What a HUGE day and week! We were so blessed by 97.1 zht coming to our house and doing secret Santa for my kids! It was AMAZING! We are so beyond blessed to have such awesome giving people around us!
Then today, well today has been a day alright! We went to see Dr. Maack this morning and everything in Alec's left leg looks good. He can start using crutches! 8 weeks and one day following this accident my son stood up! I'll get back to that....
then we went straight to get Alec's haircut! That's right, the Tim Riggins or Sunshine hair is no longer! Now those of you who know Alec, know what a big deal that truly is. All I can say is he REALLY loves Brontay!
Then tonight Alec took his first step! It was absolutely amazing and heart wrenching at the same time. I can honestly say it is one of the hardest things I've had to watch. He was pretty wobbly and I kept trying to make sure he didn't fall. He said, "Mom, I'm going to fall! Its gonna happen and you have to let me fall, that's the only way I will learn to walk again!" Are you kidding me? What an incredible man he is! I cannot believe his wisdom and strength! UNBELIEVABLE! What a long journey we have ahead, but how blessed we are to witness such courage and strength. Thank you for all your love support and prayers, we feel it everyday!

Such an awesome experience with the prosthetic doctors this morning! Alec is doing so well that they are going to start fitting him for a prosthetic in the next couple of weeks!!! Can you even believe that?
We meet with Dr. Maack  on Thursday and if Alec can start bearing weight on his left leg, they can start those fittings, and get him up and learning with a prosethic in the next couple of weeks! I am completely overwhelmed and excited for him!
It is going to be a long process and will take months to get him a correct prosthetic, but the fact that he could be up standing in the next few weeks is SO AWESOME!!! We were not expecting it to be this soon! But as usual, he continues to defy the odds and is amazing and strong! I know that prayer works and that every single one of you has made this all happen.....that along with his awesome attitude and motivation! Pray for continued good news on Thursday so he can get moving! Love you all and THANK YOU!!!!!

This is a post directly from Alec that was on Facebook: I had a great time watching the Utes smash the Y tonight. I know that most of the people I owe my life to wont see this post, but I am so thankful to this school and the hospital. All the athletics here have been amazing in coming and supporting me while I was in the hospital, and giving me special treatment out of it. I really want to express my gratitude to all the doctors, surgeons, nurses, and aids that saved my life. As I have many appointments with these men and women, I find I am excited and can't wait to see them. I am beyond lucky to be alive. I want to say thank you so much. I could never repay you for all that you've done for me. I have absolutely nothing to complain about, and I won't complain. I will just take advantage of this second chance on life.

I haven't been very good at updating the blog the last little bit..... it's kind of been an emotional roller coaster for me lately.
I remember when my brother passed away almost 12 years ago, and the thing that was the hardest for me was how life just keeps going for everyone else,  and my life was changed. I have felt this way so much the last week. I have tried to get in the spirit of the season and have had a hard time doing so. Then Tuesday came and we were blessed with SO many amazing people showing up to show support for Alec at Chilis. I can't even begin to express how overwhelmed with gratitude we were for how many came to show support and help Alec. Although his life and the lives of all of those close to us have changed forever, we are not alone. I love each of you and am so thankful for Alec and his absolutely amazing gift of life. He inspires me everyday! This next week will be huge for him.....we meet the prosthetic Doctor on Tuesday and then the orthopedic team on Thursday. He is so hopeful to have healed enough to be able to start using crutches. Pray for his healing and remember how much we love and appreciate all of you.

Sorry it's been a few days......I personally have struggled the last few days.
Alec has been doing awesome as usual! He has become this amazing man that I am so proud of. He was feeling so good last Friday that he decided to go out. He went to the Doctor with Brontay in Provo, then went to a movie, and then did a little shopping for the puppy! (His name is Ryder)
 It was all good until it wasn't......he was completely wiped out Saturday and Sunday. It just takes so much out of him to do that much, and he hasn't done that much in 6 weeks!!!
 Today he went to the dentist and got his teeth fixed, he's SO happy about that!
Then we went to Dr. Hawkins, (who is his primary care Doctor) all went well! Tomorrow we have another appointment with the orthopedic team just to check the incisions and make sure it all looks good after getting the stitches out. Tomorrow is also the Give Back Night at Chilis in Herriman for anyone that wants to come. They are donating 15% of anyone's total. That is SO awesome! We are again overwhelmed with gratitude!
I am doing better today, just so hard to handle, and hard to be the mom. I just want to fix it or wake up and have it not be true. It's so hard to realize that your son's life will never be the same, and there isn't one thing you can do about it! But I am extremely grateful there IS a life and for his amazing attitude! Rourke and Pam have been awesome, and have continued to help at every turn and I am beyond thankful for them! Thank you for the love, concern, and prayers.....please don't stop as we are adjusting to a new normal and have a VERY long road ahead to get him healthy again, and on the move!!

Today has been a good day! We went to see the orthopedic team early this morning and they took out all of Alec's stitches. They gave him a compression sock and it seems as though that is really helping with the muscle spasms. It hurt like a banchee to get them out but as usual, he is extremely tough! Later we went to the plastics team and they checked his hand, pins are still in place and it's healing well. Alec was told he can shower now without covering his right thigh.... woohoo, one more body part uncovered! He also finished his antibiotic and the nurse came and took out his PIC line! Yup that's another body part uncovered. He has EVERY line, stitch, monitor and everything else off, (except his right hand) exactly 5 weeks to the day of his accident! Can you believe that???AMAZING!!!!!!
Last night he even attended the football banquet for his little brother and the team he coached. While he was completely wiped out, and spent most of the night in a lot of pain, it was so awesome to have him there. Even more so for him to be there with the boys he loves.


PS they moved his appointment with the prosthetic team from Jan 21 to Dec 17th!!!! That is great news!

Its been a few days since I personally posted.....sorry about the delay. Alec's post on Thanksgiving was so far East of anything I could post, so I left it at that. I have decided that this blog, while being great to keep everyone updated, is also my therapy. It's a way for me to get out my own personal thoughts and feelings. So, if it seems personal, it is!
Alec has been home 5 days now and while its been great to have him home, its also scary and overwhelming. All the meds, dressing changes, medical supplies, and IVs are stressful, but I am so grateful to have him home and be able to help him however I can. The one thing I can't do is help with the pain both physically and emotionally.

 Watching my son come to terms with his situation is more difficult than anything I had previously imagined. The physical pain, and not being able to take that away, is extremely difficult. He had several break downs the first couple days he was home as reality became more clear, the only thing I could do was lay next to him and hold him. I truly tried to come up with some words of comfort, but they're just aren't any! There is not one thing I can say that will fix this. At the end of every meltdown, Alec did exactly what he has done since the beginning, pulled himself up and began to express how grateful he is for his life.

His dad is a huge help to him and is here with him every minute he possibly can be. His brothers and sisters have been absolutely amazing and have been extremely patient and understanding. My mother basically pulled off thanksgiving on her own.... I don't know what I'd do without her! The love support and prayers have helped more than any of you will ever know. Tomorrow is Nick and Cody's birthday, and as I write this I am overwhelmed with love for these two boys. I am so beyond grateful that Nick is ok and doing well. I love you two!
Rourke and I love our son and if there was ANY way we could fix this or trade him places it would've been done. We will continue to love and help him any way we can through this long and difficult journey.
Brontay came back from Texas today and that put a serious smile on both their faces. She is doing well and adjusting to her diabetes better than most 21 year olds would. What a gift she is and we are so grateful to have her in our lives.When I watch them together my heart is just filled with love for both of them, what they've been through, and how great they are together.
This will be a busy week as we have many doctor appointments and are hopeful to continue moving forward slowly, but surely!
I love you all and THANK YOU for your continuos prayers!

 This is a post straight from Alec himself: Everybody throws up some post about how they're thankful for things, but I don't think they are as thankful as they should be. Today I am so incredibly thankful to be alive. I am thankful that I only lost one limb in my accident. I should be so much worse off than I am, and I am thankful to god for saving me. I'm thankful for all the doctors, nurses, aids, and everyone at the University Hospital for saving me, because I did nothing. I laid in bed and had my surgeries, but I wasn't the one fighting the fight, they were, so to them I owe my life. I'm also so thankful for my support system because I wouldn't have made it without them. I'm thankful to my father who works tirelessly everyday and is making sure that I get treated fairly. I'm so thankful for my mother who puts up with me and is being an incredible at home nurse. I couldn't be more thankful for my beautiful girlfriend who literally wore herself to the breaking point for me. I'm thankful that she wants to stick around through all the hassle that lies ahead and I'm lucky she wants to spend her life with me. I'm so thankful for all the people who pray for me, love me, help me, and for my family. You guys got me through a time that could have been dark, but everyday someone brought in a light. Thank you for all of your help and support. It doesn't go unnoticed and it means the world to me. I haven't put up a fight yet, but you wait till I can get out of this bed and see what I do. One day I will be a warrior and this will not stop me from what I want to become. Thank you to everyone and he happy to be alive, it could change in an instant.

Just one day short of 4 weeks, we are leaving the hospital!! Alec is so ready to be home. He wants to start his new life and get moving forward.
 The pharmacy came in and gave us all his medications, I need a degree just to keep it all straight! He will still have a PIC line so he can continue his antibiotics. He has shots everyday twice a day.
 Its amazing to be bringing him home and SO scary at the same time!
We are so beyond grateful for his life, his attitude and his motivation to be the best he can be! Our hearts are so full of appreciation and gratitude to everyone who has prayed, supported and loved all of us and especially him! Please don't stop praying as this new journey will be long and difficult! Alec will continue to inspire us as all and will do amazing things!!!Wow!!!! Alec is home!!!! So happy to have him home. It has been a very long day. He is completely exhausted, but is happy to be home. My bedroom looks like a hospital however, with medicine, supplies, bandages, then iv poles and papers. We had visits from family and friends and pharmacies and nurses. Tomorrow we will have more with physical therapists and occupational therapists and who knows what else. But he is HOME!!!

Today has been......well a day! They came in this morning and changed all the dressings on Alecs leg. The nurse did a great job and took extra care and patience with him. The reality of his situation really sunk in today. Maybe because it was Sunday and he didn't have therapy or maybe just seeing his leg for the first time, or just a combination. But emotionally it was a very difficult day!
As a mother it is extremely difficult to watch your son be in so much pain both physically and emotionally and not be able to help or fix this! I listened to him talk and cry and honestly there were no words I could say that would bring him comfort. I feel so totally helpless and out of control. I want to have the right words and quite honestly there just aren't any! I know he will be ok and is strong enough to do this, but it literally breaks my heart!
Tomorrow is a new day and we will get up and do what needs to be done and he will be amazing just like every other day since this happened. And I will be right by his side and so will his dad! He has so many friends family and loved ones that will be there for him every step of the way, but the reality is only HE knows what this feels like and only HE can do it, and that I KNOW HE WILL!!!!

Had another pretty good day. Alec had therapy again and did AWESOME! He is tired but still amazing!
Today The Byrd family, few friends, and Alec's little brother Landon built a wheelchair ramp at my house so that Alec can come home. How amazing and awesome that they would put the time and effort into helping. Also thanks to my awesome cousin Butch for bringing all the wood that was needed. We are so grateful!
Alec's hematocrit levels are down today so we have had to give him another two units of blood. Not sure why that is and no one seems to know for sure either. As a mom, of course all my worries and concerns return again , but I am remaining positive and hopeful that it will be better after the transfusions and will be ok. Praying that we aren't having some kind of setback......we so want to go home before Thanksgiving!

 

Today has been quite a day!!!
Alec started out the day getting his wound vac removed. They changed the dressing on his right leg and it all looks awesome. Then they also removed the drain from his abdomen. Alec had 4 sessions of therapy scheduled and then asked for an extra session. He just wants to work hard so he can go home! The therapists all said he is doing so great and is days ahead of where they anticipated! DETERMINATION!!! Then later in the day he had his feeding tube removed!!! He has everything off now except his PIC line, which he can come home with. Alec put an amazing post on Facebbok today,  "I'm going to dominate this life.....with one leg or two"!!! He is AWESOME! Brontay was also released from the hospital in Provo today and is doing so amazing! She doesn't let anything stop her and we are all so grateful to have her in our lives!
They are thinking Alec may be able to come home on Tuesday! Keep your fingers and toes crossed......I can't wait to have him home!!

This is Alec with coach Whit, the Utah baseball team, and Trevor Riley!

Today has been a pretty good day considering......
Alec has done so much today and is pretty exhausted. 2 sessions of occupational therapy and 2 sessions of physical therapy. Then he got to take a shower!!! Woohoo
A large portion of his body was covered in plastic, but it was still a shower! Washed his hair and it felt so good! He has eaten a good part of 3 meals today and so hopefully the feeding tube can come out soon.
Brontay is doing much better today and has been able to rest which she desperately needed! Her dad is flying in tonight from Houston to be with her and help get her insulin pump and everything handled. That will be so good for her to have her dad with her.
Another day down and we are hopeful that maybe we can get Alec home by Thanksgiving....we will keep our fingers crossed.

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. It has been a very long day. Alec was visited by some great people today. Coach Kyle Whittingham and Trevor Riley from the Utes football team, and then later the entire Ute baseball team. How awesome is that!! Thank you Tim Pagoaga for setting that up. It put a smile on Alec's face and we are so grateful. What a great group of guys!! Alec was moved to the rehab unit this afternoon. One step closer to coming home! It won't be easy, but one thing is for sure...... HE CAN DO IT!
Tonight we got a phone call that Brontay had collapsed and was taken to the ER in Provo. She thought she was just exhausted and maybe a little dehydrated. What we found out this evening is that she has type 1 diabetes. As I left the university of Utah to go to the hospital in Provo, I just cried and cried. I am not sure what it is that's going on, and I feel so totally out of control with all of it! Even as I write this, I feel like I'm watching some bad movie that just doesn't end!
As I walked into the hospital and into her room, I was once again reminded of how lucky and blessed we are! This sweet young girl had a blood sugar count so high that she really should have been in a diabetic coma! We are truly blessed to have had a friend with her at that moment to get her taken care of. Thanks Hillary!!
Brontay has the same attitude as Alec and will be ok! She will be in the hospital for a couple days to get her blood sugar regulated. Alec was having such a hard time not being able to be there for her! One thing I know for sure is that these two kids have been through some really hard times that no two 21 year olds should have to go through. However, they will be stronger and better because of these things. I am again asking for your prayers on both of their behalf.
I don't have all, or any answers but I know we are getting through each day as it comes because of the faith and prayers! THANK YOU

We had a really rough night last night and most of the day has been the same. Pain is almost unbearable. They finally got it mostly under control early this evening and he has slept a lot. They took him down for an xray of his right femur a couple hours ago and said its normal to check that.....we don't know?
His color is so bad today, maybe from surgery yesterday? It just is taking a heavy toll on his skinny little body!
Phantom pains are a very strange thing. Your brain doesn't realize that you no longer have a body part so even though its gone, your brain still thinks its there! Then you have all the nerves from the amputation that are so fresh......
That's a lot of pain and then you add the left leg and the pins in his right hand and PAIN!!!!
It is so hard for Rourke and I as parents to sit and watch and can do nothing! The most helpless feeling ever! I just wish so much to trade him places or make him feel better. He still is so positive and so polite to the nurses and staff....its unbelievable to witness. The courage and strength of our 21 year old son is completely overwhelming to us. We cannot begin to imagine what he is going through and yet he continues to be grateful to be alive and positive. As parents we cannot express our thanks and gratitude enough for all of the love and prayers! We made it through another day!!

We had a really rough night last night and most of the day has been the same. Pain is almost unbearable. They finally got it mostly under control early this evening and he has slept a lot. They took him down for an xray of his right femur a couple hours ago and said its normal to check that.....we don't know?
His color is so bad today, maybe from surgery yesterday? It just is taking a heavy toll on his skinny little body!
Phantom pains are a very strange thing. Your brain doesn't realize that you no longer have a body part so even though its gone, your brain still thinks its there! Then you have all the nerves from the amputation that are so fresh......
That's a lot of pain and then you add the left leg and the pins in his right hand and PAIN!!!!
It is so hard for Rourke and I as parents to sit and watch and can do nothing! The most helpless feeling ever! I just wish so much to trade him places or make him feel better. He still is so positive and so polite to the nurses and staff....its unbelievable to witness. The courage and strength of our 21 year old son is completely overwhelming to us. We cannot begin to imagine what he is going through and yet he continues to be grateful to be alive and positive. As parents we cannot express our thanks and gratitude enough for all of the love and prayers! We made it through another day!!

Alec got up in a wheelchair and went for a walk today! It was so amazing to have him up and he was so excited, we even went outside in the fresh air and sunshine. What an awesome experience to be outside with my son. I really have no words to express my gratitude and love for my son. Alec finally went into surgery around 5:15 PM. As we waited, of course the feelings and emotions almost become overwhelming. We all try to joke and talk about other things but in the back of our minds...  all the stress worry and fear of yet another surgery lurk nearby. A couple of hours into the surgery they called out and said it was going well, but that they weren't going to be able to close the leg all the way. We all were so sad for him, he wants to be done being operated on and get better so he can go home! It was kind of gloomy for us for awhile. When the surgeon came out......guess what!
They were able to close the whole thing! It has a wound vac on again and will need that for about 5 days!  I honestly cannot believe that we are actually done having surgery, at least for awhile. They also fixed his hand, 4 pins, and they are outside his cast so that's not going to be very fun. It will be like that for 6 weeks. But seriously we are so blessed and grateful. My son is actually on the brink of recovery! I have had a few rough days. I don't know why though, my son is so amazing and doing so well. I'm so proud of him and so amazed, but as a mother, it is so hard to watch, and so difficult to know the right things to say to be of help to him. I feel extremely grateful that my son is alive and he has had so many blessings.

We have had a very long day..   he was feeling pretty good for awhile this morning but not so much now. We have not gone into surgery yet because a trauma came in so they are saying 4-5pm. It breaks my heart that someone else's world has just been turned upside down!
Good news is Alec is mad because he's hungry! That is so great that hes actually hungry but sucks because he can't eat. He doesn't like waiting! Again thank you for the continuos support!!!

Today has been a rough day pain wise. We have had a hard time getting on top of the pain. They let him sleep a little more last night which was good, but then he got behind on pain meds. Two edged sword for sure!
Alec has eaten today which is so good.....like actual food!  It's so great to see him eat.
Alec is very tired today but so full of gratitude. He is telling everyone how grateful he is to be alive and how blessed he feels. I am so overwhelmed by him and everything  that he is going through. We think he will have surgery again tomorrow at 12 PM.

Again, Alec is out of surgery from this morning, he did so great. He had to have a couple units of blood (mostly just precautionary). They were able to repair the bone, LCL and the nerve in his left leg. He will not be able to put any weight on it for 6 weeks, which he is not going to be happy about!
Alec watched some videos of another amputee last night and he was so excited about everything that this man is able to do. He wants so much to get up and get moving forward. I am again completely astonished by his overwhelming gratitude that he is alive and all the possibilities that await him. I don't know very many 21 year old young men that could handle this with the strength and courage the way he has. His attitude is inspiring and extraordinary! One more surgery and one more day down!  Hey Alec, YOU ARE MY CHAMPION!!!

Alec is out of surgery. Went pretty good, weren't able to close the right leg because of swelling but the infection looks good! He will have a wound vac on it until monday. Weren't able to do the left leg or hand but are planning that surgery for tomorrow. His poor skinny body is tired and all the surgeries are hard on him but he's so tough.
 Thank you for all of the prayers

It has been a good day! I am overwhelmed with the love and support we have gotten from people we don't even know and those that we do. Alec has been able to rest a lot today and his spirits are so good. He is going into surgery at 7:30 am and I am hopeful that the infection is gone so they will be able to close the right leg and fix the broken bone and ligament in his left leg, and also his hand. His body is tired and all of the surgeries are hard on him. Alec has his sense of humor and has even made jokes about his leg being gone. I am inspired and amazed that my 21 year old son is handling all of this the way that he is! When he has visitors, they all express how they go in feeling sad, and come out inspired! My sweet friend Britt (who has his puppy) came to see him today and when she left he was so happy. They both have had the same exact thoughts about that puppy being a service dog for him. Life is strange...and a friend that I haven't seen in 20 years has impacted his life in ways that I can't even begin to express. Who would have thought that just 21 days ago, giving my son a puppy for his birthday would turn into a life changing thing for him!
Pray for a good outcome tomorrow, and that his tired body can handle yet ANOTHER surgery! Again  THANK YOU for the love support and prayers, as hard as all this is, we wouldn't be able to do this without each of you!!!

I'm sitting here watching my son sleeping peacefully. He had a very rough night, pain was so bad. His uncle Mike was with him all night and said he slept about 40 minutes was all.
Today as I sit here I am overwhelmed with gratitude that my son is alive. Gratitude and thankfulness that the Lord was able to help him in making his decision yesterday that very well could have saved his life again!  He still has the staph infection but we are hoping and praying that with removing his leg we can get on top of that. He has lost so much weight, about 40 lbs and still doesn't have much appetite. His blood pressure and heart rate are better than its been since we got here 15 days ago....man it feels like we've been here for months!! My son is a fighter and is absolutely astonishing all of us with his positive attitude. I really don't know what lies ahead of us but I know he will succeed and do great things!! I am continually inspired by him!!

On October 30th my sons life was spared. Today, we weren't so lucky with his leg. This morning when the trauma orthopedic team came in to check on Alec he made the heroic decision to amputate his right leg!  Of all of the things I have been so proud of him for in his life, I have NEVER been more proud than I am today. He has more strength and character than anyone I have ever known. He handled this with dignity and love. Even with others telling him to wait and all of his options weighed, he knew what was best for him. As a mother who gave birth to this beautiful baby who had two perfect legs and ten perfect toes I have never been through anything harder. With conflict and others telling me it wasn't the right decision, my job is to love, support and trust my son. When the surgery was over, the Doctor said it was absolutely the right decision. His entire leg was filled and oozing with infection. If we would have waited even 24 more hours we probably would have lost his leg up to his hip and who knows about it getting into his organs. We again have had tender mercies and the Lord has helped Alec mentally and emotionally prepare for this. He is awesome and amazing! I love my son and have never been more proud of him!

If you are wondering how you can help Alec's cause there is a PayPal account set up for Alec, just click on the yellow Donate button at the top left of the blog.   Alec will receive an email on your donation and  you will receive a receipt, thank you.

Today has been ok.....or maybe just yesterday was so hard that today feels better, I don't know.
The muscle flap is continuing to die and infection is still pretty aggressive.  Surgery kind of happened, no working on the left leg because of infection. They don't want to spread the infection into the other leg. It's already in his blood stream and they don't want to risk further damage. We basically have some pretty big decisions in the next day, although we are all fairly certain where that will lead.
Alec is literally the strongest person  physically and emotionally I have ever known. He has an absolutely awesome attitude and I love him! He is strength to us all. Keep praying as we have very hard decisions to make in the next day or two.

Today is not a good day! I am trying with every ounce of my being to stay strong and hopeful but quite honestly I do n't know if I can muster anything.
Alec has infection in his leg which is staph! Praying that it doesn't run through his whole body. They came in about an hour ago and cleaned it right there. They did give him pain meds but quite honestly I DO NOT know how he stood the pain. Rourke told him he's absolutely the toughest kid he's ever seen! Rourke and I could hardly handle it, how Alec did I will never know! The muscle flap is dying and I think the only reason the doctors didn't just say it's done was for Rourke and I, that we wouldn't lose complete hope. How in the name of all that is good do you tell your 21 year old son he is losing his leg?
He is having surgery in the morning on his left leg to fix the LCL and the bone. Sorry I can't find a positive space to be right now, but I will! My son is amazing and I love him so much! Please continue the prayers.

So many thoughts and feelings are running through my mind. We don't know a lot yet but should have culture results in the next few hours. Sucks to wait but that seems to be what we do. He has had a fever on and off all night. He's either burning up with fever or sweating like crazy. He has been awake for a couple of hours and talked with me and Mike. We are waiting for the plastics Dr to come in and decide if we can try and clean the leg here or go back in the OR. He definitely has infection, the wound has a terrible odor and is changing color, some dark and some green. It's not good. I wish I had answers and I wish I could fix this. Again, as parents we sit here completely helpless but not hopeless! We will not/CANNOT give up!

Alec is being moved back to ICU....they think he has infection and that is the worst news we could get. Say extra prayers for my son!!!

Last night was a bit better....they were able to get on top of his pain at least a little bit so he could rest. He's completely exhausted! The hallucinating has stopped for the most part so that's good. I am beyond grateful for his life and his determination! Hopefully  today will be an okay day. They are going to change the dressing today so we are not looking forward to that extra pain but we are SO grateful that the muscle flap is taking!

Alec has continued to be exhausted today from his extremely long procedure yesterday. Today has been another rough day for Alec. He said earlier, "this has been the hardest day so far."He is in so much pain, and although they are constantly trying to get it under control, it just continues to rage throughout his body. He remains in the IMCU wing and they are keeping a close watch on the muscle flap which seems to be doing good so far. Please continue to remember Alec in your prayers as he is in extra need of them right now! We love and appreciate all of you for your love and support, as we all continue on this journey with Alec! This kid is a fighter!!!

Update on Brontay's sister is the swelling on her brain has gone down and she is off the breathing tube and conscious. She will need surgery on her pelvis and possibly her hand. We are so happy that Brontay was able to fly out and be with her family. Please remember the Dickson family in your prayers as well.

I would have to say last night was probably the worst night we've had. Alec is in so much pain. He is hallucinating which they say is normal given all the trauma and the 13 hours of surgery. He doesn't understand what is happening and keeps begging his dad and I to save him and stop letting them hurt him! We have never felt so helpless! We would give anything to take the pain away and make him better. As hard as this is I keep telling myself that he is alive, and we are truly blessed, which we definitely are, but this is one of the hardest things we've ever had to endure.
Please continue to pray for him. He needs to rest and hopefully the hallucinations will stop. Pray for Brontay and her sweet sister Korelle. This is completely overwhelming and exhausting but we are grateful for each of you. Alec is a fighter and I KNOW he can do this!!!

Alec is out of surgery.... FINALLY!! It went ok, not as well as we had hoped but still ok. The first artery didn't respond so they did a second one and it seems to be working ok. Blood flow seems good at this point however it is very touch and go. They will have him in the IMCU and watch it very closely. If it starts to clot or anything they will take him immediately back in to try and fix it. The surgeon did not really give us a lot of good vibes. Said its very touch and go and if this doesn't work we really don't have a lot of options left because they had to use two arteries. If it doesn't work we will be looking at alec losing his leg. They were not able to do anything with the left leg or right hand, his body is just not strong enough. That's ok, we can do that later. They were able to graft the front side of alecs leg but not the back. Uugh this is extremely exhausting and hard but my son is a fighter!!!
While waiting for surgery we got a very sad phone call that Brontays (alecs rock star of a girlfriend) that her sister was in a bad car accident and has been life flighted to a hospital in Austin Texas. She is on a ventilator and her brain is swelling. Holy crap could this girl catch a break!! Could everyone please  pray for Korelle and for Brontay!!! Omh we are tired but SO grateful!!!

So we are at 9 pm and he's still in surgery! Holy long day! They update us every two hours and said he's doing really well. They have had some trouble getting the blood vessels working properly and said it's very tedious. They have not done anything with the left leg or right hand. His body just isn't strong enough to do that today. Thank you for all the love and prayers...hopefully he will be out soon and I will update all of you. Keep praying for him and for the surgeons! LONG DAY

The ortho Dr just came out.....they were able to repair both outside ligaments on his right knee!!! That is UNBELIEVABLE!!! Another miracle!! He is still in surgery with the plastics team! Keep praying IT IS WORKING!!!

Overall, today was a pretty mellow/quiet day. A LOT of Doctors and a lot of discussion about surgery tomorrow. They have finally been able to get on top of his pain a little bit. That being said, he's pretty loopy! One thing I can say for sure is that his quick wit and sense of humor is there and we love it! His cousin Cody (Nicks twin) came in from Oregon today and it was awesome to have those three boys together. (Sorry guys but you'll always be boys to me).
Alec was able to sleep the majority of the day and that was good. Surgery tomorrow, and it will be a long one... repairing bone and one ligament in the left leg. Trying to do something (who knows for sure what) with ligaments and tendons in the right leg. Doing a muscle flap, which they will take from his abdomen, and skin grafts. If he's stable, and handling surgery well, they may do the pins in his right hand. Holy crap, that's a lot of stuff!
Please say a lot of prayers for him as it will be a very long day! Again THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for all the love, support and prayers. Our family will never be able to express our gratitude! PS...the social worker came in and said, "Alec, usually people have one or two teams working on them...you have every team in this hospital except geriatrics!" Lol, let's stay away from that one!

We are continually amazed at the support that has emerged for Alec during this past week. We are eternally grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers. So many have asked how they might be able to help... We have set up an account at any chase bank in the name of Alec McMorris. Any donations at this time would help more then you know. Thanks again for all the love help and support!

Today has been long and hard but good. The idea of putting Alec into a wheelchair made him so happy, until they did it. The pain was SO horrible! I can hardly stand to watch him suffer! It's the most awful thing to not be able to help your child. He said he never wants to do it again. But by the afternoon (and a lot of medicine) he said he would try again in the morning. Tonight Brontay went and got his puppy and brought it up to see him. That dog may be just exactly what he needs. Britt (the lady we bought the puppy from) was worried that when the puppy is separated from the others he would wine and not be calm. As you can see by the pictures, that puppy knew exactly what Alec needed, thanks for that wonderful opportunity Britt! We are looking at surgery on Friday to do a muscle flap, start skin graft, and also repair part of the left leg. Please keep the prayers coming and know we love and appreciate you all so much!
Rourke made a comment today that when Nick comes in to see him he lights up! It's so true! We love you Nick.
My sister Kris has Indian names for my kids, like Sadie's is "talks a lot". My sweet friend Robert Mantas came up with a new one for Alec today...
"Dances with trucks" too awesome, thanks Robert!

This is Nick and his fiancé Kat.

I have been sitting here looking at my FaceBook and I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude with all of your love and support. I cannot begin to express how grateful we are. I was looking back to the post I put up on Alec's birthday, just 15 days before this horrifying accident. I said to him, "Alec you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. You have far greater talents and gifts than you even realize!" Who would have thought those words would be so appropriate just 2 weeks later? The truth is, he is amazing and can do this! He has already beaten the odds over and over and over! Alec has a purpose beyond what any of us can see, and I believe he is going to be an example to many other people when this is all over.

Today started out pretty rough.....Alec had to have 2 more units of blood and was in so much pain. He went into surgery and it was very long!! However they were able to fix the bones and they lined up great! The knee is back where it goes and looks stable. We will have to fix the left leg asap and also a muscle flap over the tibia and then skin graft. There was no more dead tissue and no infection! We are watching miracles every day and are so grateful! Alec is in a lot of pain, wants to go home and wants his puppy! Rourke and I and our entire family are so very grateful to each of you for all your love prayers and support. Please keep it up, we have a lot to do but we are blessed beyond measure!!

I came home tonight to try and get some rest but its not coming very easily. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that my son is alive and doing so well because of the faith and prayers on his behalf. That being said, I want so much to trade him places or fix this.....nothing has ever been harder than watching my child almost not make it, be in so much pain, and I can't fix it! As a mother we are supposed to protect our children, and I just couldn't this time. Rourke and I both would trade places with him in a heart beat! I know he is so strong and can do this! I also want to say that with my whole heart I love my nephew Nick! He is an absolutely amazing kid and I know that he would also trade places with Alec in an instant if he could. But he needs to know and feel of everyone's love, prayers, and support. He is the best, and while I know that he feels like if he hadn' been there, neither would have Alec. Nick we all love you and need you to know our prayers are for you, just as much as for Alec.
Surgery is tomorrow and we are praying for a positive outcome. We have been so blessed and have seen miracles. Please keep praying for Alec and Nick as this is something that they both are in need of desperately! Words cannot adequately express mine and Rourkes gratitude for each of you! We have am amazing son and are truly blessed beyond words to be his parents and to still have him with us.

 Alec is doing good.....has been moved to the 6th floor orthopedic trauma unit. Out of ICU so that's good. He has had kind of a rough day, a lot of pain. He is completely worn out!! Surgery is tomorrow, not sure exactly what time yet, but we are praying no infection and no dead tissue, so they can start repairing. Alec may have a more serious injury in his hand than preciously thought, we need more x-rays to determine this but it might need surgery. He also has to have the bone and LCL in his left leg fixed ASAP. The poor kid is just beat to crap!!! I'll keep posted on surgery time and info as soon as I know it. We love you all, thanks for the continuous support.

Alec is still stable and doing so well. He did have some fever last night but that seems to have gotten better. We are SO grateful for all of the prayers and the fast yesterday.....we can feel the love and support and are seeing the blessings constantly. Keep praying as surgery is tomorrow and it will tell us a lot about his leg. Alec is an inspiration to all of us and we are so blessed to have him still with us. We love each and every one of you and words cannot express our gratitude for you.

Alec has had a pretty good day. Surgery this morning, and has been able to rest the majority of the day. We've had good news and some bad news today, but good news always outweighs the bad. He did have to have a feeding tube put in, because his body has lost so much he needs more nutrition. He is definitely a fighter.

Just got out of surgery......
had to cut out 3 small pieces of muscle that were dead. That's not really good but not terrible. Otherwise tissue looks healthy and good. Plan is to still go in on Tuesday and clean again, if it looks good and no tissues are dead they will be able to start actually repairing. Pray for that, he is in so much pain and wants to start fixing it. The left knee is pretty jacked up now too, LCL and ACL are both torn along with the brake. They put a brace on his leg, but basically will not be fixing that now. Don't want to cause him more pain at this point.
He is very tired and how body needs rest to heal so he will be pretty medicated today which will be good for him.
He did have to have another unit of blood yesterday because his counts are dropping. They are watching that very closely but at this point seems to have leveled off. Thank you for all the love support and prayers please keep them coming. We love you all

My son is doing so well tonight!! All of the prayers are working and we are so grateful! He has a very long road but every hour he gets better and better. He just posted on FB "shit I feel like I've been hit by a truck.......oh wait" if that isn't the greatest post EVER I don't know what is! His body is broken but his mind is sharp as ever!!! That my friends is an absolute miracle! How do you fly 25 feet through the air and land on the ground and not have any head trauma?? Its a miracle of God, that's how!!! Love you all and love my son so freakin much!!!

P.S. tomorrow is a surgery day so Alec needs all the peace, quiet, and rest he can get. Thank you all so much for everything!

Alec has done really well today. While he is exhausted, his attitude is good. We had a little bad news with finding out he has a fracture in his left hand, and also a break in his left leg. Not sure of the extent of that injury yet. The hand has been splinted and should heal. Waiting to hear from the orthopedic team about the left leg. All that's being said is that Alec is a miracle, and we are so grateful for your prayers. Keep saying them.....they are working!

After changing the bandages and a bath, Alec slept foe quite a while. When he woke up around 4 he was in a lot of pain. He is realizing more every time he is awake the gravity of the situation. He wants to get up go home so bad. We are telling him a bit at a time what is wrong and what all he has been through. This is so so so hard to watch my child hurt so much and not be able to fix it. I just wish so much I could trade him places.
He needs all your love, support, and prayers. Thank you all, from every ounce of my being, I KNOW we would not be doing as well as we are without all of you!

Alec has the ventilator off and is doing so awesome!!! He has not fully realized the gravity but is doing so amazing! His sense of humor is still in tact! He is in a lot of pain and on a lot of meds. But he is HERE , he is ALIVE, he is completely with us mentally!!! We are so blessed and have had miracle after miracle! Still need more but are so so happy with the progress

Surgery went really well.....we have had nothing but positive all day. I truly believe it is because of all the love and prayers. All of what's left of Alec's leg is healthy and viable. It all looks very good.
Alec isn't awake yet but when he is they will be trying to take him off the ventilator. He was communicating as well as he could this morning before surgery, and even smiled when he saw Brontay! Then after a bit of charades Rourke and I were able to figure out that he was asking about the score of the Red Sox game......that's my boy!!!!
He will be having surgery again on Sunday to clean and check viability again, and if all is well,  surgery again on Tuesday to start actually repairing. Please keep praying, we love you all more than words can describe!

This is a post from my brother Andrew Cooper yesterday! So grateful for you and your cute wife and your love and support.

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. Some of you may know but my first birthday phone call came from my step sister Angie. My nephew had just been in a horrific accident. Not the call I was prepared for. All day I struggled to work and keeps my spirits up. How could this happen especially on my bday. Today when I awoke to a new day I realized that yesterday was actually my greatest bday of my life. The gift was Alec being alive when there were 100 reason he shouldn't be . What an amazing present. My day was definitely half full not empty. Thanks Jess for helping me make it through yesterday. Praying for the McMorris family and hugging mine every day. Happy Halloween please be careful

He woke up and communicated with Josh with open eyes and nods and smiles for about 30 min last night. The bond of brothers is huge!! He likes to write things down because he can't talk, but gets too tired to stay awake to write. He wrote "mouth ca" to Brontay, we aren't sure what that meant because he fell asleep. But probably his mouth hurts?? His blood pressure still going up but comes down with medicine. Not sure what that's about yet but probably has a lot to do with the amount of pain he is in. The reality of our situation sinks in more clearly every hour. But what we do know is that we are extremely lucky that Alec is still with us. Really shouldn't be and especially blessed that he has no head injuries. The miracles and tender mercies of the Lord are evident more by the minute. Your prayers are working please keep them coming. My son is so strong and his stubbornness will be a huge asset for him now!  I love you so much Alec and your "mickey magic" is what we need!!

Alec in his new Red Sox jersey his cousin Nick brought him!

(written by his mother Angie) Been another long day but things are still looking pretty good considering.....
Been really a rest day for him. He has really wanted to wake up today and isn't happy about the tube when he does. His color is much better and still has good circulation in his right foot. They changed the dressing on his leg today and I decided to stay so I knew what I was dealing with.....quite honestly one of the hardest things I've ever done but good too. So so hard and seriously I don't have words for what it looks like. Literally looks like a shark just took the entire back of his leg from the thigh to the ankle!!
His blood pressure has been pretty high today and they are watching it closely.
He will be going in for surgery around 9 in the morning to evaluate the tissue viability and stuff in his leg. Don't stop praying......he needs it! We love you all and thank you so much for your love and support

Alec had a pretty good night. Kidneys seem to be functioning really well, he is very swollen but that is to be expected with all the fluid they are giving him. He had two more units of blood and will probably be getting another one shortly. Ultra sound on his spleen looks good, less blood than yesterday. He woke up a couple times and was not happy about that, ventilation tube in his throat really bothers him. But he could move both of his feet and hands, then they put him right back out. Keep praying, we are not out of the woods but at least headed in the right direction. Thank you for all the love and support, means so much to all of us!
P.S. He is going to be super mad that his Red Sox won the world series without him!

The white Forerunner is Alec's cousin Nick's car whom he was helping when the accident took place. The silver truck is the car we presume hit Alec.

Alec is now at University of Utah Hospital. He is currently on a ventilator and stable. To fix the aorta problem the doctors put in a stint that will stay in his heart for the remainder of his life, this shouldn't cause him any discomfort or problems. They are keeping him sedated anywhere from 24-48 hours to give his body some time to calm down. There is an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat specialist) coming in to work on his tongue tomorrow which at this point we do not know the extent of the damage there. One of his front teeth is only slightly chipped. The biggest concerns right now are infection and internal bleeding which they will monitor very closely. Please continue to pray for Alec and our family.

On October 30, 2013 Alec "Mickey" McMorris watched as he followed his cousin up Parley's Canyon for his job hit black ice and spin out of control. Pulling past this accident and parking, Alec heroically ran back to see if his cousin was okay. After he made sure his cousin Nick was okay, his cousin got back in his car that was against the guardrail to get his phone. Within 30 seconds of this, another car hit the same black ice, spun out of control, hit head on with his cousin Nick's car and proceeded to go over the guardrail where Alec only had a split second to try and jump out of the way. What the highway patrolmen presume happened next is the truck clipped Alec's leg as he tried to jump, severely damaging this leg, and sent him flying roughly 20 feet. Alec's cousin and a nurse that happened to be driving down the canyon put a tourniquet (Nick's belt) around his leg to stunt the bleeding. His right leg is severely  damaged with 4 inches of his femur bone missing. He has major tissue damage in his leg, a lacerated spleen and kidney, an aorta tear (which is in his heart), multiple broken teeth, and a bitten tongue.