On September 22nd, the life of Willie Kearns was on the brink of a dramatic change. He narrowly avoided paralysis by just two millimeters, but instead of facing tragedy, he was met with a miracle. Fueled by a surge of adrenaline and his steadfast faith in Jesus, Willie dodged what could have been a life-altering incident.
The tale unfolds on a serene day in Gulf Crest, Alabama. Willie, a 49-year-old farmer, was busy bush hogging with his reliable tractor, while his wife, Jeniffer, trailed behind in their family truck. It seemed like just another routine day, one of many spent together tending to their land. However, this day would prove to be anything but ordinary.
As Willie was wrapping up the last section of land, calamity struck. His tractor collided with the base of a tree, and before anyone could react, another tree crashed down on him. The blow was catastrophic, hitting him in the back of the head and pinning him beneath its weight.
Hearing the crash, Jeniffer rushed towards her husband in a state of panic. “I ran toward Willie as he was shouting that his neck hurt,” Jeniffer recalled. There was no time to lose. The heavy tree that had fallen on her husband was still pressing down on him, and Jeniffer realized she had to act quickly. In a moment that could have easily ended in tragedy, she summoned the strength of adrenaline and her faith in Jesus to lift the tree off him. With every ounce of her strength, she managed to free him and get him to safety.
Willie was quickly transported to the hospital, where doctors assessed the injuries. The prognosis was serious: he had fractured both his C-7 and T-1 vertebrae, each in three places. The impact was severe, but the doctors offered a glimmer of hope. “The doctors told me that if I had been hit just two millimeters over, I would have been paralyzed,” Willie said, still grappling with how close he had come to a life of immobility.
Currently, Willie is wearing a neck brace and will be unable to move his neck for the next three months. The road to recovery is long, but each day he can move and breathe is a gift. This incident has imparted a profound lesson to both him and Jeniffer about the fragility of life and the necessity of being ready for the unexpected.
Jeniffer reflected on the ordeal, stating, “It is VERY important that hunters and workers do not work alone in the woods.” She paused, the seriousness of the situation settling in. “If I hadn’t been there, my husband probably wouldn’t be here with us today. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a buddy in the woods. It can be called the buddy system so it sounds manly,” Jeniffer joked, attempting to lighten the mood after such a harrowing experience.
In the weeks ahead, Willie and Jeniffer will focus on healing, taking it one day at a time. Throughout this journey, they will hold onto one powerful thought: the tree could have fallen just two millimeters in a different direction. Had it done so, the outcome could have been drastically altered. Instead, they are grateful for the miracle that preserved Willie’s life. They will continue to express gratitude for the adrenaline that empowered Jeniffer to lift the tree, and they will always remember the role Jesus played in their survival story.
Willie’s miraculous escape is not merely a tale of luck. It stands as a testament to the power of love, faith, and the will to survive. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, in the most unexpected and frightening moments, the most crucial thing we can have by our side is a loved one who will support us—no matter what.
