A very dear friend of mine has been suffering, she has been tested, but throughout it all she has remained positive….for her son. On March 14 her sixteen-year old son was on his way to weight training at his high school, he was running a little late. Hurrying down the low traffic road something happened, no one will probably ever know for sure. He went off of the road at a high speed. Was he avoiding another car, a deer, or did he look down at his phone? It doesn’t really matter, it could have been anything. His car went down the embankment into a culvert, when he overcorrected to get it back onto the road, at the speed he was going it rocketed his car eleven feet into the air, clipping a telephone pole midair crumpling the car back onto the road.
He was taken to the local hospital and then airlifted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In a moment your entire world can change. Steve and I were on our way home from our Atlanta Georgia book event. We were exactly at the crossroads when the call came in and we took the next exit and headed to St. Louis, praying for this wonderful family. Bryant and James jumped into their cars to be by their side as well.
TBI’s do not discriminate, they can happen to anyone at anytime. This was the first time that it has happened to someone else that I love, since our son’s accident. The five-hour drive was difficult for us, on many different levels. This young man is the nephew of the two brothers “from St. Louis” that I reference in The Year of the Cicadas. They drove across the country to be by our side when Bryant had his accident. We think of them as an extension of our own family, this is personal. I prayed that I could be of some help, but I knew that just being there was important.
When we arrived and the mother fell into my arms crying and my heart broke for her. Steve and I know the uncertainty that they were facing, the many decisions, and the helplessness of it all. Their experience was different than ours, but the emotions were the same. In the few days that we stayed, we prepared them for what was to come, the weight loss, the possible outcomes, how to be an advocate for their child who cannot speak for himself right now. We remind them that this is a marathon, not a foot race, and that they need to take care of themselves so they can be there for their son when he wakes up. He will need them to be healthy and sharp witted.
Children’s hospital was an amazing place. Here they treat the “family” of the accident as well. They have lockers for their belongings, shower facilities, tables and chairs in the waiting room, you could even have your meals brought in by the kitchen staff. It is a “children’s” neurological ICU and they expect parents to be there. Our son was twenty-one, and they expected us to not be there. Isn’t every accident victim someone’s child? We found this facility to be humane and I was impressed and knew that this family that I love, was in good hands.
The rewarding part for me was that his mother had read The Year of the Cicadas, and she was prepared for what was to come! I wrote the book, hoping that it could help just one person who was in the same position that we were in, and she allowed me to accomplish that goal. I never thought that someone I loved would hear my words in her ears even when I wasn’t there. Writing and self-publishing this book has been a lot of work, time, money and effort and she helped me to realize that it was for a greater good. Baring my soul and telling the truth about my emotions and what we experienced helped to prepare her, and I am grateful for this.
His wonderful mother is now learning the lesson of “receiving.” She has always been such a giver and sometimes you have to put your self aside and let other’s give to you. Friends and family feel so helpless in a situation like this and they want to do something, anything to help. One of the greatest loves is to allow someone else to love on you, but it’s not easy to do. Many of you are aware of this accident because of my Facebook posts. Thank you for your prayers, they have made a great difference. Grant is now in rehab, and he is recovering quickly. His brain injuries appear to be slight, but things will be different from now on for him and his family. You can go to his Facebook page, Prayers for Grant Henry if you want to know more about this amazing young-man and his family.
Steve and I will be in St. Louis on April 19 at Left Bank Books on Euclid Ave at 7 p.m. We will be donating the proceeds of our book sales that day to “Team Grant.” We hope you can attend, or tell someone you know to attend, help us to spread the word.
Catie
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Our marketing plan is driven by one person at a time, and you play an integral role in helping this book find it’s way into the hearts and the minds of the people it was written for.
Want to help? Here are some of the things you can do:
Write a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or our website www.theyearofthecicadas.com
Tell a friend about our book or purchase a copy for them as a gift.
Take our book to your or your friends book club, church group, or start a small group to read the book together. We have study guide questions on our website to help guide you through conversations about the book. You can get a discount through our website for multiple books purchased.
Write your local newspaper book reviewer and tell them how much you like our book.
Send a copy of our book or write to one of your favorite shows, like the Ellen Show, Oprah, The View or Kathie & Hoda, tell them what you think about it. It only does so much if I say my book is good, you the reader carry a lot more weight than I do with the outside world.
Pray for our message, that our story will reach the hearts and minds of the people who can help us to open the doors. Pray that our story will help to inspire people who are in need and that our story finds a way into their lives.
Without you, the readers of The Year of the Cicadas, this story would be in a shoebox in the top of my closet waiting for my grandchildren to discover it after my passing. Thank you for letting me see it find the light while I am still here. You rock.
The Year of The Cicadas 
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