Mariah

Wow, life can change in a hurry. This past Saturday we were looking forward to a quiet day at home. Marc and I had gone for a morning run, and we were back busy doing things around the house. McKenzie and I were sewing in the dining room and Marc had gone outside and was cleaning the baby chick feeders out. Mariah had wandered outside to be with her daddy. One minute everything was peaceful and the next I heard Madeline say something about Mariah getting kicked. My heart stopped because just this past spring she rode her bike into the back of one of our horses and was kicked in the head. (After a trip to the ER we were told that miraculously, she was fine.) I jumped out of my seat and felt like I couldn't get to the back door fast enough. I saw my husband with Mariah in his arms come running up. He came inside and she immediately started vomiting everywhere. All I could do was stand there and scream, "Get her in the van!" over and over again. I didn't realize at the time, but Marc was almost in shock because he said he realized that it was not good. We put her in the van and headed to the little hospital in the town closest to us. The 45 minutes we were there seemed like an eternity. They did a chest x-ray to look for broken ribs and then told us they needed to do a CT scan to look for internal bleeding. It was gut wrenching to sit there with my child pleading with me to "Do something mama, I am hurting!" I have never felt so scared and helpless in my entire life! They gave her some morphine through an IV while we waited on the CT report. It kicked in fast and she dozed off. We were sitting there scared to death praying when the ER doctor motioned for my husband to come with him. I knew at that moment something was wrong. I desperately watched through the glass to read my husband's facial expressions and I knew immediately it wasn't good. He came back to me and told me they were taking her by ambulance to a larger hospital with a Children's Trauma center.

To make a long story short, she had a lacerated spleen. By the time the ambulance reached the trauma center her blood work showed that she was definitely bleeding internally and they admitted her. Fortunately, they no longer automatically operate and take the spleen out. They said spleens in children heal pretty well in most cases. The hard part is that it takes a couple of months of restricted activity to let it heal.

Looking back over the whole ordeal seems like a nightmare. However, I am so grateful for God's protection and mercy in sparing her life, wonderful medical people that took care of her, family and friends that prayed for her, an oldest daughter that by herself took care of the house and children left at home, and a husband that never left Mariah's side through the whole thing.

Mariah getting ready to leave the hospital.

I was really hoping that she would be scared of horses and NEVER want to go near them again. Getting kicked two times in just a few months time you would think she would be. The thing that bothered her the most is when the doctor told her no running, jumping, wrestling, riding bikes or HORSES for several months. Her eyes got big and she said, "Oh no, I can't ride Abasha for months!?" Abasha is the old horse that is the reason why she has no fear of horses. He is my oldest daughters very first horse. She got him when she was nine years old. He is a great horse and so sweet with the kids. I think she had in her mind that our younger ones are just as sweet. Unfortunately she has learned that they are not. The following pictures were taken by McKenzie just a week or so ago. Mariah didn't know anyone was watching her. This horse puts up with so much. The kids drag him all over everywhere and have even dressed him up in Hawaiian stuff. He is the only horse that I like! :>)






Please continue to pray for Mariah's healing and protection. It is going to be a rough couple of months keeping her still with a wild two year old in the house and a new baby coming next month.