September 2, 2026 Update

He is beginning to respond to questions and follow simple commands! When asked, "Austin, turn your head toward me," and "Austin, move your toe," he listened and responded! He even lifted his left leg and left arm a bit. His eyes are partially open, though processing all of this tires him out very quickly. He was also taking big yawns and continually opening and closing his mouth—almost like he is trying to talk to us!

-Ventilator & Trach Mask: Following yesterday’s successful VP shunt surgery, they are slowly weaning him off the ventilator and back onto pressure support. From there, the goal is to get him back on the trach mask as much as he can tolerate.

-LTAC Transition: Now that he is doing so well with the permanent shunt in place, we are just waiting on the official word for when he can transfer to the Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) facility!

-Clavicle X-Ray: The X-ray done on his clavicle (collarbone) on Monday revealed that it is not healing well, so the doctors & his care team are currently determining if surgery will be necessary.  More to come on this. 

-Brain Wave Trial: The care team started his first two hours of the brain wave trial today! This initial phase of testing is focused on behavioral aspects.

Because Austin is waking up and processing so much at once, we are currently limiting visitors to immediate family only. This is to protect him from overstimulation and help prevent any neuro storms as he heals. As he continues to progress and we consult with his neurosurgeon, we will update everyone on when general visits can resume.

We are so optimistic and proud of how hard he is pushing forward! Please keep praying for his strength and healing!