Chuck Hale Says Daughter's Recovery is 'A Miracle'

It’s hard to say what defines a "miracle." If you ask Chuck Hale, his daughter's recovery from a severe head injury is a good start.

“Doctors don’t have an answer for it,” said Hale. “They can’t put words to it. Everything they thought about her, she blew out of the box. What we’ve witnessed is the healing hand of God.”

Hale is talking about his daughter, Taylor, a spunky 14-year-old freshman at Prairieview School in Waukee. She suffered a severe head injury after on Sept. 9. Until last weekend, she was in a coma at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. Her prognosis wasn’t good.

“Years ago, I had come to accept that if God was going to take one of my children before He took me, I would be OK with that,” Hale said. “Not that it wouldn’t be hard or that I wouldn’t struggle with God’s will, but here we were having those conversations for real. I was a wreck.”

But on Sunday, just nine days after the accident, Taylor opened her eyes. Monday, she was moving her arms and legs. By Tuesday, her ventilation tube was gone and she was breathing on her own. When asked what her name was, she responded simply, “Taylor.”

“I can’t describe to you the feeling and what we’ve seen,” said Hale. “Yesterday, she did physical therapy. She names off colors and says people’s names and recognizes faces. It’s unbelievable. I think she wanted one more Sunday of people praying for her recovery and she gave them what they asked for.”

Pastor Brandon Barker with Westwind Church in Waukee said news of Taylor’s accident and condition hit his congregation hard. The Hales were members of the church, and Taylor, in particular, volunteered often with the middle school ministry.

“We were really mourning with them at the time of the accident,” said Barker. “We’ve grown to love Taylor and gotten to know the family well. To have all these connections and all her friends here – it was just crazy sad.”

Barker added that the prayers from the Westwind congregation haven’t stopped coming. He said Taylor’s recovery is a lesson in God's graciousness.

“We’ve all been praying for strength for the family to endure this,” he said. “Her recovery has been absolutely miraculous. It’s God’s intervention. It’s been cool to watch even the doctors shake their heads. Even they’re baffled.”

At this point, even Taylor’s doctors can’t predict how the next few days, even weeks, will play out. According to Hale, it will be Taylor and her own will that helps the process along.

“From here out, it’s all on Taylor,” he said. “It’s whatever she can handle. She’ll continue to do physical, occupational and speech therapy and we’ll just take it day-by-day.”

for the Hale family. Hale said he has been “blown away” by the show of support from the school district, friends and the Waukee community.

Tonight at the Waukee High School homecoming football game, volunteers will sell bracelets for $5 each. All the proceeds will go to the Hale family to pay for Taylor’s medical expenses.