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.