On Monday morning I went out to let my horses in for their breakfast like I do everyday. As they waited for me at the gate I could tell someone was missing in the herd. After letting the main group into the big barn I looked over to the equipment building and saw Molly, my large Spotted Draft mare standing under the shed alone. When I walked over to check on her I saw a large gaping wound at her left ankle and the pool of blood where she had been standing. I knew it was not good but working with animals you learn not to panic. I rubbed her shoulder and assured her I would be back in a minute to lead her back to the barn, as I walk away she nickered to me as if to say, “hey I could use some help here.” That broke my heart. She did not understand that I would be right back. She was asking me to help her.

            I quickly put the rest of the horses up, it would be easier to help Molly if the rest were out of the way. When Molly saw me feeding her stable mate she hopped over to her stall to get her breakfast too. I closed her in and ran back to the big barn to get my medical supplies ready. Then I went back to get Molly with her halter & lead line and slowly Molly limped her way back to the big barn where there is better light and good running water. Once in the cross-ties I started cutting away the heavy hair around Molly’s lower leg to get a better look at the wound. With the hair cut away it became clear that this was too serious for me to deal with alone. I hosed it off the best I could and rapped it up to keep debris out. Then I put her in a holding stall with some bute (horse aspirin) and called the vet for help.

            I called my vet, the vet that I have been working with for twenty years, and was told that they were really busy with other emergencies and that they would not be able to send anyone out to help Molly. I was dumb-founded. How could this be? Did the person answering the phone not understand that this was an emergency? Emotions of rage and fear were making my head spin. I hung up and called a second equine vet, I was told almost the same words! Overwhelmed by emergencies, they too were unable to send anyone out to help Molly. Now I was starting to panic. We only have three equine vets in our area, my thoughts were racing, I could not even remember the name of the third vet’s practice! I goggled it, called them and warned the girl that answered the phone that she could not tell me that they could not come out! She explained that they were also very busy but that she would contact her vets that were out on calls and she would get back to me as soon as she figured out who she could send. I hung up the phone telling myself that Molly was not dying and that things were going to be okay. I stopped and prayed to God to help Molly. Forty-five minutes later the girl from the vet’s office called back to tell me Dr. Tiffany would be out around 1:00. Molly was standing very still in the stall, not putting any weight on the wounded leg, it was obvious that she was in pain. There was nothing I could do but wait.

            Closer to 1:30 the vet finally arrived. She removed my bandage and quickly assessed the wound as her whole hand disappeared into Molly’s leg. She then looked at me and asked me how much money I was willing to spend on Molly. I took a deep breath and asked, “I assume you are asking me that because she needs to go to an emergency facility?” She replied, “Yes, this is much more then I can repair.” Then she explained that Molly had severed an artery and that the giant liver-like blood clots where keeping her from bleeding out. She had also punctured her ankle joint and the clear fluid running out was joint fluid, and that she also thought that she could feel chipped bone. I asked her if she thought Molly could be saved and she looked at me sadly and said she thought they would have to put Molly down, that there was just too much damage. I said I was not ready to give up. Dr. Tiffany said that if anyone could save her that she felt N.C State was her best bet. I assured her that God looked out for me and my animals and told her to make the call.

            The next hour was a whirlwind of quick thinking and action as the vet re-bandaged Molly’s leg, gave her a shot of strong anti-biotics and a pain killer. Then she called down to N.C. State University to let them know we were on our way and what Molly’s diagnosis was. At the same time, I called my husband, Dan, and told him what was going on. He told me he was on his way home to go with me. I paid the vet and she left to finish the rest of her appointments, wishing us well. I hooked up the trailer, made arrangements for the horses and dogs to be cared for for the evening. Dan arrived home and changed out of his work clothes, I grabbed my purse, loaded Molly and we were on the road for our three-hour trip to N.C. State University.

            To say my adrenalin was pumping would be an understatement. I was driving and taking deep breaths trying to calm my heart beats. I was working hard to block out the vet’s words that she thought they would have to put Molly down. About twenty-five minutes into our trip a man in a small car pulled up next to me and yelled something at my window. I put down the window and yelled, “What?” He yelled something back that I did not catch. I yelled back, “What?” He yelled back, “Your tire is shredding!” I think I said a bad word. I waved to him and thanked him, he drove off. Dan said, “You’re fine, look there is the rest area just pull in there.” As we slowed down to pull in the trailer shook and we could feel the tire giving way. We pulled into the trailer parking area. I called my dad and stepfather and we made a plan for them to bring my second trailer. We would move Molly onto the second trailer and head out again with my dad’s truck. My dad and stepfather would stay and deal with my tire and trailer. But my dad would be coming from Va. Beach which was at least an hour and a half away.

            I was pacing the parking lot. I had opened the trailer window so Molly could hang her head out. Dan walked over to the canal which ran parallel to the highway. I am sure he wanted to get away from me and the stress I was projecting. A big 18-wheeler truck pulled up and parked a few spaces from the trailer. The driver got out and said hello to me as I paced. He asked if I was OK. I told him I was not and that I needed to get my sick horse to the vet but that we had had a blow-out and we were waiting for a second trailer to arrive. He said he was sorry to hear that. When he returned from the restroom Dan and I were standing by the trailer. The truck driver asked if we needed some money to get a cold drink or snack while we waited. I thanked him but assured him we were fine. He wished us luck and drove away waving and blowing his horn. I sat next to the trailer thinking, “you know people really are nice.” I was starting to calm down a bit.

            I little while later a big travel trailer pulled up with a small car in tow. The couple that got out were old and the man very carefully helped the woman climb down the steps of the trailer. They did not even look over at us, they slowly walked into the building where the restrooms were. I felt the need to pace again. I told Dan I was going to refill my water bottle in the building. Dan was checking his phone on the other side of the trailer. When I got to the rest area building and pulled the door open I felt the quick rush of cold air come out from the inside air conditioner. Then I heard the words “God Is Great!” echoing off the high ceiling of the building. So loud and clear it was as if God or angels where speaking from heaven. I stopped in my tracks for just a moment in the doorway and smiled. That was just what I needed to hear. I looked up at the ceiling and smiled thinking, “that’s good, I really needed to hear that.” As I walked in and over to the water fountain I saw the old woman standing in the front corner talking on her cell phone. I could hear her whole conversation, the building had high ceilings and the hollow openness sent her words bouncing off the walls. She was telling someone that they had been praying for them and that she was so happy things had works out. While I filled my water bottle the old man came out of the restroom and was walking toward me. We were the only people in the building and the only sound was the woman’s phone conversation bouncing off the walls. I made eye contact with him and said, “if you have any more of those prayers to share I could really use one.” He looked at me surprised, possibly because this stranger was talking to him, and asked, “Oh what is wrong honey.” I told him we were trying to get my sick horse to N.C. State and that we had had a blow-out and we were waiting for the spare trailer to come so that we could hurry and get her there.” He said he was sorry to hear that and that of course they would pray for me. I smiled and thanked him and took my water bottle and walked back out into the sunshine. I was feeling better, calmer. I smiled as I walked feeling that I had just gotten a message from God. I went back over to the trailer where Molly was hanging her head out the window. I reached up and pet her telling her that everything was going to be OK. Dan had walked back over to the water again. The next thing I knew I had a person on each side of me holding my hands and we were praying for Molly to be healed. The old man was praying so sweet and so strong, it was really moving and tears rolled down my face. We all said Amen and the old woman hugged me. She asked if I was a believer and I assured her I was. She handed me a pamphlet and said, “then you can share this with someone else.” They spoke to Molly and wished her well and then got back on the travel trailer and drove away. I smiled and waved to those two old angels that I don’t think I will ever see again.

            Dan walked back over to us. I was wiping tears from my eyes and telling him everything was going to be OK. He asked me what was wrong and I told him everything was fine and that those two angels just prayed with me for Molly. He looked at me and said, “See you’ve got that going for you!” Shortly after that my dad and stepfather arrived and we moved Molly on to the second trailer and got back on the rode.

            It was late when we finally pulled into the university vet school. The staff had been expecting us. Dan had been in contact with them to let them know about our tire problems and then again to let them know when we were about a half hour away. When they came out to the trailer their energy level was low. They were aware of Molly’s diagnosis. The first intern to speak to us asked if the situation had been explained to us, I assured him it had. As we walked into the examination room the second intern introduced himself and again asked if my vet had explained the severity of the wound. I told him she had and I asked him, did she tell you that I have God on my side. He mumbled, “I hope you are right.” A surgeon came in to do her assessment, we were introduced, Molly was sedated, they removed the bandage and shaved more hair. They asked me questions which I answered as I watched everything they were doing and tried to hear everything they were saying. They preformed an ultrasound to assess the damage. The intern kept doing the ultrasound, then the surgeon did the ultrasound. They really stayed with the ultrasound for a long, long time. I could not hear what they were saying and I could not make out the images on the screen. Finally, the surgeon walked over to Dan and me and said, “I am sure you are going crazy wondering what we have been whispering and why we have been working with the ultrasound for so long. Miraculously, Molly’s artery is in tacked. We can not find evidence of her joint leaking fluid and we don’t think her bones are damaged.” She went on to tell us that they would take her to do x-rays to confirm the bone damage, but that at this time it looked like she would need surgery to repair the sheath that surrounded her tendon. This was still concerning but this was a curable injury. I took a deep breath, I looked at the surgeon and said, “I knew she would be OK, I had two angels praying for her at the rest area parking lot.” She smiled and said, “It looks like it worked.”

            Dan and I were taken to the waiting room. After another forty-five minutes the surgeon and intern came in to tell us that there was no bone damage. They explained the surgery to us that would repair the tendon sheath. They explained Molly’s recovery and the different procedures that would need to be done to assure she could heal properly without infection. Then we were told that the estimated cost would be between 6 and 8 thousand dollars. We had to choose between the surgery or having her humanely euthanized. I asked them to give us a couple of minutes to talk. The doctors left, we did not need a couple of minutes. We both agreed that we had to give Molly the best care we could.

            Molly had her surgery the next morning. She spent the next four days at N.C. State University receiving round the clock care. On Friday I went to pick her up and bring her home to continue her recovery here at the farm. Her leg is cast to keep her ankle still and allow the wound to heal. She has received the first of three anti-biotic procedures preformed here under anesthesia. She seems happy to be home and likes to lay down in her stall. The doctors tell us there is a 50/50 chance that she will be able to go back to being a lesson and trail horse once she is fully healed. Either way we know she will be 100% loved and cherished. We think Molly injured her leg on some out farm equipment that has been on the farm for 20 plus years and never cause any harm before. We have sectioned off that area so that no horse can ever get by that equipment again.

            It is my hope that by sharing Molly’s story I can inspire other to see the miracles that happen around us everyday. Dan and I would welcome any donations toward Molly’s surgery and after care. But more importantly we want to recognize God’s blessings and our answered prayers. We would also like to take this opportunity to send out our sincere thanks and blessings to the wonderful angels that stopped and prayed for our girl at the rest area on Monday.