Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Two years later, I feel thankful and blessed

It was a warm, sunny mid-September afternoon. I’d spent that Saturday morning working on a project at Red Willow Bible Camp and was enjoying my drive back to New Rockford.

As I traveled west on the blacktop, I saw someone zooming down the gravel road from the north, but didn’t think too much about it. Another vehicle – a brown Dodge pickup -- was coming toward me, an eighth of a mile away or more, I’d guess. I looked left; my cruise was set at 60 mph. You always look left at that point on the road between Binford and McHenry, because of that crazy pontoon with the mannikins on it. I looked back. Yikes! The minivan that had been coming from the north was in MY lane coming at me! Brakes! BAM!!! Stop. Life as I had known it ended; a new chapter was beginning.

It’s hard to describe what going from 60 mph to zero in a couple of seconds or so feels like. My life didn’t flash before my eyes. I don’t know if I blacked out, but since the airbag deployed on impact (praise God!), I can’t be certain. One thing I was sure of however, was that my legs and feet had definitely sustained damage. I unbuckled my seat belt, opened my car door, and rolled myself out onto the nice warm pavement (I know; not a good thing to do). Someone came to check on me, I think it was the guy from the brown pickup, and I asked if he could find my glasses and cell phone. I tried to call my daughter, who I knew was at home that afternoon, but no signal.

Two years have passed since my head-on collision on September 14, 2019. Details that were clear to me in the immediate aftermath of the accident have faded. I can tell you that the Cooperstown ambulance crew did a great job of treating me and transporting me to the hospital in Cooperstown. They also notified my wife, Cathy, and daughter, Rhianne, that I had been in an accident, and kept them updated once they knew I would be life flighted to Sanford Hospital in Fargo. I remain grateful for their care and consideration.

I won’t get into all the excitement of my 12-day hospital stay, but my family and I got to meet a lot of different doctors and nurses at Sanford. The injuries that I sustained in my accident were as follows: a compound fracture above my left ankle, my right heel was crushed, and since I was hard on the brake with that foot, my femur (thigh bone) was driven up through my pelvis from the impact.

My first surgery happened that same evening after my helicopter ride to the Sanford ER. My left ankle needed immediate attention and my femur was pulled back out of my pelvis. A second surgery three days later, put my right foot back together as best they could, and made repairs to my pelvis and hip socket. I’m now a metal detector’s nightmare with all my metal plates and screws.

Following my hospital stay, I was transferred to Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd here in New Rockford. We were very thankful that I was able to come here to get the care and physical and occupational therapy I needed as I recovered, not only because Cathy works there, but also because it was uncertain where my surgeon would send me, and I may have had to spend many more weeks in Fargo. After six weeks of great care from all the LHGS staff, I was finally allowed to stand up on my feet, walk with a walker, and eventually go home.

Many months of physical therapy followed (thanks Rachel and Peak Performance). There have been good days and bad days, with the constant being that the good outnumber the bad. Through it all, I remain thankful. God has been with me every step of the way. My life is different now. The accident forced me into retirement earlier than I’d planned, but God has remained faithful providing for more than we could have imagined.

We are grateful to all who have supported us with their prayers, visits, financial help, and many good deeds. May you be blessed for being a blessing to us!

As we pass the two-year anniversary of that September day, this new chapter in my life is still unfolding, and I am excited to see where the Blessed Trinity will lead. No matter where it takes us, we will rest in His mercy and grace.

I want to leave you with some lyrics of a song I wrote for Rhianne to use when she was on staff at Red Willow Bible Camp: “Smile, God loves you! Absolutely! Unconditionally! Without fail!”

I’ll conclude with a verse from the Book of Job: He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” – Job 1:21