The Saving of Jacob (Part 1)

September 3rd makes the anniversary of a true miracle in our family!

It's been two years since I wrote these words to some very dear online friends recounting the near-drowning of our middle son, Jacob. He was 4 1/2 at the time. My heart still races and a panic grabs me even to this day as I read through the details and recall my emotions and feelings of that day. I am posting this today as a reminder of the truth that none of us is ever given the guarantee of even one more single breath.

We have experienced a true miracle!

Jacob nearly drowned on Sunday afternoon so the past couple days have been a blur to me. I will try to type out the whole story but I'm tired and unsure I can finish it.

Some background: The church where Jason pastors meets out at a country dance hall that is only used Thurs. nights for practice and Sat. nights for music/karaoke/dancing. We set up and tear down every week. Behind this building is a sewage lagoon/water treatment facility that belongs to the city and is surrounded with a 4-5ft chain link fence with barbed wire along the top and a cattle gate for trucks. (I think it is roughly the size of a football field.)

Well, Jake has been known to wander off while we are tearing down and such, but has always been located quickly. This Sunday when I noticed I hadn't seen him for a few minutes, I went out to the van (where he usually goes) and saw that he had put his Sunday school papers in the van. So I found Jason and pretty soon there were about a dozen of us looking for him. I had Jesse playing in thevan so I stayed up by the van calling Jake. I saw a couple parked school buses up the road and wondered if he would have walked up the highway to see them. My mind would not allow me to think about the lagoon. Jason and a bunch of others immediately went that direction. I was just paralyzed with fear!

In a few minutes, one of our teens came running up screaming, "Call 911, he was in the water!!!" OMGosh! I started crying uncontrollably. I was drawn to go there, but so terrified of what I might see. But I had to see my baby! A woman came and took Jesse as I ran toward the lagoon. I was grabbed by another woman but I didn't know if he was alive and breathing or unconscious or whatever. It seemed like an eternity before I heard her say, "He is ok...he's alive! Brandon saw him in the water!" and I lost it again. Then I saw Joey walking along just crying and I grabbed him and said, "He's ok. He's ok."

Within seconds, I saw my soaking wet baby in the arms of my mostly wet husband and all I wanted at that moment was to hold Jacob. Jason carried him up the hill as I ran down it and I held him so tight bawling like a baby. I asked him if he was ok and he said, "I drowned-ed, but I did not die." I said, "No, baby, you did not die." I walked over and hugged Brandon, the 23yo who caught a glimpse of his head as it popped up and then went back under the water. He ran down the hill, climbed and jumped the fence cutting himself as he went and dove into this sewage not even knowing it's depth. Jake was back under a foot and a half by then. Jason followed him in and took Jake from him and handed him to Brandon's dad and then helped Brandon out.

Jake began to slip into shock and we waited for the paramedics to arrive talking to him and trying to keep him awake and warm. He never once lost conciousness! Amazing. The first-responders arrived and checked his breathing. He was stable. Then the paramedics arrived and checked him out. They said he was stable enough for us to transport if we wanted to (we have no health insurance right now...not that it matters in an emergency like this!) so Brandon's dad, Brian, said he would drive us. We had some friends take Joe and Jesse and we sped off to the hospital 20min away.

I talked to Jake and kept him awake and tried to keep him warm. The ER took us right back and began their assessment. His pulse ox was in the low 80's so they gave him oxygen in his nose. Drew blood and started an IV. They ordered a chest x-ray and a blood gas and 850mg of Rocephin (an antibiotic). As the results came back they informed us that they were going to have him transported to the local University Hospital where they have a trauma team. He was stable, but could need more help quickly. I rode with him in the ambulance the 5 blocks to the University where the trauma team met us and wisked him into a room. I was pulled aside into a small room by the hospital social worker and asked for all the details. Jason arrived about 10min later and we waited for the dr to update us. He came out in about 10 more minutes and told us that Jake was doing ok. He was at CT for a head and chest CT at the time. They found no other injuries to his body. Because his belly appeared distended (I had not noticed), they put in an NG tube (tube down his nose into his stomach) to remove the air and the water from his stomach. This got him crying and it actually brought his pulse ox up into the 90's on room air only. So that was great! He told us they would transfer him up the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) after his CT and that we could see him then. They explained that if he had aspirated the lagoon water, he could develop pneumonia and take a turn for the worse in a matter of minutes so they wanted him being watched very closely that night. We were completely ok with that.

So we debriefed the friends with us and then some others arrived with some clothes for Jason (who was still in his soaking wet jeans, shoes, socks, and cell phone) and some chicken and granola bars for us. It was about almost 2 and we had not eaten anything yet.

When we got to his room, he looked ok. He looked soooooooo pale to me, though. And he was sorta catatonic (sp?) just staring at the TV screen. I remained with him all night. Jason's mom, dad and sister drove in from KC and after they visited, they took Jason to the house to relieve our friends and to pick up Joe and Jesse. They all came back into town and found a hotel so they could be closer to Jake and I than the usual 30min drive. He vomited once after we had just given him a sponge bath (to get some of that nastiness off of him!) but that was good. There was a lot the tiny green algea/plant junk in his stomach contents. Yuck.

He slept like a rock that night and the nurse came in every 4hrs to wake him and every hour to check his vitals. What a little trooper. The night nurse checked his lungs, looked at me in amazement and said, "I don't think he aspirated ANY of it. His lungs sound so clear! That does not usually happen in a case of near drowning." Thank you, Jesus, for this miracle. Jason arrived about 6:30am and they did a chest x-ray. After the x-ray, he seemed to awaken...like the little boy yesterday (Sunday) was not even my Jake. My Jake reappeared with smiles and giggles and incessant talking! I was so happy! The resident made his rounds and said the NG tube could come out and he could get a popsicle and have breakfast ordered. He ate like a champ. What a doll. I've never seen anyone so happy about seeing a strip of BACON!

I went home with Joe and Jesse at lunchtime so mom and dad and Robin could get on the road in the Labor Day traffic. Jason remained with Jake. The attending came by and said he could go home and to mainly watch for fever indicating pneumonia or shortness of breath/labored breathing.

I have never been so happy to have my family all together. The prayers came from all over the country! God is so good! No telling how this story would have been different had Brandon not spotted him at that moment. How do you even begin to say "thank you"??? I have no clue!

We have since asked Jake what happened. I am still unsure exactly HOW he got into the fenced area, but he said, "I go out there and I slipped and falled in and go under the water. I call 'help!' and then I come up and then Brandon get me out." Wow! Makes me cry right now.

My baby is safe. Thank you, Jesus!

This miracle brought many, many questions to my soul. Why did Jacob live and the son of some very dear friends die? They are believers too. Why?

Don't get me wrong. I am thankful beyond words, but my mind still cannot answer some of these unanswerable questions. As I rejoice in Jacob's life, I am reminded to uplift our precious friends through prayers that have no words...groanings of my spirit.

Even still...as I write this, an even greater and more incredible miracle has taken place. Please stop back by tomorrow to read The Saving of Jacob, Part 2.

With a quieted heart,
~ Marcia ~