Posted: 5/4/05
By MaryHelen Swanson
Six-year-old Jacob Puchtel of Oxford Township is home from the hospital and doing well. His parents think of him as their ìlittle miracle boy.î
Jacob went out to get the mail with his mother, Beth Puchtel, and twin sister, Gracie, on the afternoon of April 13.
He was hit by a pickup truck eastbound on Isanti County Road 9 and spent 14 days in North Memorial Hospital.
Excited little boy sounds were audible as the Post Review visited over the phone with his mother last Friday.
ìHe is bored,î said mom, ìso you know heís back to normal.î With some precautions from the doctors to take it easy for a while, he is eager to get back to doing the things a kindergartner does. That includes a lot of outdoor activities and, when he has to be indoors, watching Arthur and Maya and Miguel on TPT.
The visible reminder of the mishap with the pickup is a cast on his fractured hand. But it looks as if heíll be all set to experience summer fun when summer arrives.
Beth Puchtel said they have to watch so he doesnít have another head injury; it could take up to a year for the brain to heal completely. And she said, while doctors are not expecting any long-term effects from his injuries, there is no guarantee.
Jacob's mother said he doesn't remember what happened that day. She is certain of one thing, that there was some kind of intervention with the appearance of the trauma nurse who assisted her son on the scene.
"God protected him," she said, adding they don't have any answers why. There were no scrapes or bruises on the little boy.
He did sustain a cracked pelvis, so soccer is out of the picture for now. Bending down and getting back up are just a little bit of a problem for the youngster, but he's walking about just fine.
The folks at North Memorial treated us like kings and queens, said his mother, who also noted how good it was to be back home.
His family, which includes dad, Steve, big brothers Kyle and Jeremy, along with his twin sister, are happy to have Jacob home.
A fund-raiser is being put together for some time in July to help the family with medical bills.
A fund is also set up at: First National Bank, 5655 Stacy Trail, Stacy, MN 55079.
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