Jonathan Update

Thank you for all of your prayers for our little Jonathan. He is doing extremely well. We all (doctors included) are amazed at how well he is doing considering what happened to him this morning. Praise God!

Just before 11:00am Jonathan and Aden were playing together on the front porch when all of a sudden I heard an awful thud just as Aden screamed, "Mommy, Jonathan fell downstairs!" We have stairs leading up to our front porch and my initial thought was that Jonathan must have fallen down the stairs. I raced out to the porch only to find that he had actually flipped over our balcony railing, fallen 13 feet and was laying flat on his back on the gravel/asphalt driveway. When I looked down at him, his eyes were closed and he wasn't moving (I'm pretty sure he was unconscious at that point) and honestly, I thought he was dead. It was the beginning of the scariest moments of my life. I called 911 immediately and raced downstairs to him. Right away I saw that the back of his head was bloody as were the rocks beneath him. I was pleading with the Lord to protect my baby all the while trembling so badly I could hardly dial Daniel's phone number. Poor Daniel, the phone call that he got from me went something like this (with Jonathan screaming in the background), "Daniel, come home now! Jonathan fell off the balcony and the ambulance is coming!" I'm guessing that was Daniel's fastest 3/4 mile bike ride EVER!

Thankfully the paramedics station is only a half mile from our house and they responded very quickly. When they arrived they kept telling me that the fact that he was crying was a really good sign and the fact that it appeared he had fallen flat on his back was another good sign. They got him all strapped down and into the ambulance and with Daddy by his side they sped off with lights and sirens en route to the hospital. Carolyn and Dave arrived just before the ambulance pulled away and Dave followed the ambulance down to Lihue. Carolyn stayed with me and the kids while I gathered a few things (and gathered myself!) and then I headed to the hospital. What a HUGE blessing to have Dave and Carolyn here. It was so comforting having Dave (a.k.a. Dr. Moore) with us at the hospital. He knew several of the doctors and he knew (and could explain) all the technical terms and procedures, etc. And knowing that my other two babies were home and in good hands with Carolyn allowed me to focus my attention completely on Jonathan.

At the hospital Jonathan had three separate CT Scans: one of his head, one of his neck, and one of his chest, abdomen, and pelvic region. The CT Scan of his head showed 2 or 3 possible skull fractures (apparently in kids it's hard to tell fractures apart from the lines where the skull fuses), the CT Scan of his neck was clear, and the CT Scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvic region looked good...they saw a couple of minor things that they'll keep an eye on but that should clear up on their own. Amazing! I was preparing myself for scary things like damaged spleen, internal bleeding, collapsed lung, etc. God is SO good!

He did have to get 13 or 14 staples in his head. That was NOT a fun experience for him. Poor baby! And in the end, because Wilcox Hospital is not a trauma hospital and because there isn't a pediatric neurosurgeon on the island they chose to fly him to Oahu for a 24-48 hour observation. Queens Memorial Hospital in Oahu is a trauma center and Kapi'olani Hospital is the children's hospital there. That way, if something were to come up tonight or tomorrow he would have the best medical care available.

That's where he is now...with his Daddy. I stayed home (it was SO hard to see them pull away!) to take care of (and nurse!) Elizabeth. Aden spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's where no doubt he'll be enjoying fun things like Monster Jam Marathons and chocolate chip pancakes.

I can't stop praising and thanking God for protecting Jonathan. It is a sobering thought to think that your child survived (with only bumps, bruises, and a few staples!) an accident that could have killed him. All day long I have been reliving the whole scenario and at times I feel like I was given an opportunity to experience a little of what it would be like to lose a child. When I got home tonight some of Jonathan's clothes were in the hamper, some of his toys were left out, the fan was still on in his room, and the bloody blanket that I used to apply pressure to his head was still on the steps. These are all things that would have been immensely difficult for me to bear if today's events had ended differently. But I can rejoice because I know, Lord willing, that my sweet boy will come home again and he will wear those clothes again, and he will play with those toys again, and that fan will keep him cool again and I can rejoice because my God, who is the giver and taker of life, chose to bless us with more time on earth to enjoy the precious gift He has given us in Jonathan.

So I thank all of you for praying for our son. What a comfort it is to know that friends and family all over the US were holding our little boy up in prayer today.

Psalm 9:1-2 "I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."