Happy Birthday Nicole

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!

27 YEARS OLD



This is my sister and her gorgeous daughter Hope. My sister has been through a lot in her short years of life. She was a tom boy that I secretly wanted to be like when she was just a kid. Very talented in everything she tried, whether it was school, art, sports, or friends. She has a very odd sense of humor, but we get each other. We were virtual enemies one minute and then best friends and confidants as kids. She is three years my senior and is such a brave, kind hearted woman. Just do not than threaten her or her family!

She has endured more than most people will ever in their entire lifetime. She decided to be on her own when she was still so young. She went off to live with friends and her boyfriend. That latest all of about 3 or 6 months. It was such a strange time. Okay, lets be honest, she ran away. From what, I truly can not say, for I do not know. When she began to exert her independence, she put up a wall in between her and our family. In a crude way, she stuck a certain finger in our faces and walked away. Our family's love and worry for her never diminished.

***Please forgive me if this is all wrong. It is based on my assumptions and observations when I was very young***

From what I can remember, we did not really have our relationship back until she was involved in a car accident. She decided to go to the beach with a couple guys, AFTER they had all been partying and drinking. Anyone familiar with Southern California's Inland Empire will know that driving the Ortega Highway is dangerous, let alone while driving drunk!!!!

To say that that particular decision changed her life would be a vast underestimate. We got a call some 20 or so hours after the accident. You see, a friend of hers, finally  called our family and informed us of what happened, mind you she was a minor. I believe she was only 15 years old. If you are wondering why we were not informed from the hospital, it is because she was unconscious and the guys were drunk and walked away without a scratch after totalling their new green Dodge truck by slamming into a wall and a tree.

They decided, collaboratively, to say that they did not know who she was, they told the cops that she was some hitchhiker they picked up on the side of the road! UUgghhhh That thought still brings shock and horror to my heart....

Needless to say, she was listed as a Jane Doe and was in a chemically induced coma due to the massive trauma of her frontal lobe (where she was slammed under the dashboard). The neurologist cautioned us that she may never fully recover, she may become a vegetable for the rest of her life.

Oh yeah, not only were we thrown this news, but the doctors also informed us she was pregnant...

PREGNANT!

It was the oddest thing. To be so fearful of losing your sister, then to be suddenly afraid she might lose her baby, would would be my niece or nephew. I pray no one ever experiences such harsh realities!

***A long story short, she eventually came out of her coma, but she had brain damage from all the swelling and the trauma. She had to relearn everything! Coloring in the lines, speech, walking, eating, etc... Her memory was also very impaired. To this very day, her memory is sketchy...

By the way, that baby survived. On March 2, 2001. By the way, did anyone notice? 3-2-1 :) Tyler Logan was born! Followed soon by his sister, Hope (pictured above).

I absolutely love my sister and am excited to see where God has brought her. God is amazing and truly does not give us more than we can  handle.

Thank you Jesus for allowing my sister to still be here with us. My niece and nephew would not be here without her.
Happy Birthday Nicole!

As a side note, there is more, much,much, much more to Nicole's testimony and experiences.