11 Nov Van Wolferen Family Story

It was the start of summer, and our oldest son and husband were eager to hit some trails with their quads. Their two helmets were just delivered so they decided to try out a new trail in the Kelly Canyon area. I was home with our three younger children, hanging out and making dinner. We were supposed to have a nice dinner together that night after they got done riding. Before they left around 4:30 p.m., I remember telling my 13-year-old, “Please be careful, don’t go too fast!” It was a Tuesday night, and it was the beginning of summer break, they left around 4:30 pm. The trail was near our home, around 20-minutes away so I thought it was odd they were still out, and it was approaching 8 p.m. I was going to call my husband but just then my phone rang, my husband was on the phone really shaken up. He was trying to tell me our son slid off the road and went down an embankment while riding the quad, landing around 80 feet down the cliff. I was shaking! My husband went down to check if he was okay. My husband slid down the bank to check on him as fast as he could. Our son said he “blacked out for a few seconds” and that he thought he was paralyzed at first because he couldn’t move his legs. But then he tested if he could wiggle his toes, and he was able to, so he felt relieved. He did notice that the middle of his right leg felt numb when he tried to move it, and a bump bulged up in the middle of the leg, so he knew he had broken his femur. My husband called the paramedics, and our son was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) in Idaho Falls. We skipped dinner and headed to the hospital. He was scheduled to have surgery on his leg the next morning. We got home around 1 a.m. After feeding all the animals in the morning we headed back to the hospital, praying the surgery and everything goes as smooth as it can.

The surgery went smoothly, and he was done in about an hour and a half. We wanted to be there for him, of course, but baby brother was getting super fussy and exhausted and needed his nap. One of the nurses told us we could go to the Ronald McDonald Family Room to rest and get snacks for the kids, relax, the kids could play, and baby brother can take a nap. We went down to RMFR and instantly the staff made us feel like it was home-away-from-home. They were so gracious, welcoming and kindhearted. They told us to help ourselves to the food in the fridge; there were water bottles and juice boxes as well. There was even a kettle to warm up the water for my baby’s bottle. I made him a bottle and he fell asleep while I was holding him on the couch in the living room. I was able to relax there every day that week after the accident.

The Family Room was like a little retreat I could go to with my three youngest children. They all felt at ease, and my little one was able to take his naps in my arms while I sat on the couch. After his naps he was a happy little guy, and we were all able to go up to see big brother every day. We were there about 4 days, and every single day I was so incredibly grateful I could be at the Family Room. It felt like a little haven! We don’t live super close to the hospital, and we have animals to tend to, so I had to go home every night and leave every morning. It was impractical to drive back and forth multiple times per day. Needless to say, the RMFR felt like a “shock absorber,” it relieved so much of the stress of the situation for me and my family. It was truly a beautiful, comforting experience! The kids even got a quilt some precious ladies from the community made. What a blessing, it felt like getting a hug at a challenging time. I’m truly grateful for this beautiful space for families dealing with difficult moments in life and helping us get through it a lot less frantically. May God bless you all.

~ Van Wolferen Family | Rigby, ID | 4 Days at the Family Room