Happy Fourth of July! This is how we spent the holiday...
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This
morning Mat, his brother, brother-in-law and Dad went for a bike ride. To make
a long story short, Mat's front wheel came loose and he flipped over the front
of his bike going probably 20-30 miles an hour. But let me take you back a day
or two....
Upon leaving
Provo on Monday, Mat realized that he had forgotten a bike helmet to go biking
with his father. Upon telling me, I replied, "Do you think it's
pretty necessary? Could you ride just this once without it?" Mat replied
that he didn't think it a good idea and that he didn't feel like his parent's
would approve either (Mat's dad is big into cycling). He called Kimball, his
brother, in hopes that he hadn't left yet, but indeed, he was just leaving
Provo. They him-hawed back and forth, and finally Mat insisted that
Kimball turn around and grab them both helmets. I must admit, I thought Mat was
over-reacting, but Mat's not the type to impose on people, so I let it
alone.
Fast forward to
this morning. Mat woke up sick, (I think he's the 7th sick this week here
in Park City, Cam being one of the first), but still wanted to go biking.
They left, and about 10 minutes later, Aubrey received a call saying that
Mat had wrecked. They said he was fine, but we'd need to pick up him and
the bike. I took a car and headed down to get him, not really feeling
worried, as they made it seem like the wrecked bike was more of an issue than
Mat.
When I got
closer, I realized this was wrong--I'm not sure if it was the Ambulance, the
Cops directing traffic or the fact that Mat was lying flat on his back holding
his arm that made me realize that I was wrong. Pick one. It was probably
all three. I parked, and approached a bloodied up Mat.He held his left
arm, and still had his bike helmet on. The visor was torn off, and there was a
crack down the side of the helmet. Mat was conscious, and talking to the
policeman and EMT. We finally got him standing and we took him to urgent care.
They took a look at him, and after exams and x-rays, diagnosed a broken
clavicle (and A LOT of abrasions). The PA said he was lucky--it was the easiest
shoulder injury to fix. 6-8 weeks in a sling, possible surgery. but complete
recovery. anything else could have had lasting effects.
(Mat's broken
shoulder--look at the bump on his left shoulder.)
Only after the
fact did we fully realize what a miracle it was that Mat was alive. Mat felt
incredible inspired to push his brother to turn around and get helmets.
The morning of, Mat's helmet didn't have a clip. They considered leaving
it behind, but at the last minute, tied it on. Kimball had the foresight to
ride behind Mat. His helmet literally CRACKED. So many things could have
happened had he hit his head. Brain damage. Concussion. TBI. More severe bone
or joint injuries.
As I sit here typing this post, sitting next to my husband who is perfectly
content enjoying a movie and popcorn, I can't help but be grateful for a higher
power guiding Mat and I in all we do. Do you believe in miracles? I do.
