It seems traditional in our family that when we are together for a big event, someone gets sick and the entire house is pulled down by it. There was the Christmas of 2008 when a minor stomach bug hit on Christmas Day - Ashley and I couldn't seem to shake it - for roughly 9 months until Sydney and my nephew, Finn, were born! Then Fletcher's Baptism of 2011 when in a matter of 12-18 hours, nine people in our home were struck down with a violent stomach flu. This year, my nephew Torr decided to take it to the next level. And we certainly hope this is no tradition at all!
Two days before Christmas, our whole Fletcher family gathered in quaint downtown Franklin for our annual family photo. Between shots, my 6 year old nephew, Torr, leaned back on a stair railing. Whether he misjudged the height of the railing or slipped after gripping it, we'll never know. Most of the adults in our group only saw him as he was mid-air - horizontal to the ground and flipping backwards down into a concrete stairwell - completely unable to stop what they all knew was going to be a very bad fall.
I didn't see any of it. But I heard him hit. A sickening soft thud I will never forget. As his parents and others rushed to his side and gathered up the other kids, I reached for the cell, knowing in my gut 9-1-1 was required.
Thankfully we were very close to the local hospital and the responders were there within seconds. He had landed on his head... not a scratch anywhere else. His hands, for whatever reason, never even had a chance to slow his fall. After the horrifying initial moments, he began to perk up - even joking with first responders that we should have been taking a picture of the spectacle of people and vehicles there to treat him. Still quite shaken up this is the only one I dared.
After nausea and an inconclusive CT in Franklin, he was sent by ambulance to Asheville for overnight monitoring and further scans. Long story short, he was cushioned on that fall by angels. That plus he has an insanely hard Norwegian skull that Ashley can firmly attest to from his birth!
No fracture. Slight surface bleeding. With time and rest, he would be fine. Home just in time for Santa! Praise God! Here was his Christmas Eve journey.
Not so sure about the ambulance ride!
Mmmmmm. Popsicles 24/7!
Santa doing the rounds!
Elf Odie sent well wishes too.
Needless to say, all the presents around our tree (and there were some) didn't hold a candle to the gift of Torr being ok and with us on Christmas morning!
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