Hospitalized Warren Student Is Making 'Great' Progress

WARREN, NJ — John Thomas Torrisi, a beloved third grade student at Woodland Elementary School in Warren, is making great progress since being hospitalized for a brain bleed in February.

"I’m so happy with his progress and to watch him with new things everyday is so amazing," Torrisi's mom Jessica told Patch.

Affectionately called "J.T.," the warmhearted, 8-year-old boy has been in rehab for two weeks and has been cleared for a mechanical soft diet — meaning he can have "a lot of actual real looking food and not a puréed brick of mush."

"We are also on the right path to getting the feeding tube taken out. He is drinking nectar thick liquids and taking all medicine by mouth now. With every meal we work on him feeding himself and holding a spoon or a fork," Jessica said.

J.T. was hospitalized of Feb. 12 after he began complaining of a headache and then vomiting. He was taken to Overlook Emergency Room in Summit where he was found to have bleeding in his brain. (See Related: GoFundMe Created For Warren Student In Critical Condition)

He was transferred to Morristown Memorial's Pediatric ICU for urgent care, where he fell into a coma. It was found that J.T. had also suffered two small strokes. He woke from the coma in March.

As of Wednesday, J.T. has begun standing in physical therapy and is also is working on balance.

He started school on Tuesday and recognizes pictures when shown to him and "colored" a picture of a snail with help.

"He’s smiling a lot. He will respond to yes or no questions by shaking or nodding. He can point to choose when given a choice. He really is doing fantastic. Baby steps every day," J.T.'s mom said.

J.T. will have another angiogram soon that will hopefully figure out the cause of the initial bleed in the brain and how to repair it.

A GoFundMe has been set up in J.T.'s name to offset any medical bills. A total of $30,000 of the $50,000 goal has already been raised. To donate visit gofundme.com/john-thomas-torrisi.

"Thank you everyone for you continued prayers and support. It truly means so much to me and my family," Jessica said.

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