MACOMB – “A big, strong family with a big strong faith.”
Those were the words of Owen Post when he, along with his parents, Jon and Carol, and brother, Aiden, traveled to Macomb from their Peoria home Saturday, June 27 to thank the first responders who saved their lives outside of Macomb on a foggy December evening.
On Dec. 14, 2024, Jon, 43, and his sons, Owen, 21, and Aiden, 18, were on their way to a youth Christmas party at Calvary Church in Carthage, (Jon, was raised in Carthage and served as pastor) when their Chrysler Pacifica mini-van was struck head-on by a semi-truck on Rt. 336 at County Road, 1500 North. For unknown reasons, the semi, driven by Joshua Larson, 46, of South Carolina, crashed into the family’s van, seriously injuring Aiden and John. Owen, who was driving, was relatively uninjured and was able to get out of the car to flag down a passing vehicle for help. While he was treated and released from the hospital, Jon was in ICU for two weeks, while Aiden remained in intensive care for a little over four weeks, followed by a fairly lengthy stint at a rehab center. In February, approximately seven-and-a-half weeks after the crash, Aiden was finally able to come home. Jon, who also required rehabilitative care, was able to go back to the family’s North Peoria home six weeks after the accident. However, as a result, he and Carol, who was also raised in Carthage, resigned from their ministerial positions in Carthage so they could focus on Aiden’s recovery.
The family met with members of Lifeguard, along with McDonough District Hospital emergency room medical staff, to express their appreciation for the care they received at the accident site on that fateful evening Dec. 14.
“It was touch-and-go. Aiden’s heart stopped five times in the ER before he was transferred to Peoria,” said Carol. “We were about 30 minutes from Macomb when we got the second call from the ER telling us that Aiden’s heart had stopped again and they weren’t sure if they would be able to get him back. When we hung up, our prayer was that we wouldn’t get another call, but that the next news we got would be when we arrived at the hospital and that his heart would be beating. That is exactly what happened, when we got to the ER, Aiden’s heart was beating on its own.”
After stabilizing Jon and Aiden, they were transported by ambulance to OSF Hospital in Peoria. Because of the weather that evening, Air Evac 144 Life Team was unable to make the trip via helicopter. While they were transported to a major trauma hospital, neither man was out of the woods, especially Aiden. The night of the wreck, Aiden had major bleeding on the brain, which led surgeons to remove a portion of his skull to save his life. A life-threatening blood clot showed up a few days after he was in the ICU, and because it was in the central vein in his brain it couldn’t be treated with blood thinners due to the brain bleeds. Once again, the family relied on their faith.
“We prayed that the Lord will dissolve the blood clot and a few days later, it was just gone! No blood thinners needed,” Carol shared. “The doctors and nurses had never seen something like this happen. And it happened again when Aiden needed a shunt. This was something we didn’t want to happen, so again, we prayed and put our faith in God. Surgery to put in the shunt had been scheduled and the next day, he was weaned off the drain and there was no need for a shunt.”
Aiden recently underwent cranioplasty surgery (skull implant) to repair the injuries he sustained in the accident. He continues to undergo rehabilitation and is preparing to go to Illinois Central College this fall, with plans to transfer to Called College in Carlinville, IL to continue his education to become a minister. The recent Richwoods High School graduate was active in music and cross country in school, and he found out after the accident that he had won first chair jazz all-state from the Illinois Music Education Association. He returned to school after returning home from the accident, surrounded by friends and family who supported him along the way. His recovery has been slow and steady, with remarkable comebacks, along with some occasional setbacks, Carol noted.
“My recovery has been pretty good. Before, I could only close my left hand, but now I can start to open and close it,” the recent Richwoods High School graduate explained. “I’m doing daily activities to strengthen my hand.”
His mother also added that the support their family, especially Aiden, has received is truly a testament to Aiden’s character.
“He’s such an amazing and loving kid, and to see everyone who came together to celebrate and support him helped him, helped all of us, heal,” she said. “All through this, going back to school, he was still learning to walk with a cane due to his vision impairment caused by the accident.”
After listening to Carol and Aiden share their thoughts, Jon said it was his faith that led him through some of the darkest points of this journey.
“There were so many people pulling for us and praying for us, and our faith was so strong,” he tearfully added. “I didn’t look at pictures of the wreck until much later, and to see our van, there’s no other way to describe our survival other than a miracle. And it has been a miracle for Aiden to overcome his traumatic brain injury.”
Lifeguard Paramedic Emma Thurman-Keup and EMT Rick Jones were the first EMS unit on the scene, with Parademic Michael Phelps and EMT Nate Cichon arriving immediately following. Phelps spoke frankly during Saturday’s meeting with the Posts, stating he was shocked to find survivors when they arrived on the scene. Paramedic Eric McCleery and Phelps also shared they were equally shocked that Aiden and Jon made it through those first few weeks.
“I’ll never forget hearing the chanting and praying in the ER and seeing their vitals improve,” Phelps said. “Their faith was, and is, so strong. It was something to witness.”
Owen revealed that at first, he had a lot of “driver’s guilt” after he walked away relatively unscathed when his little brother and father were so critically injured.
“But the more I looked, the more I saw our faith was guiding us. There was a plan and there was a hand over us,” he pointed out. “I believe 100 percent I was left unscathed so I could get help. Otherwise, I think all of us would have passed.”
McCleery got Julie Humes, the flight nurse on the phone as she was unable to be at the station in person that day, so the Posts could thank one of the nurses who accompanied them by ambulance to Peoria that night.
“It is truly a miracle you’re here with us today. Carol, you were amazing through all of this, you told us that God was with us every step of the day. You were so calm and had so much faith,” Humes recalled. “I’ve been following Aiden’s story and progress, and everything that has happened is truly a testament to your family’s faith.”
Jon told Humes and others gathered at Lifeguard’s East Pierce Street base that he and his family are incredibly grateful for the medical team who did all they could to ensure they received the best care, both on the scene and at the county hospital.
“I’m so incredibly thankful for this team for stepping up and doing this difficult job,” Jon said. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to do this job and not fall apart when you see what’s in front of you.
Carol, as well as Aiden and Owen, echoed her husband’s and father’s praise of the team, and of all who have supported them during and after the accident.
“We were going to battle through this, failure was never an option,” she concluded. “Faith in our God and our family is part of our DNA. We know that moments like this in life aren’t regular occurrences, but when they do happen, we are prepared because of our faith.”
