Good prayers/thoughts needed | Golden Skate

Good prayers/thoughts needed

Kara Bear

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Hi,
I got this email from my cousin who is from Antigonish, Nova Scotia a few weeks ago. I am, however, am really bad at checking my mail. But when I read it, my heart went out to this family. I thought I would share it with all of you, so that maybe your good prayers/thoughts/hopes/wishes could go out to them. They really need it. Here is the email, which orginated from a friend of the family.




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To all our Friends

I am asking to you to please pray for friends of ours. A terrible
accident happened on Sunday, May 23 in Antigonish. Kenny and Anne Gottschall are friends of ours. My sister Mary is married to George Gottschall, Kenny's brother. Kenny and Anne have five children. They are Kendra aged 16, Lindsey aged 14, Brian aged 13, Melissa aged 10 and Brianna aged 6.

Yesterday afternoon they left home with Kendra driving
the family van. She was taking her siblings to the matinee. Melissa was not with them for she was at a friends. Kendra was not down the road from home, five miles, when she hit the shoulder of the road, and she tried to bring it back on. Well, she couldn't. She then went over a very deep embankment. The van rolled, they figure, about fifteen times. It came to rest against a power poll.

Brian was pinned against the power poll and under the van for well more than an hour and his head was jammed. He has severe head damage and every bone in his body is broken. They had much trouble stablizing him in Antigonish and the air lifted him to the IWK in Halifax where in turn they finally could operate at midnight last night. They only did operate on his brain last night to try to save him. They had to operate all night and had to remove much of his skull and they say if he lives he will more than likely be a vegetable. Kenny, his dad is with him at his hospital.

Kendra, the 16 year old and the driver as well has brain damage. They air lifted her to Halifax first. They operated on her at the QE 11 last night and she came out at about 11:30 PM last night. Anne, her mom is with her in her hospital. She had her head operated on last night and cleaned up and they say there is more than likely brain damage on her as well. Every bone in her body is broken as well. But they are trying to take care of her head as well and will work on her body when they can. They are giving her 24 hours. Our last call was at dinner time today and that call was they had to take her back in for more surgery at that
time. We are just waiting for more information.

Lindsey, the 14 year old. She was still in her bucket seat and every bone in her body is broken and a broken back. She may never walk again. But her head is fine. She was operated on in Antigonish and is still there. Compared to the other two she is doing fine. She has a long road of recovery but her head is fine. Lindsey and her seat and all went out the window and Kenny tells us she was cut so bad you woulnd't recognize her. He says they were all cut up very bad.

Brianna, the six year old, has every bone in her body broken as well but her head is okay. She too has a long road of recovery.

They were all wearing seatbelts and they say that is what broke their backs. The worst of all this is that they are four siblings that were on the way to the movies in the afternoon and it all happened in the blink of an eye. My God how little we all know. I can't imagine the devastation of these parents. I talked with Anne last night. The one and only thing she stressed was "Hilda please ask everyone you know to please pray for my children. I can't even be with them all."

How hard can it be. You can be with one only and you have another one dieing and you can't hold him. The questions and they heart ache. Some of us are mothers. Our dearest and biggest part of us is our children. Can we even begin to imagine? I think not. I can't imagine losing one child. To have that police man to come to the door and tell you that four of your children were just in a severe accident must be unreal. Kenny said when he saw his kids on the stretchers they were unrecognizable to him. He said they took over an hour to get Brian out. How can that happen?

Please pray for them. They are such a sweet couple. They so live for their kids. We all do, of course. But I wish you could meet this
couple. They are amazing. They amaze me every time we are with them. They have endless energy and they give so much to their kids. They just seem to do it all. They make me shake my head. They live for their kids.

Kenny said he was still standing in his driveway when he heard the ambulances rolling and wondered where they would be going. That is how close to home they were. My God how often we hear the most accidents happen close to home.

Please pray for these parents. You see these kids don't feel a thing right now. The worst is so yet to come. This is so just the beginning for everyone. If these kids live. Will all four be in wheel chairs? Will Kendra and Brian be vegetables as the doctors predict? My God so many questions. Kenny and Anne say they don't care what God decides to give them, just let them live.
They will be happy with whatever He decides as long as they can keep them. The love of a dad, every mom and dad wants their kids forever. Just don't take the kids at ages 16, 14, 13 and 6.
Pray for the 10 year old who is with family and must have so many questions for mommy and daddy right now. God bless them all at this time. They need our prayers so much right now. They need us all to pray so much at every second we can spare.

I thank you for taking the time to pray for my friends. It is through prayer that we can give them strength for whatever it is that God decides. We all have to be there for whatever the outcome.

God bless you for your help on this.
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
They surely have my prayers. I just can't even imagine what a nightmare this is. Truly, truly horrible. :cry:
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
This is terrible, Kara......of course you have our prayers........42
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Yes, Kara, you have my prayers and do please keep us updated.

Dee
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Sending prayers for all. Please let us know how everyone is doing. I am a firm believer in the "Steele Magnolia" theory... that which does not kill us makes us stronger. The human spirit is an amazing thing in that when you get to the point that you think you can not possibly handle anything else, and then something else comes a long. It seems that our personal "disc defragmenter system" clicks in and whatever life throws at us we not only handle, we overcome, and we become stronger for ourselves and for the others who need us.
 
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