Teddy's Song - the story behind the song (by Christi Baeuerle)                        Listen to TEDDY'S SONG

TED BEFORE ACCIDENT
 

2 years ago, at 6:30 in the morning my pager went off, delirious from performing a huge concert and not getting in until late, I looked at the number and it was a page with my hometown area code. Figuring it was my brother, particularly because we love to play practical jokes, or leave silly pages and messages I figured it he was doing it knowing I had the show and got in late. So, I went back to sleep with the intention of calling him later. Again, my pager went off, and than the phone rang. This was no joke. I just barely heard my mother on the other end of the line telling me she was trying to page me from the hospital. With her voice breaking, all she had to say was "it's your brother, there's been an accident", God I can't help from getting emotional just typing this. Now understand, I am close with my family and would be devastated to lose anyone, but, I helped raise my brother and he is very much my SOUL MATE and for those people who believe in that sort of thing you understand what I mean. When I asked my mother if Teddy was going to be OK, that's all I wanted to know, she couldn't give me an answer, she just said that Ted was in critical condition and in a deep coma in the Intensive Care Unit and that the Doctor's have requested the family to be at the hospital. Thank God one of my friends had spent the night because they were too tired to drive home. I was completely out of control at that point, screaming, crying, pacing, and not knowing what direction to go. I kept praying and talking to myself hoping I was dreaming, throwing clothes in a bag but not knowing exactly what I was doing. I just had to stop, sit outside, and pray, going into a meditation out of desperation I felt my brother hug me and for that brief second I felt his wonderful warm smile of his and that gave me hope.

My friend's mother arranged to get a flight for me to leave Los Angeles to go back to Baltimore that afternoon escorted by my friend because my family didn't want me traveling alone. I had received clearance once I arrived in Baltimore to go straight to the hospital, to the ICU to see my brother. OH God, my beautiful baby brother lying there with tubes and wires and machines keeping him alive, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. The love of my life, my precious angel and best friend was lying there so still. One of the ICU nurses is telling me that realistically he was not going to survive.

                  TED'S CAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT                                             TED IN EARLY RECOVERY
                                   

Now you wonder how this accident happened? As there is no pretty accident, this was just unexplainable. A Dodge 4x4 Truck was left in the fast lane (not disabled or broken down but left there) on one of Baltimore's most dangerous expressways at 2 AM with it's running lights on, not the hazard lights. My brother and his girlfriend were driving home from a pleasant evening out in separate vehicles. Ted's intensions were to propose upon there arrival home. As he rounded the curve he saw a truck and it looked as if it was moving until he noticed at the last second it was stopped, he tried to veer out of the way but he risked smashing into his girlfriend or hitting a cement wall. With going to the left or right no longer an option he then pulled up his emergency break, leaned over to the passenger side of his car and went under the truck. He had his seatbelt on and the airbag deployed. His injuries were all internal; he did not hit the windshield. His brain ricocheted inside of his skull upon impact at 55 miles per hour. He had hemorrhaging and sustained damage to his left frontal lobe. The next morning after my arrival my family and I met with Dr. Neil Naff, the doctor who performed the Brain Surgery (removing the left front portion of his skull because of the swelling and blood clots) on my brother. He sat my family, Ted's best friends (a shock trauma surgeon and her husband), and Ted's girlfriend down in a private room to explain Ted's condition. Dr. Naff basically told us that Ted would have a 5% chance to live, and if he did survive, he would most likely be a vegetable for the rest of his life. I looked at the Doctor and all I could say is, "I will not lose my brother", I went down to the Hospital Chapel, asked the pastor if he could please come to the ICU and pray with us, and if he could come as often as he possible to pray with us, that we really needed him. 3 weeks went by and we prayed and I stayed by his side every moment I could, I would sing to him, always, always talk positive around him, encouraging him to fight. I would play him my CD and CD's of other artists. Tons of friends and family were there at the hospital, filling the waiting room just to be there for Ted. One day the Doctors came to tell us that they saw a glimmer of hope towards Ted's survival from a CAT SCAN. That gave us hope. One of the ICU Doctors asked me if the surgeon had spoken with me about the CAT SCAN and I had repeated his positive report, this Doctor proceeded to tell me that his information was false and that he was just trying to make us feel good, that the test was worse. I basically told him, "It's all up to the power of prayer at this point"' he then shrugged and said "Well, if that's what you believe", I smiled and said, "That's what I believe"!!

The next day, I got a frantic page while on my way to the hospital. About to burst into tears thinking the one time I leave to get a breath of fresh air something horrible has happened, I called the ICU and my mother answered. She wanted to know where I was and if I didn't hurry I was going to miss Ted! I was extremely confused, would you believe as Doctors walked out of the ICU scratching their head, Ted that next morning after my conversation with that ICU Doctor, had miraculously improved enough over night that he was taken off of the critical list. I ran into ICU before they transported him to his own room, and looked into his eyes, even in a coma he looked at me, I asked if I could give him a kiss, he barely nodded his head yes, I kissed him, told him I LOVED HIM, he gave me a slight smirk and a tear ran out of his eye. I knew in my heart we were all going to struggle through this but if it took every bit of energy I had he was coming home. At this point I stayed at the hospital day and night, sleeping in a chair and finally a cot. The hospital staff was so impressed with the love, faith and support of our family and the numerous friends that visited everyday that they made special arrangements to have Ted transferred to the biggest suite in the hospital, normally set aside for VIP's. The suite made the overnight sleeping for us much more comfortable, you see Ted was never left alone.

       OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!               TED & LAURA'S WEDDING DAY                   CHRISTMAS 1 YEAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT
           

One morning after a restless night of caring for my brother, this song came to me. During the next few weeks while taking care of my brother I completed "Teddy's Song". My family and I never stopped believing that faith and love couldn't pull him through this, and with that, neither could Ted's strength and will to live. He has now learned to walk and talk again, he and his girlfriend ended up getting married fourteen days after his release from inpatient rehab by the minister that came I met in the Chapel that first morning. Ted has returned to work and deals with the everyday obstacles with a positive attitude working towards his complete recovery. We still struggle at times, but to every doctor's amazement, he has recovered more than medicine could explain. They call him a miracle; I call it love and faith.

I wrote this song during the most tragic and inspiring time of my life. I feel that this song came from a very special place and I was just the tool to get it out there to be heard. I hope when this song is heard it will help to inspire them and help get them through a difficult time in his or her life or give them the strength to know that we can overcome anything in this world. Ted still cries when he hears this song. Many miracles came out of this accident; figuring I'd be the last person to ever get married, I met my husband at the hospital. He was one of my brother's best friends, we met and 8 months later were married. We are always surrounded by blessings even during our most trying times. You can hear Teddy's Song by clicking here, or I would be happy to send you a CD.

Peace and God Bless.