It was just a simple poem written by a mom about her precious son, but it spoke volumes about the life of 8-year-old David Weckler. David had the kind of life grown men look back and wish they had had. He lived out in the country northeast of Stillwater on 40 acres of land he could explore. David’s dad, Paul, was an agricultural engineering professor at OSU, and his mom, Stephanie, stayed home and schooled David and his sisters, Susan, 7, and Karen, 5.
Asking questions of Mom and Dad
Thinking over the answers they had.
Acquiring new responsibilities,
Gaining skills and expertise.
A quick mind that was eager to grow,
Enthusiastic for all he could know.
This is how David learned.
It was August 27, 2004, and David had been waiting all summer for this day. He had been feeding and caring for his bucket calf, Leroy, all summer. Leroy was in fine shape and David was so excited about showing him at the fair. The Young Farmers and Ranchers of Farm Bureau and 4-H sponsor a project in which young boys and girls raise a newborn calf, feeding them from a bottle or bucket; keeping a journal about their care of the calf, until the end of summer. Then they show them in a non-competitive event at the fair. David, and most of the other kids, received trophies and blue ribbons. “It is a great way to teach the kids to be responsible and to care for animals properly,” says Stephanie. “David loved it. It was a great day.”
Enjoying goofy knock-knock jokes,
Squirmy tickles and playful pokes.
A tricky riddle or a clever pun
Always added to the fun.
Engaging in tickle monster games,
Making up different, silly names.
Ready to play and quick to tease,
Mugging for pictures with a big “cheese”.
This is how David laughed
David was laughing as he and his little sisters, Susan and Karen, ran down to the pond to look for frogs. It was the day after his big day at the fair. Stephanie was unloading groceries, getting ready for dinner and Paul was starting up the gas grill, when he noticed that Leroy, David’s calf, had been left tied up to graze. As he went to put Leroy back in his pen, he heard Susan scream. He heard a heart-stopping scream from Susan from the direction of the pond, about 200 yards away. Paul raced toward the pond and found Susan, wet and screaming hysterically.
“I thought she had been bitten by a snake, but she couldn’t talk at first. When I calmed her down a little, she said, ‘David’s gone’.” As Susan continued to scream, Paul ran frantically around the edge of the pond. “When I saw muddy footprints at the edge of the water, I realized that David was somewhere under the water.”
By the time Stephanie arrived at the pond, Paul was ripping off his boots and jeans and was running into the water. Within seconds, Paul found himself neck deep in water and knee deep in mud. Stephanie waded into the water and reached out. As Paul grabbed her arm, he was able to free one leg, then the other.
“As I waded back toward shore,” Stephanie remembers, “I stumbled over David’s body. He was less than six feet from the shore.” But the water in the pond was so muddy that they couldn’t see him. “We pulled David out of the water and began to squeeze water out of his body, and Paul began CPR.”
Stephanie told Susan to run to the house and call 911.
“It seemed like a real bad dream,” says Paul, “we had lived there for four years and the number one rule for the kids was ‘don’t go into the pond’.”
Stephanie had followed Susan up to the house, as Paul rhythmically blew air into his son’s lungs, and forced blood out of his heart to the rest of his body.
“I was praying that he would open his eyes and take a breath. Praying that the emergency responders would arrive soon, and just praying for the strength and stamina to continue CPR until they did arrive.”
It took about 20 minutes for emergency personnel to respond because they were so far out in the country. Paul was performing CPR on David the entire time. At some point, Paul recalls, David’s heart started to beat again, but he was still not breathing on his own. When the emergency medical services personnel arrived, they took over David’s care. Paul, exhausted, went to the house. He and Stephanie quickly cleaned up the girls, got in their car and headed for St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. David was already on the way in a LifeFlight helicopter, which had landed in a field near the pond.
Willing to serve and eager to please,
He spoke with others with relative ease.
His simple child-like transparency
Made his emotions always easy to see.
From his heartfelt embrace
To the smile on his face
He communicated kindness
and a desire to bless.
This is how David loved.
“We just drove and prayed. No one talked. The girls were exhausted and fell asleep,” Stephanie remembers.
Susan later told her parents that she and David had waded into the water to see how deep it was. She said they got out into the “too deep” water. David helped Susan turn on her back because she said she could swim better that way. By the time she reached shore and looked back to find her brother, he was gone.
They were met at the hospital and told that David was being stabilized and taken to ICU. They were told to pray for the best and prepare for other outcomes.
They waited five days, with friends and church members surrounding them and praying for a miracle. But David’s brain continued to swell. The night before a final test to see if David was brain dead, a church friend, Jennifer Bonner, talked to Paul and Stephanie about the possibility of organ donation. “We finally came to realize that nothing short of a miracle would turn this around,” recalls Stephanie, “but we knew this situation was in God’s hands.”
Stephanie says, “When the test results the next day conclusively determined that his life on earth was done, we chose to make his organs available for donation. We were at peace in knowing that David’s soul was already dwelling sweetly with Jesus. That assurance enabled us to release his physical body to share life-giving organs with someone else.”
David’s heart, liver and kidneys gave new life to a two year old child and three adults.
In memories that we hold so dear
David had an impact while he was here.
With compassion and maturity
He had a strength and security
Knowing he was loved by the Lord
He lived according to God’s word.
He chose to ask Jesus into his heart,
Never holding back a part.
Now he’s sort of a pioneer
Exploring a home that is far from here.
Encouraging us all to join him some day
when home to Heaven we’ll all fly away!
This is how David lives on.
