The Call That Changed Everything…True Story
Wrecked car… daughter in hospital bed… and God in every detail.
It started out like a completely ordinary Sunday.
My husband and I had plans to take his Aunt to dinner.
Honestly, I wasn’t feeling great that day… just kind of off… but I brushed it aside.
He noticed and offered to cancel, but I told him no.
I didn’t want him to change plans on my account, and strangely, I REALLY insisted.
Looking back, that insistence feels like one of those small moments that only makes sense in hindsight…
…a God-nudge I couldn’t have recognized at the time.
So we went to dinner.
Aunt Monica chose Olive Garden…
…and we were hungry enough to welcome the never-ending salad and breadsticks like they were gourmet.
We were laughing, chatting, and enjoying a simple meal together.
And then my husband’s phone rang.
There Was an Accident
When he got off the phone, his face was different. Something wasn’t right.
He looked at us and said, “That wasn’t Nicole. It was some guy using her phone… She’s been in a serious car accident.”
My heart felt like it stopped.
“She’s alive,” he said quickly. “But she can’t talk. They’re taking her to the hospital right now.”
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I could feel was sheer panic.
He told us what the guy said: Nicole had been driving to work, nearly through the intersection, when someone ran a red light and slammed into her car, pushing her into a concrete pillar. Two major impacts. Her car was totaled. The weight of those words felt heavy in the air.
We asked the server to box up our food, barely able to function…then we left immediately.
We didn’t even know which hospital she was being taken to… just that it was somewhere in Orlando. Our minds were racing, trying to figure out where she might be.
I’m So Scared…
I was on my phone calling our other kids one by one, updating, notifying, scrambling to hold everything together while holding back tears.
We dropped Aunt Monica off at her apartment and headed toward what we hoped was the right place: ORMC.
And then… my phone buzzed.
It was Nicole.
She couldn’t speak, but she could text.
And the words that came through shattered me:
“I’m so scared.
I need you guys.
Please tell Ed and Lauren and James.
Please :/
I don’t know what’s going to happen.
I’m in so much pain.
I can’t move.”
My heart broke. I messaged her back, trying to keep it together, trying to reassure her even though I was falling apart inside.
Am I Going To Die?????
Then another message came:
“Am I going to die?? 😭😭😭😭”
That question… it will echo in my soul forever.
In that moment, every part of me just wanted to fly to her side, to hold her, to make it better…
…but we were still driving, still trying to get there.
We were in the same city, by God’s grace, but it felt like we were hundreds of miles away.
My child… my grown daughter… was terrified, in pain, and possibly dying.
And we couldn’t get to her fast enough.
Rushing to the Hospital
After what seemed like forever, we were finally at the hospital… and everything that happened next changed us all.
I was at the desk waiting for someone to help us and I glanced down at the clipboard in front of me and saw the words: Patient in hospital bed. That caused me to panic more, thinking of Nicole.
However, the ER team quickly got us back to her room and we arrived to find her in a brace, immobilized, and in severe pain. The moment I saw her eyes and heard her voice… weak, but present… I felt both sorrow and relief.
As I stood there, holding her hand and trying to be strong (fighting back tears), a flood of emotions swept over me: deep gratitude, fear of the unknown, and awe at God’s protection.
After many hours of waiting, rotating family members into her ER room, and watching them take her back for yet more tests… the results showed she had three fractured vertebrae and significant trauma from the impact.
I remember sitting in the waiting room thinking about sweet memories… cute baby pics of her, mommy and baby pictures, and even family goals we had talked about over the years… even the family goals we had talked about over the years. I thought of better times… when life felt lighter.
And I thanked God over and over… because it could have been so much worse.
She was alive. She was breathing. Her spinal cord was intact.
That was another God thing.
Damaged Cars Beyond Repair
In the days that followed, we began to uncover details that left us in awe of God’s protection.
One of the most remarkable discoveries was about her driver’s seat.
Just two weeks before the accident, the mechanism that allowed it to slide back and forth had broken.
(Our daughter was very frustrated about this at the time)
Because of that, she had to drive with the seat raised unusually high…
(Something that ended up shielding her head from the full force of the impact.)
It may very well have saved her life.
We can’t help but see God’s hand in that.
Looking at the wreckage, the front of the car was completely crumpled…
(except for the cab where our daughter sat)
It looked protected, almost as if angels had surrounded her, holding back the worst of it.
We saw His fingerprints all over this.
From the timing…
to the protection…
to the seat mechanism…
to the fact that we were already in town.
None of it was coincidence.
The Ukulele
Here’s another detail that moved us deeply. (We were told)
At the scene of the accident… Nicole… despite being in shock and pain… was clear about one thing: she wanted her ukulele.
The car was crunched… everything had been thrown everywhere… her college books, her drink, even all her cute car accessories… all over the inside of the car and onto the road.
The paramedics were trying to gather her most important belongings out of the now messy car before rushing her to the hospital. She gave them a short list, but she kept insisting they not forget her ukulele.
Somehow, even in that terrifying moment, it brought her comfort.
They honored her request, and it made its way to the hospital with her.
Later, as we were leaving the hospital, I captured a photo I’ll never forget.
A tech was wheeling Nicole out in her brace, my husband walked just ahead, carrying her precious ukulele strapped to his back…
…and I was behind them, overwhelmed with gratitude that our daughter was still with us.
That moment holds so much weight.
It says everything about what matters, what was preserved, and how God was with us every step of the way.
Hospital Bed Pictures
I didn’t even take any hospital bed pictures, not a single one! I couldn’t believe it. Zero pictures of being in the hospital!
I know… it might sound silly… especially since I’m the kind of person who usually snaps photos of everything. Not just for the memories, but to look back and see how God carried us through.
But this time? I couldn’t.
I was so focused on Nicole, so overwhelmed with worry, that taking a photo didn’t even cross my mind.
This picture of us leaving the hospital… it’s the only one I took the whole time.
And somehow, that makes it even more precious. ❤️
Recovery and Reflection
The healing journey hasn’t been easy. She’s now in a body brace for three months while her back heals. She can’t drive, can’t work, and has to rely on others for simple daily things.
For a fiercely independent 31-year-old woman, this has been humbling, frustrating, and painful.
But it’s also been sacred. We’ve had quiet conversations about life, faith, and the fragility of it all. We’ve cried and laughed and thanked God over and over again.
I’ve watched her lean on Him in new ways, and I’ve felt my own faith deepen through this storm.
I don’t believe God caused this. But I do believe He allowed it and met us in it. And He is using it. For me, it’s a reminder that life is short. That our days are not guaranteed. That people we love matter more than our plans.
And when everything falls apart, God is still holding us together.
For those who are wondering, we later found out that the driver who ran the red light was a 94-year-old woman who appeared to be disoriented at the time of the accident. Her car was also badly damaged, but by God’s grace, she walked away without serious injury.
Why I’m Sharing This
I debated writing about this. It’s deeply personal. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through every trial, it’s this:
God is always there… even in the moments that shake you to your core. God will always make a way.
We didn’t know what the outcome would be that day. But we saw God’s protection in the timing, in her broken seat, in the people who helped her, and in the fact that we were so close by.
I want this space… Life With SusieQ… to be a place where we talk about the real things. The hard things. The sacred things. And yes, even the messy things, because life can often be messy.
Life is fragile. And moments like these are wake-up calls.
What Matters Most in Life
We spend so much time overwhelmed…
juggling to-do lists,
being busy and worn out,
trying to build something meaningful,
and pushing through the noise.
But then life reminds you:
What truly matters is faith, family, and living each day on purpose.
It’s not about chasing more.
It’s about appreciating the gift of right now… and using your time and talents in ways that align with God’s purpose for your life.
This experience reminded me to slow down, to be present, and to stay rooted in faith even when everything feels upside down and messy.
My daughter’s story could have ended differently.
We could have easily been planning a funeral.
Thank God that’s not our ending.
And I will spend the rest of my life thanking God for that.
God is Near
If you’re walking through something scary, uncertain, or painful right now… please know this:
God is near. Even when it feels like everything is spinning out of control.
He’s in the timing. He’s in the details. He’s in the healing.
And He’s in the story you’re still living, even if you can’t see the ending yet.
There is still purpose in your pain. And peace waiting on the other side of surrender.
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” ~ Psalm 34:18
Until next time…