CNN iReport

June 21st 2007~ were on our first camping trip of the year with our best friends Damon and Lauri (even had 2 of my daycare kids with us). Had been an off day. things just seem strange. We had camped at this campground for 3 years without a single problem. We put the kids to bed around 10pm. All the boys (6 of them) were in one tent. The girls (4 of them) were in another tent. It had been a hot day at the river so I wanted to go take a shower...... Hubby and I walked to the showers (this is a private elks club camping ground) I was in the shower when my oldest sons girl friend runs in and throws the shower curtin back... she said Di you have to come NOW... I threw my clothes on (still had soap in my hair) and ran as fast as I could back to the camp site... I knew by the look on her face something was horriably wrong... I saw lights and I ran.. I knew... something was VERY wrong... From that moment my life has NEVER been the same... At around 10:40pm a large limb from one of the cotton wood trees weighing over 200 lbs broke off and fell.... onto the tent where the 6 boys slept... My youngest son Ethan had been hit in the head... I can see it in my head clear as day but it all seems like a big blurr... I remember there was an off duty Fire cheif that was there (he is actually the dad of my oldest son friends) My husband was holding Ethan's head talking to 911. Life flight has already been called (an unual request as the paramedics were not even there yet) I remember the parametics getting there and it seemed so fast that they just scooped Ethan up and were gone... I remember I kept saying I don't feel good... I am going to puke... everyone in the campground was there... I only remember seeing a few people besides all the medics.... The medics told us to meet them at the hospital... My hubby, myself, My oldest (Aaron) and his girlfriend jumped in the Explorer and were on the way.... seemed like it took forever to get to the hospital.. Once we got there they shuffled us to a private waiting room.... we really had NO IDEA how bad it really was.... 3 hours later 4 doctors and 3 hospital staff came into the room.... I only remember 2 of the Dr's because they are the only ones who spoke... I will never forget the look on the neuro surgens face when he started to talk to us... I could see... he didn't want to tell us..... He said Ethan had an open brain injury and he would not survive.... I remember looking at him bauling saying I don't understand what you are saying to me... he had so much compassion and was trying so hard to tell me what NO parent ever wants to hear.... I just could not wrap my head around it... I heard the words he was saying but it was like they were a foreign language or something. The other Dr. tryed to explain it ... he said it is like taking a raw egg and dropping it from a 40 story building.... Ethan's skull was like the shell... I have to say that today I am thankful for him saying that because I can understand it now but at the time it made no sence... We were finally able to see Ethan... I remember walking in to the room and looking at him, thinking that is not my child.... his face was very swollen, he had all kinds of tubes and iv's. I slowly walked toward him... saw his hand and lost it... I knew that was my baby... they moved Ethan to a different part of the hospital (some special unit) we were by his side every second... We had alot of different Dr's but everyone of them tryed so hard to explain everything to us.. by the afternoon of the 22nd we had learn so much about open brain injuries and just what was going on (had not had a wink of sleep) everyone was so compassionate and caring, they were so good to us and to Ethan. The Dr's had told us that Ethan would never wake up, the only thing keeping him alive was the machines.... they wanted to do a test to confirm that Ethan was brain dead... I remember looking at my husband across the bed .... I don't know who said it first but we both must have been thinking the same thing... Ethan would not want to be this way (Our Ethan always had a smile on his face, had no fear, brought joy and happiness to everyone he came in contact with, he never used training wheels on his bike he jumped on a two wheeler one day and took off! he love to play and never sat still for too long) we knew if the test came back confirming what everyone thought Ethan STILL had to live on..... we asked the nurse about organ donation.. At 5:25am on June 23rd the Dr came in with the result ....... Ethan was brain dead ...

Ethan saved 4 peoples lives.. his heart went to a 9 yr old little girl, his kidneys went to a woman in New York and a woman in California, his liver went to a little girl in Washington. I think knowing that Ethan is a hero and saved these people really does help in some way... Ethan wanted to be a fireman and I know he would be happy to know that he saved these people.

I found out later that my oldest son (Aaron) lifted the 200+ lb limb off of Ethan...... they said it took 4 firemen to move it later....

My life has changed so much.... somedays I hate it somedays it seems ok.... I don't think it will ever be "normal" again.... whatever normal is.... there is nothing in this world like losing a child .... grief is so crazy and unbearable sometimes.... I honestly don't know how I get up in the morning....

Ethan would have been 7 yesterday! Happy birthday little man!

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jett... keep strong and take one moment at a time.