I died
on January 18, 1989.
I was the father
of three children,
the husband
of a wonderful wife.
A man with a great future.
I was 38 years old.
You comin'?
Oh, honey, you know.
It's not gonna
stop me from asking.
I would feel so terrible having six new
students start with a substitute teacher.
I still can't convince
my wife to have a...
a lovely weekend
with her husband.
We can sleep in,
order room service.
Room service?
There probably
isn't room service, but...
We could... We could, uh, pick up some
hamburgers and some strawberry milk shakes.
Oh. You're getting me.
I'm listening.
Get all cozy. Put on
some "Love Me Tender. "
Ohh.
I think we're
in a jailhouse rock now.
Ohh. How you doing?
Did you sleep well?
Uh-huh.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I think you're heavier. Uh, yeah.
Did you grow again?
Uh, no.
Rain check?
IOU.
Where's your brother at?
I don't know.
- You don't know?
- No.
I gotcha. Oh!
Ohh!
Ohh!
Good morning. How you doing? Good.
Yeah? All right, guys,
there's not a lot of time.
Nicole, no dogs eating
at the table, please.
- Thank you, darling.
- Guys, there's not a lot of time.
Eat your food
real quick, please.
Mom, I would love
a cup of coffee.
Now, you know Daddy's gonna be
away for a couple of days, so...
In January of 1989,
I attended
a church conference
in the Trinity Pines suburb
of Houston,
where the focus
was on the growth
of the Union Baptist
Church Association.
I went because I was seriously
considering starting a new church.
We know that God
is calling to us
to tell others
about heaven
and how to go there.
The Gospel begins right here,
right where we are.
And it travels.
It travels
to every neighborhood,
every continent.
And the prize...
Mm.
The prize
that we shall receive...
is heaven.
Amen?
Amen.
Amen.
Little did I know that some of
the people listening that day
would be there
to help me later on.
You know you did something
baptist preachers almost never do.
Oh, yeah? What's that?
You finished early.
Well,
good morning, J.V.
It seems like I have
to walk to talk to you.
If you walk the walk.
I have to keep the ticker on
track since my heart attack.
How's that going,
by the way?
A whole lot better, thank you. Oh, good.
Rumor has it that you're thinking
about starting a new church?
Well, you've started so
many successful churches.
It's a roller-coaster ride,
beginning a new church.
Three steps forward,
two steps back.
It's challenging.
Worthwhile,
but challenging.
I believe it's time for me
to start a new congregation.
I would urge you
to be certain
that this is what God
really wants you to do
and that your family's
on board with the idea.
Sometimes
what inspires you
isn't what you end up doing.
It's about finding
your purpose.
Thank you.
That's it.
That's what it's all about...
finding your purpose.
And remember,
it's not about you.
I appreciate that.
Thank you, J.V.
It's 10:00.
On the dime.
- How are you, darlin'?
- Grading papers.
How's it going?
Good, good.
No matter where you
are in the world,
you always manage to call
me at 10:00 every evening.
Is it tradition or love?
Love of tradition.
Very nice.
So, I, uh... I had a good chat with
J.V. Thomas about opening a new church.
He was very encouraging.
I'd say there's a great chance I can
actually start something this year.
Oh, that's exciting. We're
behind you a hundred percent.
I think I'm gonna have
to wrestle the twins to bed.
I don't know. That might be
the sound of Nicole growing up.
Oh, my, she'll be
a teenager soon enough.
Well, she is
ordering coffee now.
That's right.
Well, my love,
it's bedtime for all of us.
All right, darlin'.
Have a good night.
And I miss you.
And I'll look forward
to seeing you tomorrow.
I love you.
I love you.
Night-night.
Good night.
I remember
that only three weeks earlier,
I'd received a traffic ticket
for not wearing a seat belt.
Until I received that ticket,
I'd not usually worn my seat belt.
But after that,
well, I changed my ways.
That small act would be
a crucial decision.
I believe in a great God.
I believe in Jesus,
the son of God.
I believe in the Holy Spirit.
I believe in baptism.
I believe in communion.
I believe in a great God.
He's dead.
- Don, hi.
- Oh, Donnie, you're so beautiful.
Can you hear me?
State law decreed that a coroner
had to pronounce me dead
before my body could be removed
from the wreck.
There was no need for speed
because... I was dead.
I got no pulse.
We got no pulse at all.
All right?
- Does anyone wanna call this thing?
- Yeah. I got it.
We need to clean this mess up
so we can get this bridge open.
Yeah, I got 12:15 now.
According to the report, the
collision occurred at 11:45 AM.
Well, it's 1:00 PM.
Hey. What's going on up there?
Uh, a truck crashed into a car
and another car over there.
Multiple cars got hit.
Officer.
Dick Onerecker.
I'm a minister.
Is there anybody here
I can pray for?
Yeah. The people in
those two cars over there.
They're, uh... They're
shaken, but they're fine.
You can talk to 'em
if you'd like.
What about the, uh,
car up there?
The one
with the tarp over it?
The man in the red Ford
is deceased.
I'd like to pray for him.
Well, like I said,
he's dead.
I- I know it sounds crazy,
but, uh,
I have to pray for him.
If that's what you wanna do, go ahead.
But I gotta tell you
it's an awful sight.
He's dead, and it's a
real mess under that tarp.
There's blood and glass everywhere,
and the body's all mangled.
I gotta warn you,
you do what you want,
but you've never
seen anybody this bad.
Try being a medic
in Vietnam.
I only know God
told me to pray for you.
He died instantly. There's
no pulse. God, I pray...
Yeah, that's what they
said when I got here.
that his sins are forgiven...
We did everything we could, but
the impact probably killed him.
and that
he's with you, God.
We need to get the jaws of life
ready for when the coroner gets here.
Okay!
I pray, God,
that he knew you.
His father
and his friend.
Oh, praise God!
He's... He's singing!
He's... He's alive!
He...
He's alive!
He's... He's alive!
The man... The dead
man is singing in there!
Oh, really? He's alive!
He was singing with me!
You just set a world record
for exiting a wrecked car.
Listen to me. He's
alive. The dead man...
Sir, I know a dead guy when
I see him. That man is dead.
Listen. He's alive.
He was singing.
We-We-We know our business,
okay? He-He's dead.
No! Listen,
look, look, look,
I'm gonna lay down
on this bridge.
You're gonna have to run over
me if you don't go check on him.
Just do me a favor. Just
check on his pulse, please.
Just... Just check
his pulse, that's all.
I'll check on him.
Come on.
Praise God!
- We got a pulse!
- Yes!
Come on! Let's go!
On three, fellas.
One, two, three.
We learned a lot
about seals today, didn't we?
Yes.
Yes.
So I would like for you
to please draw
your favorite underwater animal.
- Can you do that?
- Yes.
Yes?
I can't.
I'm teaching a class.
Well, come anyway.
It's important.
That's good, Annie.
Mrs. Nell needs you
in the office right away.
I'll watch
your class for you.
Okay. Thank you.
Hi, kids.
We're gonna get you
to the hospital soon.
Can you tell me your name?
Now, you just stay with me.
Try to stay awake, okay?
Please, sit down.
Don's been in a wreck.
What?
A wreck?
What do
we got here?
Easy.
Airway looks clear.
We need to get two large
4-IVs in. Check in the airway.
I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
Have you heard anything? No, nothing.
Thank you.
Let's cut that right
sleeve. Both IVs in there.
And the BP cuff's
gotta go on there too.
Oxygen, PQ.
Mr. Piper.
Mr. Piper. We're gonna do all
we can to save you, Mr. Piper.
Don has been taken to the Huntsville
Memorial Hospital just off the 1-45.
He's conscious.
She should probably speak to
him now. It doesn't look good.
- Would you like to speak to Don?
- Yes, I would.
We don't let people speak to patients
unless it's a grave situation.
All right.
- Hello?
- He's unable to hold the phone himself,
so I'm gonna put it
up to his ear.
Don?
How are you?
I'm so sorry
that this happened.
It's not your fault.
I just wanted
to come home, Eva.
Please let me come home.
Please let me go home.
All right.
Thank you very much.
They're doing
an assessment.
Uh, what do you mean...
Uh, what is "assessment"?
They need to assess his injuries
and try to stabilize him.
There's a chance
that Don may move hospitals.
I'll take
the twins home with me,
so you don't need to worry
about the boys. Thank you.
Hey, I'm driving you
to the hospital.
No, no, that's...
You don't have to.
I will drive you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
He's deteriorating rapidly. I don't
think he's gonna survive the afternoon.
Put him in an ambulance
and take him to Houston.
This facility
isn't equipped.
Don't you think we should
helicopter him to Hermann?
No. Nobody's flying
in this weather.
As my condition was
deteriorating rapidly,
it was decided
to move me by ambulance
for the 80-mile trip back
to Houston's Hermann Hospital
which had
a much better trauma center.
Still, I kept wondering
why God had brought me back.
Ah, hey,
you gotta do something.
You gotta...
Medicine, plea... You
gotta give me some medicine.
- I've given you all I can.
- No, you gotta give me more.
Ma'am,
my name is Eva Piper.
Has my husband,
Donald Piper, arrived?
- He's in transit and should be here any moment.
- He's not here yet?
No. He'll be coming in from
over there when he does.
Don? Don? I'm here. They're
gonna take good care of you.
Listen to me.
It wasn't your fault.
You're gonna make it.
Ma'am, we've gotta go.
You're gonna make it.
We need you to fill out
these insurance forms.
Thank you.
I know, uh,
Don's date of birth.
I don't know his
social security number
or his insurance company.
I don't know the amount
of the deductible.
Don's always taken care of this. I don't
have the answers... It's okay. It's okay.
These are the easy questions for now.
All I know is that Don is
supposed to lead evening services.
He's meant
to preach tonight.
They already
have that covered.
I don't know
any of this.
Ma'am, I filled out
what I could,
but I don't... I don't have
his information.
I'll get it to you
tomorrow. That's okay.
We deal with this situation
every day. Thank you.
Oh.
It was heartwarming
to know Eva had the support of our
friends and fellow church members
in her hour of need.
Surgeon Kelly,
please report to Room 25.
It's been over an hour.
I can't stand the
tension of not knowing.
I'm gonna find out what's
happening. Eva, Eva.
I need answers.
Doctor?
May I help you?
I'm trying to find out what's going
on with my husband, Donald Piper.
No one's been out
to see you yet?
No, no one. I've heard
nothing. I'm so sorry.
I'm Tom Greider, the
orthopedic surgeon on this.
Um, come on and I'll
show you what's going on.
Your husband is
very badly injured.
We are doing everything
we can to save him.
See this?
It's not just broken.
It's shattered.
He's missing significant
amounts of bone structure,
muscle and skin.
That's his right knee.
And this is where the left
thigh bone, or femur, should be.
Should be?
Well, he's missing a
significant amount of bone.
Four and a half inches.
Also, it seems that he
has a cracked pelvis.
But, uh, we're just gonna let
that go for the time being,
'cause we have to deal with
these other injuries right away.
As you can see,
only this soft tissue at
the bottom part of his leg
is connecting his whole lower
left leg to the rest of his body.
Would you like
to see him?
Yes, I would.
Well, come on.
He won't respond to you.
He's heavily medicated.
We couldn't give him anything
until we'd finished our examination.
They're coming to take him
to surgery now.
God.
God help me.
Please help us.
I'm so scared.
You've always helped us.
Now, please...
please help us.
Please help us.
For I know the plans
they have for you.
Plans to prosper you.
And to not harm you.
To give you hope and a future.
Survival was going
to be difficult
because heaven
was so glorious.
Hi, Dad.
Okay.
Not good.
I don't know.
I don't know, Dad.
I'll see you tomorrow
with the kids.
I just spoke
to Don's parents.
They aren't getting here
until the day after tomorrow.
I love you too.
Bye.
The reason you haven't heard from us
is 'cause we worked on him all night.
- All night?
- Eleven and a half hours.
The good news is there's
no sign of brain damage
or internal injury.
We stabilized his left arm and
put his left leg in traction.
We're taking good care
of your husband, Eva.
He's gonna be okay.
Thank you, Doctor.
There are a lot of people
in the hospital chapel
praying for Don
right now.
How you doing?
Okay.
I don't want you
to think about this now, but
you should consider
hiring an attorney.
Enduring all
that I had to go through,
nobody put up
with more than Eva.
She would rise
every morning at 6:00,
rush to work
at the school
and afterwards
hurry back to my bedside,
where she stayed with me
every night.
It was the same stressful
routine day after day for her.
You're seriously injured.
We've done an MRI on you,
and it seems you've
escaped brain damage.
I hurt more than I believe
is humanly possible.
We can help you
manage that.
I just want relief.
I understand.
Your family's here
to see you.
The hardest thing to endure
was having my family,
especially my children,
seeing me
in this physical state.
Don?
It's okay, boys.
Say hi to your dad.
Nicole.
I love you, Daddy.
I love you, Dad. Love you.
I love you, Chris,
so much.
I have a Valentine's
Day dance coming up.
I'm very excited.
Although I don't know
if I have a Valentine.
Daddy will dance
with you.
Two goals, Dad.
That's what I got.
One bounced off
the pole.
Excuse me. It's, uh...
It's time for some cleaning.
Okay.
I'll see you guys soon.
Okay, bye.
All right.
Come on, guys.
Go be with your grandparents
for a minute, okay?
Be good boys.
See you guys soon.
We have the best kids
in the world.
Yeah.
We sure do.
Hi. How y'all doing?
You okay?
Joe?
Okay.
Eva, I think the kids
should come home with us.
We'll find a school
for 'em close by,
and that way you won't have to worry about
if they're being taken care of or not.
Yeah, and-and that way you can
focus fully on taking care of Don.
Let me talk
to Don first.
I'm not sure if that's a
decision he can make right now.
Dad. You live
250 miles away.
We won't be able to see
them every day. I know.
I know it's gonna be tough.
But Don needs you now.
And we can bring the kids
back anytime you want.
It's best
if I speak with Don.
All right.
Okay.
Hi.
How you doing today?
Hmm?
How you feeling?
My dad thinks
it would be better for them
to take the kids
back to Louisiana,
at least until we can get
you out of the hospital.
I don't think
that's a very good idea.
I know.
But it'll be better for them.
Because that way I don't
have to keep finding people
to take them to school
and pick them up every day.
It's not a good idea, Eva.
It's going to be impossible for me
to return to teaching school
and maintain health insurance,
spend time with you and find the
energy to take care of our children.
No.
Don.
Letting my parents
take the kids
is the only sensible
solution we have here.
I want you to agree.
I will find peace if we
both agree to let them go.
I'm sending them home
with my parents.
Welcome to McDonald's.
Can I take your order?
Hi. Yes. We will have
two cheeseburgers,
two shakes
and two fries, please.
Thank you. Please pull up to the window.
Until it was time
for me to come home,
Eva would never
sleep in our bed.
And that couch
was not comfortable.
I know,
'cause I've been there.
Yes. Hello.
My name is Eva Piper.
I'm looking
to hire an attorney.
Mrs. Pepper?
Piper.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm Cecil Beaumont.
Pleasure.
I am your Beau.
Before we start,
can I ask you a question?
Yes.
How did you
hear about me?
Billboard. There was a
sign by a drive-through.
See there? A sign.
Something we all need in a time
of uncertainty, don't you think?
Your husband was hit by a
state truck from the prison,
is that right?
Yes.
Cherry.
Driven by an inmate?
Cherry.
Now, it's not illegal for them
to let an inmate drive a truck.
But it shows poor judgment on the
part of those officials at the prison
to let an untested,
inexperienced driver
take control of an
18-wheel tractor-trailer.
Triple cherry!
Ka-ching! Jackpot!
Several of my friends
are concerned
that there might be
some kind of a cover-up
or that the State of Texas will
try and deny who drove the truck.
Well, your friends,
are they attorneys?
No.
Okay.
Their legal advice is worth
what you paid for it, okay?
There might be an attempt to alter the
circumstances surrounding the accident.
I mean, that's more likely
what they'll do.
Uh...
You know, they're on the hook
for a pretty big claim here.
So I think we can assume pretty stout
pushback from the State of Texas.
Do we have a case?
Excuse me.
918's Tulsa, isn't it?
I'm sorry. Wha...
You, uh...
Did you just ask,
do we have a case?
Ma'am, I wouldn't be here
if there wasn't a case.
I am your Beau.
And "mont," as in you have
a "mont-umental" case.
That's not
that good, is it?
"Mon," as in
you have a "monster" case.
How about "mont," as in, you
have a case the size of "Montana"?
These medical bills
are gonna be astronomical,
and you probably don't have the
resources to cover that, do you?
No, we don't.
How are the children doing?
Who wants
to say grace tonight?
Nicole said it
last night. Boys?
Um...
Joe? Chris?
Chris, you go ahead.
You're older.
Like 10 minutes older.
Well, then you have
a head start, right?
Thank you, Father,
for the food on our table,
and please
look over our dad, and...
and for allowing me and my brother
to skip our homework tonight.
Well, this father's not
gonna allow that to happen.
Oh, yes, you are.
Can I help you?
You sounded like
you were in great pain.
What are you
talking about?
You cried out.
God.
Is this what you
brought me back for?
Yes, dear,
you came back to me.
All right, breathe.
Deep.
Deep breath.
Deeper.
Huh.
Another.
All right.
Let's get you ready.
- For what?
- Taking a breath.
You need to leave
this on, all right?
That's good.
Oh, God.
Please, God.
I'm Dr. Houchins.
You stop breathing
on my watch,
I won't be undefeated.
All right, let's get you
into a position to win.
All right,
take a deep breath.
Don't give up now.
Keep trying.
Did you hear what I said?
Do it, now. Breathe. Do it.
Cough. Breathe and cough.
Do it.
Do it. Breathe.
This is not a negotiation.
Do this right now. Breathe.
I can't.
All right.
Don't do it.
If you don't start
breathing and soon,
I'm gonna have to resort
to a ventilator.
You won't like that.
What Dr. Houchins might have
lacked in bedside manners,
he made up for
in sheer bulldog determination.
He simply wanted me
to breathe.
And I had stopped trying.
Don?
You gotta breathe.
Please,
can you breathe?
For me?
You're not even trying.
Breathe!
Breathe.
Billie.
Sarge.
He's this way.
How are you doing?
Well enough.
Oh. Don's just through here.
He's stable. I'm sure
he'd love to see you.
I can't.
I- I... I just can't.
No.
Okay, that's okay.
It's all right. Here,
come with me. Come here.
I knew my mother would have
the most difficult time
seeing me
in this condition,
and never entered my room during
the entire stay in the hospital.
No mother would wanna
see her son like that.
I've got to make
this phone call, okay?
Okay.
I'll be right back.
David,
I don't know what to do.
His mom can't even be in the same
room with him. She's devastated.
He's not gonna make it
unless something happens.
You and Cliff
are Don's best friends.
He won't breathe.
He refuses to breathe.
You're the only other person in
the world who will make him listen.
All right, I'll be there
as quick as I can.
Probably
around three hours.
Thank you.
World War II,
Korea and Vietnam.
That was my father.
Son.
I'd give anything
to trade places with you.
David.
Thank you for coming.
He's this way.
David Gentiles
was my best friend.
Like myself, he was
an ordained minister
who was by far the most loving
human being I'd ever known.
You're gonna make it.
You have to make it.
You've made it this far.
Uh...
I don't know
that I wanna make it.
You have to.
Not for yourself,
then hold on for us, Don.
I'm tired.
I fought all I can
and I'm ready to die.
Well, then you won't have
to do a thing.
We'll do it for you.
We won't let you die.
Do you understand that, Don?
We're gonna pray all night.
I'm gonna call everybody
I know who can pray.
I want you to know that
all of us who care about you
will be up all night
in prayer for you.
We're taking over from here.
We're gonna
take care of this.
He's in bad shape.
Emotionally,
there's no will to live.
What is there left
for us to do?
Pray.
We all have talents.
David's was organizing.
He was able to rally churches
from all over the world
to pray for me
simply by faxing them.
How long will
my dad be like this?
Well, it's gonna take
some time to heal.
All I do is press
my palms together.
It's not
doing anything.
It's not making my mom
happy or my dad better.
Well, honey,
you gotta keep praying.
You know what they say
about faith.
You can have hope
without faith,
but you can't have faith
without hope.
Grandma loves you.
I love you too.
My sweet baby.
I want you to go
to sleep now, okay?
I love you.
I'll see you
in the morning.
- Eva.
- Morning, Doctor.
Don has developed
pneumonia in both lungs.
If we can't do something
about his breathing,
we're gonna have to do
something else drastic.
How drastic?
The Ilizarov device
stabilizes,
and then at the same time, if
successful, which is a huge if,
what it does is it stretches
the bone by pulling on both ends.
See, new bone is created
by actually breaking the leg above
and below the original breaks.
We push the broken ends
closer and closer together
until they meet and then
they form a new femur.
Will that work?
Ah, that's just it.
I can't guarantee
that it'll work.
We can't give him the kind
of breathing treatments he needs
as long he's
in the prone position.
See, we have
to elevate him.
And that leaves us
with two choices.
One is that
we amputate the leg.
And the other is that we
try this Ilizarov device
which is called
the fixator.
People take sometimes
months of counseling
before they allow
this device to be used on them.
And, of course, in Don's case
we don't have that kind of time.
But there is a chance
to save the leg?
There is a chance.
May I have
a moment, please?
Of course.
I didn't realize
you were home.
Brought the kids by
to pick up a few things.
It doesn't feel like a
home. There's no, "Hi, Mom. "
Eva, it's gonna get better.
But how much worse?
We can't pay
for anything.
This house is a mess.
He might not come home.
Will he even survive?
He might
never walk again.
I'm so afraid.
It's gonna be fine.
We're gonna get through
this together as a family.
That's what families do.
Shh.
I'm here.
I'm here.
Help!
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
What is that?
It's a bone growth device.
What is that?
What is that?
A fixator.
Dr. Greider says it's the only
chance we have to save your leg. Okay?
Shh.
And those rods go all
the way through my leg?
It's a new...
And my arm?
It's a new technique.
Shh.
I believe it's worth the risk.
Why did you let them
do this to me?
Huh?
Unfortunately,
these were the only fireworks
left in our marriage at this point.
Rodeo's over.
Fireworks are on.
Eva's decision
to keep my leg
was so that I could continue to enjoy
skiing and biking with the children.
I always felt bad about
how I spoke to her that day.
Try to control your
breathing. Slow it down.
You can scream if you want.
Easy.
This pain...
I know.
Almost done.
Good morning, Doctor.
How long do I have
to endure this device?
How long before I...
I know if it works?
How long before
I can walk again?
A few months.
How few?
Many months.
Maybe more.
You mean possibly
a few years?
A year maybe.
I really don't know.
And there's no guarantee that I'm
gonna be able to keep these limbs?
No guarantee.
You could develop an infection
and we'd have to amputate the leg.
So I could endure this for months
and still end up with no leg?
I'm hoping your left arm
has a better chance.
We took bones
from your right pelvis
and put them
in your left forearm.
It's kind of like
taking core samples
when you're drilling
for oil, as an example.
We're going to have to move Mr.
Piper to St. Luke's tomorrow.
Why do we have to move him?
I believe Don should
be able to stay here.
I agree.
But this is out of my hands.
I've done everything I know
to prevent this from happening.
But I can't stop it.
There's a situation
at the hospital.
Our insurance no longer covers
Don's treatment here.
Is there anything you can do?
I need answers.
Yes, of course you do.
I'm your Beau. You at the hospital? Yes.
Meet me in the cafeteria.
I tried, but the administrator's
right. They're not gonna budge.
- There's nothing you can do
to change things?
It's about what the hospital can
get from the insurance company.
What about our case?
Our settlement?
Well, I've got good news
and I've got bad news,
but the bad news takes out the good news,
so all we're left with really is bad news.
What?
Well, in Texas, state employees are
indemnified by the State of Texas.
Okay, how does this affect us?
Well, the state,
in this case, Texas,
has put a cap on all damages
that are able to be collected
in any lawsuit
against the state.
And the cap is $250,000.
Now, insurance companies,
they have subrogation rights,
which means that
they're gonna put a lien
against any kind
of claim and settlement
or any funds received from a lawsuit,
to cover their medical expenses.
In other words,
your insurance company
is gonna take all the money.
Don will receive nothing?
No. You know, I had a
friend one time, he asked me.
He said, "What kind of cookies you
bake when you don't have any money?"
I said, "I don't know. What?"
He said, "Shortbread. "
Unfortunately, Don's gonna have to
bake shortbread cookies on this one.
He'd been better off if he'd
been hit by a Budweiser truck.
And then we'd all be talking
about millions of dollars.
Sorry. Partner,
can I give you that card?
You show up here
just to tell me this?
How we gonna do this?
We'll take him by ambulance.
You can drive your car.
Even though St. Luke's was
only five blocks away,
it was such a painful move with
the fixators on my leg and arm.
Every bump resonated
through my bones.
Eva stayed strong,
tried not to cry out as she
watched me go through this.
It's not very pretty here.
It's not ideal.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry, Don.
When they picked this color blue,
it must have been a cloudy day.
Mr. Piper, Mrs. Piper, how you guys
doing today? Hi there. Thank you.
Good, good. I've got some
relief for you, Mr. Piper.
I'm gonna take good care of you,
okay? Let me just have that arm.
I'm gonna just
hook this up for you,
and this will make you
feel a lot better.
All righty.
This is real simple,
Mr. Piper.
All you need to do is...
Anytime you feel
you need some relief,
this will just
take it all away for you.
All I need you to do is push
this little button here,
and it releases medication.
All right?
And just call me if you need
me. All right, Mrs. Piper?
- Thank you.
- All right. You're welcome.
Mr. Piper and Mrs. Piper,
how you doing today?
We're fine, thank you.
Good.
And how about him?
Hey, Mr. Piper.
So, have you eaten today?
Hmm?
Did you have therapy today?
Did Dr. Greider come by?
Have you had
a bowel movement today?
Maybe that's why
you're so grumpy.
All right, I'll be back
later to check up on you.
Just let me know if I can
get you anything. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Why don't you talk?
I can't figure out what's
going on inside of you.
What happened to you?
Talk to me.
Don, answer me.
I'm sitting right here. Please.
Why aren't you answering me?
Where do you go?
You're not
even here anymore.
Is there something
you want to tell me?
Where's my husband?
He's not here.
I miss him.
Should I get that for you?
Should I answer that
for you?
Hello?
How's Don?
He doesn't talk, he lies here,
and he doesn't seem to care.
- Hi, Dad.
- Let me call you back. Okay.
What's that?
I know I should have been
grateful to be alive.
My downcast attitude was
taking its toll on everyone.
But I just felt like
something was missing
and I didn't deserve
to be here. Hi, Daddy.
Okay, kids, it's time to get on the
road. We need to not tire out your father.
It's okay, Dad. I'm gonna take them
on the first floor to the McDonald's.
Come on. Come on, baby.
Come on.
Are you okay, Mom?
Yeah.
I never would have dreamed that
cheeseburger and fries would be so good.
I'm in love with french fries.
You're in love
with french fries?
Me too.
Do you think Dad will be home
for my birthday?
I hope so.
I know he wants to.
Grandpa, um,
makes us do our homework
before we go to the lake.
As he should.
But he doesn't help us
like you do.
Don, I came
to say good night.
You don't want to say
good night?
I am tired of this.
You don't seem to care
about anything.
You don't care that
you're back here with us.
You don't care when the children
come and visit you.
You don't want to grow old
with me?
Or see the children
get married?
You don't care.
You can take your pain away
with that button,
but you are causing it
to everyone else.
Welcome to McDonald's.
Can I take your order?
Sorry. That's
not on the menu.
Lord.
Oh, God...
Does it really
have to be like this?
The pain...
of the injuries,
I can handle that.
Even seeing the pity
and the helplessness in the
eyes of the people who love me
and care for me...
I can get through that.
But if this is as good
as it's ever gonna get,
I don't wanna be a burden.
I was just trying
to get back to Alvin,
and you took me to heaven.
Why can't you take me back?
Now.
I wanna go back to heaven,
my home.
My home is heaven now.
Oh, Jesus, let me
come back home, please.
Please let me come back home.
Well, South Park hired me
to be your interim
while you're, uh,
incapacitated,
so I guess you can say
I'm out of retirement.
Uh, can I get you a magazine?
Would-Would you like a...
a milk shake?
How about a hamburger? You
lost quite a bit of weight, son.
Would you like for me to
read to you
from the Bible?
Or any other book,
for that matter?
Really, no.
Thanks for coming.
You know, you really need
to get your act together.
Sir? You need to get your act together.
You're not doing
a very good job right now.
Uh, I'm not sure
I understand.
Besides that,
you're a raging hypocrite.
I don't know what
you're talking...
You got all these people
out there
who care so much for you, and you
have no idea how much they love you.
I know they love me.
Oh, really?
Yeah. Well, you're
doing a pretty poor job
of letting them know
you're aware of that fact.
I don't think you're treating
them right.
Now, they can't heal you, but
they would heal you if they could.
And if they could trade places with
you, many of them would do that.
- Yeah...
- And do anything for you without any waver.
I don't want them
to do anything.
Truth is, I don't even
want them to be here.
I'd just as soon
they not come.
I- I-I know it's inconvenient.
They must have better
things to do. I know that.
Why would I want anyone
to come see me like this?
Huh?
It's awful.
It's not your call.
It's not about you.
You spent the better part of your life
trying to minister to other people.
Trying to be there
for their needs.
And to be there for them
through difficulty and tragedy.
I- I've tried to.
And yet you have deprived them
of doing the same thing for you.
And that's all they have
to offer you, Don.
And you're taking that gift
away from them.
I appreciate them.
I do.
I-I know they want to help,
and I think that's very fine and all,
but...
But nothing!
Now, I want you to let
them in, you hear me?
You're going to let them in
and let 'em help you.
I can't.
Well, if you don't feel
like you can for yourself,
what about
doing it for me?
What about next time somebody walks through
that door and wants to do something for you...
I don't care what it is...
say yes.
Let a few folks express their
love by doing something for you.
I mean, promise me
that you'll do that.
Just...
Look, just try it for me.
You're gonna need
to get better at this.
Now, this is one of the lessons
that God wants you to learn.
All right, I promise.
People are God's hands
to meet your needs
and answer your prayers.
We'll just keep looking
till it feels right.
What kind of house
are we looking for?
Well, probably something
one-story.
Manageable to get around in
for Dad.
Is Dad gonna be in a wheelchair? Yeah.
For a little while.
As the medical bills
were mounting,
Eva looked for a house
that we could afford,
that would accommodate my needs once
I was discharged from St. Luke's.
Hey, hey, hey.
There he is.
Got something for you.
Look, let me do it.
Looks like you need my help.
How are you today?
Not speaking to me again?
Hmm. Okay.
It's a letter.
It says, "Hi, there. We share wrenches.
Fortunately for both of us, our
fixators are interchangeable.
And we can borrow tools from
one another. " That's so cute.
Look it there.
It's a happy face.
Who is this?
Oh, this is from Christy.
Christy is a teenage girl
that lives in the next room.
She was born with one leg
shorter than the other.
So she had to have surgery to attach
the Ilizarov frame, like yours,
so that both legs
would be of normal size.
She has a fixator too?
She goes on.
"And we share
something else too. Pain. "
She says, "I hear you scream at night
sometimes as you probably hear me too.
Although our nurse says
that you don't admit to it. "
Don't-Don't-Don't shoot me now.
I'm just the messenger, Mr. Piper.
And she goes on and says, "You're
not alone. Sincerely, Christy. "
That is so sweet.
Can you get me a pen
and paper, please?
I can if you acknowledge me.
There you go.
I like that.
All right.
I'll be right back.
That's my boy.
Dear Christy, in some of my
worst moments of self-pity,
I think of never
being normal again.
I believe that when all of
the pain is over, Christy,
you will be
a normal young woman.
You will play and run and do
everything a normal teen can do.
You're doing something that positively
impacts the rest of your life.
Keep the faith.
Kindest, Don.
If God brings you to it,
he will bring you
through it.
It's not long
before you go home.
This is your first step
in that direction.
My first step
is wanting to vomit.
Yeah, nausea will get you
every time.
Your equilibrium has changed.
You've grown used to being
in a horizontal position.
I'd like my tools back.
Hi. I'm Christy,
your long-lost pen pal.
Or Hopalong Cassidy,
as my friends say.
Hi. I'm Don.
How are you?
Could be worse.
How's that?
Okay, you got me.
It can't get much worse.
The endless reruns
OO AM?
Yeah, well,
I wish my only problem
was getting hit in the face
with a football like Marcia.
I'd take a broken nose
to dance normal.
You'll dance.
Only the truest friends show up when you
have to move. Trust me, this is a vacation.
Oh, vacation?
Yes, from my children.
Ah, well, thank you.
Remember when Don's parents gave us
this painting? Oh, yes, I remember.
I remember you tried to pawn it
off on me, and then Susan,
and the Goodwill store.
That's not true!
That is true.
I never told Don.
Is all this stuff going to fit
in the new house? I think so.
This place just isn't
gonna work for Don.
You know, with all the stairs
and him being in a wheelchair.
Plus, the new home
is closer to the church.
That will be nice.
Just came by to check on you,
see how you were doing.
You're looking good. I hear you're
gonna be going home before long.
Anything I can do for you
before I go?
That-That's a very fine offer.
Um...
- I wish I had a magazine to read.
- You do?
Really?
I think so.
I- I haven't read one
in a while.
Well, all right.
Give me just a minute.
Jay B. Perkins,
a retired minister,
was a powerful
father figure to me.
And I was grateful for his service to
my church while I was incapacitated.
This ought to do you.
There you go.
Th-Th-Thank you much.
That'll keep you busy.
I'll read them a bit later.
Yeah.
Anything else I can do?
No, that's... that's
all I need. Thank you.
You know,
when you open the door
and let somebody do
something nice for you,
it turns out not to be
so hard after all, huh?
You were right, J.B.
I thought that relieving people
of the responsibility
of having to care for me
was the right thing to do.
It wasn't.
They would heal me if they could,
and since they can't do that,
they were caring for me in...
in the only way that they can.
I have denied them the...
the blessing of caring.
You've loved me enough
to tell me the truth.
I won't forget it.
And I never have.
After 34 surgeries and nearly
four months in the hospital,
Dr. Greider said
I could go home.
Bye. Thank you.
Dr. Greider.
Hold up a sec.
Tell me something.
Just how bad was I when they brought
me in the night of the accident?
I've seen worse.
But they didn't live.
Thank you, sir.
He would become a friend of
mine from that day forward.
Bye, Christy.
Bye.
- I want you to call me when you get out of here.
- Will do.
- Hi, Daddy!
- Hey, Dad.
How do you like the new house?
What do you think? Welcome
home, Daddy. Welcome home.
- I think I'm home.
- There's the kitchen.
Did you put milk in it?
I'm just gonna do this.
I know. Is it good? Mm-hmm.
Smells good in there.
Why don't you... We're gonna
play a game. Okay, you ready?
Eva organized something
called "The Don Patrol,"
a group of church members and
friends who took care of me
so that she could teach
and we could keep our insurance.
The Don Patrol would arrive around
9:00 while I was still sleeping.
Good morning.
I might awake to seeing
one of the Susans
knitting on the couch
at the end of my bed.
Or someone would be there
with a toothbrush
- so I could brush my teeth.
- Looking good.
Oftentimes holding a glass of
juice before I was done doing that.
- Maybe even offering
an electric shaver.
All right, I've never actually
used one of these before.
It's pretty simple.
You know what?
It doesn't actually work.
And a big lunch.
Turkey sandwich,
oatmeal cookie, pickles.
You can't pass up
baby pickles.
I'll take the apple.
Okay.
Another friend might be reading the
newspaper, ready to entertain me.
Yeah, whatever you need.
I'll even sing for you
if you want.
Some guests would even make
themselves quite comfortable.
Hey, Butterfly.
Come here.
Butterfly.
No!
Butterfly, no!
Hey!
Hi, honey.
Everything okay?
Uh-huh.
You sure?
Yeah.
It smells like pee in here.
I know. It was the dog.
It's okay if you can't make it
to the bathroom.
It was the dog.
Butterfly?
Hey, Dad.
Come on.
You can do it.
Aaah!
I did it.
I did it.
I walked!
I walked.
Oh, Lord, I walked.
- What's going on?
- What's happening?
Ma'am. Ma'am. Where
Don? Where's my husband?
Ma'am. I'd like for you to
consider this as a private matter.
Private?
Private.
This is my house. I've seen it all. Hey.
- Bet you haven't seen this yet.
- What's going on?
I, uh, got my fixator
stuck to the toilet seat.
Oh.
Happy birthday!
This is a perfect day. God has given me
children so much better than I deserve.
How can I ever thank you
for all they mean to me?
You being alive
is the gift.
Dad, will you dance with me?
Ah, sweetie,
I'd like to, but...
Please, Dad. Please?
I don't think I can.
I might need you
to help me up here.
David!
What are you doing here?
I'm in town for
a discipleship weekend.
It's the excuse I use
to come into the house
and spend time with you.
Thank you for your friendship.
And your relentless
commitment to prayer.
Of course, Don.
How you feeling now?
In pain.
But I'm always in pain.
That's... That's not the worst
part of it for me right now.
There are things I can't
physically do anymore.
I'm not sure that God wants me
to continue at South Park.
I feel loved and needed there, but
I'm not sure it's where I should be.
What did you learn from y-your
accident and your recovery experience?
Letting other people inside.
Allowing others to help me.
But in the midst of all
the suffering and despondency,
David,
I've learned
that heaven is real.
- What do you mean by that?
- I died that day.
The next moment
I stood in heaven.
Why haven't you
mentioned this before?
I have two very good
reasons for that.
Number one, I go around talking
about having been to heaven,
and people
will think I'm nuts.
Why would you think that?
You just told me.
- Number two...
- I don't think you're nuts.
Number two, I don't wanna go
over that experience again.
It's too personal,
too special.
It's my sacred secret.
Is it possible
that God took you to heaven,
brought you back so that you could
share your experience with others?
Don't you realize what a powerful
encouragement you could be?
I want you to make
a covenant with me.
What kind of a covenant?
It's simple.
Find someone you trust.
Share a little bit about your
story just to gauge their response.
If they think you're crazy
or you hallucinated,
I promise, I promise you never
have to talk about it again.
But if they rejoice with you
and urge you to tell them more,
I want you to take it as a sign.
A sign that God wants you to talk about
those 90 minutes you spent in heaven.
- I think I can do that much.
- When?
Soon. I promise. Very soon, right?
All right.
Very soon.
Hi, honey.
Hi, darlin'.
Hey, David.
Glad you could make it.
Soon as in now.
Honey?
Yes.
Darlin', I want to tell
you something. What's that?
Remember the day I-I left
for the convention? Uh-huh.
Well, that morning just plays
over and over in my head.
And you said, "I.O.U."
Yes. And I do.
Well, in fact,
I think I owe you.
Oh, don't I know it. I've been
waiting a long time for that.
I owe you an explanation.
Darlin', would you sit down
for a second?
Please.
You know,
I died in that accident.
When I woke up,
I was in heaven.
You went to heaven?
Yes.
Tell me more.
When I died,
I didn't flow through
a long dark tunnel.
Uh...
I had no sense of fading away
or coming back.
I heard no voices calling
to me or anything like that.
Simultaneous with my last
recollection of seeing the bridge,
the rain,
a light enveloped me,
with a brilliance
beyond earthly comprehension
or description.
In my next moment of awareness,
I was standing in heaven.
It was perfect.
And I knew right then I would have
no needs and never would again.
I didn't even think of Earth
or of those left behind.
Though I did not see Jesus
face-to-face,
I did sense his presence
at every turn.
And I did see people
I had known.
As they surged towards me,
I knew instantly that all of
them had died during my lifetime.
Their presence
seemed absolutely natural.
It was as if God had removed anything
negative or worrisome from my consciousness.
And I could only rejoice at being
together with these wonderful people.
Donnie, I'm so excited
you're here to join us.
I saw Papa.
You know, my grandfather
that everyone called Joe.
I heard his voice
and felt his embrace.
I'd been with him when he'd
suffered a heart attack at home
and had ridden with him
in the ambulance.
I'd been standing just outside
the emergency room at the hospital
when the doctor walked out
and faced me.
The doctor shook his head
and said softly,
"We did everything we could. "
As I walked among them,
I became aware
of the wide variety of ages.
Old and young
and every age in between.
Many of them hadn't known each
other on Earth,
but each had influenced
my life in some way.
Even though they
hadn't met on Earth,
they seemed to know
each other now.
One person in the greeting
committee was Mike Wood,
my childhood friend.
He was a popular kid
and became a hero to me
because he lived the Christian
lifestyle and often talked about it.
After high school, Mike received a full
scholarship to Louisiana State University.
When he was 19,
Mike was killed in a car wreck.
When I attended his funeral, I
wondered if I would ever stop crying.
I couldn't understand why God had
taken such a dedicated disciple.
Through the years since then, I had never been
able to forget that pain and sense of loss.
Then I saw Barry Wilson,
who had been classmate in high
school, but later drowned in a lake.
Barry's smile radiated a happiness
I didn't know was possible.
And I saw my great-grandmother
Hattie Mann.
As a child, I knew her only after
she had developed osteoporosis.
Her head and her shoulders
were always bent forward,
giving her a...
a sort of humped appearance.
But the beautiful thing is, she
didn't carry these burdens in heaven.
Heaven was many things,
but without a doubt,
it was the greatest
family reunion of all.
A holy awe came over me
as I stepped forward.
I had no idea what lay ahead.
But I sensed that with each step I
took, it would grow more wondrous.
Then I heard the music.
I can only describe it
as a holy swoosh of wings.
But I'd have to magnify that
thousands of times
to explain the effect
of the sound in heaven.
It was the most beautiful and
pleasant sound I'd ever heard.
I saw a bright iridescence.
I peered through the gate,
yearning to see what lay beyond.
It wasn't an anxious
yearning, but,
uh, a peaceful openness
to experience all of the
grace and joy of heaven.
At that very moment I was about to
realize the yearning of every human heart.
I was in heaven and ready to go
through the pearlescent gates.
Then, just as suddenly as I'd arrived
at the gates of heaven, I left there.
I spent a lot of time
in the hospital
trying to make sense
of all of this.
I was paralyzed by the notion
of not wanting to return.
I mean, why come back
to this much pain?
I think now I know.
I do too.
I believe it's time for me
to go back to church.
I believe that too.
Have you told anyone else
about this?
Yes. David.
Are you hurt that I
didn't tell you first?
No.
I feel elated to know,
because it enables me to understand
the man to whom I'm married.
- Eva.
- Yes?
Eva.
No one should have to do the
things that you had to do for me.
But you did them,
faithfully, compassionately
and without hesitation.
You come closest to
really knowing how painful
this journey has been for me.
Each day you endured it with me.
Eva, you are
my gift from God.
I was so enthusiastic about
finally returning to South Park.
I hadn't been out of bed for
more than an hour at a time and,
well, I overestimated my endurance
and suddenly felt incredibly fatigued.
Yet, the... the overwhelming
response from the congregation gave me
a new burst of strength,
and I knew right then that their praise
was for God's work and my healing.
It's only taken me...
five months
to get from the conference at
Trinity Pines back to church?
I may be slow, but I'm faithful.
They would like for you to say
something to the congregation.
Eva, I think I made a mistake.
I don't think I can do this.
You can.
I'm not sure if I'm ready.
You are.
Let's hear it, Don.
Say something, Don, please.
You prayed.
I'm here.
Oh, there he is.
Hey, Don!
Don!
Hey! You made it. Yeah.
It's so good to see you.
I believe that I'm alive today
because you prayed me back to Earth.
Tell you what. You buy me
lunch, we'll call it even.
All right, it's a deal.
That's right.
I couldn't figure out
how to get inside,
so I just pried open
the trunk,
knocked down the backseat
and crawled in that way.
But even when I was praying with
you, I didn't know it was you.
Besides, no one lives through that. Hmm.
Well, in my first moments of
consciousness, two things stand out.
- First,
I was singing.
I don't sing.
No.
"What a Friend
We Have in Jesus. "
And the second was that Dick
had climbed into the car with me,
and... and his hand had
gripped mine and held it tight.
But the one thing
that is absolutely clear
was Dick being in the car
and praying with me.
That's true. He did get in
the car and prayed with you.
But, Don,
he never held your hand.
- Nope. - I-I remember
it so clearly though.
It was one of the most
vivid details.
- It didn't happen.
- It was physically impossible.
There's just no physical way possible
I could have reached your right hand.
But...
But I-I-I swear,
I...
Someone was holding your hand.
But it wasn't Dick.
Dick Onerecker was a real prayer
warrior before and after the accident.
He would pass away only a few years
after praying for me on that bridge.
Okay, you guys,
right in here.
- Hey, darlin'.
- Yeah. Mm-hmm?
I'll be right back.
Okay.
Boy, that really hurts,
doesn't it?
Yeah, it hurts very much.
Yeah, I know.
Believe me, I know.
You do?
Yeah. I had one too.
It's horrible.
Ah, it's...
it's just horrible.
It's awful.
I know that.
I wore one on my left leg
for 11 months.
Nobody ever understands.
Well, they can't.
It's not something you can talk about
and have anyone understand your pain.
I'm Don.
Mark.
Well, Mark,
you just met someone
who does understand the pain
and the discouragement
you're going through.
I don't know if I'm gonna
make it. Oh, you'll make it.
You're gonna make it. Hey.
Hey, trust me.
You'll make it.
What happened?
I had a skiing accident.
- You're a football player?
- Yes, sir.
I'm gonna
tell you something.
One day,
you will walk again.
Might not be playing
football, but you'll walk.
Here's my card.
Number's right there.
You can call me anytime, day or
night, 24 hours a day. All right?
Now, I'm gonna walk back
over there to my family.
I want you to watch me,
and as you watch, I want you to do
know that one day you will walk too.
You'll probably do it
better than I do.
You met someone who understands.
Give me a call, all right?
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Hey, it's not about me.
Before I died on that bridge, I
was unsure of what my purpose was.
Now I see it more clearly.
Ministering and sharing
the hope I found.
Over 25 years ago,
that big truck
took my life
on that old bridge.
I am not the man
I used to be.
I have been beaten up,
but I'm not beaten.
I have chosen to be
not bitter,
but better.
And it is a choice.
Every day of my life,
I still ask the same question
that I asked in that bed,
that hospital bed, every day.
Oh, Lord, why?
Why did you let me see heaven
and take it away from me?
I believe it is so that
I could be here with you today
and tell you to your face,
God still answers prayer.
God is still in
the miracle business today.
God is able to help us
find a new normal
and overcome tragedy and loss,
pain and suffering.
And God is building us
a better place.
Heaven is real.
I may not meet you here,
this side of heaven.
So my prayer for you today is,
if I don't meet you here,
one day,
I want to see you there
at the gates.
And may God help us
to be found faithful
until that day.