Prayer pager brings hope, healing in trying times Feb. 18, 2005
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Jack and Anita Culp massage the hands of their son, Brandon, at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Miss.
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Jack
and Anita Culp massage the hands of their son, Brandon, at Methodist
Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Miss. Brandon, 23, was critically
injured when a large truck hit his car near Jackson. He was returning to
college in Texas from his home in Pennsylvania. A UMNS photo by John
Gordon. Photo #05-143. Accompanies UMNS story #105. 2/18/05 |
By John Gordon* JACKSON,
Miss. (UMNS)—Hundreds of miles from their home and friends, Jack and
Anita Culp felt numb, watching their son cling to life after a wreck. As
they prayed for his survival, a stranger brought something that would
give them hope in the family’s most trying time. It was a prayer pager. Soon, the family’s prayers were joined by thousands from across the country. “It’s
kind of hard to grasp sometimes that that many people care,” said
Brandon Culp, 23, who is now undergoing therapy at Methodist
Rehabilitation Center in Jackson. Brandon,
from Harrisburg, Pa., was injured Jan. 9 when a large truck hit his car
on Interstate 20 near Jackson. He was returning to college in
Texas. “It’s a miracle he’s even alive,” Anita Culp said. The
prayer pager is a ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in
Jackson. Church members sent e-mails to friends asking them to pray for
Brandon, call a toll-free number for the pager (1-888-287-6249) and
enter their ZIP codes. As
the e-mails were forwarded, pages began coming in from throughout the
United States. The pager buzzed constantly, at all hours of the day and
night. Even while Brandon was on a respirator in intensive care, his family wanted him to know about the nationwide prayer chain. “I
held the pager against his wrist, and I said, ‘Brandon, every time this
pager vibrates, somebody’s praying for you,’” said Jack Culp. “And I said, ‘It’s people that you’ve never met. And they’re just praying that God will do just the best for you that he can.’”
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Sue Shamblin, of Christ United Methodist Church, sends e-mails asking for prayers for Brandon Culp.
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Sue
Shamblin, secretary at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson,
Miss., circulates e-mail messages asking recipients to pray for Brandon
Culp. Brandon, 23, was critically injured when his car was struck by a
large truck near Jackson. A UMNS photo by John Gordon. Photo #05-142.
Accompanies UMNS story #105. 2/18/05 |
Brandon spent 11 days in intensive care and underwent three surgeries at
University of Mississippi Medical Center before being transferred to
the rehabilitation hospital. Though he is still paralyzed, his parents
said he has made remarkable progress—considering his heart stopped three
times on the way to the university trauma center.“Most
of the time when people say, ‘I’m going to pray for you,’ you don’t
really know if they really do or not,” said Anita Culp, who is a nurse
and teacher. “But
with this prayer pager, every time it pages, you know somebody has
consciously prayed for you and then called that number. And that, to me,
is amazing.” Brandon
was beginning his senior year at LeTourneau University in Longview,
Texas. He was studying to become an airplane mechanic. It
hasn’t been an easy road. He was born with a spinal defect and, two
years ago, an accidental fall at college left him paralyzed. Doctors gave him little hope of a full recovery from the earlier injury, but he was able to walk again and return to school. “I
get down a little bit, sometimes,” he said. “But I have my parents
here, and having all these people’s support has really been a big help.” The
Rev. Ginny Allen delivered the prayer pager after a friend of the Culp
family in Pennsylvania called a church member about Brandon’s accident.
Christ Church was already planning to start the new ministry. A member
found the unused pager in a desk drawer, and Allen took it to the family
at the hospital. “People
really want God to be real,” she said. “And a prayer pager is one of
the ways that they have something tangible to see that God has heard
their prayer.” Jackson
residents were quick to show the Pennsylvania family plenty of southern
hospitality. A church employee lent them a car. Others brought food and
offered clothing, donations to help with expenses and a place to stay. Someone even paid the wrecker and storage charges for Brandon’s demolished car. The church also sponsored a blood drive. “This
experience will change my life forever, I can say that much,” said Jack
Culp. “When I go home, I hope I never pass up an opportunity to
be kind, to stop and pray for someone.”
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Therapist Mary Smith (left) and Anita Culp adjust Brandon Culp's wheelchair.
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Therapist
Mary Smith (left) and Anita Culp, mother of Brandon Culp, adjust
Brandon's wheelchair at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson,
Miss. Brandon, 23, was critically injured when a truck hit his car near
Jackson. A UMNS photo by John Gordon. Photo #05-145. Accompanies UMNS
story #105. 2/18/05 |
Brandon is trying to regain his walking skills on a weight-assisted
treadmill, supported by a halter. Doctors are not sure how much progress
he will make. Though his spinal cord was damaged, he does have feelings
below the injury. And despite a serious head injury, doctors found no
brain damage.He is determined to walk across the stage to receive his college degree. “It’s
kept my hopes up,” he said. “My goal is to get out of rehab this summer
or sooner if possible, and get back to school and graduate and find a
job, hopefully.” His parents believe Brandon will rise to the challenges. “It’s
not the end of his life,” his mother said. “He’ll go on. God has a
purpose for him. Maybe it’s different from what we thought it
was.” And Jack Culp is grateful to everyone who has helped show the power of prayer. “I mean, ‘thank you’ isn’t really enough,” he said. “It’s made a difference.” While Brandon continues his rehabilitation, the church has activated two more prayer pagers. One is being given to a child who is hospitalized in Memphis, Tenn. Another went to a Christ Church member who went to California for specialized treatment for prostate cancer. “It’s
going great,” Allen said of the California case. “It was already
vibrating off the receptionist’s desk before they even got it. He said
it was just so encouraging to know people from home are praying for
him.” *Gordon is a freelance producer and writer in Marshall, Texas. News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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