Rick, a firefighter, almost died after falling from 95 feet. The doctor said he couldn’t survive, but God proved them wrong.
Firefighter Almost Died From Falling
Rick Roll was making his morning rounds at Anchorage, Alaska’s Station 5 on June 5, 2017, when he heard a loud bang and then a thud on the ground.
Ben was still not responding when Shane Westcott arrived as the first paramedic to help.
“I saw that the truck was at full tilt, 100 feet up and at a 72° angle. When I looked at that, I saw Ben on the ground. I thought he was dead. You don’t expect a person to fall from 100 feet and live,” Shane recalled.
Right away, Ben was taken to Providence Hospital, where his parents, Joan and Jeff Schultz, were waiting to hear how he was doing.
“We first got to the hospital to see Ben. Ben’s head was bandaged, and there was blood seeping through it. I could see this big contusion on it. So I just prayed quickly for him,” his father said.
Firefighter Almost Died From Falling, But God Showed How Powerful Prayer Is
Ben was taken to surgery, where doctors found that he had a diffuse axonal injury (DAI), meaning that the nerve fibers in his brain had been torn. This kind of brain damage is the worst. Dr. Kathy Herbert, Ben’s primary care doctor for more than 15 years, met with his family and the medical team.
Ben’s parents called their church family and friends to start a prayer chain while Ben was still in surgery.
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Ben was stable when he came out of surgery, but he was still unable to move or speak. He was transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, a month later. This hospital has a team specializing in treating traumatic brain injuries. His friends and family stayed by his side for three more months and prayed for a miracle. Ben was unconscious and didn’t seem to be getting better.
Prayer Works
Despite being awake, Ben’s future abilities were uncertain. After numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation, Ben would have to adjust to life in a wheelchair. However, Ben suddenly walked into Station 5 on his own when he finally returned to Alaska.
“When I came to Station 5 for the first time after being out of state, recovering for a year, it felt wonderful. My old crew brought me back to the station from the airport. It was very encouraging that God intervened. There were feelings of success like, ‘Yes, we made it back.’ However, I can no longer serve the community as a firefighter paramedic as I used to. I’ve been both grateful and sad that throughout all those plateaus during recovery, my future had to look a little different,” Ben recalled.
Every day, Ben and his family continue to defy the odds and improve. He now works as an emergency manager for the city of Anchorage and is married to Carly. People who pray together, like Jeff and Joan Schultz, believe that God made their son into the living miracle he is today.
Reference: The 700 Club
Header image: Ben and his parents [The 700 Club]. YouTube, 7 May 2024, https://youtu.be/JTqjbJSIXzY