Family hopes for recovery

ESCANABA — A former Escanaba resident, now residing in California, continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury caused when he was assaulted this summer.

Travis Thetford, 23, a 2002 graduate of Escanaba High School, remains in a coma at Encino Medical Center where he is undergoing physical and speech therapy. The facility is about 24 miles from Pasadena where he resided with his parents, Bryan and Julie Ann (Hirn) Thetford.

Travis was transferred to the facility by ambulance on Nov. 12 from Loma Linda University Medical Center where he was being treated for three months following the assault.

On Aug. 6, Travis went camping in the Big Bear Lake area for his vacation. The next day, a store owner in Big Bear found him seriously injured on the sidewalk. He had been struck in the back of his head causing three cracks in his skull and major swelling of the brain. Police continue to investigate the assault.

“There is no new evidence or leads in the investigation,” stated his mother, Julie Ann, in a recent e-mail to the Daily Press.

Despite the lack of progress in the investigation, Travis’ condition is slowly progressing, offering hope for his family.

“Travis is receiving physical and speech therapy. They are treating him somewhat aggressively as they, too, have high hopes for Travis due to his age and how he is responding so far,” Julie Ann said. She added Encino Medical Center has a growing reputation for waking up coma patients and getting them home and on rehabilitation.

“Physical therapy is standing him up,” his mother said. “Of course, Travis is not standing on his own but he is making huge improvements in his balance and strength.”

Travis’ speech therapy involves a speaking valve attached to his trachea.

“We have gotten a few sounds out of him,” Julie Ann said. “Nothing consistent or real words, yet.”

Because Travis is responding to stimuli and moving his legs, his family feels confident he will walk on his own someday, his mother added.

“Travis has several facial muscles that are responding to stimuli. Muscles around his mouth and around his eyes, especially above his eyes. His feet and legs have finally begun responding to stimuli. His feet move when tickled or touched and he has raised both legs from the knee enough times that we are feeling confident that he will walk on his own some day.”

Medical personnel and family members are also trying to communicate with Travis via his eyes blinking.

“He has blinked his eyes to our command but this is still inconsistent,” Julie Ann said. “We are trying to set up a yes and no communication system with him through eye blinking, but like I said, this is still inconsistent to feel confident in his response.”

In addition to the improvements Travis is making, the family is also encouraged by support from family and friends.

“We want to thank our family and friends in Escanaba for supporting us through this difficult time,” Julie Ann wrote. “Also, a special thank you to all of Travis’ teachers and coaches from Esky who have sent such lovely messages of prayer and encouragement.”

The Thetfords moved a few years ago from Bark River to California where Bryan is a set decorator for film and television, mainly working out of Los Angeles.

Travis was working with his dad in the film business as an actor and set dresser. He is just a few credits from graduating with a degree in kinesiology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Julie Ann is a registered nurse. She was working at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena until she resigned from her job to help rehabilitate Travis.

Travis’ sister, Kody Thetford, 20, is also helping care for him in California. She took the fall semester off from Northern Michigan University in Marquette where she is a junior. She graduated from Escanaba Area High School in 2005.

“Bryan is out of work due to the writer’s strike,” Julie Ann said in an e-mail earlier this month. “Kody is still out here with us and I have not returned to work yet. We are taking advantage of this time for all of us to be happy together to bring our family life into Travis’ room daily, hoping he responds to it and wakes up.”

The Thetford’s encourage friends and family to send messages to Travis and his family at http://www.caringbridge.org.'>www.caringbridge.org. Once at this Web site, type in travisthetford.

At this Web site, his sister Kody wrote, “He is still in a coma but every day he is getting stronger and stronger. We family members know he is there and can hear us.”

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Jenny Lancour, (906) 786-2021, ext. 143, j'>jlancour@dailypress.net'>jlancour@dailypress.net