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Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the

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Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and

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Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the

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Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope

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Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day.

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Speaker 2: In Their Deepest Grief, A family looks to God for

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Speaker 2: a hope after losing their son Written by Heather Riggleman,

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Speaker 2: read by Jully Provost and Their Deepest Grief. A family

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Speaker 2: looks to God for hope after losing their six year

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Speaker 2: old son, Abo Torres Aquino. His mom Karina said he

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Speaker 2: was a firm believer in Christ, a little boy with

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Speaker 2: the purest heart, and someone who made friends effortlessly. His smile, kindness,

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Speaker 2: and loving spirit touched everyone who knew him. There are

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Speaker 2: stories that stop you where you stand, stories that pull

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Speaker 2: you right into the ache of another family's world, and

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Speaker 2: this week it was a family in Lawrenceville, Georgia, whose

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Speaker 2: world was shattered in an instant the loss of their

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Speaker 2: six year old son Abel. On Saturday night, the family

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Speaker 2: had just come home from a birthday party. Abel asked

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Speaker 2: if he could take his bike for a quick ride.

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Speaker 2: His father, Juan said he hesitated at first it was

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Speaker 2: late and the street was dark, but he eventually agreed

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Speaker 2: to let Abel take a short lap around the neighborhood.

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Speaker 2: Moments later, everything changed. Before a book across the street,

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Speaker 2: a fast moving car struck him. Carina said the car

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Speaker 2: was going very fast and it was dark. Abel died

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Speaker 2: shortly after the accident. He was youngest of five children,

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Speaker 2: deeply lived by his sisters Arianna, Brianna, Gracie and Sahari.

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Speaker 2: He was one's only son. My world stopped, his dad

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Speaker 2: won a minute through heartache. I fell the emptiness because

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Speaker 2: my child is no more here. He described Abel as

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Speaker 2: my partner and my mini me, and yet and a

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Speaker 2: grief no parent should ever have to carry. The Torres

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Speaker 2: family is choosing faith over bitterness, hope or of despair,

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Speaker 2: and forgiveness over anger.

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Speaker 3: Carina says, God gives and he takes. There is a

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Speaker 3: purpose for everything he does, and we don't question. She added.

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Speaker 2: The spiritual side of us is at peace because we

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Speaker 2: know he's in a good place. We know he's in

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Speaker 2: the presence of our creator. But the human, the flesh

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Speaker 2: in us, misses him dearly. Despite their unimaginable loss, the

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Speaker 2: family has chosen to forgive the driver. We believe him

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Speaker 2: forgiveness and in mercy, which is what Jesus would have done,

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Speaker 2: and Karna said. They also expressed deep gratitude for their

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Speaker 2: community's love. We are very, very grateful for now the

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Speaker 2: family clings the only hope strong enough to hold them,

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Speaker 2: the promise that Able is safe in the arms of

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Speaker 2: Jesus and that someday they will hold him again. Maybe

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Speaker 2: all pause to pray for one Karina and their daughters,

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Speaker 2: for comfort, for mercy, for God's nearness, and the empty

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Speaker 2: spaces where Abele's laughter once filled their home Psalm thirty

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Speaker 2: four eighteen. The Lord is close to the broken hearted

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Speaker 2: and saves those who are Christian spirit. They said he

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Speaker 2: might not survive, but God had other plans. Teen burm

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Speaker 2: victim is finally going Home, written by Heather Brickle and

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Speaker 2: read by Jully Provost. They said he might not survive,

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Speaker 2: but God had other plans. This teen burn victim is

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Speaker 2: finally going home. When doctor said he had zero percent

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Speaker 2: chance of survival, fifteen year old Riley showmaker proved that

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Speaker 2: God still writes stories no human doctor can predict. After

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Speaker 2: a year and a half fighting through catastrophic burns, multiple

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Speaker 2: organ failures and infections and surgeries beyond counting. Riley walked

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Speaker 2: out of Riley Hospital for Children alive, smiling, and headed

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Speaker 2: home at last. It all began on Mother's Day twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty four, when a simple backyard moment turned into a nightmare.

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Speaker 2: A group of kids have been playing around a fire

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Speaker 2: pit when gasoline was poured onto the flames. Riley's father,

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Speaker 2: Jared recalls the moment that changed everything. The flame came up,

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Speaker 2: got inside the can, and it shot a flaming geyser

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Speaker 2: of a liquid all over Riley. What followed was every

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Speaker 2: parent's worst nightmare. Riley was airlifted to one hospital, then another,

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Speaker 2: and eventually transferred to C. S. Mott Children's Hospital in

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Speaker 2: ann Arbor. His burns were so severe that most of

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Speaker 2: his skin was gone, as toposing muscle, his lungs, kidneys,

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Speaker 2: and liver began to fail. Or told Jared his son

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Speaker 2: wouldn't survive. They did not think he was going to

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Speaker 2: make it. They gave him a zero percent chance, he said,

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Speaker 2: Yet Jared refused to give up. In a moment that

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Speaker 2: only God could orchestrate, Riley brilyifly woke from sedation when

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Speaker 2: his father leaned over him and encouraged. I said, son,

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Speaker 2: do you want to keep going? And he nodded yes

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Speaker 2: and raised his hand up to me. That tiny movement

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Speaker 2: became the spark of a miracle. Over the next fifteen months,

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Speaker 2: Riley injured countless surgeries using cadaver skin, clone skin, and

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Speaker 2: even fish skin. He battled multiple infections, including four m

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Speaker 2: RSA infections, and even flat lined once. Eventully, doctors said

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Speaker 2: there was nothing more they could do, but God wasn't finished.

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Speaker 2: In August twenty twenty five, Riley was airlifted the third time,

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Speaker 2: this time to Riley Hospital for Children in Adanapolis. Everything changed.

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Speaker 2: They brought him here and they have been able to

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Speaker 2: work miracles, Jared said. Nurse Maggie Hay, who walked closely

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Speaker 2: with Riley through his final months of healing, shared when

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Speaker 2: he got to us, he couldn't sit up more than

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Speaker 2: ten degrees in bed, and now you can see him

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Speaker 2: walking down the hall, riding his bike, doing his cares

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Speaker 2: for himself. Riley's courage inspired them to high staff. He's

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Speaker 2: been an encouragement for me each day. Ultimately, it's been

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Speaker 2: his motivation and his grit that's gotten us all through this.

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Speaker 3: Maggie said, and.

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Speaker 2: Now, after surviving what doctor said he couldn't, Riley's finally

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Speaker 2: going home. He didn't want to speak on camera, but

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Speaker 2: Jared shared his son's excitement. He's excited, joyous, happy, and

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Speaker 2: he can't wait to go home. The story is a

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Speaker 2: reminder that even when every voice says impossible, God's whisper

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Speaker 2: is still strong. Riley's survival is nothing short of a miracle.

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Speaker 2: Wants dish together by faith, grit, prayer, medical skill, and

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Speaker 2: the relentless love of.

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Speaker 3: A father who refused to let go.

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Speaker 2: Look one thirty seven for with God, nothing shall be impossible.

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Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast.

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Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story.

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Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced

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Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes.

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Speaker 1: And if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to

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Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. We'd

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Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us.

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Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.