Life altering moment # 5

Date: August 27th, 2004
Place: High school
Why: Watching eldest daughter do a pom-pon routine at half-time

Scene: My husband's pager has been going off like crazy but I was in the Port-a-potty with my 5 year old with the cell phone. When I come back, he says, "Man, I bet it's work. dammit" and grabs the phone from me as I make my way up the bleachers. Two seconds later I hear my name. "JANA!" I look down.

I have never seen that face before on my husband.

I run down, and he is crumpled on the ground with his hands on his head, crying uncontrollably.

"Oh my god," I think. The only time I've ever seen a tear from my husband was when our kids were born. Those were happy tears. These. These were definitely not.

"What? WHAT!? WHAT IS IT?????"

Inaudible. My god what do I dowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo???

I run over to a friend and tell her to watch 5 year old, something has happened. I run back.

It's his brother. His sweet, 19-year-old brother. Got hit by a car walking across the street.

We get in the car and high-tail it to the hospital, 20 minutes away. We go from sobbing to screaming to praying to "Why, not him, no not him."

We get to the ER. Then we wait. And wait. No word.

The doctor comes in. Neurosurgeon? Why? What??

"He's suffered a subdural hematoma. I'm very sorry. But there is one last resort we can try."

They stick us all in a waiting room. Shawn somehow survives 2 brain surgeries. He goes into a coma for 2 weeks. Then he opens his eyes. Then he moves his arm. Then he follows us with his eyes.

And this is why now I believe in miracles, and will never take a second of the rest of my life for granted.