Jason was in the hospital holding his newborn son, Noah. As he held his son, his miracle child, he reflected on the events of the past two years. Two years earlier, he had never dreamed he would ever experience this moment. But yet, here he was. Although the experience of holding his newborn child was incredible, so was the journey he had taken to get there.
Two years earlier...
"Look at me, are you ready to play this game?" said Jason, calling out to his teammates in the huddle. Jason Street, the star senior quarterback for Dillon High School, was preparing for a crucial play in the season opener. "We've got strong right 89 gun 453 heat on one, on one. Ready?"
"Break!" called the Panthers.
Jason got the snap, but the ball was a wobbler. Jason thought, This is bad. Sure enough, the pass was intercepted. As the other player ran down the sideline, Jason was running after him, ticked after throwing an interception. He knew that if the guy scored, the game would basically be over Before he knew it, he was the last line of defense. As Jason ran toward the defender, he thought, You need to tackle him. If you don't, he'll score and the game will be all but over. It's on you. So Jason put his head down and tried to put the hit on the other team's player.
The next thing he knew, he was motionless on the ground as his parents stood over him; his mother screaming and his father crying. Soon the paramedics were standing over Jason, and one asked, "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," said Jason, still confused as to what was going on. It wasn't until the paramedic told him to move his feet and Jason tried to do so, but couldn't, that he realized what was going on. He realized that he couldn't move at all. Jason thought, I can't move. I can't move. I'm done. It's over. I'm going to be paralyzed.
Soon the medics had Jason placed on a stretcher and put in the ambulance to take him to the hospital. His parents and girlfriend Lyla followed.
Jason was rushed for emergency surgery and woke up in the ICU. When he woke up, he realized all over again that he couldn't move. Still confused, he asked his parents, "What happened?"
"Jason, you were injured during the game," said his father. "It was pretty bad."
"How bad?" asked Jason.
"Real bad. Really, really bad," said his mother. "When you made that tackle and landed like that, I thought-"
She didn't need to say anymore. Jason knew what she was trying to say.
The next few days were absolute agony for him. The community rallied around him and Lyla remained optimistic every time she came to the hospital for a visit. A specialist would be coming in to assess the prognosis for Jason. Although Jason tried to put on a hopeful front, he didn't tell Lyla or his parents or anyone that deep down, he already knew. He knew the prognosis in those first few minutes on the field when he first realized that he couldn't move at all.
When the specialist delivered the news- permanent paralysis of his legs- Jason showed no emotion whatsoever. He knew that was what they would tell him from the beginning.
Over the next few days, Lyla continued to remain optimistic, and it really bothered Jason. One night, he finally told her off, saying, "Stop it! My legs are not going to get better! Ever!" Lyla left in tears, and Jason felt bad about yelling at her like that, but what else could he have done? He thought, Does she not realize how much in denial she is? What will it take for her to get it-that my life as we knew it is over?
When he discovered Lyla's affair with his best friend, Tim Riggins, this just devastated Jason further. It felt like kicking a man when he was already down. He would later forgive both Tim and Lyla, but his relationship with Lyla was never the same. They finally broke up for good, and Jason wondered if he would ever be truly happy again.
About a year after his injury, Jason took off for Mexico. Tim and Lyla immediately snapped some sense into him, and Jason realized what he was doing. The Mexico trip really got him thinking, and it was really what it took for Jason to come to terms with his injury.
A night with Erin, a waitress who saved Jason from a bad date, would change his life forever. A few weeks later, Erin delivered shocking news to Jason. It was news he never expected, news that would change his life forever, and news that would ultimately make him feel whole again.
"Jason, I'm pregnant."
Jason was absolutely stunned. He never expected that in a million years. All he could say was, "That's impossible."
For the next few days, Jason was in complete shock. As he tried to process it, he still couldn't believe this. Jason wanted to be a father- very much so- but after his injury, he thought that it wouldn't be possible for him. The more he thought about it-that he was actually going to be a dad- the less shocked and the more happy he became. After the initial shock wore off, Jason was very happy, and he knew he would need to tell his parents.
He told them that day. Jason came over for dinner and said, "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."
"What's up?" they asked, obviously knowing something was up.
"Nothing," said Jason, wanting to wait until dinner, when they would be sitting, to tell them.
"Are you sure?" asked his father.
"Yes," said Jason.
"Jason, you're a really bad liar," said his mother. "Something is up. I can tell by the way you're acting."
"Okay, you win," said Jason. "Something is up. But I want to wait until dinner to tell you."
"Well, dinner is just about ready," said his father. "As soon as the spices are put on the steaks, we can eat."
Soon, the three of them were sitting at the table. Jason's parents wasted no time asking him what is was he wanted to tell them.
"Well," said Jason, "I have something to tell you. You're probably not going to believe it. I couldn't believe it at first, either, but it's actually happening, and-"
His mother cut him off and said, "Jason, stop stalling. Just get to the point."
"Okay," said Jason. "You're not going to believe this, but- I'm going to be a father!"
His parents were just stunned silent for a minute, and then his father said, "Look us in the eye and say that again."
"All right," said Jason. "I'm going to be a father. How's that?"
"You're going to be a father?" asked his mother, obviously stunned. "You're serious?"
"Yes," said Jason. "How about that?"
"How did that happen?" they asked.
Jason considered joking about that question, but he didn't think that would be a good idea. He just said, "I don't know."
"I mean-I just thought- after your injury-"
"Believe me, so did I," said Jason. After telling them the whole story about Erin, he then said, "I can't believe I'm going to be a dad."
"We can't either," said his father. "You've had time for it to sink in a little bit, though. We haven't."
"I know," said Jason. "Now that it has sunk in a little bit, I'm just- I'm so happy."
Jason still was wondering just how his parents were taking the news. Luckily, they soon answered that.
"So are we," said his mother. "And we're also proud of you. A lot of boys your age would really be struggling with this, but you're not. I know that this is going to be one lucky baby."
"Yes, it is," added his father.
A few weeks after Jason told his parents, he went with Erin to the first doctor appointment, where the doctor listened to the baby's heartbeat and did an ultrasound. Hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby in constant motion on the ultrasound made it that much more real to them.
It became even more real once the baby started moving enough to be felt. And one day in the summer, Erin called Jason to say that she was in labor. Jason rushed to the hospital and called his parents to tell them the baby was coming.
The labor was relatively smooth, and the baby came pretty quickly. As the baby was born, the doctor said, "You have a baby boy! Congratulations!''
"It's a boy!" said Jason. As he saw his new son, it finally fully sunk in. Once he actually saw the baby, it became truly real. It hit Jason at that moment and the emotions all came out at once. Jason kept saying, "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I'm a father! I'm a father!" He knew that he was a father and nothing would ever change that.
When Jason's parents came over to the hospital, Jason said, "Mom, Dad, this is your grandson, Noah."
As his parents held Noah, instantly loving him, Jason said, "You know what?"
"What?" asked his mother.
"It feels like the past two years have all been a bad dream and I finally woke up today," said Jason, taking his son back.
After his parents left, Jason said, "Noah, I don't know if you will ever fully realize what you did for me. You came as the shock of my life and the greatest blessing at the same time. Although my body will never heal, my soul has. That's what you did, Noah. You restored my soul. Your daddy loves you more than you will ever realize.''
As Noah gripped Jason's finger as best he could, Jason knew that he would be happy again. He knew, looking at his son, that he was right where he was supposed to be. His injury seemed a distant memory as he held the living proof that miracles happen and unexpected good can come even from something so horrible.