At this time 6 months ago, Tyler was in the middle of an extensive surgery to repair his broken vertebrae and save his spinal cord, and Mom, Dad and I were in the midst of a living nightmare. Words like “paralyzed” and “quadriplegic” were being used by doctors and specialists. Friends and family filtered in and out of the Atlanta Medical Center ICU waiting room offering hugs and prayers. The entire day was a whirlwind, but the hours spent waiting for Tyler’s surgery to be completed were endless. When we were finally allowed to see him, we were exhausted from weeping, talking to visitors, and praying, but my parents and I made a pact at that moment to remain positive every time we visited his room. It was hard to stifle our sobs when we saw the tubes and machines surrounding his hospital bed. It was even harder when the nurses did not report any movement in his extremities after the surgery; however, we stuck to the pact and we have upheld it to this day. I still can’t remember how I made the hour-long drive home in the wee hours of the morning, but I do remember lying in the floor of my bedroom with my husband yelling and demanding an answer as to why this happened to my family. I felt betrayed and I went to bed that night angry at God. When the sun came up the next morning, I leapt out of my bed to get ready to return to the hospital. As I choked down a small breakfast, I glanced out the window into my back yard and saw a beautiful sight. The sky was a crisp shade of blue and the sun had begun to shine through the trees. Something compelled me to grab my phone and snap a photo of the beauty on display. As I admired the rays of sun reaching through the branches of the trees in the photo, my phone rang. My stomach churned when I saw my Mom’s number show up on the screen, and I answered immediately. “Tyler is awake,” Mom said, “and he was able to move his left arm!” Suddenly, the beautiful rays of sunshine felt like God’s arms reaching down to embrace me. I was stunned to tears. God hadn’t betrayed us. He was with us all along. And He still is. It’s hard to believe half a year has passed since that phone call. Time heals all wounds, but it doesn’t make them less painful. At times, I still catch myself being overwhelmed with sadness for my brother and my parents, but I am constantly reminded that God has a plan for Tyler. And for my family, too. Since December 29, 2012, my brother has beaten the odds and he continues to make progress every day. I only wish I could be as strong and brave as he has proven to be time and time again. While some progressions are bigger than others, they all add up to his current physical state. What started as an awkward movement in his left arm led to movement in both arms, his wrists, some of his fingers, his shoulders, and torso. What began as a mere pinprick-feeling in his right arm turned into feeling and sensations in both arms, fingers, torso, toes, legs, and lower torso. Now he is beginning to build strength in some of his muscles and he is working on controlling small movements in his right leg. Not to mention the ability to breathe on his own, feed himself, and talk without a tube in his throat. Among all of his physical progress, he’s also found a way to finish courses from his junior year of high school in order to begin his senior year in August. This kid can do it all. We know God isn’t finished with Tyler yet and we look forward to next 6 months of progress.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 02:57:44 +0000
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