This story starts at a departure. January 22, 2016, my car rolled numerous times down the interstate with my brother as the passenger. When all was said and done, he was in a much more critical state than I. All I knew was my brother was unconscious. I know you're wondering what the departure is, and don't worry, I'm getting there. I'm just trying to give a little history first. My brother’s ambulance left before mine did, on request of course. I wanted to see him leave. Jonathan was headed by ambulance to the nearest town to be loaded up into a helicopter, which would then fly him to Tulsa where he would get the care he needed for his critical state. I watched him leave, not knowing what would happen next.
The ambulance I was in left shortly after, and my treatment soon began. I was feeling pain by now. They told me I was lucky to be alive, but I didn't feel lucky. I had no idea what was happening to my brother, and honestly, I just wanted to be there with him. They treated me, at least what they could do on an ambulance. Once we arrived at the hospital, there were many scans, stitches, and settings of my arm. My family was with me. I was, and still am, so grateful to have had my family with my on the terrifying night, even though we were divided between three places. While getting my arm bandaged, we got a call, the call which changed our lives.
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My dad was on the other line, he had the hardest news to deliver. To this day, I remember listening to him say how serious the condition my brother was in. It was at this time, we were informed of my brother’s injuries. My brother died three times on the way to the hospital and had to be resuscitated. He suffered from multiple brain bleeds, a hematoma on the brain, skull fractures, two fractured vertebrae in his neck (one being the superman fracture), facial fractures, a dislocated eye, and a fractured wrist. With all of these injuries, it caused them to intubate him, on a ventilator, medically paralyze him, and keep him asleep. My world began spinning, everything turning uncontrollably around me, and there was nothing I could do at this point. At this time, my dad didn't disclose as much of the information as he was told because we were 3 hours away and had a funeral to attend the next day before we could leave for Tulsa. It was terrifying.
My best friend, Rory, and her mom, Lisa, rushed to Arkansas to be with us as soon as they found out. I'm still so thankful to have had my sister by choice there that night and days to come. They attended the funeral with us, and then our families caravanned to Tulsa. Our mission was to get there before anything else was to happen. When we arrived, my mom was rushed back to see my brother before they closed the NueroTrauma ICU for a few hours. My dad then had to fill her in on what he hadn't told her about his condition before. Since there was so much trauma on his brain, the brain bleeds and hematoma, Jonathan’s brain was swelling. They put a monitor in his brain to monitor his ICP (intra-cranial pressure). This number kept going up. He also had those neck fractures, and the doctors told us he may never walk again. If he lived, he wouldn't be the boy we once knew. One thing stuck out about what this doctor said: my brother needed a miracle. I'm here to tell you, multiple miracles is what he got.
The next day, my brother’s ICP spiked too high for too long. This resulted in an emergency brain surgery to remove part of his skull to allow room for his brain to swell without causing damage. The surgery helped bring those dangerously high numbers down. There were a few scares when the ICP spiked for too long, and they thought they were going to have to remove the right side of his skull too. A miracle happened and they didn't have to remove a second piece. A few days after, he had another scare and they weren't sure if he was going to make it or not. He did. This all happened within the first days of the accident and him being in Tulsa.
My dad sent out updates a couple times a day called “Miracle Updates”. These kept our family and friends in the loop of what was happening and how Jonathan was doing. He also would send out specific prayer requests. If something needed to happen, he would send out a message telling people to pray for a specific need. There were many days we prayed for his blood pressure to come down and stay down, his ICP to come down, and many others. Because of all of the prayer, each need was met.
Weeks went by, sedation lessened, and my brother began to move. Watching him move for the first time made us cry, this was something they said he may not ever do again. Once the sedation wore off, he was moved to a step-down unit where he got to sit up and be awake. After a short time here, it was our next huge leap, rehab. The doctors initially told us it would be at least six months before he was able to move to a rehabilitation center. Well another miracle, and he was able to go to The Children’s Center in Bethany for rehab less than a month after the accident. Once he got to the rehab center, he walked (which they said he possibly wouldn't do again), did his school, and strived down his road to recovery.
My brother was released from rehab at The Children’s Center at the end of February, this wasn't supposed to happen until the end of the year. He was motivated and ready to prove them wrong. He went back to school, even with his missing piece of skull. Jonathan graduated valedictorian of his graduating class and delivered the opening speech, talk about proud sister moment. We took him on a cruise for graduation. Have I mentioned his college plans? Well I'm going to brag about my miracle brother. My brother was accepted to The University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner) as a distinguished scholar while he was in the hospital. He also was accepted into the Honors College of OU, which is an accomplishment in itself. He is seeking a degree in neuropsychology, a path chosen after someone who influenced him on this journey.
Last Thursday, July 14, my brother had his skull piece put back in. This was the final piece of the puzzle, which needed to be done before school started. He is recovering like a champ. Jonathan’s head is nice and round now, all put back together, no more missing pieces, and he is whole. He is now ready for college in August. When I look at him, I see someone who has gone through so many obstacles, most of which he doesn't even know of because he was asleep during them. He never let anything get in his way, no “disability”, no missing skull piece, and no one telling him he can't do something. He proved to those doctors he was willing to work and do whatever it took to get better and back to normal. He is a living, breathing miracle.
