Updates: (11/13/2025)

Our parents, Amy and Dan, were able to fly into Chicago first thing to be with Eli. They are with him now, along with his girlfriend, Lindsay.

To check his responsiveness, the team lowered his sedation slightly. This helps them see how well he can breathe on his own and whether his extremities are reacting. The good news is that he did respond. He was able to move his fingers and toes. Once the sedation was lowered, he became agitated, so they had to increase it again.

Here are the main concerns and updates from today:

• An ear, nose, and throat specialist came to see Eli. The bones around his ears are broken, and there is concern about long-term hearing damage. They believe the fractures may have affected his vestibular system. He also had bleeding from his ears.

• The bleeding in his brain is still a significant concern. The CT scans from today show that the bleed is not getting larger, which is encouraging, but any brain bleed remains serious. He is still not cleared for surgeries or procedures.

• A plastic surgeon evaluated him this afternoon. After reviewing his face and the scans, he does not believe reconstructive surgery will be needed, at least at this stage.

• There is an enzyme that rises when the body experiences major trauma. When it reaches levels above 5,000, there is a risk of organ failure. Eli’s level is around 3,500, so the team is watching it closely. (I wish I had more details on exactly what this enzyme is.)

• His liver injury is severe and is putting strain on his kidneys. The doctors think he may need liver surgery, and there was some discussion about the possibility of dialysis.

For now, they are keeping him under heavy sedation to keep him as comfortable as possible.

We will share more updates tomorrow. ❤️