Meghan and Morgan's Recovery

The Accident

Updates

10 June 2023 - All-American!
Every season since the crash has been filled with some excitment, gratitude, and belief that progress will continue. However, up to this point, Meghan has always been a little off from her high school times. This year ended differently!
At Regionals (Round 1 of the NCAA Championships), Meghan ran her season best to advance as a top 2 finisher in her heat. In the quarterfinal, she ran slightly faster to become the slowest qualifier to Nationals where the semifinal and final would be contested. So, at this point it was down to the top 24 in the country 2 weeks later. Prior to this, she was ranked 78th in the country.
At Nationals in the semifinal, she ran in the back for most of the race, but stuck to her race plan. She ran 29, 30, 30 for her first three 200s and was back by about a second from the 2nd to last place runner. However, her final 200 was incredible. She passed three runners and got an amazing personal best of 2:01.53 to advance to the finals with what was now the number 7 time in the entire country. Nine qualify for finals and only eight get the title of All-American. She followed the same race plan, but was quite tired. However, she ran her second fastest time ever and finished in 8th place.
So, she is now All-American and has an 800 time that has her realizing that she is now even better than she was in high school and the story is still not over! She has one more outdoor and 2 more indoor seasons and the time she ran will likely have her competing in the Olympic Trials next year!

12 June 2021 9:00pm - NCAA Championships
While it was so hard to hear that Meghan "Might be able to start running in a year or two", we felt it would happen. Progress happened rapidly though and in less than two years, Meghan was:

More impressive than her return to racing well is the attitude she has. Her rapid recovery is only partly due to her genetics and healthy body. The ability to heal quickly and run so well this year is heavily due to her determination and positive outlook!

4 July 2020 9:00am - One year
At 4:50am last year, we got a call from Morgan that changed our lives. The surgeon's words were hard to hear "She'll have a normal life". Today, we are amazed at how well they are both doing. Meghan started running 1 January and is currently doing workouts building her fitness back to where she was. Morgan still gets a sore upper back when he does a lot of lifting, but has not bone or spinal damage. The muscles are just taking longer to heal than expected. We've all been amazed at the support everyone has received and thank you for that. Morgan now has one more year of BYU and will be looking for a job in computer engineering. Meghan did great in her first year of school. We expect her to be racing by January. The most optimistic outlook from any of the surgeons was that she would be running in year or two, not working out at fast speeds and racing. The 4th of July will never have the same meaning to our family, but a year ago I did not know how to make it feel like a celebration. Thanks to the support and Meghan and Morgan's attitudes and progress, this will be a day filled with joy and celebration. We may never sleep well the night before though!

26 May 2020 11:00am - Good progression
There is a long way to go, but the workouts Meghan does once a week show good improvement. Here neck doesn't seem to be bothered by running. It is nearly always a bit sore, but somehow that doesn't make her grumpy! Now, we just need school and track to begin again so she can start training with her team. We are optimistic about a full recovery more than ever and hope to see her racing in January 2021.

7 April 2020 11:00am - First running workout!!
6x200 with 3 minutes recovery. Coach didn't tell her how fast to run them, but Meghan's motivation produced some really good times for her first one back! She looked great and while her leg muscles are going to be sore, nothing that shouldn't hurt did. The future looks bright!
First interval

12 February 2020 11:00am - Overground Running!!
Recovery is progressing well! Meghan is now cleared to run overground. Here is a video of her first time along with some testing we did in the lab where we compared her prior to the injury and a couple of weeks ago on a treadmill. The lower body is no different. There is some tension still in her upper back, but that is diminishing each week.
Running Mechanics

1 January 2020 11:00am - First Run!!
After cross-training in the morning, we went to BYU to try Meghan's first run on the Alter G treadmill (video). That treadmill allows runners to have their body weight partially supported resulting in smaller impacts with the ground. It went very well. She started with 7.5 minutes and will gradually build up from here with less body weight supported and more time running until she is off the treadmill and running over ground. This was very encouraging! After the treadmill, we went to the weightroom to lift for a while. Meghan has lots of motivation and optimism!

25 November 2019 5:00pm - Cleared For More!!
Today was a great visit with Dr. Gardner. He asked whether we had any questions. Meghan asked, "When will I be able to run so I can tell people when they ask me when I'll be able to run?". He said she can try running in January. I'd been expecting months later, but she's been progressing really well. The bones that have been fusing are not hardened enough yet for some activiities, but everything looking great! Meghan's attitude has been wonderful and she's doing great in school. I'll keep you posted after the first run in January.
Morgan is still feeling pain in his upper back. We have people working on him and he's doing strengthening, but the healing is taking longer than expected.

7 October 2019 5:00pm - Neck Brace Off
95 days since the accident. We had an appointment today and Dr. Gardner said the brace can come off! She needs to wear it in the car and when in crowds or dangerous situations. She can take it off for her cross training and for sleeping at night. It will be a transition though. It is tiring on her neck to have it off, so she'll only have it off for a few minutes at a time at first, then gradually more and more. She's cleared for elliptical exercise now too. That will add some variety to her days!
She took it off in the office can just looked straight ahead scared to move. Later on, she told me she was worried it might crack if she turned her head. I asked Dr. Gardner what kind of range of motion she could safely do. He said whatever doesn't hurt is fine. She very slowly turned her head to the left, then to the right. She went back and forth hesitantly, but had a feeling of joy on her face. Imagine the things we take for granted. She has gone 95 days without moving her neck or head. There was so much relief in all of us that she could turn her head! It's going to be a long time until she won't be thinking about being so careful, but day-by-day and week-by-week, it will come.
The fusion is woring well. The front is pretty much complete, but needs to harden still. The back of her neck still needs a little more filling, but is nearly complete. So, everything is encouraging and good.

30 September 2019 7:00am - More Cross-Training
Everything has been going well. Meghan and Morgan are both getting through school. Morgan is still sore quite often, and Meghan is still in a neck brace. She is doing a lot of cross training and has a great team to help her along the way. 7 October is the next appointment with Dr. Gardner. She should be able to transition out of the neck brace after that. I'll write again after that appointment.

12 September 2019 9:00am - Zero Fatalities
utah is one of the state participating in Zero Fatalities. Since Morgan and Meghan wore seatbelts during their crash, they were invited to participate in a press conference since there were 41 less fatalities than last year during the 100 deadliest days on Utah roads. Morgan just had gum surgery, so he didn't go, but Meghan did a great job sharing the story. I haven't found video of it, but here is an article from the local paper. Zero fatalities press conference

10 September 2019 9:00am - Follow-up Visit
Meghan made it through her first week of school well. She's cross-training every day and progressing well. We visited with Dr. Gardner yesterday. Everything looks good. The earliest visit we can have for the next follow-up visit is 7 October, so she'll have to have the brace on for an extra couple of weeks. That's sad because it's a hassell to have it on. She's using a bone stimulator which should help speed up the fusion becoming complete.

28 August 2019 11:00am - Cross Training
Morgan is gradually recovering. His back is still often sore, but is getting regular massage and chiropractor help. Meghan moved out today to live with Kate for her freshman year. She is doing whatever cross training she is allowed and it's going well. Today was 45 minutes on the Hydroworx. School starts on Tuesday. We're hoping she will be able to handle classes. Her upper back still gets tight when she is upright for too long. She has some good accomodations for help at BYU like notetakers and people to carry her backpack from class to class.

21 August 2019 9:00am - XC Camp
Meghan and Kate are in Park City for the BYU XC camp. The teammates were all so excited to see Meghan and have her with them. They were excited about how good she looks and how she is able to be doing some activities now. She will be limited with what she can do at camp, but will have a lot of people around her to motivate and encourage her.
Morgan spent a week in San Jose with Deana and Rachel. He got back last night and had a great time. Lots of food, games, and pickleball. He's still sore, but recovering well.

14 August 2019 1:00pm - Hydroworx
Meghan was excited to try the Hydroworx treadmill. We put it at a relatively high water level so there would be minimial impact with the ground. She was able to go 4 mph for a mile and there wasn't really any pain. We'll make a very slow progression from here, but need to keep impacts very low for a few months. Here is a video of what it looked like.

12 August 2019 1:00pm - Appointment
We got a CT scan and xrays. Dr. Gardner looked over them very thoroughly and was happy about it. Everything is working well. The fusions are working. Bone is filling in where it needs to. Everything is aligned well through the fusion. She's a little crooked probalby from muscle tightness. That will likely take care of itself once she's out of the brace. She's been cleared for a bit more activity. We can use the Alter g treadmill and hydroworx treadmill. That will give some good variety. She can also use a stationary bike and get her heart rate up better. Lower body strength training is ok too. So, she's progressing very well. The bones will not be fully ready for about a year from surgery, but her brace will probalby come off at the end of September. Very encouraging, but still a long road ahead.

7 August 2019 5:00pm - Boat Races
Meghan, John, and I went to Lion's Park to build stick boats and race them. We used ribbon to lash stick together. It was fun, but Meghan's boat got stuck. I threw a large rock at it to help free it, but the rock landed right on top, pushed it to the bottom, and we couldn't see it anymore. It was Meghan's idea to go, so that was a good break from watching shows on tv.4 August 2019 8:00am - Treadmill
It's hot outside once morning is over, so Meghan has been on the treadmill some days. Today, she did 2 miles. The CT scan showed everything in alignment and is all encouraging. We have an appointment this week with Dr. Gardner to see about a treatment plan going forwards from here. Meghan is still planning on starting school in September.

31 July 2019 8:00am - Follow Up
Today will be a follow up CT scan to make sure everything is going well. Meghan's light-headedness has mostly disappeared. She's started walking on the treadmill when it's hotter in the day. Yesterday, she was going quicker and heading uphill on it asking me how hard she can go. We'll hopefully find out a bit more today of how active she can be and what exercises can be added now. Morgan is doing really well. His back is nearly completely better.

27 July 2019 9:30pm - US Championships
Morgan and I are at the US Championships filming. Meghan was excited to see the 400m. For the semifinal, Morgan streamed it over the phone to her and she watched hte final on television today. She was most excited to watch Allyson Felix who just had a baby 8 months ago. She won the world championships the last time they were contested so has an automatic bid to Doha this year. So, although she wasn't top 3, she will still go to Worlds. Meghan has been doing well at hom going on walks and out to lunch with Grandma who came to visit last Monday.

23 July 2019 6:30pm - News Interview
KUTV news reached out shortly after the accident and asked about doing an interview when Meghan would be up to it. Brónagh Tumulty came to our house to do the interview. She was a pleasure to meet wtih a great Irish accent! Here is a link to the interview.

23 July 2019 4:30pm - Out for Lunch
Getting out for lunch at the Cannon Center at BYU today was exactly what we needed. The food was good. We got to mingle with sports campers and coaches. Nice way to uplift spirits when there's not much to do at home. Plus, the food was really good. Nice to have a good variety.

22 July 2019 9:00am - Moving Forwards
On Saturday, Meghan, Morgan, and their dates went to a concert. The doctor said it would be fine, but I was nervous about it. So, I drove them there and went to dinner with Jon Kotter and Nate Ogden at the Paradise Buffet. It was great!
When I got back to pick them up at the concert, I learned that telling police and workers that my daughter has a broken neck and I need to be close to pick her up can get me just about anywhere I want to go!
They had a great time, but Meghan was really tired on Sunday. I think it was a bit much for her to stay out so late and not be able to lay back for so long. She had a good recovery on Sunday though.

19 July 2019 9:00pm - Stitches Out
The nurse took Meghan's stitches out and she's healing very well. She can now put on the waterproof neck brace and take a shower without worrying about getting her neck wet! We also got a handicapped permit. The good news is it is only a temporary permit. A good reminder that she will get through this.

18 July 2019 9:00pm - Getting Stronger!
Sometimes Meghan is a bit lightheaded when she gets up still. I realized I am too, but bend over for a couple of seconds and I'm fine. Meghan can't do that. We went on a walk tonight. She wanted to go 1.5 miles. The limiting factor for now is tightness in her upper back. We'll go get some treatment on that after getting stitches checked tomorrow.

17 July 2019 8:00am - Encouraging conversation
Meghan: Dad, I didn't sleep very well. Do you think it's because I didn't take a muscle relaxer or Tylenol last night?
Dad: That's likely because the muscle relaxers can make you drowsy. Why didn't you take them?
Meghan: Nothing hurt.
Dad: How do you feel this morning?
Meghan: I'm fine. I don't think I need them today.

16 July 2019 8:30pm - Morgan's Birthday
Morgan is 22! We are so grateful to have all of our children alive and well! There have been times when I've thought about how fortunate we are even though this trial has come our way. Today was a good day. I went to the training room with Morgan. He got some treatment and a hot tub, while I ran on the Alter G treadmill. There are so many good things in life and going on, that we'll make it through this. Morgan feels a little better every day still. He's back to working a catering job and will probalby be timing races soon.
Meghan's longest walk today was 0.9 miles. She's being careful, but progressing well!

15 July 2019 9:30pm - Walking and hairdos
We went on a few walks today. The last one was 0.75 miles. It felt good in the evening air. Kate has done well doing Meghan's hair, but Meghan doesn't always like the choice, so we redo it. Hopefully, improvements in how she feels will keep coming.

15 July 2019 2:00pm - Wounds Healing
Meghan's incision was sore today, so we went to the doctor's office to check that it was doing well and not infected. The way the brace pushes on her neck seems to be why it was sore. I was scared to look at the cut, but did anyway. It was not gross at all! It looks like a thin scar from weeks ago. The lower part of it was a little more red, but not infected. So, the nurse redid the steri strips there and left the rest uncovered. There haven't been any light headed feelings today, so we are still encouraged, but taking it slow. Thank you for all the kind thoughts and prayers! We've felt love from family, friends, church, BYU, and even people we don't know.

15 July 2019 10:00am - Strava
Meghan is doing well today. We're going to go to have her stitches checked to make sure everything looks good, go shirt shopping (she wants some that button from the front), and might got to the training room to work on her tight muscles. After I rode a stationary bicycle while watching the Tour de France, we went on a walk together. She felt quite good doing that.

14 July 2019 9:00pm - Songs in Our Home
Today was a good day. Much less trouble with being lightheaded. She went to church and made it home safely. We had quite a few visitors that shared thoughts, stories, chatted, and even sung songs. Hopefully, tomorrow she will keep improving. She realized today how high the doctor shaved her head from behind. We can't tell when her hair is down, but if you feel up from the back, it's obvious that a high pony tail would show differently than it used to. She handled it well and we had some funny conversations about the options she has for this new hair style.

14 July 2019 11:00am - Sunday Will Come!
Meghan had a good night sleep. She hasn't had any light-headedness this morning. She came to church. I think she'll just stay for a short time. When we left the hospital the doctors were happy to have her gone short walks and be engaged in whatever activities are safe. We successfully changed the pads on her neck brace. We have two sets so we can clean them.

13 July 2019 4:00pm - Clean hair!
Meghan made it on a couple of half mile walks. Some of the time when she sits up, she gets very lightheaded still though. Other times, she does fine. She just got a good shower and Adrienne washed her hair outside while she was leaned back in a lawn chair. I'm still encouraged about her healing and return, but I can't handle not being next to her whenever she gets up to do anything. I'm assuming taht will improve gradually day by day.

12 July 2019 10:30pm - Long Road
Today was a realization that the road ahead is not going to be easy. Meghan is doing well right now, but had been quite light-headed much of the day. It was sometimes a struggle to get up and just walk to another room. When she's not light-headed, she does fine with walking. When I left for school for a while today, she seemed to have not trouble getting up and down and getting around. With how well she's made progress so far, it was feeling like everything would be better every day. Today was helpful to remind us to take it slow and carefully.

12 July 2019 3:00pm - Athlete of the Year!
Today, Meghan's Gatorade Utah Athlete of the Year Award came. Very appropriate that it says, "Athletic Excellence, Academic Achievement, Exemplary Character".

12 July 2019 1:30pm - Day-by-day
It was a rough night for sleeping. We're working on figuring out the right pillow arrangement.
Meghan wanted to go on a walk just now. We went 0.51 miles. She's eating well and feeling only mild pain. Morgan and I sat in a hot tub to loosen up his back. He's recovering more every day and is not showing any signs of any long-term issues.

11 July 2019 8:00pm - We're All Home!!
Meghan is home!! Morgan and I timed the track camp track meet for BYU. He was doing well enough for that. He had to stretch a little bit for his back, but is not in pain now, just achy. Grandma Rogers had soup ready for Meghan that made her very happy. She seems in really good spirits and is happy to be home.

11 July 2019 1:00pm - We Love Meghan!!!
Our xc camp team name is "We love Meghan!!!". Before the camp meet, I asked our team if we could wait to do our cheer on the starting line and invite anyone else that would like to participate in our cheer to join in. Here is a link to the video just before the girl's race.

11 July 2019 9:00am - Much Better View
On the ICU floor, we had a view of the demolision of the old hospital. Just a bunch of concrete and broken ventilation with chairs and a table for the workers to use. Now, we are up higher and able to look out at the mountains, the Provo Temple, the old Provo High School track, and BYU. We need to talk to one more doctor, but it's likely she'll come home today. She was woken up a lot for testing since she's not monitored by devices as much, but is going well. Our neighour, Dell Tyler, stopped by to visit. He's a few doors down from us on the same floor. He was in good spirits and was fun to have look in while he went on a walk.

11 July 2019 6:00am - New Room!
Sports champs at BYU has been inspiring. Each van has a team name. I told Meghan's story to my van on the first day and we settled on a team name of "We love Meghan!!!". Yesterday, the camp played a big Kahoot game. Our van was in the lead for some of the questions and every time we were in 1st place after a question, everyone would cheer, "We love Meghan!!!".
We had some great visiting last night with Meghan feeling really happy and enjoying them. Everything has been so inspiring and we're feeling love from so many places. Today, we'll find out whether she'll come home today or tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

10 July 2019 6:00pm - New Room!
She We just left the ICU! That's good because of improvement in Meghan, but we need to get with other nurses now. Hopefully, they'll be good! Meghan did a lot more walking. She's close to 3:00 now for her laps. The support from everywhere has been amazing! She ate more today than any other and is feeling good other than her pain in the neck.
On the day after surgery, I wrote to my Japanese host family and told them what happened and asked them to pray for Meghan and Morgan. I had remembered a stone Buddha that we would get a piece of wet paper and place it upon him and would say a prayer for someone. We would place the paper upon him in a place that the person you are praying for needs help. When we went there, Eddie (my host) put a strip on each foot and said this is for your feet to race well tomorrow! Eddie and Yoko replied saying they would go to the Tanigumi temple that day and pray for their injuries. I really love that family and hope I will see them again some day.

10 July 2019 9:10am - Kristi's Back!
There have been some great nurses helping here, but Meghan has a special connection with Kristi. We can't expect her to work 12 hours shifts for a week though. Last night was very good. There were needs to wake Meghan up to check whatever nurses like to check, but she slept really well. Adrienne still stays the night while I go home with the rest of the family. I stopped by early this morning. Meghan was still sleeping, but I had a good visit with Adrienne. I think today will be good. They expect to move her to a different floor sometime today and go home Thursday or Friday. Call or text if you're not sure where to go if you come to see her.

9 July 2019 6:10pm - Cougars of BYU!
A few of the BYU women's xc team came by this evening. They had a great time with Meghan and I could tell Meghan is in a really good situation for the next few years no matter how quick or slow the recovery is. They were very entertaining and uplifting. Meghan is in a great situation for how life has turned.


9 July 2019 11:10am - Another Walk
She's doing really well today on how she feels. Definitely still in pain, but we learned a bit about the hospital floor today that is fun for Meghan. It's 200m per lap just link an indoor track. The morning after surgery, she did a lap. Later that day she did 2 more. On the second day after surgery, I started timing them when I was arround. 5:00, 4:30, 4:20. I just went with her for two laps. She went 3:59 and 3:52! I haven't told her I've been timing the laps, but it's fun for me to see progress. Today is exciting to know she is feeling well enough for visitors and the doctors, nurses, and PTs are so pleased with the progress and attitude she has.

9 July 2019 9:30am - Training
Meghan has done two walks today already! She is talking and smiling and getting in an out of bed practicing how to do it safely. This has been a much brighter day than yesterday. The PT is very excited about her progress. She is excellent at standing on one foot with eyes closed and tipping to heels and toes and so on. It's clear she's an athlete.

9 July 2019 6:30am - A Brighter Day
Last night, Morgan was doing well. His treatment in from my friend, Dan, helped and he was in good spirits when we went to bed. I woke up at home at 4:08am. On the way to sports camps, I stopped by to see Adrienne and Meghan. Meghan was sleeping, but had woken up at 4 something and got up to pee, then ate some food. She is feeling much better than yesterday. We'll be praying for a good cheerful day. I'll write later to hopefully give an update of continuing to eat.

8 July 2019 8:30pm - End of the Day
I just got back from teaching a clinic at sports camps for BYU. I did my usual clinic on running mechanics, but shortened it a bit so that I could finish by talking about Meghan and her trial. I told them that if a little girl with a broken neck and shattered dreams of a freshman year coming up can be smiling, then what excuse could we have for not smiling? It helped me to share with them, but I think they also felt inspired by Meghan's smile. I know other people have been through worse trials, but Meghan's example of enduring with positivity and happiness is strengthening and motivating.
Meghan stayed doing well, but has a bit of a headache. She didn't eat more than some applesauce, but she was able to keep that down. She doesn't feel great still, but tomorrow will be better than today.

8 July 2019 6:30pm - Another Triumph
After that long day of nausea, all of a suddent she sat up in bed and said, "I want to go on a walk." We just got back in the room and she's talking and visiting with Coach Taylor. Coach walked around the corner expecting to find Meghan sleeping in bed with nausea, but instead she was walking towards Coach. She's still not feeling great, but the nausea has somewhat subsided and still has not needed pain pills. The only medicaiton for pain is an IV Tylenol.

8 July 2019 4:30pm - Trials and Triumphs
Today has been really hard for nausea. Meghan hasn't been able to keep any food down. She's feeling too nauseous. It's much easier for me to see her nauseous than being in the pain she was while they figured out the dosing of pain medication. The triumph through this is that instead of Flexeril, Dilevdid, and Oxycodone, she has only needed Tylenol all day. That is encouraging. The support and number of visitors has been incredible. Most of the visits have been without Meghan able to participate, but I've enjoyed being with our friends and Meghan's friends and teammates. Yesterday, she did a couple of laps around the hospital unassisted! Her first walk in the morning was a 5:00 lap. The two later were 4:30 and 4:20. So, while this nausea day is troublesome, there are many good things going on.

8 July 2019 8:00am - Book
There is a book outside of Meghan's room. With some hours better than others, if she's not feeling well when you come, please take time to write in the book for her. We enjoy reading it to her or letting her read it throughout the day. Thank you so much for those that have put such wonderful messages in it so far!

8 July 2019 7:00am - Ups and Downs
This was the best night yet of sleep and recovery, but in the morning some nausea came on and she threw up her medicine. She's uncomfortable now, but not in the pain we've seen a couple of days ago and the night before. Adrienne stayed the night and has been comforting her this morning. The staff are working on getting naseau and medicine and food in her to get her to an equilibrium. If you come to visit today, right now the elevators are broken and a card is needed to get into the floor from the stairs. So, I would recommend talking to the information desks on the main level if the elevator is still stuck. Hopefully, they'll fix it quickly. I think it broke because so many people are coming to see Meghan, it just got worn out! Thank you for the loving care!

7 July 2019 9:00pm - Rough Afternoon
Adrienne got talked into going to Grandma's for dinner with family (her brother and family drove here from Tooele). While she was gone, Meghan rose in body temperature. We got some ice packs on her and she fell asleep a little, but then told me she was getting hotter. I told Kristi, a great nurse, that she was getting hotter. She was actually cooling down in her core, but was feeling it in her skin. About 30 minutes later, she said, "Dad! I'm gonna throw up!" I got Kristi and she found a bag in time. It was not an agressive throwing up, but it was scary for me. After that, she cooled to normal and recovered well. Adrienne got back and Meghan was back to normal and feeling better. I'm glad Adrienne missed that and had a good visit with everyone. Meghan is now fast asleep and recovering well. Meghan really loved her and having her around. She did a great job figuring out her pain management. Today she washed Meghan's hair for her. I've added a picture of Kristi to the gallery of photos on this page. We were really grateful for that service!

7 July 2019 5:00pm - Attitudes
Many people have commented on how amazing it is that when they visit Meghan, she has a smile on her face. If a little girl in a hospital bed with a broken neck can have a smile on her face, what reason do we have to not smile and find happiness in life? Be happy! Life is good!

7 July 2019 4:00pm - Little Miracles
We've thought a lot about how amazing it is that Morgan and Meghan were able to walk out of the car alive. Here are some of the details of what occured. They were on the way to time a road race. That means there is a lot of equipment in the car along with a steel frame for the finish line on the roof. When Doug helped Morgan load the car, he put the finish line frame on the center of the roof. Morgan said, "I usually put it on the side here to tie it on easier." So, that's where it ended up. That put a steel frame on a roof rack right where a lot of force was received. That helped absorb a lot of energy during at least one roll. It ended up taking the roof rack off the car with it.
After they stopped rolling, the car was on it's side. Morgan unbuckled their seatbelts and climbed out the front where the windscreen was gone. Then, he helped Meghan through the missing sunroof. They both walked away! Meghan said her neck was sore and Morgan though he was alright.
Then, the needed to contact someone. Morgan used his watch to find his phone, but it was out of range or broken. It took 10 minutes, but he was able to get close enough to his phone that it picked up a signal and he was able to ring it. It was on the highway without even a scratch. He called us. We started heading up to him. People drove by without seeing them in the dark. A short time later, someone did stop and helped them get an ambulance called and on the way. We arrived as Meghan was getting on a spine board and prepared to go to the hospital.
As I looked around, there was most of a printer on the field with the rest of the printer somewhere else. Timing equipment was scattered, much of it heavy. Some of it was still in the car including two heavy steel bars that Morgan usually puts on top of things to keep them in place, but this time put them behind his seat. On the way to the race, he moved his seat further back for comfort wedging those bars behind the seat.
One of the wheels was completly ripped of the car. I thought about my biomechanics class when discuss work and energy and cushioning. Can you imagine how much effort it takes to pull a wheel off a 1997 4Runner? That must have removed much of the energy in the car rather than having other objects inside the car receiving that energy.
The field they rolled into was very damp and soft. There were even puddles in areas. Our feet were soaked after walking back and force gathering equipment.
I'm sure that there are many other factors that somehow preserved their lives. I'm just grateful Morgan had the presence of mind to do what he did and today we have them both with us and already on Day 2 of recovery!

7 July 2019 6:00am - Sleeping can be hard
Morgan got to bed early with a sleeping pill and has still been improving every day. It's still an emotional challenge though. Meghan had a hard time from 12:30am to around 2:00, but is sleeping now. The doctor and others are encouraged by her rapid progress though.

6 July 2019 7:30pm - Eating and walking
The pain was really bad this morning for Meghan. Once they got the medications figured out she felt good and had many wonderful visits. She got up and walked for a while and at lunchtime was finally able to eat solid food. It had been since 4:00am on the 4th. She got a very good sleep before more visitors came. Her walking has ben a great success! Video The plan was at the earliest she would head home on Wednesday, but today the doctor said maybe even Tuesday. We're hoping for a better sleep tonight. They don't have to wake her up every hour anymore. Coach Taylor's boys made cards for Meghan and loaned her their favourite Cosmo toy!

6 July 2019 11:00am - Day 1 of Recovery
Meghan slept well considering the hourly wake ups for neuroligical checks. Morgan is still a little better today, but still sore. She got up today and walked around slowly. She was in a lot of pain early on, but the meds have been figured out better now. She's currently sleeping while I get the page together. Kate has been here nearly the entire time. Adrienne sleeps here at night so far, but there might be a trade off tonight. The earliest Meghan might come home is Wednesday.

5 July 2019 9:00pm - Surgery Complete
Meghan is out of surgery. It was a SUCCESS!! There is quite a bit of hardware in there. Neck motion will be limited but not gone. It will be about 6 weeks of uncomfortable pain gradually improving. Neck brace for 12 weeks. Running will be months away perhaps a year or two. There are an incredible group of BYU athletic trainers and coaches that are determined to do what is needed to help her recover safely. She will probably be in the hospital until at least Wednesday. Thank you for the thoughts, visits, and prayers. She'll be in pain a lot tomorrow. Our family loves you!!!

5 July 2019 12:00pm - Morgan
Morgan is recovering well. We were pleasantly suprised that there was no damage evident in the x-ray. He is very sore in his upper back below his neck, but is seems like bruising to the muscle and scapula. He is in less pain today compared with yesterday. It's a struggle to deal with being in an accident, but he has a great ability to learn and grow from his experiences. He is mostly worried about Meghan's surgery going well.

5 July 2019 6:00am - The Accident
Meghan has had her share of trials that she's returned from with great growth and an amazing attitude. Yesterday morning, I'm waking up with gratitude that Morgan and Meghan survived this rollover accident while avoiding a deer. Morgan is very sore, but has no injuries that should cause any long term problems. Meghan has a few broken cervical vertebrae. Her spinal cord seems to be 100%. Today, she will have a 6 1/2 hour surgery to put the bones in place. She will be in a hard neck brace for 3 months. It is not likely she will run for at least a year, but I'm confident she will return as she always has before.
As we flew over the BYU track on life flight, I had to take a photo. One of the first thoughts when I learned of the severity of her injuries, I saw her finishing her first race wearing BYU Blue and being filled with gratitude for her family, coaches, teammates, friends, and everyone that is already involved in her return. That photo is in her room now with the though of where she will be in time.
Her optimism and personality is showing through already! Thank you for the love and prayers that have been felt very strongly already. Her surgery is scheduled for 1:00 today.
Morgan handled everything incredibly well. He was able to help her out of the car through the sunroof (the 4Runner was on it's side). His adrenaline and love guided him to find his phone in the dark (4:50am). The phone was out in the street a long way from where the car ended up.

Well Wishes!


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