It was a beautiful day actually. We woke up and got ready for church like we do every Sunday. After a morning of teaching and music and worship. Our family was going to participate with about 70 adults and children from our church in our town’s annual Christmas parade sponsored by the Fire Department. We were promoting the up-coming upward basketball season by passing out cups, t-shirts, and candy. About 2/3 of the way through I (mom) was sitting on the trailer that was being pulled by our friends pickup truck holding our youngest daughter. Savannah and her friend walked over to the slow moving trailer to board it. When Savannah tried to get on, her foot got caught by the wheel and it rolled over her. I screamed when I saw her go down. I jumped off the trailer and screamed for my friend to stop the truck. It all seemed to be moving in slow motion but it was very fast. When he stopped, which was quickly, the wheel was still on her hand which was lying straight up above her head. I then yelled for him to go forward. Jody had her in his arms in seconds, begging for help from anyone. This was a fireman’s parade, remember, so the paramedics were already there. They ran over and were working on her in 30 seconds. I remember looking up to the sky and thinking she’s going to be ok. I said that out loud over and over. I was more afraid that she would die because she couldn’t breathe. There was blood everywhere. It was coming out of her mouth, her nose, and her ears. I felt that if they could just get a tube into her lungs so she could get air then she’ll be ok.

The ambulance got there and we went to the hospital. In a matter of 20 minutes the waiting room was filled with over 100 of our friends and family. The hospital staff had to move us to their biggest waiting room. The doctors had to give her 8 pints of blood to stabilize her body. When she was stable they wanted to move her to Children’s hospital. It wasn’t until a little after midnight, and after the neurologist at Children’s hospital examined her did we find out that she was brain dead. Shock, numbness, and disbelief are some of the emotions we felt. It was like we didn’t hear him right. There was nothing they could do. She was gone and there was nothing anybody could do.

Life had struck us with a fatal blow. Jody and I walked slowly out of that small room and got about half way down the hall and just collapsed onto one another and cried. This was a cry I had never experienced. It was more like a wail, a deep, deep, heavy moan. We got up and could hardly walk. Our friends who had made the trip with us to Children’s were waiting just around the corner. All I remember saying to them was, “She’s dead.” We tried to sleep that night. The hospital gave us a room. How could we sleep when we were living a nightmare? I remember saying to God, “Oh God, you’re gonna have to pick me up and hold me through this one.”

This was going to be the ultimate test of this faith that I’ve proclaimed all these years.