Shannon and Jason’s Story

Site created on September 14, 2015

On Monday, September 14, 2015 Shannon and her daughters Kyra (7) and Jaydalin (4) were in a serious car accident near Castle Rock, MN. Their vehicle was t-boned by a semi-truck and Shannon and Kyra sustained life-threatening injuries. Both were transported by helicopter to Hennepin County Medical Center - a Level One Trauma center. Jaydalin was transported by ambulance, but was miraculously uninjured and was released from the hospital after two days. Shannon and her husband Jason have two other children - Trenton and Braylon - who were at school the morning of the accident.

Shannon and Kyra both sustained traumatic brain injuries (among other injuries) and were admitted to the ICU in critical condition. Shannon had surgery to remove a piece of her skull to alleviate swelling and bleeding, and remained in a coma for weeks. Kyra regained consciousness within a week of the accident and made an amazing recovery! She was discharged from the hospital after 16 days. Shannon received a tracheotomy and was transferred to Bethesda Hospital for rehabilitation, where she emerged from her coma and became responsive. She then transferred to Abbott Northwestern's Courage Kenny center for more intensive rehabilitation before coming home on December 9th. She continues to receive outpatient therapy at Courage Kenny.

We've created this site to keep friends and family updated on the Kerrs' progress. We appreciate your prayers, support, and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most. Thousands of people have been praying for Shannon and Kyra's recovery, and we have seen those prayers answered time after time. We believe God has worked miracles through this otherwise tragic situation, and invite you to come with us on this journey through these posts!

Newest Update

Journal entry by Kristi Hedstrom

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
    and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:3-6

Jason is 5 weeks post-accident and is getting stronger each day! More details have emerged about what happened that day, and he realizes how fortunate he is to be alive and so far along on the healing journey. On a recent check-in visit, Jason’s doctor provided photos of the CT scans taken the night of the accident. One showed the significant hemorrhage on one side of his brain, and the other revealed the two places his skull was fractured by the falling branch. Seeing those images, along with hearing many stories about people who have had similar injuries with much more severe and long-lasting health effects, Jason is so grateful for the Lord’s protection and healing in his own situation. He found the branch in the woods that struck him, and it was quite hefty! (pictured below)

There have been challenging aspects of this journey, not the least of which are the temporary limitations Jason’s injury have caused. He was slated to be the team leader for a church mission trip to Peru in late February – a trip that he has taken many times over the years, to a place that is very dear to his heart – but ultimately he wasn’t able to go. The rest of the team went, and Jason was able to spend a considerable amount of time in prayer for them as he recuperated at home. Anyone who knows Jason is aware that he loves being physically active and productive, so this season of slowing down to let his body heal has been challenging mentally and emotionally. Jesus has truly walked alongside him  through it, and he has taken a lot of time to pray about his circumstances and seek God. Jason said, “I don’t understand everything, but I trust the Lord. He is good.”

Please join the Kerr family in giving God praise:

  • That Jason is healing and he is expected to make a full recovery, due to the goodness of God!
  • That doctors recently cleared him to increase the amount of weight he can lift.
  • That he is sleeping much better and for longer stretches of time during the night.
  • That the Lord is bringing much good out of this difficult situation.

Please continue to pray:

  • That the muscle numbness on the left side of Jason’s left leg would subside, and full feeling would return.
  • For Jason’s jaw to heal and resume normal range of motion.
  • For the muscles in Jason’s neck to relax so the tightness wouldn’t impede sleep or comfort.

Jason wants to emphasize how humbled and grateful he is for all the prayers you have lifted up on his behalf during this crisis. Saying thank you doesn’t seem adequate, but your faith and commitment to pray have blessed the Kerr family beyond words!

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