I was easily consumed with work and had lost sight of what mattered most until a Life-threatening accident landed my son in the hospital. I suddenly realized it was time to re-evaluate my priorities and chose to turn my attention to the one thing that really mattered: my family.

As I pulled to the side of the road to let the ambulance pass, its siren whirring and lights flashing, anxious to get home, I bitterly thought, I hope this doesn’t hold me up. What I didn’t realize was the ambulance was there because of a car accident, and in the ambulance was my wife and our kids.

I was late coming home because I had decided I needed time to myself and had gone fishing. I was putting in the hours at work and would be at the office from early in the morning to late in the evening. I reasoned that I was busy providing for my family all day long and deserved a break. My family could wait.

As I finally got past the road flares and closer to home, I got a call from a fireman who told me about the accident and told me I needed to get to Saint Joseph Hospital’s emergency room. Just before he hung up, he said, “We did everything we could.”

By the time I arrived at the hospital, I was a wreck. I soon learned that my wife and daughter would recover, but my son’s prognosis wasn’t so certain. He had suffered extensive brain damage, was unresponsive and had been internally decapitated. Only one and a half percent of people survive that. I stayed in the hospital for 16 days and nights as the doctors assessed the damage. There were three doctors working with him. They all said he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

But that didn’t sound right. None of it. I had an unshakeable belief that, through the power of God, my son, Micah, would walk again.

On the 12^th day they began to bring him out of his coma. They prepared us beforehand, telling us he wouldn’t be how we remembered. He was awake for only a minute, and the evidence of his brain damage was undeniable. But then an impossible thing happened. He pulled up his arms and legs! You don’t pull up your arms and legs if you’re paralyzed. The doctors and nurses were shocked. My wife and I couldn’t stop crying with joy, even while experiencing simultaneous pain.

The next day, they woke him up again. Again, he moved his arms and legs. He used to sing a song, dancing around, chanting “Diaper, diaper!” I leaned down next to him and whispered, “Diaper, diaper.” A huge grin spread across his face. He recognized what I was saying! He remembered and understood!

There were still endless challenges. First, his eyes couldn’t move. Until the day they did. He couldn’t swallow, so I’d bring him ice cream every day until he could swallow. My wife would massage his arms and legs until it became easier for him to move them. Today, he’s happy and walking and can even play basketball in the backyard with me. You’d never know what he went through. It was nothing short of a miracle. It changed me forever.

My children were the most important thing to me. I needed to change who I was and put them first. It was so easy to be consumed by a busy schedule, but I vowed I’d never let that happen again.

I also realized the same care needed to be delivered to my clients. My business could be cold and unfeeling when it should always have been warm and welcoming. Now my goal in life is to bring as many people the safety, comfort, and happiness they deserve. I’d love the opportunity to do the same for you.

I view myself as my client’s protector. If that means talking them out of a bad deal that would have given me a massive commission, then that’s what I’ll do. I expect the relationships I form with clients to be close ones that will last a lifetime. I’m also there to be an advisor, a motivator, and an educator. Before becoming a Realtor, I remember how agents weren’t listening to my needs, they kept pushing me in the wrong directions and it just frustrated me more. When I became an agent myself, I knew I’d never put my own clients through the same experience. Instead, I offer an attentive ear and open communication. If anyone understands the importance of family and having a secure place to raise one, it’s me. I’d love to have the chance to help you find that for your own family.

With gratitude,


John Andrews
REALTOR®