From Betty Windom, Living
I talked to Amanda's Aunt, Diana Weber. She'd just visited with her other Aunt, Pansey Pickerill. This is the latest news that they could give
me on Amanda.
Amanda still has a 50% chance of survival.
However, Amanda's spirits are good. She is able to kidd with her nurses.
She lost her glasses in the whole process of things, so has a hard time
communicating. She still has the tracheotemy so she can't talk. Without her glasses, it's hard for her to see
to write. But, she has a positive
outlook.
The skin grafts are healing. She had a problem in one area, a bit of
infection, but they got it cleaned up right away and put a new graft on the
area. It seems to be taking okay.
Amanda's face was burned more than they
first thought. She will probably have to
have plastic surgery on both ears, her nose and mouth. That's in the future though.
Amanda still has to be in quarantine. No one can go in to see her unless they are
totally gowned and masked. If she
continues to make good progress, they're talking about the possibility of her
baby being able to see her in about 3 weeks.
Please pray about this. Amanda
would have to be totally wrapped to protect her from contamination. She wouldn't be able to hold her baby, only
look at him. This could be traumatic for
the baby as well as for Momma. I've been
praying God would help little Mark not to make strange with his Momma, when he
does get to see her. Babies don't understand
why Momma isn't there for them, but God can help him not reject her, when he
does get to see her.
A blessing is that Grandma has arrived to
help take care of Mark. Marty has tried
to keep Mark with him as much as possible.
However, he has to go out and feed cattle, and in this cold, snowy, wintry
weather, it's not always good for Mark to be out with his Daddy. So, Grandma is there to help look after Mark
now, and that is a wonderful blessing.
I said, in my last email, that a cousin was helping
to look after Mark, nursing him along with her own child. It is Marty's sister, Mark's aunt, who is
nursing him when he's around her. She
expresses milk to send out to the ranch when he is out there. Supplemental milk has to be used, but at least
Mark is still getting some mothers milk.
It's a loving, caring Aunt, to go to all this extra for the nourishment
of her nephew.
This is a young couple in their early
20's. They had no insurance. The medical bills will be phenomenal. Some of the banks, in the
Address For Cards:
Amanda Annis
Room 343, Bed B
Western States Burn Center
1801 - 16th St.
Greeley, CO 80631-5199
I will try to get updates weekly. This way, those of your who are sharing this
information at church, you'll have information to give
to your brethren and prayer partners.
Thank you for your prayers. They are surely making a difference, as
Amanda is able to maintain a possitive attitude, and
her skin grafts are taking. Please keep
on praying.
Love to all,
Betty Windom
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From Betty Windom, Living
Marty and Amanda Annis
are buying the Annis family ranch near
Amanda has 1st and 2nd degree burns from the
sternum up. From the sternum down, she
has 3rd degree burns. The skin was
burned off to the fatty tissue underneath.
In this condition, Amanda went back into the
house, called the Paramedics and Marty telling what had happened. She then shut their dogs up in a back bedroom
so that they wouldn't bother the Paramedics.
She stoked the fire so the house would stay warm for the baby, then lay
on the floor to nurse her baby. Baby
Mark was afraid of his mother at first, but settled down to nurse. What a girl to be able to keep her presence
of mind and do all this while in such incredible pain.
Amanda remained in phone contact with Marty
asking him how long until he'd be home.
Marty was following the Rescue Unit and they were doing 80 to 85 as much
of the way as they could. She kept telling Marty she wasn't sure she could
remain conscious until they got there, but she did for the baby's sake. The rescue helicopter arrived shortly after
the paramedics and Marty. They airlifted
Amanda to
Amanda was in surgery for 6 hours during
which time they did skin grafts using cadaver skin, synthetic skin and what
skin they could retrieve from her unburned back. When the explosion went off, she inhaled in
shock which caused burning of the esophagus and lungs. She has a tracheotomy tube so can't
talk. Since she has no skin over most of
her body, they have to keep her room about 100 degrees and no one can go in to
see her without being gowned and masked.
The first 72 hours, after the skin graft
operation, they gave Amanda a 30% chance of survival. She's now up to a 50% chance of
survival. It is critical that she not
get pneumonia or an infection at this point.
A cousin is helping to care for Marty &
Amanda's baby. She's nursing her baby so
is nursing their baby, Mark Benjamin, as well.
She has to supplement the feeding as she doesn't have enough milk, yet,
for both babies.
Please pray for Amanda's healing. She has a young child needing a mother to
raise him. She also has a husband,
trying to keep the cows fed at home, and trying to drive around 200 miles to
see her as often as possible. This young
family really needs God's help in their lives.
A note to keep in mind. Amanda was
wearing sweats, a heavy coat and good snow boots. The sweats melted right into her skin on her
legs. That's mostly why her lower body
was so badly burned. The airlines have
done studies and it's been proven that 100% cotton or wool clothing is the best
and most protective clothing to have on, especially if around fire. People who have been wearing such clothing
usually survive a fire.. However, people wearing synthetic clothing often
die because the synthetic cloth melts right into the skin and makes the burn
worse.
Address for cards:
Amanda Annis
Room 343, Bed B
Greeley, CO 80631-5199
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