On Monday morning, October 19th, I received a text message from Dan. It read: "Dad just had an accident on his bike. He ended up going over the handle bars. They found fractures in his neck, but he can still move his toes." WHAT???? I called Dan to see if he had more information about his Dad. He was pretty shooken up about the phone call he had just received from his mom that he forgot to even ask her which hospital they were taking him to. Well, I immediately posted it on Facebook so we could get as many prayers as we could. Man, that Facebook is awesome! It spread like wildfire. I couldn't do anything but wait and hear for updates since I was here home with the kids. Travis and Cassie went straight the hospital and stayed with Ma the rest of the day. So here's what happened:
Pa was riding his bicycle (NOT motorcycle) to work early in the morning (about 6:30 am) so it was still dark. He was heading North along 2700 West and had just passed 9000th South. He says he thinks he was going about 23 mph when suddenly his bike smacked right into a blue recycle garbage can that had blown over from some wind. It was too dark that he didn't see it. He flew over the top of the handle bars and landed on his head. He said he blacked out for a minute and then realized what had happened but didn't dare move because he could tell he did something to his neck. But then he didn't know if he was in the middle of the road or the side. Then he heard a truck coming and was hoping he wasn't about to get run over. The truck passed him, then turned around because they could see him laying there on the side of the road. He asked Pa if he was ok. Pa told him he was going to need an ambulance and asked the man to please call his wife. So they put him on a backboard and headed to Jordan Valley Hospital where they did tests and scans. There they found he had fractured 4 vertebrae in his neck. They told him he would probably be in the hospital for 2 months!!! Pa is in the Stake Presidency, so not long after they had arrived at the hospital, did the Stake President, President Barton, arrive there to give him a blessing. Then they sent Pa by helicopter to the U of U Hospital to see a specialist. After more tests and scans, they could see that things were better than they thought and that he would only have to be in the hospital 7-10 days. Well, by 9:00 pm that night they had a neck brace on him and he was on his way home! He didn't even have to stay 1 night! What a miracle! He has to where the brace for 6 weeks and do some therapy but that's pretty much it! We're so grateful for every one's prayers and concern! We know the Lord was listening that day! We love you Pa!
The forks on the front of the bike snapped in half from the force of hitting the garbage can!
The bike was in 2 pieces!
