Joey Jacobsen is coming home.
If all goes according to plan, the Minden 10-year-old should be home March 18, the first time since he was critically injured Nov. 22 in a woodcutting accident in Markleeville.
For the past several weeks, Joey has been undergoing treatment at an Oakland, Calif., children's hospital. He is expected to be discharged about noon March 18 and the family hopes to be pulling in the Jacobsens' driveway by 5 p.m.
For months, the Carson Valley community has been following Joey's progress on his Caring Bridge Web site with 120,000 visits and 4,000 messages left by friends and family.
He spent the first two months in Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno before he was transferred to Oakland.
Now, it's time to come home to continue therapy and his recovery.
"Joey is so anxious to come home," said his mother Robbi Jacobsen.
She's hoping the homecoming will be low key, but knows Joey's friends and family will want to see him.
"When we get home, we'll get him out of the car in the wheelchair so he can sit outside for a little bit and wave at everybody, but then we'll take him into the house," she said Tuesday.
The first matter of business for Joey is his 11th birthday on March 21.
The family is planning a private party.
"We're going to be busy getting him acclimated back into everything " coming into the house, seeing the dog, it's been four months," she said.
The Jacobsens are planning a community barbecue at the end of April to celebrate Joey's progress and thank everyone who rallied around the family.
"Tim, Joey, Timmy and I just want to invite the whole community and thank everyone," she said.
After Joey was injured, the community raised $30,000 for the family with fundraisers and the sale of black and yellow bracelets commemorating Joey's status as a player on the Pirates Little League team.
Robbi Jacobsen has been on leave from her teaching job at Gardnerville Elementary School and her husband Tim temporarily gave up his home maintenance business so they could be with their son after the accident.
Timmy Jacobsen, a Carson Valley Middle School student, has been staying with friends during his brother's hospitalization.
Joey and Timmy are the grandsons of Betty Jacobsen and the late State Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen of Minden.
SEND A MESSAGE TO JOEY
www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeyjacobsen
YOU CAN HELP
An account has been set up at the Bank of America in Minden, No. 5010-0730-0228, Joey's Donation.
