Many Thanks

Today the doctors took Uncle John off of the respirator to better evaluate his ability to breathe on his own. While off of the respirator, the nurse asked him if he knew his name, and he was able to respond 'John Hannan'. This is yet another miracle to add to our list. The family was told originally that he would have trouble with speech.  Although he still might have some trouble with speech, his progress is truly miraculous! Uncle John did, however, indicate that he was having difficulty breathing during this time so they put him back on the respiratory and decided to go forward with putting the tracheotomy in. The doctor is very hopeful that this will be short term. He is currently in surgery getting this new tube. Although Uncle John's health is improving every day, any surgery requiring anesthesia involves risks. We need to pray that his body is able to tolerate the anesthesia, and the procedure is successful! I will update the results of the surgery tomorrow morning.

Below is a letter of thanks that John's kids have asked me to post..

We would like to sincerely thank our friends and family who have given us the love and support to get through this difficult time.  Most importanly, we are truly appreciative for all of the prayers for our Dad's recovery. Our Dad has taught us many important life lessons, but the one we cherish the most is the importance of faith that he taught us at a very young age. Now more than ever, we have relied on our faith in God to get through each ay. We know God has a plan for our amazing dad and our family. We feel so very blessed to still have him here with us.   It has been truly unbelievable to witness the numerous miracles that have taken place this past week.  We continue to take each day at a time...hoping and praying that our Hero continues to improve.  Yesterday, he gave us a sign that he was still fighting to be with us; he nodded his head when we asked if he was going to fight for us, and so we are holding him to that.  He was always a man of his word. He is the kindest, most humble, sincere, and generous person....and everyone who knows him loves him dearly.

Right now we just miss his hugs, his stories, his laugh, and his smile.  While our Dad is recovering, we are trying to make him proud by doing all the things he would want us to do like taking care of our Mom, taking our multi vitamins, working hard in school and work, treating others with kindness, and keeping our faith strong.  Please continue to pray for our family, but most importantly our beloved Dad!

With love,

Shawn, Kerry, Matt, & Gavin.