The incident happened 3 years ago in late July of 2012.
I was about to leave the gym when I received an SMS message that said Michael had met with an accident. At first, I thought it was a colleague at that time by that name. Soon, after noticing that the sender was my wife, it sunk into my system that it was my 13 year old.
My heart beat and mind raced and I quickly called my wife to find out the situation.
After confirming the hospital that Mike would be sent to, KKH, I made my way, at the same time telling myself to remain clam. God is in control, everything will be fine.
However, I found myself lost en-route from Raffles Place to KKH as a result of my increasing concern. I somehow ended up at Robin Road, a minor road I did not even know existed at that time, off Bukit Timah Road, Steadying myself, I re-orientated my whereabouts with the GPS on my phone and made another attempt to KKH.
Arriving at KKH, wife was solemn but I knew she was controlling her emotions. When a mutual friend came, that’s when she broke down.
When we got to see Mike in the emergency room, he was belted up on the ambulance bed. He was not only conscious, he was very talkative! When he saw me, he asked with a cool American slang: “Hey Dad, whatcha doin’ here?”
Not being mentally prepared for such a reaction, I replied sternly: “Michael, stop it”.
It was only later that I realized this was his way of calming himself down. He had been extremely talkative with the doctors and nurses throughout his recovery in the hospital stay, almost recounting his entire life stories to them!
At the beginning of the recovery.
Here is his account:
The date has faded from memory, but the scene is still fresh in my brain. It was a gloomy day, complete with grey skies and weariness. I had a busy and hectic day and wished to return home at the fastest possible rate. Exhaustion had brought my mind and body into a drunken state. I was not fully aware of what I was doing. Instinct was what was leading my body, any sense of logic and thought had disappeared. Little did I realize that something dramatic would happen to me that day. Of all days I would have never expected that day to be one of drama.
School that day had been especially stressful. I had a ton of Chinese homework piled up, and I was practicing hard for a CCA competition. Any energy I had, had been spent and I now was running on fumes. Eager to get home, I ditched my usual routine in favour of taking a bus which had been recommended to me and was said to be faster. I had alighted at a bus stop in front of my block more anxious than ever to get home. But there was only one problem. In front of me was a long stretch of road with my house the other side. The problem was that there was not one traffic light to be seen! I, being in the “drunken” state I was, gave not one thought to this and simply dashed across.
The first time I attempted to dash across, a car sped in front of the path I would have taken. I am convinced to this day that that car would have taken my life. But despite near-death, I was not deterred. I ran out again. And as I charged out, a voice was calling to me. I turned my head in its direction, and lo and behold, a motorcycle was headed straight for me! One will expect me to have felt afraid, but I assure you I felt nothing. Not a drop of fear. In fact, there was a sense of calmed that seemed to have come over me. The incoming motorcycle did not slow down, there was neither time nor space to do that. So it sped towards me, and as this happened, time both slowed down and sped up at the same time. Such sensations cannot be described with mere words. In that moment, eternity passed in a second.
What I remember next is the sensation of flying. But it was not graceful gliding, it was rough, with my body twisting and turning, as though I had been a rag doll that had been flung away by a child. I found myself lying on my back, facing that grey, gloomy, sky. By now I woke up, not physically for I had not passed out, but rather I woke up in a spiritual sense, for until that moment, my body had been there but not my mind, which might explain why I felt nothing as I saw the motorcycle speeding towards me. Now that my spirit had returned to my body, I panicked.
My first reaction was to repeatedly call out to God to help me. His help came in the form of four men who rushed over, and after asking if I was alright, lifted me up from the ground and carried me to the side of the road, with me praying as they carried me, and lay me down, using my bag as a pillow. Amazingly, or rather miraculously, I felt no pain, even though I had felt panic a few moments before. Now I regained my senses, and begun to think clearly. Realizing what had happened, I asked for a phone to call my mother. I called and told her that I was fine, and that the accident was not a major one. At least, that was what thought. My mother later told me that I was covered in blood, and looked anything but fine.
Two girls from my school were there, and asked me who my form teacher was. After I told them they called her down. It was peculiar, so many people were standing around me trying to help. And all the while I just lay there, talking to some of them to calm and distract myself. My mother came down and we talked, about what I have long forgotten. The ambulance arrived and raced me to the hospital.
To the amazement of the doctors there, I had sustained no broken bones, having received only skin wounds. The time I spent in the hospital was bliss, a release from my duties at school. Following my discharge, I spent two weeks at home, reflecting upon what had happened. I knew and believed that God had protected me during that one moment where I could have sustained much worse injuries. That experience has strengthened my religious beliefs and I am grateful for that encounter.
The bible tells us in John 16:33, “…Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
In the mist of this family challenge, we indeed saw the hands of God on our circumstances. In fact, Mike recounted that at the point of the impact with the motorbike, he felt as if a cushion had come in-between himself and the motorbike.
Having flung about one car’s length as a result of the impact, it was quite miraculous that he did not sustain any broken bones or internal injuries. This trial gave him the opportunity of learning how to overcome the negative emotions that accompanies life’s tragedies.
In spite of his general positive response, there was a point during the 1 week hospital stay where he become down. I had the opportunity then to give him a sort of “Brave Heart type” victory speech an Army General would give to his troops before battle, to shore up Mike’s confidence and fighting spirit. I think it helped afterwards.
During Mike’s recovery at the hospital, we even found time to celebrate his youngest brother’s birthday.
The recovery was wonderfully speedy. By about a week at the hospital, he was discharged. He took about a further two week to reach complete recovery at home.
Fast recovery at the hospital
Relaxing together after the storm
Getting ready to go home
His favorite photo. After being fussed over for a week, he was reluctant to be discharged!
One injury he did sustain till today is the partial loss of vision, about one third of an area from top of his left eye. Mom, being the prayer warrior that she is, continues to believe for a complete healing. Dad, being the stubborn battler of life’s difficulties, believes that in spite of this small impairment, it will in no way affect his success in life. There is nothing to feel sorry about.
James 1:2-4 says: “Dear brothers and sisters,a when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
Whether we like it or not, the reality is that troubles will come along this journey call life. Rather than trying to find ways to avoid or get out of these trials, let’s find ways through the trials.
Soon after
For us, God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good!