***Latest update: posted Aug 3

Our beautiful Reesa Marie Kammerman, aged 16, returned to her heavenly home July 28, 2013, following a tragic car accident on July 12th.  Her beautiful smile captured our hearts from the day she was born on April 15, 1997. Reesa was a fun-loving, caring, and nurturing young woman, as was evidenced by her love for children and helping others. She loved to play the guitar, dance, ride horses, and sing in the Merit Academy Glee Club, where she also attended high school. She loved spending time with her family and being a loving big sister.

Reesa was preceded in death by “Papa” John Kammerman and cousin Emily Kammerman. She is survived by her father, Michael Kammerman, mother Billie Jo Barnum , and stepmother Missy Kammerman; sisters Brandee (Daniel) and Hannah; brothers Jared, Jozef, Ammon, Isaac, Zachy, and Zachary; nephews Acen and Emmytt, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

“Love, forgive, and be worry-free.”

Thank you to the doctors and nurses at University Medical Center Trauma Pediatric ICU in Las Vegas for all their support and assistance; to guardian angel Adrian Grocock who resuscitated Reesa immediately following the accident; the Ronald McDonald House staff and volunteers; and to the many friends, extended family, and strangers who have given freely and cared so much for our family.

Funeral Arrangements: -  

Viewing - Sunday, August 4th, 6-8pm 
Wheeler Mortuary - 211 East 200 South, Springville, Utah  

Viewing - Monday, August 5th, 9:30-10:45am
Funeral -  Monday, August 5th,11am
LDS Chapel - 355 North 400 East, Springville, Utah

Funeral Services for Reesa

Viewing - Wheeler Mortuary- 211 E 200 S Springville, UT
                 Sunday, August 4th @ 6-8pm



Viewing - LDS Church 355 N 400 E Springville, UT
                Monday, August 5th @ 9:30-10:45am
Funeral - LDS Church 355 N 400 E Springville, UT
            Monday, August 5th @ 11am




Updates on our sweet Reesa's progress...


(Thank you Jessie Kate for setting this up for us.)

On Friday, July 12 our sweet Reesa rolled the car and was ejected. She was thrown about 20 feet from the car. She was found an unknown amount of time later by a passing truck driver (Adrian Grocock). She was dead when he arrived so CPR was performed. She was able to be resuscitated before being life flighted. Originally, she was being flown to Dixie Medical Center, but the extent of her injuries required that she be stabilized there and then flown to University Medical Center in Las Vegas for further care. She has had much trama to her body, ribs, lungs, and head.

She has been in a coma (no physical responses) and on life support since arriving at UMC.
She is on an oscillator that keeps her lungs inflated to better get oxygen to her body.

On Saturday she developed a fever and was started on antibiotics. She is on a water blanket to help regulate her body temperature.


Tuesday...
She has developed pneumonia and is being treated for that infection.

Wednesday...
The hospital has limited visits to immediate family only, due to her risk of infection. (For those of you who are local or are headed down)


UPDATE...July 17
At a visit with Reesa today, she was making an effort to take breaths and the nurse said this is okay (usually they stop this effort because it fights against the oscillator, but the little bit she was doing was actually improving her oxygen level.) They welcomed this breathing effort she was making :)

***Michael just spoke with the truck driver who did CPR on Reesa. (I choke up typing that). He said he saw Reesa being ejected and got to her within a minute! That is very comforting news because that helps answer the question about how long she was without oxygen.(not as long as we had originally thought)



Our hearts are filled with warmth and our eyes with tears as we read all of your words of encouragement, comfort and love in the comments here and on facebook. We are so blessed to have all of you in our lives and Reesa will be blessed for all of your prayers. We have been talking to her when we visit and telling her about the many many people praying for her all over the country  world... if she can hear us, we know this will add to her strength to fight hard...she is loved by soooo many:)

UPDATE: July 18 10:30 am...

Some great news this morning. Reesa is almost off the epinephrine that was keeping her heart beating. That means her heart is getting stronger and beating on its own! The doctor made another attempt last night to switch her to the regular ventilator. Her lungs were again not ready for that and collapsed in that process. So he will wait a day or two until the switch is tried again. Keep up the prayers, they  really help.

UPDATE******* July 18, 4:21 (Vegas time)

REESA was just successfully switched to ventilator....thanks for your prayers, please keep them going! They are hoping to do the MRI tomorrow. :)

The name of the truck driver is Adrian Grocock. Prayers of thanks and blessings for him and his family would be wonderful.


UPDATE: July 19, 12:40 am (Vegas)
Reesa is off the meds to help her heart beat. She is beating strong on her own. She also is off the oscillator and now on regular ventilator. She is breathing quite a bit on her own. this is great news.

 
Tomorrow is a big day...Please pray for a miracle. Tomorrow we will know the extent of her brain injuries.
I believe in miracles. I know that Heavenly Father can take something that was once broken and make it whole again. I know that Reesa can be healed and make a full recovery. I also know that Heavenly Father has understanding and wisdom far beyond what we can comprehend. He sees the beginning from the end. We sometimes are not given the desires we seek for in prayer, not because we do not have enough faith, but our loving and wise Heavenly Father knows we need something different; he loves us and knows that sometimes what we ask for is not what we need. I do not know yet what Heavenly Father's will is for Reesa, in time we may know. What I do know, again, is that if it IS his will, through our faith and prayers, she can be healed.
Please pray and fast Friday for Reesa and our family.
Love you all...thanks so much for your love, concern and prayers that have brought her to this point.

Also, I want everyone to know that I was in Reesa's room tonight and read to her all the comments left here and texts that have been sent expressing your love and concern.



***UPDATE July 19, 8:23 am (Vegas)

Reesa is going in for her MRI right now....Please pray.

UPDATE July 19, 1:00 PM

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Both Reesa and the whole family will be eternally grateful for the outpouring of love that has been shown over the past week. The results of the MRI were not what we were hoping for, but we are putting our trust in our Heavenly Father. Reesa will be able to do what she loves to do, which is helping others. Through organ donation, she will be the cause of saving many lives and bring comfort and hope to other families. We will update this blog to let everyone know about funeral services. We will also update this blog over the coming months to keep you posted on the recipients who will be blessed to receive one of Reesa's organs.

Love you all.

UPDATE: July 22 2:40 pm

First of all, our family wants to thank all of you for your love, prayers, concern, and acts of service. This is a very difficult time for all of us and your comments here and on facebook continue to lift us up. Each comment or message received is read and they all give comfort and strength. I am sorry we cannot reply to all of you right now with everything going on, but we ARE grateful for your love and friendship.

Thanks to the Anonymous Spring Creek 7th Ward Members for sending a kind financial gift. It helped us with gas and food down in Las Vegas.

Thanks to the friends who cleaned our house and fed our (numerous) pets. :) Thanks for the fantastic meal that was waiting when some of us arrived back home last night.

Thanks for the huge sign on the garage door that says: "We Love You" It is so great to feel loved by the neighborhood so much.  

Tentatively, we think the viewing will be on Sunday evening (July 28) in Springville and the funeral Monday morning (July 29) in Springville. Exact times and locations will be posted soon.

There is an account set up at Chase Bank in Reesa Kammerman's name for anyone wishing to donate financially to help with funeral expenses. You can go into any Chase branch across the country to donate. Just give them Reesa's full name. If you have questions, you can direct them to Lilia at the Orem Branch (801) 224-4500.

To clarify some confusion, Reesa has been kept on life support for the past several days to prepare for organ donation. Recipients have been located and Reesa will be taken off life support tomorrow.

UPDATE: July 24, 2013 6 pm

There have been some unexpected delays and the viewing and funeral will not be Sunday and Monday. We are not certain when they will be so please check back and we will post as soon as we know when they will be. Thanks, love you all.

July 25, 2013 9am

This is Reesa's dad. There have been a few developments to make people aware of. A couple of days ago I spent what was thought to be Reesa's last night with us at the hospital. Before going to the operating room the next morning the neurologist ordered a final MRI and EEG. After the results were reviewed the doctors made a few changes to their original recommendation. The MRI wasn't definitive but the EEG shows some increase in brain activity. Since they can't determine whether this is just the normal reflex activity after the sedation wore off or from other sources, they have suggested that we wait a little longer before turning off the ventilator. Since the neurologist and all three doctors are of the same opinion we are following their advice.

We don't know what this means nor what the outcome may be, but we'll put our trust and our precious Reesa in God's very capable hands.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.




July 28, 2013 8pm

Today, my Sweet Star Reesa passed away.  She was such a sweet and beautiful girl! I feel so blessed to have been able to have 16+ years of memories with her! I think the reason it aches so much is that we love her so much, and she loves us. 

I am at a loss for words right now. I will update with the time and date of the services once it is set.

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Thanks again for your continued love, support and prayers.

There are two scriptures that stand out to me tonight.
Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Please give someone a hug! Then tell them to pass that hug along. That's one natural resource that can never run out!