Mormon missionary hurt in Brussels bombing back home; senior missionary's recovery is going slowly

Discharged • Joseph Dresden Empey has left U. of U. hospital.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"We are so excited about how our sons are doing," said Amber Empey. "But along with that comes a lot of sadness--there were a lot of parents who did not receive a positive phone call." University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Amber Empey gives a hug and a kiss to her husband Court Empey during the media press conference. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Kymberly Wells looks to her husband as he speaks to members of the media. Mason Wells had a ruptured Achilles tendon and a broken left heel. He needed a skin graft for missing skin on that foot. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"We're just focused on giving him complete love and support," said Court Empey and his wife Amber of their son's healing and recovery. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"They are young healthy boys," Amber Empey said, next to her husband Court Empey. "Thank goodness their bodies are healing fast."
University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"They are young healthy boys," Amber Empey said, next to her husband Court Empey. "Thank goodness their bodies are healing fast."University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"If I had one thing to say to other parents it is, 'Take courage. Don't be afraid. We're not worried,'" said Chad Wells, joined by wife Kymberly, of LDS parents sending their sons and daughters on missions. "Our message today is a message of peace, hope, healing and faith. There are challenges out there, and we can help." University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"With burn injuries, it can often take months and even a year or two of therapy and ongoing care to reach full recovery," said Dr. Stephen Morris. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Both doctors l-r Giavonni Lewis and Stephen Morris said they don't have an estimated time on when Wells and Empey will be released, but that's not unusual for burn victims. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"He's making remarkable progress," said Chad Wells (right) of his son Mason's recovery. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Dr. Giavonni Lewis discusses the recovery of the two missionaries who suffered second and some third degree burns. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

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Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "We are so excited about how our sons are doing," said Amber Empey. "But along with that comes a lot of sadness--there were a lot of parents who did not receive a positive phone call." University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Amber Empey gives a hug and a kiss to her husband Court Empey during the media press conference. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kymberly Wells looks to her husband as he speaks to members of the media. Mason Wells had a ruptured Achilles tendon and a broken left heel. He needed a skin graft for missing skin on that foot. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "We're just focused on giving him complete love and support," said Court Empey and his wife Amber of their son's healing and recovery. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "They are young healthy boys," Amber Empey said, next to her husband Court Empey. "Thank goodness their bodies are healing fast." University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "They are young healthy boys," Amber Empey said, next to her husband Court Empey. "Thank goodness their bodies are healing fast."University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "If I had one thing to say to other parents it is, 'Take courage. Don't be afraid. We're not worried,'" said Chad Wells, joined by wife Kymberly, of LDS parents sending their sons and daughters on missions. "Our message today is a message of peace, hope, healing and faith. There are challenges out there, and we can help." University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "With burn injuries, it can often take months and even a year or two of therapy and ongoing care to reach full recovery," said Dr. Stephen Morris. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Both doctors l-r Giavonni Lewis and Stephen Morris said they don't have an estimated time on when Wells and Empey will be released, but that's not unusual for burn victims. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "He's making remarkable progress," said Chad Wells (right) of his son Mason's recovery. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016, Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Dr. Giavonni Lewis discusses the recovery of the two missionaries who suffered second and some third degree burns. University of Utah burn unit doctors and the parents of Joseph Dresden Empey and Mason Wells, two of the four Mormon missionaries wounded in the March 22 Brussels airport terrorist bombing, held a press conference at the University of Utah hospital, Thursday, March 31, 2016,

By Bob Mims The Salt Lake Tribune

· April 19, 2016 9:17 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Joseph Empey, one of three Utah Mormon missionaries wounded in last month's terrorist bombings in Brussels, has been discharged from the University of Utah Burn Unit.

In a Facebook post Thursday, the 21-year-old's father, Court Empey, confirmed his son had been released Wednesday night and "will now receive outpatient care through Dixie Regional [Medical Center's] wound clinic, home health and physical therapy here in St. George."

The Santa Clara missionary's companion, 19-year-old Mason Wells, of Sandy, remained in the Salt Lake City hospital on Thursday, a spokeswoman said. He is continuing to recover from burns and shrapnel wounds from the bombs that went off at the Belgian capital's airport March 22.

The elder Empey said his son "is still having some pain and is quite tired," but he and his family had been "overwhelmed with the love, kindness and prayers."

A third injured Utah missionary, 66-year-old Richard Norby, of Lehi, remains in a Brussels hospital's intensive-care unit.

"He continues to deal with the serious effects of infection and injury from shrapnel and the progress is slower than we had anticipated," his family said in a statement issued Friday through the LDS Church. "We are very grateful for the thoughts and prayers that continue to come on his behalf. We are looking forward to having him back in the United States for continued care and recovery as soon as possible."

A fourth LDS missionary, 20-year-old Fanny Rachel Clain, from Montelimar, France, also was hurt in the attacks. She was en route to Ohio to serve her mission when the bombing occurred.

Wells and Empey have both been released from their missions, church officials confirm, and Norby soon will be.

Clain will resume her missionary service in the United States when she is "fit enough to do so," according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims