Apologies first off that we have been so quiet lately, there has been a lot going on, but at the same, not a lot. Every time we come to put an update out, something or multiple things change. So we decided to hold course, and update when we had more information. 

The last week or so it has felt like time was standing still and everything around us was changing so quickly. Each new day was the same, yet bringing new information and watching Asher go through another struggle. It definitely felt like one step forward 10 back. The ups and downs had so much space in between we felt at some points in the day we didn’t know what direction was what honestly. But through it all, as always, Cassandra and Chacho have remained by their son’s side, and have advocated for his best interests and needs daily. His big sisters have remained in Denver, as they all try to navigate this new life. Depending on one another to keep pushing forward in all of the emotions and also the physical and mental needs of each other as well. 

Asher has somewhat stabilized, and is moving into the next phase of his recovery. Which should be only exciting but instead it is a new, hard, very confusing reality all in itself. This new phase comes with more questions that can not be answered and more urges from the medical team to be patient with the process of healing in this kind of injury. Neither of these things are easy. Neither of these things feel possible right now. But we put our trust in our lord and savior and also Asher’s medical team during this time. 

We are so very grateful that his precious little heart has continued to be strong and with all the stress on his little body it has continued to prove itself. We have had to work closely with his cardiology team through everything to make sure that side of things stay healthy and happy as much as possible. We have had to start some new medications to keep his blood pressure in check for a while now but his one of a kind heart is showing it is unstoppable for sure. We know his heart is so full of love and fight, and it’s come into play in every aspect of this huge new different fight. 

Asher was seizure free for some time,  but as his team continues to take some of his sedation and pain medications away, seizures have come back. We still do not know if this is because of the swelling inside his brain, or if this is post injury epilepsy that may stick around. Whatever this may be, his team continues to tweak his medications and try to control his seizures with a good plan. This is very scary in itself though because his seizures are showing sub clinically which means they can’t  be seen from movement or anything physically. It’s only caught on an eeg machine. There are periods they have to take the machine off to give his skin rest and it’s nerve racking to say the least. But an example of our god being a good god in our lives….

Cassandra was very nervous to take the eeg for the most recent break off. She kept talking and pleading with the team she didn’t feel comfortable because he had had a seizure the morning of this conversation. There would be no way we could rescue him from a sub clinical seizure if he went too long because we wouldn’t see it without the eeg. But they explained this break needed to be done because of risk for skin breakdown and infection. So she again prayed about this and let go of her own understanding and fears. Put all trust in our lord and the team. As she lay right next to Asher, for mind you the first time in weeks, she quickly was startled by a movement from him. She jumped up and sadly Asher was in the middle of a seizure. He luckily was able to quickly get out of it and as she sat there she quickly was brought to a heartwarming moment. She later explained to family…I was so upset, so disappointed that he was having a seizure and one I could see. It was heartbreaking and awful. But then was filled with so much gratitude as this was honestly a miracle in itself. He had never had a seizure like this. The eeg was off!! Mommy was right next to him!! Everything had fallen into place just perfectly to keep him safe! God is good! 

Overall swelling continues to get better with each day, his brain is still swollen internally and he still has blood in the inner parts of his brain, but his internal-cranial pressures have significantly improved. Which is a blessing to see, and we pray that it continues to stay where it needs to be. Asher still hasn’t been able to have his skull completely closed yet unfortunately. But this is the best option for him so the swelling has somewhere to go and not create more damage. 

Now that Asher is coming off these hard sedation and pain medications, it has brought some very trying days. Although, he is still sleepy at times, he is waking for periods of time, and shows different signs/emotions when being touched. He is showing agitation, and without communication it has been difficult to pinpoint what his actual needs are. We know some of this comes from Ash being uncomfortable in general, he still has many lines, drains, etc attached to his body. He has been in bed for over 2 weeks now, so we know he is sore and weak and his team rotates his little body every few hours. He also is still unable to regulate his body temperature as well so he fluctuates very easily between too cold which causes shivers and pain and then too hot which causes fevers and higher possibility for seizures. It never feels like wins. He has all of his favorite stuffies in bed with him to help alleviate any pressure and keep him comfortable. Asher is starting to stir to sounds and physical activity, he has pulled his left arm away from nursing a few times, he has started to squeeze his parents fingers on occasion, and he just recently started to open his eyes. Unfortunately opening his eyes doesn’t always mean he can track people in the room or even interact with his eyes. The team has explained possible reasons why and that a clearer picture will come in time. But we know every step forward is a step forward! He even began to itch his leg with his left hand. Again, he is still very sleepy for big portions of the days and nights. As we tweak medications and with each day that passes we hope and pray this becomes better. but it is always a very sweet few minutes when he opens his eyes. A couple of days ago, Ashy had a “moment” with his mama, she walked to his bedside and he laid eyes on her, she held his hand, and his breathing changed. His little cheeks got red, his nostrils started to flare, and before we knew it tears were rolling down his cheeks. Tears rolling down both of their cheeks. We know he felt his mamas presence, and we hold on to the faith that he understands when she talks to him, because he was able to calm down with only her words and presence. Such a gentle reminder, that everyone needed. 

As we continue to make progress, we want to reiterate that things are still very much up and down, moment by moment. We know that will continue for some time  to come. We are overjoyed when we see Ash man doing new things, but they aren’t consistent right now. And that brings a lot of pain and heartache for his family. There is still a lot of really hard moments, and nothing has been black and white. Asher’s family has been told time and time again, that Asher will need time to heal. They have described being in a prison to time. What heartache that brings. We know that as swelling goes down and he wakes up more and more we will continue to see things changing. 

We have met with several people now, and as Ash continues to heal, he will start seeing many new team members that will help with his therapy needs, and what that may look like going forward. 

There has been conversations about what may or may not be affected from his injury and at this time Cassandra and Adam want that information to stay among themselves and Asher’s siblings. As we understand everyone is hurting and are worried we also want everyone to remember this is playing out in real time, and his family is trying to wrap their heads around what is happening still. This is their life. This is painful. This is heartbreaking each and every day.  And right now we want their attention to still be focused on Ashman and each other. 

We do know everyone is worried about them all, and we see your hurt and pain as well. So we will continue to update as much as we can here, and please reach out if needed. Cassandra and Adam continue to express their sincere gratitude and want you to know how much each and every one of you have made an impact in their lives, Asher’s life and his recovery, so thank you!!! 

We will leave this update here for now, and we will continue to ask for prayers and strength for Asher and his family. We also want to extend all of our love and sincere appreciation to everyone who has donated, prayed, and helped our family through this extremely difficult time. 

We know with our Lord anything is possible, so we continue to lean on him and pray for miracles every single day. 💙❤️ #AsherStrong