Jaque Hall returns to the court for Haworth!

As appeared in the Mccurtain Sunday Gazette
By Brad Reesing
HAWORTH – The last points scored in basketball games generally receive most of the attention.
But it was the first bucket sank in Friday’s tilt between Haworth and Battiest that will be remembered.
Jaque Hall, who suffered a spinal cord injury in January 2008, made her first appearance on the court Friday. Hall, who uses a wheelchair, was announced as a starter.
She was pushed down the court by fellow senior Ashley Wilson and scored the first bucket of the game, after missing a couple of shots.
Haworth coach Amanda Reynolds and Battiest coach David McDonald discussed the plan for senior night before the game.
McDonald said it was an honor to take part. When Hall made the bucket, the crowd erupted. Actually, the crowd clapped every time she took a shot.
“It was a pretty neat moment,” said McDonald.
“It was loud,” said Reynolds.
Haworth scored two buckets and Battiest had one before a timeout was called and Hall left the game.
Hall had asked her coach earlier in the day if it would be OK for her to get on the court one more time. Reynolds ran it through the proper channels and received the nod.
Hall, a determined competitor, immediately went to the court and worked on her shot with teammate Courtney Maye before anyone showed up at the gym.
“I had to make sure I could make it up to the goal,” she said. “I was not going to not make it.”
She was nervous when 6:30 p.m. finally rolled around.
“I was scared,” she said. “I could not believe that the coach let me go out there. And then I was mad that I didn’t make it the first time.”
“The girls told me to keep on trying, I wanted to quit,” said Hall. “They wouldn’t let me give up,”
Hall has not been a stranger to Haworth’s games.
“I have only missed one all year,” she said.
She stays on the bench. Hall wore a jersey for the first home game.
“But that’s the first time I’ve been out there on the court with it,” she said.
Hall had not played in a game in more than a year.
“It was pretty awesome,” she said.
Her parents, Chris and Carol Hall, didn’t know about the plans until they arrived Friday evening.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Carol Hall.
Hall continues her rehabilitation two days a week by lifting weights and stretching in Idabel. She will graduate from Haworth in May and plans to attend college in Texarkana, majoring in business.
She actually bagged a couple of deer in hunting season, taking a 10-pointer and an 8-pointer near her grandmother’s place in Burns Flat.
While her shooting touch may be off a little, Hall is still the same competitor that made her one of the region’s finest softball pitchers. That spirit was on display Friday.
Play every game like its your last, is one of her favorite expressions.

What has God done for you lately?

Seems simple enough, doesn't it. Well, God is healing Grandma Kay and Papa Danny. Praise him for their health.

Wanted to share about Eddie with you all. When we found out that Eddie needed surgery, we were very concerned. He has become such a part of our lives. He was hurting and needed us. To make a long story as short as I can, we took Eddie to Dr. Old in Texarkana. After his exam and x-rays, we knew one thing for sure - Dr. Old knew his stuff. He explained to us in such great detail what Eddie is and would go go through for recovery.

So, next step was to call Ramona and Tim. Our concern was that GCI would help financially, but standard policy was for Eddie to go to GA for surgery. We were concerned about jaque and sassy. What would they do with out eddie? But we also wanted the best for eddie. So, while sitting in the hot tub (praise God) we talked about pro's and con's of each. The cost was so great, but eddie going to GA was a cost that was even greater. Chris and Tim spoke about it, and Chris sadi we would decide in two days. I told Chris and Jaque all we could do was pray. Chris said that we needed to make a decision. I told him that we did not know what to do, and i would pray that God would let us know by tomorrow. i was on my way to lunch, thinking about it, what was money worth. We could do a lot with jaque theraphy wise with that money....but shouldn't our love for Eddie come first?

So, as i sit at Sonic, chris text me and said that Tim and Ramona talked with the board and they agreed to pay a big part of the surgery, and Eddie could stay here!! Praise God. So we immediately called and scheduled it for Friday. Eddie came through surgery on Friday well, and Dr. Old's wife, Nell, called me to make plans for us to pick Eddie up sat. So on Saturday we met her in Texarkana (Chris, Jaque, and I) to get ol' eddie. When she arrived, she had her son, Travis and daughter, mary Catherine, with her. Her daughter came in with her and talked a little basketball with Jaque. You can just tell a kid with a love for the game, and this was one. Jaque told her that she had played in Sr night and made two points. When Mrs. Old handed me the paperwork for Eddie, my check was attached. She said that she and her husband had spoken and wanted to do this for us, for Jaque and Eddie. Praise God again. How good is he? How good are those that do things in his name? Wow, I was speachless. Jaque factor alive and well. As we were leaving, she was letting jaque know that they had just hired a "hot" guy to work, and would plan eddie's follow up appointments around that. Funny, she had only met jaque briefly and was making a great impact. PRAISE GOD FOR DR OLD AND HIS ENITRE FAMILY. May they receive back x 10 what they have given. Their website is www.richmondroadvet.com Pray for them today.

I hope they understand what they have done. As God progresses with Jaque, people like Dr. Old and Nell - Georgia Canines for Independence and Ramona and Tim (www.gcidogs.org) - will be blessed as well.

Love you all
Carol

Friends are forever!

While visiting Little Rock, Jaque got in the hotel hot tub. Yes, we were very careful on the temp of the water. Jaque loved it so much that when we got out of doctor's office we went immediately started looking and pricing.

As you know, we are trying to be very smart with money. Because of economy, we are being even more cautious. So, in seeing that the good ones are $7000 +, we knew it would be difficult. So, only thing I knew was to pray about it.

Chris went to work the next week and was talking with his buddies on what to look for, and pricing. And then......through a friend called Chaney......prayer was answered. He had one given to him by a friend, not sure if it needed work or not....but if Jaque wanted....she could have it. Yes, HAVE IT. So we went and looked, and thought it was worth a shot. Really, if we could not get it going with Chris, Toby, and Bo - it was not possible. So, Chaney delivered it, yes he is a good man and has a wonderful family as well. Chris got the power ran to Jaque's back porch and got his meter out. With a huge help from Uncle Toby, they got it running. Then the real test, with help from Jordie and Jaron....we filled it with water. And guess what....yes, in true Jaque factor.....it works. What a blessing. What a testimony to God. He tells us that we must seek him, and we will find what we need. Ask and we shall be answered.

God is good, and he is working on our Jaque. She is enjoying going to Chance's PT. He is a great person, and God is working through him.

Life is busy, homecoming tonight, senior night on Friday, and ACT Saturday. Jaque got her acceptance letter to Texarkana College, so if it is in God's plan, I know it will work out.

I have a few prayer request. Eddie (Jaque's service Lab) will undergo surgery on his "doggie ACL" on Friday.

Uncle Glen Ledbetter passed away this Saturday. He was a great uncle, and good family man. Chris will be traveling to western OK to be with the family. Keep his wife Betty, daughters Julie and Tina, and all the family in your prayers.

Grandma Kay is still recovering for her knees and Grandma Donna has been under weather.

Pray for our president and that he continue to pave the way for stem cell research.

There are many more, but lastly, pray for Jaque. Senior year, busy as ever, she is such a great young woman. With friends and boys, life is such a learning experience at her age. She has gone through a lot this past year. She is so beautiful and deserving of friends that are true and a boy that is all that she wants. (Thanks Uncle Tyler for stressing what a guy can be, you are great!)

She will roll in homecoming tonight with Nina and Eddie. She made the disk for the music, and was insistant that her song was "I'll Walk." She will be a show stopper. Thank you all for every thought and prayer. Continue to share her story, 'cause God is not done with her yet. She does not know when, nor how (other than knowing God is the way) but she does know that she will.