A Life Changing Event

I don't want to get too personal, but tonight I might.  Sometimes it helps to just lay it all out there.  My posts may be a little intermittent for a while and I want to explain.  Sunday night late after 11PM I was out walking.  The moon was bright and the stars were twinkling.  It was finally cool enough to just relax.  For over a year, I have made it a goal to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.  By doing that I dropped about 20 pounds and have kept it off.  I feel better.  It is invigorating.  Late Saturday night I was walking and listening to a podcast.

At 11:15 PM an SUV pulled into our driveway - driving way too fast.  I walked up to the vehicle and a woman got out.  I said, "Hey."  She said, "Are you Benjamin Sonnier's dad?"  Time stood still.  "There's been an accident," she said.  I didn't know what to do with myself.  Things went into slow motion.  It is one of those late night calls that every parent hopes they never get.  And here it was.  "He fell from the third floor of a parking garage.  His legs are broken and he is in bad shape, but he is responsive."  I asked her to follow me inside.  (I think.  Everything was real blurry).  I yelled for Tricia.  She came running out of bed.  "What? What?"  I repeated the news.  She cried.  We hugged.  We prayed.

The police called and told us what ER they were transporting Benjamin to.  We jumped in the car and drove the 45 minute drive to Lake Charles, crying and praying in repetitive cycles until we arrived at the hospital.  The medical team was assessing the situation and preparing a transfer to a hospital in Lafayette, LA that had neurosurgical staff on standby.  We drove on to Lafayette, an hour and a half away.  We arrived there and the news once x-rays and MRI's were done told us this:

1. Both lower legs broken - tibia and fibula on both legs, the right one a compound fracture,
2. Skull fracture,
3. Fracture of the lower back, sacrum, pelvic area

Yesterday, he underwent surgery on both legs, placing rods in the bones of both legs.  This morning, he underwent a seven hour spine surgery in which they placed two rods and screws to effectually build scaffolding around his spine to keep the L2 vertebrae from pushing into his spinal cord.  Tomorrow morning he will undergo another surgery to put screws in the pelvic region.  The neurosurgeon told us the spinal surgery went well, but that this is a life-changing event for Benjamin.

The good news:  He is alive!  He has no brain injuries.  He is not paralyzed.  We have a strong support network of family, friends, church members and prayer warriors that surround us with love.

The challenges:  He has a long road of recovery ahead of him.  He is young, though, and in good physical shape.

It is a miracle he is alive.  We grieve, yet at the same time, praise God.  It is one of those times that you wish you could switch places with your child.  I woke up this morning like any other morning and then suddenly realized that this occurrence was not a nightmare.  It is reality.  The upcoming days, weeks, and months loom large in front of us.  I can't dwell on that.  One day at a time.  

This morning before heading to the surgical waiting room, Tricia and I read from Jeremiah 32.  We've been reading through the Bible together.  The context is about Israel, their disobedience in following false gods, God's resulting chastisement, and then it speaks of God restoring Israel and fulfilling His promises to them.  In verse 44, God speaks specifically of 'the territory of BENJAMIN' and that He would restore.  God was telling Israel in verse 27, "Is anything too hard for me?"  It all has to do with God's restoration of Israel, but it was beautiful to read.  The name Benjamin just popped off the page.  

Merciful Father, would you restore our Benjamin?  We know You are in control and we depend upon You.  We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who Holds tomorrow.