These are his "battle" scars. Puncture wound to scalp, swollen and bruised shoulder, road rash on face and arm, and ...I know the lighting is horrid ...scrapes and bruises on his abdomen. The first three pics are Caleb the night of the accident. My friend Charlene took these pics at the hospital as we were leaving.His pants and shirt were cut off during his chopper flight.
I have heard several versions of the accident so I thought I would share what really happened.
This past Thursday evening we were going to go over to the church and park for a little work & play ,Caleb wanted to ride his bike, so we followed with the babies in the van.
Caleb got to Gomez before we did..we were about 100 yards or so behind him. He paused... we saw the car..assumed he saw the car..and then we saw the bike moving.
This is without a doubt the MOST bizarre moment of my life. We knew instantly what was going to happen but could do nothing to stop it. It was slow motion and fast all at once. Matt began screaming the second that he realized that Caleb was going to go. He was yelling, "NOOOOOOO," over and over and over again.
The man in the car slammed on the brakes but there was nothing he could do..he hit Caleb full on...we saw his body fly over the hood of the car and land on the other side of the car.
I was driving the van and it took me a second to get my mind around what had just happend. I slammed it into park...Matt was already out of the door screaming hysterically. I threw open my door ..I could no longer see Calebs body..the car that hit him was blocking our view...and I heard nothing...no crying..no whimpering..I kept thinking ...he is dead..he is dead..
I yelled at the babies to not move from the van and took off running. When I rounded the back of the car that hit him I could see that Caleb was lying in the grass between the road and the concrete sidewalk and was stuggling to try to push himself up. I thought...he is moving!he is alive!...then I thought he should not be moving.. we do not know what is going on inside of his body so I starting yelling for him to lay down and be still. I looked down at my hand and saw that I had grabbed my phone. I have no memory of doing that but there it was. I called 911. It took them 10-15 rings to answer and I was screaming...this is 911..why are'nt you answering...pick up...pick up...
When they finally answered I told them what had happened and they wanted an actual physical address of where we were...I did not know that ..I just kept saying we are on Gomez.. John Jones had walked over from his house and he calmly told me to give him the phone... I let him deal with 911 and fell onto my knees next to Caleb who now was sobbing hysterically, screaming over and over, I do not want to die. I do not want to die.
I wanted to grab him in my arms but when I touched his arm he started saying ...don't, don't that hurts... so I just crouched next to him in the dirt. A man whom I do not know... I feel badly that I do not have his name.. I would like to thank him...was almost instantly there on the other side of Caleb. He said he was a nurse or nurse's aid...something like that and he helped Caleb keep his neck still.
Caleb instantly looked VERY bruised.His face did not look good at all. His arm was swollen and bruised instantly. I tried not to touch him ...just kept telling him that it was going to be ok and to please be still over and over...
I could not form any sensible prayer or thoughts. At one point I literally had my face on the ground next to him just saying...Jesus...Jesus... over and over again. It was all I could think to say.
Matt told me later that there were probably around 100 people at the scene. I know that different people said things to me and offered help but I only have very vague memories of any of that.
Susie Mydock had been out walking and came running as soon as she realized what had happened. A friend told me later that I told Susie...my babies...my babies are in the van.. someone needs to be with them. She ran over there...she prayed with them...she stayed right with them.
EMS got there very quickly. Pretty soon we were surrounded by EMT's and cops.I remember looking up and seeing the man who hit Caleb standing next to his car with a shell-shocked look on his face and remember thinking...he thinks he may have killed my son... I said...you did not do this..this is not your fault..he pulled right out in front of you...there is nothing you could have done..
The EMT's lifted his shirt and almost immediately told me that because of the contusions to his abdomen that he would have to be life flighted to St Marys Trauma Center because of possible internal injuries.
They said that I could not go with him. Caleb had calmed down a little bit but when he heard that he started to get upset again.I was not exactly happy about it myself.I knew I could not make a big deal about it so I just tried to calmly tell Caleb everything that was getting ready to happen.
The chopper landed behind the tabernacle and they transported him from the scene to the chopper in the ambulance.As they loaded him into the ambulance he started to shake so bad that his teeth were chattering. I think his little body was going into shock.
Matt grabbed my arm and told me that Tim and Cheryl Boyd were going to drive me to the hospital and he was going to stay behind and finish the police report and find sitters for the kids....he would meet us there as soon as he could...
The only thing I can figure out is that all those people at the scene must have been texting and calling everyone they knew because almost immediately both of our cell phones began ringing off of the hook. We had no idea what to tell people except he has just been life flighted.
Tim Boyd drove as quickly as he could and prayed while he was driving. Pastor Wolfe called from IHC and prayed over the phone.We now know that prayer groups were being formed in several different states. I am sooo grateful for every single petition on Calebs behalf. I could not form any coherent thought so I am so thankful for everyone that could!!
At the hospital he had cat scans and x-rays....the result.... NO internal injuries...NO broken bones.
He was one sore,road rash covered, bruised little boy BUT THAT WAS ALL!!!
The man who hit Caleb scrawled his number on a napkin at the scene and handed it to Matt and asked that we please call as soon as we had word of his condition. When they told us that Caleb was going to be released Matt called...that is when the man told us that he drives a service truck home from work every night....except that night....he was driving a little Ford Focus....
I KNOW that God had his hand on that man and answered the prayers that were prayed for Caleb BEFORE they were ever prayed!!!
The man's car has a dent in the hood BUT Caleb's bike does not have a scratch! God is good!
That night once everyone was picked up from their various sitters...thank you Mydock's and Shillington's....and put into their own beds...we sat on the couch...and Matt asked....did all of that really just happen?
I did not sleep that night. I kept seeing him go over that hood over and over again. I had to keep checking on him to make sure that he really was ok.
He was...he is...thank God....
