Hi! Our names are Megan and Matthew, we are the daughter and son to Diana James. We are experiencing one of the most surreal events of our lifetime currently. It’s hard to imagine what we are dealing with, even for us living in these moments!
On Mother’s Day (5/14) we put our mother on a plane in Portland Oregon for what was supposed to be a trip of her lifetime to Portugal. Within 24 hours of landing she suffered a subdural hematoma, we believe due to some unfortunate events that occurred during her travel. She went to a park along the river bank for an art class and didn’t feel well. She lost consciousness at the park and the ambulance was called. She was taken to Braga Portugal for an emergency craniotomy (removing part of the skull to relieve pressure). We were notified on Tuesday 5/16 and were on a flight out on 5/18 arriving 5/19.
Up until 5/30 she had been intubated with ventilator assist but had a tracheostomy to allow her lungs to stay strong and her throat to heal. We spend several hours a day at her side offering encouragement and familiar voices in a foreign country. She is still unconscious but she has shown signs of improvement. Her eyes have started to open a little bit and had a few tears, she gripped our hand the other day, she blinks her eyelids and moves her body (especially when we tickle her feet), she responds to pain AND most importantly she is now breathing on her own without ventilation. Her latest CT Scan (5/31) was normal. As of 6/1, she has been moved from ICU to the neuro floor for rehabilitation. Her doctor back home, the doctors here in Braga and her children fully believe she just needs more time to wake up.
Continue reading “Bring Diana James Home”
