By the grace of God

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

A father’s worst nightmare is getting a call that their child has been injured in an accident.
On July 29, Don Derraugh received such a call from his daughter Rochelle, that she and his other daughter Tarynn and two of their friends were in a car crash.
The group was travelling to Calaway Park for a fun day to cap off the summer, before returning to school in the fall.
Rochelle had the presence of mind to call her father and 911.
“Rochelle was the one who called me; she had the strength to call me,” said Derraugh. “I had been talking to Rochelle for about two minutes and an off-duty paramedic showed up and he was able to describe everything – how Rochelle was doing, how Tarynn was doing. Rochelle didn’t know where they were, so he told me where they were and the best way to get there.”
The car was hit broadside and Tarynn was in critical condition. Derraugh was thankful for his daughter Rochelle’s strength under pressure and the intervention of the off duty medic.
The injured were transported to the Foothills hospital, where the girls’ minor injuries were treated and Tarynn was admitted to ICU. The accident is still under police investigation.
There were several small miracles surrounding Tarynn’s accident. Derraugh said the first was that a higher power must have known what was coming. He was supposed to be at work that day, where phones are required to be kept off. For some reason, he was given the day off, which allowed him to be there when Rochelle called.
Tarynn’s injuries included brain trauma, five skull fractures, burst eardrums, and eye and jaw injuries. She was in ICU stabilized and transferred to the neurology ward. She lapsed in and out of coma during the following weeks and the family was unsure what the outcome would be.
The Derraugh family attends Hope Community Covenant church in Strathmore. When Robyn Shipley, who attended school with Tarynn, heard of her accident, she felt a calling to go and be a support to her, even though she did not know Tarynn well.
Several ministers had been to Tarynn’s room to offer the family support and prayer; and a second miracle came when Shipley and her mother Tracie Anhorn came to the room and another healing prayer and an anointment of oil was done.
Anhorn indicated the group felt a presence in the room and medical monitors responded in a positive way. The brain pressure monitors normal readings are about 10 and under, but there was concern for Tarynn’s as her readings were consistently double that reading.
“At one point it was at 21. The day we were praying it was 11, and as we were praying, we all looked up at the same time and the monitor had dropped three points,” said Anhorn.
“My daughter told me later that she was praying too. She said to me ‘while we were praying something happened to my body and I can’t explain it.” But I knew what it was.”
Rochelle believes the third small miracle happened when Tarynn woke up from her coma. It was on Rochelle’s birthday.
Derraugh, a single dad, along with Rochelle and another daughter, Kaila, were so thankful when Tarynn came out of her coma and started making headway on the road to healing. She now gets the occasional day pass.
“She is progressing a lot, even with what her primary issues are. It is baby steps,” said Derraugh.
The doctors said Tarynn would need 24/7 care to gain the best recovery. It was a tough decision for Derraugh, but he decided he would quit his job and provide that care. He is currently living in a bed and breakfast in Calgary, which is close to the hospital. Anhorn is sheltering Rochelle in her home until the family can get back together, so Rochelle can resume school in Strathmore this fall.
Derraugh said the experience is a journey of love and he is overwhelmed by the support the community has shown his family. He said he believes in the power of prayer and he couldn’t have gone through this without his faith.
“Without this financial support I wouldn’t be able to stay in Calgary,” said Derraugh. “There are people we don’t even know offering support. I have been accepting of it in a positive way because it is a sharing of love. We won’t ever be able to express our thanks to everyone, but it is fantastic. We are entirely thankful and grateful.”
He wanted a special acknowledgment for the initiatives Tracie Anhorn has taken on his behalf. She set up a GoFundMe page, gofundme.com to raise money for the family, organized a fundraiser and people contact Tracie at 403-630-1510 if they wish to donate in the future.