Cody 2 Days After Accident

April 25, 2017

Imagine laying in bed one morning with your spouse having a random conversation about nothing in particular when you decide to check your voicemail messages.  The first thing that jumps out is the unknown phone number and message that was on the phone from the day before.

It was not a typical day for my husband and I as the reason we were lazing around in bed was because I had the day off due to it being my birthday.  Nonchalantly I checked my voicemail and had a message that said nothing more than stating he was Cody’s friend and that he would like me to call him as soon as I was able.  There was nothing particularly ominous about the message, but it gave me a horrible sense of foreboding.

When I called the conversation was fairly  brief and bizarre.  Perhaps I wasn’t able to wrap my head around what I was being told or perhaps I was in denial, but the depth of the accident didn’t hit me until later.

The conversation went something like this.

Whoever answered Cody’s phone asked me if I would like to talk to him.  Good sign, right?

Cody told me he was in accident on the Los Angeles freeway and hurt his back.  The conversation lasted about five minutes and Cody was joking with me about his riding ability and how he had tried to jump the SUV that he was headed for, but just couldn’t clear it.  It was a light conversation and we ended with a joke.  Once again all was right in my world until about 20 minutes later when the neurologist in charge of Cody’s case called and the whole world collapsed.

He informed me that he was in charge of a team of 7 comprised of neurologists that were going to be operating on Cody’s back.  He asked if I was coming down to California and not knowing the depth of the accident I said no.  The doctor then informed me flat-out that my son may not make it through the night, let alone the surgery.  What?

In addition, they would have to wait until the swelling went down and anticipated operating the next morning as it would be approaching the 48 hour mark.  The doctor then informed me that there was no chance of my son every walking again as his lower spine was nothing more than mush and his spinal column was completely severed.

It was that very moment that the severity of the accident sank in.

On our way.

Cody would never walk again.  That statement continued to reverberate in my mind over and over again.  I phoned Cody back again and asked for a picture of him because I still couldn’t wrap my head around it and the picture I received is the one in this post.

Immediately we called a house sitter, made arrangements for our youngest  son to stay with a friend, and were on our way to California within 2 hours of receiving that picture.

The story continues in Part 4…..