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NWIL | Recieved the following email from Rafe Parker's (longtime member Virginia Veg) wife Amy this morning. Hate to hear this news.
Hi to all,
Sorry for the mass email, but I wanted to let some people know about something that has happened.
Rafe has been in a farming accident...Monday night. Basically a hydraullically operated ramp for a low boy (flat bed behind a tractor trailer truck) which weighs 500 to 800 pounds fell on Rafe and crushed him because the hydraulics were broken. Not sure about farm stuff but that is what I try to understand.
Thank God that there were some people at the shop where it happened, and while nobody saw the accident, thank God that Rafe screamed out and they came to lift the object off of him and pull him out from under it.
Injuries:
laceration to the head that has been stapled with 15 staples and the bleeding was outside of the skull and skull in tact.....
broken shoulder....both ball and socket broken, but in tact....doctors do not plan to operate.
all of his ribs on one side are broken...
partially collapsed lung, healing well I think, on a chest tube to keep it reinflated at this time
crushed vertebrae....with bone fragments in the spinal cord....doctors have operated and removed what they could....and fused six vertebrae together (fusion surgery). this is the biggest concern, two vertabrae higher and he would have been paralyzed for sure. he currently has some CSF (spinal fluid) leaks for those of you who understand doctor terms from a damaged covering on the spinal cord....and hopefully this will repair on its own but it may require a lumbar drain tube or something like that....could become a chronic issue...not exciting....that part is concerning to me. his left leg is moving correctly. he can wiggle his right toes but has altered sensation and no movement of the upper leg and hip....not sure about the future on that one. i think they expect him to walk again since the other leg is fine and they could brace the right leg somehow and allow him to walk with a cane even with little improvement i think??. time will tell on these issues, but he is young and healthy and already a miracle to be alive, so they are optimistic about some recovery there anyway, just not sure how much. not sure what rafe is thinking on that one or if he is even fully aware of how bad these particular injuries are. or at least let's say, we aren't talking that way yet.
broken leg
crushed ankle, ankle surgery scheduled tomorrow. inserting plates and pins to try to correct. full recovery expected, obviously probably with future arthritis and aches or whatever.
i am sure i have missed some details and been confusing in some places and so i apologize, but as you can imagine i have a lot going on.
i am thankful that rafe is in a great hospital (MCV) and that he is alert and remembers well and in good spirits. as you can imagine, our life will change, i am just not sure how dramatically. with the fusion in his back he won't be able to lift any heavy things, etc. climbing into tractors, etc could be difficult (assuming that he walks) ....i just don't know....but i am so thankful to have his life and his brain. we are still a family. please pray that rafe can recover and lead a normal life and be happy with whatever he is able to do. he loves the farm (i am assuming he still does....he always has in the past) and i think we can alter his job to allow him to continue that lifestyle. please keep us in your prayers as we have some adjustments to make. i am currently doing pretty well. my mom is here with the kids for now and that allows me to relax and focus on rafe, since i am 100% comfortable with the kids and her. next week i am not sure that i will have her around and i will be really trying to be in two places at once. home with kids and with rafe. so my anxiety level will increase i guess probably.
really i just need prayer.
thanks,
amy
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Forum member in an accident
