December 2015: 2-Year Update

Dear All,

As we approach a new year, we continue to give thanks to God for His grace and love.

We wanted to provide a "2 -year" update for you....

We pray that this post provides:

1. An update on Tim's health.

2. An update on Tim's speaking schedule.

3. The link to The 700 Club / Christian Broadcasting Network's documentary on the story.

4. Tim's "2-year" Facebook Post

5. Some basic information about a PTO. (Power Take Off).

General Update: 

We give thanks to God that Tim continues to work full time at Quality Machine and Automation (QMA) in Holland, MI, as a machine salesman. Tim has worked at QMA for almost 17 years.

In addition to working at QMA, Tim also raises corn-fed beef cattle, Holstein steer, on our farm. Currently, we have 50 head of cattle in our barn. Tim butchers the first Saturday of each month. Licensed butcher Keith DeYoung butchers right here on the farm, then delivers the beef most often to Byron Center Meats, where the beef is custom packaged according to each customer's direction. Tim has been raising beef for 21 years.

With the farm comes field work: planting and harvesting corn, soybeans, straw, and hay. We feed the cattle what we raise: shelled corn & ground ear corn. The straw and hay are given to the steer for bedding and roughage. The soybeans we raise to sell (Zeeland Farm Services). 

Currently, when you drive past the farm, you will notice the wheat crop popping up in the field. A variety of chickens are also enjoying life over here. Our roosters enjoy free-range life. Cluckers thinks he rules the roost. The hens are in pens, pecking up grasses, grubs and ground corn. We collect 5-8 colorful eggs/day from our egg layers. The eggs are delicious! We haven't butchered any poultry yet...

Grace, our rabbit, loves as much attention as possible. We have named social farm cats: Snickers, Oreo and Larry. The barn cats remain unnamed. Here is a picture of Lilly holding Snickers.

You can find farm photos, videos and updates on the farm's Facebook Page: Tim's Meats LLC.


1. Tim's Health

Our help in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Ps. 124:8 

We give thanks to God that just the other day, Sat., Dec. 26, Tim celebrated his 41st birthday. He spread manure and then we ventured to Grandma Fauble's home for the Fauble Christmas Party.

The accident happened 2 years ago, on Sat., Dec. 7, 2013. We give thanks to God every day for blessing Tim with continued healing in his life. Our lives have changed, and we continue to make adjustments accordingly. We live life differently than before. God's Grace Is Sufficient. God has provided physical healing and more...and for this we give thanks!

We recently met with Tim's surgeons. Tim struggles with "new" but expected physical issues - issues that are considered subsequent issues from the injuries that Tim sustained in the accident, such as back issues, etc.

The support from the doctors is strong, and we appreciate their help, input and direction as Tim moves forward in life.

Overall, Tim continues to gain strength. The muscle free flap on Tim's left lower leg continues to exhibit health / strong blood flow through veins and arteries. Had this not taken, Tim would have eventually faced amputation. 

Some pictures:

The above picture was taken Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. It shows Tim's leg in a relaxed state. 

During the accident, one of the injuries Tim sustained was that his lower left leg was crushed to the point where the tissue died. After several surgeries to remove dead tissue and infection, a healthy wound remained. The wound was deep, open to the bone, hardware, and tendons, and it was as wide as the free flap you see above. Instead of amputating, we agreed to try reconstructive surgery, in partnership with U.S. Department of Defense research of lower-limb trauma, which works with docs at Orthopedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) / Spectrum Health. 

The wound needed soft tissue to fill in the "hole," so the docs removed part of Tim's left abdominal muscle and placed it in his leg, also connecting veins, vessels, artery. Although the muscle free flap provides soft tissue to protect the leg, it does not fully replace what was once there, internally. The success of a free flap has much to do with healthy blood flow. We give thanks to God that Tim's body accepted the flap, and that blood flow continues to be be strong & healthy. 

Skin grafting was also needed, so skin was taken from Tim's left thigh and placed over the free flap. We give thanks to God that the skin graft has taken as well!

The position that Tim's foot is in is the most relaxed position possible for his left foot. There is limited movement in his ankle due to scar tissue, but we give thanks to God that it continues to improve! 

The nerves in Tim's foot continue to heal, so his foot is super, duper sensitive. WATCH OUT! Even stepping on a fabric softener sheet will send Tim through the roof! The nerves are healing, but as many of you know, nerves simply take a long time to heal, and nerves that are healing are just plain oversensitive. We don't get too worked up over this, though, because it is very good and important to expose his foot to different textures as the nerves heal. :)

We also give thanks to God that December 2015 x-rays show NO ARTHRITIS in Tim's foot, ankle, leg or hip, all places where arthritis is expected. The doctors are amazed. :) 

(Tim's left leg, hip to foot, is healed, and hardware - several plates, screws and rods - remain.)

The limitations on Tim's movements takes a toll on his overall body, as his right leg naturally overcompensates for the left leg; as his right side / abs overcompensate for the left as he simply lives life, working, farming, etc. He is mindful of stretching, staying hydrated, and simply being very aware of his health. His back and overall muscular health take the biggest toll lately, for which we are praying for and dealing with.  

The above picture was taken on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. :)

The above picture was taken 4 months after the accident, @ John Ball Zoo, Spring Break 2014. Can you see the difference in the free flap? 

As expected, the ab muscle has atrophied (shrunk) as Tim's body has accepted it. 

In the above picture, Tim had "drop foot," which was corrected in a surgery in May of 2014, when his Achilles was cut to enable length. We give thanks to God for this!

As you can imagine, we have many pictures of healthy, open wounds and infection-filled wounds. Tim fought many infections for quite some time, head to toe. We try to keep the pics here “low-key,"  but in all things, we GIVE THANKS! God continues to provide incredible healing! 

We have many "milestones" of healing that we can see...here's one:

A tradition - walking the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day. For many years, Tim walked it. He would push our stroller across or carry one of our kids on his shoulders. 

A simple tradition...

We give thanks to God that this past Labor Day, Tim WALKED the 5.4 mi. bridge. and finished. Aunt Gloria, along with our son, Joel, walked with Tim, and I followed closely behind him. We walk a new speed, and we will take it! For this fulfillment of a tradition, we give THANKS to God! 

2015 Labor Day Bridgewalk Start Line (left to right: Joel, Tim, Caleb, Luke, Teresa, Aunt Gloria, Lilly, Ashley, Dad Fauble, Great Grandma Fauble, Aunt Darlene, Emily, Levi, Jana and Marc)

2015 Labor Day Bridgewalk Finish Line: Joel and Tim

If you have walked the bridge before, you understand how your group can naturally "split up" as the massive crowds of walkers urge you on. We walked at our own pace and we are simply thankful to God that we were abe to fulfill this tradition together once again.  

2. Tim’s Speaking Schedule:

...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. Ps. 78:4

Tim continues to accept invitations to share the story of what God has done and is doing in his life with individuals, small-groups, and large groups as well.

Individuals: As Christians, we believe that God's hand is in all things. 

While our family was at the "Half Century of Progress Show," (www.halfcenturyofprogress.com), in August, we crossed paths with Max Armstrong, an American agriculture broadcaster from Chicago, IL. Next thing you know, God provided the opportunity for Tim to share the story on WGN Radio.

The above picture is (left to right): Max Armstrong, Dad (Gene) Vander Zwaag & Tim @ The Half Century of Progress Show, Aug. 2015.

Small Groups: More recently, Tim spent time with a small group in Grand Haven, MI.

Large Groups: Tim also recently spoke at Ivanrest CRC in Grandville, MI.

Upcoming: Tim has accepted the invitation to speak at the U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. Annual Convention, in Omaha, Nebraska. This event will take place in January 2016.

Info.: www.uschi.com/convention.php

Please pray that the message would be clear when Tim speaks: "for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God." Deut. 7:12

3. The link to The 700 Club / Christian Broadcasting Network's documentary on the story.

We have been updating Facebook with the following information. We also wanted to share the following here, on the blog. 

As many of you know, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) / The 700 Club, spent a day here at our home with our family. They produced a documentary about Tim's story. Many people have seen this, and some who have gone through experiences have reached out to Tim to talk about life with him.

Here is the link to the documentary: www.cbn.com/tv/4488769006001

Also: bcove.me/umb94mup

We pray that God may be glorified through this documentary!


4. Tim's "2-year" Facebook Post

I give thanks to God that I am able to continue teaching Body & Soul Fitness Classes. On Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, I taught class as usual. I returned home to find Tim typing this on Facebook. I also wanted to include this post on the blog: 

From Tim...




Two years ago tonight, I almost died. But God was not done with me yet. 
I did not think about it too much today until I got out work and it was getting dark and cold. If I think about it too much I would go crazy. When I was in the hospital, they said after two years we will know better what I would be the rest of my life. Well I went to work all day today, picked up Joel from basketball practice, had supper as a family, feed 48 cows, one rabbit, gathered 7 eggs, fed multiple cats and countless chickens and walked the trash can to the road. Not too bad I think. I want to say thank you to all for helping me these past two years.
God…thank you for answering my prayers that night. This was all in your will.
Teresa…thank you for standing by my side all those days. You are unbelievable for going through this. Thank you for being patient with me. I would have not made it without you. I love you and thank God for you daily.
Caleb, Joel, Lilly and Luke. Thank you for being so strong in such a tough time. I am sorry for making you have to go through this. Dad loves you and will always be there for you.
To my parents Gene and Carole, Doug and Claire-thank you for being there for us. We love you.
To my all my brothers and all their wives Brent and Nikki, Doug and Laura, Kevin, Marc and Jana and Jeremy and my nieces and nephews- thank you for taking care of the farm and everything else you did. We appreciate all you did and we love you.
To Greg and Kris for plowing and for your friendship. To Tom and Cheryl for your support in so many ways.
To all the first responders-thank you for getting me to the hospital and stabilizing me.
To all my Drs. - Dr. Kroeze, Dr. Ringler, Dr. Do, Dr. Andersen, Dr. Johnson and all the others. Thank for putting me back together.
To all the nurses, aides and all at the hospitals. Thank you for nursing me back to health.
To all the people at Mary Free Bed- thank you for pushing me. Thank you Liz for working me so hard and encouraging me.
Thank you to those at Spectrum Rehab and Nursing Center - to Andy for coming in on your Sunday to help me recover.
Thank you to all who came to the hospital and other places to visit and encouraged me. We love you all.
To my family and friends, thanks for sitting with me. I love your friendship.
To all who brought food and gifts to the kids and us- thank you.
To all who helped us in ways seen and unseen- thank you.
Pastor Steve and Pastor Al- thank you for your visits and support.
To my local church families- thank you for all your prayers and support.
To Scott and Julie- thank you for all you did. We are grateful for your generosity. 
To all the employees of QMA- thanks for getting by while I was out.
To all who did things around the farm when I couldn’t- thank you.
To the guys who plowed our field and worked it for planting- thank you.
To all who held the benefit concert for us- thank you. To Ron and Karen and Eric, thank you for helping us praise God that night.
Will and Elizabeth- thank you.
To all who wrote me cards of encouragement- thank you.
To all who have allowed me to share how good God has been- thank you.
To all who have talked to me over the past two years to encourage me to move forward- thank you.
To all who have prayed for me- thank you. Prayers are answered!
I could write for hours thanking you all. I know I have missed many more and please understand I am forever grateful to all of you for all you have done. I praise God for you and all your love and support.
I love you all, 
Tim

5. Some basic information about a PTO. (Power Take Off):

One frequently asked question with all of this...

What is a PTO?

GOOD QUESTION! :) 

Around here, it has always been a FEARED, RESPECTED & SAFETY GUARDED piece of equipment. 

We are particularly thankful for the documentary that The 700 Club produced, because it shows the equipment in motion, which helps one visualize and understand the equipment better. 

There are many places where you can read about what a PTO is. I found a pretty basic one that explains things somewhat clearly...posted on the National Ag Safety Database: 

nasdonline.org/1883/d001820/power-take-off-safety.html

I have included excerpts here that take Tim's accident into consideration, as we have had many questions related to the PTO...and the question, "How did this happen?"

Answer: It happened faster than fast.


"The power take-off (PTO) drive, found on most farm tractors, is a major power source for agricultural equipment. The PTO system efficiently transfers mechanical power from the tractor to the implement..."




In Tim’s case, the PTO was powering the manure spreader.


The PTO shaft was guarded. 

"PTO accidents can happen when the tractor is moving or stationary. Under normal conditions, the PTO should be disengaged, cutting the power from the tractor, before the operator dismounts. There are several reasons, however, for keeping the PTO engaged when the tractor is stationary:

• Some machines, such as augers and silage blowers, are designed for stationary use of PTO power.
• Maintenance procedures such as lubricating chains, sharpening knives, or checking the condition of moving parts may require that power be run to the machine."

In Tim’s case, the tractor was stationary. The PTO was running. The reason the PTO was running was to set the manure spreader into motion so that Tim could clean off / service the manure spreader. For Tim,  he remembers cleaning the manure spreader like this for "as long as he can remember." However, Tim no longer keeps the PTO running when he cleans off the manure spreader. 

"The environment may contribute to a PTO accident. Slippery conditions caused by rain, mud, snow, frost, or ice can cause an operator to lose his or her balance while mounting or dismounting a tractor or implement."

In Tim’s case, he was far from the spinning PTO shaft, but he accidentally slipped on a frozen cornstalk, hidden beneath the snow in the field. The slip / fall brought him too close to the PTO Universal Joint (U-Joint), when the loop from his Carharrts was instantly caught in the U-Joint.  

"Most PTO accidents and injuries occur when a person's clothing or hair becomes entangled with a part of the spinning PTO system. Protruding components such as the locking pin, bolt, cotter pin, grease fitting, nails, universal joint, and tractor spline readily hook and grab loose or dangling clothes or hair. Boot laces, pant legs, coat or shirt cuffs and tails, drawstrings on windbreakers or hooded sweatshirts, and scarves frequently get entangled. Cases have also been reported of long hair getting caught in PTOs.

Once clothing or hair is caught, the PTO's speed of rotation, combined with the power exerted by the tractor, makes escape unlikely and injury almost certain. Following are some typical outcomes:

• Clothing is torn completely off the person, resulting in minor injuries such as friction burns, scrapes, sprains, and bruises.
• Clothing is torn away, and in the process the PTO catches and tears loose or hanging skin.
• Clothing is torn away, and part of the victim's body becomes wrapped up in the shaft or wedged against the machine resulting in severe injury, including lacerations, broken bones, strangulation, loss of limbs, fingers, or toes.
• Clothing is not completely torn away, and the victim's body rotates with the shaft, causing multiple serious injuries or death.
• Hair becomes entangled, resulting in partial or complete scalping."

In Tim's case, his clothing was torn off, and for this we give thanks to God. Had the clothing not been torn away, Tim would have continued to rotate with the shaft. Tim remembers rotating with the shaft 3 times. After the third time, the clothes were torn from him and he was thrown into the snowy field. Along with the rotation, he was beaten against the frame of the manure spreader. From the list above, it is consistent that Tim experienced severe injury, lacerations, broken bones, and he was scalped to the skull / closed-head injury. He also had a lower-limb crush injury.

Tim’s list of known injuries the night of the accident: multiple lacerations, scalp laceration, spleen laceration grade 2, left femur fracture, hip displacement, left rib fractures, lumbar 4-5 transverse process fractures, and lower left leg crush injury…

Beyond this, beyond words, God answered Tim's prayer and helped him back onto the tractor.

God granted Tim the presence of mind to drive the tractor to the road, and God provided help immediately.   

And so on and so on and so on. God kept providing, and He keeps providing. He keeps His promises! 

We have been asked this question, face to face, a handful of times since the accident:

"Is your husband being a little more careful around the PTO these days?"

Answer: Tim always has been, and always will be careful around the PTO. Accidents happen. And through this accident, how can we not glorify God for who He is? By God's grace alone, we choose to focus on and cling to God's Amazing Grace that He provides every. single. day. We cannot do this alone. We cling to God's promises! 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:37-39

"Same Power" Jeremy Camp

I can see waters raging at my feet 
I can feel the breath of those surrounding me 
I can hear the sound of nations rising up 
We will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome 
I can walk down this dark & painful road 
I can face every fear of the unknown 
I can hear all God's children singing out 
We will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome!


The same power that rose Jesus from the grave 
The same power that commands the dead to wake 
Lives in us, lives in us 
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks 
The same power that can calm a raging sea 
Lives in us, lives in us, He lives in us, lives in us!

We have hope, that His promises are true 
In His strength, there is nothing we can't do 
Yes, we know, there are greater things in store 
We will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome!

Greater is He that is living in me 
He's conquered our enemy 
No power of darkness 
No weapon prevails, we stand here in victory.


Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Stay strong in the Word. Stay strong in Prayer.

I Tim. 6:12: Fight the good fight of the faith.

May God Continue to Bless & Keep You!  

With Love,

Tim (41) and Teresa (39)
Caleb (13), Joel (12), Lilly (10) & Luke (8)