The Evoy Family: September 2010

Both of our dads are tough guys--with big hearts. Both of them ride motorcycles, enjoy working outside and are accustomed to hard manual labor. We've grown up knowing them to be this way. They still are tough guys, but boy did they both give us a scare this summer!

On June 12, as we were making our way back from our vacation in Alabama, we got a terrifying phone call. My brother Brandon called and said dad had been in a motorcycle accid

ent and had been taken by helicopter to a hospital in Grand Rapids I can't describe how I felt in that moment, except I was just overcome with fear and helplessnes. We were in Tennessee when we got the news and knew it would take some time to get to Indianapolis and then to Grand Rapids. We didn't even have to discuss it--we knew we would drive staight through. He was a mess when we got there and I truly didn't know if he were going to make it though--BUT HE DID!! And did he ever! No one can believe the progress he has made--like I said, he's a tough guy :)

Dad's "Erector Set" arm--very little bone left, mostly metal parts

Dad at the family reunion- a WEEK after being released from the hospital

Guest blogger: Justin Evoy :)

My dad also endured a major hospital stay and surgery this summer. During a visit with his cardiologist it was learned that he needed to replace a leaky valve and have an aortic dissection. This would require open-heart surgery. He had the operation at St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis, where Mom works. She knew a very good heart surgeon at the hospital and he performed the 4 hour surgery without a hitch. Dad recovered very well and was awake and talking by the end of the day.

Mom and Dad Evoy in Gulf Shores, AL

During the whole process, regardless of the amount of pain he was in, he kept a positive attitude and a smile on his face.

We definitely admire our dad's for going through so much and handling everything so well. Their attitudes surely have a lot to do with how well they are progressing. We are so thankful for the wonderful doctors, nurses and especially our God who looked after our dads and our future kids' Opa and Papaw :) We love you both so much!!

In June Justin and I went on a family vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama with the Evoy side of the family. There were 15 of us and we had an awesome time! I even got to celebrate my 30th birthday on our first day there :) We stayed in a beautiful beach house right across the street from the beach. Despite the oil spill, we were able to swim each day and spend plenty of time on the sandy (mostly) white beach. The oil was on the shore line and the amount did increase as the week went by. The morning we left it was coming in in large amounts. Good for us because we were on our way out--incredibly sad for those people and animals that call the Gulf Coast home.