My
older two sons, ages 14 and 15, are preparing for a High Adventure bike riding
trip for scouts this summer. The trip is
over 300 miles and will go from Sacramento to San Francisco Bay. In anticipation of this trek, several
preparations have been made, including purchasing the boys new bikes. We originally purchased them mountain bikes,
but soon realized that they needed road bikes (the bikes with the skinny tires)
because they handle better on longer trips.
So, they each got new road bikes.
As part of their training, they were given a challenge with all the
other scouts and scout leaders to log in 500 miles of riding/training time
before June 30th (they had 10 weeks to complete this
challenge). Of course, as an additional
level of preparation, their scout nights and Saturdays were often spent on 20,
30, 40 and even 50 mile bike treks practicing going up hills for long
distances.
My
boys have loved their bikes and their riding time. They enjoy the freedom to go around town on
their own. Because of this, they were
the only two boys to reach 500 miles by the deadline. Their reward?
Anything on the menu at a local ice cream eatery! Yummo!
On
one of their final planned bike trips, the group were up the hills practicing the
stamina that would be required for the first 1/3 of their week long trip. It was a very hot day here and temperatures
were forecasted to reach 112! The boys
started at 7am and were to finish around 11am when the temperatures were at 100
degrees. As always, I pray for my
children when they are away from home and especially on these trips. I always pray that they will be safe, aware
and most importantly, come home safely.
At
11:35am, I received a call. My son had
been in an accident.
I
would later learn all the details, but on the phone, the most important words
were, “he is okay.”
Here
are the details. The majority of the
group had pressd forward to the gas station where they were to meet the trailer
that would haul their bikes back home.
Daniel elected to stay with one of the leaders who had a flat tire. As this leader was continuing to ride slower
than Daniel wanted, he checked in with his leader who told him to go meet up
with the group because the gas station was “just straight up there.” So, off Daniel went. As he was coming up to a red light, he was
going about 15 mph. He was in the bike
lane. 2 other cyclists were waiting at the
light. 2 cars were in the traffic lane
waiting at the light. Before Daniel need
to slow down very much, the light changed to green and he continued to pedal
his way through the light. Of note, it
was at this light that the gas station set off to the right where the rest of
his group was waiting. He missed that
turn. About 50 yards past the gas
station entrance/traffic light, there was a driveway to an apartment
complex. As he continued to pedal, he
described hearing an engine revving and then a black car turned into the
driveway in front of him. In a split
second, he swiftly swerved and slammed into the side of the car with his bike,
legs, shoulder and head and then he fell back onto the pavement with his head
hitting the pavement below.
There,
of course, were several repercussions from this accident, including a police
report, the driver saying she didn’t see Daniel (although I have evidence to
refute that statement), Daniel’s bike was destroyed, he was knocked completely
out of alignment (cervical) and his shoulders and hips were different heights,
his neck was straight instead of curved (whiplash), his tailbone curved up
instead of down and he had a light concussion.
BUT…he was able to get up and walk away from the accident.
Believe
me, as I heard the details over and over again I KNEW that the Lord was
watching over him. I KNOW that he was
given the strength and perhaps guidance to swerve, otherwise, he would have
flown up over the car. I know that the
timing was also very important because mere seconds different and he would have
been pinned under the car.
This
is where my heart begins to tremble.
He
was spared. Our prayers and those of his
priesthood leaders who never leave on a bike trip without the power of prayer
calling upon the heavens to watch over them spared my son more significant
injuries.
The
next day was Sunday. I called upon his
Young Men’s leader, our Home Teacher (a priesthood brother who visits us each
month) and his father to give him a special priesthood blessing for
healing. This is a sacred ordinance that
is modeled after the Savior wherein those holding the authority to act in the
name of the Lord place a blessing upon the recipient from our Father in Heaven,
as directed by the Spirit . Before
starting the blessing, the brethren asked what we would like from the blessing
(or in other words, what is it that we are asking of the Lord). My response?
That my son will be healed.
Daniel
specifically requested that his father say the blessing. Now, I have been married to my husband for 16
years and I know how he speaks. It was
definitely he who opened up the blessing and calling upon Daniel to listen and
to hear the words of the blessing. Then
there was a shift in my husband’s way of speaking. He was quicker with his words and they flowed
evenly and there was no hesitation for thought of what would be said. Now I want to be very reverent about this
sacred ordinance and what transpired, but I can say that I KNOW without any
doubt that the Spirit of our Heavenly Father was indeed present and spoke very
clear and specific words to Daniel in this blessing. It was almost overpowering to sense and to
know that His presence was there. And
just as seamlessly as the Spirit had spoken those words of guidance and
direction through the blessing, my husband’s way of speaking returned and he
was able to conclude the blessing in a beautiful manner, as well.
Of
course, one of the key aspects of the blessing is that Daniel was told that he
would be healed fully. This, of course,
was the most important thing.
The
next day, we went to the chiropractor and had x-rays taken. After they were developed we say the result
of his injuries. They were, as described
above – he was severely out of alignment with a crooked spine! When you looked straight at the spine, you
could see it curve to the right. This
was done as the left side of his body hit the car, the body immediately pulled
to the right to fix it, thus the curving of his spine to the right. The treatment plan was to be adjusted 3 times
a week for 6 weeks, then 2 times a week for 8 weeks and then once a week for 6
weeks. They day that we saw the xrays,
he had his first adjustment. The doctor
remarked that it was a smooth adjustment with no resistance. We returned 2 days later. Daniel’s shoulders and hips were aligned
already. His headaches were gone. Another adjustment. The doctor was impressed how easy it was to
adjust him – again the body gave no resistance.
By the following Monday, Daniel had no complaints of any kind. No soreness, no back aches, no sleeping
difficulties and he was walking without a limp.
The doctor was amazed. He had
rarely seen such quick recovery. It had
only been one week.
Shortly
after the accident, we visited with a personal injury lawyer because we wanted
to ensure that Daniel’s bike was replaced and his medical expenses were
covered. The lawyer told us that, while
of course there is no guarantee of any settlement amount, his settlement would
be greater because of the physical injuries, including gash on his shoulder
that he sustained. We acknowledged this
understanding and told Daniel that any settlement will go into his Mission Fund
for him to use to pay for his mission (at age 18 or 19). The lawyer assured us that we had a “very
defendable case.” As long as he gets a
new bike and his medical treatment is paid for, then I am fine.
Daniel
continues to go for treatment 3 times a week and he continues to follow doctor’s
orders in all areas. We are making plans
for him to participate fully in the pre-arranged bike trip to San Francisco
(July 22nd – 27th).
We had been admonished, however, by loving family and friends to be
careful of allowing Daniel to do too much, since his activities could affect
any potential settlement he receives.
In
talking with my husband, I was glad to see that he and I are on the same page,
in that, we are not in this to get rich.
All we ever wanted is for Daniel to be healed, for him to get a new bike
and for his medical treatments to be covered.
The Lord has blessed my son considerably for our faith and he has healed
my son. Daniel already has a new
bike. He is receiving his treatments and
I know they will be covered in full by the claims on insurance. So, how can I care about a larger
settlement? Focusing on this would
denounce the faith we used to ask for our son to be healed. The Lord answered our prayer and thus we must
remain truthful and faith yielding throughout the entire process.
The
truth is Daniel was hurt. He was
injured. He was emotionally scarred and
he was quite fearful of getting back on a bike.
He body was damaged, he had headaches, he couldn’t sleep, his back hurt,
his leg was swollen and was painful to touch and his bike was destroyed. But, these are recoverable and through the
power of the Lord and His priesthood, he is making that recovery. He is being blessed to recover remarkably
quickly. I believe it is so he can
complete this bike trek that he prepared for and because we had the faith to
ask for healing.
I
am thankful for the Lord’s healing power upon my son and for blessing our
family with this faith-building experience.
I know that He is watching over us and that his angels do attend, when
we ask and when we need it.
And
a final and kind of funny note...If Daniel had not been in the accident and
been stopped just 50 yards from where his scout troop had stopped at the gas
station, we don’t know how far he would have gone down the road all by himself,
continuing to look for a “gas station”.
You
see, the Lord is watching over at all times.
Alexander and Daniel |
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