Home > Today's Christian
> 2002
> November/December
'Mommy, I Saw Jesus'
After our 4-year-old son nearly drowned, the doctors said he would never be the same again. And they were right.
Amy Buettner
 1 of 4
It began as a typical late spring evening in our little city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But June 15, 2000, was destined to become a night my family will never forget. My oldest son Jacob's junior league baseball team had just lost a playoff game that, on paper, they were supposed to win. My husband, Craig, who was helping coach the team with a friend, had promised the boys that if they won, they would have a big pool party. But seeing the sulking faces of a bunch of 10-year-olds, Craig and his friend decided to let the boys have the party anyway.
So, at the home of one of the young players, the team and their families enjoyed the warm evening air. Everyone was having a great time in and around the pool. After swimming, we all gathered together to eat on the patio. The nine-foot-deep pool lay 20 yards away from the patio.
After getting our five children settled, my husband and I sat down to eat. Kennedy, our 4-year-old son, sat a few feet away on his towel, eating a hot dog with the "big boys."
Halfway through my meal, I realized Kennedy was no longer on his towel. At this point, many of the younger children had finished eating and were up playing on bikes and riding toys. I thought Kennedy was probably riding one of the toys, but I had an overwhelming sense that I needed to find my son.
I immediately went to the pool and did not see him. I scanned the area in and around the pool, looking for his little red swimsuit. I never thought to look on the bottom of the pool's deep end. I headed to the front of the house thinking the street would be the next worst place he could be.
I returned to the patio and told Craig that I could not find Kennedy. He also got up and went to the pool area. We searched and called for more than five minutes. As we were both returning from searching around the yard, we heard the screams. Above them all was our 10-year-old son Jacob yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, Kennedy was on the bottom of the pool!" I heard someone yell, "Call 911."
I ran toward the pool, and what I saw makes my heart ache even now. There on the concrete lay my precious Kennedy. He was limp, bloated to twice his size, and his coloring was a sick grayish blue. Craig, a family physician, was already crouched over our son, performing CPR. Kneeling behind him were two men praying and quoting Scripture.
This could not be happening, I said to myself, not to my child. I fell to my knees, grabbing Kennedy's legs, which felt like rubber, and prayed for the Lord to please save my son. I found out later that Kennedy did not have a heartbeat for the first five minutes of CPR.
After 12 minutes of CPR, the ambulance arrived. Kennedy was breathing and he had a heart rate of 120. Craig rode to the hospital in the ambulance with Kennedy. Our 5-week-old baby son and I were driven by our dear friend, who was also one of the men on their knees praying for Kennedy. This friend prayed and quoted Scripture the entire trip.
Browse More Today's Christian
Home | People of Faith | Stories of Hope | Today's Culture
Build Your Faith | Laughing Matters | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Try Today's Christian Woman Free!
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.
If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift
Order a gift subscription!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
