Officer Down

On October 8th, at 7:10 AM an Ontario CA. police officer was motoring from his dispatch office to another police location for some training. He wasn't on patrol, he wasn't in pursuit, he was just moving from point A to point B on police business. As he drove the 50 MPH speed limit in the right lane of a divided 6 lane street the 18 wheeler in the lane to his left chose to make a right hand turn into a driveway. Without warning the truck slewed right and the officer's field of vision was suddenly filled with 23,000 lbs of steel. His motorcycle struck the front right section of the prime mover and the only thing that kept the truck from rolling over him was the fact that the lug nuts of the trucks front wheel caught his motorcycle's foot peg and flipped the bike launching him over 50' through the air until he eventually smashed into the pavement. Two hours later my wife called me at work, "My brother Rob has been hurt." Thus began the longest October in our lives. 

Actual accident scene

We packed my wife, her mother and her nephew off to California so they could join our sister-in-law at the hospital. The Bereans at our church were a tremendous help sharing support and prayers and offering to help in any way possible. Pastor Lovejoy was an incredible comfort as offered prayers and kept the prayer chain alerted to the changes in Rob's condition. 

We were told Rob was in "Critical but Stable" condition with the vast majority of his issues being orthopedic as he broke just about every bone on the left side of his body. We flew our daughter out to the west coast so she could drive back east with her mom. My bride wanted to stay a while longer but I had some sinus surgery scheduled and my darling is wise beyond her years knowing that if I had any opportunity to avoid medical confrontation I would take it and run. So bride, daughter and nephew returned home safe in the knowledge that Rob was "Critical but Stable" and that grandma was there to help Rob and his wife in any way she could while Rob recovered.

After a warm homecoming the celebration was halted when Grandma called from Ontario - "Rob is turning yellow."

Why it took over a week to start concentrating on Rob's internal organs rather than fractures I'll never know but once they started to investigate the hospital staff discovered that Rob's liver had shut down, and his kidneys had shut down, and his intestines had shut down, and something was causing a rampant infection. Soon it became apparent that his gall bladder was causing the infection but they couldn't operate because of the blood thinners they had given Rob, he would bleed out.

As my surgery grew close my bride was a wreck, our #3 son came down from North Dakota to help out but he's so quiet I don't think he was a whole lot of comfort. What was our comfort was the men and women of the First Congregational Church of the Bereans. Anything we would want or need (mostly a sympathetic ear and a prayer partner) they were there before we asked. In the hospital I tried to lighten the mood with my patented brand of caustic snark but it didn't help, and when my scheduled 90 minute surgery approached the 4 hour mark my bride was frantic. Thank God in heaven Pastor Lovejoy was there to calm and counsel her and to get her to open up about her fears.

While I was enjoying the post operative sore throat and anesthetic hangover Pastor Lovejoy assured my wife she's be at her brothers side as soon as possible and offered what ever it took to get her there. Sure enough the very next day Pastor & Mrs Lovejoy came by our house with money for my love to get plane tickets to the east coast, as they were talking to us a call came from Grandma - the hospital took the risk and removed Rob's gall bladder which turned out to be gangrenous, his liver immediately resumed functioning - Praise The Lord! If his liver never came back it would have been all over but to say goodbye. 

However as soon as my wife began to relax and take her time nursing me before returning to Ontario, another call came, this time from the Ontario PD. Keep in mind cops are brothers in arms, and when one of their own is hurting heaven and earth will be moved, no questions asked, to insure said brother and his family is taken care of, and Rob wanted his big sister so the Ontario PD was insuring that would happen. However it wasn't just a friendly "Hey, stop by and visit your brother ASAP if you ever want to drive hassle free again." No, now Rob was having respiratory issues and it appeared that he had a mild heart attack. Thanks to the love and generosity of the people of the First Congregational Church of the Bereans she was on a flight to the west coast in a matter of hours and that's where she is now. 

The roller coaster is still climbing and diving, but Rob is happy and my wife is is 7th heaven being able to take care of him and his wife. Sure all this traveling and hotel rooms is going to be a strain for a while (we plan to give each other Macaroni & Cheese for Christmas this year) but if the Lord in Heaven hadn't lead us to this warm loving little church a year ago, I doubt we'd be doing as well as we are

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1 “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,And I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3)