On September 25th I decided to do a daily blog on lessons that I've learned from Coach Meyer while he was recovering in the hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from injuries received in an automobile accident. I am extremely excited to announce that Coach returned home yesterday to Aberdeen and knowing him, was at practice this morning at 5:00 AM.Adversity doesn't develop character -- it reveals it. And the last lesson of this series that Coach has taught us all is to have courage, dignity and determination in the face of extreme personal difficulties. Coach not only had an automobile accident that caused severe injuries but he continued to have setbacks through the process. After several surgeries it was decided to amputate his leg. Upon having his spleen removed it was discovered he had carcinoid cancer. Infections hampered his amputation. Blood clots formed in other parts of his body. It seemed every few days there would be a setback.
Yet each time I heard from one of Coach's friends, former players or daughters, all they talked about was his great attitude, his determination and his sense of humor.
The following came from a newspaper article where a writer visited Coach:
"As I walked to therapy with Coach Meyer as he pushed himself in a non-motorized wheelchair, the leader of the Northern State men's basketball team coached his way down the hallway. He stopped at each room, saying “hi” and asking how the patient inside the room was feeling. He tells a little story about each one to me. Staff members coming by Meyer said some version of “how you doing today, Coach?”Coach responded to each question, using the first name of that staff member as well as the patients he visited. "
The following comes from Brooke (Coach's daughter):
During the past week, Mom and Dad formed a special friendship with Joe, a 19 year old who suffered a stroke on October 20 leaving him with no movement on the right side of his body. The first time Joe saw Dad he said, "If Coach can walk, I can walk. That guy inspires me." While Joe was a new Christian, he had an unbelievable faith and he knew that he would walk, in fact he said he would play college basketball. I'll admit when he told me that he would play college basketball, I questioned if the stroke had affected his brain. His faith seemed almost insane. The bond between Joe and our family is so strong... he calls me "big sister" and Mom, "Mom". Mom told me last night that it would be very hard to leave Joe. I understood, because it was tearfully hard for me to leave Joe on Monday. Joe was feeling the stress of Mom and Dad leaving as well. He told me that he went into his room this morning and was very emotional about Coach and Mom leaving. He told God that he was tired of people coming in and out of his life and he asked for a sign, something he could hold onto. Well.... God healed him. Joe, who had no movement or feeling in his right arm with no movement and only a numb feeling in his right leg, was miraculously healed. He called me and told me he was holding the phone with his right hand and then later he called and told me he could walk. Just like that, the 19 year old, who doctors thought would never walk again, is being discharged from the hospital on Friday. Needless to say, it was much easier for Mom to leave Joe. Dad encouraged Joe to be humble and never forget Philippians 4:6-7 and Romans 12.
Coach still has a lot of battles to fight and hills to climb so we need to continue to keep him in our prayers. But we also know how he will handle each battle! WELCOME HOME COACH!
