Through the cracked opening of a door that reads “Do Not Pass – Authorized Personnel Only,” I could see Jackson’s little face. His eyes were open. He was holding up his head. He was being connected to a dialysis machine. I lingered near the propped-open door so that I could try to make eye contact with him. We caught eyes. I waved and blew him a kiss. He waved back! I did it again, this time waving my hands above my head. He again waved back.

Jackson is currently off the ventilator and is semi-responsive. He is still intubated. He still has a breathing tube so that they can get oxygen through his airways. The situation now is that he has pneumonia. Although he is off the ventilator, he is still in critical condition in the ICU.

The doctors just briefed me on the situation. Their report is not the best, but I choose to believe the best! Jackson waved. Jackson is fighting. If this were a boxing match, Jackson wins this round. But the match is not over. We need to keep praying that he will continue to gain strength.

– Jesse Ostrander