Trey suffered a set back on Nov. 11th, 2004. He had a Grand Mal seizure and once again had to be life fighting back to ICU in Dallas.  The doctors quickly diagnosed the problem, and Trey was able to return to Odessa after a week.  The seizure took a toll on Treys recovery, but he is fighting even harder to make up lost ground.  Although he is still not walking without assistance he is getting closer everyday.

Trey's Tribute

Each laborious step pierces through his entire soul

The pain in his eyes reflect his determination

The sheer effort for survival is exhausting

But his spirit is strong and prevails

The steps along his new road will be long and hard

Sometimes taking all his strength and endurance

Each new day will present insurmountable challenges

But his limbs and mind will respond to the call

Time will be his constant companion, both friend and foe

It cannot be counted in days or weeks but by achievements

Followed by unspeakable courage and reflection

His ultimate destiny is within him, Guiding him through

The prayers of people are silently recorded

There will be a new song embedded in his heart

A joyous melody of perseverance and power

His tenacity will secure his ultimate success

The Lord leads us in many directions

Sometimes we don't understand why but follow we must

He slept but was touched by God's grace and awoke

His struggle has inspired a multitude

The word impossible is not an option

He will walk the longest mile, step by step

Head held up high, smiling toward the sun

Beating the odds, inspiring the waiting world.

God Bless

Kathleen M. Oko

March 22, 2004

- 2/23/2004

Trey did great following his surgery last Tuesday. All went well, and they had him working out the very next day. It was hard seeing him in that much pain, but he was so brave.

VERY EXCITING NEWS! Today, Trey was surprised at the hospital with a visit from singer JOE NICHOLS. He came and sang Trey's favorite song "The Impossible" with Trey, as well as other songs, and visited with him. Joe is a very caring and loving individual. Trey has repeated all day that he would remember this day forever. The crew from Good Morning America was here as well. What a blessing! Such a caring, wonderful group of people here for Trey. Joe's publicist even made Trey homemade cookies and gave him a kiss (which he loved because she's a beautiful lady)! They will air the piece on Tuesday, March 2nd. We are so grateful to all involved with this, words just aren't adequate enough to convey our gratitude.

Of course, we are very thankful to the many of you who continue to write Trey, and pray for him. God Bless you all!

-2/10/2004

First off, we'd like to apologize for not writing sooner. Things change on a daily basis here. We would like to thank Good Morning America, and their producers for the fabulous job they did on Trey's story. So many wonderful people have contacted us, and we feel so blessed to have thier support and prayers. Trey is truly amazing. He is doing great. Next week he will have to undergo more surgery. They will put a Baclofen "pump" into his stomach, and it will have a tube going to his spinal column. It will continuously pump the Baclofen into his system. The Baclofen will help the muscle tightness and spasms. We are hopeful this will reduce the amount of pain he has to endure during therapy. During the surgery, they will also cut and lengthen both of his achilles tendons. They shrunk while Trey was in the coma. They will also try and stretch out his hands. Please keep up the prayers, as Trey will need them even more next week, especially to help him with the pain. He is a fighter, but he's been through so much, we hate to see him in pain. We thank God for all of you who offer your prayers, support and share your stories with us. God Bless you ALL!

-12/23/03

Trey will be on Good Morning America Friday Morning 1/2/2004, also on Channel 9 evening news Christmas Day 12/25/2003.

TREY HOWELL RETURNED TO ODESSA LAST NIGHT FOR A 10 DAY VISIT. HE LOOKS GREAT AND HE IS RECOGNIZING PEOPLE AND HE CAN TALK QUITE WELL. IT IS A BLESSING FROM GOD. THE MOJO MIRACLE . 
THANK YOU GOD ... AMEN

TREY WILL STILL REQUIRE MANY MORE WEEKS OF THERAPY BUT FROM THE LOOKS OF THINGS AND CONSIDERING THE PROGRESS HE HAS MADE IN RECENT WEEKS, IT LOOKS AS IF HE IS GOING TO MAKE A GREAT RECOVERY. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE PRAYED FOR TREY. WHAT A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR THE HOWELL FAMILY AND THE PERMIAN PANTHERS.

-12/22/03

INJURED YOUTH CAN GO HOME - Dallas Morning News 12/23/2003
Becky Howell can't forget the yellow Post-It note listing her son's injuries.
The bleeding behind Trey Howell's spleen, his punctured lungs, and the brain trauma that would leave him in a comatose state for five months.
She wasn't sure then - when Trey's doctor handed her the note and read off injury upon injury minutes after Trey was involved in a July 7 truck accident - whether he would make it to Christmas.
Now he's headed home.
Trey, a 17 year-old who played football at Odessa Permian High School, was released Monday from Zale Lipshy University Hospital at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas to return to Odessa for the holidays.  He'll spend 10 days there before returning to Zale Lipshy to continue treatment.
"It's incredible," Mrs Howell said.  "Everyday he wakes up, it's like Christmas, and this is just like double Christmas"
"We just learn to embrace every day, because at least he was here.  And now to get all of this is just a miracle"
The circumstances surrounding Trey's accident remain a mystery, but he suffered life-threatening injuries when his truck rolled while he ran errands for work between Odessa and Midland.
Doctors weren't sure whether Trey would survive emergency surgery immediately after the accident.
"When we got to the hospital, we went 20 minutes until we knew he was even alive," Mrs. Howell said.
Trey lapsed into a coma but began to respond to stimuli in September.  Four weeks ago, he started following commands.  And Monday he surprised his family by speaking for the first time since the accident, saying "hi"
Trey can talk in two-word sentences but can't hold a conversation.  He can walk with assistance, but his limbs are weak.
Dr. Karen Kowalske, chairwoman and associate professor of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said Trey would spend at least four more weeks at Zale Lipshy.  He will then be transferred to a rehabilitation center, where he is expected to stay for four to six months.

-12/15/03

The family of Billy “Trey” Howell III has planned an Odessa Christmas celebration with Trey as the guest of honor.
Trey, who was comatose for nearly five months after a July 7 one-vehicle rollover between Odessa and Midland, is still listed in stable condition at Zale Lipshy University Hospital in Dallas.
Trey, a 17-year-old Permian High School football player, is set to come home early next week, and is allowed a “10-day pass” to spend the holidays with his family before he returns to the Dallas hospital for rehabilitation.
“You can just imagine how great Christmas is for us,” said Sherri Dugan, Trey’s aunt.
“We’re still so grateful to the community for their prayers, and it’s proof (they work) through Trey,” she added.
Dugan said Trey progresses more and more every day. On Monday, he said his first words since the accident.
“Becky came in and said ‘Hi, Trey,’ and he said ‘Hi,’ ” Dugan said.
And Tuesday, Dugan was able to hear Trey’s voice on the telephone.
“He counted to 10 for me,” Dugan said. “I said ‘I love you,’ and he said ‘Love you.’ ”
Dugan said Trey is not holding a conversation, but he is mimicking words he hears.
“I didn’t know if we’d ever hear him speak again ever,” Dugan said. “It’s incredible. You talk about prayers being answered.”
Becky Howell, Trey’s mother, expressed her gratitude on the Web site dedicated to her son.
“We are just blown away, and so are the doctors,” she wrote. “…He is saying ‘hi,’ ‘mom,’ ‘dad,’ ‘bye,’ ‘bif’ (a nickname for his sister), and ‘Mike’ (one of his therapists). What a miracle! He is so amazing.”
Dugan said it’s a wonderful gift that Trey’s doing better and able to come home for the holidays.
“It’s like Christmas come early for us; we’re on cloud nine,” she said.
After Trey’s accident July 7, he spent 2 weeks at Midland Memorial Hospital in a coma before he was transferred to Dallas. There, he continuously improved, and he began to respond to stimuli in late September.
“He’s not on any machines,” Dugan said. “He’s not on anything. He’s fighting to take steps. He can eat, chew, swallow — everything. He can’t feed himself, but otherwise, he’s completely on his own. He’s smiling.”
And she said she believes Trey will continue to improve.
“Everything’s day by day for us,” Dugan said. “He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s still here — and he’s fighting to come back.”

-12/15/03

Although it’s only been a few days since the last update, we have more exciting news to report. Trey started talking today!!!! (December 15th). We are just blown away, and so are the doctors. He was working with his therapists, and they told him to say "Hi" and he did! In a matter of a few hours he is saying hi, mom, dad, bye, bif (a nickname for his sister), and Mike (one of his therapists). What a miracle. He is so amazing. His dad even taught him to blow kisses. What a cutie. We are in Heaven.

God Bless,
Billy, Becky, Brittany and Trey Howell

-12/13/03

We have such exciting news! Yesterday, after eating 3 bean and cheese burritos from Rosas (Treys favorite! Brought to him by Joy Chappell, a very good friend of ours) 1/2 a cheeseburger, French fries, and soup, Trey smiled! It was a sight to behold. Even more precious, he smiled at one of his ICU nurses, Rose, who looked after him when he was at his sickest. It was just amazing, and of course I cried like a baby. Christmas has come early for us. In addition to that, he has gained another five pounds! We are so blessed. May God bless you all as much as he has us.

Merry Christmas!
Billy, Becky, Brittany and Trey Howell

-12/8/03

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We certainly did. We are thrilled to let you know that your calories found their way to Trey. He has gained 11 pounds! He is doing so well. Everyday he does something new. He is so amazing. The entire staff here treats Trey like a king. They are so wonderful to our family. We got some incredible news last week. We are getting a 10-day pass for Christmas! Trey will get to spend Christmas at home. What a blessing! Christmas came early for us! Your love, support and concern for Trey is amazing. Thank you very much.

-11/20/03

Trey is still amazing us by the things he can do. He is still having trouble gaining weight, but the doctors and nutritionist are working to solve the problem. Today they put a "veil" around his bed. This will keep him from hitting his head and legs against the bed rails. He is really moving around. It's exciting to see the movement, but a bit sad to see the veil around his bed.

We can't emphasize enough how much the love, concern and prayers in your posts mean to us. We are so completely blessed to have the love and support of so many special people like you. This is going to be a very long process, and the encouragement we get from this web site is so dear to us. Please keep the prayers coming! When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, say a little prayer to send Trey all the calories!

-11/11/03

Trey was voted MOST HANDSOME at school for the class favorites this year.

-11/11/03

My name is Sherri Dugan and I am Trey's aunt. My family is so thankful for all your faithful prayers and continued support. We are asking everyone to please keep this website for your get-well wishes and payers only. Please understand that we will be giving Trey all his messages one day and we want him to see all the love everyone has for him. We look forward to hearing from each and everyone of you through this website and we feel so blessed to know of your love for Trey. Again, we want to thank everyone for all their prayers and love for Trey and our family.

Love, Sherri

-11/05/03

Monday, November 3rd, they removed Trey's tracheaostomy. He is breathing great without it, and as soon as it heals he should be able to make sounds, and eventually form words. He is doing great swallowing. So far we have fed him bean dip (he loves it), ice cream, soups, applesauce and of course pudding. He isn't gaining weight like we need him to, but are hopeful that will change soon. If he's anything like me (his mom), that won't be a problem! Especially since a Doctor told his dad McDonalds milkshakes are 600 calories, he makes a point to walk and get Trey one everyday.

Trey's physical, occupational, recreational and speech therapies keep him very busy (six hours a day)! Trey works very hard, he is so inspirational. The therapists continue to be amazed by his progress and his fighting spirit.

As always we thank you all so much for your prayers. They are working miracles. His legs appear to be healing on their own, and the Doctors are VERY pleased. We encourage you all to PLEASE keep your prayers coming. Now is the time, since Trey is becoming aware of his environment. Your prayers will mean very much to him.
God Bless you all.

Love,
Billy, Becky and Brittany

We appreciate your prayers. Please keep praying for trey.