Juan Carlos Gascon (original email)
I’m sorry to send a mass email, but I’m becoming aware that lots of folks don’t know what’s going on with the Gascon family, so I wanted to make sure you were all aware and praying. I assume that you know Juan Carlos and Connie Gascon, our Hispanic church planters. If you don’t, sorry you’re getting this email!
I’m also sorry to bear bad news. Tuesday evening, Juan Carlos and his son, Jonathan, were involved in a car accident. They were on one of our typical twisty and narrow country roads, when some deer ran in front of the car, causing them to lose control and run head-on into a ditch. The car rolled at least four times; they were both wearing seat belts, but the airbags did not deploy. They are both very blessed to even be alive.
Jonathan is in good shape, considering what he’s been through. He had a head injury with a good bit of bleeding, and some soreness in his shoulder. Today, his face is swollen and he’s tender, but otherwise healing fine.
Juan Carlos was not so fortunate. At the scene of the accident, he was not able to feel or move his arms and legs, and was flown by helicopter to MCV late Tuesday night. The doctors there determined his neck was broken, and didn’t give much hope that he’d ever regain use of his limbs again. His injuries had also affected his respiration, and he has been breathing with assistance since he reached the hospital. They said they would put him in a “halo,” and try to get his vertebrae back in place, then they’d do surgery to repair and fuse the vertebrae together. This morning, they discovered on an MRI that his spine was in good enough shape to do the surgery, so they took him back a little before lunchtime.
The news from the surgery was better than expected: Juan’s spinal cord is NOT severed, as they had feared. That news is very encouraging. His neck has been “repaired,” and he’s resting and recovering. Last I’d heard, he had opened his eyes and showed recognition, and was responding with blinks to communicate. The doctors say it will be several weeks to several months before they know for sure whether he’ll be able to use his legs and arms again. Again, the news is more encouraging than it was last night, but there’s still a LONG road ahead.
Connie and the boys are, of course, upset and worried. J.C. is particularly upset, and seems to be avoiding contact. Connie is staying at MCV’s hospitality house, so that she can be nearby to be with Juan Carlos. The boys are staying with families here near home, and hopefully will be able to resume school shortly.
The inevitable question now is, “What can I do?” The answer, at the moment, is to pray – for more miracles like the ones that have already occurred in the last 24 hours. Pray for wisdom for the doctors, and for people who can help Connie navigate all the difficult decisions, paperwork, and processes of the next few days. Pray for REST for the family, and for safe travel for them and those who’ll be making the trip to MCV. For practical purposes, the boys are in good care, and Connie has a place to stay. If any of you are in or near Richmond in the next few days, I know she would be glad to see you, and probably wouldn’t mind if you brought by a fast-food meal, but it would be good to check with her first. The boys would be glad to hear from you, too.
Thanks for your prayers and your concern. I’ll try to send out an update in the next couple of days. In the meantime, if you need to know more or would like to offer your assistance, you can call me and I’ll see who I need to put you in touch with.
Blessings, and praises to God for his care,
Jon
