One more post

Alright Hannah, you asked for it you got it. One more post. Today Hannah went in for surgery to have the little filter that was preventing clots from going to her heart, removed. The procedure took most of the day but it went well and Hannah is home and healing up nicely.

Hannah has been walking all over without even her crutches for a while now. She only wears her neck and back brace occasionally and is looking forward to being able to drive again soon. We'll keep our fingers crossed for ya sis!

A wedding!

Yep Thats Hannah walking down the isle at her sister Rebecca's wedding. I think its safe to say that there were tears all around as we watched this miracle sister of ours that we all thought we had lost there for a time, smiling and walking down the isle on Jake's arm.

And who knew that a person could look that beautiful all trussed up in braces like that!

She even danced!

Way to go Hannah Jo we are all so proud of you. Keep up the good work! You are amazing

Oh yeah and I think it might be about time for you to take over your own blog. People dont want to hear from me. You have plenty to say if you will just find the words.

Hannah is Home!

Just a quick FYI. Hannah came home yesterday. So dont go visit her at the hospital. She still loves visitors though as she still cant do much and gets bored easily. So drop by the house when you can and visit awhile. I will post more pics soon.

You've heard of wife swap...introducing sibling swap!

It seems almost every day there are firsts. Today Hannah practiced her first car transfer. Its amazing how things that we never even really think about needing to practice are a major deal when you have to learn to move all over again. Hannah was a little uneasy doing the transfer without Alex, I'm quite sure she is convinced that he could walk on water and she wasn't sure that she could do it without him there. She did great though!

Today Hannah decided that she was tired of spending her life in her bed and that it was time that I got a taste of how she felt. So... we swapped places. I put on her sticky socks that she uses to walk and with her brace cushions on my neck and her blanket tucked up to my chin she deemed me ready to fool the nurse.

Everyone is always telling us that we look like twins anyway so we figured we might as well have a good laugh.

Pressing the button that calls the nurse, she mumbled something about needing a stool softener and then hobbled on her walker to hide in the bathroom.

She stood there peeking through the door to see the nurses reaction and we all tried to keep a straight face. She was giggling so hard she almost couldn't stand and I was so scared I almost couldn't do it but we waited until that moment that the nurse came in. After doing a double take and looking a little confused she laughed at our little joke and helped Hannah back to bed.

Meanwhile, Esther, our camera man... er woman, stood by snapping pictures to document for future reference when we will laughingly tell the story of how we traded places in the hospital. Hannah wishes we could trade places for real when the nurses come to take blood in the middle of the night!

Really I was just tired of her getting all the attention!

Today was a fun day though as Father came and we took Hannah to the cafeteria for a real lunch and then we took her to the ICU and the trauma floors to visit her nurses and show off her new abilities to walk.

Bring on the Sunshine

Today Hannah went outside for the first time in 25 days! The sunshine and fresh air felt good; although she said it felt a little strange after being cooped up inside for so long.

Her sisters Ruth and Miriam came to visit and we took her for a walk around the hospital in her wheelchair. We took her to see the helicopter sitting on the landing pad where she first came into the hospital.

Later that afternoon her Physical Therapists came and we played soccer with her. As miriam kicked the ball to her she took out her anger and frustration by kicking it back. It took a few tries to figure it out but she proved she still had it in her as she sent that ball flying down the hallway! Ruth's little boy Eli looked on shouting encouragingly in his little voice, "Good Job Hannah!"


LAter that afternoon, Alex and Brandie, her physical Therapists took her outside as well, but this time she was doing the walking!
The more uneven surfaces outside present a new challenge for her.

She walked about 100 feet from the door of the hospital, down the sidewalk. Alex is going to have to really work if he is going to continue to find things to challenge her.
She has been really blessed to have been assigned an incredible physical therapist. Alex is super with Hannah and she loves getting to work with him. She told me that he makes her feel like she can do this. He is so positive and funny, we are grateful for all his hard work. The challenge tomorrow? Stairs!

The Kindness of Strangers

Hannah's cousin Heather saw her fall and even though she didn't really know Hannah she has been wanting to help in whatever way she could. She decided to set up a little display in her chocolate shop (The Chocolate Cottage at 720 E 10600 S in sandy) telling a little about Hannah, her accident and her CD. A women came into the store to buy some chocolate and saw the display, she asked more about what happened and Heather told her. The woman explained that she had a daughter who also had been in a bad accident so she understood a little about that kind of thing. She returned to the store several hours later with a card and asked Heather to deliver it to Hannah. She did and inside the card, that wasnt even signed was a sweet note and $100! Hannah was close to tears as she was reading the note and seemed overwhelmed at the kindness of a stranger who didn't know her or the pain that she was suffering yet who had shown such love. From the display Heather had set up in her store she had sold some of Hannah's CD's and she took the money and incorporated it into a gift of chocolate covered strawberries, beautifully arranged to look like long stemmed roses, with the cash as bows.

So many people have shown so much love and support, that Thank you hardly seems enough. Anne Wilde has been to the hospital everyday taking Hannah's mother to dinner, checking up on Hannah and selling her CD's.

Marie has coordinated making sure someone is scheduled to spend the night with her every night and others have graciously been willing to give of their time to spend the night, help with physical therapy or just visit.

If she didn't know she was loved before she does now!

The Swing

I didn't want to show this picture at first since it brings back a lot of memories and feelings for me. But Hannah has asked for it. This was taken by a friend of the families shortly after Hannah fell, while we were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Its impossible to capture in a picture the terror of that moment.

Although we didn't know at this point the extent of Hannah's Injuries we did know that it was serious and we sat there waiting with her knowing that each ragged breath might be her last. I wanted nothing more at that moment that for her to open her eyes and talk to me.

This is the swing that Hannah fell from. Many of you have seemed to not understand even after reading the blog and seeing the pictures just what happened. Hopefully this should clarify. In the video you can see the girl jump off the tower and swing out over the pond. In Hannah's case the board that she was sitting on broke before she ever swung out over the water. She fell almost straight down to the sand below.

Hannah gets her Jamba...finally

Ever since Hannah woke up and could talk she has been asking for Jamba Juice. On Friday she finally got her Jamba Juice and a large order of fries!

I think the smile on her face says it all!

On Wednesday Hannah graduated from the parallel bars to the walker and took ten steps. On Thursday she set a new record by walking 43 feet! On Friday she walked 65 feet and today she reached 100! they have removed the catheter, the IV and finally the feeding tube leaving Hannah free to move about without being connected to something.

The doctor has said that she should be able to go home sometime in the next two weeks! We will all be grateful to leave the hospital.

I'd rather be playing the piano

On Monday Hannah began her physical therapy in earnest. After dressing and cleaning up Hannah moved to her wheel chair for the first time! Its so good to see her moving again. Alex, her main physical therapist is a happy upbeat guy that Hannah got along with right from the beginning.

Hannah wheeled herself down the hallway. She has been exercising her bargaining abilities by bargaining with her physical therapist about how much longer before she can go back to bed.

On Tuesday, she took five steps using the parallel bars! I spent the day at the hospital with Hannah and after her physical therapy when she was finally ready to get back in bed, I mentioned that there was a keyboard in the dining room and that we might be able to wheel her down there and let her play. She perked right up and was willing to head down there before going to bed.

She sat at the keyboard and with shaking hands and a few laughs she played Jon Schmidts All of Me. It always was Hannah's special song and now that "all of her" is in jured it has new meaning! After a few minutes at the keyboard, just long enough to prove that she still has her piano playing prowess, she was ready for bed.

After a long nap, we shaved her legs, washed her hair and played a game of cards until visitors showed up. Its sure good to have Hannah back, a little beat up, broken, and bruised but still the same old Han.

Hannah has a bumper sticker on her car that says " I'd rather be playing the piano" Seemed appropriate to go along side this photo of her playing "All of Me"

Hannah's special visitor

Hannah has had a number of really wonderful Doctors and nurses to care for her. Some of them were gentle and kind, some of them have really pushed her to work hard to recover, some of them were skilled physicians who performed surgeries and procedures to help Hannah through the recovery process...and some of them were... well lets just say a good looking Doctor never hurt anyones feelings. And the one in the picture didnt hurt Hannah's.

OK so the pictures are kind of small but at least they are finally here. (If you want to see some better ones you can check them out on Hannah's facebook.

Hannah's hero Jon Schmidt came to see her and she was able to present him with one of her CD's here is what he thought of it.

Several days following his visit he sent me this email

Hi Vilate. I had a chance to listen to Hanna's CD. SO AWESOME!!!!! Please tell her great job and that I am so sorry she could not come to the Sandy show. She really is VERY talented!!!! How is she doing?

O

Needless to say Hannah was pretty excited. As she has continued to make improvements we are all amazed at her strength.

Hard work here we come!

Ok so its been awhile since I have updated. Progress is steady. Hannah was moved from the trauma floor to the Rehabilitation floor. She is now in room 1222 on the 12th floor. Last night she ate her first meal! Rehabilitation starts in earnest today and she will no longer be able to have visitors until after 4pm as she will be hard at work retraining and strengthening her muscles.
Sunday was a good day for Hannah with several firsts. She watched her first movie, and since her eyes seem to have been affected this is a good sign. She hasnt wanted to use her eyes that much yet.
We are hoping that it wont be long until Hannah is able to come home. There are some things though that you can do to help if you are interested. Hannah will need family members and close friends who are willing to come to the hospital (before 4) and help with her physical rehab so that there will be people who know how to help her when she comes home. If you are interested in doing that please call her mother at 801-792-2202 or call Vilate at 801-310-8232 and we can make sure that we get you in the schedule. IT would be really nice to have several people who would be available to help once she comes home.
Hannah is using her cell phone again and has also been on facebook and seen all of your comments. She has come a very long way in the two weeks since the accident!

And the saga continues

So its been a few days since I updated. She continues to make alot of improvements. as you can see from the picture she is sitting up now. Its hard work to get her there and she struggles a little to get her balance but she sat yesterday for about half an hour twice during the day. I know she wont like this picture but it was so exciting to see her sitting. She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her teeth and ate a bowl of applesauce. Her physical therapists were floored. She is moving her legs pretty well and her arms are a little weak and she moves slowely but she is doing so well. Her eyes bother her alot and she tends to keep them closed. Its important that she use them though so if you go see her make her open her eyes and look at you. They should be removeing her feeding tube in the next few days and she will be eating real food again. Visitors are still welcome but they are doing physical therapy with her twice a day and it takes a little time so you may have to wait a little. She loves visitors though and looks forward to seeing everyone.

A giant step

Ok so Hannah didnt take a step but she moved her left leg. Several times actually. It looks like she should have a full recovery of all movement! Hannah's body is covered in bruises like the ones you can see in this picture. Doctors said that as her more critical injuries heal her body will begin to manifest the more minor ones. She has had pain in her hands the last few days and will probably continue to have little things coming up. Last night when I was visiting she kept us all in stitches with her jokes. She claims that the oxygen they have her on feels like someone just stuck two boogers in her nose and they werent even hers! She seemed annoyed that the nurse was asking for her last name and said it was such an obvious question. The medication makes her quite nauseous and after a trip down the hall for X rays she threw up all over and they had to remove her braces to clean her up. It was extremely painful and left her exhausted. She is loving having children come visit her now. Her niece Shaylee was there last night and kept giving Hannah kisses. She loved it. She is asking lots of questions. Wants to know when Miriam is coming home from Canada, when Sussannah is coming to visit, and where her sister Rhoda is. Since she doesnt have a sister named Rhoda we didnt know what to tell her. She told us that during the night one night she kept throwing the thing that attaches to her finger to measure her oxygen over the side of her bed. The nurse kept coming in and putting it back on. Finally Alma, (although I hear it was actually Richard and she just doesnt remember) put it on his own finger so the machine wouldnt go off and alert the nurse. She claims thats why she got to go home. Then she looked around her kind of confused and said wait im not at home. I think the medication leaves her a little fuzzy.

We have an account set up for donations now. If you are interested in donating something to help you can find the info on the how you can help page.

Say Good Bye to the ICU

This is Hannah taking the elevator to her new room. Sorry the picture is a little blurry.

On Saturday the doctors removed the breathing tube and Hannah began to breathe on her own. She did so well that by Sunday afternoon they moved her from the ICU to her own room on the 11th floor. She is now in room 1110 if you want to visit and its a little easier for visitors than it was in the ICU. She has been talking up a storm (Hannah style) and its clear she still has her sense of humor. She told the nurse on sunday when she came to take blood that she doesnt give her blood for free anymore. She hates her physical therapy but is anxious to get out of the hospital so she is working hard through the pain. She is sitting up more and she wears a "turtle Shell" as you can see in the picture
On sunday evening she had a special visitor. Jon Schmidt has been a hero of Hannah's for some time. Since she was a little girl she has dreamed of writing music like he does and seeing her music selling next to his at music stores. She was pretty thrilled to be able to present him with one of her CD's and just couldnt believe that he was there to see her. He wrote on her wall ( we have a poster up for visitors to write on) and visited with her for almost an hour. She is determined to get out of the hospital in time for his concert on the 16th. At the rate she is healing and with her level of determination who knows she may surprise us all and make it.
You may have noticed the new tabs at the top of the screen. I should have additional info posted in them soon. Including some ways that you can help if you are interested a schedule for visits and a bio for Hannah.
Here is message from Hannah. Its short and sweet but who would have expected otherwise.
"I dont remember alot about what happened but I want to thank everyone for visiting and caring and everything."

Good Days and Bad Days

These flowers are from Hannah's sister Rebecca who was super excited to have found flowers and a vase in Hannah's favorite color...Green! Anyone who knows Hannah well knows she is kind of fanatical about the color green.

This is of some of the family waiting to see Hannah on Sunday after the accident.

Yesterday, Hannah had a much better day. The doctors found that due to some problems internally there was a lot of pressure on Hannah's lungs that was making it difficult for her to breath and also making her very uncomfortable. She was vomiting a lot and that's really difficult when you are flat on your back with a tub down your throat. She didn't seem to have interest in much of anything and didn't respond to visitors or the doctors. She seemed terribly depressed. They were able to resolve the issue at least temporarily and Hannah immediately started doing much better.
That evening they even removed the breathing tubes. The first thing she said in a very quiet squeaky voice was when she turned to her brother Grover and said "well you don't need to look so depressed!" She told us that she had been afraid that she was dying. She seemed interested to know how everyone was doing and wanted to know who had been to visit. We have printed a lot of your comments to her on facebook and they are hanging on the walls in her room. All her nurses cant believe the amount of support she has been given.
She specifically asked where her Brother Alma was and when he was coming to visit. She said that she had awaken during one of the nights that he had spent with her and he was standing over her with his hand on her check and concern evident in his eyes. It meant a lot to her to see how much he cares for her. She asked for several other people and asked some questions about the accident.
She seems to be remembering now the things that she is being told. She was unhappy about the fact that no one will be riding the swing from the top tower anymore. I don't know that she realizes what a close call she had. But when we told her Kim was closing the top one down she scrunched up her face and said she didn't like that. Somehow that really didn't surprise me.
She always tears up when we talk about her many nieces and nephews and all the many children who are sending her their love. One little girl had never met Hannah before and had just heard her parents talking about the accident. This precocious four year old went on her own and made Hannah a card with her name on it and asked her Dad to give it to her.
Doctors are hopeful that before long Hannah will be out of ICU and in her own room. Once that happens she should be allowed a few more visitors, although I think we have stretched that ICU unit to the breaking point with the number of visitors that insist on going through those doors. If you visit you will notice that Hannah's is the only room in need of a special sign stating that absolutely no more than two visitors at a time will be aloud. (You would think we think we are the exception to the rule or something. Don't know where they would get that idea)
While yesterday was a great day for Hannah with getting the tube out and all today was another down day. We expect that with all she has to adjust to Hannah will have many up and down days in the future. Just keep the love flowing and we will get her through this!

Physical Therapy begins

Yesterday was a bit of a rough day for Hannah is she is trying to process everything that has happened to her and how it has and will affect her life. Its alot to take in and its natural that she is feeling a bit overwhelmed. The plan was to try to take her breathing tube out today but since she was struggling to breathe last night they may wait until tomorrow. But progress is steady and we are all hopeful.
Physical Therapy has started and yesterday Hannah sat (with the help of a back brace) on the edge of her bed while therapists worked with her legs. Its painful and very difficult but we all know how strong Hannah is and she was never afraid of hard work! Please continue to send her your love and support and especially prayer as she still has a long way to go.
As she is becoming more and more aware she will need more than ever to know how many people love her and she will need alot of company once that is permitted. She has a very special visitor who has asked to see her and we will let you know who it is and post pictures when it actually happens.
So many of you have been so helpful and the family wishes to send their thanks to all who have been there for us during this difficult time. There are actually several ways you can help if you are interested. First, As mentioned before we want to give Hannah a really good reason to fight to get better and what better reason is there than to see her music getting some exposure and opening doors for a second album. Show your family and friends, post her music on facebook or whereever and let her talent speak for itself!
Also for those of you who are close to her or her family, between the hours of 7 and 8:30 each evening no one is allowed in to visit. This would be a great time for a visit or dinner with Hannah's mother as it is one of the few times that she leaves the hospital. IF you are interested in keeping her company or going to dinner with her during that time contact Marie at 801-638-4577. Once again thankyou all for your love and support!

Its time to cheer her up!

The only update really for today is that it is all coming together for Hannah as she realizes what happened and how serious it is for her. She is very down, isnt talking much even when she is awake, wont use the IPad much and seems really with drawn. The respiratory therapist was working with her this morning and trying to get her to take some deep breathes so that they can take her breathing tub out. She wouldnt or couldnt do it but seems to hardly try or care. Its alot for her to take in right now and I know she is feeling helpless and out of control which is something she is not used to. Its hard to know how to support her since she still cant have very many visitors but your continued prayers will help. Also we are going to start an effort to get her music out there and sell CD's originally the idea was to put the proceeds toward her medical bills. But we want to make sure that she has enough put aside to make another CD so that she is excited to get back to playing and working towards something. How she is breathing today will determine whether she needs additional surgery on her lungs or not. We will keep you all informed.

Pictures and Prayers

This picture is of Hannah with her Nephew Conner's favorite teddy bear. He sent that to the hospital to keep her company along with 10 of his "happy dreams" He said he had 12 so he could spare some for her. On the wall hangs a picture that Conner and his little sister maddie drew of the fireworks since Hannah didnt get to see them. Since focus is on Hannah getting better and guests have been limited family and friends have been sending their love in what ever form they can. From flowers (that we cant take in to her right now) to prayers and writing on her wall on facebook or posting on her blog. We are reading to her all the comments that people leave and letting her know how many people love her. Since Hannah has always been so quiet and unassuming we all loved her that way and I dont think she realized how many people there are that care for her. She continues to be surprised at all the support she is getting. Joe, one of her nephews and his wife sent their IPAD for her to use to communicate. It has been so effective and helpful that the nurses wish their other patients that cant talk had them! Thank you to everyone for your love and support I know that without all of you and your prayers we wouldnt have seen the miracles that we continue to see on a daily basis.

This picture was taken on Sunday after she had come out of surgery for her leg. They had cleaned her up and showered her and braided her long hair to keep it out of the way. Having her leg taken care of dramatically reduced the amount of pain she was in and allowed her to sleep a bit more restfully.

This is the swing that Hannah fell from. As you can see from the picture there are several different places that you can jump from. The first year that they had it up several people climbed to the top and decided it was too high and climbed right back down. Hannah was determined she was going to do it and she climbed straight to the highest point and jumped without a moments hesitation. That made her the 3rd person ever to jump and the only girl. That seemed to give others the courage to try and the swing has been a favorite of Hannah's since. The last thing she wrote on her wall on face book was that she was so excited to go to Aunt Geri's. Aunt Geri's son Kim has closed the top and enclosed it so that it is an eagle's nest that is just for viewing. They have affectionately called it Hannah's Nest in honor of her strength and courage. We love you Hannah!

A Day to Heal and Rest

Today Hannah's major goal is rest. She was able to sleep through the night and was still sleeping at 10:00 this morning. Hannah's doctor's and nurses and pleased with the progress she is making and things are looking up for her. There are no major procedures scheduled for today.

Today's goal is to wean her off of the ventilator. This will enable her to communicate easier. Once she is off of the ventilator they will also be able to determine if the broken ribs on her left side are hindering her ability to breath. If this is the case they may elect to plate/repair her left ribs also.

Hannah's has also developed more blood clots. Her medical team is confident that the umbrella will keep these from causing any major damage. They are also now medicating her with a blood thinner that will help reduce the risk.

The heart tubes have been removed and well as the tube in her right lung. The plan is to try to remove the tube from her left lung today. Her left arm is now at a 5 out of 5 which is excellent. She has command of her arm and move it on demand. Her left leg is currently at a 0 out of 5- they continue to watch this and are not making a determination at this time.

As you can see Hannah has made phenomenal progress and continues to improve every day.

Please continue to keep Hannah in your thoughts and prayers throughout the day!

Hannah says Hi!

Today the doctors said that there is some brain damage in the frontal lobe. This will affect her short term memory, her ability to filter what is appropriate to say or do and will cause her to have a short fuse. We are hopeful that this is temporary.
She is being weaned from the ventilator and is doing really well. She is asking to go home and seems determined to get back to her own bed. She even asked if she could just take her tubes with her and go home. The doc says maybe just another week in the ICU.
She was concerned that no one had called her students to let them know that she wouldnt be there tonight! She continues to seem surprised that so many people care about her. I dont think she knows the half of it. They have increased her nutrition. (Think her mother had anything to do with that?) She still has her sense of humor and asked me today what the big secret was when mother and I were talking quietly in the corner so she could sleep. She has been a little loopy from the medication and seems to be hearing things a little. Other than that we are all amazed at how quickly she is recovering.

How You Can Help

Currently the staff needs to focus on Hannah and her recovery. On Monday the staff asked that the family limit their visitations to Hannah as this is taxing on her physically and emotionally and hindering her recovery. She needs to have as much rest and calm as possible while she focuses on getting better. They explained to the family who was present that things like family pictures, get well cards, letters, a cd with well wishes from everyone, mylar balloons, familiar items for Hannah will help her stay focused and know that she is loved. They specifically said that live plants are not allowed on the ICU- due to the fact that many of the patients are immunosuppressed. Once she is moved from the ICU to her own recovery room she will be able to have more visitors and communicate better. This is also hard for her because she can’t talk due to the ventilator. She can see a poster that many of her visitors have signed and she asks us to read it to her whenever she wakes up. She has the use of an I Pad which she is able to write her questions and concerns on. She is aware of everyone well wishes and love- please continue to send her your love and support in her time of need. When she saw and heard about everyone’s concern she wrote on the IPAD “People Care?” The time when Hanna will need to be surround with family and friends is when she is strong enough to be in her own room and also as she begins her road to recovery at home. When she reaches that goal the family will be able to focus on setting a visitation schedule and help in her rehabilitation. Until that time please keep up to date with this page and we will do our best to keep you posted on her procedures and recovery. Also as the family determines Hannah’s needs they will be posted here so you know how you can help. Thank you all for your continued love and support!

The Injuries Hannah Suffered

When Hannah landed she suffered extensive injuries. The following is a list of the majority of the injuries and how they have been or are being resolved.
• Organ bruising including her heart and lungs- this will have to heal on its own over time. Tubes have been put in to drain the blood and reduce pressure from around the heart.
• Both lungs were punctured (the air pockets in the lining around her lungs is what kept her from being able to be flown directly to IMC)- the lungs were reinflated with a tube and they are healing nicely.
• Fractured right femur- surgery was done on Sunday to realign the break and her leg is now in traction.
• Fractured C7 (last vertebrae in the neck)- this is not of major concern at this time and the medical staff believes that it will heal on its own with just a neck brace.
• Compression fracture in T12 (last vertebrae in middle back)- also not a major concern, this should heal on its own while she wears a back brace.
• Paralysis on left side- this injury appears to be the result of 2 injuries. The arm paralysis appears to be damage the brachial plexus (a cluster of nerves that runs from the neck through the arm). The legs paralysis also appears to be from the nerves on her leg. This is something that seems to come and go and Hannah’s doctors have to wait to see if it improves on its own. It is hard to determine nerve damage on Cat scans and MRI’s. Hannah has been able to feel touch and has some movement off and on- this is a promising sign.
• Some swelling and bleeding in brain- this appears to have resolved itself.
• Bruising/swelling of pancreas- this is also healing on its own
• 16 broken rib- the ribs will be plated during surgery on Tuesday
• Loss of consciousness- Hanna has regained consciousness and is asking questions via writing.
• Hannah is also on a ventilator to assist in her breathing. This is a struggle because it limits her communication . Each day they do a C-pap with her which is where the staff reduces the work that the machine does for Hannha and she breathes on her own. They will continue to do this until she tires and each time this happens she will be placed back on the ventilator. She is basically retraining her lungs and learning how to breath properly again.
• Her blood pressure continues to fluctuate- the best thing for this is for her to stay calm and not get over excited.
• There are other smaller injuries that may surface over time- we will keep you posted.
Hanna’s Treatment
After her arrival at IMC Hanna immediately received an MRI to try to determine the extent of her injuries. The first item of most concern was the fluid around her heart. The doctors gave the fluid a few hours to resolve itself. When this did not happen they chose to drain the fluid in an effort to reduce the strain on her heart. The procedure was successful in terms of easing the pressure on her heart. Hannah also received a CAT scan in an effort to discover any other injuries that they might be unaware of at the time.
On Sunday the doctors felt that Hannah was stable enough to surgically repair/brace her right femur. This was also done in an effort to reduce some of her pain and discomfort. The medication that Hannah is on to relieve the pain was also complicating the ability to keep her blood pressure stable. The leg surgery was considered successful.
On Monday Hanna started to exhibit signs of blood clots which were expected due to the injuries she suffered and the medications necessary to help her in her battle towards recovery. She is also at a risk for heart attack and stroke due to the clots. The goal is to place an umbrella near her heart that will catch any clots that break loose and work their way towards her heart. The umbrella was installed early Tuesday morning. Hannah is also scheduled to have her ribs plated on Tuesday which will also help reduce some of the pressure on her breathing.
Hannah has regained consciousness and is becoming stronger each day. She is being medicated as much as possible to reduce his pain and discomfort. She has been given propofal which is an amnesiac. This will limit her ability to remember much of what she is experiencing and reduce the emotional trauma. She is doing as well as can be expected in a situation as extreme as this and continues to need your love and prayers for her full recovery.

How Hannah Was Injured

On the morning of July 2nd Hannah was enjoying a family event hosted at the “Harding Hideout” (A little park at aunt Geri’s House). She joined others in swinging of the highest point that drops a rider off over the water. Unfortunately as Hanna mounted the swing the board/seat broke and Hanna was unable to keep a hold of the rope and fell approximately 30 ft to the sand below. Hannah landed on her right leg first, that leg collapsed dropping her on her chest and leaving her face down in the sand. There was a friend of the family with medical training that was able to assess the situation and have others help in rolling Hannah over onto her back to enable resuscitation since she had stopped breathing. Someone called 911 and they told us to start chest compression. The man hesitated for some reason and in the mean time she started breathing again. Doctors said it was a good thing that he hadn’t because it probably would have killed her. Marina and others stayed right with her until the ambulance arrived approx. 40 minutes later. Thanks to their quick actions and the help of the Lord, Hannah is with us today.
The paramedics were called and Hanna was transported as quickly as her injuries would allow to The Uintah Basin Medical Center in Roosevelt Utah. The staff in Roosevelt did everything they could to keep Hannah stable and prepare her for Life flight to IMC in Murray UT. Hannah was then transported to IMC in the mid-afternoon as the family waited to be told of her status and what her injuries may be.