Rally for Coach Jonny!

Help Support Jonny’s Medical Recovery (daily updates at the bottom)

Jon has been a pillar of the youth sports and volleyball community for over 30 years—coaching with passion, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the athletes he considers family. If you’ve ever met Jon, you know he has a way of making you smile, filling a room with laughter, and leaving a lasting impact on everyone he meets.

Now, Jon needs us—his village—to rally for him.

On March 30th, following the Pacific Northwest Qualifier in Spokane, Jon suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when his motorized scooter hit a pothole, throwing him forward. He was immediately unconscious upon impact. Thanks to the quick response of friends and paramedics, Jon is now receiving intensive care at Providence Sacred Heart’s ICU.

The Road Ahead

Jon’s journey to recovery is uncertain, but we do know this: it will be long and expensive. Our first goal is getting him stable enough to transition from the ICU to the neuro floor, followed by an extensive rehabilitation process. We also hope to bring him home to Texas, where he can heal surrounded by family, friends, and the athletes who mean so much to him.

Unfortunately, Jon does not have medical insurance, and his expenses are already mounting. Immediate medical costs are expected to exceed $100,000, and that’s just the beginning. As his condition evolves, additional costs for rehabilitation, travel, and long-term care will become clearer.

How You Can Help

Jon has given his whole heart to coaching and shaping young athletes—now it's our turn to give back. Any contribution, no matter the size, will help ease the financial burden and allow Jon to focus on what matters most: healing.

If Jon has ever made you laugh, inspired you, or impacted your life in any way, please consider donating and sharing this campaign. Let’s show up for Jon the way he’s always shown up for us.

Thank you for your support, generosity, and prayers. We will continue to provide updates as Jon’s journey unfolds.

#Donate. Share. Support. Let’s rally for Jon.

MEDICAL UPDATES

4/15/25 JONNY GETS TO COME HOME!!!

The best news yet—Jonny has been absolutely CRUSHING it in intensive rehab! He’s been powering through 3–4 sessions of PT, OT, and Speech Therapy every single day, and they are working that boy hard.

There are still some lingering balance challenges (that right side is taking its sweet time!) and his memory likes to play tricks here and there, but he’s improving every single day.

✈️This Friday, Jon gets to fly home to Texas! We’re in full coordination mode to line up his home care, neurologist, and outpatient therapy. The road ahead is still long, but we are so grateful that it finally leads home.

We know everyone is beyond excited to see him and share the love—but Jon’s care team has given us strict guidelines for both physical and mental stimulation while his brain continues to heal. We’ll be setting up a visiting schedule to make sure he gets the love and the rest he needs.

If you’d like to be added to the schedule, please reach out to Rachel or V—we’ll make it happen, one visit at a time!

THANK YOU for continuing to support Jonny on this journey

4/12/25- A New Home for Jonny!

Big news—Jonny has officially moved from the neuro floor at the hospital to St. Luke’s Intensive Rehabilitation Center! This is a huge milestone, and it’s happening way ahead of the neurologists' original projections. We are so thankful!

Rehab kicks off bright and early tomorrow—therapy starts at 7 a.m.—but today was a chance for Jonny to rest and get settled into his new space. He’s gained a lot more independence already, is eating much better, and get this: he walked today with NO stabilizer, NO walker—just PT support! An incredible moment.

St. Luke’s will be our home away from home for now as we focus on the next phase of recovery.

And in other important updates: we discovered that both Dan and Clayton are truly terrible at badminton.

That’s what you missed on Jon!

4/8/25 1:20pm

Today is another POSITIVE day! Jonny is in great spirits—cracking more jokes and really starting to seem like his old self again. He made it through the night without needing restraints, which is a huge milestone!

PT was incredible—he worked on slow side-to-side movements, did more catching and throwing, and even walked using just the walker with PT support. No stabilizer needed today for that!

We're also beginning to get the ball rolling on the process of moving him to the rehab center—and the timeline might be even sooner than we expected!!! More to come.

4/7/25 7pm PDT GOD IS GOOD

Today’s progress is unreal—he’s basically a new man! PT went great: Jonny was cracking jokes, tossing balls to Dan, more in tune with his body, and even spent some quality time upright in the stabilizer, which he got into with almost no help!

He got to finally put on real clothes… even if the t-shirts we picked up are too roomy for his usual taste.

He’s rocking a new locking neck brace that gives him more freedom without the risk of accidental escape. And —he’s able to use the bathroom with help, which is a major boost for his dignity (and morale).

Staff dropped him off sedation, are lowering his pain meds, and found the sweet spot for his sodium levels, which they think is responsible for how alert he was today!

We’re already tossing around the word “rehab”—no set timeline yet, but just being in that conversation feels like a win. He’s crushing milestones left and right.

God is good!

4/6/25 3:15pm PDT

Bad News, But Also the BEST News!

Bad news: Jonny had his most challenging night yet. His discomfort and agitation were off the charts, and landed him back in restraints for a bit. Turns out, his neck ligaments aren’t just strained—they’re actually torn, which explains why he’s in so much pain and has developed a serious vendetta against his neck brace. In fact, Houdini tried to remove the neck brace using his FEET while his hands were in the special mitts. The entire staff, from nurses to neurosurgeons, were comically stunned—apparently, this is a first!

good news: Jonny’s sense of humor is back, and we're all in stitches from his one-liners (I’m sure the pain meds are helping)! PT went a little slower today, but he did great, following instructions well. He’s definitely wiped today!!!! More good news is feeding tube seems to be ditched for good as he tolerates food and protein drinks well (albeit in small doses).

The BEST news: Rachel spoke with the neurosurgeon today, and for the first time, we have heard the most amazing prognosis possible—they expect Jonny to make a full recovery! The only caveat? It’s going to take a very long time. No exact timeline yet, but we’re counting this as a huge win and finally allowing that relieved exhale!!

4/5/25 1:45pm PDT

Jonny is loving the new digs on the regular neuro floor now that he's out of ICU!

Although they moved his room from mid-hall to a cozier spot right by the nurse’s station… can you say problem child?

While nights remain challenging, the days are filled with noticeable progress, which is promising. Today, Jonny had a field trip to PT instead of having it done in his room. In classic fashion he ripped off his favorite neck brace, so once they got it back on, and with the help of a stabilizer, he was able to walk with PT support nearby.

The team is still monitoring some blood pressure and neurological concerns, especially since his right foot isn't cooperating as expected, but overall, they agree Jonny is making remarkably fast progress given the situation. As the sedation is reduced, he’s becoming more aware of pain, which is one of the main challenges now – finding the right balance to keep him comfortable while he’s more alert.

Rachel (and all of us supporting her and Jonny) continues to be overwhelmed by the constant support, love, and generosity. Rachel sees every kind message, and Jon’s phone is closely monitored so we can share all the positive vibes with him when he’s ready. Your support means the world to us as we navigate this journey, and we couldn’t do it without you! And to the most immediate support network- you guys are just unreal. Hard to keep the eyes dry ❤️

4/4/25 4pm

ICU Graduation Day!

In a surprising and remarkable turn of events, Jonny has bid farewell to the ICU and has been moved to a regular room on the neuro floor! To top it off, he outdid himself by walking back and forth to the nurses' station 1.5 times with the help of his incredible physical therapist, surpassing his previous record of three vertical minutes from yesterday.

Jonny also had a CT scan today, and while there were no significant changes, that’s exactly the news we were hoping for. The lack of any increase in bleeding or swelling is a positive sign at this stage of recovery.

He finally really "saw" Rachel and Joe today and was able to say a quick "hi" before zonking again. We're still not getting much in terms of classic communication, but the recognition alone right now is comforting! He’s handling all the discomforts better—though he’s certainly not a fan of the neck brace and has been trying to break free from it at every opportunity!

After all the excitement, he’s resting up and catching some well-deserved Z’s!

4/3/25 10am PDT: HE'S VERTICAL!

The night rain must bring the morning flowers because after another rough night, Jonny had an incredible morning. With the help of his PT/OT team, he got vertical and even took a mini stroll down the hall for about three minutes! All those heavy workouts he loves are paying off —he was strong enough to remove his own feeding tube and brace again. We’re not quite sure he’s ready for a solids just yet, but that remains to be seen.

The team also helped him out of bed and into a chair, giving him a much-needed change in position and movement. And in true Jonny fashion, he’s keeping spirits high, yelling hilarities at the nurses and clearly missing the volleyball gym with his exclamations.

From his sister Rachel and the incredible network of friends and family that are working closest to support Jon, we just want to say that the love and support surrounding him are beyond words. Often ending the night reading over posts, comments, and texts, the generosity, kindness, and encouragement from everyone have filled our hearts to the brim. We take turns happy crying over here, overwhelmed with gratitude every few moment.

Keep the good vibes coming—Jonny is proving once again that he’s as strong as ever!

4/2/25 4pm PDT: A Day of Positives!

As we get a handle on the urgent medical needs, some secondary issues are coming into focus. Jon’s got some beautifully bruised ligaments in his neck, meaning the neck brace stays on for at least a few more weeks.

On a brighter note, Joe takes home the award for “First Person to Be Recognized Without Getting Yelled At!”

We’re still in the ICU, and “out of the woods” won’t be official until swelling and bleeding are fully assessed—about a week from impact at the earliest. But in the world of TBIs, “not worse” is great news! Plus, we no longer need daily imaging, a sign that the team sees progress.

Jonny hit a milestone today—he communicated with his staff a bit, and, for the first time, really seemed to grasp why he’s restrained and what’s happening. He’s still feisty (yelling volleyball terms at the nurses—where’s our live stream?!), but the big win? The staff was able to remove his restraints for a while! He even understood the need to leave his IVs and feeding tubes alone. The freedom was short-lived (he immediately tried to ditch the neck brace), but it’s a huge step in the right direction!

4/2/25 11am PDT

The night took a toll on Jon, but we’re continuing to move in the right direction! The ICU team is continuing to adjust Jon’s sedation levels (a good sign that he can support a reduction in them), though it’s causing some frustration and agitation for Jon. Letting him sleep calming is allowing his brain to start healing. PT and OT helped Jon stand with assistance today! The team is discussing very early plans for intensive inpatient rehab after his hospital stay, but for now, ICU remains the best place for him, with a transfer to the neuro floor planned after he graduates from ICU (no date yet- one day at a time, remember?).

4/1/25

Jon’s MRI on 3/31 showed the bleeding slowing, which is a positive sign. While still sedated most of the time, they’ve begun reducing his sedation meds, leading to some agitation (Jon’s "spicy" side, as the staff calls it so perfectly).

PT and OT started working with Jon today, and a feeding tube was placed to support his nutrition.

Jon is recognizing family and friends! Memory loss is a real concern right now, so continue to send photos to Jon’s phone with a line about it as we make the most of any awake time.

The medical team emphasized that swelling from the brain injury may peak a week after the incident, and progress will be slow and not always linear, so we’re focusing on one day at a time!

3/31/25

Thankfully, the risk for surgery is declining, and his medical team is working tirelessly—performing neurological checks, CT scans, MRIs, PT, and OT. Jon remains heavily sedated, though his nurses already adore his “spicy” personality when he’s awake. Right now, the focus is on reducing swelling and monitoring for potential memory loss and rehabilitation needs.

The expected timeline is a few more days in ICU, followed by a week on the neuro floor, but recovery is unpredictable. If you have any photos or memories to share, send them to his phone—we’d love to help jog his memory when he’s ready.

We will share updates here as often as possible.