Readers beware. These are true facts from Dominique's School Bus accident. I wanted to share the true story of that day. Its not always about the child forgetting bus safety rules... sometimes the adults that operate the bus or "monitor" the bus need to step up and take some responsibility.
Sitting in the dark room my mind is mesmerized by the bright monitors and the red flashing numbers. The marching breathing noise coming from the oxygen pump is soft but mechanical. Four different monitors all surround the non-vacant bed. Green, yellow, blue, and red lines dancing across one monitor showing off the heart rate, H2O level, the respiratory level, and the blood pressure. Opposite of that monitor is a tower of large shots computer. With their bright red digital numbers piercing the room and reflecting of hundreds of tiny clear tubes leading towards the bed. Hanging on the right of the medicine tower are four white liquid bags and giant looking calculators dangling below. Each staring at me like three angry owls. In front of the warm bed is another monitor with lots of wiggly lines and important numbers. Lastly the the smallest and the most important monitor is right beside the head board, simply showcasing a two digit number. This monitor tells me the degree of the brain swelling from my nine year old daughter Dominique.
17 Feb 2012
Unlike the last couple of Fridays, I wasn't going to leave work early today to pick up my daughters Dominique and the youngest Hayden for their Gymnastic practice. With last months tumble down the backyard hill, Desiree with broke ankle and cast, was finally able to walk and drive. So we decided that she could pick up Dominique from the school bus stop and then drive both girls to the practice where I would meet them after work.
2:50pm.
Im sitting at my desk, surrounded by binders and receipts like every Friday. Trying to sort them and file them with the correct parts request. My cell phone rings and its Desiree.
"Dom got hit by a bus, meet me at Landtsuhl." I can still hear those frightful instructions in my head. That message was that quick, simple, but powerful! All I could say was "ok." I stopped breathing at that point, I repeated what she said out loud and pulled my ID card out of the keyboard.
"Are you ok to drive?" My boss asked.
"Yes," I answered and ran to my car.
Sitting in my car I started to breath again. This entire minute was super quiet and fast. I didnt hear any noise, no cars, the flight line was silent: nothing. I breathed slowly and started the car. Thinking quietly, "How bad was she? Is she dead? Was she ok?"
I just needed to know. I started to drive and called Desiree using my blue tooth no-hands phone.
"Desiree, I am on my way. Is she ok?"
"Thomas she got hit by a bus and I am holding her."
It didn't seem real to me until I could hear Dominique soft whimpers in the background.
My heart stopped.
"Ohh my god." I cried.
"Thomas, dont go to Landstuhl, the ambulance isn't here yet, come to Sembach, I gotta go and keep Dominique awake."
And the silence returned.
The normal 30 minute drive from Ramstein to Sembach took me only 12 minutes. That drive is completely gone. I cant remember it. My mind, body and soul was dark. Its was like an angel picked me up and carried me to "the site."
I parked my car on the bottom of the congested hill and ran past the parked cars and police cars. My heart stopped again.
I saw Dominique's bus parked in the bus stop and another similar bus in front and beside it. I saw faces. No bodies just faces. Everything was so fast. Where is Dominique?
I saw Desiree's father sheltering Hayden on the side of the road. But no Dominique. Then looking down, in front of the second bus, I saw her lifeless body laying there in Desiree's arms.
Silence. Inhale. Exhale.
"Ohh my god" I kneeled beside Desiree and looked at Dominique.
"Im trying to keep her awake," she explained to me, "Dominique look at me!"
I stopped breathing once more, respectfully told the woman next to Dominique to move, and held Dominique's hands.
She saw me. The moaning stopped.
"No Dominique, stay with me!" I stared in her one operational eye.
She re-opened it.
I noticed her left eye was swollen shut and black as the asphalt road she was laying on. Her torn jacket and cut book bag rested underneath her body. Resting on top were some unfamiliar blankets. Desiree by her head, holding it tight, reminding Dominique not to close that eye and to stay awake. This is all I heard. Everything else was silent and out of focus. I looked to my left and saw the Demon that attacked my daughter. My body shivered when I saw the cracked head light and the out of place turn signal light and right left fender.
That fucking monster hit my daughter!
Still yelling at Dominique to stay awake and at the same time answering the cops questions. Me in my Air Force uniform, now on my knees, laying beside my broken daughter and these cops are asking for her name and birthdate and other information. "I told them, not now please. Not now!"
The ambulance shows up which seems like it took days!
Picked her up and put her in the back of the ambulance.
The yellow hellicopter landed.
Everyone is asking me questions at the same time.
Everything is fuzzy.
Breath, remember to breath.
"I saw the bus, he was going so fast Thomas, I saw it hit Dominique and catapulted her all the way over there. Thomas I saw her boots fly!" Desiree screamed at my chest while I was shielding her from the flying leaves and trash. There was silence again. Even the hellicopter landing was muffled by the fact my lil girl is in the ambulance being worked on. Being saved. I saw the kids faces on both of the buses. I saw the brake marks painted on the street. I saw the cops looking at the information disc on the monster's dash board. I saw Desiree's dad's pale and sickened face, while holding us. I didnt even notice he ran Hayden home so Nana could look after her. I saw sad-sickened faces surrounding us. But I couldnt see Dominque!
"Can Desiree ride with her on the hellicopter?" I kept asking.
"No we are going to take the ambulance, and she can ride with us.
The ambulance left with both Desiree and Dominique.
Quite again. Breath slow, breath slow, breath slow.
I exchanged some more info and got the direction to the Hospital. Loyd drove and parked the Honda and I drove the VW home. I walked inside and made sure Hayden was ok. Honestly I dont remember what I did at home, but me and Loyd magically made it to the Kaiserlsautern Emergency Room where we found Desiree.
Breath, Breath, Breath.
Lets recap:
One bus was unloading kids. Other full bus, from the same school, passed the bus going over 50kmh. Both buses had two adults. Four adults total. Neither had cell phones. Neither left the bus to assist Desiree with first aid. The entire 40 minutes they stayed in their warm buses staring at us on the ground. The principal didn't find out until 45 minutes after, only because a parent called asking where her child's bus was. No emergency response team or plan to assist if a bus gets in an accident. Luckily two parents helped with calling 112 and calming the kids down.
29 Feb 2012
Dominique left the hospital with two broken wrists, broken collar bone, black and fractured left eye cavity, scar where the brain swelling gauge was, bruises all over her body, and of course the bad dreams that will continue to haunt her for unknown amount of time.
There is a lot of "what ifs." But as parents we need not only make sure our kids know bus safety but we need to ask questions and make sure the adults in charge of our children know the laws and rules while transporting them.
But regardless... remind your kids about bus safety... talk to them about their bus drivers.... and be careful driving around bus stops.
