Speaking of Miracles

I don't have an update on Callie Jayne today. Most of her brothers and sisters traveled to Phoenix to visit their baby sister today, and for the younger ones it will be their first time to see her since the accident. I don't want to intrude on this special family reunion. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to gather new information.

Callie did make the front page of our local little newspaper, the White Mountain Independent (it's only published twice a week). If you'd like to read the article online, just click here:

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20117832&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6

I thought that I'd share the tale of another miracle that occured in our family 5 years ago. This one stars my nephew Joshua, the 3rd of 10 children belonging to my sister Karla and her husband Brian.

That's Josh at left with his cousin Katie (daughter of my brother LeRoy and his wife Lori). It was taken on June 21, 2003 at the wedding of Josh's older brother Jeremy. Josh was 17 at the time.

Four days after the wedding, Josh was in an accident wherein the motocycle he was riding flipped over and he landed on his head beneath the motorcycle.

When Karla arrived at the hospital, she was told by the neurosurgeon in no uncertain terms that Josh would not survive the night, and if by some miracle he did, he'd be brain-dead.

Being a family that believes in faith and prayer, we ignored his dire predictions and began sending out requests for friends and family to pray with us. We also held a fast to ask the Lord's healing hand to be upon Josh.

There was little change over the next 2 weeks while Josh lay in a coma. Karla was thrilled when just one of Josh's eyes dilated, feeling it was an answer to prayer. Meanwhile, the doctors still discouraged any hope.
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We traveled to Mesa to visit Josh on day 18 of his coma, July 13. When we arrived at the hospital I noticed his eyes were open. Karla assured me he sometimes opened his eyes but wasn't aware.

After a few minutes it became obvious to me that Josh's eyes were following us and he knew us. Karla quickly came to the same conclusion, and there was much rejoicing in that little hospital room! What a blessing it was that we happened to arrive on the day Josh woke from his coma!
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These pictures are proof that doctors cannot predict the will of God. At top is Josh with his mom, Karla. Next is my family enjoying being with Josh, and at right he's sitting up for his first time. Below, he is with his brother Jeremy and brand new sister-in-law Cami, who cut short their southern California honeymoon to be with their brother in his time of need. In the last hospital picture, his other siblings--Genevieve, Elyssa, Celesta, Brianna, Mariah, Julien, and Gabriella-- rushed to visit their newly awakened brother! (The youngest, Addison, wasn't born yet.)

Josh was unable to speak for several days due to his tracheal tube, but he could mouth words (his first request was a Dr. Pepper!) and even write sentences right away. He couldn't remember the accident, but his memories were otherwise intact.
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After receiving therapy and returning home, Josh had some problems with balance and short-term memory, and a tracheotomy scar the ladies find quite attractive, but was otherwise completely recovered.

Today Josh is a tall, handsome young man of 22 who works, lives on his own, has a girlfriend, and faces all the challenges of young adulthood with an amazing attitude. We love him a lot and we're so glad our Heavenly Father saw fit to allow him to remain with us. Clearly his mission in this life was not complete yet.

Here is Josh with his Uncle LeRoy at the annual family Christmas party last December, 4 years after his accident. Josh's story is just one of many miracles we have experienced in our family over the years. These blessings remind us that with enough faith, all things are possible.