Kaleb Stebens, open option freshman, will be taken off a ventilator on Thursday and possibly have his chest tube removed, said his mother, Stephanie Stebens.

Stebens fell from a third-story window early Sunday morning and suffered a skull fracture, a fracture to a vertebrae in his neck, broken ribs, lumbar fractures and a collapsed lung.

Stebens’ condition hasn’t changed since the accident, but being taken off the ventilator is a sign that he is recovering, Stephanie said. Chest X-rays from Wednesday showed that he would be strong enough to be taken off the ventilator, she said.

“Yes, he is [doing better],” she said. “The doctors said when they take him off, they can get him up and start to practice walking again.”

Because of the chest tube, Stebens has been communicating through writing. However, Stephanie said he hasn’t been communicating as much in the last two days because doctors have had him heavily sedated.

“He slept the most today. They have him sedated so his lungs can get stronger, because of the bruising,” she said. “He’s anxious to get back to school. If they get him up and walking, he could be back in two weeks.”

Jim Robinson, Ames Police commander, said there was no new information available regarding the investigation into why Stebens fell.