Home

Resources

With our Christmas wishes to you and your families this year, Sam and I would like to say thank you again for your prayers for Samantha.

We are eternally grateful to you for keeping our family, especially her, in your hearts and daily prayers since her accident.

We've experienced the words of Matthew 18:19-20 "Again I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

God is not only with us but blessing us with continued progress in her recovery. To see such huge improvement in her walking just recently is hte best Christmas present we could have received!

Near or far, with us physically or in spirit, you have been a blessing to us. We extend our sincerest thanks and best wishes for your lives to be filled with goodness and joy, not only at Christmas but always.

Sincerely,

Sam, Diana and Samantha

When the salesman handed Samantha the keys to her brand new Scion Tc, I had never seen a bigger smile or one glowing more brightly than hers. My heart was bursting with joy as I watched my beautiful daughter reach a new stage in her young life. Soon she would be Sweet 16 and getting her drivers license! A milestone she had looked forward to as long as we both could remember.

Little did we know then that the gift we had just given her would contribute to the deepest sorrow and despair any of us had ever known. From great joy to overwhelming grief in a split second, she was in a near fatal car accident just a month later April 8, 2005. Our lives crumbled and shattered as terribly as the beautiful white sporty car she was driving. The exciting teen-age years skidded to a halt instantly when a wooden log from an equestrian fence came through the windshield, delivering a powerful blow to the left side of her face and head, resulting in an open skull injury, traumatic brain injury and multiple broken facial bones.

We were thrust into the group of parents who’ve received that fateful “There’s been an accident” phone call. As if those words weren’t bad enough, upon arrival at the emergency room we heard “We’ve done all we can”, “It’s grim” and ‘‘…likely brain death within 48 hours”.

Psalm 118:5 “…in my distress I prayed to the Lord and the Lord answered me and rescued me.”

That was 2 years ago and by the grace of God, Samantha miraculously survived and is in the midst of a remarkable recovery. This beautiful young girl is a testimony to the power of prayer and is inspiring many with her courage and determination to claim her life back. God gave her many gifts when He created her; beauty, brains, a sensitive heart, the gift of faith and a loving family. From a young age she knew she wanted to grow into the best person she could possibly be. Mediocrity was never acceptable!

At the time of the accident, she was a sophomore at San Dimas High School and held the title of Miss California Jr. National Teenager 2004/2005. A member of the Varsity Cheer Squad and the J.V. swim team, she still made time to volunteer with Best Buddies, San Dimas Library, Faith Lutheran Church VBS and to create her own charitable project called “To Mom, with Love”. Even with these extra curricular activities she maintained a 3.85% GPA while taking Honors classes. After High School her plans were to attend Cal State Northridge and pursue a career in Broadcast Journalism.

Samantha is an amazing girl and we have always been extremely proud of our daughter, but never more proud than we are today. She is left with many physical and cognitive impairments. Still unable to speak, walk on her own and now classified legally blind, a lifetime of challenges lay ahead. However, we know God has a purpose for her and that she will have many successes in life despite her disabilities, in fact her greatest accomplishments may come as a result of them.

She was hospitalized for seven long months in four different hospitals, much in various levels of a coma. Slowly but surely, she emerged to consciousness and regained much through constant daily therapy and an exceptional team of doctors and staff. Today she continues a rigorous daily therapy and home schooling program to re-teach her brain some of the things that came so naturally before. She’s undergone six surgeries so far, including two extensive reconstructive cranial facial ones to rebuild her left eye socket, face, forehead and repair internal brain damage and still has more to come. There are at least two more surgeries required to complete the rebuilding of her face and eye in addition to the oral maxillary, dental implants along with years of intense physical and cognitive therapy.

People all over the world have graciously included her in their prayers since that tragic accident. Please keep them going for her. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us “The Lord your God is in your midst.” We’ve learned that you don’t have to see the wind to know that it’s there, but to just look at the soft rustling of leaves in a tree. God is with us in this journey and we deeply appreciate your help in offering Him genuine gratitude for her progress thus far and continued requests for His healing hands to stay upon her until she is fully restored in body, mind and spirit. We give Him all the glory for enabling our daughter to have a second chance at life.

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

For more information and the latest updates on Samantha’s recovery visit:

www. p r a y 4 s a m a n t h a . c o m