Upside Down

Have you ever had something happen in your life that turned everything upside down?

I had not... until recently.

I've decided to share our story with you.  It's taken me a few weeks to muster up the courage to write about it.  But I need to.

Monday, October 3, 2011, started out as a normal day for us.  A perfect one.  It was Jason's day off.  We spent the morning around the house, buying groceries, playing with Daddy, all that fun stuff.  Around lunchtime, we decided to make a run to a nearby town to grab something to eat and run in Wal-Mart for Jason to buy a hunting stand.  Like I said, normal.  So far.

We really needed to hurry home, b/c he was meeting a friend to head to the woods.  But we decided to make a stop in a little neighborhood where a house was being built.  Jason's cousin works for the builder (whom we are also friends with) and Jason had recently talked to him about this particular house.  It was destroyed in the April 27th tornadoes that ripped through Cordova, AL.  

We will (hopefully) be in the market to build a home in the next year or so, so we are already thinking about floor plans and such.  So we made our way to the home, where 2 men were there working.  It was a lovely home... the little bit I saw... and from what I remember.  

All of the sheet rock was up, the windows were in (but UP) and it was coming along nicely.  We walked straight in the house and into the back bedroom, which overlooked the basement area of the home.  It would be a child's room.  We had been in the house a total of MAYBE 2 minutes.  We were trying to decide if the room was too small.  I turned my back for one second.  I heard Jase say, "Look, Mommy!" as he walked toward the open window.  As I turned around, all I saw were feet and all I heard were screams.... screams from Jason AND from Jase.  It was like a movie in slow motion.  

Those next few seconds were the worst seconds of my entire life.  Wondering what I was going to see when I reached the window.  Jase was lying on the ground below, face down.  He had fallen about 15 feet.  I remember Jason yelling.  Jase wasn't moving or making noise.  

As I ran for the front door, screaming for help, one of the workers (who must have witnessed the whole thing from the next room) beat me outside, running at full speed with his cell phone in his hand.  I don't think I've run that fast EVER in my life.  Especially not pregnant.  But to be honest, the baby in my belly was the LEAST of my concern at that point.  For a moment, I forgot I was pregnant.  All that mattered was getting to Jase.

As I was running, I heard Jase screaming.  A scream I have never heard in my life.  A scream I will never forget.  As I got to the basement area, I rounded the corner and realized that Jason was holding him.  But he never passed me coming out of the house.  That's when I realized that he had JUMPED out of the window to get to Jase.  I think my heart stopped for a second or two.  Jase was screaming, uncontrollably, bleeding from his mouth and nose area, which had already begun swelling.  His left eye was red and swollen to the point he couldn't open it.

The worker had already called 911.  However, none of us knew the address of the home.  Cordova is a VERY small town.  We just happened to be one block away from the fire department.  However, this fire department was also blown away in the tornado.  All that remained was an empty parking lot full of firetrucks.  

Jason handed Jase to me and we headed for our car.  At this point I noticed Jason was limping, but I didn't have time to ask if he was okay.  We drove to the fire department, and sat in the parking lot until the volunteer firemen could get to us.  Jason says it seemed like an eternity waiting on them.  But I know they were there very quickly.  I sat in the passenger seat holding Jase, talking to him, trying to calm him down.  Trying to determine if any of his little bones were broken.  Hoping and praying that his precious little body could withstand that fall, but knowing in my heart that something had to be wrong... something internally, that we couldn't see.  

He kept telling me he wanted to get in his car seat and go home.  That made me feel a little better.  At least he was coherent and talking... normally.  However, I was also worried about my husband.  As soon as he stepped out of the car at the fire station, he almost collapsed.  He feared that his leg was broken from the jump.  On top of that, he was pacing, crying, beating himself up... everything you would do as a parent when your child has just been hurt.  HOW COULD WE LET THIS HAPPEN???  

All we could do was pray.  And we never stopped.  I overheard someone later  (I think it was a paramedic) saying that when they arrived to the scene, we were praying.  That's all we knew to do.

As soon as the EMTs and paramedics got there, they began to check him out.  Of course, the one thing you worry about most in a fall is a head or spine injury.  He appeared to be okay, but you just never know.  Better safe than sorry.  They strapped him to a little stretcher and placed a neck brace on him.  I was standing over him the whole time, trying to keep him calm.  He shocked me.  He was so perfectly calm and doing exactly what they asked of him.  I freaked out a little when I heard them having a discussion about whether to airlift him or go by ambulance.  Normally, they would airlift a child in this situation.  But since he was alert and nothing seemed broken, they decided on an ambulance.  

I have only been in an ambulance once in my life, and I was about 7.  I don't remember much about that experience.  But I do remember how nice and cooperative the EMTs were.  And they were no different this time.  The lady in the back with us was so nice to Jase (and me).  She prepared me for the worst, but assured me that everything she could check seemed to be okay and she really felt that he was going to be just fine.  I never knew it was possible to get to Birmingham from Cordova as fast as we did.  

The EMT had prepared me for what would happen when we arrived at Children's Hospital.  They were going to take Jase straight to the trama unit.... and we were not allowed in with him.  It all happened so fast that I never got to see him once we exited the ambulance.  We were escorted to the trauma waiting area, a little room, where several of our family members and friends were waiting.  I immediately lost it.  Up until that point, I don't think I had shed a tear.  I was trying to be so strong for Jase and Jason.  But I couldn't do it any longer.  Thankfully, no one expected me to be strong.

We stayed in that room while they x-rayed Jase.  After a while (I'm not sure how long it was) they came and got Jason and me to see him.  They still had him strapped down and braced and were going to take him to have a CT scan to check for internal injuries.  A team of doctors (probably 10 or so) were all standing around his bed.  One in particular calmed our fears immediately.  No broken bones.  And on top of that, they said Jase was such a big boy.  He was so calm.  He followed all of their directions.  He was the perfect little patient, despite what he had just been through.  

We were only allowed to see him for a second.  The next time we would be with him would be in the Special Care Unit, a step down from Intensive Care.  It was probably an hour or so later that we were able to see him.  He was lying flat on his back, his neck still braced, and watching SpongeBob on the television above him.  He was right outside the nurses desk.  In the Special Care Unit, there are several beds lined up along the wall in one big room.  We were able to stay with him for most hours of the day.  2 hours at a time, twice a day, during shift change, we had to leave.  That was hard.  But he never once cried.  He made great friends with the nurses and they took exceptional care of him.

We finally got word a few hours later that the CT scan was perfectly normal.  He was allowed to take his neck brace off.  He also REFUSED to use the bathroom in a diaper.  Since he had not been to the bathroom in probably 6 hours, he was allowed to get up and use the potty.  For 24 hours, he stayed in that bed, watching television and playing with all of the gifts that people had brought for him.  He was spoiled rotten.  But this was one time when it was perfectly okay.

As so many doctors and nurses told us, this was a miracle.  But there was no need to tell us twice.  We KNEW that the Lord had his hand on Jase.

But even then, it was difficult to wrap my mind around what had happened.  As I sat beside him that night, watching him sleep, all I could see was him falling.  Even though I didn't see him actually hit the ground, the Devil made me envision what it had looked like.  It was impossible for me to remove those images from my head.  I have only heard God's voice a few times in my life.  But it's the most calming voice you'll ever hear.  Early that morning, as I prayed and cried, picturing my baby hitting the ground, the Lord said, "Carolyn, you do NOT need to worry about that.  I was there.  I reached out my hand and I placed him right where he was supposed to be."  Immediately, I felt peace.  I now see that image... one of hope.  My Savior holding my precious baby in his right hand.  I truly believe (and absolutely nothing else could explain this miracle) that He was there.  His angels were encamped around Jase.  He never left his side.  He knew as soon as we walked into that house, that we would need Him.  And He was there.

We arrived home a day after the accident with a few scratches and bruises.  That was it.

Jase was a little sore, but he was so glad to be home.  He went right back to racing his trucks down the hallway and through the den.  As if nothing ever happened.

Jason's cousin went back to the house that evening to take a picture.  When I saw it, I was taken back to that hospital room where I heard His sweet voice.  

He placed Jase right where he was supposed to be - in the dirt.

Jason's leg ended up okay.  After a trip to the Emergency Room that same night and a follow up with an orthopedist the next day, luckily it was just some stretched ligaments around the knee and in the hip.  Something he'll deal with for a while, but it could've been so much worse.  He was very blessed.  

It took me a long time... probably a few weeks... to get over this accident.  The Devil would try to torture me.  He would haunt my mind with images of that day.  But I gave them over to my God.  He is the Peace Speaker.  And He has given me peace.

Finally, our lives have returned to normal.  Originally, I thought we'd just lock ourselves inside and steer clear from harm and danger.  But I was reminded again.... He never leaves my side.  When I need Him, He's there.  

Within just a few days, and I mean like 3, Jase's scratches and cuts were healed.  If you didn't already know about the accident, it would be hard to tell that ANYTHING had happened.  Amazing.

I'm beyond thankful for so many people... friends, family, church members, nurses, doctors, paramedics, people I've never even met before on Facebook, who were praying for Jase and our family.  I never would have made it through this experience without them and my wonderful Savior.  I will forever be grateful.

As we look back, there are so many things we did wrong.  So many things that could have happened.  It's always easy to look at someone else's situation and think rationally.  But when it involves your child, rationality is the last thing on your mind.  There's only one explanation for our miracle.

He was a constant reminder to me in the days after the accident... every time I turned around, He reassured me that He is in control.  He'll never leave my side. 

As we drove home from the hospital, this is the first song we heard on the radio.

Jason just looked at me and smiled.  I needed that.

When we arrived home, hanging on the outside of my jewelry box was a necklace that I made about a year ago.  I never really wore it much.  But I wore it everyday after the accident.  It's an angel wing.  A constant reminder.

Jase didn't talk much about the accident for several days.  We just figured he didn't remember much that had happened.  That was fine with me.  But one thing he did remember.  His Daddy asked him who got to him first when he fell, thinking he would say, "You did, Daddy."  Instead, his reply was, "the Angels did, Daddy.  They told me I was going to be okay."  

THEY TOLD HIM he was going to be okay.  wow.

Psalm 91:11-12

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.