Justin update - 24th August 2012

It's been 7 days since my last confession… er I mean update and Justin is still fighting away, surprising everyone with his progress. What's most notable in the last week or so are his vocal abilities, he's gone from whispering and not being heard, to speaking louder and not being understood. Justin has been diagnosed with a condition known as Fluent Aphasia which is a speech and language communication problem caused by damage to the language centers of the brain. The simplest way to describe it is imagine constantly having the words on the tip of your tongue yet not being able to say them. We all know how frustrating that can be and for Justin, it's beginning to show but I'll forgive him for a bit of 'effing and blinding, for now. He was due to start speech therapy this week but the therapist can't talk as she has a sore throat, hmm! Once the treatment starts it should help him connect the dots. He'll get his speech back eventually with some intensive therapy, but he may always have some issues.

He does manage to get the words out sometimes, in fact he gave me a right earful during the physio session yesterday, a sign of things to come I feel. Our friend Max Chandra stepped in to assist today, he's a lot bigger than us so Justin would have thought twice about about telling him to F*** off. We had a little giggle too, we were both watching '2 and A Half Men' and Justin spontaneously starting singing the theme tune "Men, Men Men, Men, Manly Men, Do Do Doo Do Do Doo Do Doo". I thought I'd strike while the iron was hot so I asked him to do the alphabet, I started a,b,c d etc, to which he said "What song is that then?" I replied, "it's the alphabet song of course", he went "oh yeah" and began singing the "alphabet song" but he only got up to G then went back to the theme tune to "2 and A Half Men"

There's a lot been happening outside of the hospital this week too. We have finally got Justin accepted into the Broomfields Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex which by all accounts has a fantastic rehabilitation unit. It's a huge weight off our shoulders and it means we can get the wheels in motion for Justin's repatriation. Medical repatriations don't come cheap apparently and since Justin didn't have any travel or medical insurance, we have to find about £20,000 in the next few weeks, gulp! But in the grand scheme of things, it's only money and by hook or by crook, we'll raise it and get our man back to the UK.

I don't need to keep telling you that I'm blown away daily by the kindness and generosity of Justin's friends old and new, and strangers near and far. The level of love and support that we have seen and felt is immeasurable. Sometimes Justin seems so confused, afraid and alone but I know he's not, he has you all, he's in your thoughts and in your hearts and I tell him this always. I'm so proud of you mate. C'MON JUSTIN… you can do this, you are doing this.

This weekend is a special one, Saturday night is the 444 Fundraiser at Westbourne Studios in London. Some of Justin's close friends have put on a fundraising extravaganza to rival anything in London on the same night. Great venue, Superstar DJ's including the Silent Noise resident DJ's plus special guest Justin Robertson from Lionrock, amazing raffle and auction prizes but most importantly a bunch of people all coming together for an incredible cause. If you're going, I hope you have a terrific night. If your Saturday night is still not decided, get yourself down to Westbourne Studios in London or if you can't make it then you can still take part and win some amazing prizes. All the details are here.

http://444justin.blogspot.in/p/444-fundraiser-250812.html

I really wish I could be there, to thank you all for everything that you've done for Justin over the last couple of months but sadly I can't make it, I've got an evening planned in front of the TV with Justin watching 2 and a Half Men and eating alphabet spaghetti.

Where it all began.
Me and Justin at the Laughing Buddha, Palolem Beach, Goa, 2004