Early Thursday afternoon, I received a text from my mom, a text I never thought I’d get from her.
“John bad accident”
John is my brother, my big and only brother. He was home from college this week so he could spend time with his fraternity brothers, and he was on his way to meet some when an accident occurred.
A lost woman missed the stop sign at the busy intersection between a highway and the county road she was driving on. My brother’s vehicle was broadsided on the driver’s side and rolled into a ditch and onto its roof.
Thankfully, John was wearing his seat belt. Rescue crews had to use the jaws of life to get him out of the vehicle. He was transported by ambulance to a hospital. His injuries could have been worse, much worse, but they’re still pretty bad.
It’s too soon to know how long my brother’s recovery will take, and whether he will need surgery. I am most thankful for the fact that my brother will be okay once he’s had some time to heal. Although I may not get along with him, and we don’t talk that much, I am glad he’s still around to be my big brother.
To the people who choose not to wear a seat belt, if John hadn’t he could have more bones broken than what he has right now, or he could be dead, and instead of visiting him in the hospital I would be standing next to my parents and sister celebrating and remembering his life at his funeral.
This year my family is thankful for the invention of seat belts, and the men and women who contributed in getting my brother out of his car, into an ambulance, at the hospital where he was stabilized, and the hospital where he is currently recuperating.
If everything heals properly, the doctors expect to release my brother from the hospital on Monday or Tuesday.
What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?