Never Giving Up

Jan 21, 2024 | by The Fellowship

On an evening in late October 2021, my grandson was on his way to the gym to work out. He was the sole occupant of his car, thankfully, when he noticed an oncoming car veering into his lane. In an attempt to avoid a collision, he swerved and crashed into other obstacles. Once the car came to a stop, he was found unconscious.

My grandson was life-flighted to the Medical Center downtown. The seriousness of his injuries required that he be intubated and placed on a ventilator.

On the Sunday morning following the accident, I tearfully told Pastor Jerry what had happened. He immediately responded by lifting my grandson and our family in prayer. I also reached out to the Prayer Team who began praying for him and communicating with our family, requesting updates as the severity of his condition became known.

How faithful is our Lord Jesus by whose stripes we were and are healed! My grandson regained consciousness five days later. Miraculously, he suffered no other injury to his body -- but for his brain. But since the brain is the center of all activity for the body, he was very disabled.

Initially, he could not talk or eat or coordinate any movements. He received nourishment by means of a feeding tube … his arms hung lifeless … his body slumped forward or to one side or the other any time he attempted to move. It was so heartbreaking to see my precious grandson, just on the threshold of college, struck down to such a helpless state.

But oh, the wonders of physical therapy! How we praised the Lord when eleven days later, he was transferred to the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR). There he began to learn how to walk again with the aid of various assistive devices. At this point (let me bombard you with medical terminologies), he was diagnosed with Anterograde Amnesia, Cognitive Communication Deficit, and Abnormality of Gait and Mobility.

After 14 days at TIRR, he was transferred to Neuro Restorative Rehab. Continuing to improve while there, after eight days he was discharged home … just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving.

But he still had a great deal more work to do! My grandson next attended a daily outpatient Challenge Program where with much determination and a great deal of physical effort, he continued to improve. When he graduated once again, some deficit in recent memory still lingered -- but all else was intact.

Next came the challenge of learning to drive again. He was recertified by DPS and has been driving since August 2022. Just a few weeks later, my grandson returned to his interrupted life plans when he started attending a local university on a Merit Scholarship.

He did not do well that academic year and lost the scholarship. His memory deficit had not totally healed. The family submitted Health Records with Accommodations to the university -- and the scholarship was reinstated for the fall semester of 2023. His mother and I are dedicating some of our time to make sure he is grasping and retaining the content of each of his courses. That combined with his diligent application of learning methods has brought amazing results. His GPA for the semester just completed is a 3.0!

We give all the praise, glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Great things He has done!

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, f
irm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10-11