Mike Martin

Hello. This evening of July 30, Mike was outside cutting the top off of an insulation barrel. Big 55 gallon drum. For those of you who don't know Mike very well, he is the type of guy that loves to dare and do.... I say with conviction that his guardian angel has one of the least boring people to look after. I am amazed yet, that he is 13 and still has all his fingers. So then....back to the barrel.... I think he put a little gas in it and was going to light it. He figured it would woosh up into a billowing flame but never expected it to explode the way it did into his face. It burned off most of his eyebrows and curled and shortened his eyelashes. Burnt back quite a bit of his hair. Second degree burns on his face and one hand. The pain was intense and he felt close to passing out. It got into his throat also and was beginning to swell his throat shut. He wasn't sure we should go to the ER because he knows he has a tendency to over dramatize things. But the pain kept getting worse. And I said we are going in. Regardless. At least they can do something for the pain. He blew the AC air in his face full blast and that made it only bareable. At one point he stuck his head out the window and said that felt so good. He couldn't feel his face. Well I told him I was scared his skin was gonna blow off so he pulled his head back in. By the time we got to the ER there were tears running down his face. When they saw it was a burn victim, we got the speediest service from the ER people I've ever seen except one other time when Jeff was so sick. They took him back in a wheelchair before I was even done with paperwork. He got the best care. Morphine for pain and a lot of other stuff. They told me they were going to intubate him because of the swelling in his throat. So before he went to sleep I went up to him and he looked at me and told me a couple times, I'll be ok. I'll be ok. He was trying to reassure me! I was so relieved. I needed that. Because all the memories of when mike was in the NICU and Jeff was in the ICU more than once,and Jim was in the NICU.... Im sorry folks, but I was kinda like about falling apart. And then they were trying to get him a helecopter ride and mike was all pumped! He grinned until they told him he would be asleep for it. O Mike! You go boy! I love you! Never one to go down without a fight! Giving mom encouragement! Thank you! Actually the weather was too bad to get a helecopter ride so he went by ambulance to the trauma burn center in st. Paul. James and I will go see him tomorrow. They have certain rules about visitors. Only the same 2 people in a 24 hr period. Pray for his speedy recovery and that his folks can be strong.