Family gives update on deputy shot

An Upstate deputy who was shot and critically injured almost four months ago is making significant progress in his recovery with medical help and the grace of God, according to his family.”We continue to focus on the positives and give all glory to God,” the family said about Oconee County sheriff’s deputy Lucas Watts in the latest update on Caring Bridge dated March 9.Watts, 27, was shot on Nov. 16 in a pursuit after a driver sped off during a traffic stop, authorities say. Watts was hospitalized for more than a month in Greenville before he was transferred to a rehab facility in Atlanta. “It’s been 114 days since our worlds abruptly stopped turning on November 16th when Lucas was shot in the line of duty,” The family said in the post. “Fast forward almost 4 months and we can truly say our worlds are turning again, slowly but turning. Lucas is healing and getting stronger every day.”The post lists some of Watts’ major accomplishments since the last post, which was on Jan. 22, and mentions his wife, Haley, and his infant son, Eli, who was just 8 weeks old at the time of the shooting.”Since the last update, Lucas has made big steps both literally and figuratively. We praise God for each and every one of them,” the family said.”Here are the highlights of his accomplishments and what he is doing now:Lucas worked for many days in therapy practicing to feed Eli using a weighted baby doll and a bottle. He finally was able to hold Eli and feed him his bottle on January 31st!On Valentines Day, he walked for the first time taking a few steps with the help of 4 therapists and a support harness and walker. Since then, he has been able to walk with progressively less support. Just this week, Lucas walked at least 50 feet with support from a walker and assistance from his therapists.A few days after Valentine’s Day while working on standing, Lucas was able to give Haley a hug for the first time with some assistance from his therapists.Lucas has continued to make progress with eating foods and drinking liquids of different consistencies. Haley helps him each week to submit his orders for his breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. He is eating a lot of different solid foods but still has some limitations. Some of the foods he has had are ground hamburger or ground chicken with gravy, sweet potatoes, ice cream, Italian ice, and even cheesecake but without the crust. He is still receiving supplemental tube feeds; but the more he eats at each meal, the less he has to be supplemented. Along with the introduction of food, the therapists have also been working with him on restrengthening the muscles he uses to feed himself. They are very weak due to lack of use for so long. With restrengthened muscles, he will be able to grasp utensils and move his food to his mouth and take bites using utensils.For a more successful homecoming, Lucas needs to be able to do certain movements/tasks such as sitting upright without support, transitioning himself from the bed to his wheelchair, and pulling himself to a standing position. He has gone from needing complete assistance in the beginning to being able to do 2 out of the 3 of these tasks himself. He continues to work on these and other important skills as he prepares to transition into the next phase of rehab.Lucas’s speech continues to improve. His speech therapist said that he has reached a fully intelligible level. Although he isn’t speaking full sentences just yet, he is speaking in short phrases and is able to communicate his needs and wants.The medical team removed his trach on February 22nd. They waited until after the bone flap procedure was completed in case he didn’t tolerate the procedure well and needed to be on the ventilator afterwards. The removal was a very easy process and the wound from the trach healed very quickly.”The post says the family is now focused on the next step in the young deputy’s recovery, which is coming home.”Haley is beginning to think about what being home again will be like in the relatively near future,” the post says. “We’re no longer wondering whether Lucas will wake up or, honestly, whether he will just be ok. By the grace of God, he is more than awake. He looks great! He is getting stronger day by day. And, we know he will be more than ok!”Read the full update from the family here.