Posted on 05/11/2005 6:39:07 PM PDT by BykrBayb
‘It’s amazing, isn’t it?’
Tracy Gaskill shows major signs of recovery after critical accident in 2002
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By FOSS FARRAR, Arkansas City Traveler For nearly three years, Don and Stella Gaskill had hoped their severely injured granddaughter would talk again. Just recently, their prayers were answered.
On Sept. 3, 2002, Tracy Gaskill suffered critical internal and head injuries when her pickup overturned on its top. Doctors told her relatives that night that she probably would die by noon the next day, Don Gaskill said this morning.
“That accident scared us to death,” said Gaskill, who lives in rural Winfield. Tracy Gaskill also is from Winfield.
But through personalized care received at Medicalodge North in Arkansas City and the daily visits and prayers of the Gaskill family — as well as many others in the Cowley County community — Tracy survived and gradually got better, medical personnel say.
Then, about three weeks ago, she spoke for the first time since the accident, Don Gaskill said. About the same time, she began to swallow on her own.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Dr. David Schmeidler said today. “I have never seen this happen in my career. I’ve read about it happening, the severely brain damaged recovering suddenly, but never seen it until now,” said Schmeidler, the medical director at the Medicalodge. He said he visited Tracy a few weeks ago and she greeted him, “Hi, Dr. Schmeidler.”
“She is actually able to speak and to speak coherently,” he said. “In light of all this stuff on Terri Schiavo — and I believe what was done in that case was wrong — it makes you pause and think. For three years or so, (Tracy) was fed through a tube, then she swallowed a little bit and now she speaks.”
Schiavo was the severely brain damaged woman who died March 31 after spending 15 years connected to a feeding tube. It finally was disconnected, after a bitter right-to-die dispute between her husband and her parents. The case went all the way to the White House and Congress.
But everyone involved in Tracy Gaskill’s care has been pulling for her to get better ever since her accident.
“It’s really quite amazing (that Tracy can speak),” said Lynda Marshall, a registered nurse who works at Medicalodge North. “After they’ve been without speech and the ability to eat that long, it’s very rare they’re able to come back.”
Marshall said Tracy will get speech therapy, continue working on improving cognitive functions and eat on her own.
“We’ve been assisting her with a feeding tube until yesterday,” she said.
Don Gaskill said he feels that without the personalized care his granddaughter has received at Medicalodge, she wouldn’t have made such an amazing recovery.
“In the last year and a half, she’s indicated that she knows us; she has been watching TV and smiling,” he said. “More recently, she started nodding her head when we asked her questions. Then a few months ago, she’d laugh out loud.”
In the last few months, nurses at the Medicalodge worked with her to get her to hum, he added. Finally, she started to speak clearly.
Asked by a reporter today how old she was, Tracy answered, “Twenty-nine. “You’re 30,” Don Gaskill corrected her. “Remember, you had another birthday.”
Tracy Gaskill was injured in 2002 when she lost control of her pickup truck as she was driving south on U.S. 77 just south of Strother Field, near the site of Cowley Cinema 8, according to the Cowley County Sheriff’s Department. The vehicle rolled over.
“We don’t know what caused it,” Don Gaskill said. “We weren’t at home at the time. One of (her) brothers who had heard from the sheriff’s office called us.”
Tracy was taken by ambulance to Strother Field, where a medical evacuation helicopter airlifted her to Wesley Medical Center. Tracy is a sister of Tyler Gaskill, a photographer and office staffer at the Winfield Courier. She has another brother, Shawn, a junior at Winfield High School.
She was in surgical intensive care for about a month at the Wichita hospital, Don Gaskill said, before she was moved into the Medicalodge in Arkansas City.
Nothing at all has changed. I still support life. It was my Dad's decision to die and it nearly killed me.
You are a mean hateful person with a truly dark soul.
If you still support life, why do you post things designed to encourage others not to support it? Why did you join the WPPFF if you oppose everything they stand for?
Tell you what, why don't you just leave me alone please.
You are a twisted freak and I will not let you cause me any more tears.
I am too stunned by the disgusting view into your soul to speak to you any further. It is dark and I feel oppressed just by speaking to you. You might as well have demons posting for you. Perhaps you do.
Why don't we just stop?
I guess if you're too ashamed to own up to your posts, there's no point in bothering with you any further. You've been a total waste of time, thank you. You had the opportunity to explain your position, but instead you deny it. If what you believe had any merit, I'd think you'd be happy to explain it, and encourage others to share your views. Oh well. Go tend to your conscience.
I've already explained my posts you sick demon beast. I will not do it again.
You want nothing more than to cause further hurt. I hope you realize how dark and ugly your heart is.
You are not for life. You are a destructive force of hate.
That looks like a destructive force of hate to me.
I did not write that, nor did I agree with all of that article.
My only thing about Terri's death was that when it became clear that every single court was going to back up Greer, then it was time to let her go. That feeling was out of love and a heart that was aching for Terri.
She had already passed the point of the starvation agony, yet you people still wanted to force your way in there and give her water. That would have done nothing but cause her to have to go through the pain and agony all over again. All of the "emergency measures" had failed.
It was time to pray for a peaceful passing for her and peace and comfort for her family. Wanting to spare her any further agony is NOT being pro death.
The WPPFF was a joke because any of us who suggested that she be able to go peacefully were threatened and abused, just like you have been doing to me. So we made a joke that we would have to hide out.
Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Did you believe that in October 2003 when she was being starved and dehydrated to death? Did you think it was too late then, or did you want her to be saved? Be honest. You wanted her to be saved, and she was. Please explain why it became too late in October 2004.
If you are digging your nasty nose into more posts, only post the ones I actually said.
Don't post anything else that I did not say. I actually don't care to talk with you anymore though.
I will never forget that you accused me of killing my beloved Dad.
You have a sick evil heart Bayb. It is rotten and corrupted.
I know. I saw the thread, with the jokes and the drinking games. I saw how funny you thought Terri's murder was. Personally, I didn't think it was funny. I guess that's why I didn't join.
I did not accuse you of killing your father. You are a liar.
You never did answer the question, and I'm sure you never will. Not even to yourself.
It became too late once every single court that heard this case backed up Greer's ruling.
Even if someone had gone in there and kidnapped her, the courts would have given her right back to Michael.
He was the legal next of kin. They would have returned her to him and she would have had to go through the pain all over again. She was pain free and reaching to Jesus.
Yet you all advocated breaking the law, violence, having small children being arrested, the governor of Florida impeached, military power being used against the police and hospice staff.
You spread hatred like I've never seen before on FR and it is still going on. Just like this thread. Not just with me, but also with anyone else who didn't say things just like you wanted.
It was not too late in for Terri in October and I said nothing of the sort. I don't recall even commenting on Terri's situation until the last few days of her life.
But my Dad's death did show me how Terri might be suffering when it got to the end of Terri's life and I was horrified that you guys didn't want to simply pray for God's will to be done and pray that he lift her up to him gently if it was her time to go home.
What is pro death about wishing her peace and joy in the arms of her Saviour?
God took Terri to his bosom. You guys are acting like it's a bad thing.
That's why I think you have a dark corrupt soul. To accuse me of killing my Dad is just the most evil thing I have ever heard.
Demons are controlling your thoughts. No normal person would accuse someone of that for no reason other than to show your cruelty.
WHAT QUESTION? You don't want answers to anything.
I truly think you are in the grip of demons. I have nothing to say to you.
You are not a normal rational person. You are a child of the devil.
This is over. Now. Do not continue to post this stuff to me.
Are you calling Fr. Pavone a liar? Are you calling her parents, who you once supported, liars? Are you saying that everyone except felos lied? It will take more than your accusations to convince me.
Yet you all advocated breaking the law, violence, having small children being arrested, the governor of Florida impeached, military power being used against the police and hospice staff.
Show me where I said that. Or are you morally opposed to backing up your accusations with links? You certainly got morally indignant when I provided links to back up my claims.
For the umpteenth time, I did not accuse you of killing your father. Is that your conscience speaking?
At least you finally took a stab at answering the question. Are you saying that your father suffered the same condition as Terri? I was under the impression he died from cancer, and that he had other contributing conditions. Terri wasn't dying, until she was murdered. I didn't support her murder at any time. Even when I was pretty sure she would soon die, I didn't switch sides and start saying mean things about her. I don't see how the nearness of her death could somehow make it suddenly right. I don't understand how anyone could pray to God that an innocent woman should be murdered. If you really think that it's evil to oppose murder, there is something seriously wrong with you.
If you don't want me to answer your posts to me, don't post to me. It's that simple.
You are a sick person. Truly troubled. Get help.
** Although my son is blind, he holds a Master's Degree and lives independently. I never let go of hope. Hope is given to us to keep and never give away. **
Thank you for sharing a beautiful story about your truly amazing son. I'm so happy to hear how well he is doing.
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