Copeland Family Fire

Whitney (7:42am PST, Wednesday, 3/30/22) Caught up on some reading last night. Pepper is a HUGE keeper of the lost cities fan. I lost a bet and now I get to read them out loud with her. The whole 9 book series! I’m so lucky to get this experience with her. She’s off to surgery #31 this morning. Covering what’s left on the front of her body. Go pepper go!! The Dr. mentioned we are potentially looking at only 2 more surgeries during our hospital stay, after today.

Whitney (7pm PST, Monday, 3/28/22) This week has been an emotional roller coaster, weaning off meds, starting new ones, making for one emotional girl. With the lack of surgeries and procedures she has been hitting OT hard this week.  The plastic surgeon removed the last bandage from her face and decided it looks so good she wanted to wait until this week to decide if she needed grafts! We haven’t heard an update from Plastics yet but as of right now it’s looking really good that she may not have to have her face grafted. The last synthetic material they put on her face was actually from umbilical cord. That is just so cool! Full of stem cells and nutrients, creating the perfect wound bed for new skin to grow.  Pepper continues to work hard and some days are better than others, and  today was a good day. Today she’s walked into the hall and back, stood at bedside while we changed her diaper, sat on the edge of her bed for an hour and a half, and while sitting has fed herse...

Whitney (3:00pm PST, Friday 3/18/22) The long awaited Pepper update! Surgery #31 this morning. Her left shoulder was re-grafted, because of the previous infection that graft did not take. They also did a large portion around her left knee. They took skin from her stomach for these areas this time. All cadaver skin was removed, and replaced with a skin substitute.  Her face’s healing has slowed significantly. So they have decided to graft it, today it was scrubbed and a skin substitute placed to prepare for a graft hopefully end of next week, along with the rest of her legs. If all goes as planned, Pepper should be 100% covered in her own skin grafts by the end of next week. This is HUGE.  Her left eye was opened on Wednesday and her right was opened today during surgery. It was so good to see those big blue eyes this morning. Her spirit is doing ok. She’s quiet and a little reserved, but overall when not in pain, in good spirits. They left her arms and hands (other than left s...

 Kyle (6:10pm PST, Wednesday, 3/16/22) Krew and Emree cuddling asleep. The innocence and love of children seems to heal all wounds. A child's laugh is contagious and brightens every heart around. Looking at these two loving one another.. all I can say is I love them. Deeply. I am a Dad and I enjoy it immensely. I'm extraordinarily grateful God granted me the ability to run through fire to rescue Pepper and Krew. I acknowledge it could have been…. well, much worse. Whitney, Kyle, Pepper, Kade, Emree, Krew, and Hazel. I'm grateful we are all alive. I want to extend love to all of you who are going through tragedy... keep your heart in the light. I am grateful for my wife who is willing and able to take on enormous stress and responsibility while also being able to nurture and love her family with grace. It's true, moms just make everything feel better and we all know it. I can run through flames, but don't ask me to do what she is doing. it's incredible and divine...

Whitney (11:00pm PST, Friday 3/11/22) Our sweet girl is having a difficult day/evening. Surprise surgery #30 this morning, the plastics team wanted to work on her eyes. They aren’t closing all the way when she falls asleep. We originally thought they were just doing 1 eye, but came back with both sewn shut. She was angry. Very angry. Calm now, lots of pain and anxiety, but resting. This was the same surgery Kyle had done, the gauze will come off and she will be able to see in 3-5 days. Extra prayers on her behalf!

Whitney (9:16pm, Friday 3/11/22) I was driving to the hospital to be with Pepper this morning and I couldn’t help but feel like a weary traveler. Tired, used up, emotionally spent, and feelings of sadness as I left 3 children to be with the other. That’s hard for me. From the very beginning I just wanted to gather all my chicks like a mother hen and keep them safely under my wing and protect them all. Providing the unique nurturing abilities that have grown with me the last 12 years of being a mother.  When I was little, still in grade school and the question would arise, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I always answered with a straightforward answer. A mom! I was once told that wasn’t a real answer and that I must pick something else.  I always stuck with my original answer, a mom!  Little did I know that it would be one of the hardest  most challenging roles I would ever willingly carry out. Exhaustion has taken on a whole new level I didn’t think possib...

Whitney (8:35am PST, Wednesday 3/9/22) The love between these two is so real! Pepper was over the moon excited to have Kade spend time with her. He was so sweet feeding her lunch, laughing about old memories, talking about their obsession with Harry Potter (Kade is on book 5), and playing a trivia game. Laughter and smiles are good to the soul. I love that they love each other. Pepper has surgery #29 this morning. Her nerves and anxiety are ever increasing with each procedure. Please pray for her peace and comfort.

Whitney (4:30pm, PST, Monday 3/7/22) Life has taken on such a new level of busy! 6-8 appointments a week for Kyle & Krew. A procedure or surgery everyday at the hospital for Pepper. Busy busy!!  This last Friday was so great meeting the flight crews that helped save our family. Pepper also had the opportunity to meet 2 out of the 3 crew members that got her safely here. It was so special and I will never forget some of the special things said. One member of Peppers’s flight Crew: “I remember how beautiful your eyes were that night, it was one of the first things I noticed. I’m so grateful that I get to look at those beautiful eyes today!”  Krew has really leapt forward since his siblings are now home. It has given him an excuse to forget about his sore body and just play! OT & PT two times each a week. Going well! His compression garments for his arms have been ordered! Prosthetics are still in the early process of being prescribed. We are excited to get those on him a...

Kyle (10:19pm PST, Thursday 3/3/22) Pepper slowly came out of her paralysis yesterday and had her breathing tube removed this morning. Her grafts look great! Her body seems to be accepting them well. She's currently on A LOT of medications to control infection and allow her to be as comfortable as safely possible. She is showing signs of withdrawal from the drugs she was on during paralysis, but that will work it’s way out within the day.  I'm sitting next to her now and she's watching a show waiting for her Olive Garden dinner to arrive. Whitney and I are going to have a HUGE dinner with her. She hasn't eaten in 5 days and can’t wait!  Krew's hands are tight, but we're massaging them. We were able to get him into a prosthetics doctor who will create splints to slowly correct them over time. Pray for his hands. He needs a little miracle.  Kade and Emree joined us on Monday, it felt incredible to be reunited. We made sure to have a few family activities lined up ...

Whitney (5:50 PST, Sunday 2/27/22) I love the Sabbath. I love that it is slow and that I can take time to cuddle my boy. We will be rejoined with Kade & Emree tomorrow! Sorry Krew you’re no longer an only child. I have my bet on him not caring and enjoying the entertainment from siblings. Pepper is still peaceful and healing.

Whitney (11:33pm PST, Friday, 2/25/22) Prone, intubated, feeding tube, arterial line, central line, catheter, and eyes sewn shut. This is how Pepper will be for 4-5 days. My mommy heart could barely take it. She’s in really good hands. They were able to graft her entire back and both hands. She will have bedside dressing changes everyday. Grateful for all the medical staff that attended her today. They stood over her body for 5 long hours in the operating room. Prayers for Pepper! And for mom & dad. This is hard.

Kyle (4:30pm PST, Thursday, 2/24/22) Krew’s hands are beginning to tighten due to his hand grafts. We are taking him to a hand specialist, but appointments are weeks out. We are hopeful he’ll get the help he needs so his hands work properly as he grows through life. We massage and stretch them everyday.  Other than that, he’s a four year old boy who sometimes forgets he’s hurt and plays like nothing happened. He’s beginning to walk better each day and has started to bend over to pick things up. It’s good to see him progressing. Pepper is going into surgery tomorrow to get her hands and entire back grafted… huge deal. After the surgery she’ll be medically paralyzed (coma) for 4-5 days while she lay prone in bed.  She’s been fighting infection after infection and is finally prepared for grafts. She has only so much remaining skin to use for grafts. This is a pivotal moment for her and the grafts MUST work. Prayers for Pep. Today she had a big breakthrough… she stood up and hugge...

Whitney (10:14am PST, Wednesday, 2/23/22) Had a surprise visit from Aunt Addey (my youngest sister). The fun unmarried Aunt. They spent the night together and Addey introduced her to Hannah Montana. They watched 7 episodes that night.  Pepper’s bacteria count continues to be a roller coaster and looks good one moment, and then something else pops up. She’s currently in surgery #26. They will be scrubbing and taking cultures of everything. She currently has cadaver skin over her entire back, prepping her for a skin graft.  She has had 3 showers the last 3 days. She is getting used to having them and her recovery time is improving with each one. We have a system down and we are getting really good at knowing how to best get her comfortable as quickly as possible.  She was able to stand at the edge of her bed the other day while her dad held her there for about 3 minutes. Making it the most touch she has received in one moment since the accident. I’m sure it felt wonderful! ...

Whitney (11:30 am PST, Sunday, 2/20/22) Pepper is off to surgery #25 this morning. I’m sitting in her empty hospital room. I’m just thinking about the events of the night, 8 weeks ago.  We still haven’t seen our two middle children since the accident. My heart aches for them. We will be reunited soon, plans are underway.  I wanted to share some details that we haven’t shared yet. This is from Pepper’s perspective and maybe one day she’ll be able to share more detail and her own feelings. But for now I’ll share what I know.  Pepper has always been a very mature girl. With a natural maternal instinct. She’s drawn to babies, and small children. But not only drawn to but could be fully trusted in her capabilities in caring for and loving a child from the age of 9. She’s special and I have no doubt will be one of the kindest mothers one day.  She was a protector that night. When her daddy entered the bus she was seen standing between the flames and her 3 year old brother,...

Whitney (12:20pm PST, Friday, 2/18/22) I woke up feeling angry today. Angry and emotionally tired. Probably from the whiplash effect of the news we received. We thought progress was being made, that grafts were being placed today. That anger quickly turned to feeling defeat. Then feelings of wanting to give up. To quit.  I find myself at times living cautiously. The belief is, when I’m cautious or reserved I won’t get hurt. That’s a lie. It still hurts, you just outwardly don’t show it as much. I’m learning though. Learning to open up, get excited and hopeful. Being vulnerable is a learned behavior, that I’m still learning. The blessings are rich from being vulnerable.  I found strength in your messages today. I found strength in great friends, and complete strangers. You reminded me, we’ve got this. God has us. And if God has us we cannot fail and we won’t fall! After her surgery this morning she came back freezing (as usual). She asked me to get really near and cuddle her. I...

Whitney (9:00 AM PST, Friday, 2/18/22) The cultures taken from multiple areas on Pepper’s body came back positive. Her body is covered in a multi resistant strain of bacteria. This type of bacteria loves burns, and she has a lot of burns. No grafts today. Taking her to the OR now to scrub her. Tomorrow shower. She is at risk for sepsis, which is very dangerous.

Written by Kyle (3:15pm PST, Wednesday, 2/16/22) This is what remains of our home. We sold our house and most of our things to travel full time across America. She took two years to build and our blood, sweat, and tears went into creating her. She provided a wonderful space and we truly enjoyed life on the road. It was a dream.  Looking at the picture now, I feel a great degree of gratitude we were all able to get out. It truly is a miracle.  As I sit here listening to Pepper sleep, I am inspired by her strength, courage, and kindness. Life is sometimes hard, real hard, but always for our good and growth if we choose to see it. We are grateful for the time we had as we traveled from Maine to Utah. I personally feel like I lost a dear friend, but we will recover and begin a new wonderful phase of life, whatever that may be. Some of our bodies may be damaged, but our family loves one another and God deeply. Although we will have trials and challenges we will also have beauty and...

Whitney Copeland (1:04pm PST, Saturday, 2/12/22) This is what I woke up to this morning. A very quiet house. I love them both more than words could ever describe. Like it hurts if I think about it too long.  I went to the grocery store yesterday. Krew came with me. It was a good dose of normal, I think we both needed. We just needed one thing. A tiny screwdriver to put batteries into a new remote-control car he received as a gift. We finally found this tiny but much needed tool after searching every aisle.  People are so kind. The “Oh hello handsome boy” and “what a cutie” remarks were around every corner, and in every encounter while in the store and parking lot. I can see the initial reaction in their eyes. It’s like a slap in the face. Reminding me that this is our new normal. It’s a look of pity. Which isn’t a negative thing. If we feel pity, it can be a good indication that we are blessed and grateful for our own circumstances. I’ve had that same feeling looking on others...

Whitney Copeland (11:13pm PST, Thursday, 2/10/22) Pepper’s last surgery went well. Her arms from shoulder to wrist have been grafted, with her skin. She has to keep her arms as straight as possible for the next few days to allow the grafts to heal.  Pepper has started to show signs of tolerance and dependency on one of the current pain medications she is on. They started weaning her off of it yesterday and started a new one today. She is in a lot of pain, there will be a lag in the new med as it needs to build up in her system. She is hurting everywhere and it’s extremely difficult to move her around.  We did convince her to go outside for about 15 minutes today. It was the first time in 6 weeks that she had been outside. I temper the first time I felt sun on my face since the accident (about 2 weeks in). Things so simple are usually taken for granted. We closed our eyes and pretended the breeze was from the beach, and the palm trees overhead helped us imagine it! It was a nic...

Whitney Copeland (9:40pm PST, Monday, 2/7/22) 1 ambulance ride. 1 life flight. 39 days in the PICU. 10 surgeries. That’s what Krew has experienced thus far. After a big bowel movement and a hearty breakfast,  they decided to send him off. The hardest part was having Pepper say goodbye knowing she won’t see him for a few months. COVID limits the visitors to just parents and grandmas.  Krew is quickly becoming acquainted with the house and getting a little too comfortable with being an only child. Krew has a lot of trauma to work around. Currently the grafts on his arms are hard for him to look at. A lot of the area is scabbed over and needing multiple applications of lotion daily. It is a screaming wrestling match for about 5-7 minutes. Touch is difficult anywhere on his body. One day those touches won’t scare him but for now the trauma of the last bit of his life is in the forefront of his mind.  We decided to rent a home here in Vegas. Pepper will still be in the hospita...

Whitney Copeland (4:12PM PST, Sunday, 2/6/22) The Doctors from the PICU and the burn care team met earlier this week and determined it would be best to keep Pepper intubated (breathing tube) and heavily sedated since she would be going to the OR daily this week. This would allow them to sedate her and keep her medicated more often to keep her out of pain. One of the PICU doctors who shared with us that the resilience and motivation she is showing is outstanding for a girl in her situation spoke up and was an advocate for her. He loved that Pepper was cheering Krew on from his wheelchair to take a few more steps.  He saw a glimpse of motivation from her that he didn’t want to see tainted if the breathing tube stayed in place for days. He also mentioned how mature she is and wanted to allow her the chance to have a say in being intubated for 5+ days. We really appreciated this, as did Pepper. She contemplated it and decided that if the anesthesiologist decided that medically she need...

Whitney Copeland (5:45pm PST, Saturday, 2/5/22) We are asking extra prayers for Pepper. We have found out the fever on her birthday and at the beginning of this week are due to an extensive staph infection in her shoulder and back. She has gone to surgery three times this week, to scrub away and scrape as much infection away from her burns. They have removed all synthetic graphs from her upper body. It is a very aggressive approach and the Dr’s all agreed it is appropriate with the amount of infection. She will have surgery #21 tomorrow morning, for yet another scrub. We will be back to square one with her upper body, once the infection is cleared.  Today her blood pressure is lower than usual indicating her body may be under more distress than her outward appearance and sweet spirit may be showing. They have started her on two extremely strong antibiotics,  and they are really trying to get ahead of this before it gets out of hand and potentially life threatening.  Today...

Whitney Copeland (5:16am PST, Friday, 2/4/2022) Kyle had his first outpatient appointment at the burn clinic. His ears and grafts around his eyes are healing nicely. The regiment on his ears changed up a bit, making it much easier for him to care for them. He will have weekly visits moving forward!  We saw an ophthalmologist on Thursday. Kyle was moderately burned in his right eye, severely burnt in his left. Which explains why he can see very little out of his left. At this point the Dr. says it’s too early to know how much the eyes will heal further, but he is optimistic for improvement as it is still early in the recovery stage. Kyle will start steroid drops to help his eyes heal. It has been a big anxiety for him and I both.  Kyle has an appointment with plastics on Monday to check out the grafts under his eyes, and hopefully remove the top layer of Integra around his eyes. His hands are healing great and require hourly stretching or the skin will start to contract. He wea...

Whitney Copeland (10:20pm PST, Wednesday, 2/2/22) Our Krew has met some major milestones the last few days! He hates when OT walks in the room to help him walk, telling them “No!” He always gets up and does what they ask. He may cry and whine the whole time, but he eventually gets the job done. All the staff love to spoil him and bribe him with little hot wheel cars and stickers. He’s improving his walking each day!  Today, all the dressings on his arms came off, for good! His grafts have adhered beautifully. Lots and lots of lotion for months to come. The hospital measured him for his compression garments today, and we may have those as early as 2 weeks. Plastics also are so happy with how his face is turning out.  Right now,  Krew’s biggest struggle is going poop. He is so impacted from all the pain meds, he is vomiting almost after every meal, because he is so full! So,  we are praying for a big one tonight! He continues to eat very small amounts, so opposite to w...

Whitney Copeland (8:42pm PST, Tuesday, 2/1/22) Look at our girl go! Today she asked her doctor,  “What exercises can I be doing to get off all these pills?”  Determination. Grit. Perseverance. Strength. #Copelandstrong