A parent's perspective...

It has been exactly a year-a year since I got a phone call at work saying Virginia Ruth had been in an accident and was being flown to the University of Virginia, a year since  heading over to UVA from Martha Jefferson  and seeing the helicopter landing at UVA and knew it was either my daughter or my friend Beth on board, a year since I walked into the trauma bay and saw Virginia Ruth with a blood transfusion already hanging, her beautiful blue eyes with pupils pinpoint, a year since I knew my friend was in the other trauma bay,  a year since the surgical team was frantically waiting on anesthesia to take her to surgery,  a year since the chaplain came into the trauma bay and asked if I needed anything and I told him to pray,  a year since waiting in the ER lobby with dear friends to hear from the interventional team that they had stopped the internal bleeding, a year since getting a phone call at 2 am from the orthopedic surgeon asking for my consent to do Virginia Ruth's back surgery and I told him I would  pray and he said, "Please do." And the list could go on and on...

It has been a year of being on autopilot, of grieving what was and what you had hoped life would be, and trying to figure out what life now entails. It has been a year of watching your child suffer in ways unimaginable and yet come crawling back to life after knocking on death's door.

Yet in the midst of all of this hard year, there is gratitude. Gratitude that  I have a heavenly Father that promises that He would never leave nor forsake and who years earlier was putting things in place that would help ease the burden of this year. Here is just some of the gratitude list:

Virginia Ruth's and Beth's life was spared

The accident scene was 2 miles ('ish) from the fire station and 3 ('ish) mile from the rescue squad

For Augusta County Fire and Rescue and Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad

For my colleague working with me that evening who prayed for me before I headed over to UVA

Virginia Ruth was in surgery 10 hours from the initial injury providing the best possible outcomes

University of Virginia's Trauma and Orthopedic team

For Maury starting a new job six weeks earlier in which we had better insurance coverage.

For the gift of running. Not only has it been part of my therapy this year, but it first introduced me to the Shepherd Center. I ran the Peachtree Road Race in 1999 (which is held on July 4th-the hottest and most humid time to run in the Deep South). As I was running up "cardiac hill" and complaining, I looked over and saw patients from Shepherd (most of them in wheelchairs) cheering the runners on. Needless to say I stopped complaining.

For living in Atlanta 20 plus years ago. Therefore already having a support system there while at Shepherd, including friends that had moved to Atlanta from Waynesboro a few years earlier. 

Atlanta was two hours from my sister-in-law and two hours from two of my college roommates. All of whom provided respite visits while we were at Shepherd.

For those who have been walking down a similar road but are ahead in their journey offering encouragement and wisdom (Thank you Joni Erikson Tada, Katherine Wolf and Ann Shearer)

For new friendships made at Shepherd that will last a lifetime.

For my eyes being opened to the world of people living with disabilities (and how not friendly it is)

For my mom and sister, Windsor, who have stood in the gap too many times to count

For senses of humor, laughter is the best medicine...ask Virginia Ruth about the jokes of the day ( cue the eye roll).

For you!

Even though Virginia Ruth has hit a year milestone and made miraculous strides, there is still healing to take place-more physical and speech therapy to be done, more physical deficits that need healing, possible more surgeries. etc.  This is not just a year process but years.

As Jay Wolf said in his  book  Suffer Strong,  "Sometimes you have to look back at the miracles taken place to give hope for the future." 

Noelle