Please Pray for my Friend

Please - Pray, send good vibes, positive thoughts...... anything you've got to my friend Scott.

The following is a copy of an email I received this morning.

Scott had a cycling accident Wed night. He ran into the back of a UPS
> truck. He has been at the University Hospital Trauma center since -
> we are waiting for room to open up in ICU. He cannot feel anything
> from his nippleline down (with the exception of our touch on his arms
> down to about wrist level and sometimes his thumbs). He bruised his
> spinal cord, broke 4 vertabrae in his neck, broke his nose, and other
> facial bones....and things like lacerations that he had to get
> stitched....
>
> He is to have a neck surgery and facial reconstruction surgery in the
> next week or so. The predict a LONG road ahead - 6 months is what
> they told me to be thinking at the moment and lots of physical rehab
> and stuff. It sounds like we will be at this hospital for the next
> few weeks for sure.
>
> We have had lots of support and visitors - he is really tired. He was
> fighting to stay awake since the accident happened and finally last
> night he was able to let go and rest once I told him he is not in a
> life or death situation and it was okay to let go and just sleep (he
> said he was trying to focus on one breath at a time b/c he was scared
> if he went to sleep he would either choke or quit breathing). When I
> told him the dr said he was not going to die - he seemed to relax and
> is trying to sleep.
>
> Fortunately, his mind seems to be 100% and all medical testing has
> indicated so far this looks like a spinal cord injury only with no
> neurological damage (Praise the Lord for his helmet which helped
> protect his head - it is cracked down the middle all the way through
> the foam).
>
> I don't want to be gone from him too long, Jake is beside him now, but
> I saw your name in my emails and he wants me to tell Steve McCartney
> and I did not think I had any of your contact info on my laptop.
> PLEASE send out prayer requests immediately and PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR
> COMPLETE HEALING! We believe in a Jesus who can make him get up and
> walk again in a flash and Scott's hanging on to his faith amazingly
> and is staying so positive! He's even telling the doctors to pray and
> then watch God do a miracle. He is speaking it in faith and we both
> believe wholeheartedly God's amazing power can be shown to all who are
> aware of his situation. May God be glorified in everything the
> happens from here on out - and please pray that he regains full
> feeling before Monday (before they start things in motion for the neck
> and face surgeries)!
> Pray he does not get pneumonia as he cannot cough stuff away so that
> is a concern.
> Pray they let him drink something. He has not eaten anything since
> Tues night dinner with the exception of a quick junk food snack Wed
> noonish.
>
> Friends are setting up a blog for him I think and it's on facebook I
> heard as prayforscottrankin .....


Thanks in advance. Scott and his wife, Rachelle, are honestly some of the sweetest people I have ever met.
They both work from home and operate their own businesses so this will be a major set back financially as well.

Oh my Gosh this is so sad I will pray for them both also I am really sorry!

Thanks ladies

Here's an update

They are asking us all to pray for COMPLETE HEALING.

Also, his breathing is between 500 - 1000 and they need it to be around 3000 so we are praying that Scott is able to take deep natural breaths. My understanding is that this will determine when he can have some of his surgeries and obviously if the rate falls that would have to intibate and we don't want that.

Also, the hospital is being very accommodating right now, allowing someone to stay with him in ICU. That's almost unheard of! It seems to be helping Scott's spirits.

They have 3 small children that are being cared for by other family members and their church family. His wife has been there almost round the clock and she's struggling to get enough rest and food.

So, continue to pray for this family!!!!

OOH! He moved his knee 4 times last night on demand!!!!! This is very promising!!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!

Oh my Lou Lou, I'm soooo sorry your friend is going thru such a critical time right now. I am greatful you have posted an update. He will most certainly be in my prayers and for him to recover.

On the same note, a girl from my high school got into a major car accident, she was in the rough shape and from what I've heard, she broke almost every bone in her body or something along those lines. She was in the hospital a long time and happily recovered, but needed lots of physiotherapy and all that stuff to help her walk and all those things. I wasn't close to her, but I was familiar with her, she got pregnant in high school, so she had a son and a husband.

I pray he recovers miraculously like she did and it sounds like he's a fighter!

His family and him are in my prayers hun xoxoxoox

I'm so glad he was able to move his knees. That is a very promising sign.

I have been praying for your friend's healing!!!

Thank you all so much!
Gutter - it's just amazing sometimes what the body can do! I am so glad your friend survived!!!! I hope the same thing will happen to Scott.

I heard yesterday that he was able to sleep a 3 hour stretch - the longest stretch yet. He was beginning to say some crazy stuff from sleep deprivation so this is a big deal.
They feel he is stable enough to move soon to a rehab center and they decided to postpone the facial reconstruction surgery until a later date. (I think because of his breathing) The bad news about that means that they will have to re break those bones when they do the surgery.


I REALLY appreciate you all keeping this family in your prayers. I wish you all could know them because they are truly amazing people. They have actually used this tragedy as an opportunity to share Christ with others! Scott told his wife that if one person could see God's grace and come to know Jesus through his accident then it was all worth it!
How incredible is that???!!!! I mean, when I experience something bad in my life I never think about what good can come from it - especially for other people - but I will from now on!!!!!

So, again, thank you all! I will continue to update this if that's ok with you.

Oh that is wonderful Lou Lou!! I am so glad that he seems to be improving, and wow yes, his faith is amazing! I have known maybe one or 2 people like that in my life and they are truly amazing! I hope to hear better and better news every day! XXXXX

Update on Scott - an email written by his wife:

First of all, I want to thank everyone again for the amazing support and prayers! Please keep praying – speak healing words over Scott’s mind and body. Ask God specifically for a full recovery over the next few days and weeks.

Next, I want to update you on Scott’s situation. He was moved out of STICU and down to an intermediate hospital place. It was quite a change from ICU to this new environment, but with a lot of advocacy from his dad and I, and Scott personally, he finally was able to settle into a room right by the nurses station. He has been there for 2 nights now and seems to be doing better there. He was discouraged that PT did not visit him on Saturday, and last night he said he decided not to wait on them and started working on sets of 10 shoulder shrugs and trying to lift up both of his arms simultaneously. He also did some practice movements with his legs. This morning when I called him, he was so proud to tell me of his progress and decision to not lay there and let atrophy settle in! He’s got the doctors working on getting him into Reeves Rehab Center for Monday, we think, so he can at least start doing intensive physical therapy while we are waiting for all the Baylor paperwork to be processed and such. I am so proud of his dedication and ability to speak up for himself to get the doctors and nurses to get on top of things and get him what he needs!

Eating is a challenge. It takes so much work and effort to eat… I finally got some special healthy soup he likes (IMAGINE - BROCCOLI) and we did that yesterday – so he could drink it down. Then I gave him some fresh melon and pineapple for dessert in small pieces. He loved this! Any ideas of good protein rich soups or drinks – let me know.

Scott has really enjoyed all the visitors and reconnecting with friends from the past. Thank you for all the cards, caring bridge comments, visitations, phone calls, etc!



I am at home trying to pack our things, clean up the house, and finally got online on my computer. Everyone who has emailed me, I will try to get to those eventually. I am still on a tight schedule of putting out fires as I can think of them (bills, organizing, etc). Thank you for your patience with this. At night I also just want to spend time with the kids and get to bed on a decent schedule for the next days’ events.



Please pray for Scott through the nights. We are no longer able to stay with him – so he does not have us there from 8pm-10am (although they do let his brother come check on him 3 times during the night which is nice). I imagine the nights are really long and lonely since he does not sleep much (and when he does get to sleep, they come in to check his vitals or rotate his position every 2 hours). It was heart-breaking to walk away from him last night and leave him there. I know this will pass – but it is still heart-breaking. Your support has been so helpful.



Finally, I have to say THANK YOU AGAIN!!!! I just cannot say thank you enough.



Love – Rachelle

Oh hun, how wonderful, sounds like he is doing great. Thanks for the update and I will continue to pray for him to recover fully!!