Continuation of Saga

Sharon remained in a coma for about 6 weeks. She was moved from phase one about 10 days after the accident to phase 2. There was absolutely no deliberate response from Sharon to any of our conversation or probing questions. Her eyes were open and she just stared blankly. She never followed any of our movements around the room. Hospital personnel removed the intubation and inserted a trach into her neck. The nurse would come in frequently to suction and it was disturbing to all when they did this. As time went by Sharon continued to fight for her life. Every visit we made we did the best we could to stimulate her to respond. We brought her favorite music (John Denver tapes; Country Home) to play for her and Jim would read scripture to her and explain that God was there and to not be afraid. He took the 23rd. Psalm and explained to Sharon that God was causing her to rest in green pastures. The definition of being in a coma per the hospital was that the patient didn't respond to verbal commands. So far, this was Sharon's condition. After another week or so they moved her to stage 3. This time she was in a room with another patient. I was pretty shocked when I walked into the room that evening after they had moved her to discover that her roomate was a gentleman who was in a sledding accident. Evidently, this was not an issue with the hospital as both Sharon & this man had been severely injured. Charlie Burhman was quite a character. He had facial nerve damage. Jim being the outgoing person that he is went over to his bed to introduce himself. Charlie was propped up with his eyes closed. Jim didn't know what his condition was so he just said hello, I'm Sharon's father, "Charlie lifted his left hand to his forhead and with 2 fingers pulled up his eyelids and then extending his right hand said "glad to meet you, I'm Charlie Burhman". It was in this room that the nurses began sitting Sharon up in a chair. It was like an adult high chair. They would put blocks and rings on the tray to stimulate her mind to respond to verbal commands. So far nothing! One evening while we were there, Charlie had a birthday and birthday cake was being passed around. I had a piece of his cake with yummy icing. As I was sitting next to Sharon getting ready to eat my cake, all of the sudden Sharon reached over and grabbed my cake and started to eat it. I cannot begin to tell you what a thrill that was! I yelled for the nurses to come quickly! They were obviously overjoyed and began the process of removing her trach. It was in this third phase of shock trauma that Sharon slowing began to emerge out of the coma. It was 6 weeks after the accident that the hospital announced that she was being moved to the Walter P. Carter rehabilitation center across the street. Each new change in Sharon's care brought new anxieties to my heart. Questions about the quality of her care constantly plagued me. Sharon was no longer in an acute situation and didn't need the kind of care she had been receiving in Shock Trauma. She needed round the clock nursing care and at the center she began to be integrated into a more normal social experience. It wasn't the most inviting environment to be in but it was where she needed to be at that time. Sharon had a private room and outside this room there was a hallway and across the hallway there was a large room where they would take her for PT, OT and to spend time outside her room. This place unnerved me to some extent as there were all kinds of people there from a toddler who was standing in water in the basement in her house and experienced a severe electrical shock that had caused her brain damage to a young man who was blind and retarded. There were others there but these were the 2 that stand out in my mind. It was there at the WPC center that Sharon began to improve. (to be continued)

The Saga Continues II

On Tuesday morning Feb. 5, 1980 we woke early and called the hospital to see how Sharon was doing. We had not received a call during the night and this encouraged us to know that our daughter was still alive. However, when we reached the nurse's station they told us she was still in critical condition and not to get our hopes up. Jim had to go to work so I was home alone with our youngest child. I prayed desperately during that time of uncertainty. I remember going into Sharon's room and seeing all of her things. Her dresser with her hairdryer laying there, her brush and various little knick knacks and the tall mirror she would use. I pictured her standing there drying her hair. I fell across her bed and cried. How could it be that just 24 hrs ago she was getting ready for school and so alive and healthy? Oh, God had so much to teach me. Looking back, He cut me gently even though He used my daughter to get through to me. In just a couple of hours I would see God work in a very practical way to let me know that He was with me and aware of the situation with Sharon. After feeding Ben and eating a little something myself, there came a knock at the front door. Two women from my church showed up. Virginia Hart and Judy Haynes came to comfort and console me. They told me to take it easy. They went about cleaning up the kitchen from the night before. The chicken was still in the oven and there were dishes everywhere from my previous preparations for dinner. When we left for the hospital I just turned the oven off and left everything. Virginia started in the kitchen and Judy went into the bathroom. Then they made beds and tidied up everything. I went downstairs to a small office/sewing room that we had and sat there in wonder and cried. God was revealing Himself to me in the care of these women. He knew I needed them (actually it was Him that I needed and He showed up in the presence of these ladies.) Tuesday was the day I normally went to my weekly Bible study so Judy and Virginia both encouraged me to go. Judy went along with me and it was good to be around the other women and share what had happened and what the latest news was about Sharon. The word had gotten around and so many were praying. I later found out that during the actual accident the traffic on Ritchie Hwy was backed up in both directions and a number of people I knew were praying for whoever was in that accident. People were in a restaurant and came out to see what had happened and they started praying. Many kids from Young Life were praying and our brothers and sisters in Christ who had heard the news were praying. Virginia also told me the African children's choir who were visiting Faith church were also praying for Sharon. Lots of voices were being lifted up on her behalf. Our daughter Kellee was away at college and when her professors heard what had happened to her sister they prayed also. Another miraculous provision from the Lord was the man who first responded to Sharon laying in the middle of the highway. His name was John Brandenburg.(He actually was a former ambulance driver.) He saw that Sharon was turning blue and had no pulse. He checked inside her mouth and retrieved a large piece of a pretzel that she had been eating when she was hit. After he pulled it out ( it was lodged in her throat) and gave her mouth to mouth resuscitation he said her pulse came back real strong! Then the paramedics showed up and airlifted her to shock trauma. She was already in a deep coma. I truly believe if John Brandenburg hadn't been there at that time that she would have died or been much worse off. I thought it was a pretty sad testimony from the paramedics when they made little of his efforts. They told us he was pretty excitable and in the way and that he didn't save Sharon's life. God knows who are the real heroes in this case and we believe that Mr. Brandenburg was a heaven sent angel. We still had not been permitted to see our daughter but on the next day we were allowed in the first stage of the trauma unit to see her. She was just a form of the girl whom we loved. Her head was shaved, she was rigid in her form on the bed, her left arm was drawn up next to her chest and her feet and toes were in a pointed position. Her eyes were closed and she made no response to us. She had a cut on the back of her head but otherwise she had no broken bones. ( this was good news because they didn't have to operate to set any fractures and thus cause any more stress on the brain) I will continue the account of this story in my next couple of posts. It happened over 28 years ago, so there is obviously a lifetime of stories to be told but I plan on relating what happened immediately after the accident and how the next few years progressed. So, for today this is enough.

Saga continues

As we drove into Baltimore city we followed the signs to Shock Trauma. Our hearts were beating wildly, not knowing the condition we might find our daughter. We finally arrived at the UMD hospital in Baltimore, a huge teaching institution. Not knowing where to go to find our daughter, we found ourselves in the back of the hospital in what looked liked a loading dock area with a dumpster. We entered through a door and told someone that we were there to see our daughter. Actually, the hospital did not know who Sharon was as she was brought in with no identification. We had to describe her and then we remembered a ring on her finger and that was significant in helping us to identify her. While we waited for the woman to call upstairs to where Shock Trauma was located I noticed the cement walls surrounding us. It looked like a morgue. Eventually they led us to a waiting area where we were able to sit down. It's been over 28 years ago since all this happened so my mind is a little foggy even as it was then. The doctor began to explain to us the kind of injury that Sharon had sustained as being critical. She had a severe closed head injury. The brain had hit against her skull in what they called coup and re-coup. It meant that the brain was severely bruised and was swelling and they needed our permission to relieve the pressure with a type of shunt. They would not allow us to see our daughter at this time and they gave us a number to call to check on her condition. They were not sure she would live through the night. While we were there at the hospital a number of people came, friends to sit with us and console us. I think one of the reasons that they call it Shock Trauma is that the family members are in total shock over what has happened to their loved one. My tears were being held in check, very close to spilling out and my emotions were exploding inside. Why, why, why did this happen to Sharon? She was a happy, young teenage girl with her life before her. She never hurt anyone and certainly because of some learning disabilities had received her share of affliction. She was in a 10th grade special education class in her second semester at Glen Burnie High and per her teacher was doing well and would probably be mainstreamed into regular classes in the near future. A parent feels such loss when their child is struck down and is made to lie in green pastures. The total picture of where she was at this time did not hit me all at once. (thank God for that) We left the hospital and as we travelled out of the inner city my feelings in leaving my daughter there in the big city at the big hospital were overwhelming. I kept looking back and could see the hospital's outline on the cities horizon and I felt such sadness. The Bible says that we do not know what a day may bring forth and that was certainly true here. The night before Sharon's accident, my husband and I had a small argument over something and Sharon had called from her room for us to stop fighting! We lowered our voices and the next morning before she went to school I had a chance to tell her that everything was ok and at times parents argue but they still loved each other. I am so glad I had said that to her or it would have been an added burden on my conscience. We arrived at home and picked up our 5yr. old. I honestly cannot remember what we said to him about what had happened to his sister. My mind has blocked out so much during those initial hours. I do remember sitting in the living room with Fred Kornis a dear friend and evangelist. He shared scripture with us and we prayed together. There came a knock at the door and it was the paramedics. They stopped by to offer their sorrow over our child's accident and to give us Sharon's shoes and a necklace. They told us the impact was so hard she was knocked out of her shoes, which were not flip flops, but brown tie shoes. This knowledge only added to my despair. Now the scripture that Fred shared was this: Psalms 46. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble. therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, though mountains quake at its swelling pride. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. Now here is the part that struck me. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. To my simple way of thinking, I felt hope that God was definitely going to help her early the next morning. We went to bed with anxious hearts only being able to sleep fitfully thinking the phone might ring. We also found out a little later that our former Pastor, Dr. Peper was able to get in to see her and pray for her. This was a blessing to us. (to be continued)