How things can change in a blink of an eye!
On Sunday night December 14, 2008 Wildwood Police Officer Andrew "Drew" Granero and his wife and Lower Township teacher Christina were driving north bound on the GSP when a car ran the light at Stone Harbor Blvd causing an horrific accident. An accident that would hospitalize Drew and Christina with many surgery's and a long stay over the Christmas and New Year Holidays…
Coming up on three months since their accident I'm embarrassed to say with all that goes on in life, I had kind of forgotten about the Granero's road to recovery until today! It happened while attending a committee meeting for the Make A Wish Golf & Auction Weekend. There, sitting in a chair to my surprise, was Mrs. Christina, looking as pretty as ever sporting a pair of crutches… To make a long story short - they are recovering nicely and in due time they both will be back to work, through they still have a long recovery process.
When the meeting ended I said what are you doing here? And Christina said "I wanted to give back to my community, as people have gone well beyond the call for Drew and I." And I looked at her holding her crutches and just smiled. She said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming ... she said the men and women at the Wildwood Police Department have been unbelievable, along with an outpouring of help from family and friends. And once they returned home she said she has yet to cook a meal as fellow teachers deliver home cooked dinners to them everyday! Believing in "what comes around-goes around" made her want to give back to the community they call home and thought helping with the Make A Wish event was a good start!!! We are so happy to have Christina on the committee!!!!
But this is the real reason for this story - On December 12th I started working on my Cards for Jordan campaign. Christina found out about it and decided this would be a great project for her students the following week. Well needles to say Christina never made it back to work and a copy of the email sat on her desk. It was a few days after her surgery that she realized that she would be in the hospital for Christmas and thought of Jordan - and remembered the email - and at that very moment called one of her friends at school who made sure the cards were made and mailed… But it even gets better… Christina said to me, you know Jordan was my inspiration after my surgery and well into my Physical Therapy.
Seems she was keeping an update of Jordan's progress on USEUS.COM. (Christina said the hospital had a great wireless connection and that being connect to the internet "really" saved her life.) Well, Christina saw Vicki and I take the bag full of cards to Jordan, and then she saw the video of Jordan walking for the first time in over 20 months and finally the time she walked into Pizza Hut on her own to surprise me on my birthday… She said if 13 year old Jordan can do it with a double hip replacement, I certainly can do it with one fractured hip! And let me tell you … she did… as Christina she looks very healthy, is moving around on her own two feet with the help of crutches (though she & Drew still has to be driven everywhere) and is wearing that beautiful smile of hers ... and here she, nowhere near a full recovery, but was out today helping others…
Those of you that know me know how I feel about Jordan and the positive impact she has on my life… well I have learned another great lesson in life and once again it came from a teacher… Christina and Drew were great role models before their accident - but they have certainly gain my respect and admiration in their desire to give back!!!
And Christina - though I don't have a photo of it... but here is another Jordan first for you … She was dancing at the Gia Benefit this past Sunday with her mom and dad!
And of all songs, the TWIST by Chubby Checker!
Officer Andrew and Special Ed Teacher Christina
recover quickly as we want to see ya'll back to work soon!
needless to say these photos were taken before the accident!
This photo was taken at the Wildwoods Christmas Celebration
Officer Drew, Officer Karree, & Officer Spencer with little Ella!