Reflection

Thus far nothing in my 40 years of life has prepared me for the last month. I’m so very grateful that I get to face it with these kids. They are the bravest, strongest, most wonderful children ever.

Lucky Us

 I’ve been told how lucky Evy is that we adopted her, but the truth is, we are the lucky ones. She is strong. She is brave. She is kind. She is everything to us. From the second she was conscious she has been worried about the rest of the family. Despite her pain, and the road before her, she keeps saying how glad she is that she didn’t let her little brothers sit in shotgun, because then they would have been the ones hit. She’s told me how worried she is that Jared will feel bad, because she knows he did everything he could. This morning she cried, “Mom, why didn’t I do this for you when you broke your tail bone?! You are doing everything for me. I love you so much.” (She was 9 when I broke my tail bone!) She is absolutely incredible, and we are so glad that we have her here to bless our lives forever more.
The hospital needed to see her walking with crutches and going up and down stairs. When she heard that she grabbed the crutches and headed for the steps! And true to their word, they sent us home! She is so happy to be sleeping in her own (new) bed, in her own makeshift room. She is amazing and will be just fine, in time. We love her so!

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A Crash

On Saturday morning, February 29, 2020, Jared got into a motor vehicle accident with Evy, Eli and Silas. He was driving to a breakfast party at a friend’s house in Millarville when he was struck trying to avoid another dangerously driving vehicle. Everyone was wearing their seatbelts and all of the airbags deployed.

Jared was able to call me from the scene, which was a miracle, because that road is notorious for having no cell signal. He said, "We've been in an accident, and it's bad. Evy's still in the car. It's bad, Jenny."

When I got there we were stopped far from the accident. All we could see were ambulances, police cars and car parts strewn across the road. The first responders for Priddis and Okotoks were incredible, compassionate, and kind, and also skilled and proficient. They held me up when I couldn't do it myself, and got our children safely and quickly where they needed to be. 

Silas was being driven away in an ambulance.  My poor, sweet, little Silas.  I didn't get to see him, and knew just how anxious out he would be. 

Eli was in an ambulance, stable and aware. 

Evy had been extracted from the car with the jaws-of-life and was on a stretcher being transferred from the back of an ambulance into STARS Air ambulance.  She was unconscious and unresponsive. A firefighter carried me to her to see if I could get her to respond.  Both of her hearing aids were lost in the crash, so she couldn't hear me, but when I went to her she did look at me before her eyes rolled back in her head and she was gone, again.  I stood there watching as they loaded my little girl onto the helicopter and she flew away.  

Then Jared and I jumped in the ambulance with Eli, and we traveled to the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Miracles continued to flow.  I was able to call my best friend, who happens to be a Calgary Fire Fighter, and so therefore knows the ins and outs of the hospital emergency department, and she happened to be within minutes of the Children's, and so she was at the hospital waiting for the kids before they arrived.  She was kept me up to date with their status while I was in the ambulance with Eli.  

            "I'm here. Stars has landed. Kids are being treated. Both responsive."

Never had any words given me any greater relief!  

It's hard to describe what was going through my mind in the hospital.  I was most worried about Evy, obviously, but still needed to make sure Jared and the boys were being taken care of, and make all the decisions for them.  I was bouncing between three different rooms, calling orders to everyone around me. Thankfully I have an amazing family, and even before I got there the Evans sisters were in full force.  Most of them came to the hospital, those who didn't were at home watching my other kids and driving around the city getting us things we needed.  My brother-in-laws went around and gave everyone blessings.  They brought food and they brought comfort. My brother-in-law happens to be a medical doctor, so I kept him close by as I had to make decisions I couldn't research or give any time to think about.  The staff at the hospital were phenomenal, allowing us to completely take over the ER (there were 17 people there besides my family)!

Despite the severity of the accident, we are now all home.  Eli went home the day of the accident sporting a cast on a broken hand.  A witness at the accident told me that he was so strong.  He shrugged off any help offered to him and told everyone to go help Evy and Silas.  He is such a blessing. 

Silas spend one night at the hospital under observation, because he had some abdominal bruising and was barfing a lot. He's on concussion watch, but otherwise okay. 

Evy took the brunt of the impact and suffered the most injuries.  She had an open break of her femur, a broken jaw, and many lacerations to her face and head, among other bruises and cuts. She has been sewn up by plastic surgeons and her leg repaired with a titanium rod by a team of orhopaedic surgeons in a surgery that lasted 5 hours. We spent 3 nights in the hospital while she learned to get around mroe independently.  She is expected to make a full recovery!

We love our sweet Evy so much, and are reminded how grateful we are that she is part of our family. She is such an example of strength and bravery. We appreciate continued prayers for her that she will be able to heal, both in body and spirit.