THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 3, 1995 TAG: 9506020091
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By DIANE TENNANT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
``WHEE.''
Jessica Magary, almost 2 years old, twirled gleefully in the backyard swing, pushed by her doting father.
``She's doing so well,'' said her mother, Laurie. ``She walked for Christmas.''
No one expected Jessica to walk last winter. In fact, no one expected Jessica to live when she was pulled from the backyard pool on Nov. 1 after spending at least 15 minutes underwater. She apparently fell in while the baby sitter was talking on the telephone.
But the Virginia Beach toddler amazed everyone - the rescuers, the doctors, the therapists, her parents - by her quick recovery. Her brain, deprived of oxygen for so long, lost some of the skills it had learned: talking, walking, smiling, muscle control. Doctors predicted months of therapy.
But Jessica smiled just three weeks after the accident. By Christmas, she walked.
``It was pretty unsteady, but she was walking,'' said her father, Bob. ``That was one of the things I wanted for Christmas, was for her to walk.''
Laurie's co-workers at the Defense Commissary Agency donated their leave time so she could take Jessica to therapy every day without losing any pay. By the end of February, Jessica was back on par with other toddlers.
``Whee.''
``Finally, life is about normal again,'' Laurie said.
``Whee.''
``It's changed my attitude about Children's Hospital,'' Laurie said. ``I never really thought about them (before the accident). Now I think about them all the time.''
``Whee.''
``I've really tried hard to make everybody aware of Children's Hospital.''
``Whee.''
``I've got you,'' Laurie called, grabbing Jessica's feet as she swung past. ``Got you. Whee.''
Doctors have said they don't know what, if any, long-term effects there will be for Jessica. It's unclear, for example, how she will do when she starts reading or doing math. But Laurie and Bob are content to have their little girl.
On June 12, Jessica will have a birthday party. On Nov. 1, she'll have another. All her rescuers will be there: the 911 dispatcher who gave CPR instructions over the phone, the police officer, the off-duty fireman.
``I don't know,'' Laurie said, ``how long she'll have two birthdays. ``Maybe forever.''
``WHEE.'' MEMO: Jessica Magary, her parents and three brothers will appear on the
telethon about 7:15 p.m. Sunday.
13th CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK TELETHON
Tina's, Jessica's and the Taylor quads' stories will be told, along
with hundreds of others, on the 13th Children's Miracle Network
Telethon, to be broadcast this weekend on WVEC, Channel 13.
Local segments of the telecast will originate at Children's Hospital
of The King's Daughters, one of 161 hospitals that benefit from the
national telethon. The only specialized children's hospital in Hampton
Roads, CHKD has 173 beds and more than 50 outpatient specialty programs
such as asthma, diabetes, sickle cell disease and cancer.
WVEC will broadcast live from the hospital lobby from 11:35 tonight
through 8 p.m. Sunday.
The national telethon raised more than $125 million last year, and
the local telethon broke the million-dollar mark for the first time.
To phone in pledges during the telethon, call 668-9000 or
1-800-216-6667. And listen to the story of miracles.
ILLUSTRATION: THEN: Ask the parents of Virginia Beach toddler Jessica Magary,
who made a dramatic recovery from near-drowning at CHKD in
November.
NOW
JIM WALKER/Staff photos
by CNB