My son is fine. But for a matter of seconds, our news might not be so good.
Riding home from school, he was hit by a car.
I cannot describe the primal fear I had, driving to the hospital to meet my son who was arriving by ambulance.
Driving, I reminded God of our deal: I accept that He gave me cancer; in exchange, He has to keep my family, especially my children, safe.
I prayed the whole way: "God, please let me handle this well and let my son not have any permanent damage." I kept repeating this prayer over and over. (OK, there were a few primal screams in there as well, but I really tried to focus on breathing slowly and staying calm)
Moshe was called to the scene of the accident, to talk with the police. While there, he interviewed several eye-witnesses. They all said that the driver did not slow down, despite the signs, before entering a blind intersection. (For those who know Katamon: She was driving down Hildesheimer and our son was riding down HaTzfirah)
Moshe had wanted me to go to the scene of the accident, while he met our son at the hospital. I knew that I could not handle the scene of the accident.
I called my sister, who dropped everything and met me at the hospital.
My heart stopped when I saw my son lying on the bed, on top of a back-board, with a neckbrace.
It was all just a precaution.
The Orthopedist came in and did a thorough exam of my son. Then he called me in to see my son do a couple of knee-bends.
We walked out of the ER a few minutes later.
God had mercy on us.
I am so grateful.
Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.
With love and optimism,
RivkA
ps. For those who are wondering, we have already checked our mezuzot!
pps. We are extermely grateful to the teacher from his school, who just happened to pass by after the accident, and accompanied our son, in the ambulance, to the hospital.
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22 comments:
Oy, how scary. So glad it had a happy ending and that was very nice of the teacher to ride with him.
Glad it all worked out.
Oy - sounds horrifying. Baruch Hashem that he's okay.
My heart stopped when I read the beginning of this post. I am so very, very glad that the story ended the way it did. And may I say that I hope you all have a really, really boring week? No more trips to the hospital.
Oh my God, RivkA, how horribly frightening. I'm so glad that your son is OK. I know you've given him a thousand hugs already- please add one more from me.
Oh my god, how terrifying. Thank god he's alright.
I've gotten a call like that about my husband, but I can't even (don't even want to) imagine getting one about my child.
B"H your son is fine. Please though explain to him that when riding a bicycle he must follow traffic rules. I believe that street that he was riding down was a one way street, in the wrong direction. That intersection is very confusing. It is hard to see and the parallel street (HaTzrirah) has one side going one way in one direction and the other side in the other. So, coming down Hildisheimer, there shouldn't be traffic coming across. Though, every car needs to slow down there, especially because there is a park.
OMG! that is all can say.
@anonymous: fwiw, I am very familiar with the street/area (my inlaws live on the corner) regardless of which way traffic is going, there is a tremendous amount of pedestrian traffic in the area – therefore, it is still incumbent upon drivers to negotiate the streets carefully and as if someone may enter the intersection from ANYWHERE!
@RivkA: trying to breathe now.... gripping/terrifying post... very, VERY grateful your son is okay!
My neshama says: Hodu Lashem ki Tov, ki L'Olam Chasdo.
My guf is trembling and crying, and has no words.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Thank G-d thank G-d thank G-d he is OK.
That scream was sort of because I never did scream when my son got hit by a car.
wow, glad to hear he is ok. scary.
OMG. I'm so glad he's ok. I'm crying here. I just feel like it's not fair how much some people have to take.
I understand that fear all too well.
my son was hit by a car when he was 5.
i was standing right next to him.
he was ok tho.
whew...for both our boys.
no words, other than thank God he's ok.
lots of love
BW
ps-Jerusalem is soooo in need of bicycle lanes!
My dear sister..you are wrong on one account. God did not give you cancer.
You are blessed. I'm in tears just thinking about it. So happy he is okay.
Enough drama already:-) (you know I am kidding) You must be completely sick of hospitals and ERs... thank goodness everything turned out alright...
Oh, God, how terrifying. Thank God MD is OK!
Hugs to you, Rivka -- big, big hugs.
I hate Hildesheimer...as a driver! Glad to hear MD is OK...does he at least get a day off "to recover"?
Thanks to you ALL for your love, support and prayers.
Val -- the teacher was so nice!! it turns out we had met him at the school's open-house night.
trspr569 -- it was. Moshe told me on the phone that our son was "ok," but that can mean a lot of things, especially in this country. As far as I knew, it just meant he would live. Until I saw him doing those knee-bends, I worried about broken bones, chronic pain, neurological damage...
Laurie -- a "boring week" sounds wonderful!!
Super Raizy -- you hit it on the head -- I couldn't stop wanting to hug him. I was so happy to see him in one piece!!
Robin -- the call I got from my husband (who was not yet my husband then), was when the axel on the car he was driving (for work) fell out and the car spun out of control on a highway 1. The car was totalled, but he walked away from it, shaken up, but fully intact.
Just writing about these calls, I feel my chest tighten with anxiety.
Anon (8:15)- Wow, you are correct. I just checked on google maps: Hatzfira is a one way street, going up hill, at that corner. I will have to check with my son, where exactly he was riding. Thanks for the "heads up."
Mikimi -- that about says it all
Zahava -- breathing is good....
Zahava & Marion -- I almost always come to a full-stop at that corner. With a makolet (mini-market) on the corner, a park across the street, and a completely blind corner, I am terrified of some kid coming shooting out.
Who would have knows the kid shooting out would be mine?
All the witnesses report that the driver did not even slow down, when driving through the intersection.
I hope our son has learned a valuable lesson (for pedestrians, bikers, and all drivers) -- SLOW DOWN and cross an intersection carefully, even if you have the "right of way"!
Ruti -- amen! yeah, I was trembling and crying too. I had to really focus, so that I could drive safely.
Ye'he Sh'mey -- you have to scream, but not just any scream. You have to release that primal scream, the one that comes from the pit of your stomach. It's a deep howl, filled with anguish.
Chanie -- yeah
LeahGG -- my first thought was "this is too much, God!" But when I learned that my son was OK, I just felt like God had shown us so much Chessed (kindness).
My son was hit by a car, and he is going to be fine. I felt like maybe God really was keeping his end of "the bargain." That maybe the din (original judgement) would have been worse, but because of what I am going through, God showed us mercy and protected my son.
Weese -- OMG, I don't know how I would have handled that!
L'Havdil (it's not nearly as bad, but...)
When my son was around 5, he fell off the top of the ladder on the jungle gym. I ran, but could not get there in time to catch him. I had nightmares about it (mostly when I was awake) for weeks.
BW -- now that there are so many more bikers, there really is a need for bike lanes. Jerusalem streets are so narrow, I wonder if it's possible.
Anon (6:15) -- I am a religious person. I believe that God has a hand in everything. I cannot begin to understand His reasons, but I do believe that He determined that I would have cancer.
Baila -- me too.
Adena -- I agree - enough drama!!
Rahel -- gotta love those hugs!!
Marion -- don't feel left out -- I addressed a huge comment to you above (along with Zahava). And, yes, he took a day off "to recover." ;-)
City should warn drivers before that intersection. How about a stop sign there....
blessings to you all
a by's mom
B"H, I've done that ambulance scene and then spent the next four weeks working out the shifts to stay with son #1 in Ein Kerem and Alyn. And B"H, my son recovered. Those wandering near the PM's Residence may have passed him. He's a guard there now, meaning fully fit and miraculously cured.
Your son old is enough to bensch hagomel.
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