ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997               TAG: 9704170075
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: A-1  EDITION: METRO 

BACK IN THE BOSOM OF HIS FAMILY

LENGTH: Short :   30 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ERIC BRADY THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. JASON ROOKER HAS A 
          SMILE on his face as he watches his sister Jennifer jump on the 
          trampoline, and as his mother gives him some milk at lunch. Jason 
          nearly died when he accidentally hanged himself with a toy lasso at 
          his Claytor Lake home 10 months ago. His parents revived him; he was
          flown by helicopter to Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, where he
          was in a coma for nearly three days. He was transferred to Kluge 
          Children's Rehabilitation Center in Charlottesville for nine months.
          2. Now he's home, where his parents, Greg and Fran Rooker, will work
          with him to retrain undamaged parts of his brain to take over 
          physical functions he lost - chewing, swallowing, talking, using his
          hands and legs - in the 10 or so minutes his brain went without 
          oxygen. Jason's plight has brought his family closer together. "This
          has taught us what one individual of the family means," said his 
          15-year-old sister, Stephanie. "It's shown us how important we are 
          to each other. And it's opened my eyes to what's really important. I
          think we're stronger, and I think we're closer. We can get through 
          anything now." Story on C1. color.