Liga Members Comments to PAX Families

This Post is to allow Liga Members to post remarks to the passengers and there families. Please click the "Comment" link Below to Leave your Comments to Liga and the affected Families.

Family Members Updates

This Post is for Family Members to provide Updates on the recovery of Hayley, Julia and Liam.  To post an update please use the "Comment" Link below.

Hayely and Julia with there favorite pilots :-)

Hayley & Julia

Hayley Brown's family:

Until yesterday, the physicians were not optimistic. Sitting just behind John, with the plane angled on its back toward the left side, Hayley was not ejected as the plane broke apart, as Liam and Julia were on the other side; her head and body received unimaginable blunt force trauma.

Yesterday, surprising her doctors, Hayley opened her eyes and began following commands. She can respond with yes-no blinks, and gets them right every time. She recognizes her mom and dad, and is aware of what is going on around her. She can hold up two fingers in a peace sign, and move her extremities on command. With these signs, we are optimistic that every day will show improvement. Yay!

She has had surgery for her left ankle and debridement for a serious infection in her right leg. She is wearing a cervical collar for neck soft tissue damage, which will heal. We don't know if she will need surgery or a brace for her L1-2 lumbar fracture, and her C6 compression fracture is not of concern. Her pneumonia has cleared up, her lungs are working well, and today she might be taken off her ventilator. 

Hayley is a bright, loving, outgoing, determined and already accomplished young woman. She has a history of showing determination to follow a path to completion, whether in sports, academia or her charitable activities. She is using these skills now, she will need all her skills as she heals over the next few months, and with the help of your prayers, we are all finishing up the details of our miracle.

We're grateful for the outpouring of love, support and prayers from the Liga family, and all those in Sinaloa who were part of the 'Milagro'. I have been holding my breath, in an altered and unreal state, since the moment I heard the plane was in the river. Knowing that in the darkness and bewilderment there is always a higher purpose and a great opportunity. 

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and prayers. Liga is not in 'jeopardy' as the AOPA report indicates. Liga will be even stronger in the future. Go team.

Liga Youth Status Update

Julia is out of surgery! Surgeon says he successfully reconnected ligaments and fused 5 vertebrae. Her prognosis for a full recovery is excellent. The right orbital bone was also successfully repaired. The torn ACL will be repaired at a later date. Thank you all for your prayers & concern. Please continue to pray for her to have emotional and physical strength to get through the rehabilitation that will follow. Julia’s mother and father send their blessings and thank you all for your prayers and support.

Liam is now at home. He did suffer from an ankle fracture and is equipped with a boot. It remains to be determined if he will require any plastic surgery for his facial injuries.

Hayley is in good hands at a trauma center in San Diego. Her condition remains guarded but stable.

Liam returns to school

AOPA Report

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2012/120607medical-volunteer-flight-turns-tragic.html?WT.mc_id=120608epilot&WT.mc_sect=tts&cmp=ePlt:Phto

AOPA writer Dave Hirschman

AOPA Pilot recently accompanied about 65 volunteers traveling in 16 general aviation airplanes on a three-day trip to Liga International’s main clinic in the historic city of El Fuerte, Sinaloa, one of nine monthly working trips the group makes here annually. But their visit turned tragic when a fatal aircraft accident took the life of a Liga volunteer, injured three passengers, and dealt the organization a crushing blow.
Read more about Liga’s work in Mexico the August edition of AOPA Pilot.

Thanks Liga

Liga, thanks for creating this blog for us.  I have to say that after being a Policeman for 35 years and flying for about 30 this is the first time my wife really seemed troubled by an event so close to home.  I think that is saying a lot about the accident we experienced.

I am lucky to have had so many pilots and other friends, Liga and otherwise, to talk to.  No one can ever understand why bad things happen to good people.  I am lucky that I can talk to Cindy and allow her to share her concerns and mine with her.   My experience tells me this will help me and my friends through just the ugliest of all situations. 

God Bless John, Heyley, Liam, and Julia

Michael Apodaca

Getting through the pain

Many of our Members have asked how we can help each other to understand what has happened this past weekend.  This blog is intended to allow membership to share their thoughts and maybe share ways to help themselves, family and friends.  We all know keeping it all in is not wise so we encourage everyone to feel free to express themselves and feelings.  

No doubt that many of us share the same feelings and there is no reason to carry them alone with all of the wonderful people who want to help.  Please know that not one of us can carry the magnitude of this incident alone.  The Board knows that together we will somehow find a way as we go through this tragedy together.

Medical status update

Dear Liga family member
Update as of Friday morning:

On Wednesday afternoon Liam and Julia were checked in at a Trauma Center in San Diego where they have received a thorough assessment. With better CT technology, they think Julia may need a little work on an eye socket and she also has a vertebra fracture that will need surgery. Still, she is smiling and glad her dad bought her an iPhone 4s so she could Facebook!. Liam has an ankle sprain. Both Liam and Julia will most likely to be released in a few days.

Hayley arrived in San Diego late Thursday. As we get additional information we will be sure to pass it along. Things are getting better daily!

So many Liga members have been working hard to help all four families with the aftermath of this event. What an amazing group of people Liga is made up of!

AOPA writer Dave Hirschman was on scene in Mexico last weekend with Liga and has published this article and video regarding the crash. Not what we had hoped for when we invited them down.

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2012/120607medical-volunteer-flight-turns-tragic.html?WT.mc_id=120608epilot&WT.mc_sect=tts&cmp=ePlt:Phto

The Liga Executive Team,

Janet Lapp, President
Winnie Parish, President-Elect
Stephen Blythe, Treasurer

Medical Status Update

Additional Update:

Hayley is expected to be transported out of Mexico Thursday and will be admitted to a Trauma Center in San Diego. She is still on a ventilator because she is sedated (in a medically induced coma). Her brain swelling has decreased to the point they will slowly be taking her out of sedation after she is evaluated in the new facility. The plan is to also treat her for her collapsed lung, her ankle fracture and her vertebrae fractures there. Her grandmother (Janet) and parents have remained at her side.

John F. Slater`s family has request we post the information for his Memorial Service. We have posted this information on our Website Home Page.

A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of John F. Slater Saturday, June 9th at
St. Matthews United Methodist Church, 2540 West. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85202
Service will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, Reception to immediately follow in the fellowship hall on the same grounds.

Donations are being accepted in honor of John F. Slater on the Liga International website, www.ligainternational.org or via mail to Liga International, 19671 Lucaya Ct., Apple Valley, CA 92308

Status Update - Comming Home

Dear Liga Family member,

As of this morning, here is what we do know:

Earlier this morning Jody Goodenough flew her Jet King Air to Los Mochis to pick up Liam Guzman, Julia Tower and their family members. They will be flown back to San Diego this afternoon. Both Liam and Julia are in stable condition. In the accident Julia suffered some long, deep lacerations to her arm, upper chest and shoulder and leg. She has some damage to her knee and a collar bone fracture. Liam has a collar bone fracture, a minor contusion to his lung, various cuts and scrapes and some small facial fractures including under one eye.

Hayley is doing somewhat better. We are working with an air medical transport company for her transportation back to the San Diego area. They are in direct contact with the Los Mochis hospital medical staff and hoping to bring her back to the San Diego on Thursday. In the accident she suffered a collapsed lung; suffered brain swelling and was placed late Saturday afternoon in a medically induced coma.

Memorial Services for John Slater:
Memorial Service to celebrate John Slater will be held on Saturday, June 9th at St. Mathews United Methodist Church, 2540 W. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85202. Services will begin at 1 pm. Reception to immediately follow. Kathi Blythe is our representative to help the families. She is in direct contact with them to provide them with any assistance they may need.

There has been an enormous outpouring of love and concern for John's family, Liam, Julia and Hayley and their families. Many have inquired about what they can do and how to send their note of support to the families involved. If you wish to send cards or notes to any of the families you can use our website member search to find there contact information. As more information becomes available to us about the three injured passengers or about the services for John Slater we will be passing them along to you.

We are all still trying to deal with what happened over the weekend. As more information comes in and we are able to better sort things out, we will be sending you more information. One thing that has emerged very clearly is that many people in our Liga family, both here and in Mexico, did an extraordinary job under extreme circumstances this past weekend. For this we are grateful and proud. We know, beyond a doubt, we are part of a caring and compassionate family made up of amazing individuals! We understand that this tragedy affects all of us in a different ways and to a different degree. We hope to soon put something in place to help us all have a forum and resources to help us through this as a group.

Our condolences and prayers go out to John and to his family for this terrible loss. We also send our prayers for the complete and fast recovery of the other victims of this tragic event.



The Liga Executive Team,

Janet Lapp, President
Winnie Parish, President-Elect
Stephen Blythe, Treasurer

John F. Slater Memorial Service

In Memory of John F. Slater - Liga Pilot John F. Slater Memorial Donation Donations are being accepted in honor of John F. Slater or mailed to: Liga International, 19671 Lucaya Ct., Apple Valley, CA 92308

Share your thoughts and memories of John at this link

John F. Slater Family Contact Information

A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of John F. Slater Saturday, June 9th at St. Matthew United Methodist Church 2540 West Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85202 Service will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary Reception to immediately follow in the Fellowship Hall.

John F. Slater - Liga Pilot

Medical Status Update

Dear Liga family member

Update as of Monday morning:

Liam and Julia are expected to be released as early as Tuesday. They each have a parent there who will travel home with them. They are in stable condition. They are expecting to return home on Wednesday.

Hayley is doing somewhat better and hopefully she will be released later in the week. She is still in critical condition but her vital signs are improving.

Media calls. Please, don't talk to the media. Refer all media requests to Pat Spier. Get their name and number and tell Pat via email, brthnrs@charter.net and she will call them back.

Also, Kathi Blythe is our representative to help the families. She is in direct contact with them to provide them with any assistance they may need.

Janet said that she cannot respond to all of the text and phone messages, but that she is okay.

Our condolences and prayers go out to John and to his family for this terrible loss. We also send our prayers for the complete and fast recovery of the other victims of this tragic event. Please know that the Liga Executive Committee is standing by to assist the victims and families in any way that we can. While we understand that many of you may have questions that you want to voice, we would appreciate your indulgence for the immediate future as the leadership team works through the things that we need to do. For the time being, we would ask you to help us in keeping our phone lines open so that we can attend to pressing matters.


The Liga Executive Team,

Janet Lapp, President
Winnie Parish, President-Elect
Stephen Blythe, Treasurer

Kara Group website

We at Liga are all grieved by the recent loss of our friend John Slater.  International is trying to do everything that we can to keep you informed with any and all information that comes to us.  We encourage you to visit our blog and to contribute if you are able.  We believe that this is one way that we can get through the next few days, weeks, and months together.

None of us have all the answers and certainly not Liga.  At the same time experts tell us that there is much help available.  If you feel that you your family or friends are having trouble reconciling these recent events we recommend that you seek out all resources that may be available to you.  These resources can come in many ways to include:  Family, fiends, other members, and professional help along with the many support groups.

Should you be having difficulty and have not taken steps to deal with your needs please seek help NOW.  We owe this to our families’ and ourselves. 

Here is a link to the Kara Group website.  This a good resource but not all-inclusive.   Please take a look at the website.  You can also look at your local City, County, or State for similar resources.

Kara Group

http://www.kara-grief.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=81

A Great Loss for Liga

Dear Liga Family Members:

We are greatly saddened to inform you that Liga has suffered a tragic loss. As some of you already have heard, a Cessna aircraft piloted by John Slater crashed into the El Fuerte River Saturday morning. John was killed in the accident, and his three passengers, Haley Brown, Liam Guzman, and Julia Tower were injured. The three passengers are being treated in a hospital in Los Mochis, and all are expected to make a complete recovery from their injuries.

Our condolences and prayers go out to John and to his family for this terrible loss. We also send our prayers for the complete and fast recovery of the other victims of this tragic event. Please know that the Liga Executive Committee is standing by to assist the victims and families in any way that we can. While we understand that many of you may have questions that you want to voice, we would appreciate your indulgence for the immediate future as the leadership team works through the things that we need to do. For the time being, we would ask you to help us in keeping our phone lines open so that we can attend to pressing matters.


The Liga Executive Team,

Janet Lapp, President
Winnie Parish, President-Elect
Stephen Blythe, Treasurer