Tori Schmanski is our beautiful, brilliant, talented and vibrant 16 year old daughter who sustained a ABI (Anoxic Brain Injury) in an automobile accident on Fathers Day, June 19th, 2005. The accident involved Tori, her sister Whitney and two of their cousins. The vehicle they were all in rolled 1.5 times and landed upside down in a canal and everyone except Tori was able to swim out of the vehicle.

It happened this March, 2008 at the Dance Attack. McKenzie, Tori and Mollee.

Brittany made a wonderful tribute video for Tori that I would like to share with all of you. Select the YouTube link or the Windows Media Video link below and enjoy!! Please tell all of your friends and let's see how many YouTube views Tori can get!! Thank you so much Brittany for your support and this touching contribution.

http://www.pray4tori.com/miscGuy/tori2.wmv

Tori is home once more!!! YAY!!! :) Tori made it home about 1:30pm today and is resting comfortably tonight.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support and a BIG 'Thank You!!' for the medical staff at the Primary Children's Hospital in SLC!! Your care and support of so many children is unparalleled and we are forever grateful for what has been provided for our beloved daughter Tori. All of you are truly 'Angels' among us.

Thank you all once more and I promise to update more frequently whether good or bad or neither.

The Schmanski Family
Tim, Maria, Tori, Whitney and Brendan

Tori unfortunately didn't make it home today and we opted for one more night here in the hospital as we await new medical equipment getting delivered at our home. She is doing very well though and her breathing and alertness are back to her 'normal' levels. So we plan to be discharged first thing tomorrow morning for home sweet home!! :)

Thank you so much for your love and support!!

The Schmanski Family
Tim, Maria, Tori, Whitney and Brendan

Tori is off the BiPap system and breathing on her own with 4 Liters of oxygen through her nasal cannula. She is maintaining a 92% blood oxygen level and if she does well tonight we are all going back home tomorrow!! Please continue to keep Tori in your thoughts and prayers!!

The Schmanski Family
Tim, Maria, Tori, Whitney and Brendan

Tori remains in the ICU but is still slowly improving. They are removing oxygen assistance in small increments. Her 72hr H1N1 test also proved negative thank goodness!! Hoping to remove the c-Pap mask tomorrow and get her out of the ICU at least. MAria and I are getting ready for another fun night of sleep in the guest room here....

Thank you for all of your support!!

The Schmanski Family
Tim, Maria, Tori, Whitney and Brendan

Tori remains in the ICU but her breathing and awareness is steadily improving. She does run slight fevers now and then but all tests are negative for pneumonia or H1N1. H1N1 can only be officially ruled out after 72hrs so she will still have some more time in the ICU until she is cleared....

She is also getting precautionary antibiotics at this time and they continue to clear her lungs of very thick secretions. They are thankfully pulling less and less out each time and reducing her oxygen assistance as well.

So all positive news at this point as she continues her recovery from this latest episode. We remain very eager to leave the PCMC as there is an extreme amount of Flu, H1N1, Influenza and other contagious cases throughout the hosptial. We remain masked at all times and the PCMC will not allow visitors that are 14 or under. No doubt the sooner Tori, Maria and I are out of here the better.

Thank you all for your love and support.

The Schmanski Family
Tim, Maria, Tori, Whitney and Brendan

Hello again,

Tori is unfortunately spending the night in the Primary Children's Hospital ICU after an ambulance ride earlier today.... Still trying to ascertain her current respiratory issues but she has greatly improved since her arrival. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

She was scheduled to finally have her spinal fusion tomorrow but alas those plans are squashed again.... Tori had her latest round of botox and phenol injections this past Thursday along with a Flu shot as well. Whitney, Brendan and Grandpa all have had a viral infection over the past several days as well and we believe that is what she has now caught.

She produced a tremendous amount of secretions Saturday night and I had to suction her lungs out during the entire evening. She calmed down Sunday morning and we were planning on taking her to the PCMC for her pre-surgery blood work. But she was very lethargic and couldn't maintain a blood oxygen level above 80% with 8 liters of oxygen so we had to call 911 for support and transport via ambulance to PCMC Emergency Room. The paramedics placed her on 15 liters of oxygen to maintain 95% during the trip.

She is now connected to a BiPap system to help her breath more freely and her blood test results are improving. All other cultures will be known tomorrow as well. They are extremely cautious due to the rampant H1N1 Flu going on in our area and in the PCMC. We will be taking Tori out of here as fast as we possibly can because it is the worst place for her, or us, to be at this time....

Thank you for checking in and I will provide more information as I can. We certainly do not miss the PICU but Maria and I will be spending the night once again as well....

Thanks again,

The Schmanski Family

Happy Birthday Tori!!

Tori had her 19th birthday on Sunday and she spent it with her family. We didn't really do too much of anything but hang out with her in the house. Peace, quiet and restfulness was the mode for her birthday this year.

Tori's Ventral Rhizotomy was originally scheduled for June 29th but was cancelled due to non-approval by her insurance company... The interesting thing is they ended up approving it after appeal three days later. Oh yes, we DID win that battle!!! But after careful consideration and Tori's upcoming Spinal Fusion surgery on August 31th the timing was not right for two major surgeries back to back. We just can't put Tori through that much in this short time frame. Tori will spend 2-3 weeks at the PCMC recovering from the Spinal Fusion surgery which will take approximately 6-8 hours of surgery. Dr. Stephen Santora will perform the surgery. Hopefully the surgery will be a success and her pain and discomfort will be lessened and her breathing and digestive system will return to a more 'normal' state. We will now reconsider the Ventral Rhizotomy at a later time.

We are still very concerned about the Swine Flu but hopefully they may just have the vaccine available and Tori would certainly be a priority to have it. We shall see.