It all began yesterday morning, shortly after 8am...... I received a call from Heather (my daughter) and before I had even answered "Hello" she was screaming and crying on the other end.
It didn't really alarm me because I'm used to dealing with instances like this with Heather. It did however alarm me as time went on and I could NOT make out any of her words. She was trying to talk, but it would only come out in high pitched shrieks and non- comprehendible language. As time went on, I thought she had said something like "David just jumped off a really high bridge....!!!!" I thought David (her boyfriend) possibly had tried to commit suicide in front of her. She was THAT upset!! I didn't know what to think at this point. I just kept trying my best to get her to calm down enough so that I could understand SOMETHING she said. I finally was able to make something out about Shiner (her dog) jumping out a window and being dead. I repeated it back and she is shrieking all over again.....
I just kept trying and trying to figure something ....anything out. She got across to me that she was on West Lake Houston Pkwy and finally was able to understand where. It was right across from our church. I asked her if we came would she still be there? I couldn't understand her again because of crying and she finally just hung up on me.
Meanwhile.....
I went and woke up David (my husband) telling him Heather was hysterical and we needed to try and figure out how to help her. He groggily got up because he had taken Benadryl the night before. We set out driving, even though not sure WHERE we were going. That's when she called me again and was finally speaking understandable words. She was now at an Animal Hospital which was very close to the accident. She made sure we were coming and hung up. We found her car parked in an alley way with flashers still flashing.....and our poor daughter sitting on a bench inside....crying.
As we sat down with her, she began to try and talk through her crying. She shared that she was driving down the road and had a window only slightly opened. Shiner is a good sized medium dog....still trying to figure out HOW he ever got through the opening so quickly. While enroute, he jumped out....but possibly got hung up on his leash still attached and went straight down (as best we can figure out)....causing him to be ran over. Heather said she didn't know what to do....put the brake on, go forward, go backward! She jumps out of her car, running into traffic, and comes to find her poor dog flopping and flailing around. She said he was trying to get up, but blood was gushing from his mouth.
That's when her angel showed up.......
A man in a work truck who worked for the electric company was following her. As soon as it happened, he immediately came to a stop behind her. He jumped out and ran to her and told her very abruptly "Get back in your car and call your Mom. Just get back in your car and call your Mom now!" ----- my own Mother would later ask me "How did that man know to tell her to do that? Call your Mom and not your husband or boyfriend or such?" I told her because we believe it was an angel sent from God and he knew Mom was the very best to call....in ALL situations. He then took out cones and put it around Shiner so no one would hit him and he covered the dog with his own jacket. At the next point, she says 4 doctors showed up somehow (from the animal hospital). It was quite unclear how they were notified so quickly and the scene wasn't in their view. Again.....God sent. They were taking care of the dog (hand carried him back to the hospital along with man who stopped behind her helping too). One doctor stayed with Heather and even drove her car,with her in it, to the animal hospital. They made sure she stayed in her car to catch her breath and brought her out a Dr Pepper. The man who stopped behind her (the angel) came back to be with her after the doctor left her. He made sure she was going to be alright....that her parents were on their way....and that she was following directions correctly. She got out of her car and took other dog inside with her. The nurses were VERY sympathetic to her.
This is where we come in.....
I had assumed that since we were at the Animal Hospital then Shiner must still be alive and they were working on him when we arrived. But as she told us her story she said "And Mom...he's deeeead." Then it all clicked in. She had been told that she could go back and see Shiner one last time if she wanted. She waited on us to get there. I went back with her, but before we did, the nurse warned us that the dog would not look the same as before. Who KNEW what we were about to see?? We went back and there was a covered body laying on a table. It felt like we were going to identify a body or something kind of eery like. They pulled back the towel and there he was. It wasn't anything really gory or overwhelmingly awful. Simply he was asleep with blood from his mouth still dripping and blood from his ears. I asked how he died. She said quietly....It was a head trauma accident. Massive injury to the brain. She was very respectful of Heather and stood quietly by as Heather cried and mourned the loss of her sweet dog. She petted him and stroked him. Saying this isn't real. She finally knew she couldn't take anymore and had to leave. The nurse asked me what we wanted to do. There was a standard burial at no fee and an ashes one with a fee. I told her it was up to Heather. Heather chose the standard burial. Once again they were very considerate and kind. Another big blessing.....there was NO fee whatsoever for all they had done to go out of their way to help her!! We were thankful.
David drove her car, with her other dog in it, to her apartment......while I drove my Jeep, with Heather in it, to her apartment. Neither David or I had been to Heather's apartment. But I knew once we got her there that we needed to go in and be with her. So we did. We let her talk and cry and talk...... I then got her involved in getting her mind off of the situation by telling her we would play her some video games. That's one of David's (boyfriend) favorite thing to do and hers to. So we went with that for awhile. She did well and even made mention at one point of feeling guilty for feeling possibly happy. I assured it that it was not wrong. As time went on, I was concerned about my David (not to confuse you with her David). He hadn't eaten and had a lot on his mind dealing with other matters .....but he was doing well in the situation. She assured us she would be alright. And we decided to leave.
Once home.....I started receiving texts of her feeling so bad and hurt. She was even throwing up at this point and said she couldn't stop. The memory of it all just kept replaying. She asked me when it would stop and would the hole fill itself? I told her when she fills it with God then He would fill it in his timing. And that the memory would be there, but that didn't mean God wasn't helping her through it. I assured her that each time she had the memory - to give it to God and look to him and trust in him to help her through it. I also told her to get our christian radio station playing on her radio.....to which she said "Mom, they just keep playing sad songs." I told her "KEEP listening.....listen to the words and not the melodies." I told her to read Psalm as well. Later.....I called her and she told me that she was upset so she called each her brother and her sister while they were at work....telling them about it.
Well.....
She had Savannah crying at work now and her brother concerned for her. I was proud of Savannah though....she came through. She asked Heather "Have you had anything to eat?" Heather said "no" Savannah then said "I'm picking us up some sandwiches and bringing them to your apartment." As soon as Heather hung up, there was a knock on her door. It was Taylor (Savannah's husband) standing there holding a Sprite and giving it to Heather. Perhaps Savannah had quickly told Taylor about Heather throwing up a lot and he headed over right away (they live across the street from each other). He came inside and sat down and talked with her for awhile.
All in all......
I know this was a very DIFFICULT experience for my child.....but I also know God was there to protect her, help her, and even bless her through the ones that he chose to surround her with help. He is good.....always he is good. And as my Mother In Law reminded me - God always brings good from that which was hard or bad. He brings beauty from the ashes.....how very well I know this to be true! Romans 8:28 "And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
As I try to point out to my child....look for the blessings of how God provided and protected - even in the worst of circumstances. So I also encourage you, my friend, ...... look for the blessings of how God is providing, protecting, and taking care of you....even in the worst of your circumstances. Be blessed......
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