Zach’s Accident
It was just a couple of days after Christmas and we were all feeling a touch of cabin fever. It had been bitterly cold and it seemed that it had snowed nonstop for days. I love the snow, but at times it was just too cold to be outside. My husband was at work and I was determined to take all 4 of our kids sledding. We searched for all the gloves, hats, snow pants, jackets, and boots which took what seemed like forever to dress everyone in. Then it was one last potty stop before heading to the local elementary school. A large hill slopes towards the back of the school and we thought it would be the perfect place to sled.
We took turns with the kids going 2 at a time. They loved the snow and the cold and the reckless feeling of speeding down a hill with no sense of control. The baby started to fuss and I knew that we were at the end of our adventure. I told the boys they could go down the hill one more time before we headed home. I straightened the blanket covering the baby and picked up the camera to take a couple more shots of our fun.
And then it happened. It was so fast, but I saw it coming. The boys were going too fast and they flew past me before I could reach them. I screamed at them, “Roll off the sled! Roll off the sled!” But they were going too fast. Zach was sitting in the front of the sled and I heard his head hit the metal side of a portable classroom before I think I even saw it. Tyler jumped up immediately, but Zach was still down, but I heard him crying. A thousand things flew through my head, “Does he have a skull fracture? That was so stupid to let them go sledding that close to the school. Should I call 911? What was I thinking?”
I ran down to them in huge strides and scooped up Zach. There was no blood, but his face was swollen and he cried as I ran with him to the car. “Do we have to go to the hospital?” he sobbed as tears ran down his swollen cheeks. I told me that we just needed to go see the doctor to make sure everything was OK. “I don’t want to,” he cried.
I was breathless from panic and yelled at my other children to hurry and get to the car. My oldest daughter maneuvered the stroller through the snow while I strapped Zach in his car seat and threw everything in the back of my van. I made sure all the kids were buckled before I took off.
I drove fast. I was aware that I needed to be careful, but I also sensed the urgency in getting Zach to a hospital fast. As soon as we hit the interstate, I gunned it and weaved in and out of lanes to get there. We were ushered into a pediatric room in the ER and luckily, Zach had suffered no head trauma and no broken bones. His cheek swelled and a black eye and purple bruise that extended from his eye to his jaw covered his face. We were so lucky, I know that. Almost a month later, I can still see the yellow bruise outlining his cheek.
I am grateful that we have a first aid kit in our car and that we were able to apply an ice pack to Zach’s face within minutes of his accident. I am also grateful that our kids responded the way they did. We have talked with them about possible emergency situations from a house fire to an earthquake. Although the situation was scary for them as well as for me, they acted quickly and followed directions, just like they were supposed to.
Tragedy and emergencies are a part of life. They come when you have a house full of guests for a holiday party or when you are doing the mundane every day things of life like folding laundry and putting gas in your car. Part of being prepared is having on hand the things you need, but another part is having the knowledge and peace of mind to make good decisions in difficult situations. By taking steps to prepare ourselves and our loved ones, we can enjoy a sense of security, knowing we have done what we can to prepare.
