[FPSPACE] Update from David Portree

[Mackowski, Michael J.]

I attended the memorial service for Martha Portree (David's wife) last
Saturday in Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was a well-attended celebration of
Martha's life, with numerous friends (many, many of her co-workers
spoke) and family sharing stories about Martha.  I made a short
statement on behalf of this group, emphasizing how David's circle of
friends extends throughout the world.  I thought it would be good for
the folks in attendance to realize how many people have David and his
family in their thoughts and prayers at this time.  David offered his
thanks to all of you, and I see he was able to get his own short message
out this morning.

Samantha Portree, their four year old daughter who was also seriously
injured in the accident, is doing better.  They hope she will be able to
come home sometime in a week or so to continue her recovery.  David also
seemed to be doing well.  He was strong and solid at the service, and is
clearly feeling the support of all of their friends in Flagstaff, and
the well-wishes of friends more distant.

Thanks,

Mike Mackowski 

-----Original Message-----
From: fpspace-bounces at friends-partners.org
[mailto:fpspace-bounces at friends-partners.org] On Behalf Of David Woods
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 4:47 PM
To: fpspace at friends-partners.org
Subject: Re: [FPSPACE] Update from David Portree

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Update from David Portree
Date: 	Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:24:57 -0500
From: 	Charles, John B. (JSC-SA2) <john.b.charles at nasa.gov>
To: 	 <drwoods1 at earthlink.net>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Scott Walters <fswalters at hotmail.com>
Date: Jul 11, 2007 10:12 PM

Dear all,

Hello.  David has requested the transmission of an update.

Some time after he talked with Gert-Jan, Samantha was moved *out* of the
Intensive Care Unit and into a regular room across the hall in the
Pediatrics ward.  She's still hooked up to various devices that monitor
drug intake, etc.  Sam is more responsive than before, complaining about
the pain, tubes, and restraints, even whacking the nurses with her metal
cast -- smacked her father three times, but he said he doesn't mind.
She was sleeping when I called (about 7:00 p.m. Arizona time).

As to the results of the MRI scan yesterday, David said Sam had
sustained some lesions in the brain, which the doctors said, in David's
words, were "bad but not all that bad."  These *might* result in a
propensity for ADD, or difficulty in doing, say, higher math, but this
could not be apparent, they said, without sensitive testing later on.

David sounded pretty good.  At the time of the call he and Sam were
being visited by John and Jane Spenser, former Flagstaffers
(Flagstaffians?) who had come down from Boulder, Colorado.  (If I
understand correctly, the Spensers were co-founders of the fabled Pub
Nights that David has referred to in previous e-mails.)

FYI:  The funeral for Martha will be held on Tuesday, July 17, at 11:00
a.m., in New Jersey.  Her mother will be flying with the urn out of
Phoenix on Sunday, after the Saturday memorial service.


--
John Charles
Houston, Texas



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