I couldn't say much at the time because it was still fresh to our family. There wasn't a lot of information that even the doctors knew, so we shared with a few close relatives and just waited for more detailed answers.
Friday, May 9th, My Dad, Mom, brother, Jereme, and sister, Aubree, were at the sand dunes in Yuma AZ. My mom and sister were in a dune buggy when it rolled. The roll bar rolled over my mom's right arm.
Because I live in UT, I was receiving updates from my sister, Angela, in AZ. She was receiving them from a (very shaken up) Jereme.
Honestly Angela and I had no idea how bad it was. Angela said she felt very silly calling people late at night to tell them my mom had broken her wrist.
Little did we know how bad it really was.
From the point of view of my dad brother and sister, it was a lot worse than it ended up being. My dad figured the arteries were severed.
They thought they were racing the clock for her life.
You have to understand; they were out in the sand dunes, far from places and people, and my moms arm was de-gloved (don't google it, it means the skin was taken off, like you would take off a glove), from her knuckles to her elbow.
"We were so scared and in shock out there. I wrapped Sandra's arm with one of the three shirts I was wearing. I had my "under" shirt, a short sleeve shirt and a long sleeve shirt. Shortly Aubree was desperate to get her blood soaked shirt off and was pleading with me to let her take it off (leaving her without any shirt). I said go ahead. better than the feelings of panic. I then gave her my last t-shirt, leaving me in my under shirt. Later, a CHP officer pulled me aside and asked me if I had given her a blessing. I had. He was from our church and recognized my garments. It was very comforting to have someone that felt a little like family with me. He stayed with me after they flew off with Sandra and helped me and the kids get things together so we could leave. Small thing, but very comforting in a stressful situation. That in no way minimizes all the others. Those paramedics and other first responders that took Sandra out of my arms and cared for her are amazing. They work with really traumatic things in very inconvenient situations. That is real strength and courage."
She was air vacced to the hospital in Yuma. My dad drove Jereme and Aubree to the hospital. They thought her hand was going to need to be amputated.
She was air vacced to the hospital in Phoenix (where she is now).
Aubree was x-rayed at the hospital in Yuma and then they stayed in a hotel that night. Aubree suffered no major injuries, a lot of soreness and bruising, rather shaken up though. She misses her mom.
Saturday they drove back to their home. Angela and a friend stayed with our mom at hospital.
This is where we really start to see the miracles.
Her hand was completely dislocated. Bones in her forearm, wrist, and thumb are crushed. Amazingly, the veins, nerves, and one artery were intact and kept her hand alive.
She had surgeries on Saturday and Sunday, Mother's Day, to clean out all of the sand. She was in a lot of pain these two days because they weren't able to fix anything until the arm was clean.
After the second (6 hour) clean out surgery, from my dad:
"Just spoke to the surgeon. Plates on the ulna and radia? Thumb fixed, I think that's what he said. Good blood flow. Muscle graft in place. She's doing very well. He said she is very strong. I knew that."
This is the machine that monitors the muscle graft. It is making sure that it is still alive. Yesterday they had to fix the muscle graft because it started to die, setting them back a day on more repair surgery.
Again, from my dad:
"I kind of had a confirmation of the miracle that her hand survived. The Dr. showed us the pictures of her hand/arm. It appeared that in some places there wasn't much left but the vital parts. I can't really express how close she came to losing her hand. Hence, Miracles happen, believe it."
Tuesday, May 13:
"Morning update: Mom had a rough night, but she said everything started feeling better around 3am. She is really happy about the central line, it's making everything a lot easier and now her left arm is free of pretty much everything. They are planning to work on her wrist tonight, and just keep moving down her hand until it's all fixed. She said she's expecting 3 or 4 more surgeries."
She is having to undergo an extensive amount of surgery, at this point it has been once a day, in order to repair the bones, give her a muscle graft from her back, give her skin grafts, and rebuild her wrist. She is expected to be in the hospital until at least sometime next week. After she gets out she will have several weeks of recovery time while the bones heal and then she will start physical therapy. The doctor has estimated a 1-2 year recovery period.
And this from my mom:
"This accident couldn't have come at a worse time. In 7 days, Jereme graduates from LDS Seminary and in 10 days, he will graduate from high school. It is not likely that I will be able to attend either of these events. My mother's heart is weeping at the thought of not being with my baby boy during these milestones. He has worked hard to earn these honors and I am proud of him and the man he is becoming! Life doesn't seem to care much about timing when accidents happen.
There has been much talk about miracles. I add my witness that the hand of the Lord has been in the details of my life these past few days... and even these past few years. We have had our share of trials, but through all of the heartache, my heart has been changed. I am a different person today than I was 2 years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer. I'm not sure why these things have been necessary, but I know they are part of my own personal plan for refinement."
The miracles my family has witnessed are more than enough. We know that the Lord is always watching over us.
My parents have always taken perfect care of us. They might see all of their 'failures' but us kids, we see them as our mommy and daddy, the ones who are always there for us. This time, we want to be there for them.
It is hard to see the people we love have burdens. Each of you know that when a loved one aches, you ache. We have watched my parents face trial, after trial, after trial. We have seen them suffer.
And we always see them come out of those trials stronger.
They always learn how to be better people and then they teach us how to be better people.
And as we have seen from the tremendous amount of support sent their way, that they have touched each of your lives as well.
We are in enormous debt to our Father in Heaven for keeping our mother here with us, and her hand too!
The point of our fundraiser is because my parents need the help and we believe the Lord has placed many helping hands in our parents lives that can give that kind of help.
We don't expect anyone to give anything. And we wouldn't have set up a fundraiser if people hadn't already offered.
We have been blessed and humbled to see the good and selfless hearts of the people in our parents lives. You have reached out to us wanting to help. You are sacrificing something that not everyone can and it means more than you will ever know.
We will never be able to repay you. Because even if we could some day write a check and pay you back, the change that you have brought to our hearts, is more than we can return.
As I quoted in my Mother's Day post from Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Changing bodies or protecting temples are miracles, but an even greater miracle is a mighty change of heart by a son or daughter of God. A change of heart, including new attitudes, priorities, and desires, is greater and more important than any miracle involving the body. I repeat, the body will be resurrected in any event, but a change affecting what the scripture calls the "heart" of a spirit son or daughter of God is a change whose effect is eternal. If of the right kind, this change opens the door to the process of repentance that cleanses us to dwell in the presence of God. It introduces the perspective and priorities that lead us to make the choices that qualify us for eternal life, "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (D&C 14:7).
We will forever be grateful for the love each of you gives to our family. You have touched our lives in exactly the way our Heavenly Father knows that we need.
And we can't forget it.
