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The 8-year-old is still in a light coma and may have brain damage because he lost so much blood. Doctors think he will recover best amid his family.
©Associated Press
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2001
PENSACOLA -- An 8-year-old boy who survived a shark attack was resting in his own bed Sunday after spending more than a month in a hospital recovering from surgery to reattach his arm.
Jessie Arbogast, who was attacked by a bull shark in early July, was welcomed by neighborhood children who were laughing and crying with joy after a two-hour trip from a Pensacola hospital to his hometown of Ocean Springs, Miss.
Only Jessie's pale face was visible beneath a blue plastic tarp that shielded him from rain as ambulance personnel took him in his front door.
Signs saying, "Welcome Home Jessie," and yellow ribbons greeted the ambulance. Police blocked off the Arbogast house so the ambulance, which arrived during a downpour, could unload Jessie.
Doctors said Jessie remained in a light coma Sunday.
"It appears he has suffered some brain injury because of the massive blood loss incurred during the shark attack," said Dr. Tim Livingston, a pediatric neurologist. "There is certainly potential for further recovery, but we just don't know how long that may take or how far he can progress. It may be a year before we know."
Jessie has made dramatic recovery from the shark bites and no longer needs medication, including for pain, said Dr. Rob Patterson, a pediatric intensive care specialist.
Doctors believe the sights, sounds and smells of home will help him recover.
"What Jessie responds to the most is own family and the people he seems to recognize," Patterson said.
Patterson said Jessie responds by opening his eyes and appearing to gain a higher level of alertness, but he added "there's no purposeful communication."
At home, Jessie will get physical and speech therapy, Patterson said.
Jessie initially will be given 24-hour care but that will taper off. He also will have a feeding tube, but Jessie has started to move his mouth and it's possible he may be weaned from the feeding tube.
The hospital will follow up on Jessie's condition with visits every month, but doctors do not expect to have to readmit him to Sacred Heart. The primary care will now be given by Jessie's own pediatrician.
The boy was bitten by a 6 1/2-foot bull shark near Pensacola on July 6. His uncle, Vance Flosenzier, grabbed the shark's tail as Jessie cried, "He's got me, get him off me!" according to a National Park Service report.
Flosenzier wrestled the shark to shore and retrieved the arm from its jaws. Doctors reattached it after 11 hours of surgery. Jessie also had a severe bite to his leg in the attack and lost virtually all his blood.
His kidneys have since improved, and he no longer needs dialysis.
The Arbogast family issued a statement thanking people for their support and prayers, and thanked the Baptist Flight helicopter crew that came to Jessie's aid on the beach "for making the hard choice."
To save two crucial minutes of flying time, the crew took Jessie to Baptist Hospital, where he was revived and his arm reattached, instead of Sacred Heart, which has a pediatric intensive care unit. Jessie was transferred two days later.
"We also wish to thank the many people at the beach whose quick thinking and actions helped to save Jessie," the family said.
Family members have declined interview requests and in the statement urged the news media to respect their privacy.
- Information from Knight Ridder News Service was used in this report.