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On Thursday, June 21st 2007 my family was forever and irrevocably changed.
While passing another vehicle my cousin Kirian (Meadows) Williams lost control of her Ford Expedetion, ran off the berm of the road, ultimately flipping her vehicle onto its' top. She and her only passenger, her three year old daughter Maleah, were ejected through the front doors of the vehicle.
Kirian died on impact.
Maleah slid through the grass that God had so lovingly provided, coming to a stop less than 20 feet from the vehicle.
A passerby, the man in the vehicle Kirian had passed, stopped to give assistance. Realizing that Kirain was beyond his help he turned his attention to Maleah sliding a blanket under her battered little bady and pulling her away from the Ford as it exploded. He then quickly moved Kirian away from the blazing Ford.
As Maleah began to regain conciousness and ask for her mommy this wonderful God sent man immobilized her head and lower torso, called 911 and then calmly talked to her. He asked her how old she was, he asked her what her name was. And he stayed there with her until the life flight that was necessary to transport her lifted off.
All he knew about this precious little life that he had helped save was that her name was Maleah and she was threee years old.
As the family gathered at the hospital to wait for news of her condition Maleah was fighting for her life.
A broken pelvis, 3 broken vertebrae in her neck, a torn liver and spleen and lungs severly bruised by the impact of her tiny body hitting the ground all worked against her as she clung tenaciously to life.
We prayed. And we hoped.
Like I've never prayed before.
I called every member of my church I could think of requesting prayer.
The doctors were brutally honest about her chances of survival and teh news wasn't promising.
They predicted that IF she survived she would be in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) for AT LEAST 6-8 weeks and would still be hospitalized for an umdetermined period after she was able to leave the PICU. And still she battled her injuries. And with every breath she breathed my faith became stronger, my prayers more frantic until they became pleas to God to spare this beautiful little girl that has so stolen my heart.
On Saturday June 23 someone called the waiting room of the hospital and asked to speak to anyone in the Williams family. It was the man who had stopped to help Kirian and Maleah. And he was desperate for information about Maleah. He told Kirian's sister that he couldn't stop thinking about Maleah, couldn't get her face out of his mind. He asked if he could comt to the hospital.
When he arrived he was greeted as the hero that is truly is. And after visiting with the family he quietly and humbly asked if he could see her before he left.
This man not only helped save Maleah, he cared enough about her to track her down, armed only with her name and age. I never got his name but I thank him form the deepest recesses of my heart.
On Sunday June 24 we carried Kirian home for the last time. There was standing room only at the funeral home as Kirain was remembered by her friends family and the members of her church.
As I looked in my rear view mirror the line of cars appeared to be without end. Within my vision the line stretched for more than a mile.
As my family gathered in the cemetery, surrounding Kirain's mother sisters and brother with love and support I listened as the minister talked of the beautiful young woman Kirian was, her wit, intelligence and zest for life.
And I thought of all the things that weren't being said about her.
Her belief that there wasn't anything she couldn't do, her sense of self worth and her belief that life was for living. Her ability to bounce back from advesity and move ahead.
Kirian was devestated by the death of her 8 day old infant daughter Arieah Beth in August 2006.
She never fully accepted the loss and her heart never fully recovered. But she continued to live her life to the fullest, taking chances that most would have avoided, believing that her time was pre-destined by God and that she wouldn't leave this world until God was ready for her.
This young woman was the single mother of a three year old little girl, a devoted Christian, a Union Pipefitter, a daughter, a sister, a neice and a cousin. Like the shooting star that lights up the darkness of night this young woman lit up the world with her presence.
So we her family gathered one last time with her. And we each bid her a temporary farewell with heavy hearts.
During the few hours it was necessary for the family to be away from the hospital Maleah scared the pants off of the nursing staff by taking a turn for the worse.
The nurses of Cabell Huntington Hospital PICU were and are awesome. They fought and cheated death that day.
In their own words they couldn't imagine having to tell her grandmother that they had lost her first born grand daughter while she was burying her first born daughter.
On Monday June 25th 2007, the day after her mother's funeral, Maleah opened her eyes.
From that point on I knew that God was going to let us keep her.
And 12 days later this miracle baby came home.
We joked that she came with attatchments, but she came home!
Today is August 30th.
I work as a waitress.
And today as I walked out of the kitchen into the lobby of the resturant I was truly blessed with the sight of Maleah dancing from foot to foot and smiling up at me like there wasn't a care on the horizion.
As I scooped her into my arms for the first real hug I've had from her since the accident I looked over her head into her grandmother's eyes and my heart stuttered at the pain reflected there.
As she now raises her only grand child she also struggles with the loss of her first born child.
And today I asked myself "when is it her turn to grieve? When deos she get to cry?" Because as the sole guardian of this active 3 year old she doesn't have time to wallow in grief.
And I am humbled at her strength, her faith.
Kirian Michelle (Meadows) Willams will be remembered by us. For her own sake as well as for her daughter. And as we make memories of her mommy for Maleah we will keep them alive in our own hearts.
God granted us a miracle when He gave Maleah back to us.
As He took with one hand her restored with the other. This is what keeps me from falling apart, from asking "why us God?" Because He sees the big picture, we don't.
I loved Kirian. And there's a part of me that just can't get my mind around the fact that I'll never see her again in this life. She was 25 and had her whole life ahead of her. And my mind and heart still aren't on the same page.
But I know that we'll ALL be together in the end. And in the meantime Kirian is sitting at God's feet with baby Arieah on her lap, the air is balmy and tinted with a golden haze as the Angels softly sing a lullaby for mother and daughter.
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Posted by wvcowgirl on 2007-09-01 00:24:47 | Rating: | Views: 197
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Thank you for sharing this deeply touching story. Hugzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Kim
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Posted by Jesusmyvision
on 2007-09-01 14:01:58
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What a touching story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Have you read Isaiah 57:1-2? I think those verses are fitting for this situation.
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Posted by SingingRagamuffin
on 2007-09-04 01:22:52
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i am the grandmother 0f 2 boys 5 and 6 years old.there mom died in july of cancer.(my sons girlfriend).i am helping to raise them now,i am also a waitress.how do you smile at customers when you are in so much pain?...i am so sorry for your grief.i also lost my husband of 25 years in 05'.i can't get over it.i am raising my 14 year old daughter alone.daily living is hard.but god left us down here for a reason,and i am going to find out why.good luck with your life.
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Posted by luckycharm612
on 2007-11-18 07:58:13
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This is a very touching story. My mother and Kirian were best friends, and most of my afterschool days were spent at Kirians house. I just have to tell you that she drove a Chevy Trailblazer, not a Ford. I also have to ask, what about her fiance Richard ( Richie)? He was affected by this too, yet you seem to have left him out. I love Maleah so much, and I'm happy beyond reason that she is better; I hope she always remembers me. I just wish you could have told the story a little bit better.
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Posted by Cecilyluvsyou
on 2007-12-22 13:13:53
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