It all started last January when we had record breaking cold temperatures in this area. Benny still loved helping his son on their dairy farm and nothing could have kept him from being out there even though the temperature was 17 degrees below zero and who knows what the wind chill was! While his son was finishing up in the dairy barn, Benny drove the pickup out to a water hydrant that they used to keep the cows watered. The hydrant had frozen up overnight so he brought a couple buckets full of hot water with him. He says he remembers pouring the water and then all of the sudden he was flying through the air. The more than 2000 pound bull was relentless as it kept coming after him again and again. He remembers trying to climb back into the pickup to get away from him but not being able to. That is about the last thing he remembers. When his son realized that his Dad should have returned he went out to see what the problem was, and that is when he found him underneath the pickup. The first person to respond to the 911 call was a neighbor who is a volunteer fire fighter and heard the call come over his radio. He later told Mark that when he first saw Benny he thought it was already too late. When they got him to the emergency room, the people there thought the same thing. He was air lifted to a larger hospital and the family was told to expect the worse. He was given twenty units of blood just to keep him alive. I can only imagine what his family went through those first few days. I know every day we expected to hear bad news.
But Benny had other plans. It seemed like each day we heard more encouraging reports. First of all, when he was stabilized, they were able to take him into surgery, and although he had a shattered pelvis that had to be put back together with plates, screws and who knows what other hardware, he had no injury to any internal organs. Then we heard that he was awake and eating. It was hard to believe he was really doing as good as they said, but before we knew it, he was back in the local hospital and we were able to see it for ourselves. Whenever we went to visit him, he was always in such a good mood and had such a positive attitude. He was able to sit in a wheel chair but could put absolutely no weight on his feet for three months. That was his only complaint, he was sure if they would only let him stand up he could walk out of there!
Eventually of course, the long months in the hospital were over and he got to go home. His wife Betty and their children, expecting many months, if not years of rehabilitation went to work on their home making the rooms wheelchair accessible, and had a lift put in. Tonight we went and visited them and they showed us all of the changes they had made to their home. The wonderful thing was though, Benny walked around showing us all of these things, without a cane or any other kind of support, even walking up and down the stairs! They laughed as they told us they really never needed all of this. But we all agreed that it is still a good thing. Maybe in twenty years, when they are old (like over one hundred), they might need it then and they will already have it in place. But, I wouldn't bet on it, I have a feeling Mark and I might need those things before they do!
I know that his experience amazes me! Who would have ever thought an eighty three year old man could survive such trauma, let alone completely recover in such a short time frame? There is a lesson to be learned here, it is a testimony to prayer, to a body kept strong and healthy by good old fashioned work, a positive attitude, and the love of a family. I know that if someday, I have to face a "bull" of my own, those are four things I want in my arsenal.
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