Pam Maartense, with Grace, Caleb, Micah, and Abigail
Michael Maartense was in a serious car accident on January 24, as a result of hitting black ice. Michael is a 41 year old member of our church, husband of Pam, and father of Grace, Caleb, Micah, and Abigail (ages 5–12). He suffered traumatic brain injury and was airlifted to the hospital.
Surgery was done right away to treat multiple skull fractures. They removed part of his skull to allow the brain room to swell. They removed the hematoma that was present as a result of the accident, as well as some brain tissue from the right side of his brain which controls speech. There was no damage to his spine or the rest of his body.
He has been in a coma since that time. He was on a ventilator but now breathes on his own. He has a trach and a feeding tube. He seems to have no purposeful movement, though he may have a bit earlier.
Yesterday the surgeon painted a rather grim picture of Michael’s future from an earthly perspective. From an eternal perspective, we believe that Michael’s future is secure and glorious. He has been taught to love God and has served in our church as a faithful deacon. He also was serving as a Group Leader at Holland/Zeeland BSF. See carepages.com (you will need to create a free account for yourself) for updates on Michael and for specific ways to pray for him and his dear wife, children, parents, and siblings.
