A call for prayer tonight--
A vehicle carrying a group of kids from Highland traveling back to Abilene had an accident and rolled 3 times this afternoon. Mike Cope's son, Chris, was among the kids involved. He was seriously injured. As I write this, he is being flown to Fort Worth's Cooke Hospital with a lung injury and badly beaten up and bruised. Doctors are saying he'll have a long road in the next few weeks and may get worse before he gets better, but he should be fine. I spoke with Mike on the phone a little while ago. Diane had flown with Chris and Dickie Porche was driving Mike to the metroplex.
The boy sitting next to Chris in the car was killed. I cannot imagine the grief. His name is Brody Bourland. Thom Lemmon's son was also involved and was flown to Ft. Worth. I don't a lot about his condition.
Please, please get on your knees tonight for these families. It will be such a difficult recovery for everyone. I am praying that the Lord will heal Chris and the other quickly and spare Mike and Diane and all the others as much grief and heartache as possible.
Thank you for lifting this up.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
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Chris was one of three flown to Cook's Children's Hospital in Fort Worth (apparently with a punctured lung, broken ribs and other cuts and bruises) according to what was said at the prayer vigil this evening. The other two were:
John-Westin Bennet, Terri and Wes Bennett's youngest son with two broken legs.
&
Austin Lemmons, son of Cheryl Lemmons and Thom Lemmons. Last I heard Austin had still not regained consciousness.
The driver of the vehicle was transferred to Covenant Hospital in Lubbock with a broken neck.
There are so many needing prayers about this, in addition to the kids involved and their families, remember the kids in the car following who witnessed the wreck. The driver of the vehicle that crashed. Our youth ministers as they try to help the kids through this tragedy and everyone else touched in some way by this.
*I received this on email this morning from a friend of mine. The story is attached below concerning the wreck.
This is from an Abilene newspaper. Seems to give quite a few details. This is Jim Hinkle's youth group. Please pray for all of them. Thanks. -Zac-
Rollover accident during church trip kills Abilene boy
By Staci Semrad / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 17, 2005
A Suburban carrying a group of Highland Church of Christ youths overturned Sunday afternoon on Interstate 20 east of Baird, killing one child and injuring several others. Brody Bourland, 10, of Abilene, was declared dead at the scene, according to the Department of Public Safety in Abilene. The other seven occupants of the vehicle, all from Abilene, were injured and
taken to various hospitals. The group was returning from a church retreat in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
According to the DPS, the accident occurred at 2:45 p.m. as the group was heading west on I-20 about 1.5 miles west of Putnam in Callahan County. They were in a 2004 GMC Suburban, driven by Julie Folwell, 49, of Abilene. The Suburban apparently drifted into the center median, then overcorrected to the right, causing the vehicle to skid sideways before rolling over onto its top, a DPS spokeswoman said. Each occupant of the vehicle was wearing a seat belt, she said. The DPS reported that two of the children were flown by helicopter to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. They are Jon Westin Bennett and Austin Lemmons, both 11. Bennett was listed in stable condition with two broken legs, and Lemmons was listed in serious
condition with internal injuries but said to be doing well. The remaining occupants of the vehicle were taken to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene. They are Chris Cope, 12; Beth Johnston, 14; Amara Childers, 14; Chris Perkins, 12; and Folwell, the DPS reported. Chris Cope was later transferred to Cook Children's Medical Center, where he was in stable condition Sunday night, said Stormy Higgins, a church member. Folwell had a broken vertebra and was transferred from Hendrick to
Covenant Health System in Lubbock, Higgins said. A Hendrick spokeswoman said Folwell was in stable condition Sunday night before being transferred.
Perkins and Johnston were later released from Hendrick, and Childers underwent surgery for a bone fracture, the hospital spokeswoman said. The accident remains under investigation. On Sunday evening, the church held a vigil, attended by about 500 people, and provided counseling for affected people, such as church youth traveling in a second Suburban who witnessed the accident, Higgins said. Higgins, an Abilene city councilman, described the vigil as ''overwhelmingly emotional,'' adding that ''this is not what (church
members) got up this morning expecting.'' Counseling was provided by Jackie Halstead, a church member who is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She said it was amazing to hear the children of the church pray about it during counseling. ''There's a lot of tears, and I'm sure there will be some nightmares,'' she said.
She and other counselors will hold several more sessions this week to help those affected, she said.
Brody Bourland was a student at Franklin Middle School. Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home is handling funeral arrangements. He is survived by his parents, Brett and Jennifer Bourland, and brothers Taylor Hill, 17, and Brock Bourland, 7.
Contact staff writer Staci Semrad at 676-6734
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