Monday, May 14, 2012

Abby's Epilogue - Beauty from Ashes

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."—Isaiah 61:3.


Five years ago I signed off this blog--ready to step into the future with our restored daughter.  Yet, I promised that perhaps one day Abby would want to add her own postscript--to tell her story in her own words.

This year she has been ready to tell that story.  She has given several speeches where she has shared the story of her accident and what God has done in her life.  As an introduction, I want to tell you what an amazing woman of God my daughter is.  She has a faith that is inspiring and a heart that desires to serve.  God truly took that terrible accident and brought beauty from ashes (see the previous post for some photos!).  Here then, is Abby's Epilogue--her story in her own words:

MY STORY

Have you ever been in a deep, dark place you thought you would never get out of?  I have.  My name is Abby Linam and this is my story:

I had a normal childhood - I spent time playing with my friends, playing sports, participating in 4-H, and attending church, where I had a fairly strong faith—a faith that would be tested in the fall of 2006.  

The day was October 3, and, after getting home from a junior high volleyball game, I went for a ride with one of my neighbors on her 4-wheeler.  While entering a street we were hit by a car; neither of us were wearing helmets. Thankfully, a neighbor was having an outdoor Bible study, so he quickly called 911.  He stayed beside me until Wimberley EMS arrived.

I was life-flighted from the scene with a broken collar bone, ankle, and a traumatic brain injury.
I was in a coma for eleven days.
I was in ICU for three weeks.
Then I was in a rehab hospital for two months.
I attended daily therapy for three more months.
I continued taking more therapy for a year.

I don’t remember most of the early days in the hospital and rehab hospital.  My parents tell me about them being afraid I would never wake up and then being afraid I would never have the ability to respond to them.  When I finally did begin to be aware of my situation, what I remember most is lying in the hospital bed and not wanting to live.  Everything was so frustrating and difficult.  I felt like life could never be the same again. I couldn’t do basic things like walk or speak or control my hands, and it was so frustrating to not be able to think clearly or remember things well.  Worst of all, I felt like people pitied me and even friends seemed to treat me differently. 
And I thought there couldn’t be a God who would let all this happen to me.

Perhaps it’s hard to understand my particular frustration if you haven’t been through a head injury, but it was so real to me.  I really wanted to escape and die, but every time I would hear a distinct, “NO! I LOVE YOU, AND YOU CAN LIVE WITH ME!!   That voice was God.   Hearing Him tell me that I still had a purpose to live is what made the difference. 

Close friends and family also made a big difference.  My family was beside me every day.  My best friends stood by me through everything and never treated me like I was different.  My youth pastor also convinced me that God still loved me and had a plan for me and wanted me to go on.  And so I did.

God has brought me so far and restored my abilities (well, except that my memory is still sometimes not so good!) and brought me joy and hope for the future.

I wanted to tell you my story because one of the things God has shown me is that I can reach so many more people because of my accident.

First, I want to tell you that, if you are going through a hard time, there is hope.  Even though I didn’t feel it at the beginning, God was always there. 
The neighbor who rushed to the scene said he felt God clearly saying, “My Grace is with you” as he knelt beside me on the road.
And now I know that God was with me even in the darkest times. 

I also believe that God can use hard times to help us become stronger for Him in the future.

One of the strongest Christian leaders in the world today is Joni Eareckson Tada.  When Joni was 17 she experienced a diving accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down.  Like me, she was angry and depressed at first, but, unlike me, she never regained many of her abilities.  Joni did not stay angry and depressed, however.  She learned to trust God and became a speaker, author and accomplished artist—learning to paint with her teeth!  Recently Joni has been battling breast cancer as well, but she is continuing to inspire others with her faith and courage.

Even though my life was not impacted as much as Joni’s, I now realized that God opened some doors for me after my accident.  For one thing, I do still have a tremor in my right hand and had to give up playing classical violin.   However, when I put down the violin I picked up the bass guitar and have been able to lead others in worship as part of several Christian bands.

The second reason I want to tell my story is so that you can help others.  It is my prayer that, if you know someone who’s going through a hard time - I plead for you to continue being their friend and just be you with them.  In my opinion, don’t treat that friend like they are handicapped just because they are in the hospital or just coming out - treat them the same, because that is part of what kept me alive, how my best friends NEVER treated me any different than they did before the wreck.

Third, I also want to tell my story to ask our country to take care of our soldiers who have suffered head injuries.  Traumatic Brain Injury has been called the “signature injury” of the wars in Irag and Afghanistan.  A U.S. News and World report in 2009 estimated that 360,000 soldiers had suffered brain injuries in the recent wars, but a government report noted that many times these veterans are not being diagnosed correctly or getting adequate therapy—the therapy that they need to regain their lives and capabilities.   We owe our soldiers as much care as I received!

Fourth, through my injury I can also encourage people to use safety equipment such as helmets and seat belts.  It’s worth it!

Finally, I want to tell my story to thank God for giving me a second chance -- because HE KEPT ME ALIVE!!—first, at the accident scene and later when I wanted to give up.  I just want to share that hope with you.  One day I hope that I can share it with others by becoming an occupational therapist.
And by continuing to tell my story.

18 Years of Blessing

Spoiler Alert!

The following is the collection of Abby's photos that will be shown at her high school graduation.  We hope you'll be able to view them there, but, if not, feel free to enjoy these beautiful memories that we have been granted...