My Son is Lucky to Be Alive
On August 2nd, 2022, Anna and her daughter were doing some last minute shopping at the mall in preparation for a family trip. They were to head to Seattle for a Women's conference, where the daughter was set to address the women on raising teens. From Seattle the family was supposed to head to New York. In New York, Anna’s daughter was to tour Columbia University and have trials with the University basketball team, speak to the coaches and things of that nature, with the aim of fulfilling has basketball passion at the famed institution. .
It was summertime and the weather was perfect.
After browsing the aisles in the shopping mall, the next stop for Anna and her daugher was at their preferred car wash, located about three minutes away from their residence and used by the entire family. Anna's husband was at work while their son Spencer was off taking care of his own tasks. Just before Anna was about to reach the car wash from the mall, she got a call from her husband. It was not the typical call she would receive, checking on her and telling her love stories. The voice on the other end was shaking and stammering as he asked, "Where are you?" Anna answered, "I'm two minutes away from the car wash," feeling perplexed.
Anna’s husband informed her of an accident close to their house and Spencer was involved. He told her to get there quickly, assuring her that she would join her soon.
When they arrived, the car was a total wreck, and she was not certain if anyone had made it out alive. The police and emergency workers were attempting to stop her from going to the vehicle, but she was determined to see her son and refused to be held back. She said if they wanted to arrest her, they could go right ahead, but she was not going to miss the opportunity to be there for her son and use her professional experience and knowledge as needed in that moment. As a trauma nurse, Anna was able to work with the first responders and provide assistance. Spencer's car had hit a hydrant and then collided with a tree, the impact of which had pushed the tree into the car, injuring him severely. He had lost a considerable amount of blood, and an air ambulance had already been called to take him to the hospital.
It took half an hour to remove Spencer from the wreckage. During that time, Anna contacted a renowned Kenyan doctor from Minnesota to tell him about the incident and seek his advice on the best actions to take for Spencer. She mentioned, "Once I saw his legs, I thought he might lose one or both. The good news was that he was still able to talk, so I ruled out the possibilities of him having a brain injury or being paralyzed. I was eliminating each possibility one by one, and I had no idea what to expect from the waist down..."
Eventually, Spencer was airlifted to the hospital where he was operated on for 9 hours. This marked the start of Anna's journey, which would challenge her emotionally in every way.
This was just the beginning of the journey Anna that would test the family’s faith and resolve.
In Anna’s words:
“Thee days after the accident, Spencer’s condition worsened. The doctor’s said he would not make it and they were recommending comfort care for him. No way, no how was I going to agree to this. This was my Spencer, he was a fighter and I knew he had a fight in him. I was going to be with him and help him fight…”
Spencer was confined in the ICU for 28 days until he eventually started to talk and was moved to a less intensive hospital. Unfortunately, he had to have one leg amputated.
Throughout his recovery, Spencer served as an inspiration to his family and the Kenyan community in Minnesota.
What happened on the day of the incident?
Spencer is prone to seizures and after waking up that day he planned to go to the car wash and then to Costco to refuel. He felt a seizure coming on and believed he would be able to make it back home in time, but he was wrong. He froze up while driving and the vehicle automatically sped up, eventually crashing into a tree.
Spencer is truly and inspiration.