Jessie Simpson was just 18 years old when he was beaten with an aluminum baseball bat, an incident that left him permanently brain-damaged.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK / Sue Simpson
June 13, 2021 - 6:00 PM
Sue Simpson is a single mother known to fight for the best treatment and life for her son, Jessie.
Since Jessie fell victim to a brutal beating by Kristopher Teichrieb in 2016, his mother has continued to advocate for him at hospitals, nursing homes and in court.
Jessie found himself in the hospital over a month ago with an infection, but Simpson hopes to bring her son home by July 26, his twenty-fourth birthday.
If she's successful in bringing him home, now that renovations are nearly done at their home in Savona, she will finally have a birthday party for him on their deck.
"I'd like to be able to enjoy things with him — just to be able to have a family again," Simpson said. "For him to go through what he has and still keep a smile on his face — after 11 surgeries and all the time in the hospital, he shouldn't be with us still."
READ MORE: Why Jessie Simpson may not see a penny of his $6.9M award
He was in a coma for more than 10 months after the assault by Teichrieb, and after nearly five years of recovering, he's making significant progress.
"He's talking. He can feed himself. Now he has some use of his left side after his stroke. He can hold and lift a drink with that side now. There's definitely improvements," Simpson said. "Jessie jokes and laughs a lot."
As a single mother, Simpson said she has lost many jobs because of her dedication to her son. Advocating and caring for him is like a full time job to meet with hospital staff, her lawyer, and travelling from Savona to Kamloops often twice per day.
"To advocate for a diaper change, to advocate for his care, is huge. He has maximum care right now because I've fought for it," Simpson said. "And I'd like to thank the community for love and support. He wouldn't be coming home without that help."
Because of her precarious work situation, Simpson continues to fundraise so she can continue to dedicate her time to Jessie. She was able to purchase a van and fund renovations at their Savona home to make it more accessible for him.
READ MORE: Family of severely beaten Kamloops teen claims attacker hid assets in lawsuit
Although a judge recently awarded Jessie $6.9 million in a civil suit related to the assault, iNFOnews.ca reported in February why he may not see any of it.
Simpson, however, said she was advised by her lawyer not to comment until legal proceedings are concluded later this year.
As his birthday approaches and Simpson makes arrangements to bring her son home, she is welcoming birthday cards to be mailed to Jessie. However, because their home is small and she had to forfeit large items and furniture to make space for Jessie, she is asking people to avoid sending larger packages and gifts.
"If they want to buy him gifts, a gift card is preferred and appreciated. I love the love for Jessie," she said.
He won't be moved to their home full time, and he is expected to need care for the rest of his life, but she said it's important for Jessie's recovery to be back home when he can.
"It's hard. You pick up the pieces and go, 'What do i do now?' Everyone remembers who he was and put him in a past-tense, but to me he's beautiful, he's sweet and he's my son."
Sue Simpson with her son, who she continues to advocate for through both the healthcare and judicial system.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Sue Simpson
The ongoing fundraiser for Jessie Simpson, which started in 2018, can be found here.
Birthday cards for Jessie can be sent to: PO Box 233, Savona, B.C. V0K 2J0
READ MORE: Jessie Simpson case since the beginning
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