JAN. 12, 2022 UPDATE
Since the story on Jan. 7, 2022 where we asked for prayers after Nick was not accepting food or responding to anyone, there’s been some good news.
For those not familiar, Deputy Nick Tullier is hooked up to an ostomy bag to collect any waste. Monday night, Tullier’s father James Tullier said there was a little output in the bag. The reason that is good news is that it shows that Tullier’s intestines are trying to work. (Details in original story below). If they start working, he can start accepting food again through his peg tube. For nearly two months, Tullier has been limited to fluids and vitamins via IV because his intestines were not accepting any food.
Tuesday night, James said the ostomy output is increasing. He added that it was the most it’s been since before the intestinal blockage, which is great news!
Plus, the X-ray on Tullier’s lungs showed improvement with less liquid in the lungs.
Point being, YOUR prayers are working!
“Thanks from our family for tons of prayers and please keep them coming because Nick is not out of the woods yet. He still has a long way to go,” said James Tullier.
Tullier remains at a BR hospital with his mother Mary at his side 24/7. As of now, he is still not responding to his mother or anyone with doctors saying that’s due to the infections in his body that links back to the intestinal blockage.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
It’s been a hard, long-fought battle for 2,000 days since East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Tullier was shot in the line of duty. The 2,000 days come out to be just shy of 5 ½ years in his journey to continue fighting to live.
Like Sept. 11th, just about everyone in and around Baton Rouge can recall exactly where they were when they heard the news on July 17, 2016. To avoid reliving the pain of that day, Unfiltered with Kiran has chosen not to detail what all happened or the shooter’s name. However, in the case that people are unaware, Tullier took three bullets that Sunday morning when he left his half drank coffee to help another deputy in need. Least did he know, that one call would change the rest of his life.
Jan. 7, 2022 makes exactly 2,000 days Tullier has been fighting the after effects of those three bullets, one to the abdominal area that tore his intestines up, another to his shoulder area and the one that did the most damage, was to his head near the brain. That one left Tullier battling a traumatic brain injury as well as shrapnel still lodged in his brain.
Since 2016, Tullier was moved to Houston, TX at the Tirr Memorial Hermann Hospital. He defied the odds when the family started showing the world videos of Tullier playing thumb war, saying the word “hello”, writing his mother a note for her birthday and daily miracles through his physical therapy.
Let’s be honest, some have asked, ‘What quality of life does he even have?’ Well, his parents James & Mary Tullier have asked Nick if he wants to live and Nick has nodded his head indicating “yes,” so if he has the willpower to continue going, no one can question his wish. Plus, along with his parents, Tullier has every reason to fight to be around for his two sons, his siblings, his friends and co-workers and not to be forgotten, the tens of thousands of people aboard the “Miracle Express” as James Tullier refers to it, praying daily for Tullier.
Tullier’s primary care is provided by his parents with his mother at his side at all hours of the day and his dad taking the night shift. He requires 24/7 attention and has to be turned in the middle of the night, but as his mother said, “It’s my son and anyone in my shoes would do the same to do whatever it takes to have your child around.” James and Mary are both retired and like any other couple, had plans for their retirement, but when Tullier was shot, their plans quickly changed as would any parents’ plans given the same situation. In 2019, when Tullier overheard his parents talking about their retirement plans changing, he had tears in his eyes.
Tullier can 100% comprehend everything, just cannot verbalize his feelings or move. The shooting left him a quadriplegic, but put yourself in the parents shoes, wouldn’t you do the exact same for your own child especially when he wants to live.
After making great strides in Houston, the Tulliers wanted to return home to Baton Rouge. So in the summer of 2020, Tullier was able to successfully move back home with his parents at his side. However, the last few years, especially since the onset of Covid, have really set Tullier back with the lack of physical therapy.
The last few months, Tullier has spent in the hospital meaning every holiday from Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year were all spent away from home.
Nov. 5th, Tullier was admitted into a hospital for abdominal issues and vomiting with his mother suspecting a blockage in his intestines. He was admitted on a Friday and required to stay the night with a CT scan scheduled the next day on Saturday. That CT scan confirmed the intestinal blockage. However, James Tullier said there was an unexpected emergency surgery on Tullier’s arm after an IV filled his arm with fluid. Without that surgery, there was the potential risk of Tullier losing his arm.
It’s why the required surgery for the blockage in his intestines was delayed by a week.
Nov. 17th, doctors made several repairs during surgery but truth is, it’s very difficult to get Tullier’s intestines back to 100% due to the injuries he got after the 2016 shooting. There’s still a blockage and there’s also a tear in his intestines so anytime he’s given food via his peg tubes, the blockage doesn’t allow it to go further and the tear in his intestines leaks it out of his intestines causing even more infections.
The last two months have been extremely rough with Tullier not receiving much food. He’s only able to get fluids and vitamins from an IV. To make matters worse, Tullier is no longer responding to anyone, not his mom, doctors, nurses or friends who were visiting prior to Covid. Tullier has always responded to his mother. It’s why she asked a neurologist to check on Tullier. That doctor told the family he believes the lack of response is due to the ongoing infections, which he is on antibiotics.
It’s why more than ever, the Tullier family is in need of your prayers. The family made it clear from the beginning that despite doctors saying Tullier would not survive, it’s the people’s prayers that pulled him through. When doctors said Tullier would not make another day, another week or another month, your prayers proved God can work miracles science cannot. It’s through your love and prayers that Tullier has made 2,000 days and now, the family is desperate to wake up his intestines so he can accept food again, keep the rest of his organs from shutting down and waking up to respond to people again.
On behalf of the Tullier family, thank you ahead of time for your continued prayers and for remaining on the “Miracle Express” as God’s miracle continues to unfold.
Let’s all do our part to make sure Tullier knows how much he’s loved. Every card the Tulliers receive, they read it to him and keep it forever so let’s inundate them with cards.
Address to mail them to:
P.O. Box 938
Denham Springs, LA 70727
Want to get your own t-shirts, bracelets or decals to support Nick? Send a message to the Nick Tullier FB Page here
Want to donate to Tullier? Click here for Nick Tullier’s GoFundMe
Leave a Reply