July 31, 2016
**Update 1**
Broken C4-C5
Subluxed vertebrae
Cord under stress
Going to surgery
Expect 4 hours of surgery including bone plates and grafts
Pray for no cord edema (swelling)
They expect him to be in hospital awhile
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**Update 2**
Neurosurgeon says Dillon's spinal canal is ample, so cord is not super crushed. And the fact that he has sensation in is feet is a major positive.
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**Update 3**
He also has a fractured C3. C4 is basically crushed and will have to be removed; it may have been a blessing in that it may have opened up the spinal canal somewhat when it crushed. Facets are also out of alignment (rotated and disconnected) and will need to be reset. Will require plates and screws. Another stage of surgery will likely be needed to come through the front side to deal with disk damage.
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**Update 4**
Part one of surgery (realign and stabilize to get the pressure off the cord) is done and went well. Things are now aligned and stabilized.
Now they go through the front side to remove and replace the damaged C4 and insert new disks between the replaced C4 and C3/C5.
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**Update 5 (Final update for tonight)**
Dillon is out of surgery. Everything went well, but one of his vertebral arteries had been pinched off. Please pray that it heals without a blood clot that could cause a stroke.
The good news is that he had strong biceps function before surgery. Biceps control is at C6, which is below the injured area, so that is a positive sign that he will regain/have motor functions.
The following is from a text update from Dillon's (and Kari's) dad, Alan:
"Please pray for a quick recovery so he can start his industrial design school at NC State in a few weeks...and that this whole event will lead us all closer to God as we consider how quickly life can change and how dependent we are on Him for each day given us. Dillon could have died today. His friends had to pull him out of the water once they saw he wasn't moving....so we have so much to be thankful for with every expectation for a full recovery."
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**7am Update**
Dillon is moving his feet on command. Obviously a very encouraging sign.
August 7, 2016
His progress over the the first seven days has been incredible—many thanks for all the prayer. He's still significantly weaker on the right side and has a long way to go on fine motor functions (which should progressively return as the swelling in his neck decreases), but for him to be this far along at this point is amazing.
Now he begins the hardest part of the recovery as the initial rush of the rapid early recovery starts to diminish. He's going to have to fight frustration as the fine motor skills he's so used to take a little time to return. Pray also for his parents (Alan and Debbie), who are understandably exhausted after the last week and will need to get some rest and stay positive as he fights through this next phase of the recovery. - Jason Staples