John McFall is like a father to me. In fact he's my Godfather (I was baptized catholic).
Throughout my life, John has always played an important role in many of the decisions I have made. Growing up I remember telling myself that I would love to me able to make a difference in the lives of as many people as John does. I honestly don't know of one person who is more giving toward others. I'm blessed to have him in my life, as are so many others. I won't go into detail on everything he as ever done for me, but he has given me permission to share something.
Back in September, I was just walking through my door from a weekend trip to Flagstaff, when my cell phone starts to ring. It was Chris (my best friend as well as Johns son) and he sounded horrible. I asked him what was going on and he said "it's dad, he was in a bad motorcycle accident and he's not doing well. He's in the hospital in Farmington, New Mexico". I asked him how bad it was, but he suddenly says "Its hard for me to talk, Ill text it to you"....................I then get the text. "It's bad, scared he might not make it".
After completely losing it in front of my wife, I told her I had to go. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to John and I didn't at least make the effort to be there. She was so awesome! She helped me packed and even quickly packed me a ton food to eat on the way.
It was a 5 hour drive and I think I got there at about 11:00 that night. As I walked into the hospital and got off the elevator in front of the intensive care unit, I saw the entire family sitting there. They all looked so tired and so scared. Chris was in with John, but Diane (John's wife) quickly got up to give me a hug. I knew she had to be scared to death of losing John. You have to really know John to realize how many lives would change if anything ever happened to him.
About 20 minutes after getting there, Chris came out from ICU. Just like everyone else, he looked exhausted. After giving me a hug and warning me of what I was about to see, he told me I could go in to the room. Being around hospitals for most of my life, I thought I would be ready for anything.
I've seen people on ventilators, I've seen people with chest tubes, central lines, the works. What I haven't seen is someone that I care about with all the above. I can't even describe what I felt.
I can't remember the entire list of fractures, but John had broken every rib on his left side, his scapula, he completely ripped the skin off of his left foot (this would later require grafts), a skull fracture, punctured lung and cardiac contusion. His face was almost unrecognizable. Swollen beyond belief. The worst thing, due to the impact his heart took, was his heart would go in and out of v-tach which would continue we were told for about the next 72-96 hours.
Unbeknownst to me, about 5 hours after I saw John, he would go into cardiac arrest, both times having to be shocked to get his heart to return to a normal rhythm.
Before I go further, I need to share something that will later be a part of the bigger story. John has a million brothers and sisters (can't remember how many, its like 10 or 11). Anyway, a while back, John lost his brother Leo who had battled with various health issues.
Back to the night that John went into cardiac arrest. When the event actually happened I was at my hotel. Diane, his wife had gone back to her hotel to try and get a little rest. When it happened, Chris was at his bedside and quickly called Diane back to the hospital. Months later, after talking to Diane, she told that she prayed the entire way back to the hospital. She prayed to God but she also remembered praying to Leo.
Leo was a big guy, much bigger then John. So she prayed the obvious. "Leo if you see John, kick his butt out of there because we need him down here" (I can't remember the actual prayer as she told me, but that's the jist of it).
Fast forward 3 months. John is home and doing well. His foot is healing and he's going to therapy for his shoulder. He's a changed man. He talks more than he used to, he cherishes life, and he speaks more from the heart. In a weird sort of a way, I feel closer to him now than I ever have.
I was visiting with him and Diane one day after Christmas and he tells me a story of a very vivid dream he had while in the hospital. He can't remember when or where he was at the time, but he thinks it was as he was coming to. Personally, I think it was when they were shocking him back to life (but who the heck am I do decipher anyone's dream:) )
I hope as I write this that I can do the story justice. Over Christmas break, I was reading the book "Proof of Heaven", about a Neurosurgeon's near death experience. In it, he describes people without human form, yet very spiritual in nature. If you get a chance to read it, it's an awesome book.
As John began telling me about his dream, the first thing that sticks out is he says nobody in the dream had physical faces. He could make out who they were from the shapes of their "being", a soft clay like figure, but he saw no actual physical face. He then tells me that he was in this long hallway. He could see a figure at the end of the hallway but couldn't make out who or what it was. He walked toward the figure and it walked towards him. As the figure neared, again it had no physical body but more of a spiritual one. As it got closer he could identify the shape as his brother Leo.
Then the figure spoke......"We aren't ready for you, you have to go back".
Remember Diane's prayer on the way back to the hospital? Now tell me..........isn't that one friggin awesome story!!!!
Believe what you will, I know what I believe.
Throughout my life, John has always played an important role in many of the decisions I have made. Growing up I remember telling myself that I would love to me able to make a difference in the lives of as many people as John does. I honestly don't know of one person who is more giving toward others. I'm blessed to have him in my life, as are so many others. I won't go into detail on everything he as ever done for me, but he has given me permission to share something.
Back in September, I was just walking through my door from a weekend trip to Flagstaff, when my cell phone starts to ring. It was Chris (my best friend as well as Johns son) and he sounded horrible. I asked him what was going on and he said "it's dad, he was in a bad motorcycle accident and he's not doing well. He's in the hospital in Farmington, New Mexico". I asked him how bad it was, but he suddenly says "Its hard for me to talk, Ill text it to you"....................I then get the text. "It's bad, scared he might not make it".
After completely losing it in front of my wife, I told her I had to go. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to John and I didn't at least make the effort to be there. She was so awesome! She helped me packed and even quickly packed me a ton food to eat on the way.
It was a 5 hour drive and I think I got there at about 11:00 that night. As I walked into the hospital and got off the elevator in front of the intensive care unit, I saw the entire family sitting there. They all looked so tired and so scared. Chris was in with John, but Diane (John's wife) quickly got up to give me a hug. I knew she had to be scared to death of losing John. You have to really know John to realize how many lives would change if anything ever happened to him.
About 20 minutes after getting there, Chris came out from ICU. Just like everyone else, he looked exhausted. After giving me a hug and warning me of what I was about to see, he told me I could go in to the room. Being around hospitals for most of my life, I thought I would be ready for anything.
I've seen people on ventilators, I've seen people with chest tubes, central lines, the works. What I haven't seen is someone that I care about with all the above. I can't even describe what I felt.
I can't remember the entire list of fractures, but John had broken every rib on his left side, his scapula, he completely ripped the skin off of his left foot (this would later require grafts), a skull fracture, punctured lung and cardiac contusion. His face was almost unrecognizable. Swollen beyond belief. The worst thing, due to the impact his heart took, was his heart would go in and out of v-tach which would continue we were told for about the next 72-96 hours.
Unbeknownst to me, about 5 hours after I saw John, he would go into cardiac arrest, both times having to be shocked to get his heart to return to a normal rhythm.
Before I go further, I need to share something that will later be a part of the bigger story. John has a million brothers and sisters (can't remember how many, its like 10 or 11). Anyway, a while back, John lost his brother Leo who had battled with various health issues.
Back to the night that John went into cardiac arrest. When the event actually happened I was at my hotel. Diane, his wife had gone back to her hotel to try and get a little rest. When it happened, Chris was at his bedside and quickly called Diane back to the hospital. Months later, after talking to Diane, she told that she prayed the entire way back to the hospital. She prayed to God but she also remembered praying to Leo.
Leo was a big guy, much bigger then John. So she prayed the obvious. "Leo if you see John, kick his butt out of there because we need him down here" (I can't remember the actual prayer as she told me, but that's the jist of it).
Fast forward 3 months. John is home and doing well. His foot is healing and he's going to therapy for his shoulder. He's a changed man. He talks more than he used to, he cherishes life, and he speaks more from the heart. In a weird sort of a way, I feel closer to him now than I ever have.
I was visiting with him and Diane one day after Christmas and he tells me a story of a very vivid dream he had while in the hospital. He can't remember when or where he was at the time, but he thinks it was as he was coming to. Personally, I think it was when they were shocking him back to life (but who the heck am I do decipher anyone's dream:) )
I hope as I write this that I can do the story justice. Over Christmas break, I was reading the book "Proof of Heaven", about a Neurosurgeon's near death experience. In it, he describes people without human form, yet very spiritual in nature. If you get a chance to read it, it's an awesome book.
As John began telling me about his dream, the first thing that sticks out is he says nobody in the dream had physical faces. He could make out who they were from the shapes of their "being", a soft clay like figure, but he saw no actual physical face. He then tells me that he was in this long hallway. He could see a figure at the end of the hallway but couldn't make out who or what it was. He walked toward the figure and it walked towards him. As the figure neared, again it had no physical body but more of a spiritual one. As it got closer he could identify the shape as his brother Leo.
Then the figure spoke......"We aren't ready for you, you have to go back".
Remember Diane's prayer on the way back to the hospital? Now tell me..........isn't that one friggin awesome story!!!!
Believe what you will, I know what I believe.
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