By Janette Neuwahl
Sixteen-year-old John Paul "JP" Andrew, who lost a leg in a shark attack two weeks ago, is making a speedy recovery.
On Monday JP's mother and sister were able to talk to him and feed him lime-green jelly, while the Lakeside teenager sat in a chair next to his bed.
His mom, Estelle Andrew, said JP was aware of what had happened and was even asking about what "special privileges" his new condition might bring.
'He wants a Sony Playstation so he is really doing great' "This morning it was a big surprise to us when we walked in and he was speaking to us," she said over the phone. His sister Natasha fed him.
Continues Below ↓
"He wants a Sony Playstation so he is really doing great".
Doctors began reducing JP's sedation about a week ago and removed his ventilator on Sunday, which allowed him to speak.
Early on Monday he started asking his father and hospital staff where he was, what time it was and what had happened to him, said Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic's manager, Clive Lake.
"He's on no sedation at the moment and so there's a little bit of confusion," said Lake. "But that is totally standard."
Further tests need to be done to determine whether JP suffered any brain damage, Lake added. Doctors had noted a threat of damage since JP's arrival because the young surfer had lost a massive amount of blood during the attack and afterwards as paramedics waited for the ambulance.
But hospital spokesperson Gail Ross said she was astonished at the lengthy conversation she had been able to have with JP on Monday.
"It's quite remarkable," she said. "He's got an amazing sense of humour. We feel very privileged to see him making such a wonderful recovery".
-
This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on April 20, 2004
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
