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ESPRITPage27ByKeithHaganUnitCommanderWashingtonCountyPAOnOctober312012YoungMarineLCplKeatonMeerdoage14andhissisterBricelynage18saidgoodbyetotheirpar-entsandgotintotheircartogotoschoolastheyalwaysdo.Thisdaywaspar-ticularlyexcitingforKeatonwhowasproudlywearinghisYoungMarinesuni-formforaschoolproject.AfewminuteslaterthephonerangattheMeerdoresi-dence.Itwasanun-knownfemalewhowascallingonbehalfofBricelynwhowasjustinvolvedinanaccident.TheMeerdosarrivedonsceneevenbeforeanyemergencyequipmentarrived.ThevehiclecarryingKeatonandBricelynwasinvolvedinahead-oncollisionwithanSUV.ThedriveroftheothervehiclewasnotinjuredbuttheMeerdochildrenwerenotsolucky.ThecarthatKeatonandBricelynwereinwasanoldermodelnotequippedwithairbags.AsCrystaltheirmotherarrivedonsceneshefoundbothofherchildrentrappedinthewreckage.Crystalwhoisalsoanurserushedintoactionandutilizedherskillstotriageherchildrenandattempttocalmthem.Bothwereconsciousbutseriouslyinjured.Ittooknearlyanhourforrstrespond-erstofreethechildrenfromthewreckageandloadthemaboardwaitingmedevachelicopters.WhileinighttoChildrensHospitalinPittsburghBricelynwasstabi-lized.Herinjuriesincludedmultiplefrac-turesincludingaseverecompoundfrac-tureaswellasinternalinjuries.Keatonlostcon-sciousnessshortlybe-foretakingightandhadsevereinjuriestohisextremitiesandin-ternalorgans.WiththeirchildrennowintransitparentsCrystalandBobMeerdonowhadtotaketheagonizingonehourdriveintoPitts-burghunawareofthefateoftheirchildren.AstheyarrivedinPittsburghtheyweremetwithmixeddiagnosesBricelynwouldsurvivebutwouldrequiremultiplesur-geriesandrehab.ConcerningKeatontheyweretoldtopreparefortheworst.BobMeerdorefusedtoacceptthatknow-ingthatKeatonisaghterwhowouldntacceptanythingshortofacompleterecov-ery.Heknowshisson.Thedoctorsdidnt.TwoweeksaftertheaccidentwhileBricelynwasrecover-ingKeatonwasstillunconscious.Bythistimeallofhisinjurieshadbeentreatedexceptforonehisbrokenneck.Theextentofdam-agetohisspinalcordhowevercouldnotbedetermineduntilandifhere-gainedconsciousness.Thenthesmall-estyetbiggestmiracletookplace.Keatonopenedhiseyes.Whileheonlydidthisafewtimesoverthenextfewdaysitwascauseforhope.Inthedaysthatfol-lowedKeatonopenedhiseyesmoreoften.Hebegancommuni-catingbyblinking.Aquickblinkmeantyesandholdinghiseyelidsclosedmeantno.Hecouldseehecouldhearandhecouldcommunicate.Hewasintherejustwaitingtobustout.Buthestillwasun-abletomoveanythingotherthanhiseye-lids.WithhissisterBricelynnowinanurs-inghomeKeatontofacedhismostserioussurgery.Theplanwastofusehisbrokencervicalvertebraeanddeterminetheex-tentofdamagetohisspinalcord.Aftera14-hoursurgerysurgeonsinformedCrys-talandBobthatKeatonsspinalcordwasnotsev-ered.Itwassuspectedthathisspinalcordwasjuststretchednotbrokenanexceptionallyraresituation.ThedoctorsbelievedthatKeatonsparalysiswasduetothesevereswellingaroundhisspinalcord.Howevertheywerenotsureiftheparalysiswoulddisappearastheswellingeased.ButthistoughYoungMarinewasnotdoneghtingyetThingsbeganimprovingdailywithmorehopeateveryturn.Awiggleofatoeaslightsqueezeofhisdadsngerresponsetostimuliateveryextremity.Buthestillcouldnttalkthoughhedesperatelyhadalottosay.SohisparentsbegansayingthealphabetandKeatonwouldspelloutsen-tencesbyblinkinghiseyeswhentheyhitaparticularletter.AftermonthsinanICUbedKeatoncon-tinuestoimprove.Unfortunatelythistragedyhashaddev-astatingeffectsontheMeerdofamilyinmanyways.BothCrystalandBobhadtotakeleavesfromworkinordertocarefortheirchildren.TheWashingtonCountyYoungMarineshavebeendoingallwecanforthefamilyasbothBobandCrystalhavebeenavitalpartofourunitformanyyears.WehavecollectedfundsdoortodoorinordertohelptheMeerdofamilyasmuchaswecan.Howeverwerealizethatourcontributionswillonlymakeasmalldentinthemountingmedicalexpenseswhicharesuretobeinthemillionsofdollars.AnUpdateasof32814BricelynMeerdowasreleasedfromthehospitaltooutpatientrehabbutthisweekwhensheexperiencedseverepainitwasContinuedonpage28YoungMarineCriticallyInjuredinHorricAccidentYoungMarineLCplKeatonMeerdoandinsethissisterBricelyn.TheirdaughterBricelynwouldsurvive...ConcerningKeatontheyweretoldtopreparefortheworst.