I wish someone could help my someone enjoy life again

My son, Zach, was involved in an automobile accident when he was 17 years old which broke his left arm, right leg and crushed his left foot. He underwent surgery and a titanium rod was placed in his left arm and right leg and they attempted to reconstruct his left foot. After he was released from the hospital, he spent four months in a hospital bed at home recovering and toward the end he underwent physical rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.

At the time of the car accident on 2/8/2005, he was a junior in high school. He did his school work while in the hospital bed at home. He was also in the high school marching band (played trombone) and he had barely started walking when summer band camp began. He went everday and practiced with the band in the hot sun. He would come home during lunch break and would have to lay down and take medicine for his pain. He would not ask the band director for any special treatment, such as sitting down and resting.

He was also a very devoted Christian and carried his Bible everywhere he went. During his senior year, he attended his regular Church and helped another local Church start a youth ministry. He was always happy and when he entered the room, it would seem as though the room brightened up.

He graduated with his senior class and auditioned for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marching Blazers. He received a band scholarship. With the band scholarship and some grants, he was able to stay in the dorm. His plan was to get a degree in computer science, get a job and then go to school parttime to become an ordained minister or youth minister.

He attended UAB from 8/2006-1/2007. When college started in 1/2007, he started having stomach problems and the symptoms got so severe that I had to take him to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. When he was released from the hospital, he wanted to go back to the dorm and school immediately. About 5 days later, he called me upset because he was still sick and could not concentrate on his schoolwork. He was administratively withdrawn from UAB.

He stayed at home and started getting better and wanted to pursue his second love and attend The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, FL in 8/2007. In 11/2007, he became sick and was taken to the hospital in Dothan, AL. After that, he had to return home. He said he was in pain all the time and tired all the time. The orthopedic surgeon said the Crohn's Disease is affecting his central nervous system and also causing pain in his legs that were injured in the automobile accident.

He went back to his regular church for awhile but his friends had changed and did not include him in alot of the activities because he was sick. The happiness, energy and glow were no longer with him. He is 21 years old now. He spends his days watching television or playing games on his PS3 when he has good days. On bad days, it is a challenge to keep him comfortable and control the pain and problems with his stomach (diarrhea, etc.) He no longer goes to Church.

The friends he had a Church never come see him and never call to talk to him on the telephone. Zach was such a special person filled with the love of the Church and wanting to get other teens involved in the youth ministry. My wish is that someone in the youth ministry at any Church would find Zach and get him excited about life, Church and spreading the word of God.

It breaks my heart to see him the way he is now. I ask him why he does not try to go out and find some friends and maybe even a girlfriend. He says he has nothing to offer anyone since he is sick, lives with his parents and is not able to work. He applied for SSI benefits over two years ago and all Social Security will tell us that it is being reviewed, I think that if someone will approach him about helping with the youth ministry, maybe it will give him a reason to keep going. So, my wish is that one special person will help him.
raggedjean5@yahoo.com

I hope you find some help.

from my house to yours i want to wish you a very merry christmas and a very happy new year..I hope your day is filled with lots of laughter and love
merry christmas to all.

My prayers are with you and understand the frustration and hurt you are going through~
I will pray that someone is brought into his life to help~ Be strong for him and know that many people care~

I have an email address of a Christian group down in Bradenton, Florida that I would like to give you if you want it and you can email the pastor and tell him this story. He may have some great ideas on how to help him~

Merry Christmas~

On this Christmas day I am wishing and praying the desires of your heart is fulfilled.

My heart goes out to you as a mother, to another mother.

It most certainly will help your son with self worth once he is able to receive money coming in>

They say the longer one does not work the harder it becomes for the individual.
It sounds as if possibly your son may be on the depressed side also.

What about contact with the Rev.at he church that he was involved with prior.

God Bless you for your Loving Heart/ May God Bless you in this journey to help your son.

"Believer"

Thank all of you for caring and your information. Yes, Zach is depressed. I guess any 21 year old would be depressed. I try to get him out of the house but have not had much luck in doing it.

What a story... He went through so much, I pray that you will find a way to get him back into the world again.

Have you tried talking to someone in your church? The iniciative should perhaps come from them, if your son was involved with the Youth Ministry before all this happened.

Please keep us posted.

__________________
-HUMBER

I sent you a email//where I was inviting your son to join us on TreeofWishes.

I believe for his young life/// he has been through alot //I also believe God can use him to encourage others to keep going/ to have Hope/ to have Faith/

God could use him for a voice!

Blessings to each of you///"Believer"

I sent you a PM with the information you wanted. Know that I will help in any way I can~
It sounds like he needs to talk to someone who works with young people~ Stay strong and know a lot of people are praying. I will pray that the right people come into his life and someday he will have a his story to tell of what has happened to bring joy into his life again~

Please keep us updated and write to me anytime you want~

__________________

I will keep him and your family in my prayers, my oldest son also has this horrible disease, takes alot of pills. Luckily he is fighting hard and has two beautiful sons. My son is 26, would your son like to talk to him?, keeping you in my prayers, tammy

We lost our home to foreclosure and no longer live near the Church where he was devoted to the Youth Ministry. He went back a few times to visit but he gets tired and it was too far to go. I have tried to get him to go to one of the local churches but he has not gone. I think he got very hurt because alot of people in his Youth Ministry were people he went to school with for a long time and they had all been friends for a long time. No one tries to call him or come to visit him. The house we are renting right now has alot of major problems and a landlord who does not fix things. I am trying to find another home that we can afford but I have had no luck so far.

I always want him to talk to people who have made it further in life with this disease. He does not use the computer much anymore so I guess if your son would like to help him, he could send it to my e-mail address and I will get it to him.

Some time has slipped by now///you and your son was heavy in my thoughts ///
How are things now? for you as a family//

Please POST something and fill us in!

When it comes to our children/ as mothers that love and care/it breaks our hearts when our children HURT.

May God help and protect your family. "Believer"

sorry that ny son has not gotten back to you, alot has happened to him. he and his wife have gotten a divorce and he is very upset, when he gets alittle more stable I will have him get in contact with you, tammy