In the midst of tragedy, prayer can make even the most desperate situation bearable — this is the truth that has been shown to the family, friends and fellow parishioners of 14-year-old Danielle Loftus.
Danielle, who is a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, was critically injured in a Lake Springfield jet ski accident on July 11. Billboards and signs all around the area feature a photo of Danielle, along with a request for prayers — pleas to God that have been making a difference every day, say those who are close to her.
Doctors have told Danielle’s parents, Jeff and Lynell Loftus, that Danielle’s head injuries were so severe that she probably shouldn’t have survived the helicopter ride from Springfield to Children’s Hospital in Peoria. However, with the help of the prayers of thousands of individuals, Lynell, Jeff and their family are focusing on her recovery.
While in the Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital, Danielle underwent surgery to remove a portion of the skull to alleviate pressure on her brain, was put into an induced coma, had skullcap surgery, a blood clot removed and fought off infections. She was on a ventilator and later had a tracheotomy and for now is still getting her nourishment through a feeding tube.
A little more than two months after her accident the girl who could read a 300-page book in one day, loved to write in her journal, sang in the church choir, ran track and played volleyball is a patient at the Rehab Institute of Chicago where she is making what the family refers to as “baby steps” to recovery.
Although she has a tracheotomy, much of the time Danielle breathes on her own. She can answer some questions by raising a hand, waving or blinking and is learning to communicate with specialized equipment. Within the last few days, an eye specialist has given her parents good news about her eyesight.
Although Danielle’s accident has been heart-wrenching and devastating for everyone in the family, Jeff says that he and Lynell are relieved that their two younger daughters, 11-year-old Taylor and 9-year-old Rachel — who were out on the water with her when the accident happened — are coping so well.
“Taylor and Rachel are doing great,” he says of the girls who are both students at Blessed Sacrament School. “Of course, when I am here with them in Springfield they miss their mom, but we head up there to Chicago every weekend.” At first Jeff and Lynell took weekly turns staying in Chicago, but lately Lynell has been staying longer in Chicago while Jeff stays home to care for the girls and run the family business.
Jeff credits family members, friends and now the staff at Blessed Sacrament for making sure the girls have been well looked after, especially in those early days when both he and Lynell were spending nearly all their time at Danielle’s side. They are naturally enormously grateful to the doctors, nurses and therapists who have taken care of their daughter so far.
Now that Danielle is in Chicago and is getting stronger, her parents and family members are able to take her out for walks in the park and around the neighborhood. Much of her day is taken up with occupational, physical and speech therapy. No matter what, the family spends some of each day in prayer and either Lynell or Jeff sends a progress report through a post on Danielle’s CaringBridge website.
Some of the CaringBridge entries are particularly poignant. During one of Danielle’s early days at RIC, Lynell wrote: “It is incredible to me that our bouncy, athletic, ball-of-fire Danielle is struggling with such simple tasks. I wept as I watched, willing God’s angels to help her while simultaneously giving words of encouragement. Danielle has always been a determined girl. As Jeff and I watched, Danielle tightened both hands into fists, set her jaw and tried her hardest each time to do as the therapist asked her. Again I wept, not tears of remorse that my baby girl is struggling, but that she is trying and succeeding. She will fight, she will progress and she will heal.”
“We know that her mind is solid and we know she has some of her memories and that she understands English,” Jeff says. “Five weeks ago she was unresponsive and in a coma, so she is so much better now, but we know we have a really long road ahead. But every time there’s been a very bad scenario presented, Danie has proven them to be wrong by pulling through.”
The Blessed Sacrament and Little Flower parish communities have been especially devoted to praying for Danielle and her family. Almost every Monday, Blessed Sacrament Parish has held a special 5 p.m. prayer service for Danielle. Father David Hoefler, pastor, has celebrated private Masses with the family. Both parishes and different businesses and organizations in the community have held fund-raisers. But mostly, people have prayed and have sent words of encouragement to the Loftus family through the CaringBridge site.
“If you follow our site, there should be no doubt in your mind that prayer works,” Jeff says. “It’s true that we thought that we were the last people in the world that something like this would happen to and I’m still a little bit in denial about it. But, I don’t know what people do if they don’t believe in God. I don’t know what they cling to.”
“As I pray with them all and watch the generous compassion of this community poured out on the Loftus family, I am in awe,” says Father Hoefler. “This is the way a Catholic community is supposed to be. Out of love and concern for another, and sometimes without personal regard, people are stepping outside themselves for the sake of someone in need.
“I think this is a tangible moment of great grace for everyone involved. Sometimes I don’t know which is the greater miracle being witnessed,” he says. “Danielle, by all expectations, shouldn’t even be with us. Yet, she is making daily progress. At the same time God has moved many hearts through her in ways they may have never grown otherwise.”
So, in a time of great sadness, Father Hoefler says the love and faith of a family has brought out the best in so many people. “This is concrete evidence that God can turn all things to good for those who love him.”
Editor’s note: At press time over 230,700 people had read Danielle’s CaringBridge site and over 4,170 people had left messages. To follow her progress, go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/danielleloftus.