Karri and Denny Allen with Healing Hope Ministries are bringing the walk to remember to Winner. It will be held on Sunday, July 18 at 1:30 pm at the city park. There will be cookies and drinks donated by local businesses. There will be various door prizes also donated by local businesses. There will be signs remembering children that have passed along the walking path at the park.
Katie Hurley lost her son, Brooks, in an accidental shooting.
Brooks Dean Hurley was a wild, bright and ornery three and a half year old boy. He loved everything about life; animals, movies, anything that went “vroom”, the rain, “Garth Me” songs, lightning bugs, “nuggles” with Mom or Dad, he loved it all. He lit up a room with his contagious smile and deep blue eyes.
This is Katie’s story about what happened three years ago that changed her life forever.
On Feb. 16 2018 at 6:37 pm my world stopped spinning. I was on my way to pick up my kids after work and I received a phone call from my now ex boyfriend whom had been watching my kids while I was at work. He was screaming that Brooks had been shot. I just remember dropping my phone, my ears were ringing and the only thing I could think about was my sweet little boy and how I could not hear him crying on the other end of the phone. Surely he should be crying, if he was hurt he would cry. There was no crying.
Brook’s death was caused by an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. He found a handgun that was loaded in a nightstand drawer that Katie did not know was there.
I raced to the house, and ran inside to find my little boy laying lifeless on the floor. My daughter, who was ten years old at the time, was there. She had called 911 while CPR was performed. When I arrived I took over CPR. Somehow the directions to where we were confuseding and the ambulance had taken the wrong turn. So my daughter, being so brave, ran down the driveway to the road to flag them down. Everything was happening so fast and at the same time so slow. I know now in situations like this that adrenaline takes over your body. I have been CPR certified for many years but never in my life did I imagine I would have to use those skills to try to save my own child’s life.
When the ambulance arrived they scooped my sweet boy up off the floor, ran him to the ambulance and headed to the hospital. My daughter and I followed behind the ambulance. She called family and close friends on the way to have them meet us at the hospital. I had never prayed so hard in my life.
When we arrived at the hospital we were met there by familiar faces. The pastor who married Brooks’s father and I being one of them. He took me in a room and prayed with me. I had never felt so close yet so abandoned by my faith. I did not understand how or why this could be happening. This was the kind of thing that only happens in movies.
After a short time I was allowed into the room where the nurses and doctors were working frantically to save my sons life. I stood at the foot of the bed and prayed and pleaded with God to please save my little boy. I knew that the more time that went by the odds of my little boy coming home with me were diminishing.
I was told I was needed in the lobby as more family were arriving. They said that they had a flight crew coming to fly Brooks to the Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. I held onto that hope. It sounded so promising. After sitting in the waiting room for a few short minutes a man whose name I can’t remember but will forever remember his face, came out and knelt down in front of me, took my hands in his hands and said the hardest words I’ve ever had to hear. ” I’m so sorry, we did everything we could…but your son did not make it.”
It has been three years now since we lost Brooks. It has been a daily struggle to keep moving forward and I couldn’t have kept my head above water if it weren’t for my family and friends but mostly my faith. I am a very private person when it comes to my faith, losing Brooks really tested my relationship with God. It is so hard to understand the “why?”
Two years ago I was pointed in the direction of Healing Hope Ministries by my boyfriend, Ted Kahler’s mom, Julie Kahler. I found them on Facebook and saw they were having a walk to remember children who had passed away. So I decided to reach out to Karri and we attended the walk in Valentine, NE last year. It was wonderful and made me feel supported and reminded me that I am not alone on this journey. It has helped me in finding my faith again and knowing that Brooks is okay and that we will see him again some day.
I wanted to help bring this event to Winner as I know there has been so much loss in our local communities. I hope that this brings parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins and anyone else who has been affected by the loss of a child together to support each other in our journeys. Every child deserves to be remembered and every child’s story deserves to be heard.
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