Even during the most epic and happy journeys “life” happens. On September the 26th, the darker side of life happened for my family and I. On an unassuming evening, while my kids were having a blast at an elephant rescue turned gymnastics/ninja warrior studio, I received a call from my brother telling me that my parents had been involved in a single car multi-rollover accident. It was serious. My mom was unconscious and my dad was very shaken and confused. They were both in the ER and tests were being run to check on the extent of their injuries. You will never have a more helpless feeling than being 1000’s of miles away and having no way to help. I couldn’t even get much information from the nurses since everything was happening so quickly. Thank God my brother Pete was in the car and on his way from Chicago to help and be by their side. Details were sketchy, but in an effort to avoid debris in the road the car swerved into the median, caught the soft earth and rolled 3-4 times. And they were in a convertible! The gods must have been smiling on them since the car, after flipping over, landed on it wheels.
My parents are in awesome shape, but they are almost 80 years old. They exercise regularly and eat well. I’m a huge believer that this has led to a great quality of life for both of them. I believe in this even more after the accident, as their recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. Much of this speedy recovery can be attributed to the lifestyle they were living before this happened.
My brother Pete was there first, My oldest brother Andy came a couple days later and I was able to fly back soon after. By the time I came back to see them, they had been moved from ICU to a rehabilitation wing of the hospital. Seeing my mom and dad for the first time after all this happened was gut-wrenching. Even though I knew they were on the road to recovery the visual of the two of them in beds, badly bruised, swollen, stitches and in pain, was too much for me. I cried. (Tears of sorrow that they were in pain and suffering and tears of joy that they were both still alive.) Much hugging and kissing commenced. Over the time I was there I saw them get better and better each hour. I have to give credit to the wonderful nurses, doctors and medical staff at Genesys Regional Medical Center. They gave excellent care to my parents, almost loving care one could call it. They really took the time to work gently with them, reassure them and give them the confidence to recover. I know my brothers and I are forever grateful for the love and care they showed my parents.
Flash forward to October 13th. (Friday the thirteenth to be exact.) 18 days after my parents were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, they were able to walk out the front doors and return home. What a blessed day. They still have quite a road to full recovery. Wounds need to continue to heal, confidence needs to grow and normalcy needs to be found. They are now at the home they’ve lived in for 40+ years. Hearing their voices now that they are home I can tell things will end alright. This whole ordeal has reinforced my belief that you need to seize opportunities presented to you and live life on your own terms every single day. So at the end of this horrible event, we have found a ray of light. Thank you to everyone that sent prayers and love our way. It meant the world to our family and helped us get through this time.
