ANOTHER CHANCE

We never know what the future holds, nor imagine what an impact can happen to our lives from the choices we make.  Shelly wishes to share with you an incident that happened to her that changed her life.  Here is her story.

“My truck and 20ft. trailer were packed with my essentials, my house was rented, and I was on my way back to Las Vegas.  I had moved from there 7 years ago, never wanting to return to the desert wildlife, ever.  I figured that I had ‘served’ my time there, in the heat, surviving the hectic pace of erecting a number of the high rises that had emerged from the clay floor of the desert.  For 12 years I worked 8-16 hours a day as a high rise journeyman carpenter.  I was a single mother just trying to get a piece of the American dream.  Since, I had moved to California, went through a divorce, raised my daughter, and relocated to Central Oregon, I had met a man who I cared about.  However, when the opportunity beckoned me to return to Vegas, the enticement of earning a desirable amount of money was too much.  I prayed, I considered, I planned and off I went.  I would be trained to become a Finish Superintendent, good—I was no longer required to wear my tool bags.  It was now time for the brainwork and building trustworthy relationships with the subcontractors in order to efficiently build this titanic  structure.

On August 27, 2007 I was providing a ride to a man from my work.  As we drove along, I asked if he had a cold drink.  He handed me a Gatorade bottle from his cooler.  I recall as I reached for it thinking that this must be a new flavor, it was intensely blue.  I thought nothing more about it, just determined to quench my thirst.  I undid the lid and effortlessly gulped two large swallows.  Pain, disorientation, and shock began to subdue me.  My thoughts were like bubbles leaving my brain.  I would strain to grab for them..Poison, Dilution, Water..Poison, Dilution, Water—NOW!  I recall slamming my right arm and hand holding the bottle into this man’s chest and screaming, Call 911 NOW! I don’t even know if it was audible.  I heard him saying, “What did I do?”  I have no idea how I got up the 20’ incline to the water spigots.  I recall being bent over awkwardly under the spigot trying to get water into me, blue kept coming out of my mouth, and running down my body.  I was in so much physical agony, and soon I was down on my knees vomiting blue.  My mind was grasping understanding-why?  Then, I collapsed.  I was powerless to move.  It felt as though a truck was parked on my chest, breathing was difficult, why?   Somebody cradled my head, told me to hang in there.  I started praying.

A chemically burned esophagus and stomach, 6 days in ICU and 8 days further hospitalized was the result of something I will never understand.  On top of that, the police security ruled it as accidental, which really upset me and made me angry.  Oh, well! Many prayers were said for me during that time.  I knew the comfort and felt the peace that is significant to the mind of an injured person.

Who did it? I don’t know, nobody does, such is the conclusion when a thorough investtigation is not performed aptly.  So it is, I am alive!  By the grace of God my esophagus healed 100%.  There is slight scarring in my stomach lining and my mind is finally becoming sound.  I know that this was not meant to harm me personally, however, it was meant to harm.  As I was healing, I had a lot of time to think.  My decisions no longer centered on making money.  I had a good man 1,000 miles away waiting for me.  I knew I needed to go home.  Life had changed my priorities and my trust in God was greater than ever before.

My husband is kind and understanding, and my pace is slower. The plans that I made did not come to fruition, not even close.  I learned that it was concentrated blue portable toilet cleaner that was placed into that bottle that I consumed.  No explanations, no suspects –but the blue hued drink changed my life and my priorities.

Life is short, who would think that a drink could have such an impact.  Strange as it is I do know that I would still be working countless hours if this had not happened to me. I have been blessed through this ordeal in a way I would not have understood otherwise. I am grateful to God for His healing touch and for the love that he has placed in my heart. I do not know who is guilty of this prank.  I don’t need to know, all I need to do is forgive.  I do, I forgive.  Thank you God!”

(Wow Shelly, what a story, and you are a survivor we won’t soon forget.  I know it was hard for her to share her experience, but she wants to convey it’s not what happens to us that is as important, as how we rise above it.  And she did.)

Helen Price