Shelley and Jean on the road to recovery
When Mike so graciously agreed to share our plight regarding the situation with my son and the tragic accident that happened on the 5th May 2021, [A Mother’s Urgent Plea for Help] I was absolutely blown away with the number of folks who readily stepped up to help. There was so much outpouring of support, love, donations, loans and well-wishes at a time we desperately needed help, and I was quite at a loss for words as to how I was going to adequately express my gratitude to everyone.
While I concentrated on the immediate task at hand (getting my son out of “hell” and transferred into a facility that would properly care for him), Mike kindly posted a message on my behalf explaining I was knee-deep in all day-to-day mechanics involved and that I would thank everyone as soon as feasible.
Well, that day has arrived.
It is with tears of joy & relief I can report my son Jean was picked up by an ambulance team this afternoon and transferred to a wonderful sub-acute Recovery Lodge in Sunninghill – a lovely suburb in Johannesburg. His wife and I had done research on various facilities, and this was the one we settled on.
It is a place that embraces & practices patient-centered, holistic care. The owner of the facility graciously agreed to allow Jean’s wife and son to stay with him (especially important for his emotional recovery) while he embarks on an intensive program of Physio, Orthopedic treatments, Occupational Therapy, Pain Management, Trauma counseling for the whole family – and many other ancillary therapies needed for the long road of recovery ahead of him. In addition to her kind gesture of offering for his family to stay, she also gave us a special daily discount based on the circumstances of what happened to Jean. This has now enabled us to get a private Orthopedic Surgeon to take over his future care!
Throughout the course of the day and upon arriving at the facility, it is hard to describe the sense of relief all of us felt – especially Jean who became quite emotional knowing he was finally in a place that is calm, safe, caring, and conducive to real healing. All of us, including the owner of Sunninghill Recovery, had tears flowing as we hugged each other, gave high-fives, and breathed HUGE sighs of relief.
By early this evening, Jean’s wife Kirsty and the staff at the facility had managed to give him his first bath/shower since the accident and then the family settled down by the cozy fireplace to enjoy their first meal together in 5 weeks. This couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time, as my grandson’s 11th Birthday is on Thursday and he’ll get to spend it with his dad!
Tomorrow a physician will be visiting Jean to give him a full assessment and work-up, including working out a proper pain-management protocol. We have Wound-care specialists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, an Orthopedic Surgeon, a social worker and other caregivers all on standby to commence with Jean’s various therapies. We have the money to get him the best care possible because of YOU!
Today was a major turnaround for my family – and it was ONLY made possible by those of you who so readily and willingly responded to our plea for help.
With Jean now safely ensconced in a great facility, I can relax somewhat and settle down to contacting each of you within the coming days to personally thank you and discuss terms of loans where applicable.
Here are some pictures of the happy events today as Jean was transferred.
With all my love, thanks, and heartfelt gratitude to Mike and every single one of you.
Shelley Ashurst
Some more shots.
Jean being picked up by the ambulance crew at the hospital:
Arrivi9ng at Sunninghill Recovery Lodge
Settling in:
Jean’s new room at Sunninghill:
First meal with family in 5 weeks:
Just stumbled across this update whilst scrolling back to catch up on the last few weeks posts and wow, this brought a lump to my throat and a smile to my face. Really wonderful news and so pleased with the outcome. Haven’t had time to read all the comments yet but what’s the prognosis now and do you have any idea of when he’ll be home? Sending best wishes for a good recovery (I realise it may not be speedy).
These pictures made my day! As a mom whose child was once horrifically injured in a car crash, I read your initial post and immediately clicked over to PayPal without hesitation. My heart went out to you so deeply.
And now, my heart is bursting with joy for you and your family, as well as with awe at such a beautiful show of generosity by random strangers. There IS good in this world, darn it!
Anyhow, wishing him continued recovery and a speedy return to health!
❤️ Manecki N
Shelley, when I saw this post I cried happy tears seeing all the uplifting photos and good news! You can add us to the list of folks that would not want to be repaid – it was a gift not a loan.
As a mother I can only imagine your state of mind through all of this as you tried to get your son the care he needs and deserves. And to see him and his family having a meal together for the first time in weeks – what a joy!!! Sending continued prayers and good wishes for his full recovery. We will all be cheering him on and hope you will have time to give us updates from time to time.
To everyone who has commented on this thread, sent well-wishes and messages of love & support – THANK YOU!
I’m trying to keep up with the comments and am replying to each one as they come up – but I am also contending with the joys of rolling black-outs and loadshedding in my country which is a real test of one’s patience!
Anyway, some folks may find 2 replies to their comments – and others may not have received any yet. I’m going to give the system a bit of time to “re-set” and come back to check what’s gone through or not (I type a reply and then lose signal – very frustrating).
I have and am reading every single comment – and I am very thankful to you all for taking the time to engage on this post – seeing al the kind messages and outpouring of support is indeed food for the soul!
Love Shelley
To Shelley, Jean and all the family, I have the biggest tearful grin on my face after looking at the photos. What a wonderful update. Thank you so much, Shelley, for taking the time out of what must have been a nightmare schedule to share all this happiness with us. I know there’s a long and probably very painful road ahead for Jean, but this is a wonderful first step to recovery.
Happy birthday to your grandson – today I believe!
Dear Andrea, Thanks so much! I understand that tearful grin sensation all too well these days. Many happy tears have been shed by all when Jean finally got transferred on Monday! Being able to do this good-news update was such an honour & privilege after the folks here so unselfishly stepped up to help & gave from their hearts as they did. Thanks for the Birdthday wishes for Caleb too – love that little chap So much! <3
I am so happy for you and jean and his family, Shelley. This brought tears to my eyes. Please continue to care for him and do not worry about sending individual thanks yous!
Dear FMFH,
Please forgive me if I end up replying twice – I’m having trouble with my internet which goes up and down like a yo-yo so I’m not sure if my replies are getting lost in the fray. (The joys of living in Africa with rolling blackout loadshedding).
A thousand thanks for your support, lovely words and reassurances. I’m glad to be a source of “happy tears” moments for a change – trust me, I’ve spilled buckets myself over the last couple of days!
I am so relieved that Jean is now in a place where he’s getting proper care and careful supervision from professionals who truly embrace & deliver the standard of care one needs at times like this. This relief has enabled me to relax and breathe a little so that I could send messages to all who helped – a pleasurable task that is very important to me! 😉
Lots of love,
Shelley
Shelley – I’d like to try to say something in this thread about the struggle we all share.
Thanks to Mike and Leah and many others, this despicable cult has seen increasingly hard times of late. More and more people are coming forward to take legal action. Membership has dropped off sharply. Most all of their giant buildings sit empty and are decaying into decrepitude. All over the media, people are laughing at this cult. Unfortunately, laughing is not the ideal reaction. I’m thinking of all those Frankenstein movies where the villagers grab their torches and pitchforks and storm the castle – demanding death to the monster. I think that would be a much better reaction to this disgusting cult.
Mike has told us that you suffered for a long time because of this cult and apparently, that was reason enough for everyone here who helped you.
Mike eloquently spoke to the difference in the help you could expect to get from this bogus religion versus the help you could expect from people at this blog – who are complete strangers to you. But I’d still like to try to say something more about that difference anyway.
I’d like to try to address the question of why a bunch of strangers would come to your aid – apparently without ever asking any questions or having any second thoughts.
It was no surprise to me that you received the help you needed here. I felt that helping you – in part – was a good way to strike a blow against this terrible evil that is set up as a for-profit business but masquerades as a religion. (that is a quote from Yashar Ali by the way).
I hope your story will spread the word so that people will know this bogus church lies about how it helps people in need. They collect money under the guise of using it to help. But they never help anyone except themselves. Moreover, only THE TWERP at the top of the pyramid ever gets his hands on any of the money.
I believe your story should be important to anyone interested in the battle against this bogus religion. Everyone who understands that you got the help you needed from a group of strangers and that you would never have gotten anything from this scam church will understand why this cult must be terminated.
A good part of the reason I was happy to help you was because I truly despise this cult because of the great harm that it does. The more I learn about it, the harder it is for me to comprehend how such an monstrous evil can persist in this world.
Dear Skyler, Thank so much for these insightful & kind words. Yes, my family spent 4 generations in that cult and I can tell of decades of abuse, the likes of which one would think belong only in the pages of “true crime” thriller books.
But so many here have similar stories – and that’s the common thread that runs through for so many of us – and it’s this commonality that I believe results in the impenetrable brotherhood in this community. There is something very special about those who went through what they did in the cult and somehow managed to make that break despite the threat of losing loved ones & lifelong friends, their livelihoods and running the risk of having your life “come to an end” – which is exactly what the cult would have you believe if you step “behind the curtain”.
I know without hesitation that should anyone need similar help, I would do everything in my power to step up – and I have done so for a number of folks who’ve needed a hand as they’ve left the cult and started rebuilding their lives. And yes, you’re right that this help is indeed a slap in the face of DM and his minions who would love to see us all flounder – we won’t let each other! But, more importantly, we’ve all been there and it just goes without saying that we would help those similarly finding their feet as we’ve all had to do along the way.
My story will be told – watch this space! I can’t say much more at this point 😉
Lots of love,
Shelley
Shelley – I really liked your above post. When you spoke about when people helped you, it was like a slap in the face to McSavage (my new name for the rat), that reminded me of one of many wonderful moments from Mike and Leah’s TV show: Scamology and the Aftermath.
It was about Valerie Haney. Leah was reading a letter the bogus church had sent saying that Leah was paying Valerie $1,000 per month just to help Leah smear the cult.
Leah looked right into the camera and said, “That is a lie! It’s a lot more than that!”. I’ll never forget that moment. It was one of my most favorite ever.
I will look forward to hearing from you anytime you may choose to tell us about your experiences in the cult.
Looking forward to more good news, which is way too rare these days; especially if we focus too much attention on the organization calling itself scientology these days.
Thank you for updating and for the wonderful photos, Shelley! What a heavenly place for your son (and his family) to recover! I am another who does not need repayment, and I’m thankful to be blessed with the means to help. ❤️
Oh Briget, you are an angel – thanks SO very much. Every time someone here says “no repayment” the tears well up again and I’m blubbering all over the place – tears of relief, joy and heartfelt thankfulness – what a pleasure to be crying these tears after the many that have been spilled in the last month. I will forever be grateful to you for your love and support. With all my love, Shelley
Shelly, I have been following this closely. As we have a situation here where one of my granddaughter’s close friends, age 15, fell 60’ off a cliff (and lived!) while mountain biking, and the family is all close to our family, with intertwined activities and coaches, etc. my financial and emotional resources have been spent working towards ensuring Jack stays alive and hopefully is not a quadriplegic.
That does not mean I haven’t shed several tears for you as a mother and your family’s plight. I am so happy to see so many members of this community pull together to donate to help your son get the help he needs.
Karma works both ways, you know. You’ve done good for many. It’s your turn to accept good from others.
Dear ValR, I am so sorry to hear about your granddaughter’s friend and will keep Jack in my thoughts and prayers. I truly hope for a miraculous outcome for all.
Just over a month ago when I got the news of what happened with Jean, my world stood still and I stopped breathing to become hyper-focused on the situation at hand. I therefore fully understand the turmoil such an events throws a family into. They are lucky to have you there, supporting and helping as you are. My thoughts go out to you as you deal with all of this.
Thank you so much for your words of support, encouragement and kindness – I deeply appreciate them.
Thanks for the update, Shelley. It’s made my start to the working day a very very happy one. Despite us all having been coerced into believing sympathy is a bad emotion, here we are proudly displaying our real emotions and empathy for someone we would have previously heard of as being “handled in Ethics.”
I’m so pleased everything is going well and I’m not ashamed to say I have tears in my eyes from this wonderful news. What a wonderful community has been created here – I’m humbled by it.
Dear Scooter,
What awesome words – you encapsulated it so well! Indeed, in our previous “cult lives” events like these would have been sneered at and probably forbidden from becoming “public knowledge” as it would have been “bad PR” – blah blah. What a relief to be away from that insanity, being allowed to express oneself appropriately – AND reach out for help without fear!
I’m so very happy for being able to bring some uplifting, good news to folks about my son & his progress & doubly so because it was all made possible by what you accurately termed “a wonderful community” which it most certainly is. Lots of love, Shelley <3
Lovely words, Scooter. I think we all share a few happy tears today.
A real miracle. So happy for your family.
Thanks very much Stef. So many folks helped to carry this miracle off and I am profoundly grateful to everyone.
I found a lovely quote:
“Where there is great love, there are always miracles” – Willa Cather
Shelley, I’m so happy. You’ve made my day and more. Seeing all the smiles from Jean, Kirsty and your grandson is what life is all about. Best wishes to you and your wonderful family for a healthy speedy recovery. Myself and family are so glad we were able to contribute and of course, we expect nothing in return except your health and happiness. Please keep us updated via “Angel” Mike.
Barb and Family
Dearest Barb,
Thank you so much for this beautiful comment & contribution towards Jean’s cause. I’m beyond words right now. Your love and kindness has played a large role in us being able to help Jean recover in the best way possible and eventually get back on his feet. I will forever be grateful to you for your generous support. Lots of Love, Shelley <3
This was the best part of my morning!!!!
Thank you for writing us all and sharing the good news.
LOVE all of the smiles. Oh and 11th Birthday celebration…so so so sweet.
Thanks so much! Yes, so awesome that we made it just in time for my grandson’s birthday! He’s not been able to see his dad in hospital (fainted the first time and got very queasy the next). Jean is SO happy to have his beloved family back with him & I believe it will go a LONG way towards his emotional well-being as he embarks on the healing journey. 💙
So gratified & uplifted by this news! As a humble donater, I’ll venture to guess, though speaking for myself, that my fellow donaters/supporters here and elsewhere of this beautiful family aren’t expecting repayment. Our reward is seeing Jean’s marvelous progress in getting proper treatment, and that is priceless!
Love the updates-keep ‘em coming, please.
Dearest V. And here you have me getting all choked up again! A thousand thank-yous are not enough to express my gratitude to you – 🙏 – I am deeply humbled by your amazing generosity. ❤
I certainly don’t expect repayment either. It’s a gift.
Here, Here, I also agree.
Seeing the pics has done the trick for me
Oh wow! I get so choked up with emotion it’s hard to put into words exactly how I feel reading these unbelievable gestures of love, support and kindness . Thank you a thousand times – I deeply appreciate this! With tons of love, Shelley
Dear Imaberrated,
Thanks you SO much. I am deeply grateful for this generous and unbelievably kind offer. With all my love, Shelley
My ‘repayment’ is seeing Jean whole again.
Jim, you are heaven-sent. Thank you SO much! I will forever remember your kind & loving support. He will get there – my “whole Jean”. With folks like you out there, this is now not only possible, but highly probable. With all my love, Shelley
Absolutely right. No repayment required here. Knowing that much of the burden has been lifted from the family is payment enough 🙂
Andrea, Thank you, thank you, thank you. The debt of gratitude I feel for your folks is something I’m struggling to describe here. Just know that I am deeply grateful and always will be. Lots of love, Shelley
So happy to see Jean smiling with his family around him. Shelley you are such a good Mom. ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much, Christie. What a super compliment! You are one mom I greatly admire – who knew here we’d be, in a happier place and time after all those years ago! Love and hugs to you and your awesome family! 🥰
I’m just sure that through out Scientology this sort of support to brethren goes on daily….. Maybe COB could help:
Lou! Get out there and round up a bunch of staff and public to write stories that show them that WE do the same, only bigger and better. Like 10X better. And they better be good or else! Have them written up and published in Advance by Thursday at 2:00.
What! Tony Ortega is now down at my favorite beach? Now where can I go without some CICSMFPOS getting in my face? Lou, get me some Tums, and the bottle.
No wonder Ron took off to Tgt2. Lou, when can I book a flight to Bulgravia? What do you mean? All you can book is the Bluebird red-eye to Creston? That place has bad vibes, if you know.
Haha – funny. The one thing the cult does NOT do is help their public in times of need. You’d be considered “down stat”, “PTS” and you “pulled it in” and all that jazz. Off to the ethics officer with you!!
People on this group, however truly embrace the concept of helping others which I am eternally grateful for!
Love Shelley
We wogs — I AM a “born again wog” can be everything scientology wishes we weren’t. Kind, helpful, supportive, and genuine.
So true – and this is really funny because I also once quipped “I am a born again wog” too – which had my family rolling on the floor. A friend of mine came up with a better term the other day – we are now “muggles” (this is a reference to Harry Potter and those who live in the non-magical realm being called “muggles”). I am extremely grateful to no longer be living the “Scientology magic” which was all smoke & mirrors anyway – haha.
My friend coined a new phrase for “wogs” the other day as I old her I find the term so offensive (despite it rolling off my tongue for years while in the cult). So we came up with a kinder term – “Muggles” LOL.
Made me chuckle 😀
Yayyyy!! I feel so relieved that this has worked out and he is on the road to recovery from such a terrible ordeal. Jean looks really good but I know he has a long road ahead him and it is fantastic he is in such a great facility. You have been such a great Mom to him and for getting this done. Lots of Love to you Shelley & Jean and his family. And special thanks to Mike for doing this and to all the people who have contributed.
Thanks so much Lois. I couldn’t have said it any better! You’ve been a doyen of support to me during this time and I am so very grateful that you took my call that night when I was in dire straits. I will never forget that. Tons of love to you, Brett and your gorgeous family.
Aaahh..you are the real hero for your son….love you tons my friend.
A long journey with your loved ones is a joy to enjoy.
An Anniversary card from my wife reads:” On the journey of life, it’s not the destination, but who you’re with that makes all the difference.” This is another example of what Hubbard missed/rejected his whole life, AFAICT.
Dear Jere, So true – life is indeed all about who you spend it with – and I am so glad I stepped outside the mythical BS of Scientology to live in the real world which is NOTHING like they would have had us believe. I have found more love, realness and true friendship outside “here” than I ever did in the cult. I feel for those still stuck inside – they have NO idea what they’re missing and are so duped that it’s actually quite tragic. Were it not for their arrogance, I could almost feel sorry for them. Love Shelley
Dear Jere,
This may come as “reply number 2” to your comment – my internet keeps bombing on me. Indeed, life’s journey only makes it worthwhile when taken with loved ones by your side. The one thing Hubbard did well was utterly isolate people while at the same time drilling into us how the “group” was all-important – yet another insane concept that trapped us all as we grappled with the insanity of it all.
I have found more friends, love and support on the outside than I ever did in the cult. That “SCNs are the elite and above mere homo-sapiens” concept was so insanely twisted. Cheers to those of us who made it out of the Matrix!
Love Shelley
A long journey with your loved ones is a joy to enjoy.
I could not send a monetary donation. I have, however, sent healing and positive thoughts and prayers for Jean. Thank you for the update and the pictures, especially with his loving family. Peace
Pam, thank you so much. Your positive thoughts, prayers and good wishes are extremely valuable and very much appreciated. Love Shelley.
Wow – Wonderful!
Thanks Richard. 😊
I am so glad that Jean is recovering, and that his recovery needs are being addressed in such a nice and accommodating facility. I’m glad I was able to assist in some small way.
Best wishes to all as Jean and family travel their long road to a full recovery.
Ammo Alamo, thanks so much for your help with our cause. These days the words “thank you” seem so inadequate for how I really feel! Just know I’m deeply grateful in more words than I can describe. Love Shelley
What an amazing story! Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks to Mike for spreading the word, and to all of you who
donated money!
No scientological statuses or trophies here, just good ol’ fashioned,
unconditional love and empathy!
❤
Thanks for your lovely words, Mark. I’m overwhelmed by the awesome response to our plight and so deeply appreciative to everyone. Love Shelley
Hello Shelley,
I’m very happy for you and your family. Those pictures of the new facility were amazing. Do you think there may be any room for me to come there too? (j/k)
Beyond that, I think what I’d most like to say is what I have already said to you in my post of May 14, 2021 and I am including a copy here:
I sent a donation to Mike Rinder and he told me that he sent it to you. I know you said that you would repay all the money that people send you. But I want you to know that I sent you this money as a donation and there is no need for you to repay it. All I want is for Jean to emerge from this catastrophe satisfactorily.
Skyler – Thanks SO very much! I deeply appreciate this! Because of people like you, we can really get Jean the care that he needs now. Although a long haul is ahead of him, he’s on the right track and we’re hoping he will go from strength to strength from hereon out. Love Shelley.
P.S. Shelley – Thank you ever so much for that incredibly complete writeup you made for me in yesterday’s blog re the financial workings of this cult.
I was hoping someone would give me some basic info but what you did was above and beyond what I ever could have expected.
I cannot thank you enough for that info, Shelley. I appreciate it tremendously.
It’s my absolute pleasure. At least one good thing came from all my years trapped in the cult – knowing how it works & the inner insanity of it all. 🙂
This is such a happy story. I loved the pictures.
Pictures tell a thousand words – and these only partly describe the relief we feel knowing that Jean is now in a safe place and can get on with his long road to recovery!
I love the pictures. What a beautiful and loving family you have. Your son is so precious. He looks like he is holding up well. Best wishes for a fast recovery.
Thanks Cindy. My son is an incredibly soft-hearted yet strong-willed person. Although this whole experience has definitely taken it’s toll on him, seeing the relief on his face yesterday when he arrived at Sunninghill was beyond priceless. I saw him briefly this evening and through happy tears, he said that having his family by his side has been the best thing that’s happened to him in a looong time. <3
Shelley, I’m so happy to hear it. Good luck to you all!