As you can see, there is a small hole that you crawl through to enter the ball. The kids would enter the ball and race, side-by-side, down a track created in the parking lot.
Brittany was looking forward to racing and waited in line for a long time. She entered the ball and started the race. Some of Brittany's friends though it would be funny to push her faster than she could run in the ball. As they did, Brittany tumbled and her head fell out the small opening. Her neck bent hard and her head hit the concrete parking lot. The leaders immediately called the paramedics.
After it happened, we got a call from one of Brittany's friends, Taryn Wheeler (who has experienced many head injuries in her time). She said Brittany hit her head, was badly hurt and being treated by paramedics. Misty and I hopped in the car and raced up to the church. When we arrived the red and blue flashing lights were piercing the darkness and bouncing off everything in the church parking lot. It was scary. I ran over to the very large group of children and was directed toward Brittany. It was an odd sight. This huge group of teenagers (maybe 400 of them) all standing around quietly looking toward Brittany. She was strapped to a board, with her head in a brace, completely immobilized. They were clearly worried about her neck. She was conscious but groggy. As I walked up she acknowledged me with her eyes. She looked alright. No blood and seemed almost normal. The paramedics were discussing her condition and asking her to move her hands and feet. When they had her move her left foot, the paramedic inspecting her foot said her movement and strength in that foot was "diminished." I had no idea what that meant but it was the first time I got a clear indication that there may be a real problem. They loaded her in the ambulance and we headed down to Baylor Hospital in downtown Dallas.
Somewhat amusingly, Brittany was very concerned and did not want the paramedics to cut off her jeans and shirt. Given the gravity of this situation, I would have never thought that she would be worried about her clothes. Funny what (even mature) teen-age girls can worry about sometimes. :)
Here is Brittany in the ambulance.
When we got to the hospital, we went to the ER. They ran some vitals and did a few preliminary tests. Brittany was responding well but they were worried that she had a concussion or other more serious head or neck injury.
Here she is in the ER room.
Brittany's hand in the ER.
As we waited to find out what was next, we heard some commotion outside. They were bringing in someone with a major trauma injury. The nurse came in and told Misty and I that we would be required to leave the ER and go to a different room - leaving Brittany in the evaluation room where they were bringing the other victim. As we left, we heard the man they were bringing in had multiple gun shot wounds to the head. Seconds later, we saw the paramedics wheel in a large black man who was groaning uncomfortably. Blood was running all over his body. It was a scary sight. We overheard that he had been shot in a robbery attempt. It was a harsh reminder that we were in downtown Dallas.
We were concerned about Brittany being in the same room. Misty and I were ushered to a small, subdued, cozy waiting area with carpet and a couch. It was a stark contrast to the bright white emergency room with hard floors and steel everywhere. It was a weird feeling. We were in a room designed to help people feel comfortable and relaxed. But we could not. We had just left our injured 17-year-old daughter in a room with a man who was likely dying of a horrific injury.
After what felt like hours, but was actually minutes, a nurse came in and told us they were relocating Brittany. We joined Brittany in a different room. She was clearly shaken. She immediately asked us if we saw the man with the gunshot injury. We said we did. She started to cry. Brittany said she was praying for him and that "he needs to know Jesus." As I choked back tears, I brushed her face with my hand to wipe away her tears and told her that all we could do is pray for him. It was the hardest moment of the night. While Brittany was hurt, we knew she was going to be fine. Likely not so for that man. It was a painful experience for a young lady. An experience that drove home the reality that life is fragile and can be taken away at any time. It helped all of us focus on what was ultimately important - our relationship with Jesus Christ. We were very proud of Brittany's reaction. She was vulnerable and strong at the same time. She was scared but focused on what was important. Her tears and words were powerful. We don't know what ultimately happened to that man but he will have a lasting impression on us.
After a while, a nurse told us that she would need to take Brittany for a CT scan. So we waited. Finally, a nurse came and rolled Brittany down to an area just outside the CT scanning room.
Here is Brittany getting ready for the CT scan. Staying strong.
They took the CT scan in a matter of minutes. Soon we were back in a room waiting for results and instructions. After some time, a doctor came in and said the initial results of the CT scan looked good. Brittany likely did not have a major concussion or other serious head or neck injury. Her final diagnosis was a minor head injury and neck sprain. We were told to keep a close eye on her, but that she was likely fine.
Brittany was a little groggy and slow but was back to normal a few days later.
The entire incident resulted in some scary and touching memories as well as some big medical bills.
