Once a fun day turned tragic, the parents of 13-year old Trenton McKinley faced an agonizing reality. After suffering a severe brain injury, being clinically dead for 15-mintues and brain-dead for days longer, Trenton’s parents were given the worst news possible a parent could ever receive.
Doctors told Trenton’s parents that he had suffered seven separate skull fractures due to an unfortunate dune buggy accident and would likely never be the same – and that he would never recover.
Trenton was riding in a trailer, being pulled by a dune buggy. Trenton’s friend, who was driving the buggy, for some reason suddenly hit the brakes on the vehicle, causing the trailer to flip. Trenton, who was riding inside the trailer, was sent flying head first onto concrete. The trailer then landed on top of the boy’s head. However, before the trailer landed on him, causing him to lose conciseness, Trenton likely saved his niece’s life by throwing her out of the way.
After the accident, Trenton was rushed to the hospital. His mother, Jennifer Reindl, said the doctor’s told them, “Trenton would never be normal again. They told me the oxidation problems would be so bad to his brain, that he would be a vegetable if he even made it.”
After hearing Trenton’s prognosis, Trenton’s parents were forced to make a heartbreaking decision. Would they let Trenton die, and in so doing save five other kids that could use his organs? If they chose to donate his organs, doctors would keep him alive via the use of adrenaline for a few more days. Trenton’s mother knew he was a giving, loving boy and would have chosen to donate his organs if given the opportunity, so they signed the paperwork.
Merely one day before doctors were scheduled to pull the plug, Trenton miraculously began showing signs of life. His heart rate picked up, and he started moving his hand. In addition, where before his eyes were dark and his eyes now were green with white specks of glitter – rather than blue as they were before the incident. Reindl believes the pigment change is because Trenton experienced the otherworldliness of Heaven.
“I was in an open field walking straight,” Trenton recalled. “There’s no other explanation but God. There’s no other way that I could’ve come back. Even doctors said it.”
Although Trenton is no longer fighting to breath and live one more day, he has a whole other set of challenges. He is still dealing with seizures and nerve pain on a regular basis. He has also had to undergo three separate brain surgeries since his ordeal. This had left him with only half the skull he had before his accident. His next surgery will include reattaching the other half. Considering he was deemed brain dead by doctors and thought to never be more than a vegetable, though, his new reality is much preferred, while still difficult. Trenton continues to push beyond all expectations and amazes the medical professionals that work with him on a regular basis.
We see lots of examples of miracles in Scripture, some which draw shocking similarities with what happened to Trenton. One of these was when Lazarus was resurrected by Jesus after being dead for four days, as explained in John 11:1-44. Another instance of a miraculous healings by Jesus can be found in Mark 5:21-43, when Jesus resurrected a young girl who was believed to be dead, and healed a woman who had suffered with an unknown bleeding ailment for years. These are just some of the many examples in the Bible that show God’s incredible ability to perform such miracles.
While many people believe that such miracles simply don’t happen any longer, Trenton’s experience would say otherwise. The boy’s parents are most assuredly believers in God’s ability to still perform miraculous works even today, just as He did in times past and they are likely thrilled that their son is an example of such an instance.
~ 1776 Christian