Update -- Monday, Jan. 3, 2005

Friends and Family,
Hope, Bob and Heather have just dropped off David who has a flight at 6:45 p.m. to Bangkok, Thailand. He will be meeting Matthew Sullivan, a good friend of Ben’s from Colorado in Bangkok. Matthew has lived in Thailand and speaks Thai. David and Matthew will be traveling partners and will meet with Steve, an investigator working in Thailand to locate Ben.

Maggie, Libby North’s sister, has sent an update and we want to share some excerpts:

The doctors are still trying to aggressively fight her infection. She is having daily surgery on her wounds and they are pumping her with antibiotics. She feels that she is receiving really good care, which is also reassuring. Because of the infection, we are still unable to know when Libby is able to fly home -- we know that commercial flight is not an option for at least a month, so we would like to get her on a medical air transport as soon as the infection is stable. Her doctor feels that it is best to get her home as soon as possible also, and is working via email and phone to have a medical team at the Cleveland Clinic set up for her before her arrival.

Libby’s spirits are still improving daily, but she continues to be saddened by the news that her friend Ben is still missing. She realizes just how blessed she is to be alive.