when he nearly drowned. At first, doctors thought he suffered an asthma attack but on Friday doctors diagnosed a heart disorder that causes the heartbeat to increase, and which can lead to cardiac arrest.
Tyler said it seemed like prayer and good luck were helping Andrew make his recovery. He also credited the swim team with a quick response once Andrew lost consciousness.
"The quick help he got from the swim team made a difference for him," Tyler said.
A swimming accident was the least likely accident anyone expected for Andrew, his grandfather said, "because he can swim as good as he walks."
Andrew is the son of Ed and Becky Tyler of Jackson.
By Bryce Chapman
An 11-year-old Jackson boy who nearly drowned last week has made dramatic improvements in the last 36 hours and now is able to make voluntary movements with his hands, his father said Saturday.
In addition, Andrew Tyler's relatives now have answers that explain the cause of his almost fatal experience. The boy was diagnosed Friday with Long QT Syndrome, which doctors said caused him to go into cardiac arrest and lose consciousness.
The syndrome, which affects about one in 1,000 people, is an electrical disorder of the heart that causes the heartbeat to increase, sometimes resulting in cardiac arrest, according to the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation's Web site.
"It really needs to be known that this problem was a result of the Long QT Syndrome," said Ed Tyler , Andrew's father. "His coaches and teammates couldn't have done anything to prevent this."
Tyler said his son likely was born with the syndrome. When the heartbeat increases, the typical Long QT Syndrome patient normally has three to five minutes before cardiac arrest occurs. But because of the drastic change of temperature from the outside to the pool on Thursday, Andrew was in cardiac arrest only one to two minutes after the initial symptom began, Ed Tyler said.
Andrew, who was practicing with the Barracudas swim team at Jackson's city pool at the time of the accident, was taken to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, where he remains.
Andrew has begun making [SOME] voluntary movements in his hands and face.
"He is able to respond to some verbal commands," Ed Tyler said. "Sometimes he can wink his eyes and move his hands on command."
Also, despite doctors' initial prognosis, Tyler's brain has not swollen, and the respirator that allows him to breathe has been turned down, said the boy's grandfather, Charles Breeden of Sikeston, Mo. That means Andrew is breathing more on his own.
"One of the doctors who did not give us any hope when Andrew first arrived told us today she was encouraged about his progress," Breeden said. "She said everything is looking as good as can be expected."
Tyler's swim team wore red bands on their ankles and wrote his initials on their backs at Saturday's meet to remember their injured teammate, and his family continues to rely on faith to overcome this difficult situation.
"We have people praying from here to China," Breeden said.
By Mike Wells
An 11-year old boy nearly drowned Thursday morning at the Jackson city pool during swim team practice and now a machine is breathing for him at a St. Louis hospital as his family awaits word on possible brain damage.
Andrew Tyler was rushed from Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, followed by his family and friends.
Andrew is the son of Ed and Becky Tyler of Jackson. He is a member of the city's Barracuda swim team and was practicing "block exercises" -- jumping into the water from starting blocks -- when the accident happened shortly before 8 a.m., police Lt. Rodney Barnes said.
As of late Thursday, the boy was still in critical condition, according to his grandfather, Charles Breeden of Sikeston, Mo.
"They told us the next 72 hours are critical," Breeden said. "His brain will start swelling and he's not doing very well."
Doctors are worried Andrew didn't get any oxygen to his brain but don't know for how long.
'They don't know if he was under one minute or five," Breeden said. "They're not giving us a lot of hope. They're not wanting to build us up only to be let down. But his heartbeat is good and he's got oxygen in his blood."
Still, the test results for brain damage are more than two days away and nothing is certain.
"His chances of coming out of this without any kind of brain damage is slim," Breeden said.
At first, there were concerns Andrew suffered an asthma attack, but doctors don't consider that a likely cause now, the grandfather said.
"They don't think that's what it was," he said. "They kind of think it was a freak deal with him taking in a gulp of water and then going into a panic and closing his esophagus."
The swim team took to the water at 7:45 a.m., and Andrew took several turns without complaining of feeling ill, Barnes said. A teammate noticed Andrew didn't resurface after his last jump and quickly pulled the boy out. Swim coaches performed CPR on him until paramedics arrived.
As of late Thursday, Andrew was still unable to breathe on his own.
"His mother is asking everyone to pray for Andrew," said his aunt, Gerri Norton of St. Louis. "We're praying and hoping. He's got his reflexes, though. They hit his knee with a rubber hammer and he responded to it."
This isn't the first drowning incident at the pool. on June 16, 1995, 16-year-old Jackson High School student Lori Anne Niswonger of rural Cape Girardeau died after suffering an asthma attack while practicing with the city swim team.