Posted on 05/20/2014 10:57:43 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Micah Brown
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Monday was the day that changed David and Ryann Brown's lives forever.
Micah Andrew Brown, a 5-year-old boy who loved riding in fire trucks, the color blue and wearing his rain boots no matter the occasion, succumbed to injuries he sustained when his mother's SUV collided with an 18-wheeler and flipped on Old Highway 431 in front of Hampton Cove Elementary.
Ryann and her youngest daughter, Noelle, 3, suffered minor wounds during the wreck, but 9-year-old daughter Sarah and 8-year-old Rebekah remain hospitalized with serious injuries at facilities in Huntsville and Birmingham.
Hundreds of mourners came out to Whitesburg Baptist Church this afternoon for Micah's funeral. Ryann, wearing a blue, sleeveless dress and rain boots in memory of her late son, shared one of her final moments with Micah after he "went home to be with Jesus."
"Inside there in the hospital, I held his body and it was cold," she said, her voice cracking. "I wanted to keep him warm. I just felt like for a moment that if I could just breathe into his mouth, I could breathe life back into him. I cried out to God, 'God, just bring him back.' "
When Ryann woke up the next morning, the nightmare she desperately hoped wasn't real was her reality. The little boy who took such pleasure in coloring "masterpieces" for his family and friends was gone forever.
A short time later, one of Rebekah's teachers approached Ryann at the hospital and asked what the grieving mother needed. Ryann wanted to say, "I want Micah back. I want my girls to be well. I want to wake up and have this not be real."
But she knew those were things she could not have.
"The only thing I could get out of my mouth was hope," she said. And the two women cried together and begged God to give the family courage and optimism during a time of absolute darkness.
The next day, Ryann was at Children's of Birmingham tending to Sarah and met with the hospital's chaplain to pray. As he was getting up to leave, he asked Ryann if he had given her a prayer stone yet.
She said no, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stone. He told her, "I thought this said 'peace,' but I think you'll like this anyway."
"He handed me the stone and in gold letters it said HOPE," she said. "And that was the one thing I said I needed the most. In that moment, I felt God breathe life back into me, and I knew that God had spared me so that I could be strong for the girls, for my little kids at home, for my husband."
Ryann and four of her six children were driving from Providence Classical School on Clinton Avenue to Hampton Cove Elementary, where 5-year-old Asher and 4-year-old Lilah are enrolled, when the accident occurred. Ryann and her husband, David, adopted Lilah and Asher last year from the Dominican Republic.
The Browns are all members of Rivertree Church, which is active in supporting the adoption of children with special needs and from less-developed countries. David works as a project manager for Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, while Ryann is a stay-at-home mom.
This afternoon, Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus President James Wessel stood on the main stage overlooking Micah's casket, which was baby blue and draped with a firefighter's coat and helmet.
Choking back tears, Wessel compared the Brown family to a fire department. David and Ryann, both captains, ran a well-oiled operation. All of their children - their firefighters - were prepared to "go into the darkest places .. the scariest places" to bring truth, hope and light to those who needed rescuing.
"Micah was a good fireman in every sense of the word," he said. "He was prepared and well-trained. He knew Jesus, he knew the Bible, he knew Jesus loved him and that Micah loved Jesus. That made him prepared for anything - and all six of the Brown kids are that way."
Rachel Brown, who was Micah's preschool worship teacher at Rivertree Church, remembered Micah as a "lover" who knew even at the age of 2 that "Jesus was his best friend."
A crowdfunding campaign set up earlier in the week has already raised more than $82,000 for the Brown family. To learn more about the family, visit their website, Because of His Great Love.
Micah is survived by his parents; sisters, Sarah, Rebekah, Noelle and Lilah; brother Asher; and grandparents John and Trish Brown, Brad and Sue Schwoebel and Daryl Forester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lifeline Children's Services, 2104 Rocky Ridge Road, Birmingham, Ala.
"My prayer for all of you that are hearing this message today, that are seeing Micah's life, is that his life would also bring you hope, that you know you have a God who hears your cries," Ryann told a congregation of family and friends today. "And that you will have faith in the one that makes this hope possible."
A young man taken away too soon. Very sad story. He knew Jesus as his friend and that’s the best part. He is now with God.
Young man died having gathered more wisdom and having packed more life and love in 5 years than many 10 times old have managed.
Yes.
I have three young kids and can’t even imagine dealing with this even though I know they’re saved. It would be so much worse dealing with tragedies like this with unsaved people. All the more reason to get the message to people, starting with our families.
May God show his grace and mercy to this family in this time of great need. I pray that they will see his love poured out.
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