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This is an excerpt from Mistaken Identity by Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Collen & Whitney Cerak and Mark Tabb. It is a story that brings two families together through the worst possible tragedy, the death of a child. It also strengthens their faith in God and his word. I chose this part because it is the moment that both families received the news and their reactions. To find out

more , get the book. It is a great read!

Susie had not been home much longer than Don. Wednesdays can be long days at the hair salon where she worked, and she had run a few errands on the way home. She tried calling Laura
sometime between eight and eight-thirty, but the call went straight to voice mail. Susie didn't think much of it. She planned to try again when she got home, but the evening got away from her.
Around ten the home phone rang. When Susie answered, a man on the other end asked, "Is this the Van Ryn household?" Susie thought it was some sort of sales call, although most telemarketers didn't call this late. He went on to identify himself as the chaplain of the Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. "Your daughter has been brought here as a patient," he said. "She was
involved in a very serious accident earlier this evening. She is in critical but stable condition."
Fort Wayne? What is Laura doing in Fort Wayne? Susie struggled to make sense of what she'd just been told.
Don could tell by the look on his wife's face that something had happened to one of their children. He picked up the extension in time to hear the chaplain say that Laura was unconscious in the intensive care unit. She had several broken bones and a very serious head injury. Don felt his body go numb.
Susie looked at him, her eyes wide as the color drained from her face. Laura was the youngest of their four fiercely independent children. Any one of them would jump in a car and drive
anywhere and everywhere and never think a thing about it. Susie prayed for their safety every day,yet she wasn't prepared for a phone call like this. Her pulse quickened,and she found it hard to breathe. "Can you repeat that for me?" she said.

"Your daughter Laura has been seriously injured in an automobile accident. She is in critical condition and unconscious. However, she's stable and in intensive care," the chaplain repeated.
Don's first instinct was to drop everything and head straight for Fort Wayne. "Where exactly is the hospital?" Don asked. "We are on our way."
Susie went upstairs to Lisa's room. "Laura's

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