Steve Jelf in bad accident

[schwabd1]

Maybe with the insurance settlement for his "T" and a few dollars from the Go Fund Me account to cover the cost of all the accessories the nice '15 Mark Chaffin has in the classified section could end up in Steve's garage........

[Duey_C]

Thank you for the positives for our Steve Jelf. A real ambassador for the hobby.
Dallas, thank you for holding his car, his belongings and making the time to get him some things.
This is tough to see. Wishing well and a speedy recovery from here.

[Dallas Landers]

I snapped this yesterday for Steve while on my way home with his 15.

[James Yuill]

Your a good man, Dallas. That 15 is precious to him. We sure wish Steve a speedy recovery and are praying for him. He is true Model T er.
Jim Yuill

[tiredfarmer]

Wouldn't be neat if the Model T community could get together and rebuilt Steve's roadster for him so when he gets well it will be waiting for him.

[Darren J Wallace]

Prayers for a speed recovery and healing. It was very hard to hear this news and see the wreck of Steve's T.

[Ed Baudoux]

Atomic Amish /Jason posted this on the T FB page. You're on everyone's mind Steve.

[1925 Touring]

I was wondering if it would be feasible to have a donation set up throughout ocf at Greenfield Village. That would attract a lot more people and all the donations could go to Steve's recovery, and hopefully the restoration of his 15.
In all seriousness, how would something like this work? Would they have to talk to the administrators of ocf? But it would sure draw a lot of attention, and hopefully a lot of donation.
I personally have never been to ocf yet, and do not know all the ins and outs of the show. But figured it would be good idea to throw it out there.
Thoughts?

[Ron Horton]

I have a 1915 that is basically complete except for the body. Fenders, running boards, engine,(seized) radiator (may be repairable) are included and still on the car. It will need tires and wheels. The car’s name is “Ruff”. From the steering wheel forward it is complete but again very rough. If someone can pick it up here in Utah it would be a great start to rebuilding a T for Steve. I will have my daughter take care of the Go fund thing, but would sure love to get Steve back on the road knowing he would be driving a car from Utah!!

[WayneJ]

Repairing Steve's car for him is a very kind and generous idea. Of course no work can be done on the car until the insurance settlement. An acquaintance of mine had his T rear ended in an accident that was not his fault. The insurance paid for his car to be professionally restored. I hope Steve can obtain a similar outcome.

[tdump]

I agree with Mark, as I experienced a brain injury as well, The quicker the therapy,and such, the better chance of recovery.I hope Steve gets well soon.

[Ron Horton]

I have a 1915 T that would make a great start towards a total rebuild for Steve. The car is complete except for a body and tires and wheels. From the steering wheel forward everything is in place. On the other hand I’ve named it “Ruff” which will give you an idea of it’s overall condition.The engine is seized and the radiator may or may not be repairable. It is located here in Utah and I would need someone to pick it up and transport it to wherever it needs to go.

[Oldav8tor]

Unfortunately we don't know what kind of insurance Steve has on the car. Hopefully he will receive a decent settlement. Steve has been there for us, it is fitting that we should be there for him.

Everyone reading this thread must be thinking "There but for fortune go I..." We've all had close calls and it is no secret that the Model T will be the loser in any collision. Nonetheless, we persevere in our hobby, do the best we can to mitigate the danger and come together when something unfortunate like this happens. I've read some great ideas and look forward to hearing from Steve when he is able to voice what he'd like to do. We'll be there to help him....

[1925 Touring]

Is anyone going to see Steve today?

[Mark Nunn]

Steve mentioned having Hagerty insurance. I hope they treat him well.

[WayneJ]

Hegarty has an e xcellant reputation. They should be able to negotiate on Steve's behalf with the insurance company of the driver that hit him.

[CudaMan]

Regarding the comments about fixing Steve's Runabout - Steve has three other T's in various states of repair, a 1923 Touring, a 1923 Fordor that he parked when it stripped a fiber cam gear, and a 1924 TT truck which is largely disassembled. If the objective is to get him back on the road quickly, it might be better for him/us to bring one of those up to snuff, especially his 1923 Touring, which was running as of a couple of years ago when he decided to focus his attentions on the 1915 Runabout.

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG52.html

[ClaytonPaddison]

Wouldn't be neat if the Model T community could get together and rebuilt Steve's roadster for him so when he gets well it will be waiting for him.

I betcha we could pretty easy. Not sure what I have for 1915 stuff, but I'll dig.

[George House]

I’ll throw in a real nice early frame with forged RB brackets. Don’t know how it’ll get to Parkerfield tho

[Moxie26]

Hopefully his recent purchased Blockley tires are still intact, maybe not right front, but spare and right rear may not have damage ?

[ThreePedalTapDancer]

Fingers crossed he continues to improve and he can get back to his familiar home. Once the dust settles I’m sure he will be motivated to fix or replace his T. He might just have to settle for a shop foreman title while he heals and can supervise a willing reconstruction team from a comfortable chair in his garage.

[John Codman]

I posted this on another car forum with the hope that perhaps other carguys might donate something to the Go fund me page. Another member posted the first photo with the link to Go fund me.

[1925 Touring]

I’ll throw in a real nice early frame with forged RB brackets. Don’t know how it’ll get to Parkerfield tho

Maybe ask Freighter Jim. He's still on the forum I believe.

Any word on how Steve is doing?

[CudaMan]

Latest post on his Facebook page as of 3:00 pm central time today (9/9/2023):

Update on Steve Jelf

"Steve is in Ft Wayne Indiana.
Lutheran Hospital
7950 W Jefferson Blvd, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
260-435-7001

He is currently in ICU. He is stable with no changes seen on multiple CT scans. He suffered a broken jaw, broken periorbital bone (eye bone), and some bleeding in his brain from a bruise which hasn't changed. He will stay there and have another CT scan in a couple of days. He has periods of being alert and talking and periods of confusion. They are monitoring him.
He has had visitors from the Ford Model T club he is in and many, many posts wishing him the best on the forum of Model T Ford Club of America.
A couple of the members have picked up his car and stored it with other cars in storage."

[Dallas Landers]

I just got home from Ft Wayne. Steve is making progress. Still unable to get him to respond verbal to me but the nurses said he has been talking some with them. He knows where he is at and where he lives. Still sedated for the pain and healing.
The neurosurgeon talk to me while my wife and I were there. He said the brain bleed wasnt just one spot, it was several small ones. He said those have slowed and the body is obsorbing them as it should. He will be in ICU for a couple more day and then moved to a room for more healing. At least two weeks is what the nurse was thinking. Then rehab. Time will tell if rehab is done here or closer to home.

At least he is healing and making progress. I am on the list so I can call and get info if I cant make it down there. Brent Allen said he will stop and see Steve tomorrow and update me. The prayers are still needed for the long road ahead of our friend.

[Rich P. Bingham]

Thank you Dallas and Mark for the updates as we hope and pray for a full recovery.

[modeltspaz]

Thank you, gentlemen, for keeping the forum updated on Steve's condition and the current status of his T.
I cannot remember a time that I've monitored the forum this often.
We should all be this lucky in life to have so many people pulling for us. Keep it up.

[1925 Touring]

Thank you very much for the update on Steve's condition.
He's a tough man.
Its important to all of us on the fourm that cannot go and see him to know how he is doing!
Praying for his recovery!
Austin Farmer
Young Model T'er

[TXGOAT2]

I'm very glad to hear that he is making progress. Some confusion may be related to medication. I've never been hospitalized, but I imagine it's rather disorienting, regardless of your condition. It would be for me.

[1925 Touring]

A few years ago, i had spinal surgery, and i know i wasnt quite myself for a few days. I was 16 at the time, so it dosent matter what age you are, hospital stuff messes with you.
Let's all hope a lot of the confusion is because of the medicines.

[Bob McDaniel]

It is good news that Steve is showing improvement but it is still to soon to be setting up transportation for his car or to plan for restoration until the insurance is settled and Steve is well enough to tell us what he wants to do.

With that said, we can get everything prepared for what we think he will want. I have heard from a transporter that will get the car home for Steve if that's what he decides and I am seeing posts from people who are willing to donate parts but again we need to get the parts to whoever is going to put them together. I would think that some parts can be saved but the frame, front axle, oil pan, and possibly even the rear axle are bent and should be replaced for safety purposes. Also I would be amazed if any of the wheels were good. Pretty much the engine and maybe a fender with some bodywork is about all that I saw in the pictures that may be able to be saved other than a few smaller items. Someone will need to assess the car and see what can be saved and then let Steve go from there. If someone wants to donate parts we could pass them from person to person to get them where they need to go. I am pulling an empty trailer from Tennessee to Indiana every few weeks so I can move almost anything that far and it's enclosed so nothing can blow off or get wet.

So when we get the official word from the man himself, we will be ready to jump in and help.

[Atomic Amish]

For those who could not attend, I couldn't let an OCF go by without those trademark overalls. Yes, I know, he wears Roundhouse, but all I had were Libertys.

Thanks to Dave H for collecting well wishes on his card. That was a great thing to do!

[1925 Touring]

Does anyone think there is anyway someone at ocf could start a donation to help Steve Jelf?
Theres a lot of people there, and he was on they way when the accident happened, id be an opportunity to spread the word and to raise some money for him.

[Dallas Landers]

Jason that is great.

[DHort]

Austin
OCF is for all old cars built prior to about 1930. Only about 25-30 percent is Model T. The show ends tomorrow, so unfortunately there just is not time to get anything done.

I appreciate your concern and thank you for making a good suggestion.

I am telling as many people as I can what condition Steve is in.

We cannot thank Dallas and Rev Brent Allen for all they are doing for us and for Steve.

The placard you see in front of the chair has been signed by numerous people and when I get home I will mail it to him in the hospital.

[CudaMan]

Latest update on Steve from his Facebook page (as of last night):

Selah Wayseer

"Just talked to Steve's nurse, Katelyn. She's wonderful and answers all my Qs.
He's hanging in there. Not much change in the CT scans. His jaw should set itself right on its own. Same with his eye orb.
He knows his name and will state it when asked. But he thinks he's still in Kansas and has no memory of what happened. But that's extremely common and he may never recall any of it - which is just as well, if you think about it.
And although he sleeps 95% of the time right now, it's just what his body needs to heal. The rest of us need to send him our highest of intentions for his recovery."

[tmodeldriver]

Well, dang it, Steve. What a bummer. Hang tough, Buddy. I know you will. Bob

[John Codman]

On another forum someone asked what kind of car hit Steve, and who was driving and were they injured? Can anyone shine some light on this?

[Bryant]

I was wondering the same thing. An internet search brought nothing. Where did it happen exactly?
Bryant

[1925 Touring]

Thank you for the update
Not all of us have Facebook.

[Dallas Landers]

He was hit by a Saturn. No injuries to other driver.

[dr1960]

I hope that Saturn driver was ticketed and insured. It would sure help with Steve's medical and car expenses if they paid for what they caused.

[Dallas Landers]

Update on Steve. Brent Allen went to see Steve today. He has been moved from ICU to a room. His condition is about the same. It will take time .

[ThreePedalTapDancer]

Good news, I’m glad he’s on the mend. I’ll be relieved when we see a pic of Jeff smiling and waving from his hospital bed, ready to be sent home.

[JTT3]

Well the last Saturn was produced in 2010 so unless it’s a collector car the insurance policy may not be adequate to cover the circumstances, perhaps Steve’s policy will. I’m hoping that Steve has a totally fantastic recovery and everything else will just be a bonus. Please continue to keep us posted. Best John

[DLodge]

Well the last Saturn was produced in 2010 so unless it’s a collector car the insurance policy may not be adequate to cover the circumstances....

As far as I know, the value of the Saturn doesn't affect the amount of liability insurance the Saturn owner carries. It's the amount of insurance coverage he chooses to buy. I suspect that Hagerty will deal with the issue on Steve's behalf.

[Stephen_heatherly]

Does anybody know what hospital he's in?

Stephen

[5 WoodenWheels]

Very sorry to hear this. He sounds like a real force in the hobby and unfortunately I'm just getting to know about him through this discussion. I would suggest not sharing the extent of damage to his car at this time as it can be demoralizing and the mind can affect overall healing no matter one's age. Most I would want to hear is "there is some damage but the car is safe." All of which is true. Speedy recovery, hope he's back on the road as soon as possible.

[James Yuill]

Steve's hospital:
Lutheran Hospital
7950 W Jefferson Blvd.
Ft Wayne, IN 46804
260-435-7001

Jim Yuill

[varmint]

Hi Steve,
I'm sure you'll get a chance to read this some day. Many of us are kinda in shock and don't know what to say except we hope you get better. Whether your car gets better is so secondary. God bless you.
Vernon

[1925 Touring]

🛞🛞🛞🛞 UPDATE FOR STEVE 🛞🛞🛞🛞
Steve's been moved to Room #357 in Neuro-Science. His doc has deemed him as stable and not in need of the ICU for now.
He has shown some agitated behaviour w/confusion, at times, pulling at his tubes and other attached med equipment.
This is normal and almost heartening, as at least he's conscious of that annoying stuff, right?
Results of this morning's CT scan have not yet arrived on the floor, so the nurse had little else to tell me. BUT, you can be sure I'll be on it and will let you all know what they've observed as soon as I know.
MORE: His nurse said there was nothing remarkable about this morning's CT scan results. She was rather short in her answers.
He's still responding to command, but not verbally today. Bit of grimacing, though. They've got to go easy on pain meds when it comes to neuro patients. I think I'll call up there later after shift change to see if he gets a more informative nurse.
Cheers,
Molly

Just reposting this from a different thread so all the updates are in one place.
We're all praying for you Steve!

[TRDxB2]

Well the last Saturn was produced in 2010 so unless it’s a collector car the insurance policy may not be adequate to cover the circumstances, perhaps Steve’s policy will. I’m hoping that Steve has a totally fantastic recovery and everything else will just be a bonus. Please continue to keep us posted. Best John

Is it known that the Saturn Driver was at-fault or is that an assumption? I have yet to see any Newspaper or Police report about the accident just a photo. The Fire Truck show Huntington Fire Dept - nothing reported there or Local News sites

Besides the Car insurances don't forget Medicare Insurances both Government & whatever, if any Medicare plans he enrolled in in addition

Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older or who have certain disabilities, does cover injuries sustained in a car accident. However, there may be some limitations on the type and amount of coverage provided.

Medicare Part A, which provides hospital insurance, will cover the cost of hospitalization and other medical treatment related to a car accident injury. This can include the cost of surgery, rehabilitation, and other medical services.

Medicare Part B, which provides medical insurance, will also cover some of the medical costs associated with a car accident injury, such as doctor's visits, x-rays, and other diagnostic tests.

However, it is important to keep in mind that Medicare does not cover all medical expenses related to a car accident injury. For example, Medicare does not cover the cost of long-term care or rehabilitation, and it may have limits on the amount of coverage provided for certain services.

[tdump]

We also have to bear in mind that the Saturn operator probably had minimum coverage .
I would think Haggerty or which ever company Steve used, will be more apt to pay out some funds for bills quicker than the other company. as far as the other insurance paying medical bills and etc, oh my , the long wait is ahead for all involved on that end.
Medicare and others may pursue the other drivers insurance for "3rd party" liability to recoup loss's they covered.
That is why the Go Fund me page is a great idea in this situation. It will put funds Right there where needed quickly for a smoother recovery all around

[Atomic Amish]

Greetings, all.

Thanks to Dave H for collecting all these well wishes. He has a plan to get them to Steve so he can see how much he was missed in Dearborn this weekend.

While we all feel the need for justice, let's keep in mind we do not know all of the facts yet, and that it will be sorted out the way the universe intends it to.

It was a great weekend, and I'm sure Steve would have had a blast. Except our last remaining cat seems to have developed a meowing problem, especially between 3-4 in the morning and probably would have kept him awake.

It's been a long weekend. I just finished my homework and am going to have a beer and hit the sack. Good night, all!

v/r,
jason

[Farmer J]

Kim and I stopped by to see Steve on the way home from OCF. Sorry to say there was no change from what has been previously reported. He is still asleep, on pain meds and did not respond to us talking to him. We all need to keep him in our prayers and hope for a good outcome.

[mtntee20]

Anyone visiting Steve, Go ahead and talk to him even if he is asleep. While the conscious mind will not hear/respond, the sub conscious mind will hear everything and I mean EVERYTHING you say. Be supportive and don't be afraid to tell a simple joke or two, the same way you would talk to anyone else. He may or may not ever confirm he heard you, but know he did and it may make all the difference in his recovery.

Wish I was close enough to visit.

Always pass on Get Well Soon wishes and let him know how many people are pulling for him and want him back to normal. Someone READ all the signatures on the "card" to him so he knows who and how many signed.

Get Well Soon Steve. We need your company and travel logs.

Terry

[23ford]

Does anybody know if the driver that hit him has insurance?

[dykker5502]

Is it known that the Saturn Driver was at-fault or is that an assumption? I have yet to see any Newspaper or Police report about the accident just a photo. The Fire Truck show Huntington Fire Dept - nothing reported there or Local News sites

Summing up from the previous posts, I think we know what happend.
It just happens, that a pedestrian videofilmed the whole accident as the person saw this spectacular car comming by. That video is of course hard evidence to document the accident. It has not been posted anywhere, and thank God for that.
Steve was about to do a left turn in a regulated cross where there is a green arrow telling that the traffic comming towards you now have red light.
The Saturn disrespected that red light and even ignored that someone was about to do a left turn.
Probably pretty clear that the Saturn driver failed. He may have all sorts ofexcuses like a low sun blinded him or what have you, but that does not free you for responsibility.

But let that be a lesson to us all: I do not know the US traffic laws, but I know some traffic laws talks about you having right to drive. The Danish traffic law does it the other way around. You have no rights at all, but duties. In certain situations you ave a duty to yield, and if your opponent have such duty to yield, you have an obligation to watch if he does. Let the latter be your approach in the traffic. Do not assume the other yields or stop! Steve may have had a right to proceed turning left and see what use that right gave him.

Drive defensive, and safe!

[DHort]

Reverend (Priest) Brent Allen is in Ft Wayne. He will be visiting Steve on a regular basis, and he does not even know him.
Really nice guy.

If you want to send a card I suggest sending it to Brent rather than having it lost in the hospital shuffle.

His address is 2713 Baywood Trail, Ft Wayne, IN 46845.

[DHort]

The accident happened in Huntington, IN. About 20 miles SW of Ft Wayne.

I would hope that we would all concentrate on Steve's recovery rather than the facts of the accident.

It will be under investigation for a while and when we know more we will let you know.

Thank you all for your concerns, prayers, and well wishes.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I wish I was closer and could visit. My foremost thought all day these last few days has been about Steve and hoping he gets better in a timely manner. I have been checking the active "Jelf" threads many times all during the day and most of the night (currently almost 3: am here!)

My thanks to all that are near enough to visit and do so! The car and other issues can wait for their time to be dealt with. Lots of time ahead to get answers to questions! Right now, it is Steve that matters.

[TWrenn]

Kim and I stopped by to see Steve on the way home from OCF. Sorry to say there was no change from what has been previously reported. He is still asleep, on pain meds and did not respond to us talking to him. We all need to keep him in our prayers and hope for a good outcome.

Thanks Jerry. Awful thing happening. Like others, I too would stop in but such a long distance. Prayers daily for him.

[CudaMan]

Latest update from Steve's Facebook page this morning:

"The most recent CT scan of the brain showed the brain bleed had stopped. There's still blood there, but the bleed has been arrested. The neurosurgeon team have not deemed this to be a serious hematoma, thus not requiring surgery at this time.
Bed rest, medications and observation may be all that is needed. The body can absorb the small amount of blood over time, usually a few months. Healthcare providers may order regular imaging tests (such as an MRI or CT scan) to monitor the hematoma and make sure it is healing.
One thing we have to be mindful of is that older adults who are recovering from a hematoma have a higher risk of another hemorrhage. Older brains don’t recover as quickly as younger brains. Also, as we age, our brains shrink and the space between the skull and brain widens. This further stretches the tiny thin veins between the outer membrane layers of the brain and skull and makes the older brain more vulnerable to future bleeding if another head injury occurs.

One thing to note is that Steve's mentation has become basically unresponsive in the last 24 or so hours. That's a back step from his first two days. Another test this AM showed that Steve's electrolytes were low. This may be a cause of that, so they're giving him extra via IV drip.
As far as his shift nurses, I've no complaint. I made these calls to the ranks above them just to try to understand their protocols. And it did turn out that one nurse wasn't clear on a few things. It's all good now. And I'm confident he's getting the best care possible.

Cheers,
Molly ❤"

[Quickm007]

Thank you Mark for the latest update. All prayers to Steve and his family. We are sending our best positive vibration from Canada

[George House]

Mentation: the ability, activity or result of using your mind to think..(I had to look it up) God’s blessings for healing Steve..

[Arbs]

Steve,

I haven't met you in person but I certainly have learned a ton from you. You are one of the very first people to respond to my first post here, welcoming me to the group. Since then I've seen that time and time again with other new members. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

My family and I are praying for your speedy recovery. Get well soon.

No doubt you will have some words of advice for all of us after you get past this.

Thanks,

Dan

[Arnie]

Dallas, thank you for practicing the golden rule: "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you", by storing Steve's stuff. It is gratifying to see Model T people helping other Model T people in need.

I hope and pray that Steve has a full recovery and will be able to continue his journeys throughout the USA!

Arnie

[Dallas Landers]

Arnie, thats how I feel.

[Atomic Amish]

Update: and good news at that!

[Joe Reid]

Steve, The quicker you get moving the quicker and more complete your recovery will be. I know it hurts. I look forward to the day and soon I hope that I read your name on the bottom of this forum and you are logged back in. We are all praying for you and the return of the "Dauntless Geezer". Physical therapy knows what they are doing. Do all you can.

[Rich Eagle]

I'm sure the trained nurses etc. have seen much worse. Patients with head injuries can be difficult and even violent. They understand it as part of their job and can be very kind and forgiving. It's just part of the job they don't mention.
They will do what's needed and Steve will not remember it.
Best wishes Steve.
Rich

[Joe Reid]

My meeting with Steve in Plover, WI. and the 1915 loading to go to Adam's shop in Oconomowoc in 2018.

[1925 Touring]

Its great he is moving again!
Were all praying for you Steve!

[Dallas Landers]

Brent was there today to see Steve. Pretty much whats posted above was his report. I will be going down tomorrow to see him and hope to talk with him a bit.

[Joe Reid]

Thank you Dallas, and everyone for looking in on Steve and keeping us up to date.

[1925 Touring]

I will reiterate it again thank you everyone who has been seeing him and keeping us all up to date, because not everybody has Facebook.

[Oldav8tor]

Thanks for the updates.

As of this writing I see the Go Fund Me is up to $11,301. I suspect Steve will be a little overwhelmed by such generosity. He has a long way to go but when he's more "with it" he will take comfort from the fact that so many have stepped up to help him out in one way or another. It'll be up to him to decide where to go from here but at least we've shown he won't have to do it alone.

The main characteristic of many car clubs and collectors is that they are proud of their cars. I am more proud of our people......

[tdump]

Thanks for the updates, To be honest,the "don't help" comments could be coming from the desire to try to do it on his own,which we all know it is to soon for that. he doesn't.Thanks to the nurses for bearing with him on that.
His progress is good in my opinion.
The fact he does not have 16 broken bones is amazing in and of it's self.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I hope so very much that Steve can recover well with his independent spirit and desire to live his life to the fullest intact!
That he recovers well and has good years ahead regardless is of course what is most important.
He has been and will continue to be an inspiration for many years to come for many people that know him. We should all aspire to be as active as he has been for as long as we can be.

[DHort]

I understand his room is full of flowers.

If you wish to send a card his room number has changed.

Steve Jelf
Room 357
Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital
7950 W. Jefferson Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46804

In addition, a visit is always welcome. He may not be able to respond, or may be resting when you visit, but it always helps to talk to him and know that he hears what you are saying. Just talk to him about Model T's. You can even talk in Spanish because he is fluent in Spanish.

He has a poster from the Old Car Festival that they give out, and he has the dash plaque.

[1925 Touring]

I wish I was a bit closer. 6 hours and 15 minutes away.
Id really like to make a weekend trip, but ive got other obligations.
Wishing you well Steve!
Austin.

[Atomic Amish]

today's report. Thanks Ed Baudoux!

[Dallas Landers]

I went to see Steve today. Told him who I was and I was with mtfca and was there to help. After a bit he started repating " ford club of america" over and over. First verbal response I have gotten from him. A few minutes later he kept repeating my name and help. He is making progress. I was very happy to get that response from him. The doctor came in and talked with me and said Steve would be moved to a skilled nursing facility within the next week for rehab. Doc could not tell me if it would be close to Ft Wayne or closer to Kansas. All depends on ins. Company. I explained to Steve we were all pulling for him and a speedy recovery.

[Atomic Amish]

Dallas,
Thanks for the boots on the ground report. While the progress is awesomely encouraging, it must have been really tough for you to see him that way.

Safe travels home, brother!

[George Mills]

Steve is an exceptional guy and if anyone can, he can pull through this...

Thanks for the updates but for those of you who have access to his nurse...there is maybe one point that they should know that Steve may never have shared with family.

As most are aware, Steve decided to become the iconic pioneer when he decided to cash in LA and take over the family farm when just about everyone else had passed. He stood tall in cold nights and no actual central heat. He ate fairly well from a health standpoint with few vices other than Kimchi and Mexican food...both of which I presume would still be 'healthy eating'

In the last 6-8 months Steve's 'quality of life' has taken a dip and even before this, he would admit he did not understand why. His heart has flutters that they now apparently have under control with meds...he was recently diagnosed with the diabetes...and he only has about 1/4 of the horsepower to do anything than he did but a year ago and can't seem to be able to get through it and he was teaching himself how to work a bit rest a bit work a bit to get it all back to hopefully 50% or greater.

He actually HAS questioned himself that after a lifetime of being the most practical guy on earth when it comes to personal health is 82 the limit?

I'm not sharing any secrets, I'm sure others have heard him on this very same thing. He WAS not going to let anything get in the way before OCF but had planned on taking time to white board where he was at once back in Kansas before regrouping and charging forward once again. I mention this as perhaps the irritable and cranky guy with a head injury the nurses 'see' is living the worst nightmare in his life not just for the obvious and for other reasons?

I feel a bit akin to Steve in this. 6 years ago I'd say my trauma triage injury list was about the same, throw in a totally shattered kneecap on top of all the other. Mine was not a T...but a body in free-fall that hit a concrete immovable object. I totally missed the next 72 hours, wondered why I was stuck in ICU for 5 more days after that, then cantankerous for another week in a regular room and then 3 or 4 weeks of half-way house (I forgot that actual time...but it was the max Medicare would pay for). I got through that, hope he will too...I was released before I could walk again and STILL had a questionable brain area on release! Once Steve goes through all of the basics then he and I can converse on how to spend the next year getting back to as close to normal as possible! In my case the effort put in produced admirable results for most things and yes it did take longer than a year with very few things now limiting.

So please, let that charge nurse or any nurse know that Steve was seeing the end facing him in his mind BEFORE he left for OCF and while it is natural with an injury of his level to be dazed and confused for days...his first thoughts just might be pending doom and gloom is now facing him when he sees all the tubes and not aware that he is mending? Just a thought...please relay the message whoever goes next?

[NealW]

I'm not sharing any secrets, I'm sure others have heard him on this very same thing.

You are correct George, as most or all that you mentioned was shared by Steve on his blog in recent months. Hopefully the medical staff has been in contact with his doctor in Kansas to get his medical records.

[tdump]

I have to admit,I hope when I am 82 years old I have half the marbles and bravery Steve has to even consider a adventure driving a 100+ year old car that far by himself.
Recovering from a brain injury was the toughest thing I have done and you are never back to "normal" You get to a "new" normal. Before I got hurt,I could not drive a nail with a hammer. Now I can. But I get left and right confused with it wrote down in front of me!
Give Steve time. Recovery requires it.

[RustyFords]

I haven’t posted on the forum in a couple years but this made me want to log back on…at least to say thank you to Dallas for all you’ve done.

I’ve talked to Steve a few times at Chickasha and wish him the best.

[Herb Iffrig]

If it hasn't been mentioned before on this thread, Steve has called himself a ''Dauntless Geezer''. I think he has the resolve to recover.

[Mark Nunn]

I haven’t posted on the forum in a couple years...

It's good to read a post from you again, Don. I hope all is well with you and yours. And don't be a stranger. Stop in and say hello anytime.

[CudaMan]

Today's status from Steve's Facebook page:

Selah Wayseer is with Steve Jelf.
16m
·
🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞 THE LATEST ON Steve Jelf🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞
My convo with his nurse was less than informative, but I spoke with pastor and friend of Steve's, Brent Allen, following his visit at the hospital.
Steve's eyes were open when Brent came in and basically, he had made Steve parrot a few words, like "Model T", etc.
Brent mentioned a few names of people asking about him. When he said, "...and there's Molly. Molly is deeply concerned about you (etc.) - can you say 'Molly'?"
Steve replied, "AaargghhhAarrgghhAaarrgghh!"
(All right for YOU, Steve! Next time you're over here wanting one of my famous chile verde burritos, I'm going to slip a scotch bonnet pepper into yours, mate! )
Keep up that healing energy, people. Please! ❤

[Rich Eagle]

Too bad Shorty can't visit him. It would probably do the most good, but against the rules.
You are in our thoughts a lot.
Rich

[Rich P. Bingham]

A good thought, Rich. Shorty is his daily companion. Meanwhile, Shorty is sure to be missing Steve something awful. I hope he is being well cared for.

Daily prayers for Steve's recovery.

[ThreePedalTapDancer]

Maybe the caretakers of Shorty can take a phone video of him and send it to someone to show Jeff.

[1925 Touring]

I hope someone told the caretaker about the accident?

[RustyFords]

I haven’t posted on the forum in a couple years...

It's good to read a post from you again, Don. I hope all is well with you and yours. And don't be a stranger. Stop in and say hello anytime.

All is well. I’ve been vigorously driving the T…probably in places where I shouldn’t. I’ll update my build thread soon.

[tdump]

Who is Molly? I am thinking Shorty may be a pup or a cat, but Molly?

[Rich P. Bingham]

Shorty is Steve's dog.

[JohnM]

Molly must be close or family, thanks to Mark in Hillsboro for the updates.

[Mark Nunn]

I believe Molly is George Clipner's sister. Steve usually stops to visit George and Molly on his way to OCF.