December 2nd, 1986

On December 2nd, 1986 my family was involved in a 2 car, head-on collision. We were on our way to a wake or visitation for one of my dad's best friends who had died. We didn't make it. Less than 3 miles from home a driver who had been drinking bent down to pick something up from the floor of his car and came over the center line, hitting us head on. No one wore seat belts in 1986. We do now. If he hadn't hit us, he would have hit a family who was standing outside of their car on the side of the road because they were having car problems.

This is the car afterward. The door that had been cut off was stuffed inside. My cousin Randy came to stay with us and take care of us. We only had a wood stove, so he kept the wood stove fired up so that nothing would freeze. He went to look at the car a couple of days later. This was the car's good side. My dad was driving and was conscious through the entire accident. In bracing himself, he bent the steering wheel, broke both legs and his right arm. With over 300 stitches in his body, 120 of them were in his right bicep area where he had flung his arm out to protect my 7 year old sister who was in the front center. Mom fractured her pelvis and was pretty beat up. One of my parents was hospitalized 13 days, the other 8. My little sister broke her ankle and had stitches in her forehead, but was mostly protected by my dad's out thrown arm. She spent 2 nights in ICU. My older sister and I were in the back seat and were better off. She was banged up and her asthma was triggered. I flattened my nose and face against the seat in front of me. I had the imprint of the seat on my forehead for years. I had a gash on my knee and a puncture wound on my shin.

The family on the side of the road were some new friends of ours from the 4-H group we'd just joined. I remember how cold that night was, and I will always remember the feel of the burlap bags that were given to us to try to keep us warm. I will never forget the ride to the hospital, with my sister in a chair, one of the men from the other car strapped on the gurney next to me. I was on the bench, held in place only by one lone belt! The speed they were going made my location precarious! We were being taken to the hospital that the man had requested, and my parents were being taken to one 30 minutes away. They were half way to the other hospital when my parents found out and demanded that they turn their ambulance around. My aunt and cousin were able to meet us at the hospital. They were great support during that time, as we were all in our own areas in the ER.

I haven't been able to find the rest of the pictures.

By the grace of God we are celebrating our 22nd anniversary today. Only by the grace of God!

Amanda