This weekend I was reminded that it just takes a moment for your life altering moments to occur.
Yesterday morning my mom emailed our family telling us that my brother was hit by a drunk driver while he was jogging with two friends. Two of them were hit, but my brother was the worst off.
He was knocked out of his shoes (literally), and his head went through the windshield where his hat was left inside the car. He was then thrown back from the car and landed on the ground. When his friends went to pick up Eric's shoes, the cops told them to not touch them but to leave them there. When they asked why, the cops said, "this is a crime scene." When the friends asked why it was considered a crime scene they said, "your friend's not going to live. This will be a homicide crime scene." His friends to the cops Eric would live.
He was taken to the hospital and had X-rays galore. Luckily, he did and will live. His face got pretty cut up from the glass and both the tibia and fibula of one leg were broken right at the knee. I was told he may have had a severed artery because he lost a LOT of blood, but I never did have that fact confirmed. But he did not have internal bleeding, nor does it appear he had any brain trauma, which was good. This happened yesterday morning and I was able to talk to him tonight for a few minutes. He is one of the strongest willed people I know, so I'm sure his recovery will be optimal given what has happened to him.
Two of my sisters commented that it seems so crazy for it happen to him since he seems like the invincible one. He's Army trained, runs multiple marathons every year, and it just plain solid in every aspect of his life. But "bad things" generally don't take exceptions for good people. We all live in a mortal world where people have agency, and sometimes good people are affected badly by other's poor choices.
All we really can do is try and live our lives fully, love people without reserve, and do our best to do what's right and good. Today in church our Stake President said, "Don't put off living your life." Because it just takes a moment for it to all change.
6 comments:
Oh I'm so glad he's going to be OK! I have a good friend who was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike. They never got the guy either--it was a hit and run. My friend ended up in the hospital for several months and missed the second half of his junior year of high school. But he eventually recovered completely and is fine now. Anyways, I'm glad to hear that he survived and wish your family the best.
We had a life-threatening scare with my brother this weekend, too. He'll be okay, but it sure is scary!
I'm glad your brother will be all right. You guys are in my thoughts!
Wow. I just got some more details. He was hit at 55 mph, hit the windshield, thrown 15 feet and landed in a ditch.
He doesn't have a broken shoulder (which was a possibility, though I didn't know that) which is MAJOR good news. If he'd had a broken shoulder, he would have had to stay in a long term care facility. Since he doesn't, he can go home with a walker and crutches. He can't put any weight on his right foot at all for 3 months, but really he ought not to be alive so that can be dealt with! Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.
What a wake up call these accidents are, hopefully to more than the victim. I am sure that a his recovery with get a huge boost for due to the great shape Im sure he is in. I am glad hes doing well. Is this the az bro?
Oh my goodness! I am so glad you told us that he should be OK early on in the post. I am so glad he is going to be OK. We'll keep him in our prayers.
Kendall's comment when he heard about it was an angry, "I wish they'd never even invented beer!!!"
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