Today was one of the MOST incredible days as a Mom. I was able to witness Tommy walk and climb up and down 10 stairs.Tommy will turn 19 June 19th. The steps he took today were even more exciting than the ones he took in the first year of his life. I am so proud of him...I am humbled to be his Mom. This photo was taken before prom 2 weeks ago...what a lot has happened and Tommy is already fighting his way back.

Sunday May 31st 1:15 PM

What a difference 24 hours makes. Tommy woke up this morning with a smile - not a forced smile but a genuine smile and had an actual laugh - at my expense mind you. He's been off all i.v. medications for a full day now and close to a day without narcotic-based drugs (pain relievers). He is taking only NSAIDS now which seem to be managing his pain fairly well without the extreme nausea. He got up and walked around the nurses station and even took a few steps up and down a small set of stairs. He also added some calf raises and squats on his accord.

I quickly wanted to share a story that resonated with Tommy and us that says "tons" about SFC and why it is such a special place. In brief, a young 5th/6th grader came by with his family this morning to let Tommy know that he and his family are thinking and praying for him. He told Tommy he knows how he feels because just a few months ago he was on life support and spent weeks in the hospital too. But the message he truly brought to share was that "there are people that care for you even if you don't know them." Unbelievable for such a young boy.

Its Baccalaureate this afternoon and Tommy wishes he were able to be there with his class. Unfortunately, he can't make it but he knows how blessed he is at this time to be "okay". He wants everyone to know that he had a great time at SFC and has love and appreciation for his classmates, teachers, coaches, and friends.

Saturday May 30th 8:30 PM

Dear Tommy,

You are strong - you have faith and fortitude - you are surrounded by an incredible family who loves you - and you have friends, teachers, and coaches who want to support you. God has a plan for you, Tommy. You may not know what that plan is or why you have to go through this to find out but keep going Tommy! Stay strong! Stay faithful and always know how many people love and admire you. You WILL get through this. And when you do, you "...will receive the crown of life that God has promised..." James 1:12

We love you - Uncle Jay and Auntie Susan

Tommy is resting peacefully tonight after a trying but a good day. Beth and I pray for all of you and your family's good health. Peace.

Saturday May 30th 11:45 AM

Tommy fractured his spine at C1 and damaged his vertebral artery exactly one week ago. At that time, Tommy was at risk for not being able to walk and having potential neurological/brain damage. However, the seven days since his injury, we have gained more certainty to his future. It looks as though Tommy will recover but with potential surgery in the future to stabilize his spine. We feel so blessed that this wasn't worse. Also, blessed to have all of you praying for Tommy's recovery.

This morning, Tommy was able to walk once around the floor and sit-up for 15 mins - to see this, is beyond words. Immediately after, he felt sick and laid back down. It will be like this for some time - two steps forward, one-step back. For the remainder of the day, he will try and sit up (in a chair) a few more times. He has to get use to being up right again and to get his neck muscles working to support his head. He is still in pain but mostly off the i.v. pain meds. Good news is that they just took him off the i.v. heparin this morning and is only on the oral coumadin.

What a difference seven days makes. Peace.

Brothers: Tommy #5 Jeffrey #6

#5 Tommy: SFC Defensive Player of the Year
#6 Jeffery: SFC Lacrosse Rookie of the Year

Thank You!!!

Dear Family, friends and the entire community,
Thank you for the overwhelming amount of love and support. Each note has been read and greatly appreciated...thank you. Tommy will improve each day with this level of kindness. Thank you for all the prayers that stretch literally around the world. We have heard from our children and families in Uganda.....thank you.
Pat will keep up the blog updates...just wanted to let you ALL know your love sustains me and our family
Love,
beth

Friday 8:30 PM

After what was a very tough day, around 6:00p this evening Tommy started to feel a bit better - his nausea and pain subsided enough to allow him to eat. He actually had mashed potatoes and a couple bites of chicken, albeit small bites. Its funny how such small things are so big right now. We tried a few different medications and we think this is what might have helped. We will know better tomorrow but we sure hope and pray this is the right combination. Regardless, it was a great end to a rocky start.

Tommy still show's no sign of neurological effects or damage to his spinal cord which is such a relief. Also, he remains in the therapeutic window for his oral coumadin (blood thinner) treatment. I haven't mentioned it recently but his damaged/compromised vertebral artery is still of greatest concern to us in the near-term.

With your prayers and God's help, we are getting Tommy better. Have a peaceful weekend.

Friday 2:55 PM

Tommy has had a very rough time of it so far today. He's been unable to eat or rehab as we are struggling to get his pain and nausea (caused by his pain medications) under control. I believe I have said this before, this needs to be managed so that he can not only rehab but leave the hospital. We are now approaching a critical time in his recovery in that he could regress if we don't get this taken care of very soon. As such, if you still have more prayer energy, continue to pray for Tommy's pain and nausea to subside so he can start the the hard work necessary for his recovery.

Also, he's limited to family for visitors until he gets his pain under control. I'm so sorry but as much as I/we would like for him to see everyone, its in his best [health] interest to be restful and expend his energy on rehab.

Godspeed

TM #5 TP LAX LUV

Thursday 7:15 PM

Tommy is still in a lot of pain. We are trying a different strategy now with a few different medications - we hope this will help. However, late this afternoon he rallied to get up with the physical therapist to take a few steps - the most yet. I believe he felt your prayers. Tomorrow is another day of hope and we pray that he will start getting his strength back to help combat the pain and get home soon. Good news is that he may be getting off his i.v. heparin in the next day or so as his oral coumadin (warfarin) has reached and remained in its therapeutic window for a full day now.

Many of you have asked when Tommy will come home and the answer is, we just don't know. His break/fracture is deemed stable now and he is close to being of the i.v. heparin (blood thinner) in the next day or two, that just leaves the pain and his strength. We are in unchartered waters. We will take it day-by-day.

Peace.

Thursday 12:15 PM

After a restful night Tommy has had a tough morning due to pain. Unfortunately, the pain occurred (or occurs) during rehabilitation preventing him from sitting up and walking. His pain is due both to the fractures in his spine and the muscle spasms in his neck. This is all expected but difficult to manage. We are focused now on pain management so he can become more active. Plus, when he is in less pain he is more apt to eat, enabling him to gain his strength. All of this will get him home quicker.

We are praying, and ask if you will as well, that Tommy's pain comes under control. We know that it will but the sooner the better for Tommy's near-term recovery and future health. It must sound like a broken record to you all (as it does to me) but our sincere thanks for all of your continued love and support. God bless you all.

Wednesday 8:00 PM

Tommy had a good, no, great day. He got up again and was able to take a few steps and Matt Kenyon was able to witness his walk. I/we are still so amazed by Tommy's ability to get up with the pain he has and be able to walk - he is doing whatever he can to get better. Also, he still shows no neurological effects from his injury. He has come so far in just 4 1/2 days. We feel so blessed and continue to be cautiously optimistic about his prognosis. However, we continue to manage Tommy and our own emotions day by day because we know things can change/happen at anytime.

Tommy's artery is still a major concern and will be for the next six weeks at least. He is getting closer to being completely off of his i.v. heparin blood thinner and onto his oral coumadin - assuming it works. His pain is still intense but he is beginning to wean off the i.v. morphine to oral pain killers. Getting his pain under control with oral medications is key to getting Tommy out of the hospital sooner rather than later. Tommy tonight ate some pasta, albeit a very small portion, the first solid food which made us very happy as this will help him not only with his strength in rehabilitation but to help him "stomach" his pain meds.

Peace to all of you and thank you all so, so much for your prayers. Tommy is feeling them daily as are we. I/we don't know what we would do with out all of you in our corner. Again, thank you so very mu

Wednesday Update

> Wednesday 12:30p
>
> Tommy just had his first rehab/physical therapy visit - with help,
> he sat up, stood up and took a few steps. I don't know what else to
> say...

Tuesday 8:15 PM

This evening, we met with Tommy's doctors and are just now getting a better picture on Tommy's prognosis and treatment moving forward but as we have learned, this too is day by day. Anyway, tests show that Tommy's neurological function remains intact and there is no damage to his spinal cord. This, first and foremost, is great news and alleviates many worries. Thank God and all your prayers. As time continues without problems, the more confident we can be that there won't be issues long term.

Also, Tommy is now being transitioned to oral (pills) coumadin for his blood thinning therapy (from i.v. heparin) to prevent clots from his potentially damaged vertebral artery - they still can't determine if its pressure or damaged. They are doing this, keeping him on therapy, as a precaution to give the artery time to heal if it is truly damaged. This is good news because we now have some certainty that his arterial issue will resolve itself.

As for the break itself, we saw some pictures this evening and Tommy has three distinct fractures in C1 of his spine. The neurosurgeon said it looks like it will be able to heal on its own but surgery still maybe needed if it doesn't heal correctly or if the ligaments in the area are damaged. We won't really know for 2 to 3 months.

Tomorrow, Tommy starts rehabilitation where he will start trying to sit up - from what we understand this will take some time to conquer but we know Tommy and he is capable of amazing things.

Peace

Tuesday 11:00 AM

We just received preliminary results from Tommy's [vertebral] arterial scan and the good news is that the blood is freely flowing to his brain. It isn't all the way open but it hasn't gotten any worse. The bone fracture is still there but not causing any further problems/damage. We hope that as his break heals this becomes less and less of a concern. The doctors are now getting together and will review the results and figure out a plan as to what do. We should know more later on in the day.

Some people have started to ask how long Tommy will be in the hospital and the answer is we just don't know. It will be awhile though as he needs to transition from his current blood thinning therapy/drugs to something else that he can be out of the hospital with. Also, he needs to get off of i.v. pain drugs to oral drugs. But most importantly, he needs to eat, gain his strength and let his break start healing.

Tuesday Morning 9:15 AM

Tommy had a fairly restful night. Its almost 72 hours without any other problems - we are so thankful. He goes to get scans of of neck/vertebrae and his artery around 9:30/10:00a this morning. Afterwards, we should have an idea of what comes next. The doctors want him to start eating today and get some movement. Also, to start oral medications vs. i.v. Still in pain but the headache has resolved some. Sorry, have to go they are taking him now.

Monday 7:24 PM

Tommy had a good day today - all his neurological signs/test were normal, he's taken a nap, sit-up (with help) briefly, sip a Jamba Juice, and even asked for cheeseburger (didn't eat it but just the thought is encouraging). Also, he was moved from the ICU as his doctors felt he was stable enough to monitored in a less critical setting. He still has significant pain and now a headache that's giving him (and us) some concern. We watch for headaches as sometimes it can mean bleeding.

Tomorrow, late morning, Tommy has tests to see how his break looks but more importantly, to assess his artery and see if the pressure from the fracture has relieved and the blood flow back o his brain is better. We did learn today, that they won't try to perform surgery on the artery no matter the results as it is just to risky. Instead, if there is pressure on the artery or if it is damaged, he will remain on blood thinners for some time to minimize the chance of a clot. However, we believe that with all the power of your prayers, Tommy's artery will be open and free flowing with blood and he won't have to be on the drugs for but a short time. So if you will, tonight or in the morning, please pray for Tommy that his artery is returning to normal. This would be such a major step in his recovery.

I/we will let you know how things go tomorrow and again the Mallon family thanks you for your love and your prayers - we truly feel them and we are seeing God's work thru you all. Peace.

Monday 10:00 AM

Tommy was able to sleep some last night (as did Beth) which is great for his recovery. Every moment of sleep and undisturbed rest is crucial during this still uncertain time. Last night the docs/nurses had him sit up for a while to keep his lungs open. He now has a slight fever which we are watching closely as we don't want to see him get sick. He is still in an amount of pain that at times seems unbearable but for those that know Tommy, he puts it to the side. He is awake a bit more today (so far) and responsive and even smiled a few times (particularly when he saw the pictures on a poster brought to him by the sophomores and their parents of the lacrosse team - thanks guys). Also, this morning he has orders that he can start eating/having soft foods but he's not too interested in eating, yet. We take it hour by hour until our next milestone of information which comes with his tests tomorrow afternoon which will help the doctors decide what they need to do next. We know I can't say it enough let alone to show it but you are "all" so great and we thank you for your prayers, they are working. We luv you guys.

Tommy's Status 10:00p Sunday

Evening everyone. Tommy had a good afternoon - he was able to sleep and the nurses/doctors have been able to (for the most part) keep his pain under control. Better yet, he was speaking much better than earlier in the day and more alert. He still isn't eating on his own yet or any food for the matter but hopefully soon. It looks as though we will be having tests that should give us a feel for the direction things are going on Tuesday rather than Wednesday.

Beth and I want you all to know that we feel your prayers working and the prayers from all points in the world that you have shared with your friends and believers. We have had messages of hope and support from all over the world - it is amazing what all of you have provided and put in place with the word of or Lord. Tommy and the Mallon's thank you.

Also, for all of Tommy's friends (and Jeffrey's), teachers and coaches that came tonight for prayer in the courtyard, thank you. It was unexpected and for some reason or another I/we knew we couldn't keep you all away. However, its these type of things that make you all so special to us and keep us moving forward. You all are awesome!

We hope you all will have a wonderful holiday. Peace be with you all.

From the Mallon Family

Hi Everyone. First off, thank you all so much for the unbelievable amount of love and support you have shown to Tommy (and the entire Mallon family) over the past 24 hours. I/we can't begin to express how much this means to Tommy. All your prayers are being felt - please, don't stop as we are just in the beginning of a long journey which at this time is mostly unknown.

As many of you know already, Tommy broke his neck (in a lacrosse game yesterday) and is in the ICU where he is in the process being stabilized. Tommy broke his neck at C-1, the very first vertebrae where the skull and the spine connect. We were very fortunate that Rikki (our trainer) was on hand at the game to prevent what most commonly happens in such injuries, spinal cord damage - our heart felt thanks to Rikki for her professionalism and smarts to do what was best for Tommy. Also, Dr. Wardrip who fully supported Rikki with her decisions on the field and then riding to the hospital with Beth and the Paramedics, and helping us navigate a frightening time.

Right now, thankfully, Tommy has feeling and motion in his body but is in significant pain and as I said earlier, in the ICU where he will be for at least the next several days where he is trying to rest and resolve a problem that resulted from the break - the break is pressing an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Hopefully, in a few days we should know more what lays ahead but for now, we take it just one day at a time.

Moving forward, I will try to keep you all updated via this site and/or the school's. However, for now, the next few days are very critical for Tommy and his recovery. As such, we have to limit his visitors- I'm so sorry to have to do this because the love you all have shown him has been just so incredible and welcomed. I will surely let you know when Tommy can see all your faces again. Hopefully, very soon.

The Mallon family loves you all and to say the least, is humbled by your love for Tommy and our family.

GOD is Great! Peace.

Tommy Mallon

Doctors said NO VISITORS today. Please check back as the Mallon Family will be updating everyone on Tommy through this blog.