December 2010-

Our Beautiful children in front of our very special Christmas tree:)

Jack's 5K Race!!!!
What an INCREDIBLE morning!!! A day blessed by God and the angels of heaven...Thank you Paula and Gary for the snow today:) just incase you both had a hand in that...it was soooo beautiful:)

A VERY SPECIAL EVENT!!

Saturday, December 4th from 10am-12 noon...

"The Chilly Chili 5K Run" in Schaumburg, IL

Why is this event so special you ask...well those of you who have shared in the events of the past 6 months with my family and I will be filled with joy to hear that my brother Jack will be jogging the full 5K this Saturday!!! Yes, he will:) along with his entire recovery team and my entire family!

This photo of my brother and I was taken in September, just 4 months after his accident.

For those of you who don't know...on May 22nd ( the morning of the Rockford show where I had 7 clients competing that day) I received a call from my mom that my younger brother, Jack ( 29 years old) had been in a serious car accident and had a endured a very serious brain injury. That morning I had to literally pull myself up from the floor and pull myself together to be "Coach Jen" for the 7 incredible athletes I had preparred for that day's competition for the past 6 months. I fullfilled that day and then made the announcemnet to my team after the finals that I needed to go to the I.C.U. I then proceeded to the hospital at 1am. and stayed with my mom for several hours.

My brother's prognoses from doctors was uncertain and extreemly frightning. We were told that he could remain unresponsive indefinitely and have a long list of lifetime dissabilities due to the brain injury he had sustained.

After over 4 weeks in an unresponsive state my brother was transferred to the amazing Rehab Institute of Chicago and spent the next 2 months relearning how to follow a command, sit up, use his hands, walk, talk, swallow, eat, smile, throw a football again and many MANY more things! Then he came home:) to my parents home where he has attended therapy at Marianne Joy where he has regained his speach, processing speed, his personality, his sence of humor, his strength, his ability to jog and do sooo many other things.

Well I am so extreemly proud to share that Tuesday, November 30th was Jack's final day at Marianne Joy and last Friday was his first day back to the gym to train as he used to. My brother has been a lifetime athlete playing football from age 7 through high school and then on a semi pro team The Chicago Thunder!

My family and I have God and the angel's above to thank for the gift of Jack's recovery! All the pieces were in place...he had the best care available, he had the support and care 24/7 from my mother, and our entire family to ensure he could go the distance. He had the will and determination and FIGHT like no other and prayers from everyone around him.

So, Saturday morning as the snowflakes fall from the sky and I am jogging beside my brother, his best friend Kelly, my mom, my dad and my sister and all of his support team at Marianne Joy....I will be smiling and thanking GOD for the gift of a second chance for Jack!! The race will be covered by 104.3 FM "Jack" radio....how about THAT as a personal message from above:)

This holiday season I am reminded and inspired by my brother, my friend how fortunate I am and how easily we forget what a gift each day is that we take for granted as we wake up and do all the things we do without a second thought. Imagine starting everything you know over...relearning it ALL....

Now the next time someone tells me they "Can't"...guess what....

I have one word for them JACK!!!!

I Believe in Jack and i hope you all cherish the gifts in your life this holiday season!

With love and passion,

Jennifer Abrams

This photo was taken last weekend on our annual tree cutting adventure! The annual "Flip Sid" tradition was alive once again as my brother flip my mom upside down in the middle of all those Christmas trees...life is sooo good!