It was a pretty uneventful evening again, though her spike in fever was concerning.  The doctors and nurses determined the fever is really “brain fever” due to the head trauma and the brain’s inability to thermo-regulate itself right now.  While she is moving both sides, she is still more or less retreating from the pain than really trying to push the nurses to stop.  When the pattern begins Ashley and Brittany tell Hillary to “wake up and get the nurse to stop”….and of course in the end they say “Hillary wake up and hit her”. (You know those Coltharp girls)

Today was also the first day they sat Hillary in a chair and thankfully with fever coming down.  The more we looked at her long hair on one side the more we knew she would KILL us for letting her look that way.  So the clippers came out and we hope she feels the move was liberating.  Demi Moore and Sinead O’Conner NEVER had anything on Hillary.  And oh by the way, we keep reasuring our girl that there are no scars and scrapes on her beautiful face and most all of her artificial nails are in tact.  REALLY!!!!  Only one scratch on her chin.

We are still so overwhelmed by your love….Thank you Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, God Parents, Friends, Colleagues (who ARE our friends), and yes, even YOUR families living in Nashville who have come to see us and offer their help as well. We are the envy of all the families in crisis here because of the gifts and food and LOVE.  Even our friends at Wal-Mart Home Office and in Nashville are taking such care of us!!!  How can we possibly ever repay you for ALL you do???  We keep asking ourselves why we aren’t better friends and family members to all of you?

Keep your prayers coming and rolling over our darling Hillary…..we NEED a miracle soon

XOXO

–Shawn

Today is a better day….yesterday is over! It does look like it is possible that Hillary has decided to “shine” a little more this morning.  She is moving all four limbs and she seems to be more aware of our voices.  While she is still not really responsive, she is moving her legs and arms through stimulus of pain.  Additionally she moves her whole body a little herself on occasion.  As one of our friends in Canada often says, “BIG EXHALE!!!!!”

We have caught ourselves thinking about Hillary’s full recovery and how we will “reprogram her” IF in fact she has severe memory loss.  We are going to remind her that she is a fabulous hair stylist who ALWAYS does her family’s hair on demand….often at our homes if we don’t want to go to the salon.  She considers calling people back IMMEDIATELY as a priority and LOVES to do dishes for all family dinners.  Whenever faced with a decision her first words are “What would Mom want me to do?  Let’s call her right now and whatever SHE says I’ll go with.”

The exciting news for us is that Hillary has no spinal damage and therefore they were able to remove her neck brace today.  She was also able to breath without the respirator for 4 hours today!!!!  Additionally she is reacting appropriately to pain on her legs and feet and in fact bending both knees very well.  Her cast arm doesn’t move a great deal but it still does move.

We are so humbled by your love and prayers and even your friends prayers.  Hillary is being prayed for literally around the world!

Thank you for EVERYTHING…..but most of all for loving our family and our Hillary

–Shawn

Your love, support, and prayer chains are just what the doctor ordered at this point. We are so overwhelmed with the amount of people that know and are praying for Hillary through this.  Thank you to everyone for all you do.

As for Hill….not too good but not too bad today. We were prepared for the WORST since day 3 is always bad.  However, all in all she is doing okay. Early this morning she had her tracheotomy procedure. They also put in her feeding tube. The CT Scan showed no change which was great news! This evening they did put a brain monitor into her head to keep a better eye on activity and/or lack of.  They hoped to not do this but because she is not responding as they wanted the doctor chose this option.

We are really still very positive.  Today we did get a little discouraged because the doctors wanted Hillary to “shine” more than she has at this point…but let’s be real…she will “shine” when SHE wants to…. NOT when WE want her to….again Hillary is stubborn haha.

The great news is Hillary HAS BEEN moving appropriately and it is becoming obvious to us and her health providers she is hearing our voices.  She may not be responsive to commands but who cares. I told my mom think of how down we would be if we had no response from her up to this point. She has gotten agitated and restless when we go in there and talk to her. So even though the doctors watch that part VERY close to not raise her blood pressure too much etc it is 3 days not 3 weeks into this. Tonight we just tried to keep focused on the positives. Hillary is alive and she is a fighter….We are not going to hear great news everyday but we have certainly not heard HORRIBLE news either.

We know there is a rainbow out there….I can even see it forming.  Just keep loving us through this very difficult time. 

Ashley

Tonight at around 7pm my sister, Hillary, was heading on I-24 to Ky Lake and had a wreck.  She was meeting Mom, Dad, Billy, and myself to eat dinner and never arrived. 

After what seemed like forever of worry for where she was my Dad and Billy went looking for her.  They pulled up at a spot where they could overlook I-24.  They saw a white Volkswagon Cabriolet convertible car like Hillary’s being placed on a tow truck.  As they ran closer to the car they confirmed it was Hillary’s.  The state trooper with her car said she had been taken to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah but he knew no other information. 

Hillary had NOT been drinking.  There was no other car involved so we are not sure what happened.  All we know is while she was traveling East bound on I-24 at some point her car crossed over the median and rolled at least twice.  She was ejected 75 feet from the car and landed on the emergency lane of the opposite direction she had been driving.  So her car and body were on I-24 WEST bound.  

She has severe trauma to her head.  A collapsed lung, broken ribs 2-7 on her left side, broken left elbow, broken collar bone, fracture on the back of her skull and a few other minor problems.  We are hoping that she makes a full recovery but we will NOT have that as a possibility if I can’t get every single person I know and that they know to pray as hard and as often as they can. 

This is the only information I have at this time.  I just can only do so much.  But the one thing I can do for my sister, my best friend, is to have you all pray.  Please pray as hard as you can with all your heart and soul that this sweet young mother will be okay.

Here is the release from the KSP

News Release

Injury Crash on I-24 in Marshall County

Date of News Release: 09/02/2007

(Mayfield, KY) – Hillary Coltharp was travelling eastbound on Interstate 24 when her vehicle left the roadway for unknown reason and crossed the median. The vehicle overturned and landed in the westbound lanes. She was not wearing her seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The westbound lanes of Interstate 24 were temporarily closed down at the 23mm. Ms. Coltharp was transported by ambulance to Western Baptist Hospital and later airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital. She is currently in critical condition. Investigation continues by Tpr Tim Sales.