ZEELAND, Mich. — Upside-down, the Klamer family car lay crumpled and still on an Atlanta highway. Down the road, a second vehicle had burst into flames, backing up traffic. The early Sunday morning crash scene was the type to leave no survivors, but all seven members of the Zeeland-based family lived to tell the story.
"God was really with us," Dave Klamer said "He had wrapped his arms around us."
The father of five had been driving through the night on I-75— en route to a vacation in Florida— when a wrong-way driver entered his lane, hitting the family's GMC head-on. The individual, a 23-year-old woman, died at the scene.
"Next thing I knew, we are rolling over and rolling and rolling," Klamer said. "It was the worst moment my life."
Brought to the hospital by multiple ambulances, the Klamers tended to their wounds. Kate (mom) had it the worst— a fractured neck, broken ribs, bruised lungs and an ear laceration, among other injuries.
The boys— Joshua, Levi and Zeke— were "shaken up," according to the family's Caring Bridge page, while the girls— Adelyn and Olivia— had to be transferred to a nearby children's hospital for further treatment. Bruised and rattled, the five suffered a mix of concussions, broken bones and chipped teeth.
In addition, later testing revealed a liver laceration for Olivia and bruised kidneys for Joshua—the latter of which resulted in an overnight stay at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
"We can always go to Florida," Kate said. "But just the fact that we all made it, it just draws us together as a family."
For the first few days, Dave—nursing bruised ribs— traveled between his wife's trauma room and the children's hospital. When the kids were discharged, they rode back to Michigan.
Now, Kate remains in an Atlanta hospital with her husband, working with doctors to become "stable" enough to return home.
“It really takes a village in a situation like this," said Sarah Westenbroek, a family friend who has detailed the family's recovery on Caring Bridge, amassing thousands of views in less than a week. "A Christian village is what gets you through it."
From hand-written cards to a Meal Train that's already scheduled to supply the family with meals through the end of the year, the Klamers say their survival and continued blessings keep bringing glory to God.
“We are pretty strong in our faith," Dave said. "As we often do before a trip, we as a family we prayed for protection."
If you'd like to financially support the Klamers, friends of the family have created a GoFundMe. The page says prayers are also appreciated.
