The experience of Clint Brown falling through the fireplace opening in our new home.
“It was the first part of September 1975, and dad was working in the basement of the house we were building. The house had the sub flooring, walls framed in and the roof. There were no doors or windows, just the openings. The family was living in a 15 foot trailer in the back yard. I was preparing for a Tupperware home party. Clint’s older sisters had taken him into the new house to play. He had been walking a short time. The girls saw their neighbor friends playing in their backyard, so they easily jumped the fireplace opening to wave at their friends.
Clint was 11 months old and followed his sisters not realizing there was a hole in the floor. He fell eight feet down to the basement and landed on his head. Ross heard the thud and ran to pick him up. We madly made arrangements for the other children, called the doctor, who told us to meet him in the emergency room. Clint did not cry, just whimpered and moaned. After the doctor looked at the protruding bump on his forehead, he told us to take Clint to the University of Utah hospital, where the doctors were waiting for him. They took x-rays and immediately asked us for permission to do a spinal tap on him. It was confirmed that he broke his nose and had a hairline fracture in his forehead where the bacteria entered the spinal column. They put him on an IV with medicine for spinal meningitis. In those days, parents did not stay with their children in the hospital, nor were children under the age of twelve allowed to visit. We were told that he had a very scary night because of the swelling. Grandpa Nielson and Ross gave him a blessing before we left the hospital that night. The treatment was 10 days on the medication and then 24 hours off before he could be released from the hospital. Unfortunately, after those 24 hours, he still had spinal meningitis. So he began round 2 of the 10-day IV medication. During the second week, he had his first birthday on September 18th in the hospital.
The following Sunday after Clint’s fall was Stake Conference in my parents’ stake. My parent’s had a temple recommend interview and told the Stake President what had happened to Clint.
During the morning session, the Stake President asked the members to fast for the infant son of Ross and Edith Brown.
I know that the power of the fast from so many faithful members saved and healed our son. Even though he had to stay in the hospital for a month, he had no lasting or permanent effects from his accident. The doctors were concerned that there would be brain damage and wanted to see him in three months, then in six months and then every year. After two years, they determined that Clint was fine and there only concern was that his reading and learning would be affected. Heavenly Father watched over our son and healed him!” By Edith Brown, Mother Dated May 20, 2013
Jenna LaRose (Brown), Clinton’s Older Sister, recollection of that day, ”I don’t’ remember being in charge of you. I don’t remember you following us over the hole. I DO remember jumping over the hole (not necessarily that day). I DO remember being in the driveway talking to Tiffiny over the fence when mom and Grandma Orpha Brown started running around like crazy. Mom and Dad jumped into the car with you shouting instructions to Grandma Brown about taking care of the rest of the kids and then they sped off. When I realized you got hurt I started crying a lot and we said a prayer for you. I DO remember going to visit you at the hospital and not being allowed to go inside. So they held you up to the window on the 2nd or 3rd floor so you could wave to us and we could wave back. I DO remember when I could go into the hospital to see you that I was weirded out by the tubes in your head.”
“Elder Clinton R. Brown has been preserved through several accidents as a young child, and we, as his parents knew, that he had a special mission to perform in this life. He has always looked after and protected younger or picked on children, and has always had a lot of compassion for family and friends. Two weeks before his first birthday, he was being tended by his older sisters on the first floor of our home that was unders construction. He fell through the opening for the future fireplace and landed on his head in the basement concrete eight feet below. He spent the night in the hospital under constant watch because he was so lethargic. Before morning, his temperature was very high and a spinal tap was done on him. As the doctors suspected, he had contracted spinal meningitis through either his fractured skull or the break in his nose, which were the result of the fall. He was immediately put on the proper medicine through IV and remained in the hospital for the next ten days. Sometimes he needed to be tied down because he would keep pulling the IV out. After ten days, he was taken off the IV and observed for 24 hours. Within 12 hours, his temperature was very high again. Another spinal tap was taken which indicated he still had spinal meningitis. He was again hooked up to the IV and medication for another ten days. He celebrated his first birthday in the hospital. He was finally released from the hospital after a month, was under doctor’s care and watch for any brain damage as a result of the meningitis. A year later, he was released by the doctors with a clean bill of health. We saw the power of fasting and prayer and especially when this is done in numbers. My parents’ stake, of which we were not a part, fasted for the grandson of one of their members. We felt the strength of that fast, as well as the prayers and love from our own ward.” – The 1975 incident of Clinton Brown falling through the Chimney hole, as recalled by his parents Ross and Edith Brown. The year this was written was most likely 1994