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The Coop
Report
The Coop
Report There is no reason to keep you in suspense... Ashely has been invited to participate in clinical trials at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis as soon as she passes the one-year anniversary of her accident! That's right. Last Thursday she, Adam, and Cindy drove down for her meeting with Marc Buoniconti himself! Talk about feeling welcomed! The entire staff was so friendly and helpful, and the first thing Ashley said when she rolled into the lobby was, "It feels great to be around people in wheelchairs again." Many of the staff suffer from paralysis, so Ashley felt right at home. (See the pictures posted on the Photo Gallery page.) The Miami Project is like nothing else. There are four stories dedicated solely to research laboratories, and 220 scientists work diligently around the clock in their quest to cure paralysis. The Miami Project was founded by Nick Buoniconti when his son, Marc, was paralyzed in a football accident 20 years ago. Since that time great strides have been made. We encourage ALL of you to visit their web page and view the Video Archives, then dig deep and make a donation. Remember, when Christopher Reeve was asked what would cure paralysis, he had a one word answer: Money. We will keep you updated as to the details when Ashley heads for Miami. In the meantime, she'll return next week for another visit. This is the best news we've had since the accident! Thank you all for your continued support.
The Coop
Report It has been 3 months since we brought you up to date, and finally we have some exciting news... Marc Buoniconti of the Miami Project contacted us and invited Ashley to come for a visit! Yes, this is the first step - pun intended - toward exploring Ashley's options. There is no guarantee they will accept her into the project, but we are scheduled to spend a day there (March 11 - right around the corner) so Ashley and the staff can get to know each other. We are deeply grateful to Jessica Minhas for her efforts to get Ashley interviewed. Call it fate, call it serendipity, call it good karma... Adam met Jessica by chance at the gym one day. The conversation landed on Coop, and Jessica, it turned out, has a relationship with the Miami Project. Her kindness and perseverance led to Marc Buoniconti inviting Ashley to Miami. We will keep you posted. This, as you all know, is the second best news we can report. (The first, of course, being a miraculous spontaneous recovery.) In other news, Ashley is learning how to drive. (Honk! Honk!) By learning how to drive, we mean learning how to drive with hand controls vs. gas pedals and brakes on the floor. Look out! Fair warning! Only trucks and vans can be modified for her needs, so Coop and her dad went vehicle shopping this week. Rumor has it that we'll see her zipping around in a shiny red something or other as soon as modifications are complete. Don't worry - we'll give you a heads up! And in other mobility news (and this is probably old news if you keep up with the Home Page), Ashley received a brand new custom-made Surf Chair, courtesy of J-Mac Industries on the day before Thanksgiving. It is beautiful! Now Ashley can travel the beach in style. Hey, she's happy to be able to travel the beach PERIOD! Her spirits are good, her hope is high. Also, Cindy is busy planning a riverboat picnic fundraiser - think Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher - aboard the Beresford Lady. We'll be raffling off an autographed Jimmy Buffett CD and some items that the good folks from Margaritaville sent this way, and "Mark Twain" himself will be on board! The date is tentatively Sunday, April 24th. Please call Cindy at 386-748-1256 if you'd like to help. We'll be posting details on the fundraiser page.
The Coop
Report Patience and Fortitude are the nicknames of the lions outside of the New York City Public Library, and they are also the two adjectives that come to mind when describing Ashley's determination to be accepted into the Miami Project. She has high hopes, unlimited optimism, and unyielding determination. With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, we're crossing our fingers for that long awaited phone call telling us Ashley will be accepted. We know you're all rooting for her! Today was Ashley's last day of rehab at Halifax Hospital. She was "standing" in a harness so the blood could flow to her feet in a natural way. Her blood pressure was good, and although Ashley found the rehab to be helpful, it did indeed come to an end. Another event of the day was even less positive, although Ashley managed just fine. Her mom came home to find that Coop had fallen and - just like those stupid TV commercials - couldn't get up! This is the second time this has happened. Her arms are not strong enough to get back into her wheelchair when this happens, especially considering the damage to her left arm in the accident. She now keeps a cell phone with her in case this happens again. Rumor has it that remodeling will begin this week on Ashley's bathroom. This will be a tremendous benefit to her independence. However, the Coopers are still in need of having their carpet removed and replaced with tile so Ashley can wheel around the house with greater ease. (Any flooring specialists out there who can volunteer for this?) This Friday Ashley will be meeting with some specialists from the spinal cord injury program, so we're hopeful something good will come of that meeting. That's our latest Coop Report, and we hope to see you all at the next fundraiser (Wednesday, Nov. 24th at J.B.'s Fish Camp Park in New Smyrna). Ashley will be there, too. Please stop by and say hello... she misses her old friends and welcomes the opportunity to visit.
The Coop Report It’s been nearly two months since we’ve given you all a Coop Report, although many of you have been by to visit Ashley since she got home from Atlanta. Others, though, live out of town and rely upon this forum to stay informed regarding Ashley’s progress. We promise to do better! The hurricanes also were a detriment to our routine. Ashley was without power for a great deal of the time (as were most of us), although we did talk her into evacuating to New Orleans for one of the storms (Was it Francis? Who can keep track?!). It has been an extremely hectic time for Ashley. She had hoped to enroll at DBCC but has experienced a multitude of illnesses and infections that prevented this. She is hoping to be back in classes come January. There have been many activities in which she’s participated including a recent cookout at Riverbreeze Park in Oak Hill and an outing to Friendly’s Restaurant in Daytona Beach. Thanks to everyone who came by to celebrate her return. Ashley’s days are full. With her mom having to return to work and Ashley not being comfortable yet to stay home alone, she often spends the day with her Aunt Sandy visiting schools. She also undergoes various therapy treatments throughout the week. Her evenings are often spent visiting with friends, and she still gets over to Adam’s on a regular basis to play Nintendo games and tell ghost stories. Hey, some things never change! She and Cindy went to the Phil Collins concert in Orlando. Great music and lots of dancing! (You should’ve seen Coop dancing in New Orleans at the Blues Club!) Overall Ashley’s spirit is simply amazing. That is the only way to describe it. She is smiling, cheerful, hopeful. She laughs and plays and dreams big dreams. She is simply overwhelmed by the kindness of her friends – YOU – all of you who have stood by her side throughout this ordeal. She is thinking about getting a specially equipped car so she can be more independent. We support her goals and will continue to be inspired by her determined spirit as she presses onward.
The Coop Report Ashley Cooper has returned to us!!! Thrilled to be home, but still a little star struck by so much local attention, Coop is busy catching up on some much deserved rest and solitude. Ashley is enjoying a brand new Dell Computer donated by Adele Aletti Hodson, owner of Gone Bonkers on Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. Adele won the computer during from Connect Net at a “Business After Hours” event hosted by the Volusia County Chamber of Commerce. The computer was donated to the event by Connect Net, a New Smyrna Beach business locate at 560 Wayne Avenue. Adele thoughtfully donated the computer to Ashley, and Connect Net has generously donated free Internet service as well. This was an instance of two business owners coming together to make a tremendous impact.
The Coop Report Coop’s luck seems to be getting worse before it gets better. She was segregated from other patients after the antibiotics they were giving her for her urinary track infection killed off the good bacteria in her body and left her with a new infection. However, the solitude helps her sleep. She’s been living with at least two other people since arriving at the Shepherd Center and this misfortune at least gives her the opportunity for some privacy and quality shuteye. Chipper Jones from the Atlanta Braves stopped in and saw her last week. She even got a signed cap from Chipper and talked with him for quite sometime. She had just been to an Atlanta Braves game which she very much enjoyed. Being cooped (no pun intended) up for so long has Ashley really appreciating the time she’s able to spend outside and a baseball game was just the medicine she needed. Ashley’s mom has been staying with her since Saturday. She’ll need to be signed off on a few more things so Ashley can get back home to us. Coop has regained a LOT of control over her upper body and can transfer from her bed to chair on her own. Her athletic little body is really coming back with a vengeance and she’s very optimistic about the future as we gear up to get her into The Miami Project. Well, that’s all for now Coop fans. Tune in next time…same Coop channel, same Coop time.
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Two steps forward, one step sideways? Poor
Coop... all things considered, she's doing great, especially her attitude,
but it seems like there is always some new situation to deal with. She
felt something unusual in her left shoulder, the one that was rebuilt, and
at first we all thought it was one of the metal plates. They x-rayed her
on Saturday morning, and on Sunday the doctor stopped by to say, "There's
nothing to worry about today, we'll go over this in your medical meeting
on Monday... but, it looks like you may have a bone that migrated." Now,
what this means, exactly, we have yet to learn. But be assured we will
post any news as soon as we get it. On another note, Ashley kept feeling a
sharp pain in the upper part of her right arm where she has a pretty large
lump. Upon closer examination it looks like there is something lodged in
her arm, probably glass or gravel from the accident, so that was x-rayed
today and is also on the "to do" list for her doctor. We will post the
news here as soon as we have it.
The Coop Report Ashley's attitude continues to amaze us. This week she learned that the "bump" on her left arm was actually a hairline fracture overlooked during all the initial examinations. Since it went untreated at the time, it hasn't healed in quite the way it should have. Despite learning this, Ashley has maintained that cheerful and optimistic attitude we all love. In fact, true to form, she is making friends all over the Shepherd Center and has been unbelievably empathetic. No matter how bleak her reality might appear, she continues to look outward towards others. She told us a tragic story of a young boy there who was also paralyzed in a car accident, but in retelling his story she emphasized how much less severe her situation was. Apparently the boy's mother was driving, his siblings were in the back seat, and as she lost control and realized what was happening she called out to them, "I love you all..." right before the crash. His siblings were uninjured, but he is paralyzed and his mother died. This young boy told Ashley his story (and if you know Coop, you know she's a sweet and sympathetic listener), and of course her words to us were, "Can you imagine how he feels? He's far worse off than I am..." She is miraculous in her attitude. She was also x-rayed this week to see if she can finally have the brace removed. It is very uncomfortable, although we kid her and tell her she looks like a super hero with it on. She giggles and smiles, but continues to tug at it in a vain attempt to make it more bearable. But she doesn't complain. For those of you who were allowed in to visit Ashley back in ICU in Halifax you might remember how she would sing, "Come Monday, it'll be alright, come Monday, I'll be holding you tight..." as some of her earliest communication. She continues to enjoy music and really appreciates the CDs some of you have sent her way. She expresses her thanks every time we talk to her for what everyone is doing. She recently talked to some of her friends at the New Smyrna Beach Control Tower, and that was clearly one of her happiest moments. She is VERY homesick and hoping to spend a little time at home after her stay at Shepherd Center before continuing with further treatment, hopefully at the Miami Project. That's it for now, but we'll have new pictures and a new report COME MONDAY...
The Coop Report Ashley is maintaining her positive attitude despite all of the challenges she is facing. She’s had lots of visitors recently. Her parents, sister, aunt, grandparents and friends have been hanging out at the Shepherd Center to spend time with her and show their love and support. Ashley has different types of therapy (or “school” as she has decided to call it), and is kept busy Monday through Friday as well as Saturday mornings. She does get Sundays off. She is an excellent patient according to her therapists. Because of the damage to her left shoulder she is still limited in the therapy on her left arm, but on Saturday she lifted a two-pound weight with her right arm. She said, “Don’t worry! I’m working my way up!” On Friday she felt hunger pains in her tummy for the first time since the accident, and this was pretty exciting. Any sensation at all is encouraging. Ashley still cannot feel or move her lower back. However, she can suck in her stomach and stick it out; this is a first. She still cannot move legs, and she is taking medicine to control the muscle spasms in her legs. She enjoys being wheeled outside to catch some rays, although the nurses fuss at her about getting sun on her incisions, which are still healing. Coop told one nurse today, “I’m a lifeguard! I’m always in the sun!” On Saturday morning Ashley spoke for a few minutes to a Christian radio station from New Smyrna Beach. She couldn’t remember much about the conversation because of her medication, but she was happy to hear from her hometown. While her personality, sense of humor, and sweet nature are still evident, the injury Ashley sustained to her brain has given her problems with her memory, especially short-term. This is very frustrating to her, but it does appear to be improving daily. Ashley is especially grateful for the cards and emails she has been receiving at the Shepherd Center. She asked that we thank everyone who has been so kind. “I don’t even know a lot of these people,” she said, looking at her cards and emails. “Everyone is wonderful. Please tell them I said thank you.”
The Coop Report It's been a tough week for our little beach girl. She's had some especially challenging moments this week... As her memory returns and she becomes more aware of her condition, Ashley is facing reality. Today she learned of Gwen's death in the accident, and this hit her very hard as you can imagine. Until now she has been "in and out" of events, and this came to her as a terrible shock. While the rest of us have been grieving Gwen's death and extending our sympathy to Gwen's mom, Ashley has been unaware of the loss of her friend. Now she must come to terms with this as well as the extent of her injuries. The doctor told her today that she has to learn to get around in a wheelchair, but he also reminded her of the incredible advances being made in the field of spinal cord injuries. Ashley's spinal cord was not severed, and therein lies our hope. It was, however, stretched and snapped - sort of like a bungee cord - and the spine is just not built for this kind of abuse. Still, the doctor offered real hope that with the right kind of rehabilitation, the advances in medical research, and the right attitude and determination, Ashley can be a walking, talking miracle (with the emphasis on walking!). To all of her friends reading this, you need to know that Ashley has continued to express her thanks over and over again as she has learned of your generous outpouring of love and support. She is embarrassed by the attention and has repeatedly apologized for any inconvenience she has caused. (Those of you who know Ashley personally will not be surprised by this. Those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting her personally will come to learn that Ashley is a giver, and to ask for or accept help from others is not her way.) Ashley enjoyed visits this week from her dad and other family members, and this weekend some friends are flying up to see her. We have also been reading your online messages to her over the phone. Those emails you've been sending directly to Coop at the Shepherd Center are delivered to her room daily, and she is THRILLED to get them and read them. Please keep sending them! Even though she can't write back she is so happy to hear from you. She is very homesick for New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater and all of her friends. She really misses the beach and wishes more than anything that she could be sitting tower during the day and playing Nintendo with her friends at night. A few nights ago she was craving "real" food, so we called Papa John's and had a pizza and Coke delivered. She was thrilled! It's those simple things in life that are really the most important - good friends, good times, and a slice of pepperoni pizza. So, as Ashley's friend, keep stopping by the web site and reading the updates, continue to post your online messages (she LOVES having them read to her on the phone), send her some email, cards, flowers, ANYTHING, and send this site to a friend. She desperately needs all the support we can send her. Good vibes to you all from Ashley... she loves you all!
The Coop Report Ashley's spirits were great today. She has been moved from the Acquired Brain Injury Unit to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit. When she is in her wheelchair she has to wear a VERY uncomfortable brace, so she doesn't like spending a lot of time that way. Today the stitches were removed from her arm. She said it hurt, but she's glad they're out. Ashley's occupational therapist missed her appointment today. This was a big disappointment to Coop because she is very committed to the speediest recovery possible, and she is more than willing to do the work. As you can imagine, Ashley has had a lot of emotional ups and downs, although she remains very positive most of the time. It is very frustrating for her not to be able to feel her legs at this time; we can only imagine what she is going through. Please continue to show your support for this sweet and caring and precious young woman. She will soon be able to go online and view this web site, so your online postings will mean a lot to her. Also, the email messages you send to the facility will be printed and delivered to her so she can read them over and over again. Ashley cannot reply so even though you don't hear from her, keep those cards, letters, and emails coming. Today she told us that she even received a $25 gift certificate for the gift shop there at the hospital. What a thoughtful and generous gesture from one of her many friends! (Ashley said to tell you thanks… whoever you are!) Now that you've finished reading the most recent "Coop Report", why not send her an email, or post a message on the bulletin board, or BOTH? Thank you for your continued love and support.
The Coop Report Yesterday Ashley was flown to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently in the ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) Unit, and as soon as she is able, hopefully about a week, she will be moved to the SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) Unit. Friends, Ashley is beginning to realize the extent of her injuries, and as you can imagine, she is very saddened by this. Currently she has no feeling from the chest down and insists "those aren't my legs." This is heartbreaking to all of us who love her and are wishing for a miracle. Although her spinal cord was not severed in the accident, it was damaged so badly that Ashley cannot feel or move her abdomen, legs, and feet. Her shoulder is getting better every day, and she started rehab today, but there is an unimaginable amount of toil ahead for our dear little friend. Your prayers, cards, phone calls, flowers, letters, emails, donations, and visits are more important than ever before. She is in a new and strange place. She is sad and afraid. You know that Ashley would be there for you... there is no doubt about the kind of friend she has always been. Please do what you can... it will all be appreciated.
The Coop Report
The Coop Report Today Ashley remained in ICU. She is currently not fond of her nurses, but we’re thinking she is just a bit “mad at the world” and needs someone to be grouchy with. The nurses are patient and understanding with her. She slept most of the day but would wake up and interact a little from time to time. On May 6 she talked for the first time since the accident, although it is quite an effort for her to talk, so she typically just shakes her head yes or no to communicate. Today she ate pretty well, too, including a cup of fresh pineapple. Well, all but the last bite… when the last bite was presented to her she put her hand up to indicate she was full. We thought it was cute and customary for Coop. She is snuggled up with her old Tigger, a stuffed manatee, and a Hello Kitty doll. She even smiled a few times today. Keep sending good vibes… |
