Day 291 A Brilliant, Blessed and Beautiful Girl

Dear friends,

After 291 days, I am still learning new things surrounding the car crash of November 8. Today Hannah had another follow up appointment with her neuro surgeon, the very sweet Dr. Adamo. Dr. A. was there the day after the accident, and saw the scans of our darling Rejoice's brain from the beginning. He told me today that Hannah actually had some bilateral damage, which I did not realize. I thought her injury was limited to her right frontal lobe, but that was not the case. However the main damage was done on the right side. But here's what turned me inside out; here's what had me crying on the way to Jiffy Lube: Dr. Adamo said many children with brain scans that look like Hannah's have a poor recovery. If they, like her, were in advanced classes in school, they typically drop down to special needs classes, and often don't even graduate from high school. He is delighted with Hannah's spectacular progress. The areas that are still challenging are still rugged. But she has overcome beyond anyone's expectations. I know deep in my heart, without a doubt, that God simply, graciously spared us from a far greater heartache than we have experienced. Why, I don't know. We certainly don't deserve it. There are precious, good, God-fearing people who have had to go down that more strenuous road. But I am grateful. And I take none of it for granted.

I thought what it would be like, if my darling girl, who so loves words and poetry and literature, was unable to appreciate those things anymore. If she was unable to engage in the classes and special relationships she has with the kids who share her passions. What if she had been unable to relate to people who share her life? I am not dismissing her losses, or ours, as a result of the crash. But it is plain that we have skirted around the edges of a complete, unmitigated disaster. It scares me to think what kind of person might have emerged from within me if Hannah had been killed, or incapacitated, or even separated from the life she knew. Yes, we are all dealing with changes, some of them like the tender spot on a sore tooth. But the light overwhelms the darkness by a mile. I could only cry out "thank You, thank You" on my way to get the oil changed.

As for relationships, I've told you before that our extended families have come to mean so much more to us during these months in Bizarro Land. We're visiting my dear brother in law Tom and his wife(and my friend!) Sandy this weekend. Their 3 beautiful girls and our Hannah will no doubt talk again like they just saw one another yesterday. Tom has the heat in the pool cranked up so I can actually swim! And it sounds like a number 10 weather weekend, so Miss Rejoice can reboot her Cape Cod tan. (Which reminds me, I really do have to return the key to Cindy and Bill's house at the beach...what a fabulous memory I'll hold dear of this year on the pilgrim road...)

Hopefully I can post a few pix of our fun with family weekend. I guess this is summer's last big hurrah. We are rocketing toward the first day of school. But it's not yet. I won't be sucked in to fall, even though it is a glorious season. Everything in its time.

Thanks for rejoicing with us over the miraculous grace of the Great One in the life of our only princess. Your prayers for her have meant more than you can ever possibly know. What the enemy meant for evil, God has most assuredly meant for good. Only the future will tell the great plans of the Great One for Hannah's beautiful life. We shall see.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann