Quick Update on Darren

As some of you may already know, my son-in-law Darren Hose was badly injured in a freak accident in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last Wednesday. He, along with my daughter Libby and our 2 grand-daughters were given a condo for a week and they were having the time of their lives enjoying the sun, the ocean and boogie boarding. Darren had befriended a policeman from Canada and the two of them were hitting some unusual waves that had churned up. Suddenly one of those waves crested and simply dropped in a rogue fashion that literally threw Darren to the ocean floor like a cannon ball….face first.

When he hit the floor his neck must have bent at a 90 degree angle. His doctor here said Friday that the spinal cord was stretched as far as it could be without snapping. Darren told us that he immediately knew that he had no use of his legs and arms. His mouth was jammed full of sand. When he finally floated to the surface he forced the sand out and screamed for help. The Canadian cop sprang into action and saved Darren’s life.

Without going into the frightening hours that followed, suffice it to say that Libby was gathering and wrangling her 3 year old and 8 month old daughters into a nightmare experience at a foreign hospital. She called me and sent out the immediate cry for prayer. The following day, with help from the Red Cross and 2 or 3 maxed credit cards we got Darren on a plane home. (Note to all travelers: never, NEVER, NEVER travel without trip insurance! The Hoses are kicking themselves that they did not take out the $37 per person insurance that would have paid for everything, including a trip home for the girls WITH Darren, instead of the trip they had to make alone on their regular tickets 2 days later).

We praise God that today Darren is walking and at home! He is not out of the woods as to the extreme pain in his arms which is the result of the spinal cord trauma. Darren describes it as having been skinned alive. His doctor says that this is a typical reaction when a patient is recovering from near paralysis.

A benefit account has been established at Anchor Bank PO Box 475 New Richmond, WI 54017-9935 in the name of “Darren Hose Benefit”. Check our church web site at www.lwc1.com for ongoing updates.