A Family of Faith

This is about a good friend of mine, Mike Nolan and his family.  Kelly and I have been the closest of friends with the Nolan’s for more than 20 years.   The Nolan’s have three boys; Aaron, Samuel and Andrew.  They were all three born within weeks, sometimes days, of our three children.

Below is a picture of us with the Nolan’s mid July last year, only a couple weeks before this story begins. 

One year ago today, August 1^st, 2012, Mike Nolan was away on business at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Weston, West Virginia.  Mike had planned on a short two day business trip.  He did not return home until September 27^th, with his world turned upside down.  

Mike began having chest pains and passed out at Stonewall Jackson Resort while working out in the gym.  He was rushed to Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Weston, WV where a heart attack was quickly ruled out.  A CT scan revealed an aneurism the size of a tennis ball in Mike’s splenic artery.  Emergency surgery would be needed immediately.  Before surgery could be performed the aneurism ruptured.

Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital is a small rural hospital.  On a typical day the hospital is not staffed with a surgeon or an anesthesiologist.  On August 1, 2012 at 7pm a surgeon and anesthesiologist had already been called to the hospital for a appendectomy.  The operating room and the operating staff was ready and waiting when Michael’s aneurism ruptured.  During the surgery, Michael lost all of his blood and had to receive a total blood transfusion of 14 pints of blood which depleted the small hospital's blood bank.  He also went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated twice.  Michael’s entire body suffered a tremendous amount of trauma and the family was told that Michael would not most likely survive the next 48 hours. 

Sandy notified Kelly and I of Michael’s condition and we quickly made our way to the small hospital in Weston.   As Kelly and I made the 4 ½ hour drive from Lexington, KY to see Mike in the intensive care unit, we did not know what to expect.   We were not sure if we would be allowed back in ICU or not, we thought we would most likely have to wait in the waiting room and speak with Mike’s wife Sandy there.     As we entered the hospital we soon found the waiting room was full of members from the Nolan family and close friends.   Kelly and I were both allowed to enter the room where Mike lay fighting for his life.  The image we saw when we walked in that room is not something you ever wish to see nor will we ever forget.   Mike was in a coma and on a ventilator with various tubes coming out of him.  His wife Sandy and their three sons all surrounded his bed.  Sandy and their boys pleaded for Mike to take a breath on his own, to wake up.

Their oldest son Aaron, who I had always thought of as child seemed different that night.  He was 13, but was quickly transformed into a young adult.   He took on more of a leadership role for his family.  Samuel and Andrew lovingly cared for their father.   At different times members of Mike’s family and friends would all come in and speak to a man that lay their motionless.  I remember having a prayer circle around Mike that night not knowing at all what the future held.

In high school Mike was president of his senior class.  He was on the basketball team and a pitcher on the baseball team.  He was the ultimate sports fan.  As long as I have known Mike he has always  been a huge Marshall University football and basketball fan and a big Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan.   Mike has done very well professionally and was the CEO of a local community bank and the chairman of the deacons at his church.

It would be a week before Mike would come out of his coma and be transferred to St. Mary’s hospital in Huntington, WV on August 7.  Mike was at St. Mary’s hospital in Huntington, WV for three weeks. 

On August 28^th, Mike was transferred to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center in Lexington, KY.  Mike would be at Cardinal Hill for one month before returning home to Hurricane, WV on September 27^th.

Mike had always been the smartest guy in the room.  He always had the quite, reserved demeanor.  However, when he spoke people listened.  Due to his trauma, Mike had to learn most things over again.  He learned to sit up in bed, to get out of bed, how to walk, how to climb stairs.  Mike did not recognize his wife Sandy at first and had trouble remembering the names of their three children.

When my barber, Jeff Shrout, heard I had a friend who needed a hair cut he graciously came to Cardinal Hill.

Sandy and  Mike have clung to their faith and trusted in God to carry them through the storm that has so impacted this past year of their lives. 

Mike was given a day pass from Cardinal Hill.  This was the first time he left the hospital in 6 weeks.

Sandy has been a loving spouse with Mike every step of the way. Sandy’s hope lied in Scripture about the living God who would comfort her along the way.  She would send out updates to over a hundred people by text message with a passage of scripture.  When Sandy was too tired and emotionally drained to do it, she would instruct a friend to send out the update with a passage of scripture.

Mike had developed Godly habits that would carry him through this tough time.  He would pray out loud even when he could not remember the names of his family members.  In the earliest times of his rehabilitation at Cardinal Hill he could still sing his favorite Christian song word for word.

This may not seem appropriate but here is the truth: SOMETIMES LIFE SUCKS!  I am sure there is a more appropriate word to use, but not one more accurate.  As Rocky Balboa would say “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows”.

However, by God’s grace Mike is alive and continues to share his wisdom.   Mike and Sandy continue to give God the glory for Mike’s recovery.  Memory of his family, friends and co-workers came back quickly.  The staff at Cardinal Hill hospital were amazed at how fast Mike learned everyday tasks again.  The therapists set goals for Mike and he quickly exceeded them.  Mike had been lying on his back since his arrival at Cardinal Hill. I remember the first time he walked down the hallway on his own the staff were surprised how tall he was.

Mike's last night at Chardinal Hill.

Mike has made tremendous progress this past year.  We recently got together for dinner at Jim’s Spaghetti House in Huntington, WV and just marveled at Mike’s improvement.  I call on very educated people for a living, mostly pharmacist and physicians.  I know a lot of very intelligent people.  I called Sandy after our families had dinner together and let her know that Mike is still one of the wisest people I know.

Mike and Dr. Waid McMillion

The Nolan's went back to Stonewall Jackson on the one year anniversary to thank Dr. McMillion and all of those at the hospital.

One thing that has not changed is that Mike still speaks with integrity, intelligence and from a deep faith.  The faith of the Nolan family; Mike, Sandy, Aaron, Samuel and Andrew is something to be admired.  They praised God through a major storm in their life and continue to do so today.

Robb