Dedham Mom Talks About Son's Recovery After Near Fatal Car Crash

DEDHAM, MA - As Miela "Jackie" Ambris prepared to leave for a trip to Florida on March 25 with her daughter, she remembered her son, Jaden Thompson, hugging her repeatedly.

"Jaden, being the person that he is, loves to give me hugs," she said in an interview on September 2. "He is a mama's boy. I told him he had to let me go or I would be late for the plane."

Ambris had no idea that it was almost the final time they would embrace.

Thomson had gone out with friends that evening when their car was rear-ended, she explained.

"The car that hit him spun out and hit the guard rail,"according to Miela. "Jaden and his friends went to check on the people in the car. When he was walking back, he was hit and suffered severe head truama.

"I was just shocked because he never asked permission to go out like he usually does," she continued. "But that's what teenagers do."

Ambris's plane had just landed in Florida when she received the devastating news.

"I took my phone off of airplane mode after the plane landed," he said. "I didn't even get off the plane. I had a flood of calls and text messages. I have never received that many calls in one day, and I knew something was wrong. I got a text from my stepson that said that Jaden had been in a car accident."

She said a Boston Medical Center doctor had left a message with his phone number, which confirmed her worst fears.

"The doctor told me that Jaden was in a very serious car accident and that he was on a ventilator," she said. "He had severe brain truama and was injured really bad. I kept hearing those words and repeating them so my daughter could hear them. It was the worst day of my life."

Ambris and her daughter immediately flew home, receiving doctors' updates along the way.

"They had to put a thing in his head to relieve the pressure on his brain," she said. "I got back and saw him fighting for his life. It wasn't looking good."

Doctors induced Thomson into a coma to preserve his brain function as he clung to life. He was not expected to survive, she said. Even if he did, no one knew what the extent of his disabilities would be. He remained in a coma for nearly a month.

"I would visit him every day and sing to him," Ambris said. "When he finally woke up, the hospital had begun to make preparations for him to go to a long-term care facility. They didn't think he would be able to come home."

When Thompson regained consciousness and began to speak, Ambris said he would swear at her.

"I was so shocked because he never used cuss words around me," she said. "It broke my heart. But the neurology team said that this was actually a good sign, because he was starting to remember things. They said the brain was starting to heal."

After regaining his speech and beginning physical therapy, his neurology team transfered him to Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital in Braintree. He returned home on August 23, where he was greeted by a parade of cars driven by concerned Dedham residents and organized by Select Board Chair Dimitria Sullivan.

"Dimitria has been amazing," Ambris, a Dedham resident for the past four years, said. "She has been so helpful to me and has offered so much support. She organized a GoFundMe page to help with his expenses. I really want to thank her."

The link can be accessed here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hop...

"Jaden has always been such a nice boy," said Sullivan as she stood in the packed parking lot of St. Susanna's Church before the car parade began on August 23. "For him to pull through was so amazing, and he has a long road ahead."

Dozens of cars, some decorated with balloons and signs, drove down Needham Street toward Dedham Square, including one decorated by Riverdale residents Sarah and Kara Saliba.

Ambris said she has been overwhelmed by the amount of support she has received from the community and Dedham High School, where she had to receive Thompson's diploma at graduation on his behalf on June 5.

"It's been horrible," Ambris said. "He spent his 18th birthday in a coma and couldn't go to his graduation. These are two of the biggest events of his life."

She added that she wanted to thank DHS Assistant Principal Kristy Yankee and guidance counselor Cindy McGrann, who checked in with her on a weekly basis to receive updates on Thompson's progress.

"I also want to thank my neighbor Lynne Solis, who is Jaden's classmate's mother," Ambris said. "Also my friends Annette Haynes and Maureen."

The road ahead for Thomson will be difficult, she noted. But her son has a sense of determination that knows no bounds.

"Even now, when I try to hold the car door open for him or help him keep his balance, he gets upset because he want to be independent," she explained.

Before the accident, Thompson worked two jobs. He spent his early mornings working at McGolf cleaning golf balls. After school he had a job at the local YMCA.

"He wanted to be able to work at the Y so that he could secure a full-time job there for the summer," she explained. "He loves working with children."

Thompson aspires to become a plumber, his mother said. She hopes that he can eventually realize his dream, but for now the focus is on recovery.

Known for his sense of humor and his skills on the basketball court, Thompson had many friends despite a quiet demeanor, according to classmate Frankie Desario.

"He's a really nice kid," he said. "We were really heartbroken when we heard what happened, but we are all so thrilled that he is getting healthy again. He loved to play basketball in Riverdale with the boys, and he was always laughing."

Ambris has to return to been unable work and is Thompson's primary caretaker. Other than her daughter, she has no family in the area.

"I just want to take care of him until he is more stable," she said. "Everytime I see him, I am so grateful I can talk to him. Now I am hugging him all the time. I don't want to let him go."