Curve ball in the form of horrible car accident .... and mending

(CW: terrible car accident)  

details of accident edited May 31, 

Last weekend we drove from NC up to Virginia for a family wedding, and Kaela's family did too in their minivan with Charlotte (2, almost 3), the twin babies, Kaela, Joe, and their Au Pair, Ina.  On their way home Saturday night, they were in a horrific car accident around midnight, hit by by a young driver who had lost control and crossed the median.  Speed was a major factor.  It was very late because they had stopped for a good while to let a bad rainstorm pass, and they were just 15 minutes from home when the accident occurred.  The driver of the sedan car died and the car burst into flames not far from Kaela's minivan.  There were a couple of explosions and nothing anyone could do.  I know that is a tragedy for the family of that young person. 

We consider it a miracle that no one in Kaela's family died or had catastrophic injuries.  Kaela was the only adult conscious at the scene.  Joe, and the family's au pair Ina, were both unconscious.  Kaela has been remembering more about the accident and has spoken with one of the witnesses who stopped to help.  It is not easy to hear the details.  They worked to help Kaela get the babies and Charlotte out of the van, and then two or three men got Joe out of the van through Kaela's door.  Kaela's front passenger door was the only working exit from the van. These good Samaritans held the babies and Charlotte at the side of the road.   Firefighters had to cut Ina from the van.   In the midst of a lot of confusion at the scene, the family was taken to two separate hospitals in four ambulances.  

I know that angels were attending Kaela's family and my prayers have never been more full of gratitude,  and also desperate pleas for their full recovery both mentally and physically.  Joe, who was driving, had a collapsed lung, 14 broken ribs, crushed scapula, and clavicle fractures and is in such pain still.  Ina, who was between Charlotte and baby Amelia in the second row, has a broken femur, broken arm and broken nose.  She will stay in the hospital and rehab until she is deemed flight ready, to return home to Italy much sooner than she'd ever planned.  Baby Ellie was in the way back and did not sustain any injuries.  Amelia and Charlotte both had bruising from their carseat straps.  When we see photos of the van, from all sides, but especially the front and left sides, we absolutely cannot believe the injuries weren't much worse.  The staff at the hospital said it was a miracle and just unbelievable that Kaela didn't sustain broken bones or worse.  She is still in a back brace.  Her main injury is mental, with the intense trauma and now PTSD. 

We were still up in Virginia when Kaela called us early morning with "Mom, everyone's alive.  We are all alive.  Charlotte and the babies are totally fine, totally fine.  I'm OK.  There are lots of injuries but no brain injury and everything is fixable... Charlotte, babies and I are at Duke in Durham, Joe and Ina are at Wake Med Raleigh" 

It took me about 90 minutes to collect myself enough to be able to drive the 5 hours to the hospital.  David was literally on his way to the airport for a trip to Japan and we made the decision together for him to not cancel, knowing that help would flood in the first week, and he would be needed here for weeks to come.  Meanwhile I knew other family would be with all of them at both hospitals. Joe's sister Melissa went into "crisis management" mode making needed phone calls right away and dispatching cousins to Joe's hospital, and even speaking with the Bishop and Relief Society President of their church.    My brother David and sister in law Janette, as well as my niece Alyssa, spent the whole day with Kaela and children at the hospital.  I arrived just as they were ready to be discharged.   In one of life's tender mercies, Alyssa is a trained child life specialist (helping children with procedures and trauma at hospitals) and this was at the very same hospital that she was treated for childhood cancer 20 years ago. 

So ten days in, and Joe is home now in a rented hospital bed and recliner on the first floor, Kaela is in pain with her neck and back and may not lift the babies or Charlotte, making it essential for her to have a lot of help with childcare.  Ina is still in the hospital but doing much better.  The whole family sustained such a physical and psychic shock (but again it could have been so much worse).  Both sides of the family have rallied to help.  Joe's siblings have been wonderful helpers and advisors on medical and legal/insurance matters; his Mom has been here all week; our daughter Noelle  was by Kaela's side almost immediately and throughout the first week, even sleeping with Kaela; our son Tommy is here now for a week working from our home and helping in all kinds of ways over at Kaela's, and he gets married in two weeks!   

Every day, but less so now, Charlotte mentions "the big fire" "firetrucks" "doctors", riding to the hospital in a firetruck (ambulance), getting a "sticker at the hospital" "my friends helped me" (at the accident scene) .  

Church folks and neighbors have helped with... meals.... moving furniture.... pets.... Costco runs.... shift after shift for child care.... you name it.  The level of difficulty in general with twin babies is incredible.  Add on a traumatized 2 1/2 year old, injured Mom, very injured Dad, and the sudden lack of an au pair in the home (au pairs live with the host family and work 45 hours per week doing childcare and some housework) .... and it's just a lot.   And Kaela is needed by everyone and pulled in 10 directions.   She had JUST started her new job at a brand new hair salon the week before the accident. That is now on hold. 

So, "it takes a village" is such a cliché but SO TRUE right now.  Long days and lots of help.  

Charlotte pointing to Daddy's arm in a photo, starting to understand that his ribs and arm are injured and we have to be very careful once he gets home from the hospital. 

Babies are just happy 90% of the time! 

A little snuggly down time with Auntie Noelle and mommy - 

The following is a post I drafted weeks ago and didn't post! 

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law Janette asked me to do my visible mending/sashiko/indigo thing with these new jeans.  It was a fun project!  It took 6 or 7 hours total. 

Choosing out some vintage Japanese indigo: 

Cutting and placing: 

Stitching during Netflix in the evenings: 

I added a little something to one of the belt loops: 

Kept the back simple: 

Front finished: 

Now that I'm publishing this post... I'm just reflecting on mending... mending broken bones, broken hearts, broken dreams... finding succor in the Lord's loving arms through prayer and meditation... health and wholeness... all of the things we wish for our loved ones... how important our family ties are, and how precious life is.  I wish the car accident had never happened, and I weep thinking about the trauma of it, but I will always be so deeply grateful that we are dealing with temporary wounds... Praise God from whom all blessings flow.... 

My brother David and Janette, and my niece Alyssa at hospital while staff installs new car seats into my van so we can take these precious babies home, with grateful hearts full to bursting that they weren't injured: 

xo

Cynthia