Children's Specialized Hospital

The next five weeks were very hard for Jill. She went everyday for therapy, and I silently cried while she cried out loud. While we would sit in her room, we could hear children crying and some even screaming. It would break my heart to hear so many children in their rooms with no one to comfort them. The nurses were spread thin, and there was no way that I would leave Jill there alone for even a minute. Yet there were so many who were left alone everyday. I asked the nurse if I could go in their rooms and talk to them or hold them. She said the only way you could do that would to become a volunteer. Well, that was easy! When Jill was released from the hospital, she spent the whole summer going for therapy four days a week. She went from a wheelchair, to standing a little, to using a walker, and finally walking short distances. Then we went to sign up to become volunteers. We had to go through a series of TB tests, orientation, and a walk on the unit which we knew like the back of our hand. I just wanted to get my hands on those kids!!! Our volunteer picture cards were printed, we got our lanyards, and we started going every single day. We would go after Jill's therapy, (and I would cheat and go while she was even in therapy!)  We became friends with so many of the children, (and we were already familiar with all of the nurses.) I don't think we ever missed a day unless one of us had a cold. Then we would suffer from withdrawals until we could go again.

St. Maarten

Around the same time that Jasmine was struggling to survive, Jack,Jill, Chelsea and I were enjoying a vacation in St. Maarten that Jack had won through a raffle at work. It was the first time that I had ever been out of the country, and it was very exciting for all of us. Little did we know that this much needed vacation was going to have to last us a long time. We took advantage of all the great places to eat, the beaches on the Dutch and French side, and even gawked at the naked couples strolling on the beach! Jill and Chelsea went sky gliding ( I could barely watch) and they laughed so hard that I think I can still hear them laughing. When we came home, Jill went to New York with Mary Lynn and her girls, and then to Hershey Park. It was almost as if God was giving her a bunch of fun trips because He knew what was in store for her. On April 17th 2004, not even a month after Jasmine's life altering event, Jill had hers. While crossing the street by our house on their way home from a trip to McDonalds, Jill and Caity(my niece) started to cross the street. Halfway through the four lane road, the light turned green for the cars to go, and a pick up truck that was coasting towards the light, stepped on the gas and went. What happened next changed our lives forever. Jill and Caity were struck by the truck and tossed into the air. Caity landed first and Jill traveled still a little further until she was at least 70 feet from the point of impact. We were called to the scene by a passerby who found out who they were, and we were there in a few minutes. They were both medivacked to Jersey Shore, where they were both evaluated for all of their injuries. Jill sustained a broken femur,broken pelvis, broken knee, broken leg, hemorraging around her liver, concussion, and road rash on her arms and legs and head. Caity suffered facial injuries as well as back and road rash to her feet.(she had been wearing flip flops) Jill was in intensive care for a few days, having an operation to put a rod in her femur and for observation for her other injuries. All in all they were in the hospital for about a week and then they transferred Jill to Childrens Specialized Hospital in Toms River. I had never even heard of the hospital before, so I was surprised to find out that it was only about ten minutes from our house. It was there that Jill and I spent the next five weeks, me sleeping in a chair, and Jill suffering from all the pain she was in, and having to go through extensive physical therapy.

June 8th, 2003

Little did we know that on June 8th 2003, our lives were going to start changing. A beautiful little girl named Jasmine was born much earlier than her expected due date, weighing only  two pounds 15 ounces. She was born to a single mother in Newark, New Jersey, who already had a three year old daughter. Jasmine stayed in the hospital for a couple of months until she was ready to go home. I don't know too much about the beginning months of her life, but they seemed to be as normal as any baby's first months. She was drinking her bottle, and as time went on, she even pulled herself up in her playpen. One morning when her mother woke up with Jasmine next to her in bed, she found her unresponsive. She called 911 and did CPR on her until the paramedics arrived. They rushed her to the hospital but the damage had already been done. Jasmine went from being a normal ten month old girl, to a baby with severe brain damage from lack of oxygen to the brain.