A Fate Worse Than Death
In 1990 my younger brother and his wife were in a terrible car accident. Melissa came through okay, but my brother sustained a very severe closed head injury. In the days and weeks that followed the accident, my family learned that there are things much worse than death. There is, for example, a kind of living death where the person's mind is gone and his body wastes away while he lies in a vegetative state for year after year. I have no idea how the families of these unfortunate people get through such a thing.
Initially the doctors told us that a long-term vegetative state was the most likely scenario for my brother. I remember praying very hard that God would allow him to die if that was the reality he faced. I kept a journal during those longs months when I would drive to Dallas once a week to visit and later to be a part of his rehab. After it was all over I gave it to Hugh. I never read it. I don't want to read it.
Instead of the worst case scenario, we got a miracle. His recovery was so complete and rare that the Dallas Rehab Institute made a video about it. Hugh blogged about the event here. My brother is fine now. He teaches elementary school in Dallas. There are some differences between what he calls the "old Hugh" and the "new Hugh," but compared to what might have been, we all feel very blessed.
Today, through a strange set of circumstances, I found the blog of a man who was at the party to which my brother and sister were going when it happened. He wrote about the experience. It was very strange to read it. I had heard that there were hamburger buns in the back seat of Hugh and Melissa's mangled car. Now I know why.
I do remember one thing I wrote in the journal. I recorded a prayer that I uttered at a low moment. I promised that if my brother got through this, I would always cherish our relationship. It's been 15 years, and I've kept that promise to God.
I love you, Hugh.
g
8:25:25 PM 
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