4 weeks ago 2 co workers' ( vet ophthalmologist, and a vet. soft tissue surgeon) 18 year old son (Humphrey) was riding in a car with 3 others at 3 pm coming back from the MSU/UMich foot ball game on a sunday (_"MSU won"!!!!!). The driver (unknown as yet why, but Toyota is on the scene!!!), drove across the median of a divided highway with 65 MPH speed limit and ran head on to a SUV with 3 people. A baby (may have my facts somewhat off) lived in that car, and the car Humphrey was in had 3 others that died. Tht car was crushed like a beer can.
This is every parents nightmare. He was airlifted to UM hospital with fractured skull, fx L3-4 vertebra, fx femoral head, fx'd femur, smashed radius and ulna and many carpal /metacarpal fx.s, and severe eye injury-thought to be lost (Now has good vision!!!) The police and Drs. said Humphrey shouldn;t have lived due to the car trauma. All these kids were honors students. Humphrey is a pianist and wants to be a doctor.
As the days went on, miracles happened. They have a 12 and 16 year old at home. The dad was called from a meeting in Calif to come home ASAP. The mom ( soft tissue vet surgeon from Australia working with Mich St for 12 years-and a WOODAHGOLIC), drove to the hospital with the shakes. As we all could imagine. The parents stayed in Ann Arbor for 3 1/2 weeks and HUmphrey came home Tuesday , 6 days ago.
My dept chair and I thought of things we could do for the family. They live in the country, love the fireplace, and the husband cuts firewood from dead wood in their forest. As I suspected (he had called me a few times in previous years for firewood) he hadn't got to cutting this years firewood.
So Sunday (yesterday), we had 16 people from where I work (faculty/residents/techicians) go to their house. I brought a wood splitter, wood caddy , 2 chain saws, food, beer (for after), mulled wine (afterwards!!). Others brought another wood splitter, another chain saw and , another caddy, more food.
A resident and I got there early and started organizing. The husband and wife were way behind with their professional duties- and had planned this week end-with 24 hour nursing care for Humphrey-to begin catching up, grant writing, article writing, lectures etc, etc. I told them they were not allowed outside and were to work inside on their computers ./
Everyone else showed up at the appointed time at noon, and it was a glorious day-55 and sunny. All 16 people dived in and worked hard for 3 hours, leaf blowing, raking and mostly foraging in the woods for downed, or dead wood. Cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking. We even had a line throwing wood from the splitter from person to person to the wood stacking area. Shouts of coordination rang threw the forest. We ended up with probably 2 1/2 full cords of dead wood-probably enuf for 1 1/2 years for them
Humphrey came out with his cane and his mom "showed him off" to us workers when we quit. He has all his mental faculties, lots of P. Therapy done and more to do. Somebody was watching out for Humphrey, and we all are so grateful. Unfortunately 5 others weren't so fortunate. The Dad (and Mom) were so grateful for what we had done as it was a chore he was guilty about not getting done, nor likely to get done for this winter.
NOW THE COUP DE GRAS IS I FOUND SOME SPALTED WOOD TO MAKE THEM A FEW MOMENTOES. Just cut them up tonite-think it's elm.
I think of all the crap that has occurred to AAW in the last 2 months, and I think to myself, "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF", Gretch
This is every parents nightmare. He was airlifted to UM hospital with fractured skull, fx L3-4 vertebra, fx femoral head, fx'd femur, smashed radius and ulna and many carpal /metacarpal fx.s, and severe eye injury-thought to be lost (Now has good vision!!!) The police and Drs. said Humphrey shouldn;t have lived due to the car trauma. All these kids were honors students. Humphrey is a pianist and wants to be a doctor.
As the days went on, miracles happened. They have a 12 and 16 year old at home. The dad was called from a meeting in Calif to come home ASAP. The mom ( soft tissue vet surgeon from Australia working with Mich St for 12 years-and a WOODAHGOLIC), drove to the hospital with the shakes. As we all could imagine. The parents stayed in Ann Arbor for 3 1/2 weeks and HUmphrey came home Tuesday , 6 days ago.
My dept chair and I thought of things we could do for the family. They live in the country, love the fireplace, and the husband cuts firewood from dead wood in their forest. As I suspected (he had called me a few times in previous years for firewood) he hadn't got to cutting this years firewood.
So Sunday (yesterday), we had 16 people from where I work (faculty/residents/techicians) go to their house. I brought a wood splitter, wood caddy , 2 chain saws, food, beer (for after), mulled wine (afterwards!!). Others brought another wood splitter, another chain saw and , another caddy, more food.
A resident and I got there early and started organizing. The husband and wife were way behind with their professional duties- and had planned this week end-with 24 hour nursing care for Humphrey-to begin catching up, grant writing, article writing, lectures etc, etc. I told them they were not allowed outside and were to work inside on their computers ./
Everyone else showed up at the appointed time at noon, and it was a glorious day-55 and sunny. All 16 people dived in and worked hard for 3 hours, leaf blowing, raking and mostly foraging in the woods for downed, or dead wood. Cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking. We even had a line throwing wood from the splitter from person to person to the wood stacking area. Shouts of coordination rang threw the forest. We ended up with probably 2 1/2 full cords of dead wood-probably enuf for 1 1/2 years for them
Humphrey came out with his cane and his mom "showed him off" to us workers when we quit. He has all his mental faculties, lots of P. Therapy done and more to do. Somebody was watching out for Humphrey, and we all are so grateful. Unfortunately 5 others weren't so fortunate. The Dad (and Mom) were so grateful for what we had done as it was a chore he was guilty about not getting done, nor likely to get done for this winter.
NOW THE COUP DE GRAS IS I FOUND SOME SPALTED WOOD TO MAKE THEM A FEW MOMENTOES. Just cut them up tonite-think it's elm.
I think of all the crap that has occurred to AAW in the last 2 months, and I think to myself, "DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF", Gretch
