This is my first time trying an updo look with any of my wigs. I don't even know if I picked the right flair tbh. What can I do to improve the look? I know I need to fix the back, but I ran out if time and just went with it. All of my wigs are lace front synthetic and I’m still getting used to glueing and melting spray. Thank you in advance!
Today officially marks two weeks since Dominic’s accident on May 30 in Austin.
Two very long and hard weeks.
I still do not think there are words strong enough to explain what these two weeks have felt like. It has been trauma, fear, shock, heartbreak, impossible decisions, and trying to keep breathing while being told things no mother should ever have to hear. Oh and crying...lots and lots of crying.
When we were flying to Texas, we were told Dominic may not even make it through the night before our plane landed. We got there and the Dr's basically were telling us to say goodbye until I pushed for the next steps. Actions were then taken and a surgery happened within an hour of our arrival.
Then we were told he likely wouldn't make it through the next 24 to 48 hours and I was asked to sign a do not resuscitate.
After that, we were told that if he did make it past those first days, they was still an 85% change be wouldn't make it next 7 to 10 days.
At one point, I was told Dominic had about a 1% chance.
Literally 1%
A 1% chance of ever having any kind of recovery.
That is something I will never forget. 💔
In the beginning, it felt like the conversation was not about how to help Dominic fight. It felt like the conversation was about preparing us to let him go. I felt like I was being asked to make decisions about ending care before we even had all of the information. Before we had the MRI. Before we had time to see what Dominic’s body and brain were actually going to do.
And I could not accept that.
I am his mother. I KNOW MY SON!! I know his strength. I know his will. I know how hard he fights when he is able to fight. I knew I could not make a decision like that based only on the worst possible picture in the first few days of a catastrophic injury.
Dominic has a lot of injuries. Lots of brain injuries. 13 fractures between his face and spine. A broken leg. A trach. A feeding tube. So many things that I still cannot believe I am even typing.
But Dominic is still here!!!
Once we got through those first several critical days, we made the decision to move forward with the tracheostomy, the feeding tube, and surgery to repair his right leg with a metal rod. Those were not small decisions. They were terrifying decisions. Terrifying because it's so dangerous to put somebody in his condition under anesthesia.. But they were steps forward. They were steps toward giving his body the support it needed so his brain could have time.
These two weeks have been full of ups and downs. He has had neuro storming, fevers, seizures, high blood pressure, medication changes, ventilator trials, hard days, scary moments, and more uncertainty than I can explain.
We were not able to get the MRI until several days in because it was too dangerous to lay him down for an MRI, and that MRI gave us more information about the extent of his brain injury. We had family meetings. We got a second opinion. The second opinion agreed that his injuries were extremely severe
But I also started doing my own research. I started looking at what the doctors were saying, what the imaging showed, what Dominic was doing, and what current research says about brain injury recovery. Not just older statistics. Not just broad numbers based on every age, every injury, and every situation. There's new technology, there's new studies. There's better rehab facilities. The unfavorable outcome happens to older, sicker, and unfortunately the ones who don't have the opportunity to receive the same care level and support Dominic will be and is currently recieving (and maybe they don't have a psycho Mom, that doesn't take no for an answer either 😊)
Dominic is 23 years old. He is young. He was healthy. He was/ is strong. He took care of his body. He has always cared about his health. He has always been the kid who would take his fish oil and multivitamins. He did not drink soda. He did not eat sugar. He cared about what oils he ate, what foods he put into his body, and how strong he could make himself. I noticed he had all his pill dividers made up for this trip, he had his magnesium glycinate, fish oils, choline, vit d, etc.
Over the last few months, he was even more focused on his health. He bought a Ninja Creami to make higher calorie smoothies. He was focused on eating enough calories, getting enough protein, working out, building muscle, and doing all the things to make his body strong. People at work would even ask him why he took so many vitamins 😅.
It feels like Dominic was preparing for a fight he did not know was coming.💪
And in a strange way, I feel like I was being prepared too.
This past year, I felt very driven to study Dominic’s genetics. I spent so much time learning about how his body works. I did not know why I felt so pulled to do that at the time, but now I believe that knowledge may help me advocate for him and support his healing in ways I would not have known otherwise. I know he doesnt detox certain medications. I know he has a choline pathway impairment. I know exactly every deficiency that will optimize his recovery.
I do not believe that is random.
Right now, Dominic is in what is called a severe disorder of consciousness. He is not in a medically induced coma. He is not awake and aware in the way we desperately want him to be yet. He is not talking. He is not following commands. He is not eating food. He is still very, very injured.
But he is also not doing nothing.
He has gag and cough reflexes. He opens his eye. He moves his head back and forth. He extends his arms and legs. He has started making swallowing motions. He moves his jaw in a sucking motion. He reacts when things happen around his face. He has continued to show small changes as the days go on.
And in this stage, those small things matter.
One of the biggest concerns from the beginning was his brainstem and whether he could breathe. Meeting the EMTs gave me a piece of comfort I will never forget. Dominic never stopped breathing. Even at the scene, even with everything his body had been through, he was breathing.
Since then, he has continued to breathe over the ventilator. Now they are doing periods of time where he is not needing the ventilator to do the work for him. He is still not fully off the ventilator, but those trials are progress.
When people ask, “How is Dominic doing?” it is hard to answer.
Because the honest answer is complicated.
He is still unconscious. He is still severely injured. He still has a long, long road ahead. But he is also still here. He is breathing. He is healing in small ways. He is showing us little pieces of progress that may not sound big to someone else, but they are huge to us.
A swallow matters.
A breath matters.
An eye opening matters.
Every coordinated blink matters.
A little more movement matters.
Tolerating more time upright matters.
Getting through another day matters.
Someone gave me an analogy about brain injury that has really stayed with me.
Imagine you are driving on an interstate and suddenly there is a major roadblock. The road you normally take is closed. At first, everything stops. You are stuck. You do not have a clear map. You do not know exactly how you are going to get where you need to go.
But then you start looking for another way.
Maybe you take an exit. Maybe the road is unpaved. Maybe it is slow and confusing at first. Maybe you make wrong turns. Maybe it takes much longer than it should.
But eventually, as that same route gets used over and over, the road starts to become more clear. It becomes more traveled. More packed down. More widened. More familiar. Eventually, what was once a rough and confusing path becomes a road that can actually get you where you need to go.
That is how I am choosing to look at Dominic’s brain right now.
There are roads that were damaged. There are paths that are blocked. But the brain can also try to find new routes. It does not happen overnight. It takes time, repetition, therapy, stimulation, healing, and support.
Dominic is going to have to build new roads.
And we are going to help him do that.
Our plan, as long as everything continues to go safely, is to medically transport Dominic by air ambulance to Nebraska next week so he can be closer to home and begin the next phase of care. The first goals will be to continue safely weaning him from the ventilator, support his brain and body, and begin the process of helping him emerge into a more conscious state.
After that, we will continue looking at every option available to give Dominic the best chance possible. That may include advanced brain injury programs out of state and nationally recognized rehabilitation options with the most current therapies, technology, and intensive treatment available.
We know this is not going to be quick. We are looking at months and months, not days and weeks. We are hoping that in six months to a year, Dominic can be back home in some way, but we also know there is a long road between here and there.
We joke that Dominic is like Humpty Dumpty 🥚 right now, and we are slowly piecing him back together.
Of course we are devastated. Of course we wish this never happened. Of course we would give anything to go back to life before this accident. Of course im still crying every day. I still am sad. I still have anxiety.
But we are also thankful.
We are thankful he is still here. We are thankful he is still breathing. We are thankful his body is still fighting. We are thankful we still get to love him, talk to him, pray over him, and fight for him.
I believe I was meant to be Dominic’s mother. I believe I was meant to fight for him. I believe he was given the strength to fight this. I believe our prayers are being heard.
His family is fighting for him.
His friends are fighting for him.
His Air Force family is fighting for him.
His firefighter family is fighting for him.
People all over the world are praying for him.
They gave us almost no hope in the beginning. They gave us 1%.
But Dominic is still here. He is meant to be here. He has a purpose. Everyone who has crossed paths with him, knew he was and is special and that is evident with all the messages of every single person throughout his life that he has touched.
And as long as Dominic is fighting, I will fight with him.
❤️🤍💙 #pray4Dom
For all of you amazing Redditors who have been bumping my original post. Here is an update from his mom.
One week update from Dominic Dubas accident which happened on May 30, 2026-
I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the prayers, messages, shares, offers to help, calls, and every single way you have shown up for Dominic and our family.
The amount of love surrounding him has been overwhelming. People from every part of Dominic’s life have reached out including childhood friends, neighbors, elementary, middle and high school friends, basic training friends, firefighter friends, military friends, his chaplain, his barber, coaches, umpire friends and coworkers, the kids he umpired for, his EMT family and friends, the Austin community, Anchorage Community, and even complete strangers. It has reminded us how many lives Dominic has touched, and I love hearing all the special stories and what Dominic means to each of you.
I know so many people are asking how he is doing, and I wish there was an easy update to give. Dominic is still here, and he is still fighting, but his condition is extremely serious. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury along with multiple other injuries, and we are taking things hour by hour and day by day.
We are holding onto every bit of hope we can, while also understanding how critical and fragile everything still is. More than anything, we are asking everyone to please keep praying. Please pray for Dominic’s brain, his body, his healing, his strength, and for the doctors, nurses, and everyone caring for him. We truly need those prayers right now.
I also want to ask for prayers for his younger brother, Brandon. He has been so strong and has helped me so much through all of this, but he is hurting too. He carries a lot quietly, and I just ask that people keep him in their prayers as well.
Please also pray for Sullivan, who was with Dominic that night and stayed by his side for 12 hours before we were able to get there. I know this has been incredibly heavy on him too, and we are so grateful that Dominic was not alone.
Thank you to everyone who continues to message me and send prayers. We read them, we feel them, and they mean more than you know. Thank you for loving Dominic and for continuing to surround him, Brandon, Sullivan, and our family with prayers, hope, and support.
I am posting this for a friend who’s son was hit.
— Please Help Us Find the Driver Who Hit My Son
My family is asking for help from anyone who may have information about a hit-and-run involving my son, Dominic Dubas.
Dominic was visiting Austin, on vacation from Alaska and is active duty Airforce firefighter. Staying at 6812 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78745. On Saturday, May 30th, close to 10:00 p.m., he was struck by a vehicle in the nearby area of Clear Day Dr / Clearday Dr and South Congress Ave.
From what we currently understand, Dominic was walking on or near the sidewalk when he was hit. The driver left the scene.
A passerby later noticed Dominic on or near the sidewalk and called police, initially believing there was someone sleeping there. When officers arrived, they realized he had been struck by a vehicle and called paramedics.
Based on what we know right now, Dominic may have been there for approximately 30 to 40 minutes before he was found and transported to the hospital.
Dominic suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, brain hemorrhaging, skull fracture, facial fractures, spinal fractures, and a leg fracture. He is still fighting.
We are asking anyone who lives, works, drives, delivers, walks, or has cameras in the area of 6812 South Congress Avenue, Clear Day Dr / Clearday Dr, and South Congress Ave to please check any footage from approximately 9:50 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. that night.
This includes doorbell cameras, security cameras, dash cams, rideshare footage, delivery footage, apartment cameras, or business surveillance.
We are offering a $5,000 reward for credible information that helps identify the driver or vehicle involved.
Please contact:
Detective Cole: 512-974-5369
APD Case #: 261501568
Austin Police Department: 512-974-5000 or 512-974-5900
Victim: Dominic Dubas
Location: Clear Day Dr / Clearday Dr and South Congress Ave area, near 6812 South Congress Avenue
Even the smallest detail may matter , a damaged vehicle, a loud noise, camera footage, someone acting suspicious, or anything unusual in that area that night.
Please share this with anyone who may live, work, drive, deliver, or have cameras near this area. We are devastated, and we are trying to find the person who did this and bring them to justice.
Are these chips new? I haven't noticed them before and thought I would try them. They are definitely my new favorite tortilla chips! Has anyone else tried them?