So lucky

to have spent my Sunday night with these guys!



It was an awesome night of Bob Books, charades and Yahtzee!
Thank you Sirignano Family for a great dinner and a night filled with lots of love and lots of laughs. You guys are the best! We love you tons and can't wait to do it again soon.

Long over due update

As we are approaching the one year anniversary (February 6, 2010) of my nephew Brent's horrible car accident I realized it's been quite awhile since I posted an update about him. I Feel bad that I haven't updated in so long and wanted to take a moment to update those that have been following his story and praying for him. For those that don't know the details feel free to clink on the "myfamily" link below or read some of my past post with the label Brent Sirignano.

Brent has made amazing progress these past 11 months. We are all so proud of him - well, actually we are all extremely proud of the whole family. The way they have come together through this scary situation and have pulled through a stronger, more connected family. They are an inspiration to us all. We feel so blessed to have spent some very special time with them this past Thanksgiving, at my Dad's birthday and Christmas and again for Benjamin's 4th birthday. These were really great moments that we won't ever forget!


*Keith, their oldest son, our oldest nephew is not pictured. He is engaged to be married and was unable to celebrate with us this year.



Here's the latest update on the "myfamily.com site" posted by my sister Mingie and brother in law Ed.

Hello to ALL,

Well 2011 is under way and Brent is off to a great start. Home tutoring and therapies are going well and Brent continues to heal and show improvements. We attended the ETHS varsity game last night and several of Brents friends came over to say hi and grab a hug. Then we watched the team pull out an amazing win in the last seconds of the game. Yes, we still Love this game and always will. Such an intense finish. Brent handled the excitement, the noise and even balanced himself on the unstable bleachers for the whole game. Good therapy for him! It was our first time being in the gym since the accident and of course being at the gym was a little bitter sweet.

On another note Eddies life seems to be getting back on track and he is showing improvement at school and just in general is a happier person and has regained the security in his life these days. Since Brents accident he has been and continues to be very protective of his brother and for most of last year he was Brents younger, but big brother. It was a very emotional year for Eddie, but as Brent continues to improve, we are seeing positive signs with Eddie too. Brent, however has now reaffirmed his big brother status and sometimes even acts like Eddies second Dad these days, questioning Eddie about his plans , when he will be home, who is driving etc. They certainly have formed quite a bond during this last year.

Keith and Amanda's wedding is approaching fast and we are finally at a place in our lives where we can really be happy for them and our family is getting very excited as the big day gets nearer. We Love you both and are very very happy for you.

May God bless ALL of you in 2011.

Love Always,

The Sirignano Family

Here are some pictures from Christmas of our AWESOME nephews with our boys.

The boys are so thankful to have their playful, happy cousin Brent back. Watching them interact was the BEST Christmas gift I could have asked for.

Whenever the boys and Eddie are together it's a constant giggle fest. He is such a fun and patient cousin. He is REALLY good with them. What a blessing he is. I only wish they lived closer (boo hoo)

Here's Keith and Amanda being as adorable as ever! Amanda is just a doll and we are so excited to have her as our niece and the kids cousin. Here she is being Jack's assistant for his magic tricks he was performing for the family. He was so happy to have her helping him!

WE HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR THEM ALL!!

We would like to send a big thank you to everyone who prayed for Brent and the whole family these past 11 months. We would be honored if you would please continue to pray for Brent as he continues on his journey of healing and regaining what was so quickly taken from him last year. Also, please let his experience serve as a reminder how quickly your life can change - in an instant everything can change.

Be safe when you drive, make wise choices and always, always, always let your your family know how much you love them!!

Last (last) weekend's happenings!

*It took me so long to actually post this that I had to amend the title.

On Friday, August 13th we celebrated Branden's 38th birthday. It was a casual but fun family night. The kids and I grabbed some Super Mex take out and headed up to the pool to swim and cool off. Branden met us there after work.

Then we came home for some peach pie (he's not a cake guy) and a few presents.

Singing Happy Birthday to Branden - watch Annabelle's hand at the end of the video. so sweet.

Another Happy birthday try with a few extra wishes from Jack


On Saturday night we had date night!!!
Yea for us, because we never go out. Thanks to my Mom who was willing to watch the kids and because she knows how to catheterize Annabelle we were actually able to leave BEFORE the kids went to bed - whoo hoo! She said everything went smoothly - what a blessing.

We met up with this fun couple at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy perform. Branden and I saw them years ago (pre kids) so it was great to see them again.
Thanks Rand & Allison for planning a fun night out and for being such gracious hosts.
We enjoyed your company and of course the tasty sangria and yummy cupcakes!

Check out this awesome balloon ride they have available. We didn't ride it but it sure was cool to look at.

On Sunday we spent the afternoon with the Sirignano's. Great afternoon of eating and laughing. pending time with family

It was wonderful to spend some quality time with Brent before he went in for his surgery on Tuesday (8/17). I am pleased to report that his surgery appears to have gone very well according to the doctor. The Dr. said that his new bone flap seems to be fitting well and he was already released from the hospital to recover at home and he went without a pic line (yeah!).
This was super GREAT news to get!

Our little skater dudes

Watch Benjamin in action

Check out Jack

These cool skateboards were bid on and won at Brent's fundraiser at Peppino's Italian restaurant in Foothill Ranch, CA on May 18th.

(yes that means these pictures are from May 19th - better late than never!)

A bump in the road for my nephew Brent - please pray

I write this once again asking for prayers and positive thoughts for my nephew Brent. Pasted below is the latest update as of today (7-11-10).

Here's a picture of Brent with the boys this past 4th of July.










Hello All,

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the results of the most recent CT scan. Fluid continues to increase near the right side of Brents brain. The doctor is concerned and wants to be pro-active and has recommended surgery to remove the fluid. Surgery is scheduled for this Monday at 11:10 at Mission Hospital.

Thank you for the prayers for our son and may God continue to watch over us ALL and give us strength in our lives.

Love Always,

The Sirignano Family

____________________________________________________________________

Brent asked that his surgery not be publicized as he didn't want to make a big deal about it :-( but it seems he had a change of heart and let his parents post about it on the "official update blog". He is making such progress and is understandably disappointed to have to be going back in for surgery which will require a few days to a week hospital stay and missed therapy appointments. We were with him on Saturday night and he was in good spirits and positive as always.

I am asking that you PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY that his surgery will go smoothly and that he will recover quickly. Thank you all so much for holding him and my sister & Ed close in your hearts tomorrow morning. I know my SB mommy friends know exactly what my sister is going through right now. The pain of sending your child into surgery is just horrible - my heart aches for her right now but my head knows that everything will be alright. I believe in God's healing power, the power of prayer and the strength of our family.

The beauty of family

My two wonderful nephews - Brent with his younger brother Eddie
July 4, 2010

Latest update on Brent (Saturday)

After you read Ed's update below you will see why I am SO very proud of my sister. We are so glad that Brent is once again home with his family to continue his recovery. Thank you for all of the prayers and well wishes for him - it means so much to us.

Hello everyone

It is our hope that this update finds you all doing well in your lives. Our family is doing much better now that our Brent is home again. The doctors confirmed and identified the infection that caused his headache and sickness on Mothers day.

A nurse came to the house today to teach Mingie and I how to give Brent his meds. The antibiotics are given through a PIC line in Brents arm, one medication is given as a shot twice a day and others by mouth. He will be evaluated each week concerning the infection. Brent is happy to be home and continues to have a very positive attitude about everything. He will continue therapy starting next week and is determined to work hard and do well. Its so good to have him home!

Please pray for my sweet Mingie as the new plan for home care is pretty over whelming, but as ALWAYS she is and will again rise to the occasion and do what she has to do to care for our children. I was afraid she was going to pass out today when she had to give B his first shot, but she handled it very well! I am very proud of her!

Thank you to ALL of you planning the fundraiser at Peppinos. It is shaping up to be a terrific evening. We are very grateful to you ALL. Are there any rules against our Family bidding on the silent auction? LOL The items are VERY COOL. Mingie and I will plan on attending and Keith and Amanda will care for Brent. Hope everyone has a nice weekend and hope to see you ALL soon.

God Bless you ALL

Love always,

The Sirignano Family

My nephew is back in the hospital

Here's the latest update on Brent.

On Sunday morning Brent was taken to Mission hospital after complaining of a headache and then vomiting several times. He was admitted immediately and during the course of the day was cared for and had several tests, a CT scan and later an MRI. Through these images, doctors detected fluid on the right side of the brain and yesterday Brent had surgery to evacuate this fluid. The surgery went well, however the fluid turns out to be an infection and now Brent will be treated with antibiotics for about 6 weeks and will remain in the hosp probably for about a week, The doctors will analyze the infectious materials and determine the best medication to treat Brent. He is once again in the care of the amazing team at CHOC in Mission hospital,

Please pray for God to guide Brents doctors in determining the best medicine to treat Brent and that he can be free of infection. Please pray for Brent to remain strong in his faith and to continue his positive attitude towards recovery. Thank you so much for your prayers!!

God Bless ALL of you

Love Always

Ed and Mingie oxox

Read More

Brent's Home Visit yesterday (4/25/10)

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE AND ED

Hello everyone,

What a beautiful day it was today! We were allowed to bring Brent home today for a trial run. We picked him up from St. Jude hospital after breakfast and were to have him back promptly no later than 8:00pm. We returned to the hospital at 7:59 pm. LOL Exactly one minute to spare!

It was so great having Brent home today with his family and we are now looking forward to Friday, because he will be coming home to stay.

Brent no longer has restrictions regarding his diet and really enjoyed Mingies spaghetti dinner tonight. Her sauce is the best!! Brent continues to work extremely hard during his therapy sessions at St.Jude as part of their in patient rehab program. We have a meeting with the doctors on Wednesday, at which time we will discuss the best options for Brents out patient therapy following his return home.

Brent continues to improve daily, but the doctors tell us that he suffers from a condition known as Aphasia. The doctors say that with continued rehabilitation a person can improve to the best of their ability. Brent is walking at times, with the aid of a walker and a guide person, but we are told now by the doctors, that his difficulty walking is not a physical issue, but rather is a result of the injury to his brain. His right side is still improving, but he does have issues with motor skills and has impaired vision in his right eye. When he returns home he will require 24 hour care.

Despite these challenges that lie ahead we feel extremely blessed to have our beautiful son with us and are so excited that he is coming home. Upon his return home our Family will request that friends who would like to visit Brent please call first. We know he is very excited to see ALL of you.

We wanted to thank you ALL for eating at Baja Fresh on Tuesday and for continuing to Love, Pray for and support our Family in so many ways. We also are hearing of so many things people are doing behind the scenes and we THANK YOU from the the bottom of our hearts. Your efforts of kindness and generosity to our Family are greatly appreciated. We truly hope this message finds you ALL in good spirits. May God Bless ALL of you!

Love Always

Ed and Mingie oxox

Brent's AMAZING progress

I am so thankful for the wonderful visit I had with my nephew Brent today. He is truly amazing! There is no question that God has truly blessed our family. I honestly, do not have the words to express how blown away I am by his tremendous progress. His beautiful smile, the sparkle in his eyes and the happiness in his heart today moved me to tears. I could barely drive home I was so emotion filled. I will be forever humbled and amazed by his miraculous road to recovery. What an inspiration!

Brent was transferred a week and a half ago to St. Judes in Fullerton where he is being treated at their Regional Brain Injury Center. Here is the post from Ed on Brent's 2nd day at St. Judes.

UPDATE ON BRENT - 4/15/2010

Hello everyone,

The transition to St. Judes was a very smooth one for Brent. I think we were more nervous about leaving the care of CHOC than he was, at least I know I was. The team at CHOC is our Family now and leaving our new friends was not easy, however it was time for Brent and our Family to move on to next phase of recovery. We will certainly keep in touch with our new friends and update them on Brents progress.

The team at St.Judes is working with Brent daily and he continues to improve. His verbalization is improving and he is able to use his right side more each day and is getting stronger. He has even walked with the aid of a walker, during Physical therapy. Day by day Brents determination is very evident as he regains his independency and he continues to work very hard towards his goal of coming home. We do not know yet when that will be, but we will expect that after Brent comes home, he will then participate in an outpatient rehab program for many months and a educational program designed for brain injury patients. where he will continue to improve his reading, writing, understanding and problem solving skills. We are very encouraged with his progress and THANK YOU ALL for your prayers and SUPPORT during this time and we Thank God that Brent is here with us.

Whatever Gods plan is for Brent and our Family, we will continue to follow His lead and let Him guide us in our lives. May God Bless ALL of you and yours, as he has done and continues to do for our Family.

All our Love

Ed and Mingie

Update on Brent - 4/8 & 4/13 (emotional & exciting!)

Here's the latest on our nephew Brent. He is such a fighter and an inspiration!

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE & ED - April 8, 2010

Hello everyone,

The days go by faster than ever before! God continues to answer our prayers and Brent is progressing daily. He is very determined during his therapy sessions with the wonderful staff of CHOC and Mission hospital. Mingie and I would like to thank our parents for spending so much of their lives the past two months supporting Brent and counseling and caring for Mingie, Eddie and myself. Keith and Amanda have also been amazing! Papa Sirignano tells Brent that he is his hero. Papa continues to encourage Brent to use his right hand and Brent continues to work hard to please his Papa. Its very touching to witness this special bond. We are very blessed to have such caring and loving parents/grandparents in our lives.

It is clear to see that Brents conditioning and competitive spirit prior to the accident is playing a huge role during his rehabilitation sessions. Being part of the ET basketball program and years as an athlete are certain to help Brent with the challenges that lie ahead.

A HUGE THANK YOU to ALL who have supported our Family with prayers, meals, fundraisers and very touching messages and more! Your Love and support of our Family touches our hearts and though we may not have contacted you personally, or replied to a message, we know who you are and we will see you again and cant wait to give you ALL a big hug.

May God bless you and yours with good health and happiness.always!

Love Ed and Mingie, Eddie

___________________________________________________________

UPDATE ON BRENT FROM MINGIE & ED - April 13, 2010

Hello to ALL of you Brent supporters,

Mingie and I and our Family are extremely happy to report that Brent is continuing to make progress. After Brent passed his swallowing test and got a taste of real food It didn't take him him long to remember how to eat. He is now transferring from the bed to a wheelchair and eating real food. The G tube has been removed. He remains in the care of an amazing team of individuals at CHOC, at Mission hospital.

Brent is also talking now. He had mouthed the word mom prior to speaking, but his first vocalization happened when I mentioned Mariahs name and he responded by saying "Mariah". "I said yes, Mariah thats right" and then he held his hand up to his ear simulating a phone call and said " call her". I about fell out of my chair scrambling to get my phone. We called Mingie first and when she answered Brent said in a very quiet voice "hello this is Brent" and of course Mingie was overcome with happiness. To hear his beautiful voice again was the sweetest blessing ever. Mariah called when she heard of Brents request and spoke to Brent. It was quite a night. Thank you for returning our call Mariah! You always were and always will have a special place in our hearts and of course in Brents.

We transport him from his room in the hospital, in a wheelchair to therapy and he is working very hard to regain his strength and motor skills. His right side is improving, but is still much weaker than his left side, but he is working hard daily to improve. Please pray for his right side to continue to heal and for him to walk again on his own.

The doctors have told us that even bigger challenges lie ahead with many months and or years of therapy that Brent will require to relearn many skills, however, we feel VERY BLESSED right now that Brent is back with us and would like to THANK ALL of YOU from the bottom of our hearts, for your MANY MANY.....prayers and especially THANK GOD for answering our prayers!

Love Always,

Ed and Mingie and Family

Update on Brent from last week

Brent continues to amaze us with his strength and determination. We had a wonderful visit with him last Sunday (3/28) but because Jack has been sick and there are some new restrictions we haven't been back to the hospital. However, we continue to get good daily reports from my sister and Ed as well as from my parents. Here is an update the Ed wrote last week.

A message about Brent from Ed and Mingie

Hello everyone

Since our last update Brent has now passed the swallowing test and has been introduced to more soft foods. A true blessing!! Thank you for your prayers!

On Sunday afternoon Mingie and I stopped by the fund raiser to say hi and boy what a joy it was to see EVERYONE. Thank you so much for taking the time to come out and support our Family.

We then headed back to the hospital to be with Brent and he got a visit from his cousins Jack, Benjamin and Annabelle. Brent has a special bond with his cousins and they made Brent very happy. It was very special to have them there and we all felt the Love between them.

Well thats it for now. Have a good week, God bless you ALL and please continue to pray for Brent's speech, the recovery of his right side and for our Family to stay strong!

Thank you ALL so very much for EVERYTHING!!

Love Ed and Mingie

Latest update on Brent

Below is the latest update from my sister and Ed regarding Brent's condition. I am pleased to be passing along such a great update. I also feel super lucky to have had a wonderful visit with him last Friday (3/19). Although, I know he has a long way to go in his recovery I believe it would be wrong of us not to celebrate his accomplishments and how hard he is working. He amazed me on Friday with his strength and determination. I felt that he and I connected and communicated (non verbally) with one another - my heart was filled with joy when I was with him.

We were blessed to have been told that Jack and Ben could go to the waiting room up on Brent's floor. We were eventually told by the head nurse that was incorrect and that they would need to go back down to the main lobby but before they were sent down stairs Brent was able to come out of his room for a little wheel chair ride. Yep - the boys got to see their cousin! It was AWESOME!!! I am confident that Brent was happy to see them and of course the boys were so excited to see Brent. It was a wonderful, tear filled visit. The three of them shared several special moments together. There is no question in my mind that Brent worked very hard to connect with his cousins. Although he was unable to speak to them he still made them feel special. They haven't stopped talking about seeing their "Brenty". I drove home from the hospital that day on cloud 9!!

Brent continues to make great progress - check out what Ed and Mingie have shared below. Thank you for caring about our family. Your love and prayers are working.

New Update from Mom and Dad - Wednesday, March 24th

Hi Everyone,

After 6 weeks Brent has now been moved out of the critical care unit to a room on the same floor in pediatrics. YEAH!!! Today, during speech therapy, he successfully ate a bowl of peaches and drank some apple juice and water. For now his main source of nutrition will continue to be through the G tube, but over time of course the goal is to lessen the G tube feeding and return to a normal diet Brent is improving daily with this process.

The Physical and occupational therapy is going well also. He is now moving his right leg more each day. His right hand and arm are now moving a little more and with assistance he is standing up next to his bed. His legs are doing a little better each day with supporting his weight while standing,

Brent seems to recognize his Family and on occasion, in this last week, has even chosen to give us each a brief, yet very satisfying hug. WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING!!!!

God has listened to ALL of our prayers and is providing Brent and our Family with the strength to recover and be able to move forward, one hour and one day at a time. Please God give this same strength to EVERYONE in their daily lives and especially to ALL of YOU, who have prayed for Brent and our Family. In Jesus name AMEN

We will update the site this weekend to share Brent's newest accomplishments.

Love Ed and Mingie and Family

Latest two updates on Brent

UPDATE ON BRENT.........Saturday 3/6 (Monday's update below)

Hi everyone

Brent went in for surgery early this morning. The doctor said the reason for the surgery was to remove excess fluids and dried blood from the left side of his brain. The doctor said the surgery went well and said that if Brent does well over the weekend that he will perform surgery on Monday and surgically reinstall the bone flap on the right side of Brents skull. He hopes that this will further help Brent in his recovery. Thanks be to God!!!

Brent is recovering from this mornings surgery and the doctors expect him to rest today. He will remain in the care of the PICU during this time. Our Family thanks you for your continued prayers and support. You are ALL amazing and wonderful people and we remain strong in our Faith that God has a plan for Brent.

We wanted to acknowledge ALL of you that have donated your hard earned money to Brent and our Family. There are way too many of you to thank right now, but in time we will cross paths again and we can thank you personally. Please know that we sincerely appreciate your kindness and generosity and you have ALL helped our Family through this experience both emotionally and financially. A special THANK YOU to Brents friends who have collected monies from local business and delivered to Mingie at the hospital. You guys are awesome!!! When Brent is recovered we will certainly have a celebration and even though Brent may not agree on the location, it WILL be at our house. lol

Anyway have a terrific and safe weekend and we will plan on an update following Brents surgery on Monday. Just a reminder to the kids that the streets may be wet today and your vehicles should be a no cell phone zone. The call or the text can wait until you are safely parked. When your phone rings or you want to shoot a text to your friends, just think of your friend Brent and it will help you to remember. Will talk to you all on Monday. God bless you

Our Love to you ALL

Ed and Mingie

_________________________________________________________

Brents Surgery....Monday 3/8

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had a good Monday! Mingie and I wanted to let you all know that Brents surgery went well today. We just left him at the hospital and the nurses are doing their very best to keep Brent comfortable, following surgery today. He is using his strength and giving the nurses, us and his Grandparents all we can handle during his wakeful times. These are definite signs of the Brent we all know and Love.This strength will be helpful during his rehabilitation, but for tonight we are praying for him to get a good nights rest.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our son and the wonderful meals. We remain positive and hopeful that this week and the weeks to follow, Brents condition will continue to improve. Sleep well and we will keep you posted on Brents progress.

Love

The Sirignano Family

Update on Brent as of Saturday February 27th

I was so thankful I was able to be at the hospital with Mingie on Friday (2/25) from 11 to 3.m I was only able to see Brent for about 10 minutes but they were 10 super special minutes. It is very difficult to see someone you love in the hospital in his condition but at the same time I am so very grateful that he survive the crash and is here with us today to fight to get his life back.

This is what Ed posted this evening about Brent's progress.

Update on Brent

Hello to ALL of our amazing Family, friends and supporters of our son Brent and our Family. We Love you all!!

Mingie and I are with Brent regularly, as are his Grandparents. The rest of the family visits are more limited due to the risks of h1n1 etc. His brothers and Amanda are remaining strong and have been amazing considering the circumstances. The rest of our family visits regularly when allowed to by the staff.

Brent remains in the PICU at Mission Hospital. The doctors tell us that Brent is coming out of the coma. he now experiences periods of wakefulness and opens his eyes sometimes during these periods. While awake he recieves physical and occupational therapy and LOTS OF LOVE from his family and his wonderful nurses! In the past two days he has shown small yet positive signs of purposeful actions and movements. This progress is a true blessing. However we are reminded that Brents brain injuries are very serious. The doctors say it is uncertain how long and how much brent will recover from these injuries and that we have a very long road ahead. We will remain faithful and are confident that Brent will continue to improve in time. We will of course be here for him every step of the way and we know ALL OF YOU will be through your prayers and Love and support of our Family.

It is our hope that this message finds ALL OF YOU AND YOURS in good health.

All our Love

Ed and Mingie

THEY ALSO POSTED THIS MESSAGE TO ALL OF BRENT'S FRIENDS:

Ed Sirignano started the discussion A special message to Brents friends and fellow students

A lot of you we know, some of you we met recently and some of you we have never met. You are ALL very special people! Brents Mother and I would Like it very much if you will PLEASE make a promise to us, to your own Families and to your friends that you will ALWAYS drive safely and ALWAYS remember that your lives and others, are precious and how important you ALL are to our Family, your own families, to your friends and others! Please learn a lesson from what has happened to your friends Brent and Parker and work together to make good decisions in your own lives. Continue to pray for your friends and in due time you WILL be together again.

All our Love to each and every one of you!!

Brents Mom and Dad

Latest update on Brent

I am so excited that I get to go to the hospital tomorrow and be with my sister and Brent. It's been a very long week not being there. Although we have been texting each day it's not the same as physically being there. Thank you Mom for watching the boys for me so that I can be there. I look forward to blogging my account of tomorrow's visit, but until then here is the latest update that was posted regarding his progress:

UPDATE ***Wednesday Night 2/24*********

Hello everyone,

Brent is stable but remains in PICU and is still in a coma. Brent is still breathing without a respirator and xray of lungs look good and he continues to show small signs of waking up. He had surgery this afternoon to his facial injuries and the surgery went well. He has an MRI scheduled in the AM and the neurosurgeon hopefully will discuss the results following.

Brent is progressing a little each day. Mingie and I visited rehabilitation facilities today, that may be best suited for Brent in his recovery.

Again thank you all very much for your continued Love and support! God Bless

Love Ed and Mingie

What an AMAZING show of love and support for Brent today!

Hundreds turn out for fundraiser for critically injured teen

By ERIKA I. RITCHIE

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Orange County Register

updated 10:15 p.m. PT, Sat., Feb. 20, 2010

LAKE FOREST - Almost 200 motorists turned out Saturday at a fundraiser to support a local teen still in a coma following a car crash on Feb. 6.

The car wash and bake sale was held in support of Brent Sirignano, an El Toro High senior, whose recovery has united the 2,200 students at the Lake Forest school.

More than 50 students and some parents washed a seemingly unending line-up of cars that poured into the parking lot at El Toro High well past the planned end time of noon. Students also sold baked goods, some of which were donated by Bagels & Brew and Albertsons. Students wore white T-shirts with "Support Bren" on them.

Since Sirignano's accident, students have held daily prayer vigils, made posters and T-shirts and posted messages on a Sirignano family-sponsored blog.

Sirignano, 17, was injured after Parker Kalmen, 17, also from Lake Forest, lost control of his 2006 Scion on a wet road. Sirignano was in the passenger seat. The car spun into a tree, impacting the passenger side. Sirignano and Kalmen had to be extricated from the car. Kalmen was uninjured in the crash.

In a message posted at 8 p.m. Saturday, Bobbi Scott wrote :"Ed and Mingie report that Brent is still in his coma. His breathing is much better today as it takes a little adjustment being off the respirator. He has responded well to all the great care from the nurses. He is actually snoring while the oxygen mask is off."

"They say Brent looks good. They were so thankful to all the El Toro students who washed cars today at the fundraiser. They have heard some of the stories about the day and it has really touched them. THANK YOU to everyone and please keep praying for Brent."

The "Brent Sirignano Fund" has been set up for donations that go directly to Brent's medical care.

Checks should be made out to "Brent Sirignano". Mail to : Wells Fargo Bank Attention: Nghi X. Luu, 24251 Rockfield Blvd., Lake Forest, CA 92630.

Contact the writer: 949-454-7307 oreritchie@ocregister.com

Amanda with Keith & Eddie, Brent's brothers and our other two wonderful nephews

We would like to express a huge THANK YOU to everyone that came out today to support Brent and the family. Your love and support means so much to my sister and Ed.

Update on Brent from Friday night

Here is the update that was posted late last night (Friday night) about Brent. Because it hadn't been shared publicly, I waited to mention the great news in my previous post. Seeing Brent breathe on his own yesterday was so WONDERFUL! We know that this is only one hurdle amongst the many that he will face in the coming months but it was a biggy and we couldn't have been happier. We just need to keep praying that his body will continue to wake up. I am just counting the minutes until I see his beautiful eyes sparkle again.

****UPDATE******FRIDAY NIGHT*****MORE GOOD NEWS

Mingie and Ed called tonight with some more good news tonight. They reported that Brent is now breathing on his own and the ventilator has been removed. YES! He is resting comfortably however he is still in a coma. The medication that they had Brent on to keep him in the coma has been stopped. Brent has still not opened his eyes. The family is at his bedside and are happy for another moment of good news. Brent still has so much more to overcome.

Ed and Mingie are sorry but they will not be at the Car Wash/Bake Sale tomorrow because they will be with Brent but want you to know how very THANKFUL they are for everyones support!! Please keep praying!

************************************************************************

Today was a gift

I know no other way to explain it.
I am so grateful for today. I am thankful for the time I had with my sister and I am filled with emotions about the time I spent with my precious God Son, Brent.

I was able to spend 4 hours at the hospital today. It has been very difficult not being able to be there during these past 2 weeks - yes two weeks! It will be two week tomorrow (Saturday afternoon) from when Brent was involved in his horrible car accident. I have only been able to go to the hospital two other times prior to today. I have felt very helpless and filled with fear and sadness for Brent. I didn't feel like that today.

Brent was not awake but I am confident that he knew I was there. I am confident that he felt my presence and my love. I was able to hold his hand and touch his arm. My time with him was short, but special. I would have liked to have stayed longer but when you are in the ICU that's just not always possible.

He's a fighter and he is fighting. I am so proud of you Brent - keep fighting! I will see you soon.

Latest update on Brent

This is the latest update on Brent's Recovery Website. It's so exciting to finally get some good news. We love you Brent - keep fighting to come back to us.

**UPDATE**TUESDAY 4:00PM**GOOD NEWS!**

Mingie and Ed called with some good news today! They have been slowly decreasing the medication that has kept Brent in the coma and they have seen positive signs.....Brent is slowly waking up! They have been working with a Physical Therapist for the past 2 days and Brent has responded to verbal commands. He was asked to move his toes ......and he did! He has also moved other parts of his body. As you can imagine the family is VERY happy Brent is making progress. Brent still faces many challenges ahead. They are still very concerned about the effects of the brain injury. But for now, Ed and Mingie are going to enjoy this moment of good news. Please keep praying for Brent!

Brent Sirignano

Brent -

We love you and we miss you deeply. You are consuming our every thought.
I can't even put into words how heart broken we are by what has happened to you.
We are praying to the good Lord above to please heal your body and bring you back to us.
You are not just our nephew, you are our God Son. You are so special to us and when you hurt, we hurt.
Seeing you last night was so difficult. In some ways you looked better than I had expected, but at the same time it was so VERY difficult to see you that way.
When I looked at you so many moments went through my mind, starting with the day you were born.
We spent so much time together when you were little and Uncle Branden and I have always been so proud of you.
You mean so much to our children and they want to see you. They want their cousin back. They want you to play with them and read them a book.
We know you are fighting hard and we know that you are strong so please just keep fighting and know that we are all here to help you.
It's been difficult being here in Long Beach and you being in Lake Forest. I wish I could be there more for you and your parents.
Please know that not one minutes goes by that you are not on our minds and in our hearts.

WE LOVE YOU!!

http://www.ocregister.com/news/toro-234226-dad-sirignano.html