Overcoming A Challenge

It was like any other day for Wossman High School Building Supervisor Aubrey Crawford that May 31, 2024. Crawford who is known as the "Voice of the Wildcats" doing football season, was his usual, normal self, making his rounds at the school until he was about to enter into the library lab. All of a sudden, at a moment's notice, he collapsed and couldn't get up. Crawford knew that something was terribly wrong with him. He struggled to move, but couldn't. By God's grace, School Librarian Angela Bass saw Crawford on the floor struggling and rushed to him, enabling him to a sitting position on the floor. She called for help and several other employees got Crawford to a chair while a 9-11 call was made. The ambulance quickly arrived and began treatment on Crawford where a decision was made to take him to St. Francis Medical Center. While at St. Francis, another decision was made to sir-lift him to a facility in Jackson, MS because they couldn't adequately treat him there. But the weather was bad and they would have to take a 2-hour trip to Jackson in hopes of saving Crawford's life. Crawford would later be told that he has suffer an aneurism and a stroke at the school. While in the ambulance, Crawford was being comforted by the staff telling him to "hang in there, it will be all right", but his thoughts were on his family, his career, whether it was "his time". But Crawford said that he started "talking to God" in muted tones because his speech had been affected by the stroke. He said that he knew where he was, that he was "in God's hands" and was at peace with himself. When he was in the emergency room in Jackson, he said his voice came back to him which caused a medical staff said that "was a miracle". But Crawford said that "It was God that did it". Crawford is a man that believes in the power of God, as doing his conversation with this reporter, just about every other word from him made reference to God and what He did for him on that fateful day and the amazing recovery he has had. Crawford said that on the third day in Jackson, a staff worker asked him if he felt that he could walk. Crawford without hesitation, said "yes", and did ten laps, not three laps as a starting point. He said that it was his faith that told him to say yes and he "stepped" out on his faith. He has since been back home and continuing his physical and speech therapy at St. Francis and is making outstanding progress, as people are amazed at recovery pace. He is not medically cleared to return to Wossman, but he was at the school not long ago during the ring ceremony for boys/girls' championship basketball teams. Crawford said that it gave him great joy to be a part of the occasion just being around the coaches and especially the kids. He said that he was touched when the kids did a "and now intro" to him just before he was presented with a team ring. Crawford said that the love that he felt was overwhelming because he was back at least for a moment where his heart is. Crawford said that by God's grace, he will be in the press box on September 13, 2024 when the Wildcats take the field. But for now, he is thankful to God for letting him stay here a little while longer doing what he loves to do.