Updates: (12/12/2025)

Today, I am so excited to share the absolute best news. After 30 days in the hospital, Eli was officially released and is back home!

We are so incredibly proud of him for all of his hard work, and so grateful for everyone who has shown kindness, support, and generosity throughout this entire journey.

His road to recovery is not over yet, but being able to come home and sleep in his own bed is a massive win and has already lifted his spirits so much.

He was discharged with both a cane and a walker to use around the house and whenever he is walking, just to ensure he stays safe and avoids falls. Outpatient physical therapy begins on Monday, and he will continue with both physical and occupational therapy. He will also begin speech therapy, but that cannot start until February. The biggest victory this week was that he finally passed his video swallow test on Wednesday, which means he is back to drinking regular liquids and got to enjoy his long-awaited Sprite Zero.

He does have a long list of medications to continue taking, but the good news is that he has been fully weaned off opioids and blood thinners.

In the coming weeks, he will return to the doctor to have his neck evaluated again. He will continue wearing his neck brace while the vertebrae heal. The neurologist will determine whether he needs surgery. We are still hoping he will not, but if he does, the worst-case scenario would be that the vertebrae need to be fused. For now, we are staying optimistic that his body will continue to heal on its own.

Today Eli was thrilled to get Chick-fil-A for lunch, and afterward he wanted to go to Walmart to do some grocery shopping. He is especially excited to ride in the motorized carts, which he has apparently been looking forward to for days.

For the next couple of weeks he will have 24/7 care from his girlfriend Lindsay and several of his close friends. Lindsay even attended a training session at the hospital last weekend so she could learn how to safely support him and understand all of his restrictions.

We are so grateful to Lindsay and to all of his friends who have stepped up in such a big way to take care of him as he transitions home. Their love and support mean everything.

Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for the overwhelming kindness, encouragement, prayers, cards, gifts, and messages you’ve shared with Eli. This community has been such a powerful source of strength for him and for all of us. He sees your words, feels your support, and it truly lifts his spirits. As he begins this next phase of healing at home, updates might be a bit less frequent, but that simply means he is continuing to move forward. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. ❤️