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CNN Live At Daybreak
Arbogast's Recovery
Aired August 14, 2001 - 08:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: We've been hearing a lot about shark attacks in recent weeks. Last year, there were 79 attacks worldwide, 51 of them in the U.S. Most of those were in Florida.
Well, just why do sharks attack some people?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIGEL MARVEN, HOST, "WILD, WILD SHARK WEEK": Great white sharks, they're the species that make the most attacks on people. When they bite, they usually back off. They don't come in to kill us, because they've got amazing teeth like (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and they can feel when they bite. They haven't got hands, or they haven't got tentacles. When they bite, they are sensing us, and they sense we haven't got any blubber. What they are interested in is calorie-packed seals and fur seals. That's what they want to eat. They are not after us as prey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCEDWARDS: Well, the attack that really focused attention on sharks was the one on Jessie Arbogast. That was July 6 in West Florida.
The eight-year-old returned home to Mississippi this week. He is still recovering after a shark ripped off his arm and nearly draining his body of all of its blood.
And to talk about this boy's long road to recovery, we are joined now by Dr. John Tyson, who helped reattach Jessie Arbogast's arm.
Dr. Tyson, thanks for being here.
DR. JOHN TYSON, BAPTIST HOSPITAL: Well, thank you.
MCEDWARDS: Can you tell us why this is a good time for Jessie Arbogast to be going home?
TYSON: Well, at this time, all of his other body systems have stabilized very nicely. His kidneys have recovered nicely. And really, we're left with a long neurological recovery. We would love it to be short, but I suspect it's going to be months to see how far he can come.
MCEDWARDS: Yes. And what do you mean by that -- a long neurological recovery? I mean, what kind of state is he in now, and what are you hoping to see happen?
TYSON: Most recently when he was discharged, he was at a Glasgow coma scale of 10, or 11 to 15 being completely normal. His eyes are open. He watches cartoons, but he is not following commands. He is not responding to commands and things like that. Rehabilitation is dependent on being able to respond to commands well. And so we're looking for that sort of -- getting to that sort of point.
MCEDWARDS: And is that kind of rehabilitation easier for a family to do at home say than in a hospital?
TYSON: I think where he is now, I think home is a great place for him. Talking to his mom, one of the things she said is the smells of home. And we know that smells can stimulate memories and stimulate the mind, and being around his siblings and his own environment, I think it's a good place for him.
MCEDWARDS: Yes, I heard some kids were even putting a book drive together so that they could go to his bedside and read to him in familiar voices.
TYSON: Right.
MCEDWARDS: How is his arm?
TYSON: His arm looks fine. Now, that's in terms of vascular supply. It's warm. It's clearly healthy. Neurological recovery, again, that will be months to see if the nerves will regrow and how much movement he will have.
MCEDWARDS: So, Dr. Tyson, what kind of physical therapy will he need specifically on that arm, if you would?
TYSON: Most of the physical therapy is passive -- stretching it, moving it, which is fairly easy, and I believe the parents are fairly comfortable with that.
MCEDWARDS: So what kinds of things will they be doing with him?
TYSON: So they'll be, again, reading to him, talking to him, moving his arms around, touching him -- all those sort of things.
MCEDWARDS: So what do you say about his prognosis at this point?
TYSON: I am still praying about it. I would love to see him come much farther along neurologically, but that it is really hard to tell.
MCEDWARDS: And in terms of follow-up with doctors, what kind of follow-up is there going to be?
TYSON: He should be back with us in a few weeks to see the doctors in the area. I am sure a lot of us are going to want to see him and see how he is doing. And they have promised me we'll keep in close touch, so I suspect we'll see him a few weeks' timeframe.
MCEDWARDS: I am sure you will want to. Dr. John Tyson, thanks very much for being here this morning -- appreciate it.
TYSON: Thank you.
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