The newspaper ran a recent “good for you” photo showing my children and me posing with members of the Troup County Fire Department, for a wonderful act of support they provided to us. These men not only supported us with a very timely donation prior to Christmas but also should be recognized for their performance on Oct. 10 of last year, when they responded to a traffic accident involving my two elementary age children and my mother-in-law.

The month of October 2008 was a horrific time in the life of my family. On the 8th of October, while on-duty with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office, I was involved in a serious head-on collision. The accident caused injuries to me that warranted a life-saving airlift to Atlanta Medical Center for immediate trauma care. I am certain that my satisfactory outcome was due in large part to the professional acts of the Troup County Fire, Sheriff and other public safety personnel who came to my aid, many off-duty members of these agencies and volunteers as well.

I was hospitalized for 12 days due to my injuries sustained that day. Two days following my incident, the most unimaginable thing occurred. My children, while en route to see me, were involved in a rollover vehicle crash with their grandmother in my wife’s SUV. My wife Tonya and I got the news right after I had returned from a surgery to repair my right ankle.

After the fog of anesthesia cleared, I gratefully found out that my family was OK, and everyone was out of danger. I also learned that my 10-year-old son performed heroically at the scene taking care of his grandmother and 6-year-old sister. I was further advised that prior to the public safety unit’s arrivals two upstanding and very honorable citizens stopped at the wreck scene and gave comfort and support to my kids and their injured grandmother. This selfless act by these two men was the beginning of community support unlike anything that I had ever experienced in my 20 years of law enforcement.

While I was in the hospital, my wife and I received countless letters, phone calls and visits from this community. The letters from my precious elementary school third grader Junior Deputies, mostly written in crayon on colorful paper, covered my room’s walls, the baskets, flowers and plants lined my window sill. On Oct. 16 I celebrated my 43rd birthday with a delegation of friends and their families from Troup County. I also was informed that a group of Troup County Shriners were using their talents and personal funds to construct a handicap ramp at my house.

After we returned home another group got a fundraiser together at Pyne Road Park that was both timely and a God-send. Speaking of these things, I want to convey how much that I am in awe of my fellow Troup County citizens and at the same time I am also fearful of leaving anyone off. Please just know that every act of kindness from the largest to the smallest was and still is, so very much deeply appreciated by this family.

In closing, my wife and I would both like to again express how fortunate we are to live, work and raise our children in such a loving and caring community. We would also like to mention our gratitude for the support of both my boss Sheriff Donny Turner and Tonya’s boss Suzy Noles for their patience and unquestionable support during this nightmare that was our autumn of 2008. I am currently still in the recovery stage, and probably will have to undergo more treatments however; my family and I have been so very blessed by both God and this great community that is Troup County.