Asking for Prayers

Friday night we were over at Norm’s uncle’s house visiting.  About ten minutes after showing us around the construction and beaming about everything he was planning to do, he fell through the crossbeams that are going to support the 2nd floor–only about ten feet–and landed on his head on the concrete.  He didn’t move and started breathing only in gulps and I immediately called the ambulance.  They live in the country on a dirt road, and after I called 911 I drove down the driveway to the road to meet the ambulance and help them find the place.  They got there in about 8 minutes.  I followed them up to the house, where Norm was a complete wreck and sobbed into my shoulder “I thought you left!  Don’t ever leave me!!” and just wouldn’t let go of me.  I’ve never seen him like that.   

His uncle is now in a coma in the hospital, having smashed his skull and broken his spine in at least one, maybe two places.  His brain has swelled and it doesn’t look good.  His 90-year old mother isn’t taking it very well either, and has been in and out of the hospital herself in the past couple of years.  The family thinks this may push her over the edge into another heart attack of stroke. 

I think we’re both in a combination of disbelief and shock.  He was only 10 feet away from me when he fell.  I’ve fallen farther than that, although not onto concrete, and come out fine.  This was such a freak accident.  It’s too real to be real, if that makes sense.  I keep seeing him fall like a repeating cartoon loop in my head.  We’re both still in shock, I think. 

Please send your prayers.  Rene (the uncle) is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met and his wife is a complete shambles right now.  They need all the love and prayer they can get. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, our hay barn collapsed last night.