We had a scary afternoon on Sunday. Our small group was coming out for supper and the study and we have had A LOT of snow! Steve called our good friends Andrew (17) and Jonathon (13) to see if they wanted to come out and help move snow with the bobcat. Both boys have helped us out many times since we have moved out to the acreage and Andrew has worked with the bobcat many times.
It was about 3:00 in the afternoon and Steve was on his last load of snow with the bobcat. Both Andrew and Jonathon were playing on the pile of snow that Steve has built. Steve came up with the bobcat (both boys were standing at the top of the hill), dumped the snow, backed the bobcat up and placed the bucket down (note: to open our bobcat door the bucket has to be placed all the way to the ground). Steve jumped out of the bobcat and saw only Jonathon at the top of the hill. Jonathon asked where Andrew was and after realizing that Andrew wasn't around them, Steve looked down and there was Andrew crushed under the bobcat bucket. Steve jumped back in the bobcat and backed it up. When he climbed back out, Andrew was moving. He came on the run to the house and had me call 911. By the time that he had made it back to Andrew, Andrew was up on his hands and knees, struggling to breath and screaming that he couldn't see. Steve helped him to the truck and they started off down the road to meet the ambulance (we don't have road markers for the ambulance NOT to get lost which is why we met them...we are getting road markers now - THANK YOU COUNTY!!!).
The ambulance arrived very quickly...we live approx 15 minutes out of town and they were to Steve in about 10. By the time that they got the spinal board and neck brace on Andrew and into the ambulance, he was able to breath much better and some sight was starting to return.
Needless to say, our small group was a quieter small group that evening. We had supper, did our study, and then everyone headed home, as Steve and I then headed into the hospital.
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| Andrew in the emergency room |
When we arrived at emergency, he was talking but couldn't see out of his eyes due to swelling. The CT scan and x-rays had miraculously come back clear. We hugged his mom, Amanda, tight and headed back home for the evening.
On Monday, we received an email saying that they were taking Andrew by ambulance to Edmonton to see an eye specialist to make sure that there wasn't any permanent sight damage. It was a long day for Steve until we received a text around 4:00 saying that everyone would heal just fine!
Tuesday evening, we headed back to the hospital to visit Andrew. He was sitting up and talking and very muchly wanting to go home! He has no injuries except for the bruising and red eyes which will take 4-6 weeks to heal.
Steve and I both believe in God. We have grown up in amazing Christian homes. But Sunday, was a moment where I realized that:
1) life cannot be taken for granted!
2) By God's Grace (and only by God's Grace) did Andrew walk away from this accident. Many, many, many strong angels were beside Andrew that afternoon (and with Steve!).
Even the doctors and nurses cannot begin to understand how he has no injuries...we can :)
The next few pictures were taken on Tuesday. These are the only indications that Andrew was involved in an accident.
Steve had no idea how it happened. He never saw Andrew at anytime once he started to dump the snow. Andrew, however, was finally able to remember on Tuesday morning. Both him and Jonathon were wrestling on the top of the hill and tumbled down the backside because they saw Steve coming. When Andrew climbed back up the hill, he tripped on the snow with his big snow boots and did two tumbles down the hill. As he was coming down the hill, he could feel the bucket being lowered on him. He says he thought "well this is it...I'm about to die". He then heard a big pop and he went unconscious. The next thing he remembers is waking up screaming and Steve carrying him to the truck.
We are so very thankful that Andrew is alive and well. We have thanked God on a very regular basis this week for his protection on Andrew. Thank You Jesus!
Note: on a ironic note: the next day after Andrew's accident...his dad Dale, slipped and fell and broke two ribs. Here's a story of a 17 year old that walked away from being crushed under a bobcat and his dad broke two ribs slipping and falling.
NO ONE will ever be able to convince us that there is no God!
