I got this in an email today, apparently, he's a cousin of mine (I've never met him, it was expalined to me, but its complicated...). Anyway, I feel so sad for him! Pray for his recovery, please!


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Boy in coma after being hit by car

By Phyllis <http://www.newsargus.com/staff/> Moore
Published in News on February 12, 2009 1:46 PM

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Taylor Gambrel, a seventh-grader at Eastern Wayne Middle School, was struck
by a car while riding his bicycle near his home.



Cynthia and Mark Gambrel are praying for a miracle.

And they believe they're going to get it.

But more than two weeks ago, doctors did not give them much hope when they
spoke with the family about Taylor, 12, who had just gone through surgery
after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle.

The accident happened late Monday afternoon, Jan. 26.

The couple had gone out for groceries. At home with his three brothers --
Brandon, 14, Conner, 11, and Ed, 5 -- and grandmother Clara Combs, Taylor
decided to go outside by himself.

"We had told him again and again, there's too much traffic on this road,
don't go near the road," Mrs. Gambrel said about Powell Road, in the Elroy
community off U.S. 70 East. "But he jumped on his bicycle and was going down
the road.

"From what we understand, he was on the right side of the road -- we live on
the left -- and he was turning into our driveway. The guy driving behind him
happened to pass him and didn't know he was turning, and Taylor got hit."

Fortunately, another driver witnessed the accident and immediately called
911, Mrs. Gambrel said. "They took him to Wayne Memorial Hospital and as
soon as they got him there, they airlifted him to Pitt (in Greenville),
where he immediately went into surgery."

Hours later, around 11 p.m., the family received the grave news.

"(Doctors) told us, 'We don't expect him to live past 12-24 hours,'" Mrs.
Gambrel said. "They didn't give him but a 1 percent chance of survival and
if he was to wake up, he'd probably be severely brain-damaged because they
did have to remove a small part of the front part of his brain. That was the
part of the brain for thinking and complicated speech, so even if he does
wake up, he'll be in really bad shape."

The Gambrels sought a higher authority. "We have been told by God, and it's
been confirmed, that he's going to be all right," she said. "It's now been
two weeks and he's made really good progress."

For the first week, the family had a room at Ronald McDonald House. Now the
parents travel back and forth each day. Their other children returned to
school this week.

While Taylor still lies in a coma, faith sustains his family.

"We have had so many people donate food, money, gas cards, food cards. They
have actually all been very wonderful," Mrs. Gambrel said. "We haven't
wanted or needed for anything. We're very thankful for everybody that's
already donated. It's been very helpful." Right now, they can't worry about
money -- Mrs. Gambrel cleans houses, while her husband has been staying home
with the children -- and are thankful for Medicaid.

"We take it day by day," Mrs. Gambrel said. "We go up there, the boys have
been up there a week ago. They trust us. They know that if we tell them
everything's going good, they kind of handle it. Brandon will send out
e-mails. We'll take phone calls at the hospital, people stop by.

"I just have this peace of God. He's calmed us, He's strengthened me and
we're getting through it. We go up there every day expecting to hear
something good and so far, he's done nothing but go up that scale."

Her husband has also been strong throughout the ordeal, taking a
wait-and-see approach. "It's just very slow," he said today. "The swelling's
gone down a lot in his face. But he's doing great. I mean, still in very
serious condition but compared to what they said about not living past the
first 12-24 hours, he's doing very good. Every day it seems like he does
something they didn't expect him to do."

Over the next three weeks, Taylor should be getting out of ICU, his dad
said, and doing more rehabilitative and physical therapies.

It helps to have others praying with them for a miracle, Mrs. Gambrel said.
In addition to their church -- The Edge Ministries -- she said they have
received encouragement from people in Budapest, New York, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

"We're hearing from people everywhere," she said. "Brandon is on the
computer, while his grandmother is on the phone. It went out so fast, we had
so many responses from people, praying for (Taylor)."

Anyone wishing to send notes and cards can mail them to the family at 569
Powell Road, Goldsboro, N.C. 27534.

Oh my! I will pray for Taylor and your family.

I will say a prayer for your family.

Oh my goodness...thoughts and prayers are with them!!!

LOTS of prayers coming their way!!!!!!!!!!